Andrew - "What Can I Contribute?"

Bob Bonner
June 5, 2005

Have you ever wondered, "What do I have to offer God that He could use in a mighty way that would have any impact on my world for Jesus Christ?" Have you ever felt that because you weren't a highly educated person or an extravert who can stand up in front of people to speak, or if you didn’t have a lot of money or some outstanding abilities, that you really had nothing significant to offer the Lord? Have you ever felt you were too young or too old to be of great service to the Lord? Some of you who are graduating to another level in your education maybe a little anxious as to what is in store for you. This morning, I want you to see that God would love to use your life to make a difference in the lives of those around you. The only thing it will take is for you to make yourself available to Him. You are an important person to the Lord and He wants to use your life to change the face of eternity. He has not only given you supernatural spiritual gifts, but He has designed you specifically to serve His purposes.

This morning, to help you see that God can use your life, we are going to look at an individual who was not a spectacular star amongst his peers. Rather, he was a somewhat quiet introvert, a man of few words, a man of few talents, yet he made a significant difference in the kingdom of God. He was the first official evangelist or “fisher of men” listed in the New Testament. He was not obviously gifted, but he was someone who loved Jesus, loved others and simply made himself available to the Lord, to help “whomever” meet Jesus. His name is Andrew, one of the lesser known of the twelve disciples of Christ.

Even though he was one of the most effective evangelists in all of scripture, Andrew is mentioned only three times in Scripture, other than finding his name in a list with the other disciples in the New Testament.

Andrew was a quiet man who thought more about matters of the soul than he did about his business of fishing. We know this because he left his fishing nets to search out and follow after John the Baptist, an Old Testament wilderness preacher. To get to John the Baptist, Andrew walked about 75-100 miles from his home in Galilee, to the southernmost end of the Jordan Valley, to a small town named Bethany, on the east side of the Jordan River. This was the place where John the Baptist was preaching.

Andrew became a disciple of John the Baptist, before he became a disciple of Christ. John the Baptist was Andrew’s kind of man. John was an outdoors man, rough and homely. John the Baptist was one who practiced the simple virtues of life. He could care less about money, possessions or worldly acclaim. What he really cared about was knowing God and serving people. This was the kind of man that interested Andrew. He looked to John the Baptist as his mentor.

While following John, Andrew busied himself serving this desert preacher. In return, Andrew learned about the coming Jewish Messiah. John spoke convincingly that the times were right, according to the Old Testament prophecies, for the Messiah to make His appearance on the scene. Andrew believed the prophecies and wanted to be there when the Messiah showed up.

If you have your Bibles with you, look with me at the first of three passages of Scripture that refer to Andrew, John 1. Follow along as we get better acquainted with Andrew and his life with Jesus.

By this time in John 1, John the Baptist has already baptized Jesus. Following his baptism, Jesus immediately left the crowds behind and was led off by Satan into the wilderness to be tempted for 40 days. Almost six weeks later, Jesus returns to the Jordan river where John the Baptist has been preaching. While preaching to this large crowd, John the Baptist suddenly stopped preaching. His gaze fell on a man a few yards away, standing near the Jordan River. He recognized the man. It was his cousin, Jesus, who had returned from the wilderness. Immediately, John turned the crowd’s attention to this solitary figure a few yards away.

We read this, beginning with verse 29, “The next day he (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, “After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me. I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Now, I presume that Andrew, John’s disciple was there that day. When John finished speaking, I can only imagine that Andrew stood there mesmerized. We are not told what happened right after that, or how that day ended. The only thing we do know is that in the next verse, a new day has begun.

Now, allow me a little sanctified imagination here. If I were timid Andrew, after such an event, and the day had ended, I would have been kicking myself for allowing the sun to go down and not having taken the opportunity to ask Jesus some questions. Furthermore, if I thought that there might be a chance that Jesus would be back in the next few days, I would have made sure that I would be ready for Him. Andrew even may have asked John the Baptist to help him get to Jesus, if He were ever in the area again.

