Pointing to Christ
A Sermon on John 1:41-42
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.
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.