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[0:00] Good morning and a warm welcome to the service this morning. It's good to see some visitors with us as well today.

[0:12] And if you're able to stay behind, please do. There's tea and coffee served at the end of the service and it'll be good to see as many as possible there. The evening service will be at six and will be conducted by myself, God willing.

[0:26] And the Youth Fellowship will resume half past seven to half past eight this evening also. One change to the notices, the elders were due to meet for prayer at the manse tomorrow at half past seven.

[0:40] But that's been postponed. It's anticipated there'll be a worship at the church tomorrow evening after the passing away of Donald from Govig.

[0:51] So there'll be no prayer meeting tomorrow evening at the manse. That'll be rescheduled. Ladies Bible Study is due to meet at eight tomorrow. And the First Fruit Fellowship meets at half past seven on Tuesday in the Church of Scotland Hall.

[1:06] Road to Recovery also meets on Tuesday at eight here in the Community Centre. And the prayer meeting is on at half past seven here in the Community Centre also.

[1:17] All are welcome to that meeting. The services next Sunday, God willing, will be taken by myself in the morning. And in a change to the notice, there will be an evening service which will be taken by the Reverend Ivor Martin and the Reverend Thomas Davis.

[1:35] I had actually thought it was the following week, but I'm a week behind. And Thomas had spoken before about the possibility of having a service where there would be a focus on the work of the Edinburgh Theological Seminary.

[1:51] And he spoke about that when he was here at the Community some months ago. So that's next Lord's Day evening. And Scalpy will be joining with us also for that service at 6pm, usual time.

[2:04] But the service will be taken by Thomas and the Reverend Ivor Martin. Possibly some of the students as well will contribute in the service too. So please be encouraged to come along and hear about the ministry through the seminary and learn more about how we can be involved in that.

[2:25] One final intimation is just to say there was very few of us actually who met with Adam. Adam's a missionary who ministers in Iran.

[2:37] And he spoke here one evening, a very stormy evening, about the ministry that he's involved with. Adam's not his real name, but his real name is protected. We don't get to learn his real name.

[2:49] And he sent me a couple of letters and just asked that these letters would be shared with those who are interested and who would be prayerful and then would be destroyed afterwards.

[3:00] It's just for the sake of his own safety and confidentiality. So those who have a particular interest and who would like to hear these letters being read and then have a chance to pray afterwards, speak to me at the end please.

[3:17] And we can organise just a prayer meeting as and when required to pray for the work as we're updated on that work. These I think are all the intimations.

[3:28] So let's begin our service and worship God singing to his praise from Mission Praise number 275. 275 in Mission Praise.

[3:43] I heard the voice of Jesus say, come unto me and rest.

[4:13] Thy weary head lay down, thy head upon my breast. I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad. I found in him a resting place and he has made me glad.

[4:25] Let's unite the hearts of Jesus. Let's pray. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you this morning for the words that we've been able to sing together.

[4:45] We thank you for the good news that has reached us. That there is a light. That there is a saviour. That there is one who calls us to come unto him and rest.

[4:59] We thank you once more, Father, on this Lord's Day for sending your Son into this world. To enable us to come to you and to enjoy the rest that you alone can give.

[5:16] We thank you, Father, for sending your Son. Knowing that he would be scorned, that he would be rejected, that he would be despised. Knowing that he would go to a cross to save his people from their sin.

[5:35] We thank you that this morning, even as we read the chapter before us in due course, we will once more be called to behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

[5:49] We thank you that we are able to look unto him and be saved. And so, Lord, we pray that you would give us eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts that will be open and stirred and ready to receive all that you have to give to us.

[6:11] We acknowledge, Lord, that in this world there is much offered to us. But there is nothing that satisfies us apart from Christ.

[6:22] We thank you that he is the one who gives that living water, that gives eternal life and satisfaction for us each day that we come to receive from him.

[6:39] So, Lord, we pray that you would help us. Help us to turn from all that does not satisfy. Help us to turn from all that distracts all, that destroys.

[6:50] And turn to Jesus and find that life and that peace and that forgiveness that is offered only in him.

[7:01] We thank you for the fact that he said, I am the light of the world. And, Lord, we pray that in a dark world today we would be found looking to him.

[7:14] And as we pray for the world that we are in, we acknowledge the darkness that is all around us. As we hear reports, as we see the ongoing conflicts in different parts of the world, as we are horrified by the images and the stories that are communicated to us, we need no persuasion that this is a world that is full of darkness.

[7:40] And, Lord, we know that the root of that darkness is found in sin. Lord, we pray that into the darkness the light of Christ would continue to shine.

[7:54] We pray for the most struggling areas in the world at this time, those who are suffering and unrest and warfare.

[8:05] We pray for the most struggling areas in the world at this time.

[8:35] And across the world there are many who suffer for naming Christ as Saviour. And we pray for them. We recognise them as our brothers and our sisters.

[8:46] And we ask, Lord, that you would uphold them, that you would bless them, that you would strengthen them, and that you would be near to them as they seek to draw near to you in worship on this day as we do also.

[9:00] We pray for a world, we pray for a community that is struggling at present. We pray for those who are grieving this day. We're so conscious of the voice of death over the past week.

[9:15] But, Lord, we thank you that Jesus is the one who has the words of eternal life. And so we pray that the word of Christ would be heard, even as we are scheduled to meet as a community over the next few days on various occasions, where there are those who will be grieving.

[9:33] We pray that you would minister your comfort, and that the hope of the gospel would be heard and responded to by many. We pray for those who are not drinking from living waters, but who are drinking from other sources and cisterns, and finding no satisfaction.

[9:52] We are conscious of many who battle with addiction, especially at this time of year, and the mess that that leaves. We bring them to you, Lord, and ask that you would meet them at the point of their need, that you would grant to them that desire, that faith that will cause them to look to Jesus, the one who can break the chains of addiction, and turn life around.

[10:18] We pray for our students. We thank you for one or two still left with us. We pray for others who are going back to university, and back to employment over these next few days, and those who have gone in the past few days, and we pray for them.

[10:34] We thank you for the times enjoyed over the season, and we pray now that as they go back into universities, and the workplace, that you would help them, that you would lead them not into temptation, that you would deliver them from evil, and that they would be salt and light in the places that you've allowed them to be.

[10:53] And Lord, we pray now that you would continue with us, lead us by your Spirit, guide us into the truth of your Word, and Lord, enable us, we pray, to know the forgiveness, and the rest that is offered to us in Jesus, for we pray these things in his name.

[11:10] Amen. Boys and girls, would you like to come out please? How's everyone today? Everyone's good today, yeah?

[11:25] Did you have a good holidays? All happy to be back in school? Are you all tired and grumpy? Yes. Yeah, there's a fair bit of tiredness and grumpiness, and everybody goes back to school.

[11:43] I want to ask you a question this morning, to see if you know what the answer to the question is. I think if I asked the question over this way, not too many people would know the answer to the question, but you probably will know it better than some of the older people.

[11:59] Put your hand up please, if you can tell me, if you can tell me, what is a photobomber? What's a photobomber?

[12:14] Put your hand up over here first, do you know what a photobomber is? Amma knows, he's been at it a few times, I'm quite sure. Over there. Not too many, so you're going to teach the older people.

[12:28] What's a photobomber? Put your hand up and tell me if you know. Is it just Anna? Three arms knows? Oh, Bethany, sorry, I didn't see you.

[12:40] Tell me, what's a photobomber? When someone jumps into a photobomber, and they go in front of the other person.

[12:55] That's right. So if I was to say, right boys and girls, you want you all to line up, you're not going to do this just now, but if I was going to say, I want you all to line up, against the wall there, we're going to get a nice photograph, everybody's smiling, everybody got your ties straightened, and looking spatul, we're going to have a photograph.

[13:15] So I imagine I lined you all up, and you got into a nice formation, you were all looking perfect for the photograph, and I said, one, two, three, cheese, and just at the last second, when I was going to push the button, Farrakhar jumped off his chair, and went in front of the camera like that.

[13:39] That would be a photobomber. We've actually got a couple on the street. Here's the first one. Have you ever seen this picture before? It's just coming in a wee minute.

[13:55] Imagine it. This couple, they're on their holidays, they get to a lovely place, a great view, they set the camera up, set it on the timer, we're going to get a lovely picture of us sitting with a view, and then at the last second, oh, that was the second picture, last second, what happens?

[14:13] Can you see that? A wee squirrel pops up in front of the camera, and he's a photobomber. Their picture got spoiled because the squirrel went to have a wee look to see, and he got in the way of the camera, and the other one is a man who was in the, I don't know the story, but it looks like he was in the sea, and he's going to take his picture like that, and behind him, I wouldn't like to be in that seashore, would you?

[14:43] No, a shark. A shark. A shark is a photobomber. So a photobomber is somebody who wants the camera to see them.

[14:55] And when they see the camera, and the picture's about to be taken, they say, look at me, I want you all to see me. I don't know. The squirrel and the shark never really said that, but when you see people, real people, they always jump into pictures, because they want to get in the way of those who are being photographed, and for the camera to see them.

[15:20] You know, sometimes in our lives, we can be a bit like photobombers. Because in our lives, who should we show people in our lives?

[15:34] If we are Christians, when people look at us, who should they see? Who do we want them to see? Hayley?

[15:47] Or John? God? Yeah. We want them to see Jesus, don't we? Because if we're trusting Jesus, and if we're close with Jesus, we should be coming more and more like Jesus.

[16:00] And so when people look at us, if we're Christians, they should see Christ in us. Last week, when the big ones, we were talking about John the Baptist. And John the Baptist was somebody who was always saying, don't look at me, don't look at me, look and see Jesus.

[16:20] And in the way that John lived, he was always pointing people to Jesus. You know, sometimes people, when they look at us, they should see Jesus.

[16:34] But it's almost like we, me, the self, is photobombing and getting in the way of Jesus. Sometimes people look at us and they say, I heard he's a Christian.

[16:49] I don't know what he lives like. And maybe, on the day that they're looking at us, we're a bit grumpy. You ever been grumpy?

[17:03] And when they look at us and we're grumpy, they don't see Jesus. They see a grumpy me. Or maybe some days, they look at us and we're feeling a bit proud.

[17:15] We've maybe done something, and we're very proud of it. And we want everybody to know how great we were at the thing we did. And when they look at us, they don't see Jesus.

[17:26] Because all we want to do is show people how good we are. We try and make ourselves look better than everyone else.

[17:37] And people don't see Jesus in us. They see us. And so, I think the prayer that we should pray, whether we're little and Jesus followers, or whether we're bigger and older and Jesus followers, is the prayer that John the Baptist prayed.

[17:59] And John the Baptist prayed, Christ must increase, Jesus must get bigger, and I must get smaller.

[18:12] We want people to see Jesus in us. And so we pray that God will help us with that. We pray. Let's pray now. Lord God, we thank you that you love us.

[18:29] No matter how we are, we thank you that you love us. Even when we make a mess of things, we thank you that you still love us. We pray that you would help us to become more and more like Jesus.

[18:42] Sometimes we know we get a bit grumpy. And sometimes we can be a bit proud. And sometimes when people look at us expecting to see Jesus because we're Christians, they don't see Jesus.

[18:59] And Lord, we pray for you to forgive us for the times that we haven't shown people Jesus by the way that we've lived and the things that we've said. Help us, we pray, to be people who show other people what Jesus is really like.

[19:18] And we pray that as we try to be like Christ and as we try to stay close to Jesus, we ask that you would use us so that people would see him and trust him.

[19:31] and we pray all these things in Jesus' name. Amen. We're going to sing now from Mission Praise 1075. 1075 in Mission Praise.