And sure enough, the next day Jesus returned to the river’s edge. This time there were no crowds, just John the Baptist, Andrew and another of John’s disciples. Look at John 1:35-40. We read, Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

Imagine, John the Baptist’s role here. For probably months, he has been teaching these two disciples about the coming of the Messiah, and poof! His disciples are gone to follow another religious leader. Many religious leaders would have been jealous that another religious leader took two of his sharpest students. But not John. He was quite prepared to yield his following to Jesus. For even as he later states, “I must decrease, if Christ is going to increase.” It’s never about our own fame or making our own disciples or even promoting our own church. It is only about instructing others in how to be a more faithful follower of Jesus.

And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.”

Wouldn’t you have loved to have been a fly on the wall during that private session with Jesus? It must have been some meeting, because we are told in verse 39, that they even remembered the hour it occurred, 10 a.m. That was a significant hour for Andrew, one that changed the course of his life. He came away with one conviction: Jesus was the Lamb of God; Jesus was the long-looked-for and expected Messiah!

By the way, it’s my opinion that the second disciple who was with Andrew and Jesus was probably the Apostle John, who wrote this letter. I’m convinced of this for three reasons: First, the other three gospels do not record this account. Second, only an eye witness would have remembered the hour. And third, it is typical of John never to mention himself by name in his own gospel account. For him to remember the exact hour that Andrew and he went away with Jesus signifies that it was an extremely impactful, if not the most impactful, memory of this Apostle’s life...his first meeting with the Savior.

Following that meeting, Andrew could only think of one thing...his brother, Peter. Small wonder! Andrew had lived in the shadow of his older brother since birth! It was always Peter this, Peter that, Peter all the time. Peter, the center of-attention; Peter, the superstar; Peter, the man in the spotlight. But amazingly, there is no sign that Andrew was ever jealous of Peter. In fact, the evidence is just the opposite. Andrew probably knew that Peter had gifts that he had not. And it was because of his love for his older brother and his being proud of his older brother’s abilities that he wanted his brother to meet Jesus, the Messiah. We read in John 1:41, (Andrew) found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas ” (which is translated Peter).

Andrew, with this one act probably did more than all the rest of the other disciples did in their lifetimes. For if Andrew had not brought his brother Peter to Jesus, who knows, Peter may never have become a disciple.

Andrew was the first-named disciple to follow Jesus, yet he is never mentioned first in any list of the twelve. Peter is always first, and Andrew is second, even fourth in Mark and in Acts. And, growing up, it was probably always that way. In school Peter always had the answers. In sports, Peter always was the star. Peter always got the beautiful girls. In the fishing business everything revolved around Peter. He gave the orders and Andrew was in the background doing his job. Whenever Andrew was introduced, it was always: "What's your name again? Oh, yeah, you are the brother of Peter!" It's not easy to play second fiddle! To play it all your life, day in and day out, week after week, month after month, in everything all the time, to live in the shadow of an illustrious brother. But Andrew played his role skillfully.

And now, Andrew discovers Jesus Christ. For once in his life, he could be the first! For once he could be the star in Jesus’ eyes, even if he wasn’t in the eyes of others. Andrew was never sour, surly or cynical about his ministry for Christ. He had learned to make beautiful music for the Lord, playing second fiddle.

Folks, there is nothing wrong with playing second fiddle. What really matters is that you are in the orchestra somewhere contributing!

When Andrew told his brother, "I have found the Messiah!" there was no doubt or question in his voice either. Andrew was sure and decisive. Had he been doubtful, Peter would not have been convinced. Peter was too strong a person to be moved by indecision. But Peter knew his brother’s integrity and listened to his younger brother. He did not turn a deaf ear. With all of his boisterous personality, his colorful spotlight grabbing, his fiery extrovertish nature, Peter listened to his younger brother...which tells me more about Andrew than Peter.

Andrew must have played a good second fiddle. His life was such that his older brother respected him. Keep in mind, Andrew’s evangelism began in his own home. Have you ever tried to lead a relative to Christ? One with whom you have lived for a long time? It usually takes years before a relative takes you seriously and is willing to look into Christ on his own. But not in Andrew’s case. His character was such that his older brother immediately checked out Jesus.

