WHO HAVE YOU FOUND?
“He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus…” (John 1:41-42 NKJV)
While John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples, he looked at Jesus as He walked and he proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36 NKJV).
On hearing the testimony of John about Jesus, the two disciples of John standing with him left him immediately and followed Jesus.
Sadly, unlike John the Baptist, many prophets of God today are not proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Lord loud and clear enough for their followers and dependants to leave them to cleave to, depend upon, and follow Jesus alone, just as those two disciples of John did.
When Jesus turned and saw these two disciples of John following Him on the account of John’s testimony, He asked them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?
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” He said to them, “Come and see.
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” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day.” (John 1:38-39 NKJV).
One of the two disciples of John who left Him to follow and cleave to the Lord Jesus Christ was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother (John 1:40).
Having found the Messiah, Andrew would not keep to himself the good news of his discovery and encounter with the long-awaited Messiah, he went out immediately to spread the good news to others, starting with his brother.
Not only did Andrew share his personal conviction and experience of the Messiah with his brother, but he brought him to the Messiah so that he may have a personal encounter and experience with the Messiah.
John 1:41-42 – NKJV
41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ).
42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).
This is what is expected of everyone who has truly found and experienced the Lord Jesus as the Saviour!
How would it be if every believer would go out joyfully to seek for and find their family members and then share boldly with them their personal conviction, experience, or revelation knowledge of Jesus, just like Andrew did?
Who have you found in your family and brought to Jesus Christ ever since you have found and known Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord?
The following day while the Lord Jesus was on His way to Galilee, He found Philip, who was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter, and Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” (John 1:43).
Having found, met and known the Messiah, Philip would not keep the good news to himself, but he went out immediately to find and share the good news with his friend, Nathanael.
In spite of Nathanael’s reluctance and doubt, yet Philip persuaded him to come to Jesus.
John 1:45-47 – NKJV
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”
If truly you have found, encountered and experienced the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, why are you still keeping the good news to yourself?
Who among your lost friends have you found and brought to Jesus ever since you have found Jesus?
Like Philip, it is expected of you to prayerfully persuade your friends who are reluctant to follow you to Jesus.
If all the believers today, who have found and received Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord, are like Andrew and Philip, no doubt, we would have brought all our families and friends to Jesus Christ.
Sadly, many believers today are either too ashamed or too preoccupied with themselves to share their personal conviction, experience, or revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ as the Saviour and Lord with their families and friends who have not known Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
You don’t need to wait until you read, know and understand the entire Bible from cover to cover, or wait until you are trained, ordained, or certified as an evangelist, pastor, or preacher before you go out to seek for your lost relations and friends and bring them to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Andrew and Philip didn’t wait to hear, know and understand every truth about the Messiah and His Kingdom before they went out to seek for, invite, and bring their relations and friends to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Like Andrew and Philip, you can persuade your family and friends to come to Jesus by simply sharing with them joyfully and boldly your personal conviction, testimony, experience, or revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord.
It is nothing but sheer selfishness or wickedness to keep the good news or the gospel of Jesus Christ to yourself after you have found the Saviour and tasted the goodness of the Lord Jesus.
You are expected to go out and share your personal experience of the goodness of the Lord Jesus with your family and friends and everyone you know, inviting them also to come and “taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psa. 34:8 NKJV).
The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world primarily to seek and save sinners!
Jesus states His mission thus, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10 NKJV).
Apostle Paul puts it this way, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” (1 Tim. 1:15 NKJV).
Just as the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to seek and save the lost souls, the Lord Jesus has also sent you into the world to seek and save the lost souls.
This is your real mission in the world!
While praying to His Father for His disciples before leaving the world, Jesus said, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” (John 17:18 NKJV).
It is a contradiction to claim to be a disciple of Jesus and not be passionately interested and actively involved in the mission of Jesus – seeking and saving the lost souls.
The disciples of Jesus are called to continue the mission of Jesus in the world. Therefore, anyone who claims to be a disciple or a follower of Jesus Christ but not interested in the business of seeking, saving, winning and bringing sinners to Jesus Christ is either a liar or a rebel.
The Lord Jesus clearly said to His disciples, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21 NKJV).
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (John 14:12 NKJV).
Many sinners today would gladly and promptly believe in the Lord Jesus, call upon Him and surrender their lives to Him if they hear, know and understand the true Gospel of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But how will they hear, know or understand God’s gracious provision for their salvation unless someone who has experienced or tasted God’s love, grace and goodness seek for them and share the good news with them?
Paul queries, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
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And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:12-14 NKJV).
Beloved, the truth is that your relations and friends who are not yet saved are fast drowning and perishing in the deep ocean of sin, gasping heavily for eternal life in Christ Jesus. Apparently, you need to act fast before they pass away to eternity without Christ.
It is not enough to invite or bring them to your church, you should also see to it that you prayerfully and personally invite and bring them to Christ.
It is God’s desire to save you and your household (Acts 16:31). The Lord Jesus found and saved you first, like Andrew and Philip, so that you may seek for and find other members of your family and bring them to the Lord Jesus.
Arise and go out today to seek, find and bring your lost and perishing relations and friends to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, before it is too late.
This is a wise thing to do!
The Scripture testifies “…He who wins souls is wise.” (Prov. 11:30 NKJV).
Be wise!
Win souls for the Lord Jesus Christ!
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus Christ to find and fish me out of the deep ocean of sin. I repent today of my slothfulness, complacency and indifference towards finding and seeking for the lost. My Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me today to become actively involved in the rescuing operation of the drowning and perishing souls, in Jesus’ name. Amen.