Why Are You Called A Christian?

I invite you to turn this morning in John's Gospel to John chapter 1. John chapter 1 as we're continuing our reflections in this wonderful Gospel. Next week we'll conclude chapter 1, some 51 verses. But this morning we're looking at John 1 beginning at verse 35 and reading to verse 42. John 1 beginning at verse 35. Let's give our attention this morning to the holy word of the Lord. The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said behold the Lamb of God. The two disciples heard him say this and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to him what are you seeking? and they said to him, Rabbi, which 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 there they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and follow Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, we have found the messiah which 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 means peter and there ends the reading of god's word this morning sometimes i think it's difficult for people to understand exactly what it is to be a christian what it is to what it looks like to to be a christian And I've always thought that one of the best answers when you ask that question, which is the question reflected this morning in the title of the sermon, why are you called a Christian? One of the best answers to that question is provided in our Heidelberg Catechism, and I want you to hear it for just a moment. Why are you called a Christian? Because by faith I am a member of Christ, and so I share in his anointing to confess his name to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks to strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil in this life and afterward to reign with christ over all creation for all eternity what a splendid answer isn't it what a splendid answer to understand what it is to be a christian it is a commitment you'll notice there and a commitment is an important word in our day, but it's also a train wreck. This is how Rosaria Butterfield described her conversion, didn't she? She said, this was an absolute train wreck for me. She said that it changed everything when I met Christ, when I saw Christ. You know, she came out of the lesbian, LGBT lifestyle and now is a committed, lifelong follower of Christ and speaks to the Lord's power in her life to break her free from these kinds of sins, sins that society says you can never break free from because it is who you are. She says not so. That's an identity crisis. Well, that's what we're considering this morning from John chapter 1, a divinely inspired section of what it is to become a follower of Jesus, what it is to meet Jesus, what it is to see Jesus, what it is to have your whole life changed by jesus that's john one and it helps us understand what we are involved with it helps us understand what commitment looks like and what the new creation is bringing in remember that's an important theme here in john's gospel as we've looked at all these themes that converge here with the coming of jesus that we had as we looked at last time, the whole creation account paralleling, as John is using that, seven days here climaxing in the turning of water to wine. Here we are on day three, and the Lord is changing people. The Lord is calling people. The Lord is creating a community, calling that community to him. And so what we're beginning to look at this morning then is his calling on our lives. We're looking at his work in our lives, what it looks like and how it takes shape and what becomes of us as believers. You remember last time that we spent some serious time considering what a true witness looks like in the person of John the Baptist, which was a fascinating section to study. John the Baptist was a transitional figure who stood at the end of the law and the prophets, It's a long line of Old Testament law and prophets who were bearing witness to the Messiah to come. And John is standing, that's what makes him so important, at the end of all of this, right next to Jesus, handing it all off and saying, here he is, here's the Messiah, here's the fulfillment of everything that we have ever believed in the Old Testament about what the Lord's promises were and what would come. that's what we have. It's interesting though that John made great moment last time which helped us to say what our priorities should be as we're involved in this. It's not about us. That's a stinging one, I know. It's about Jesus. I'm not the Christ, three times it said there. I'm not the prophet. