Friends Tell Their Friends About Jesus!

 

2^nd Sunday after the Epiphany!

Human Relations Day!  

Intro:

A.   What is a friend?

Webster:  A person to whom one is attached by

affection; an intimate acquaintance.

 

B.   What does it mean to share?

 

C.   If a real friend gets something good, do they share it

with their friend?

 

D.   We will see today where some people did just that!!

 

E.   I’ve entitled the message: “Friends Tell Their Friends

     About Jesus!”

 

 

                            Prayer

                       Read John 1:35-50

                          Mark 1:14-20

 

I.      We see in this account of the calling of some of the first   disciples how when Andrew & Philip found something good they shared it with their friends!

 

A.   They had a great love for their friends!

1.   They were special to them!

2.   They wanted them to have good things too!

 

B.   Christ, the Messiah, was a good thing!

1.   He was the one who was going to destroy their

     enemies and release them from bondage!

2.   He promised them no more hurt, no more pain, no more oppression!

3.   Summed up, he promised them Hope, a light at the end of the darkness!

 

C.   So they wanted their dear friends to share in this new-found "Hope!"

 

D.   In Mark=s account of the calling of the first disciples, Jesus says, AFollow me and I will make you fishers of people.@ Mark 1:14-20

 

     1. Without getting into the differences of the

        accounts, the message is clear that Jesus wanted us

        intentionally telling the Good News!

 

     2. In Johns account, they immediately began doing

        that; they began to tell their friends and   

        relatives!

 

     3. That is what we are here for, to tell the good news

        and make disciples by word and deed!

 

II.  Do we have friends? Of course we do!

 

A.   Do we believe that the message of Christ is good news?

 

B.   Do we want our friends to have good news?

 

C.   Of course we do, we love them!

 

D.   We want the best for them if they are true friends!

 

III. We too have a great Hope in Jesus; that is good news!

 

A.   The Israelites misunderstood the prophesies & promises of the Messiah!

 

1.   They thought Christ was going to deliver them

from the bondage & oppression of other nations ruling over them!

 

2.   They were expecting an Earthly Kingdom!

 

B.   But we know today:

1.   That the delivery from bondage was from that of sin; Christ destroyed sin's hold on us!

 

2.   That the no more pain and no more hurt referred

to a Heavenly Kingdom!

 

3.   Besides this, we know that living for Christ

gives life meaning today!! We are part of

Christ’s Kingdom today!  We are Kingdom people!

 

4.   We know that Christ wants us to live as kingdom people and make a difference today!

 

a. Feed the hungry! (donate to free food shelf)

 

b. Cloth the poor!(volunteer at the Thrift Store)

c. Overcome oppression! (such as Martin Luther King Jr. did as we remember him on Human Relations day)

 

d. Show people that we know, a God of love! Let

   God love through us!

 

e. Tell people how God has made a difference in

   our lives.  Sometimes that is the greatest

   witness: the greatest way to tell others about

   Jesus!

 

f. Don’t be pushy and condemning.  People get

   enough of that.  Share Christ/God’s love;

   don’t push it at them! There is a vast  difference.  People will be turned off by it  being pushed at them!

 

C.   So, we know Jesus is the best this life has to offer!

 

IV.  If we really love our friends, shouldn't we want to share

Jesus with them today just as the 1st disciples did?

 

A.   Teachers, that is why we teach!

          Because of love, we are sharing Jesus with a friend!

 

B.   That is why preachers – preach! (to share Jesus’ love  with a friend!)

 

C.   But each one of us should be involved in this ministry  in some way, some how, sharing Jesus with a friend!

1.   We can invite others to church, or tell them

about the Live Stream or website.

 

2.   We can tell them what Christ means to us!

 

3.   We can talk about it while we are doing the

things with our friends through the week: shopping, working, playing, or maybe just talking on the phone.

 

          4.   Actually, that is the best way after all.

 

Conclusion:

A.   So in concluding, yes we need to tell about Jesus!

Friends tell their friends about Jesus, but do it from

a perspective of love and witness to the difference

Christ has made in your life, and not in a judging,

condemning way from the perspective of where your

friend falls short! That is the way the first

disciples shared!  Come and see!

 

B.   That is the way the good news can be shared today!

 

C.   Do we need strength to go tell today?

 

D.   As we encounter Christ at the table, we can receive

that strength.  Let's ask God to help us and guide us in sharing with our Friends, not in a pushy way but in an inviting way!  Come and see!

 

                      Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion