1:1 Andrew & Simon
John 1:35-42
We’re increasingly goo, as a church, at navigating difficult Bible passages and topics. In this 1:1 series, we began looking at Ananias’ 1:1 with uber intimidating Saul (who had come to hunt down the likes of Ananias and the other Christ-followers.) Nudged by the Holy Spirit, Ananias plucked up courage to get alongside Saul and support him in his faith exploration. As a result, Saul became Paul and our New Testaments got bigger. Then, last week, we looked at Philip’s 1:1 with the Ethiopian eunuch. Again, nudged by the Holy Spirit, Philip stepped out of a revival for a 1:1 with just this man. As a result, Africa got its first Christian (today, there are 685 million!) But we also got curious about eunuchs (men with no testicles) and were reminded that this Gospel (good, amazing, news) is for ALL, whatever people’s gender or sexual identity.
So, this week, we look at a 1:1 between two brothers [collective sigh of relief] Surely, this is going to be less challenging? For sure, the text is far more straight-forward (no curve balls!) And yet, sometimes, have a spiritual 1:1 with a stranger can seem easier than having a ‘deep and meaningful’ with someone close to us.
John the Baptist was preparing the way – for The One:  for God’s long-awaited Messiah, the Christ. John the Baptist was clear: he was not The One. John didn’t feel worthy even to tie The One’s sandals. When he saw Jesus, John declared, “Look, the Lamb of God.” The One was not just a wise teacher, charismatic leader… He was the sacrificial lamb. He would bring about His victory, not through violence, position, power, or privilege, but through Hs sacrificial life, being obedient to death (even death on a Cross). Far from defeat, the resurrection was God’s vindication. Baam! Yesterday, we had a visit of the Lord Mayor of Birmingham to Chester Road Baptist Church. Because the current Mayor is a she and married to a he, the Mayor came with her Consort.  They arrived in their chauffeur-driven black Range Rover with Birmingham livery on the doors and they both wore gold chains around their necks. (Not to be out-blinged, I wore my staff lanyard with plastic ID badge.) People fretted about the etiquette (I said you don’t need to curtsy to me.) Jesus, God’s Messiah, was different. No pomp, power or privilege. Next year, many will struggle to name this years’ Lord Mayor of Birmingham, but 2,000 years later, we’re still talking about Jesus.
John the Baptist knew he was not The One, Jesus was The One. John’s job was to point people to Jesus. “I must decrease, He must increase” So, he directs two of his followers to check out Jesus.  John was generous. And two of his followers were curious.
Jesus asked them a direct question: “What do you want?”  What are you looking for? Did they know?  Health, wealth, power, fame, purpose...? How would you answer that?  Later, they would realise, it’s not what but who they were looking for.
One of the two was named as Andrew. Being curious, he checked out Jesus. Andrew spent a whole day with Jesus. The gift of time. In Jewish culture, a Rabbi was known, not just for what they said, but how they lived. Did how they lived match what they said? Being with Jesus was enough to convince Andrew. He’d found the Messiah.
John was writing many years later, to people with different experiences and understanding. He’s careful not to speak in Christian jargon. He explains everything; ‘Rabbi’ means ‘teacher’; ‘Messiah’ (Hebrew) means ‘Christ’ (Greek) = ‘anointed one’. We can’t assume people understand terms we use. Need to translate: ‘redeemed’; the Gospel; sin; saved; ‘washed in the blood of the lamb’; ‘asking Jesus into your heart’. These are all theologically rich terms that might mean much to many of us, but are lost in translation for others. John was mindful to explain, translate.What about the other one? 
Comedian Kathryn Ryan has a great routine about early noughties Girl Band, Destiny’s Child – and naming all four members of the group: Beyoncé Knowles (the Beyoncé), Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, and… The Other One? – the one that people often forget (Farrah Franklin) Who was The Other One who, with Andrew, originally checked out Jesus? Was it john, the brother of James, one of Zebedee’s sons? Was it John, who is now writing 60-70 years later? Like Rembrandt, does John paint himself into the story? Are we, YOU, the Other One? Are you curious about Jesus, exploring faith?
The FIRST thing Andrew did was find his brother Simon. We have FOUND the Messiah. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus calls them to follow Him, but John says they discovered Him. It’s both/ and. We think we’re looking for God, but God is also looking for us. “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
Imagine, on a seaside walk, you are swept over the edge into rough water. You’re struggling to survive in the choppy water. You’re beginning to realise you’re in trouble – no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to escape the waves. Then a hand reaches out to you, and you grab it. You’re rescued, you’ve been saved. Afterwards, realising how serious the situation had been, you feel like you’ve been given a new life, like you’ve been born again. God reached out a hand to us and we grabbed it. Which of the holy Beatles is right: Matthew/Mark/Luke. or John? It’s all.
Andrew realises this is not just for him; it’s for everyone. So, Andrew has a 1:1 with Simon, his brother. Why is it that, sometimes initiating a conversation about faith seems easier with total strangers than with those closest to us? WE are NOT responsible for what they think, how they respond. That’s between them and God. We are TOTALLY responsible for having those 1:1s. That means getting beyond the surface level, superficial to be open, bold, vulnerable. We’re not all called to do what Simon Peter went on to do. We ARE all called to follow Andrew’s example.
Simon found a new identity. He was no longer just Simon, one of many, many fishermen working the Sea of Galilee catching and selling fish. Because of Christ, he was now Peter, the Rock. Jesus saw Simon’s true identity; who he was always wired to be. Simon or others might have seen as like sand or a wet fish. But Jesus saw him as a rock. “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter.”  Cephas in Aramaic, Peter in Greek.
Peter will spend the next 2+ years working out who Jesus is. He’ll make LOADS of mistakes, Jesus will keep bringing hm back. But when, filled with the Holy Spirit, he will finally emerge as the leader. And all because of Andrew’s 1:1.
During the lockdown, we all became obsessed with statistics. The most significant became the R number – the reproduction number – the extent to which the virus was reproducing. Anything minus 1 meant decline/ falling numbers. Anything plus 1 meant growth/ increasing numbers. Churches work on a similar model. When the number of people joining is greater than the number leaving, the R number is positive – and the church grows. When the number of people joining is less than the number leaving, the R number is negative – and the church goes into decline.  Most people come to faith because someone had a 1:1 with them. Imagine if Andrew had NOT had that 1:1 with his brother?
I rarely get pictures or visions, but the other week I did. I pictured a relay race: each leg run by a different team member. In a relay, it takes the who team to get their final member across the finishing line. In this race, I pictured the first runner leaving the blocks fast and handing over in good position to the next runner. This person also ran a very good leg, placing their team in a winning position. But the third runner was much slower, distracted by the crowd, not wanting to upset or challenge the other teams, and so just went through the motions of running, but with minimal effort. As a result, when the baton was handed over to the next runner, the team were far behind the others. Now, if the squad had any chance of a medal, the final runner was going to have run like the race of their life, to make up for the poor performance of their previous team member. I was left feeling, my generation (I’m 54) have not served the younger generation well. We didn’t run our leg well. We didn’t want to offend or challenge, we were too focused on ourselves, and we shied away from spiritual 1:1s, especially with those closest to us. No wonder, the Church at large in the UK is missing younger people. And now, we’re handing over the baton to them with the Church falling behind. They now need to run the race of their lives, to make up for what my generation failed to do.
Hebrews 12 says:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Let’s have those 1:1 conversations about faith, and especially with those closest to us
 
07840 046020   DannyBrierley@ChesterRoadBaptist.org.uk