[19:48] Jesus, all for Jesus, all I am and have and ever hope to be Jesus, all for Jesus. Remember as we go out, what do we do?

[20:01] Pray for them. If you could turn please in your Bibles to John chapter 1 and we'll read from verse 35 to the end of the chapter.

[20:14] The next day, John was there again with two of his disciples when he saw Jesus passing by. He said, Luke, the Lamb of God. When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

[20:28] Turning round, Jesus saw him following and asked, what do you want? They said, Rabbi, which means teacher, where are you staying? Come, he replied, and you will see.

[20:42] So they went and saw where he was staying and spent that day with them. It was about the tenth hour. Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.

[20:55] The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother, Simon, and tell him, we have found the Messiah, that is the Christ, and he brought him to Jesus.

[21:08] Jesus looked at him and said, you are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas, which went translated as Peter. The next day, Jesus decided to leave for Galilee.

[21:21] Finding Philip, he said to him, follow me. Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, we have found the one Moses wrote about in the law and about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

[21:41] Nazareth? Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked. Come and see, said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, here is a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false.

[21:57] How do you know me? Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you. Then Nathanael declared, Rabbi, you are the son of God.

[22:10] You are the king of Israel. Jesus said, you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that. He then added, I tell you the truth.

[22:23] You shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the son of man. Amen.

[22:33] May God bless that reading of his word to us. Neil Cameron is now going to lead us in prayer. God. God bless tos pie and deaths from inside.

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[25:11] I am here to be at the heart. I am here to be at the heart.

[25:25] I am here to be at the heart of the heart. I am here to be at the heart.

[25:37] I am here to be at the heart and the creation of my heart. I have been here to be at the heart and when I am here to be, I am here to be with you.

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[29:26] Amen. And flesh cry out to live in God for me.

[30:26] Amen. Amen.

[31:26] Amen. Amen.

[32:26] Amen. Amen.

[32:58] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[33:10] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[33:22] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[33:34] Amen. Amen. Amen. thirsty and can be quenched and satisfied in coming to you and Lord we thank you that at this time when we open your word that is our desire and that is our expectation that we can come and meet with you, draw near unto the Lord and he will draw near unto thee Lord we seek to draw near in the name of Christ we seek to draw near knowing that we are those who are in need and we pray that you would answer our prayer and that we would know in our own being in this place that you are close to us speaking to us speaking into our lives, drawing those who are still outside of Christ into Christ and drawing those who are disciples to walk ever closer we pray for ourselves we pray for the the children in Sunday school that you would cause them in their early years to look in faith to Christ and to walk all their days with them we pray for those in the creche and ask that even now you would be getting to open their hearts and that when they hear the gospel

[34:59] Lord we pray that with that childlike faith they would trust Jesus and Lord even for we call here with us just now we pray for him again and commit him to you and ask that he would grow up to know you and to trust you he with each head bowed each family represented and for those who are absent today we ask that you would meet them where they are minister to them we pray in the power of the Holy Spirit you know the different needs the different reasons that have kept people away today and Lord we pray that although they are not here in the texts of geography we pray that they may know your nearer presence wherever they are and we pray all these things in the name of Jesus Amen Well with John chapter 1 open today I want to look at the latter section of that chapter and really focus our thoughts on the first disciples of Christ we are given the heading here in the NIV

[36:14] Bible the first disciples follow Jesus so here we have the first glimpse of these disciples and here we have teaching on what discipleship actually looks like becoming a Christian disciple is not signing up to a code of conduct it's not putting our name on a sheet that is part of an institution or an organisation becoming a Christian disciple is entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ and probably I always find it most helpful to think about marriage marriage is probably a relationship that all of us are familiar with some are in marriage some are aware of marriages that are around us we all can see and survey different marriages and think about this how does marriage begin well marriage begins with an

