3-16-14 Get in the Game

Scripture        John 1:35-51

The next day John the baptizer was there again (John played point guard; A PG is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that it gets to the right players at the right time, to create scoring opportunities for his/her team. John was definitely IN the game. He knew his position/mission and lived it - point people to Jesus!  “Get ready, God’s kingdom is near!”  [John baptized with water in preparation of baptism by the spirit through Jesus. Now we are baptized in the spirit through Jesus, followed by baptism in water.

with two of his disciples. (One is Andrew - the other is likely John)  36 When John the Baptist saw Jesus passing by, he said to his two disciples, "Look, the Lamb of God!" 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. (Following Jesus meant they stopped following John.  They didn’t try to stop following John, they just couldn’t follow both.  When we start to follow Jesus, we naturally stop following whatever way we were going before.  Your old ways are gone and your new ways have begun.  When John says REPENT - he means turn around - stop going that way and start going toward Jesus! - You can’t get in the game if the sidelines have a hold on you!  If comfort and being a spectator is what you want . don’t follow Jesus!  He will ALWAYS call you off the bench and put you in the game.) 38

(Have you ever been creeped out by someone following you?  I mean you are walking somewhere and someone keeps following even when you turn a corner…and you just want to run or turn and say “WHAT!?”) Turning around, Jesus saw John’s two disciples following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" (Again, to us that sounds creepy, but they were inviting themselves to learn from him)  39 "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. (3:00 pm)

So they spent an afternoon with Jesus.  What difference did it make?  What was their conversation about?  What did Jesus say to them or teach them?  We don’t know for sure, except that from that brief visit, Andrew decided to get in the game - immediately!

40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.  Found him and brought him! This was not any small news he was telling his brother - If this were true, it would be a world changer.  It would mean everything they grew up believing about God was true; and they would be eyewitnesses of God’s revelation to the world)  Jesus looked at Andrew’s brother and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter). 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. (Why would Jesus leave after a couple guys just started following him? Because he is the greatest team recruiter to ever live.  He wasn’t going to wait for people to just join his team - he was going to go after them and tell them to get in the game?  Do you believe that? John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last.)  Back in Joshua’s day some of God’s people did not want to get in the game so Josh laid it out plain: Josh 24:15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

  Finding Philip, he said to him, "Get in the Game! Follow me." Leaving his old life behind, Philip answered the call.  44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Now what do you suppose the first thing was that Phillip did?

RIGHT! 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Not everyone who hears about Jesus is immediately taken in.  People are naturally skeptical, like Nathaniel.  46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.  Phillip extends an invitation: "Come and see," said Philip. (Sounds like, “Where are you staying? Come and see!”

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." Jesus knows everything about you before he invites you to get in the game and he still wants you!  48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.  Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." 49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." 50 Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that."  51 He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

When you get in the game, you are going to see heaven open up and see who Jesus really is.  Can you know Jesus if you are a spectator? No! You can have a general idea but you can’t know him; unless you allow him to become your coach and you join his team. Then you will see things you never could have imagined.  There is no guarantee you will win every game, but you will ultimately be the champions.

 Let me share with you the story of a man who got in the game.  A very young man who became a pastor at the time of the second world war.  I first heard this story on the day I was given a new position on the team - the position of pastor.  My ordination service 8-25-85 preached by Steve Harvey. The young pastor’s name (Rev. Jones / & Dr. Smith)