I want to be like Andrew

Thirty-three years ago, in the spring, something very important happened to me late one night.  I was at a high school dance, having spent most of the evening with a young girl whom I had just met.  I never knew her before that night.  As the evening was coming to a close I nervously asked for her phone number so I could see her again sometime.  She politely refused.  But then she did something that would forever change the course of my life.  She invited me to her youth group.  She was (appropriately) unwilling to give me her phone number, but she quickly took the chance to invite me to her church youth night.  SHE KNEW.  She knew that I would find something good there.  SHE KNEW.  And she was not shy to invite me.

I came that first Sunday night to her youth group.  And then I came again… and again… and again.  For three and a half years, the rest of my high school days, I came faithfully every Sunday night.  Why?  Because I found Jesus there, just like the young girl KNEW I would. 

In John chapter one, Jesus’ first disciples KNEW that they had discovered the Messiah.  They knew that they had found the Christ.  And they began to follow this Jesus.  They began to hear him teach and watch him love.  THEY KNEW… and they worshiped. 

One of those disciples was named Andrew.  Andrew was excited that he had found the long-awaited Christ.  And so, “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon Peter and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah!’  And Andrew brought Simon to Jesus.”  (John 1:41-42)  Peter came to Jesus that day and discovered what Andrew had already discovered… that this Jesus was the Messiah, and he did have the answers that they were looking for in their lives.

Peter later became part of Jesus’ inner circle of three (Peter, James and John).  And eventually, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, Peter became the first leader of the Jerusalem church.  He was a profound teacher and pioneer of the faith.  So we talk a lot about Peter.  Peter authored one of the New Testament Epistles.  We look back on Peter’s work as foundational to the early church movement.  3,000 people were saved when Peter preached in Acts chapter 2.

But we don’t usually remember Andrew.  Without Andrew there would have been no Peter leading the way.  Without Andrew, Peter might never have met Jesus.   Andrew did what was so natural in the outworking of his excitement… HE INVITED SOMEONE!

When I was invited to church thirty-three years ago in 1979, I had no idea what I would discover.  It was just a way to meet a girl.  I had other interests, other worries going on in my life.  I wasn’t trying to find God.  Far from it.  But amazingly, I discovered something I wasn’t even looking for.  So, when I look back, I say THANK YOU GOD that someone had enough excitement about Jesus to invite me to come and see.

On Easter Sunday, we’ll be worshipping Jesus, the One who we’re excited about.  There will be a positive message of victory and strength for life.  There will be joy.  There will be the power of the resurrection.  Why not be like Andrew and invite a friend or family member to come see what all the fuss is about?

Pastor Marcus