[37:16] I do two people stand in a particular place and they are asked questions and they respond making a promise with the words I do that's the start point but it goes on from there sometimes for a few years sometimes for many many years this life is given to people and the Christian life the life of the disciple it begins with trust in Christ begins with the I do and it goes on from there there's the point at which we trust Jesus that we can usually look back on and then from there there is that adventure there is that challenge there is that joy there is that journey of following Jesus he and he is going to give us testimony at YF tonight I don't know what he's going to say but I expect he'll speak something of how he came to know

[38:17] Jesus and then after how it's been to walk with Christ since then and that's the testimony that's the life of the disciple we come to know Jesus and we follow him we walk with him and today with John 1 open before us we're looking at the first disciples I do moments the point at which they say to Jesus or they respond to Jesus in a sense by saying I do and then we see their first steps as they begin to follow him and as we look at them we should be asking the question of ourselves where am I on this journey am I a disciple of Christ how am I walking where is my relationship with Jesus at this point so four points to guide us through this passage and the first point is a disciple looks to Jesus the second point is a disciple listens to

[39:21] Jesus the third point is a disciple wants Jesus the final point is that a disciple will tell others about Jesus it's very simple this is what we see unfold before us first of all a disciple looks to Jesus now why we look to Jesus it can vary depending on the circumstances of our life on our testimony sometimes there are situations there are circumstances where it seems like Jesus just seems to break into our lives we may have been living in a particular way with no thought of Christ no thought of spiritual things and out of the blue often in traumatic circumstances it's as if Jesus just breaks in and he's right in front of us as it were verse 36 he is passing by two examples of that one would be the woman at the well who we'll probably come to in John chapter 4 she's going through the routine of just another day another day where she needs to get water another day where she wants to stay away from the crowds and the fingers that pointed at her because of her terrible reputation she's trying to stay in the shadows but Jesus all of a sudden is in front of her the last thing she expected that Jesus is coming to her and she's looking to him at that well and her life is beginning to change

[41:02] Jesus just broke in think think about the thief on the cross Luke chapter 23 he's there on the most excruciating of deathbeds and yet to his side he looks and Jesus is there and as he's looking to Jesus his eternal state is changing not what he expected and yet that's how it happened and going round even in this room I know quite a number of your testimonies now and I know for some that's your testimony you weren't looking for Christ you weren't expecting for him to break into your life and yet through some circumstance it just seems like he broke in and all of a sudden you were looking at him more often than not though we look to Jesus because someone else perhaps a friend maybe a member of our families they point us to most people here are here because at some point in the past someone encourage you to look to Jesus your mother your father your grandmother your grandfather a friend a colleague said you really should look to

[42:40] Jesus and that was the experience of the first disciples John the Baptist in verse 35 he says look he says behold stop everything and behold look to the lamb of God and Andrew and another disciple who is likely to be John the author they looked and that was the beginning of their encounter with Christ as they were called to look they looked not away from Jesus but they looked to Jesus and first they saw from a distance verse 36 because Jesus was passing by and then verse 37 makes clear that they began to follow him the word that's in the Greek is a word that speaks about throwing your water committing yourself to Christ so that's the experience of the first disciples

[43:44] John says behold the Lamb of God look to him and they looked to him first at a distance and then they began to follow a disciple looks to Jesus the question in application simple as it is is have you looked to Jesus the question in application is are you looking to Jesus today are you looking beyond all the busyness and the clutter of your life and mine are you looking past the preacher are you looking past yourself are you looking past the people who are around you and the situations that you're grappling with in life and are you looking to Jesus you see the work of the holy spirit could draw us and to spotlight Christ for when we see her we then have a response to me and we can look away and focus on a million other things or we can look to Christ my faith looks up to thee thou Lamb of Calumny

[45:04] Saviour Divine a disciple looks to Jesus the Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world have you looked to Jesus are you looking to Jesus the second thing we can note here is that a disciple listens to Jesus just following the verses here again just notice the sequence of how all this is worked out John the Baptist says Luke the Lamb of God the two disciples verse 37 heard him say this and they followed Jesus and Jesus as he began to follow he noticed that they were beginning to follow he knew that they were following him and so in verse 38 it tells us here that Jesus turns around to face them and to speak to them now in this day and age especially with these devices there are many things there are many people there are many organisations that we can follow from additions you can sign up to

