(krŏn'ĭ-kəl) n. An extended account in prose or verse of historical events, sometimes including legendary material, presented in chronological order and without authorial interpretation or comment. A detailed narrative record or report.

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Master's Men: Philip


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.

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