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not. It was a complete denial of himself was the emphasis in the passage to make us ready for how we are to see Jesus. But it's interesting what happens next. At verse 35, we read the next day again, John was standing with two of his disciples and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, behold, the Lamb of God. The two disciples heard him say this. and they followed jesus it wasn't just a passing on the ministry and fulfillment it was also a passing on of disciples wasn't it i mean this is a really important point not to miss in this uh that john spoke the word of god john preached with such a goal as to make disciples of jesus and when the time of fulfillment came that's what makes him such a transitional figure to actually hand off these disciples to Jesus. And this will come out again in John 3 when everyone's saying, they're all going out to him, John. You're a great preacher. Why are you allowing that to happen? And he says, that's what this is. This is my joy that they go to him. I'll come back to that. But it's important, isn't it? Because too much of Christian teaching today and influences in the Christian world merely result in making disciples of themselves this is our problem today i i fully confess it that we all have our camps everyone has their teacher everyone has gathered around their favorite teacher and then everyone feels safe as long as they're following their teacher it's bizarre it's an american problem um we're like a giant field of teepees and in that teepee is the teacher and we've all gathered in our teepees and we're flinging mud at everyone else's teepee one of you came to me um last week and said pastor when is kanye west going to make it into the sermon. Those who are laughing know this story. The older people have no idea who he is and bless you. Way too much attention on him. Way too much attention on him. I'm not judging the sincerity of the heart in that. I'm saying way too much attention on him. That was not John's goal. John knew his purpose was to lead people to the light. So what does John do? He presents Jesus to his disciples. It's beautiful, isn't it? And the next day, John stood with two of his disciples, and looking at Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold, the Lamb of God! Look at Him! Here he is! And we read that in verse 40, two of them, you'll notice there, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, and this other unnamed disciple of John, who is John, the writer of the book. He refuses to name himself, that's the signal. And I take that classic position. You have John the Baptist standing here with Andrew and John the Apostle as we will know him, and here comes Jesus, and you'll notice here, as they're standing there, he declares Jesus to them. He heralds Jesus to them. It's a really interesting moment, isn't it? He's taking, we know, as he said last time, the prophecy of Isaiah, and right in the middle of the prophecy of Isaiah 40, there was a statement that said, behold your God. What do I say? Behold your god that's what you say and john is saying that's what i'm doing behold the lamb of god here he is what a scene it's a bigger scene though than we realize um just imagine this just for a moment with me they're standing john preaching uh andrew john the john the apostle and here he comes approaching them and as john is preaching it's easy to read this right over but in verse 37 you'll notice that they heard john the baptist proclaim christ as they gazed upon him walking and then they followed him. What a strange event. You'll notice in verse 38 that Jesus has to turn around and look at them as they're following. So putting this together, John preaches the Messiah. Jesus walks right by him as he's preaching. So that they, as they turn to follow him, are looking at his backside. Now, have I triggered you a little? Let me read Exodus again to you. Exodus is on John's brain. Exodus is on his brain. Then Moses said to the Lord, See, you say to me, bring up this people. but you've not let me know whom you will send with me. Now think of this question. Who will you send? Show me your way. Lead us. And he said, my presence will go with you and I will give you rest. He said, if your presence does not go with us, don't bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that your people, I have found, found grace in your sight, except you go with us. So Moses says, you, you have to come and you yourself have to go with us, Lord. So we shall be separate, your people and I, from all the people who are on the face of the earth. So the Lord said to Moses, I will do this thing that you have spoken, for you have found grace in my sight, and I know you by name. And Moses said, please show me your glory. What a question. And he said, I'll make my goodness pass by you. And I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I'm going to herald that name as I pass by. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious. And I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But he said, you can't see my face. For no man shall see me and live. and the lord said here's a place by me and you shall stand on the rock so it should be while my glory passes by that i will put you in the cleft of the rock and will cover you with my hand while i pass by then i will take my hand and you'll see my back but my face shall not be seen show me your glory well i'll do it but really you can't look on me i'll show you my backside so moses makes haste and he bows his head to the earth and he says if i have found grace in your sight oh lord let my lord i pray go among us even though we are stiff-necked people and pardon our iniquity and our sin and take us as your inheritance what happened a tabernacle came down and dwelt among them back to john john announces in the prologue that the tabernacle has come down he jesus tabernacled among us and we did what beheld his glory the glory you know is of the only begotten son