[46:27] Facebook you can sign up to Twitter you can go on Instagram and follow many many different people many many different causes organisations but never ever come into close contact with them you can follow your favourite football team you can know what position they are in the league you can know every score that they've accumulated in the season you can have a rating for all their favourite players and yet never ever meet with and come into any kind of close contact with the players that's the nature of the world that we're in we can follow people from a distance but you can't follow Christ like that that's how Andrew and the other disciple they started out they started out in a distance but Jesus verse 38 turns around and he faces them and he speaks to them and he says in verse 38 what do you want?

[47:42] what do you want? and Andrew and the other disciple they don't run away as they might have been tempted to do because all of a sudden Jesus is very close and this may seem uncomfortable they listen to him the disciple looks to Jesus then a disciple listens to Jesus as he speaks they respond to Christ because that's what disciples of Christ are called to do I just wonder if there is anybody here today I'd be surprised if there isn't somebody here today who has come to this juncture and this point with Christ you look to him and perhaps for a while now you have been following him at a distance a comfortable distance but now it seems as if Jesus seems to have just turned around to face you and he's come close and he's looking at you and he's saying to you what do you want you're following

[49:18] I see you what do you want J.C. Ryle says this we cannot doubt that our Lord knew perfectly well the hearts and motives of these two disciples in asking this question therefore he spoke partly for their encouragement and partly to stir them up to self enquiry it's a great question it's a very probing question a challenging question a question that will not allow them to stay where they are but it's a question that will provoke either a response of drawing them close or perhaps causing them to run what seek what do you want so what do you want this morning with Jesus we have the promise where two or three gather in his name as we do so he will be here and he says to us what do you want with me see many different people want many different things from Jesus crowds would gather around Jesus in due course some were enthralled by the way that he spoke some wanted

[50:54] Jesus to take on the role of a new head of state who would overthrow the Roman government some were sick some were hungry some were demon possessed and Jesus was able to give them food and healing and cast out demons some would come to Jesus looking for the gifts that he could give that's what they wanted but a true disciple of Christ wants more than that a disciple wants Jesus disciple looks to Jesus disciple listens to Jesus as he draws near and speaks to us and thirdly a disciple wants Jesus himself who could have sung the hymn as the deer pants for the water so my soul longs for you a disciple wants a relationship with Christ

[52:07] Peter Maiden who wrote a book recently on discipleship says the goal of discipleship is to know Jesus better to have an ever deeper and more authentic relationship with him is that what we want for 2017 above all else a deeper and more authentic relationship with Christ because that's what's offered and we see something of that developing in the response of Andrew and the other disciple just again following the narrative here Jesus turns around and he says what is it that you want and they respond in verse 38 by saying where are you staying which might seem to us to be a clear thing to say but essentially what they were saying to Jesus is I don't want to have this one off encounter

[53:12] I want to go to the place where you are I don't want this to end here in this single one off experience can I come to the place Jesus where you are staying in our modern day terms it might be equivalent to saying can I have your address please your email address your phone number I don't want to lose touch with you I want to see you again I want to spend time with me I want to get to know you I want you to be in my life again J.C.

[53:44] Ryle says this question from the disciples where are you staying seems to imply a desire for conversation and private communion we are drawn to you we would like to go aside with you from the crowd and inquire of you more privately and quietly that was their response and it was their response because these early disciples they wanted Christ and that was the response that we can see here Jesus loved to hear and just notice Christ's response back to them he doesn't balk he doesn't refuse them he doesn't turn them away he doesn't say to them well I've only met you for two minutes some other time let's organise a date somewhere down the line I'm far too busy today he doesn't say well come round at half past three and I'll give you fifteen minutes of my time he says to them in verse thirty nine come come and you will see where do you stay Jesus we'd like to go and see you

