We're going to look at the life of Andrew the apostle. Three times, he is seen bringing people to the Lord Jesus. He brings his own brother, Simon. He brings a little lad with his five loaves and two fishes. Then he brings some Greeks to the Lord. And we're going to see how Andrew is such an example for us—a zealous person, a soul winner. Bringing others to the Lord Jesus.

Andrew Brings Peter

Let's think of the occasion when he brought Peter to Jesus, or Simon; he was called Peter afterwards by Jesus. John chapter one, verses 35 to 42. “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” (John 1:35-42) . We see that Andrew was already saved through the ministry of John the Baptist when we were introduced to him, and he was no doubt baptized too by John's baptism. This is the third day. On the first day, the Lord Jesus was proclaimed by John the Baptist. On the second day, he was pointed out; behold, the Lamb of God. And on the third day, he was followed. And we read that the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. The greatness of John's fruitfulness is seen, as pointed out by other commentators, in these two phrases. It says, they heard him, that's John, they heard him and they followed Jesus.

You know that's the primary object of every evangelist, soul winner, pastor, teacher, deacon, and elder of all of us—that when people hear us, the result should be that they follow Jesus. Not follow us. Not follow some leader, church, or preacher. They hear us, and they follow the Lord Jesus. Andrew dwelt with Jesus. It was around four o'clock in the afternoon our time. Having pointed out to Andrew and John, the Lamb of God, as he walked, from that very moment onwards, John's congregation diminished, and his disciples diminished in number by two. And this was his great joy. that he would decrease. but Christ would increase, and all his disciples would start following the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus did not ask them, whom seek ye? Who are you seeking? But he said, What seek ye? He was asking, What are they looking for in him? What are they seeking in him? They called him Rabbi, and they knew him as the Messiah, but their knowledge would gradually increase.

As W.E. Vine writes, He who receives Christ by faith receives him in the fullness of his person, but the perception of his excellencies, his power, and his glory is gradual. They wanted to be with him where he stayed. And it's the same word, abide, that we find later in John's writings, where John says in John 15 verse 4, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” (John 15:4) . And so they wanted to stay with him. And that word also means more than just physically staying where he will stay, but spiritually abiding with him forever. John could write of the moment not just when he and Andrew dwelt with Jesus but when they came to know the word of God. We became flesh and dwelt among us. They dwelt within, and they came to realize he was the one who had left heaven's glory to dwell amongst mankind. John 1.14 says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) . So though the Lord veiled the outward glory of his deity and revealed it briefly on the Mount of Transfiguration, His moral glory could not be hid, nor could the glory of his divine attributes when he performed miracles. Andrew looked for Peter. “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.” (John 1:40-41). It says he first findeth his own brother, Simon. Andrew had the joy of dwelling with Christ and was so filled with the Lord Jesus Christ that he lost no time in telling his brother Cephas. So John introduces Andrew as Peter's brother, because Peter, of course, was the more well-known of the two brothers.

Look at the word first. First. He first findeth his own brother, Simon. Peter was his priority because he loved his own brother, but his also implies being the first of many. He first brought his own brother to the Lord, but first also meant many others he would bring to the Lord. Such an urgency there is in the gospel, isn't there? He first, he made it an urgent matter to bring his brother to the Lord. This should not be the case with us in seeking to bring our brothers and sisters, parents, and loved ones who don't know the Lord, and all others too to bring them to the Lord. It says, He first findeth. Now findeth is the same word in Greek that occurs in the story of the good shepherd that Jesus told. In Luke 15 verse 4, “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” (Luke 15:4) . Same word. Here is one who spent time with the good shepherd, and now he himself, as a shepherd's heart, seeks after a lost sheep. So he looked for Peter. It means to really make an effort. He hunted him down. He looked for him until he could find him, like a shepherd looking for a lost sheep. And when he found him, he would not stop until he found him and brought him to the Lord Jesus. Then it says, He first findeth his own brother, his own brother. It shows that he loved him.