of god full of grace and truth here's the moment that no israelite could have ever saw and lived you understand that that's that's that's the emphasis here and and so think of the scene at that moment they are standing there and here he comes john begins to preach as he passes by they're looking at his backside and the greek says what he turned and He beheld them and He fixed His eyes on them. In fact, it explicitly says, John said, Behold, look at the Lamb of God as they are beholding Him. He now turns His face and there is a face-to-face beholding, looking, gazing. That is one of the most intimate, powerful moments in all of Scripture. They just saw God and lived. They just saw God in the face of Jesus Christ. It's an intimate moment where they just met first time face to face. They have seen the Messiah. They have seen God's gift to the world. They have seen the answer to Moses' prayer and request. You can't miss the power of this. See how easy it's just to read this stuff right over? He was proclaimed. As He was proclaimed, they saw. When Jesus fixes His eyes on us, What a moment. When were you brought to Christ? No, let that question set in. When were you brought to Christ? When did you see Him? Obviously, I'm not talking about with physical eyes. I'm talking what Paul said, having the eyes of your hearts open to see Him. It's right there in Ephesians 1. the eyes of your hearts to see him? When did your hearts open up to see and gaze upon your Messiah? When did you see his glory? Meaning, when did you finally understand who it was that has come to you and who it is that has saved you? When? When? I know the typical thing we say is, well, I was always raised with this. Is that really the best answer? It's a good answer. I was always raised with this and I didn't always see Jesus. I was raised with this. I was baptized into this. When did you see Jesus? When did you come? When did it happen? Well, I was baptized and I didn't ask for this. when did you come? When did you see Jesus? Well, the reality is He came to us. And when He gazes upon us, we see Him. We see Him. I remember years ago preaching in a Reformed church, and the members had never heard or taken to heart, you need to be born again. I had numerous come up, I preached on John 3, and Jesus and Nicodemus said, we don't use that language in our church. You don't? You have to be born again, which means from above. You have to have life. You have to see Jesus. You'll have a sincere understanding and appreciation of your lost state and where you're headed without Him and that you need Him to give you life. Howell Jones was always so worried about this that there's obviously the great danger on the other side that you say these things that no one actually thinks they're born again, but I don't think that's our problem. We have to be born again. We have to see Jesus. And that's what's happening right now in this passage. They are being born again. They are being given life. You'll know it from what follows. So the first point here is that revelation of Him, who He is, He has to come and show us His glory. And we have to see that. And life has to be given to us. And when life is given to us, what happens? If I can show you what happens, it's an immediate discipling of you for the rest of your life. You become a disciple. You become a follower. You become someone gripped by this. You become someone taken by this, and you follow him. And that's important because it's not just a life of, as we always emphasize in the Christian faith, it's not just a life of making disciples. you first have to become one. And you never stop. You never stop. We never get past knowing what we believe and why we believe it. We're never past the discipleship stage in our life. We're disciples until we die. And then we're fully catechized, by the way. Fully catechized. So notice that that's what happens here. that immediately after this, Jesus begins to disciple them as his disciples now. So he turns and he saw them following him and said to them, first question, what are you seeking? That's a penetrating question. That is a penetrating question. What are you seeking? And they say, Rabbi, teacher, a teacher. How does he disciple them? Well, he looks right into their hearts and he searches their motivations. He searches their motivations. What do you seek? Why do you seek it? Why are you involved in this? Why are you coming after me? How would you answer that? It's a big moment in John because as I said in the reading of the law this morning, Jesus loves to test and challenge motivations and that's uncomfortable for us. He's constantly doing it. That's why I read those in the law this morning and I feel like as of recent, as I've been going through John, We've been hitting on that quite a bit. But it's Jesus hitting on it. Jesus will never let you be comfortable if you're following him for the wrong reasons. In fact, there will be conflict. There will be. He'll never allow it. He'll always test you. He'll always come at you with this. I've been pressing that. Matthew 8, Then a certain scribe came and said to me, Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus said, yeah, well, foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no where to lay his head. Are you