Who Would You Pick?

Jn 1:35-51

Do you remember picking a team when you were a kid? The criteria for getting chosen was pretty simple. The captain wanted someone who was really good, really popular or really big. The last chosen were those who were weak, or unpopular.

As adults we have grown past that childish stage. When we want someone for our team we really think about who is the biggest, best or most popular. Those chosen last are only done so because they are weak or unpopular.

Wait a minute, that’s still the same standard isn’t it? It doesn’t seem to matter whether we are adults or children, we look at the externals of a person. We never look at people the way that God does. He can make the worst into the best. He can make the weak into great people. He can make the worthless into someone beyond value. Aren’t you glad God does the choosing for his team rather than man?

PRAYER

I. Reality vs. True Reality

A. What we know of the disciples

1. They were for the most part misfits

a) they were fringe people of Jewish society.

b) They were important people with built in influence, education, social standing.

c) At least one was called a zealot.

(1) This was a group of men who went out of their way to kill Romans and what they considered traitors to their country.

(2) they wanted to overthrow the Roman government at any cost.

d) They were mostly poor, uneducated, and common.

2. Some were crooks

a) Matthew was a tax collector

(1) he was considered a traitorous scum by most Jews.

(2) Tax collectors worked willingly for the conquering Romans.

(3) They often took the taxes and then some extra for them and used soldiers to enforce their stealing.

b) Judas was so bad, that he even stole the money he was in charge of for the ministry of Jesus and the apostles!

3. Most of them were poor.

4. They were jealous and petty.

a) Lk 9:46 tells us that they were fighting over who would be the top dog in Christ’s new kingdom.

b) They didn’t like it when someone else was casting out demons in the name of Christ, because he wasn’t part of their little group.

5. They were just plain dumb.

a) I am not talking about being uneducated

b) I mean they were dumb.

c) Think about it, Jesus performed many incredible miracles, and then he says they would feed 5000 people and the disciples are trying to figure out how much that would cost.

d) After Jesus feed them, the apostles are amazed.

e) After that, he walks on the water towards them in the boat and they can’t believe how he could do that.

f) Let’s, see, They saw Jesus heal hundreds, maybe thousands of people, raised dead people, fed thousands from a sack lunch and then are amazed he can walk on water.

g) Folks, that’s just dumb.

6. That isn’t the group I would pick to lead the church if I were Jesus.

B. What Jesus saw

1. When Jesus looked at these men, he looked passed all that to see much more deeply into their souls.

2. He saw leadership.

a) Peter became one of the greatest leaders of the early church and an elder.

b) All the other apostles were leaders of great influence according to tradition.

c) Once they saw what Jesus saw, it changed their whole outlook on life.

3. Potential

a) He saw them for what they would become, not for what they were.

b) again, Peter is the most obvious person to look at, as we know most about him in scripture.

c) Jesus named Peter the “Rock” in vs 42

(1) Peter was anything but a rock in the gospels.

(2) he was unstable and impulsive.

(3) Yet after the church was started, he did become that Pillar of the church.

(4) He became what Jesus saw.

4. Failure

a) Jesus knew from the very moment he called them, that they would fail him when he needed them most.

b) He knew their failures, flaws, and everything that was wrong about them and called them anyway.

5. Men of God

a) Jesus knew their potential was more than leadership, it was to see them become men of God.

b) He knew that they would have the passion for Christ that would be needed to endure what the rest of their lives would be faced with.

c) He knew that they would love him and his church.

d) He knew they would be instrumental in spreading the good news of the salvation he offered.

e) He knew they would be men of God.

C. What does Jesus see when he looks at you?

1. For many of us, people see us just as we saw the apostles.

2. They see our failings, and some of our positives

3. Jesus sees us at a much deeper level.

a) You may be able to hide your life pretty well from others, but not Christ.

b) In the same respect, man may not see what you have to offer God, but Jesus does.

II. Desire To Be On The Team

A. Recognize who is picking the team

1. Andrew and Peter - READ vs 35-42

2. One of the greatest statements here is from Andrew when he told his brother of his encounter. “We have found the Messiah”

3. He recognized Jesus for who he was.

B. Believe you have been picked

1. Phillip and Nathaniel - vs 44-49

2. Phillip was all excited about Jesus and ran to tell his brother as well.

3. Nathaniel was a little more skeptical than Peter.

4. But Christ convinced him and he became part of the team.

C. Recruit others

1. Did you notice what both Andrew and Phillip did?

2. They went and told others, starting with those closest to them.

3. It’s a great evangelism model.

a) start with those you know best.

b) When they ask about Jesus, open the Bible and say come and see.

III. Play Ball

A. Don’t be content to sit on the bench

1. One thing you notice about true athletes is that they would rather be traded from a great team to a lesser team if they can become starters.

2. They are not content with sitting on the bench.

3. Many coaches will bench a player for bad habits and it gets to him so much he will do anything to get back on the playing field.

4. Why are Christians so different?

a) We fight for the back row,

b) We want our bench nicely padded so we can be comfortable watching someone else doing the work.

5. Let’s be a congregation of people hungry to get on the playing field of life and show the world Christ.

B. Find your position

1. READ 1 Cor 14-20

2. Not everyone is going to be a teacher or preacher.

3. Find some of your talents and use them for Christ.

4. Some may be obvious, other may still be undiscovered.

5. Find an area you can serve God with all your heart and ability.

C. Don’t forget you are on the winning team.

1. READ vs 50-51

2. Our Captain is Jesus.

3. Our coach is the Holy Spirit.

4. Our owner is God.

5. With management like that, there is absolutely no way we can lose unless we decide to play for the other team.

6. Would you be so foolish as to do that?