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 1:35-42The passage above tells about how Andrew reached his brother Peter for Jesus, even though Andrew was just introduced to Jesus himself. By following his example, we find a practical method which shows us how to share our faith. The first step is to Seek Out – looking for those people in our lives that need Jesus, so we can tell about our experience with Jesus. The next thing Andrew did after seeking out his brother, was to take him to Jesus.
Sought, then Brought - And he brought him to Jesus.
Andrew not only sought his brother, he also brought his brother to Jesus. So, we must not only seek out our unsaved friends and share with them our own experience, we must also bring them to a place where they can make a decision for Jesus. In Andrew’s case he literally brought his brother to Jesus. In our case we can at least bring them to a place where they have an opportunity to hear the Gospel and be touched by the power of God. We can bring them to church.
For all we do we cannot stop short of this because this is the key. You see, the object of evangelism is to evangelize. The object of fishing is to catch fish. The object of fishing is not to bait the hook well. It is not to see the fish take the bait. It is not to get the fish on the line, but to get the fish in the boat. Too many people today just want to start a fishing society. They want to have meetings, keep an accurate membership roll, and make sure the members pay their dues. They want to have scheduled meetings in which they talk about catching fish. There they can plan out strategies for catching fish, rules to follow when catching fish, regulations concerning the proper attire for fishing, and so on. Are fishermen those who join fishing societies? No, fishermen are people who catch fish.
The real issue is a simple one. We Christians do a lot of talking about fishing, but what we really need to do is fish. If we’re going to bring our friends to Jesus, we must do something about bringing them. We must take the time to seek them out, to share with them our own experience of Christ, and to bring them to church. That is the least we can do. It is about getting out of the pew and out of the doors of the church. Sometimes we get so caught up in going through the motions of life that we are too busy to add anything else to our plate. We want to come to church on Wednesdays and Sundays, sing songs, have a Bible study, listen to the pastor and be done. But God’s plan for us is to know Him and to make Him known. The church is for believers but then the believers are supposed to take the church to the unbelievers. He has given us something that we need to give to others. There are people out there that need to know what we know. They need Jesus and if not us, then who? Who will tell them about Jesus and His saving grace and resurrection power? Andrew went and got his brother and took him to Jesus. We need to go out and take Jesus to the people who need Him.
Scripture to Claim:
I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. Isaiah42:6-7
