SEPTEMBER 12, 2009
4TH
LESSON: PHILIP AND BARTHOLOMEW
Text: Matthew 10:3
-
nobody
is qualified, but God use the unqualified to do the impossible. this is how God
works. HE TAKES THE UNQUALIFIED.
-
God
uses unqualified people, moves into their lives with saving, sanctifying grace
and Himself transforms them into usefulness.
I. PHILIP
-
Greek
name- “lover of horses”
-
don’t
know his Jewish name
-
always
on the 2nd list, always head of the 2nd list, leader of
group 2
-
fellow
townsmen at Bethsaida
-
fisherman
(John 21:1-3)
John
21:1-3
English
Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus Appears to Seven
Disciples
1 After this Jesus revealed
himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he
revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called
the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two
others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am
going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got
into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
-
not
mention in 3 Gospels but only his name
-
John’s
gospel mentioned him 4x
john 1:43
English
Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus
Calls Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day Jesus decided to
go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”
-
1st
individual to whom the Lord expressly said FOLLOW ME
-
has
a seeking heart
John
1:44-45
English
Standard Version (ESV)
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida,
the city of Andrew and Peter. 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.”
-
from
the Lord’s viewpoint, HE FOUND PHILIP, for Philip’s viewpoint HE FOUND THE LORD
·
Sovereign
side- GOD FOUND YOU
·
Human
side- You found HIM,
·
In
order for it to happen, BOTH of you had to be SEEKING
Jeremiah 29:13
English
Standard Version (ESV)
13 You will seek me and find me, when
you seek me with all your heart.
-
it
is God seeking, it is man seeking
-
God
seeks that TRUE HEART that seeks HIM.
-
PHILIP
was seeking the truth, studying the law and the prophets
LEARNING
FROM PHILIP:
1.
He
was seeking the Messiah
-
God
fearing Jew
-
religious,
truly religious
-
honest
heart
-
response
when being found was to find somebody else- Nathanael (greatest source of
evangelism is FRIENDSHIP)
-
IMMEDIATE
RESPONSE TO SALVATION IS EVANGELISM- find somebody else and tell them the good
news
-
had
a friend, cared about his friend and wanted to know Him
-
has
the heart of an EVANGELIST, as well as a SEEKING HEART
THE
UNQUALIFIED:
John
6:1-15
English
Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus Feeds the Five
Thousand
1 After this Jesus went away to
the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of
Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following
him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover,
the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and
seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said
to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may
eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he
himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred
denarii[a] worth of bread would not be enough
for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew,
Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has
five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so
many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people
sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down,
about five thousand in number. 11Jesus then took the loaves, and when
he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the
fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill,
he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may
be lost.”13 So they gathered them up and filled
twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had
eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that
he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to
come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were
about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again
to the mountain by himself.
-
PHILIP
was in charge of food
2.
never
entered into his mind that the Lord was SUPERNATURAL, he utterly eluded Christ
could do a creative miracle.
-
he
calculated the whole deal: analytical, pragmatic
-
too
much arithmetic to be adventurous
-
stick
on FACTS and FIGURES, he MISSES FAITH ALL TOGETHER
-
has
a sense of “impossible”- think headed
-
Christ
was teaching Him about FAITH
-
materialist-
man of practical common sense
-
had
measurements, methodical, mechanical
-
facts
and figures guy- always going by what appeared on the human level.
John 12:20-22
English
Standard Version (ESV)
Some
Greeks Seek Jesus
20 Now among those who went up to
worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21 So these came to Philip, who
was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see
Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew;
Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
3.
was
not decisive, not forceful
-
still
living in Matthew 10:5-6, about Gentiles
-
doesn’t
see a bigger vision
-
didn’t
get the message of grace (John 6:3-7)
-
a
literalist- always going by the book
3
years later
John 14:8
English Standard Version (ESV)
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough
for us.”
4.
his
spiritual vision is nil, everything is superficial with him
-
ignorant
and slow of heart
-
he
didn’t get lesson 1: JESUS IS GOD, 3 years , he didn’t get it
-
so
skeptical, so unconvinced
-
man
with limited ability, inadequate faith
-
imperfect
understanding
-
a
man who fools around with numbers instead of meditating
-
stuck
on the level of rules and codes and stuff instead of seeing God
-
pessimistic,
reluctant insecure, unsure, analytical, skeptical man
-
saw
facts and figures and missed the big picture of POWER AND GRACE
-
his
faith was limited by money, circumstances and proof
GOD USES THE
SLOW, FAITHLESS AND ANALYTICAL SKEPTICS
NAZARETH-
unrefined, no class, rowdy place, wild place, uneducated, nothing come out but
trouble
Sin
of Prejudice
-
uncalled
for generalization based on feelings of superiority
-
prejudice
that cane be overcome if he’s going to RESPOND, he did respond
John
1:47
English
Standard Version (ESV)
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward
him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
-
under
the fig tree
·
place
of retreat , respite, to bal one
·
place
of prayer, place of meditation, place of contemplation, place of coming with
God, a place of reading the Scripture, a place of quietness
John 1:48
English Standard Version (ESV)
48 Nathanael said to him, “How do
you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
-
he
was seeking God in the privacy of the shade of the fig tree
John 1:49
English
Standard Version (ESV)
49 Nathanael answered
him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of
Israel!”
-
Nathanael
knew it immediately
-
saw
DEITY in HIS PRESENCE
-
knocked
over by one little act of OMNISCIENCE
John 1:50-51
English Standard Version (ESV)
50 Jesus answered him, “Because I
said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly,
truly, I say to you,[a] you will see heaven opened,
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
-
understood
the glory of Christ better than anybody else
-
he
never asked another question
-
solid
like a rock, at the start
-
GOD USES GREAT FAITH,CLEAR
UNDERSTANDING, MEDITATIVE SOULS LIKE NATHANAEL
Lord, again we thank You for the fact
that this is such a heartening word to us. That You can use us in spite of
ourselves. Not as we are, so much, but as You will make us and mold us and
shape us. May we be willing to start out as learners. . .mathetes. .
.disciples, to become apostles, trained to be sent for Your glory in
Christ's name. Amen.
