BJ Not BK

      What are the areas of the Christian life that are the hardest?  Is it finding a parking place at your mega church?  Is it controlling your anger?  Giving worries, troubles, and situations to Jesus?  Or is it sharing the gospel with people you know as well as complete strangers?  I would dare say one of the most difficult things for Christians to do is to share their faith.

Consider the following statistics*

There are approximately 400,000 Presbyterian churches in the U.S.
95% of all churches are comprised of 350 people or less.
Churches such as Sevier Heights are in the .11% of all churches in the U.S.
It is estimated that between 3 and 4000 churches die each year, shut their doors to never re-open.   Why?

     The truth is that the church is becoming ineffectual with little to no impact on the culture and little to no change in the lives of those who attend.  We claim victory with our lips yet often deny the very victory we have through our unwillingness to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, to give every aspect of our lives to Jesus, to repent of our sins to Jesus, to read and pray to talk with and to learn and to love Jesus.

     Many of our churches are built with the mindset of if you build it they will come.  As long as we have programs, websites, podcasts, Television programs, youth activities, trips, outings, cookouts, then they will come.  We often offer hooks to reach the community instead of hands.  While this is important and effective in reaching our community their is an alarming trend where the body of believers become consumers of the church.  Instead of fellow workers we become consumers of resources sucking up everything that benefits me and criticizing those things I do not like, need, or agree with.  Once the body has it's fill it moves on to other churches who offer better and newer programs all the while the good news of Jesus saves gets lost in the mix.

     The point of this study is to read God's word and to allow it to transform you and I, to open our eyes to the fact that we are not just monuments to Jesus Christ but that we are to be a missional movement that is comprised of sinners saved by the blood and grace and mercy of Jesus Christ who now go out to the community and share the message that Jesus lived, he died for our sins, He rose from the tomb on the third day, and that His sacrifice and resurrection from the cross save us from our sins, hell and provides us an eternal home in heaven.

***Central Truth:  For you and I to be accurate representatives of Jesus we must remain close to Him.

Focal Passage:  John 1:35-42

"The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"  They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

 "Come," he replied, "and you will see."
  So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.
      Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter)."

John was one of the original disciples, and eyewitness to Jesus Christ.  John saw the healings and the miracles.  Jesus washed John's feet and John partook of the first Lord's supper.  John witnessed the arrest, beating, and crucifixion of Jesus and he was an eye witness of the resurrection and the ascension.  The purpose of the book of John can be summed up in three statements:  1. Jesus is the Christ 2. Jesus is the son of God 3. If you believe in Jesus you will be saved from your sins (John 20:31-32).

     The focal passage begins and we see John the Baptist preaching.  John was a rockstar preacher and prophet among preachers and prophets.  He wore a fur jumpsuit and ate strange foods.  He had a growing ministry they had expanded to multiple services, people were traveling from miles to hear him preach.  Religious leaders began to hear the buzz and they too came to the river to hear him preach and to see what all the excitement was about.  People were getting saved and baptized so successful was John's message and so many people were getting saved that they began to call him John, the freaky looking dude in a fur jumpsuit that baptizes which was later shortened to John the Baptizer or John the Baptist.  Yet John's message was a far cry from the wealth and health gospel preached today by the televangelists.  John was preaching hard words of repentance, he was preaching Jesus Christ, teaching that Jesus was coming soon, and showing people the way to Jesus.  It could have been very easy for John to continue his ministry, to focus on himself but he didn't and when Jesus showed up (vs 35) he submitted to Jesus and pointed his flock to Jesus so that they too would have eternal life.  Instead of being jealous John had a heart for Jesus, he loved Jesus, he knew that Jesus is the messiah and that it is only Jesus who takes away the sins of the world (see vs 29).

  Immediately John's two disciples respond to the gospel and follow Jesus.

Point number 1.  If you and I are going to be accurate representatives of Jesus we must first come to follow Him.

  vs 37 "And the two disciples heard him speak, and the followed Jesus."

Each of us must first have come to the point of personal decision and acceptance of Jesus Christ as savior and Lord.  These two men were devoted followers of John the rockstar preacher but when Jesus appeared on the scene they knew He was the real deal.

To be a Christian you must have at some point in your life accepted Christ as savior and Lord period.  Can you recall the moment when you asked Christ into your heart?  Following Christ means that you believe He was the son of God, believe that He died on the cross for your sins, asking Him to save you, then believing that He has saved you following this through with public confession, baptism, and becoming a member of a Bible believing body of other Christians, trusting your life to Jesus, following Him where He leads you.

Have you done this?

Point number 2.  We must be living a life that is consistently abiding in Christ if we are going to be accurate representatives of Christ.

vs 39 indicates that these two men not only believed in Jesus, accepted Him as savior and Lord but that they followed Him and stayed with Him.  What better way to know, love, and serve Jesus that to stay close to Him?

Jesus explains this in more detail in John 15:4-11 when he tells us to abide in Him and that He will abide in us.  You see we are merely the branches who derive all our life, purpose, and power from Jesus who is the true vine.  When we are close to Jesus, loving Jesus, reading about Jesus, praying to Jesus, hearing from Jesus in His word then we can do anything.  Our lives have purpose and meaning, we have direction, our marriages are solid as we love our wives sacrificing ourselves like Jesus did for us, our relationships are strong and lasting because Jesus is the centerpiece and our homes are protected, warm, and inviting.  Yet apart from Jesus we can do nothing.  Our marriages hurt, our homes fall apart, our ministries are ineffective, our prayer life is non-existent, and we don't share Jesus with others.

Where are you putting your roots down today?  Hobbies?  Career?  Green Peace?

We will never stay put in Jesus until we have decided to sink our entire lives in Him.

What areas of your life are you holding back?

Point number 3  When I have accepted Jesus and abiding in Him the natural result will be for me to share with others and to bring others to Jesus.

vs 41 shows that Andrew had accepted Jesus, was following Jesus, and was staying with Jesus.  One of the very first things Andrew did was to run to his brother and share the good news!  Jesus is here brother!  The very one the prophets have told us about all these years, the one who will save us from our sins is here, I have seen Him, He saved me, He changed me, He has given me purpose, and joy, and His name is Jesus.

Thought question of the week:  What has been the message of your life this past month?  Where have you been abiding, where have you been staying with your thoughts, words, actions, motives, activities?  What fruit has your life produced in the past month?

As you read this I challenge you to silently inventory your life.  Have you come to a point where you personally have accepted Jesus as savior and Lord?  When did you do that?  Do you need to commit this to Him right now?

Are you consistently staying with Jesus?  Do you spend time with Him daily hearing from Him by reading His word talking to Jesus through prayer?

Do you have someone on your heart right now who you desperately want to see saved?  Ask God for ways you can lovingly share the gospel with that person.  Ask God to show you people who you can share with.

Will you commit this week to daily Bible reading and daily prayer?

If you have questions, comments, prayer request, or would like to know how to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior please feel free to email me at bjnotbk@gmail.com

Closing prayer"  Father God, I thank you for Jesus.  Jesus, I thank you for your willing sacrifice on the cross that has paid for our sins, that anyone can be saved by simply accepting your free gift by believing in you.  I thank you for all those who will be in class this Sunday as we begin this study and I thank you for anyone who reads this study and is challenged and changed by your words.  Jesus, please change us to be better and accurate representatives of you, help us to better share your good news of salvation, grace, mercy, and peace to those around us and to those you send our way.  Jesus, may you be glorified in all that we do.  May be come to you, stay with you, and follow you.

In Jesus Christ's name I pray, Amen.