[55:04] Jesus says well no time like the present come and you will see what I am staying and remember just in thinking about this of a man that's known to many of us I won't mention his name he's a man who's in the forces and I remember him telling me a story about one time when he was out in Afghanistan and he was tasked with getting alongside the native people there and liaising with them building relationships with them and he spoke about one day when he was with a tribal leader in Afghanistan the tribal leader was bemused by the way that we live with our watches and our gadgets and our alarms and our schedules and this tribal chief looked at our friend and he smiled he says you westerners you have watches but you're always rushing you have no time we here have no watches but we have time there's a lot of truth in that we live by the clock and people pull us this way and that way and we are very frugal sometimes to give time

[56:36] Jesus isn't as we see his response here Jesus doesn't hesitate he doesn't consult a calendar he doesn't grimace at the prospect of losing half a day Jesus says to those who were being pointed to him come to me and still he says to all who are being drawn by the Holy Spirit and if you're awake and if you're interested and if this is making sense you are being drawn by the Holy Spirit and he says to you come to me find rest find peace find salvation find purpose find joy find strength find contentment in me to everyone everywhere every time every generation as we are pointed to

[57:47] Christ as we look to him as we hear him speak he says come to me we sang so are we living I heard the voice of Jesus saying come unto me and rest I came to Jesus as I was weary worn sad perhaps I find in him a resting place and he has made me glad that's the truth there's no one else that can at that deep spiritual level make our souls glad there's no one else you can take away our sin there's no one else that can fill that void that is shaped within our hearts that is designed for Christ and he says to us come to me he's given us today the

[58:55] Lord's day designed so that we will stop work come apart from the world and come to Christ and isn't that a joy just to know that the only one truly that our soul needs he doesn't hold us at a distance but he says come to me and keep on coming to me every day every hour come to me and so that's what Andrew and the other disciple do they come and they see where Jesus is and verse 39 tells us they spend the day with him and we know from the gospels as they continue that they spent pretty much every day with him for the next three years because that was the calling of a disciple of

[60:09] Christ Mark 3 14 the primary calling of the disciple of Christ was not to do things for Jesus but it was to be with him and the more we are with him in the word and in prayer the closer we come to him and the closer we come to him the more we want to be with him a disciple wants Jesus none but Christ can satisfy no other name for me there's love there's life there's lasting joy Lord Jesus found in thee a disciple is one who wants Jesus a disciple is one who looks to Jesus a disciple is one who listens to Jesus and finally briefly a disciple is one who tells others about

[61:17] Jesus I don't know to what extent you remember the Billy Graham mission I think it was the 80s I was in Sky at the time and it was happening in Glasgow where it was being beamed by satellite to screens in various parts of Sky it may have been the same here but my recollection from that mission when I listened to Billy Graham preach was he would give a strong message he would point people to Christ he would tell people that we're to confess our sins we're to put our faith in Christ and then he would say and it really stuck with me if you have trusted Christ today if you have asked your forgiveness if you have asked Jesus to come into your life if you have put your faith in him then before you leave this tent tell someone and I remember at the time thinking why is he so emphatic on that but actually it makes perfect sense doesn't it because if you really believe then you're going to be desperate to tell someone because you've got good news to share now when we think about this even in the mundane things online is a great place to see what's happening in people's minds and if you have a football team and if that football team has a match that is scheduled and it's an old firm clash then if it goes the way of your team then my observation is that before the final whistle's even been blown the good news that your team has won is all over the internet people are shouting it out they can't hold it in that kind of makes sense we have good news we don't want to hush it up we want to share it and when we hear the good news about

[63:19] Christ and believe it part of the evidence of having believed it is that we're bursting to share it we want to share it we want to tell people that Jesus is the Lamb of God who came to take away my sin and yours we want to tell people about the cross that place where every sin every blemish all unrighteousness can be wiped away we want to tell people about the resurrection and the amazing grace that is fully offered to all who will receive it we want to tell people there is eternal life offered in Christ Romans 6 23 take one verse for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord do you believe that do you believe that this morning if we really believe that Jesus has taken away our sin and rescued us from eternal death and hell and secured for us a place that he has prepared in heaven and ushered us into a relationship where there is eternal life that begins here and is perfected eternally if we really believe that Jesus has come into our lives in the power of the