Peter did not laugh, he did not ridicule. He went along to find out for himself. Andrew may not have had the personality or the skills of persuasion that Peter did, but based on his character, Andrew brought his brother to Christ! Friends, you don't have to be a flaming evangelist to be used mightily by God, just be available, like Andrew.

We meet Andrew again a few months later, in John 6. A crowd had listened to Jesus for a long afternoon. The hour was late, and the people had to return home. For some it was a long trip and they were hungry without any food or any easy means of procuring some. Certainly the disciples didn't have any or enough to feed that many people. So most of the disciples sat there wondering what to do.

But not the quiet, introvert Andrew. He steps forward to Jesus, and suggests something, that if others had heard Andrew, they might have laughed at him for suggesting such a thing. In John 6:910, Andrew says to Jesus, “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down .” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.”

Andrew brings this lad to Jesus, along with the kid's lunch. Now, how did Andrew know a kid had a lunch with fish and chips in it? From what I observe of Andrew, although he was an introvert, and not one for getting up in the front of crowds, he was a friendly introvert. He loved people, especially if he could go one on one with them.

He probably saw this boy in the crowd, alone, and sought him out. He sat down with him and started swapping fish stories about their days on the Sea of Galilee. They even may have shared where they thought the best fishing spots were. Somewhere during their time together, as kids do, he probably took his lunch out of his robe, all mashed and messy, and offered to share it with Andrew.

Andrew was that just that kind of person. He was warm and friendly and unassuming. First, he brought himself to Jesus; then, his big brother Peter; and now, this boy and his lunch. And what does Jesus do? He takes the kid’s lunch, multiplies the loaves and fishes and feeds five thousand people! Something that you can be sure that kid and Andrew would remember the rest of their lives.

We next meet Andrew on Palm Sunday, the last week of the Savior's life. Jesus has entered Jerusalem in triumph. Some men of Greek birth have come to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passover. They have heard about Jesus. They want to meet Him. These are men seeking truth about how to live an eternal life. Let’s read about this situation in John 12:20. “Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast; these then came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and began to ask him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew;.... Why did Philip come and speak to Andrew about these Greeks? Because Philip didn’t know what to do with these foreigners. But Andrew did. So, Andrew took Philip and these Greeks to meet Jesus. And after meeting them, Jesus took that opportunity to speak to all who would listen to Him in the temple, including these Greeks who were there to celebrate the Passover. The subject of His sermonette is the universal message that if you want to find life, you must follow Jesus. And to follow Jesus meant total commitment to Him. Jesus said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”

Well, that’s Andrew. Those are the only passages in the Bible that talk about Andrew and the things he did. For the most part, none of his actions had the flair or the notoriety of the famous. Different than his brother Peter, Andrew never made the public confession that his brother did, “Thou art the Christ!” Nor did Jesus publicly state the truth that Andrew shared, “Upon this rock, I will build my church,” as Christ said of Peter. But, Andrew’s claim to greatness is bringing Peter to Christ.

Again, although we have no historical record of Andrew performing any miracles or casting out demons, we do have Andrew bringing the boy to Jesus, enabling Jesus to work one of His greatest miracles, the feeding of the 5,000, and one of Christ’s greatest sermons, that in which He declared, “I am the bread of life.”

Finally, it was Andrew who brought the Greeks to Jesus, beginning the universal ministry and outreach the non-Jews. Andrew knew that Jesus was no respecter of persons, but that He loved, and would die for, any who wanted to claim Him as their Savior and Lord.

In all of these recorded events involving Andrew, they carry the same theme. Andrew was always bringing someone to meet Jesus. Family, non-family, fellow citizens and foreigners. Andrew was the friendly apostle. Andrew, the man who introduces others to Jesus Christ. Without Andrews and others like him, there can be no success in the Kingdom.

Peter and Andrew were both fishers of men. Peter, the older brother, was the flashy one who stood up front and fished amongst the masses. Andrew, the friendly introvert, singled out the individuals one by one, and loved them to Jesus. What enabled Andrew to be so successful was his enthusiasm, his love for the Lord and others. He wanted everybody to meet and know Jesus. Do you?