sure? Do you know what you're getting signed up with? He knew that somebody said they would do this and weren't really in it. Then another of his disciples said to him, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. Jesus said to them, follow me and let the dead bury their own dead. You have way too much commitment to your father, earthly. The call was always follow him. Jesus, in John's gospel, will show us numerous times that many were following him for all the wrong reasons because when he offended people, they were bolting left and right. In John 6, he preaches in a way that everyone said, what in the world is this? 5,000 people were around him and he preached in such a way that he offended so many of them. It's a great chapter on church shrinkage policies. Not how to grow your church, but how to shrink your church. He offended them so bad, many of them said, I'm out of this. I want nothing to do with this. And then he turns to his disciples and he says, well, do you want to go too? You want to go? Peter says, Lord, true follower, where? You have the words of life. This question, what are you seeking, whom are you seeking, is a key one in John. He'll ask it to those who come to him in the garden of Gethsemane, and they fly on their backsides. He'll ask it to Mary in the garden after the resurrection. Who have you come to see? What are you after? Who are you following? If Jesus came to you today, as He is right now, and said, why are you following me today? Why did you come up to the house of the Lord today? What's your answer? Fill it in. What's your answer? Well, I want to be involved in the school. That's why I'm here. I'm here to please my parents. You see? He presses us. And I love He does. Jesus told the story that the kingdom of heaven is like a man seeking, a merchant seeking pearls. And then He found one that really mattered. So he sold everything to get that pearl. You see, this is what the Psalms are describing all over. One thing I've desired, that I've desired the Lord. That I will seek, that I'll dwell with him forever. And behold his glory. John, here's what you're seeking. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. What do they do? They go running around right after this. Verse 41, verse 45. We found him. We found him. We found the Messiah. We see him. When he asked that question, it's fascinating how they reply, where are you staying? Well, that night he had somewhere to stay, but the reality was the Son of Man had no place to lay his head the emphasis is we're going to go and be wherever you are that's all that really matters in this life so you'll notice there this discipleship it comes and and he's he's training us how to think and training motivations and training who we are and why we're following and what we're after but it's such an encouraging discipleship because then he comes and shows us something very powerful in the midst of all this that this discipleship comes with a full knowledge of who you are individually. Look at verse 42. You'll see this. So Andrew will bring Peter. I'll come back to this thought to Jesus. And you'll notice in verse 42 that when Jesus looked at Peter, he said to him, Simon, son of Jonah, you shall be called Cephas, which is translated as stone. So notice what just happened here. Jesus comes and walks up as Simon is brought, and he walks up, and he sizes him up. Up and down. You are Cephas. You shall be Cephas. Without a word, as Jesus looks over Simon and studies Simon, the word here gives a sense that he is studying him and knows him intimately. I mean, this is Psalm 139. You formed my inward parts. You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are your works that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance being yet unformed and in your book they were all written the day's fashion for me. This is Jesus with perfect knowledge of every single person and now he comes to one of his own and looks over him. You're one. Peter was an interesting character. Fiery, kind of brash, hard-hearted, made all kinds of stupid mistakes along the way. Someone you really couldn't reason with too much. It's your worst kind of disciple. Unstable in many ways. Jesus looks at him, Simon, I know what you are. I know you're unstable, I know you're hard-hearted, I know you're like a sea, a ship on the sea tossed to and fro. It's so powerful because Jesus knows him and looks at him. And on the spot, what does he do? On the spot, he says, that's over. From now on, here's what you're going to be. You will be a stone. It means, of course, boulder of rock or a large stone. I'm giving you a new name right now. Divine grace will be given to you and you watch what I make you. When Christ calls you to himself and when Christ sets you in front of him and he sizes you up and he looks at you, you need to know he has the complete power to change you. What's so beautiful here is that Christ dealt with each one so uniquely in the way that he called Andrew and John, in the way that he dealt with Peter. The beauty of the Christian gospel is just this, that the Lord knows exactly who he's coming after and who he's revealing his glory and who he's making a disciple, and he draws them out of every walk of life. Comes to the little housewife. Feels