[64:52] Holy Spirit and he's living with us and all that he's done for us he can do for everyone we're going to want to tell everyone if we don't believe it it will stay in here it will never go out if we believe it we will not be able to hold it back from coming out we're going to want to tell the world the good news about Christ and that's what we see happening here as we finish the first thing that Andrew did when he believes do you notice that the first thing his whole life is about to change he has business interests he has family affairs all these complications he's going to have to deal with but the first thing he does is he finds verse 41 his brother

[65:55] Simon Peter and he tells him we found the Messiah we found the Christ and having told him verse 42 he then brings him to Jesus Archbishop temple says this action of Andrew's was perhaps as great a service as ever any man did how true that is and yet how simple the act just a few words just a simple act but it's so significant because Jesus had huge plans for Peter Peter would be the rock the one on whom Jesus would build his church verse 43 onwards same pattern there's no time to go into it Jesus finds Philip verse 43 Philip follows Jesus

[66:56] Philip finds Nathaniel Nathaniel is a bit of a skeptic verse 47 he protests Messiah Nazareth that backwater surely not and Philip doesn't try to intellectually batter him into believing he just says in verse 46 come and see you're a skeptic you don't believe well come and see for yourself and as Nathaniel sees Jesus he believes and that's what I want to finish and just leave that challenge and that encouragement hanging there for us a disciple tells others about Jesus and the disciple brings people to Jesus Andrew brought his family Philip brought his friend and that's the example that's given to us to follow go to your family go to your friends tell them about Jesus with your words oh but I don't have a degree in theology well neither did they come and see three words is all that was required on this occasion and then bring people to Jesus by your life simple act of kindness a readiness to forgive a willingness to listen you know it's so simple and it's so organic and yet today it's from this root it's from these first two disciples that we sit here as part of a church that's estimated today to be in the region of two billion people it all began with two men who looked to Jesus and then who listened to Jesus and who realized that they wanted

[69:20] Jesus not to be their distance but to be with them it all began with two men who were not ashamed to own their Lord but told others about him and brought others to him let's pray Lord God we pray that you may speak to us through your word and just as the first disciples had that encounter with Christ a simple a simple encounter a simple experience that's described there for us and yet so profound and so life changing we pray that today we each of us may meet with Christ we pray that we may look to him that we may listen to him and Lord as we are drawn to him we pray that we would not turn away and rebel but that we would trust that we would come to him and having come we pray that we would cause others to come also through our encouragement our testimony and through our lives which we pray would not get in the way of Christ but would show Christ to others help us we pray in Jesus name

[70:55] Amen we sing to conclude the words on the screen they're not in any book but they're on the screen oh Christ in me my soul have found and find in me alone the peace the joy I sought so long the bliss till now unknown may none but Christ and satisfied book in me go people they're not along oh I need help me oh again oh oh and The peace that joy I saw so long That this still never gone

[72:00] Though now the Christ can satisfy Another day for me There's no life but God's joy For Jesus, I'll live thee As I've more rest than happiness I can't for them not be But while I trust my Savior by His love may hold on me Though now the Christ can satisfy Another day for me There's no life but God's joy

[73:03] For Jesus, I'll live thee And I have broken sister's heart But by the waters may In the sky's dream to take the bread And walk me as I will Though now the Christ can satisfy Another day for me There's no life but God's joy For Jesus, I'll live thee The pleasure's lost, I sadly know But never left for me

[74:06]  Till Christ can satisfy My love may as you see Though now the Christ can satisfy Another day for me There's no life but God's joy Lord Jesus, come with me And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ And the love of God the Father And the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit Be with us all, both now and forevermore Amen Amen