Historically, it's the Andrews who typically bring the Peters to Christ. But they are rarely if ever given much notice or the publicity, the footlights, or the praise for their work. They are not the stars, but the extras. They are not the quarterbacks, but the linemen. We tend to remember the Peters, but forget the Andrews.

For instance: One winter Sunday, a sixteen-year-old boy was headed off to church in a remote village in England. The weather suddenly turned stormy and he could not make it to his family’s church and was forced to stop at a Methodist church for shelter, taking a seat in the back row. As it would happen that day, the regular minister had not appeared and a layperson, whose name is unknown to this day, preached to a small listless audience. It seemed that the only one in the room who was paying attention to what he had to say was a wet, discouraged looking sixteen-year-old boy. But that day, that boy committed his life to Jesus Christ. His name was none other than Charles Haddon Spurgeon, known by church historians as “The Prince of Preachers.” Nobody knows the name of that lay preacher, but the name Charles Haddon Spurgeon is famous.

Who was that preacher in a southern revival meeting, who felt he was a failure in his service to Jesus because over a period of days, the only person he had led to Christ was some kid...some kid named Billy Graham? I don’t know the name of that hard working preacher, and I’m not sure Billy does. But none-the-less, neither Billy Graham nor Jesus will forget that unknown preacher.

Because I’m getting older, allow me to illustrate the point with one more true situation that I know many older pastors face. This old minister walked into a cemetery next to his churchyard. He sat down on a tombstone and began to weep. He had just been notified by his church officers that he was getting too old and had to resign and allow a younger man to take his place.

As he sat there dejected, he watched a young boy coming down the street with a bright smile on his face, reflecting the joy in his heart. This old preacher loved young people and called him over to sit down next to him. At that point, the old man forgot his own sorrow and talked to the lad about life and the importance of knowing Jesus and how Jesus loves everyone in the world, and wouldn’t it be great if everyone got to know Jesus? Nothing major happened at that moment. The boy simply heard the old preacher out, and when it was polite to do so, he left the old man and continued on his merry way.

Not long afterward, the old preacher died, never knowing the impact he had had on that young man. But that young man never forgot that old preacher and his comments about Jesus’ love for the whole world. For because of him, that young man, who became a cobbler by trade, eventually became the father of missions to India. His name was William Carey. Carey used to have an old leather globe of the world in his store. And every day at work, he would take time to pray for those people around the world who had never heard of Jesus. Often, his patrons would interrupt his prayer time to work on their shoes. Eventually, Carey would move to India and translate the Bible into the various dialects of the East.

We tend to remember the Peters; we forget the Andrews. But without the Andrews nothing great can be accomplished. Onetalent men more often than not make the biggest difference in the lives of those who become the great ones. They are typically the humble people who have time for others. They typically are those people who invest their time to love others to Jesus, whether they are warmly welcoming others as a greeter at a worship service, or working at a coffee stand handing out free coffee to weary travelers at three o’clock in the morning in the name of Jesus, or that faithful Sunday School teacher, who prepares each week to serve Jesus by teaching our children about Him. These are the people who have given all of themselves to Jesus and who love others, that make the biggest difference for Christ. People whose names we typically don’t even know. Yet, when a one-talent person gives his heart to Jesus Christ to serve Him and to do whatever his talent allows him to do to bring people to Christ, he will be used of God to change the face of eternity.

Remember, whom did Jesus choose first? The big guns, like the Peters, or the quiet, reticent Andrew. Andrew. Why? Because nothing can be done without those friendly folk, those humble people, who are always introducing others to Jesus. Once in a while God brings along a Peter, a Luther, a Carey, a Spurgeon, a Graham, and mass evangelism has its place; but the most effective way to reach people for Christ is personto-person, one by one. We need Andrews. Not everyone can be a Peter. But everyone can be an Andrew.

The temptation of many of us is to apologize for ourselves. We think, “Who am I, that I can do great things for Christ?” In one sense, that’s correct, apart from Christ we can do nothing significant. But on the other hand, we don’t have to be anybody special for Jesus to use us. We just need to be available.

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