insignificant. and she is significant. Comes to the farmer. Sizes him up and calls him. Comes to the fishermen. Comes to the doctors. Comes to the lawyers. The Lord knows. The Lord knows just who you are. The Lord knows how every one of us are wired and made, and He has complete control as He sizes us up and calls us out. And then disciples us to who he is going to make us to be. I love that. How many of you know people right now who have not come? Or people from this congregation over the years who've walked away from the faith? Or your own sons and daughters who are as hard as can be? Look at this. Look at his power when he comes and he calls someone out of that darkness and they come. i have one last brief point notice here that jesus reveals himself he makes disciples and then they become disciples disciple makers look at this here one of the two who heard john speak and followed jesus was andrew simon peter's brother, he first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, we have found the Messiah, which means Christ. Verse 42, he brought him to Jesus. What a good thing to think about. I am all a fan, you know, of the ordained ministry. And I love to emphasize how important it is that we sit under the means of grace. I think we make it the magical means of grace, but it's the means of grace that people are saved by. And I'm going to show you that here just in a second. But notice here, this is important. Sometimes I'm afraid that we're not thinking enough about how to train people to actually invite people to Jesus. notice it notice the excitement hey I have to tell you about Jesus today no we found him we found the Messiah we want to tell you about what's changed our lives we show more excitement sometimes for the best steak in town we found Him. Let me bring you to Him. Let me bring you to Him. Andrew was so overjoyed about the Messiah, about Jesus. Coming, seeing, abiding with Him, beholding His glory, that such a thing has transformed Him. it has changed him fundamentally. And that excitement has spilled over that he's now doing what John the Baptist did. He's bringing his people to Jesus. You need to know him. You need to see him. You've got to come meet him. You say, well, we can't change people. I know you can't change anyone. I can't. I understand that. People are too hard. People are too stubborn. People are too sour. Are they here today? What about those you know, maybe in your family, just don't want to be here? Bring them. Show them what you've learned. Show them the joy of it. Tell them. You see, there is a place you can bring them. How many have you brought? Bring your friends. Because according to the New Testament, wherever Jesus is preached, there he is. Do you believe God can change their heart? That's the thing. Do you believe he has the power to do it? It's got to be one of the most encouraging truths in the Scriptures because in the midst of this is a Simon. Do you have a Simon as a son or a daughter? Can't you tell them about what's won you? Let the joy of that go. Let the joy of that be seen. But there is no person too strong for Jesus. There is no person too strong for him. After the resurrection, if you want to see a case study on this, listen to Peter's first sermon. It's just remarkable. Who is that? No, that's not that guy. That's not Peter. No, that's Cephas. He's a stone. That guy is a boulder. That guy is preaching. This is a beautiful section this morning revealing the glory of Jesus and His power in our lives and what discipleship is and what discipleship making is and what it means to become one. These ordinary men, very ordinary people, these fishermen, these red-necked fishermen become what God would use to advance the gospel to the ends of the earth. This is how he comes after sinners. This is what he seeks to do and to save that which is lost. Have you seen him? Have you seen Jesus? It all begins with this question. Have you seen him with the eyes of your hearts? Have you been discipled by him? well, then you'll be invested in this project for all the right reasons, if so. And we'll see the kingdom expand in the right ways as people have a train wreck in their lives. The best train wreck they could ever have. Later in John's Gospel, and I'll close with this thought, all of the Gentiles come up to the disciples John 12. Sir, we wish to see Jesus. That's what's here on this plate, on this pulpit. We want to see Jesus. Sir, show us Jesus. Do you want to show him Jesus? That's why you're here. That's why he put us here. Praise the Lord that you have beheld his glory. And now may everyone see that glory with the kind of joy that has changed your entire life. Let's praise Him this morning in prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you for instructing us in this and showing us a brief glimpse here of what discipleship looks like, a lifelong commitment here, but a commitment on your part to reveal the glory of your Son to our hearts so that we would see Him. And then follow and be there forever with him. And then go out and desire that others would be made. Hear our prayer, Lord, and use us in this way that your truth would prevail to the ends of the earth and that the multitudes again would see Jesus. In his name, precious name we pray, amen.