You know the first two brothers in the Bible in the Old Testament were Cain and Abel, and the first two brothers in the New Testament, which are mentioned, are Peter and Andrew. It's very significant. Cain hated Abel, whereas Andrew loved his brother Simon. John would write this in chapter four, verse seven. “We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” (1 John 4:7:19-21) . A very important lesson for us as Christians, as brothers and sisters, is that we love one another. It is a dreadful thing to be found hating your fellow believers. God looks at our hearts, and he wants to see love there between brother and brother. Andrew and Simon, as I said, were the first two brothers mentioned in the New Testament. Another contrast is that the Lamb is mentioned in both stories. Abel offered the lamb that was pleasing to God and that foreshadowed the Lord Jesus Christ. Cain, of course, offered his own fruit and vegetables and these things and God rejected them. And here Andrew sees the very lamb of God himself, the Lord Jesus, the very fulfillment of the lamb that Abel offered. Simon responded to his brother Andrew, wheras with Cain, he became angry with his brother and would not offer a lamb himself, but he murdered his brother. Also, Andrew says to him, We have found the Messiah. All he did was narrate his own testimony and experiences. We have found the Messiah—five words in English, just three in the original Greek. We have found the Messiah, and that was enough to bring Peter to the Lord Jesus.

Let us learn to use a few words when explaining the gospel, not making it complicated. You don't need to make it complicated. A simple testimony of a few words is enough. Paul could say in 1 Corinthians 14 verse 19, “Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” (1 Corinthians 14:19) . Let us who preach the word of God, especially Learn to be simple. so that everyone understands. Not to be verbose and full of words, but let us learn to be simple and clear. And in our personal witness, to be simple, Jonah went to Nineveh, and all he said was 40 days and Nineveh shall be destroyed. And it caused the greatest revival in the Old Testament, where a whole city of multitudes of people turned to the Lord. Yet forty days showed that there was grace offered to them by God for forty days to repent. Nineveh shall be destroyed was the judgment that was surely coming, but God was showing grace to them, and they responded to that grace. So we don't need to be very clever with words or gifted to speak. We just need to relate our experience very simply, and God will do the rest. We have found the Messiah. What a joy he must have had on the day of Pentecost to see his brother Peter preaching. and three thousand men were saved. And women and children, no doubt.

And then he would speak again, having opened the door of the kingdom of heaven to the Jews, to the Samaritans, and then to the Gentiles, and in Acts chapter 10 in the home of Cornelius. It all began with his personal witness. As Charles Spurgeon says, the sweet reward Andrew had, he won his brother's soul. In your Sunday school class, there may be an unconverted Wesley or Whitfield. Think of the power of the words. There was power in the words he used when he said, We have found the Messiah. It arrested his brother's attention and made him follow Andrew to see Jesus. There was something there when Andrew said those words.

You know, there's a story told of some gold prospectors who had gone in the gold rush to find gold with many, many thousands of others. And each one was looking for where there was gold, so they could stake out their claim and buy that pot of land. Well, they found an exceptionally rich vein of gold. And so they spoke to each other, and they said, As long as we don't tell anyone, no one will know, and we'll go and claim this area. before anyone else does. And so when they went into the town, they'd sworn not to tell a soul, kept their mouths shut, and didn't tell anyone that they had found gold. They went to buy spades, more tools, and other things like everybody else was doing to go digging for gold. But as they were leaving the town, a crowd was following them. Why? They didn't tell anyone. but it was written all over their faces. Their faces were glowing with happiness, and they could not hide that. That's what happens when we are saved and we share the gospel.

It's the power of the word of God, and they can see and hear that what we are saying is true. Charles Spurgeon used to say, When you preach about heaven, let your face light up. Let it light up with the glory of heaven. When you speak about hell, he says your everyday face will do. It tells us he brought him to Jesus. And that's the responsibility of every believer: to bring the sinner face to face with the Savior so they can hear the claims of Christ in their own soul.

