Pointing to Christ
A Sermon on John 1:41-42
Originally preached June 27, 1965
Scripture
41He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which …
Sermon Description
The Spiritual realm is much different than the realm of the world. It sees things differently, judges things differently, and estimates things much differently than the world. What may seem little through the world’s eyes can be huge in light of spiritual matters. Listen to “Pointing to Christ” as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from John 1:41–42 and expresses this truth through the lives of Andrew and Simon Peter. He uses these men of the New Testament to show that those whom the world may look at as simple fishermen, God can use as kingdom bearers and messengers of the gospel. He then encourages that it is the same today. Christians may look at themselves and wonder how they could serve the Lord, but God tells them to simply come to Him, and through His own strength and power they too can play a part in the kingdom of God. It is essential to realize that they cannot do it on their own, but must rely upon Him and His own strength. Lastly, they can also be encouraged by seeing how this truth points to the fact that God cares about each one personally and wants them to be a part of His great plan.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon focuses on John 1:40-42 which describes Andrew bringing his brother Simon Peter to Jesus.
- Andrew and Simon Peter were very different in nature and gifts. Andrew was ordinary while Simon Peter was a natural leader and prominent disciple.
- The world makes distinctions between people based on natural abilities and external factors. But God judges based on the heart and what He can develop in a person by His power.
- In the spiritual realm, a person's background and origins do not matter. What matters is God's ability to transform them.
- Jesus knew Simon Peter's character and background but saw his potential and named him Cephas which means rock. Jesus transformed the unreliable Simon into a rock.
- God often gives new names to signify a new dignity or position. He gave new names to Abraham, Jacob, and others. He gives believers a new name in Revelation 2:17.
- The rock Jesus built His church on in Matthew 16:18 was not Peter himself or Peter's confession but the power of God to change people like Simon into Peter.
- No one is hopeless because of their natural abilities or circumstances. God's power is able to subdue all things. We simply need to obey and have faith.
- Andrew and Simon Peter were both used by God to bring people to Jesus. Though their gifts differed, the power working through them was the same.
- We should not judge as the world judges based on externals. We should look to the power of God's might working through people.
- God's blessing is on the faithful, not just the naturally gifted. His power is available to all who believe.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Andrew and Peter
What significant contrast does Dr. Lloyd-Jones highlight between Andrew and Peter?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones highlights a striking contrast between Andrew and Peter, despite them being brothers. Andrew appears as an ordinary man who consistently introduces others to Jesus (like his brother Peter, the boy with loaves and fishes, and later the Greeks). Peter, on the other hand, is portrayed as a dominant personality who becomes a leader, makes great confessions of faith, preaches powerful sermons at Pentecost, and opens the door for Gentiles into the church. Andrew seems content to remain in the background while Peter stands in the forefront.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the different ways God values people compared to how the world values them?
Lloyd-Jones explains that in the spiritual realm, God's standards of judgment and value are entirely different from the world's. While the world measures people by their achievements, gifts, and prominence, God sees value in seemingly small contributions that lead to great outcomes. He uses the parable of the workers in the vineyard to illustrate this, showing how God's grace doesn't operate according to worldly calculations of merit or reward. In God's kingdom, someone like Andrew who simply introduces others to Jesus is as valuable as someone like Peter who preaches to thousands.
What examples does Lloyd-Jones give of seemingly insignificant people having great impact?
Lloyd-Jones shares several powerful examples, including: an old Scottish minister who felt his ministry was a failure but had converted Robert Moffat, who became a pioneer of missionary work in Africa; a one-legged minister who only had "one son" (convert) but "thousands of grandchildren" (spiritual descendants); the forgotten preacher who converted Charles Spurgeon; and the little captive Israelite girl who told Naaman about Elisha, leading to the healing of this important Syrian commander. Each example shows how God uses seemingly insignificant people to accomplish great things.
What does Lloyd-Jones say about the source of power in Christian ministry?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the power is always the Lord's, not ours. He quotes Jesus saying, "Apart from me, you can do nothing," and Paul's words about having "this treasure in earthen vessels" so that the excellence of power may be of God and not of men. He stresses that in the ultimate reckoning, human distinctions of ability don't matter at all - it is the same divine power working through both an Andrew and a Peter. This truth should prevent us from being discouraged about our apparent limitations.
How does Jesus transform Simon Peter according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones shows how Jesus looks at Simon (with all his unpromising background from Bethsaida, his impulsive and unstable nature, his fisherman upbringing) and declares what He will make of him: "Thou art Simon, son of Jonah. Thou shalt be called Cephas (Peter, a rock)." Jesus doesn't just see what Simon is by nature but knows what He can make of him through divine transformation. This pattern repeats throughout scripture, with God changing names (Abraham, Israel) to signify transformation. Jesus takes an unreliable, impulsive person and transforms him into a stable rock upon which He can build His church.
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the "rock" upon which Jesus builds His church?
Lloyd-Jones rejects several common interpretations: the rock is not Peter himself (you can't build a church on a human), not Jesus (as the church is built on "the foundation of the apostles and prophets"), and not Peter's confession (as Peter soon afterward says the wrong thing). Instead, he suggests the rock is the transforming power of God that can turn Simon into Peter, Saul into Paul - the divine ability to transform the most unpromising human material into saints and leaders. It's God's "everlasting and eternal power which can turn a Simon into a Peter."
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between natural gifts and spiritual effectiveness?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that in the kingdom of God, natural abilities and gifts matter far less than we think. While God does use people with different natural abilities for different purposes, ultimately the same divine power works through both the naturally gifted and those with humble abilities. The world may value spectacular gifts, but in God's kingdom, faithfulness with whatever gifts one has is what counts. He notes that Jesus gives the same commendation ("Well done, good and faithful servant") to both the person with one talent and the person with five talents.
What encouragement does Lloyd-Jones offer to Christians who feel ordinary?
Lloyd-Jones offers tremendous encouragement to ordinary Christians, emphasizing that our background, abilities, and circumstances don't matter in God's kingdom. What matters is Christ's power working in us. He stresses that the same power that raised Christ from the dead works in all believers. No one should feel hopeless because our effectiveness doesn't depend on our ability but on Christ's power in us. Anyone can know Christ, experience Him, and bring others to Him. God can use and transform the most unpromising material into something extraordinary for His glory.
How does Lloyd-Jones address the Catholic distinction between saints and ordinary believers?
Lloyd-Jones criticizes the Roman Catholic division between saints/clergy and ordinary people/laity as a "fatal distinction" that suggests only specialists can reach spiritual heights. He argues this division incorrectly teaches that to receive Christ's fullness, one must leave ordinary life and enter a monastery. Lloyd-Jones counters that in God's kingdom, such divisions don't exist - the same divine power works in all believers, and all can receive of Christ's fullness regardless of their station in life or natural abilities.
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the essence of Christianity based on John 1?
Lloyd-Jones identifies the essence of Christianity as receiving of Christ's fullness: "of his fullness have all we received, and grace for or upon grace." He emphasizes that Christianity is about receiving rather than achieving. The focus is on Christ's fullness, which is received through the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This fullness is available to all believers, not just those with special gifts or callings. The whole purpose of his sermon is to show that from humble beginnings (like those of the disciples), all believers can attain to these "indescribable heights of spiritual experience."
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.