Andrew Brings A Boy

The second occasion is when Andrew brought a boy to Jesus, and this is found in John chapter 6, verses 8–9. “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” (John 6:8-9) . There we read, Let us first see how Andrew took notice of the lad. It's the only miracle, apart from the resurrection of the Lord, that's mentioned in every single gospel—all four gospels. In Mark, chapter 6, we read this. “He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.” (Mark 6:38) . Jesus told them to go and see what they had. The Lord Jesus is the perfect teacher. His questioning method is designed to make his disciples think for themselves. But in John's Gospel alone, we have the details of the results of the search, where Andrew spots this lad. The details are given as they are looking to see what they have. They found this boy. Andrew found this boy. Notice that this boy had his lunch with him. He had this food with him, and he brought him to Christ. If Andrew had overlooked this lad simply because he was a child, there would have been no bread or fish to multiply for the multitudes. Of course, he could, and God could rain down fruit from heaven. But he used this little boy's sacrifice as a great lesson for us.

Let us remember to take notice of children and the potential they have. Every precious soul is special to God, one who can be saved to do great things for God. We must pray for the children entrusted to our care, not just our own. Many believers seem to be just happy to see their children do well. This is not Christ-like. As long as their children go to Sunday school and as long as their children come to know the Lord, they don't care about unbelievers' children or anybody else's children. That should not be the case. It should be our great desire to win young people to the Lord. You know, we used to love a Sunday school teacher. We had much more than all the other Sunday school teachers in my youth. The reason why we loved him more than all the others and all the boys loved this Sunday school teacher in the boys class. The difference is because he used to actually visit us in our homes. Every now and then, he would come to our home. He would speak to our parents; he would ask how we were, and that personal interest he took in us we never forgot. And to this day, he's very old and very unwell, but still, all the boys who are under his care still remember him with great love and fondness.

And that's how it should be: a real interest in children. Not just teaching them like a lecturer would teach or a teacher at school would teach, but a real interest in their souls. is what God wants us to have. Andrew also took notice of what he had exactly. In Matthew's Gospel, chapter 14 and verse 17, we read “And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.” (Matthew 14:17) . In Mark's Gospel, we already read in chapter 6:38, where they say, Five and two fishes. In Luke's Gospel, we read in chapter 9, verse 13. “But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.” (Luke 9:13) . But it's in John's Gospel where Andrew's observation is noticed. Andrew says little. They are little. Two small fishes, he says. He noticed they were barley loaves. He knows what kind of bread it was. Barley loaves. And Andrew also noticed the fish were small. And he says, What are they among so many? So he was observant. He observed that there was a boy. He observed how much he had or how little he had. But he displayed a lack of faith.

He said, What are they among so many? He had forgotten what God had done for their fathers in the wilderness. For forty years, God had rained manna from heaven. And here was God manifest in the flesh amongst them, the very same who had fed their fathers in the wilderness. The one who said in Psalm 132 verse 15, “I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.” (Psalms 132:15) . The very one standing in their midst, was none other than Jehovah God, who had said in Psalm 81 verse 10, “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psalms 81:10) . The little boy made a sacrifice that day. It was 100 percent. He gave it all to the Lord. Just like the widow who gave all to the Lord with her two mites, she gave them all. This boy gave him five loaves and two fishes. Handing them over to the Lord. Thousands were fed. God was glorified. The deity of the Lord Jesus manifested. All through a little boy's lunch. The Lord never left anyone empty or half-full. Everyone was filled, and plenty was left over. As it should be when we feed others. But it all began with a little boy's sacrifice, who gave 100% to God. God doesn't expect anything less from us. except 100 percent. What a lesson this boy teaches us!

Andrew Brings Greeks

The third and final one is when Andrew brings the Greeks to Jesus. John, chapter 12, verses 19. “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.” (John 12:19) . The Pharisees were not wrong, for the verses following show how there would indeed be a huge harvest of Gentiles who would go after Christ, as indicated by these Greeks. So in verse 20, we read of John chapter 12. “And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.” (John 12:20-23) .

The Greeks approached Philip. Philip was a Greek name. What we see here is this: Just as the rejection and crucifixion of the Lord draw near, Gentiles are shown seeking Christ. These Greeks must be commended. The Jews were saying, We want to see a sign. But what do the Greeks say? We want to see Jesus. We don't know whether these Greeks were regular worshippers; they were obviously regular worshippers of Jehovah; they came in for that reason, but whether they were circumcised proselytes or just God-fearing Gentiles like Cornelius of Centurion was not told. They knew that the Jews had a closer relationship to their Messiah. So they don't approach Philip directly but humbly approach him first. As I said, Philip was a Greek name; it was the name of Alexander the Great's father, Philip the second King of Macedon. Philip was from Bethsaida, Galilee. Galilee was known as the Galilee of the Gentiles. In Matthew 4 verse 15.

There were many Gentiles in that region. Philip would have known Greek well; most people did. And so they approach somebody who speaks their language. who has a name like theirs. In the matter of soul-winning, being like the people you are reaching is a great help when you know their language and culture. They approached him to not just have a view of Jesus, to have a look at Him, but to personally meet Him and speak to Him. It's been noticed by many. Jesus was visited by Gentiles from the East when he was born. At his birth, there came wise men, wise men from the East, saying, “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2) .

Now, near the end of his life here on earth, before he is crucified, before he rises again and goes to heaven, he is again visited by the Gentiles. this time Gentiles from the West. Sir, we would see Jesus, they would say. So east and west remind us of what Jesus said would be in the kingdom. In Matthew 8, verses 11 and 12, he says this. “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:11-12) . Isaiah 16 verse 3, “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” (Isaiah 60:3) . How wonderful and beautiful to see, pictured in the gospels, from the east and from the west, the Gentiles coming to the Lord Jesus, one day picturing the multitude of Gentiles that will come to the Lord Jesus Christ.

So Philip tells Andrew, He discussed the matter with Andrew before they both went to the Lord. They knew the Lord would not turn in such a way. Philip and Andrew both tell Jesus, and so we see Andrew is a missionary at home in John chapter 1. And now we can say he's like a foreign missionary in John, chapter 12. He's not just winning his brother to the Lord; he's now bringing people who are from another country to the Lord. Now the Lord Jesus' reply—we're not told he directly replied to the Greeks—is what the Lord Jesus said about being glorified. That's very important, because this is the only basis on which the Gentiles can approach him: that he was going to die for them on the cross, that by his death he was going to break down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile and bring them together into one flock, one body. And so the cross was about to come. He was under the shadow of the cross as he spoke those words. In a very short time, he was going to be lifted up to die. And he doesn't say that he was going to be the hour has come when he will be crucified, but he will be glorified. He was looking beyond the cross for the resurrection and ascension to the right hand of God. As he says in John chapters 10:16, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (John 10:16) . How beautiful to have Andrew always bring someone to the Lord! Just one little addition.

Andrew Brings Himself

There's one more occasion we read of Andrew speaking to the Lord. This is him bringing himself up. He was bringing others on three occasions, but very briefly in Mark 13 verses three to four, it says, “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?” (Mark 13:3-4) . They asked two questions: when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? In Matthew's Gospel, they also asked, “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3) . See, these disciples wanted to know more. The Lord spoke to all of them about what was going to happen in the temple. to the temple, but Andrew was one of the four who wanted to know more about the Lord's coming. You know prophetic truths are for those who really want to know and who have a spiritual exercise to learn. They will see the truth of all the Lord has said about His coming. He wasn't just a soul winner; his heart and soul were on the Lord Jesus himself and his coming in glory and power. What a wonderful example Andrew is to us. May the Lord bless his word. Amen.