Andrew's Sermon, and Its Effect.

IN the Gospel of John of which I have read a few verses, you see that before the Lord Jesus came out in His public ministry, God sent out a man called John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, to bear witness of Him. “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe” (John 1:6, 76There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. (John 1:6‑7)). Do you not think it is a wonderful thing that God should send a person to bear witness about light. Think of it! There was the Light in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, “and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.” So God sent a man to bear witness to the Light. “John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This is he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me; for he was before me” (John 1:1515John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. (John 1:15)). Further, the One who is the Light is the Son of God, and He is the Lamb of God. He is the One, who alone can meet the needs of man.
That is what came out in John’s ministry, as he pointed to Jesus. A remarkable man was John; he was a little bit of the ascetic, a man sojourning in the wilderness, and living simply on locusts and wild honey. He was a downright, sterling, intensely devoted man. From one end of the land to the other he goes; he has but one message, one word to deliver, and he rings it out all over Israel. What is it? Repent! “Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:22And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 3:2)). I tell you what it is, men, God bids you repent. Ah! sinner! if you have never repented yet, it is high time you did. Why did John say, “Repent”? Because he saw the end of things coming, when “the ax is laid unto the root of the trees” (vs. 10). If you lay an ax at the root of the tree, what is the next thing? Down comes the tree. The tree may have been good to look at outside, but when it comes down, what is often found then―that it is rotten inside.
It is a grand thing when a man gets down on his knees in real repentance. Some of those who heard John, “were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.” Others, self-righteous people, rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. At length, when John was upon the banks of Jordan, one day, he sees Jesus coming towards him, his heart swells, his tongue is loosed, and out comes the blessed truth, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:2929The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)).
In pressing upon sinners to get down and, own their sins, John had never told them how they could get rid of those sins. But when he sees Jesus coming, he proclaims these beautiful words, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” The first man brought sin into the world, and this man, God’s Lamb, was to take away sin. Have you ever had to do with Him? Have you ever come into contact with Him? This was His character; He was the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. And then the Baptist reiterates his witness, “This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me; for he was before me” (John 1:3030This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. (John 1:30)). He was an eternal Being; He was the Son of God. “And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God” (John 1:31-3431And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 32And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. (John 1:31‑34)). He Raw Jesus, and, as we read elsewhere, baptized Him, and then saw the Holy Ghost coming down like a dove, and abiding upon Him.
You remember in the days of Noah, when the flood was upon the earth, Noah sent out a dove in order to see what was the state of matters, and in a short time the dove came back, for she found no resting-place. He sent her out seven days after, and again she came back, but this time with an olive leaf in her mouth. When she was sent forth the third time she did not return, she had whereon to rest. When the Holy Ghost fell upon the blessed Lord Jesus Christ in the form of a dove, what had happened? For over four thousand years the Holy Ghost had been searching in vain over this earth to find a holy, sinless spotless man on whom to come and abide. At length here was the One upon whom He could rest. He, to speak, like the dove, had not found any place whereon to rest. And why did not Noah’s dove rest? Were there not plenty of bodies upon which it might alight? Yes, the water was so to speak, alive with carrion; corpses floated upon the water everywhere; but these afforded no resting-place. And the Holy Ghost had brooded over the world all these years; and had seen but moral carrion―man, a wretched, ruined, godless, sinful creature in himself. True He had come upon men like Balaam or Saul, but He left them; He had come upon men like David and Isaiah; but only at tithes: But here was a holy, spotless man, and He came and abode upon Him. Because Jesus was perfect, sinless, and holy, the Holy Ghost came and dwelt in Him. He was in His moral perfection the delight of the Father, the Lamb of God, the Son of God; and, more than that, He who received the Holy Ghost would baptize with the Holy Ghost. That is, He takes your sins away and gives you the Holy Ghost. What a wonderful thing! The One who can take away the sins of men can also give them the Holy Ghost; can give them the needed power for the enjoyment of His life dwelling in their souls.
John gives this testimony to Jesus, and what takes place? Nobody followed Jesus that day, but on the next day John lost two of his disciples Then, as he contemplated the Lord, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:3636And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! (John 1:36).) He does not add, “which taketh away the sin of the world.” In contemplative delight, as his eyes fell upon Jesus, his heart meditated upon the precious Person of the Lamb of God, and he simply says, “Behold the Lamb of God!” He had learned to look upon the glory of the Lord. And what now? Two of his disciples left John, and began to follow Jesus. It was the right kind of ministry that; what I call the ministry of a Person. It is that which will lead souls to follow Jesus, and Jesus only. The ministry that attracts men to itself is not what is wanted. What is wanted is the ministry that attracts men’s hearts to Christ, and Christ only. That is the finest ministry of all and I have no doubt John was delighted when he saw the disciples leaving him, and following Jesus.
“Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and smith unto them, What seek ye?” Is not that striking? Now, I do not doubt, but that from glory tonight, Jesus is saying to each heart in this hall, “What seek ye?” Come now, answer it!;What seek ye? What is your great object in life? Is it money? Is it pleasure? Is it fame, or is it Christ? What seek ye? What were they seeking? It was Jesus, nothing but Jesus. “They said unto him, Master, where dwellest thou?” Think! What is the meaning of that? He said, “What seek ye?” They reply, “Master, where dwellest thou?” Jesus’ dwelling-place was at Capernaum, a very ungodly city. It is called “his own city” in the ninth of Matthew. What did they want? They wanted to know the spot where they would be sure of finding Him. What does He say? “Come and see” (vs. 39). “They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.” They spent with Him about two hours. Honestly, now, did ever you spend two solid hours with Jesus? Did you? Then I will guarantee that if you spent two hours with Jesus, when you came out you wanted somebody else to do the same. I never knew a man yet that really enjoyed the presence of the Lord that did not want somebody else to enjoy it as well.
That is the peculiar beauty of Christianity. You want to get others to share in its joy. The more you give away the more you get; the more you scatter, the more you receive. You cannot be large-hearted without gaining. Why, those who do not give, have not got much enjoyment themselves. I find people say to me, We never speak about these things. They have, so to say, got their coats buttoned; I know the reason why. There is nothing inside. If they had plenty inside, it would soon come out. The moment you get your heart full of Christ, you cannot keep it to yourself; you must tell it to every mike else. If a man tries to keep it dark, then be sure the light is very feeble. The man who gets right into contact with Christ goes at once to tell others, his nearest friend perhaps, his father, mother, sister, or brother. It is always the same story. You always find the heart that has got hold of Christ wants other people to know Jesus too. I am not addressing you as a preacher, for I do not profess to be a preacher, but I speak to you because I enjoy the presence and love of the Lord myself, and I want others to enjoy the same privilege. It will do you good, and will not do me any harm, but give me great joy, if you get to know the blessed Saviour I know.
What took place in our chapter? “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 what does he say? “We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ” (John 1:4141He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. (John 1:41)). We have found Him; come along and get to know Him too. I do not know that he got Peter to go right away; how long he took about the job I do not know, but this I know, he never gave it up until he got him. Have you been converted? Yes! Well! have you a brother who is not? Then start tonight to bring him to Jesus, and give him no peace until you bring him to Jesus. “And he brought him to Jesus” (vs. 42) is what we read of Andrew. We never hear again of Andrew preaching, and you hear little more of Andrew in the Gospels―he knew the lad who had the five loaves and two fishes (John 6:99There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? (John 6:9)) ―but when you get up into the glory by-and-by, and see the Lord giving the rewards, I think you will find that a big reward will be Andrew’s. Do you not see that he was the means of the conversion of the man most used of God in those early gospel days, in bringing blessing to others. Look at it! I think I see Andrew on the day of Pentecost, when Peter is preaching, and the Lord using him to the blessing of three thousand souls, and getting them converted to God. I conclude Andrew would be rejoicing that he was the means of bringing Peter to Jesus. I cannot preach, he might say, but Peter can, and I was the means of bringing him to Jesus. Ah! think of that. Fellow-believer, you might be the means of bringing a great preacher to the Saviour. It was the word of a poor old shoemaker that led Spurgeon to Christ.
I was traveling in the West of England last year, and in the corner of the carriage there was a very distinguished looking English clergyman, with a book in his hands. I soon saw that it was the Bible. Presently the train stopped at a station, and the man sitting beside him got out. In a minute, in got a sweep, fresh from his morning’s work, with his brush and bag, and as black as the chimney himself. He hesitated as he noticed that there was room only for one, and said he would stand. “Sit down, my friend,” said the parson, and the sweep sat down between me and the clergyman. The train went on, and at the next station the sweep got out. A man in the carriage grumbled out that it was a shame to let a man like that into the carriage; it was against the bye-laws and rules of the company, and they ought to be prosecuted for allowing it.
“Oh,” said I, “there is nothing in a little clean soot; there are worse things in the world than that.” “Indeed there are,” said the clergyman, “there is far greater dirt and degradation than that.” “What may that be?” said I. “It is the degradation of man’s state as a sinner.” “And how do you propose to meet that?” I asked. “There is only one way in which it can be met; it is by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.” So the poor sweep was the means of bringing the gospel into that carriage, and it came out splendidly. We talked on, and presently the clergyman said: “I will tell you how I was converted. I was a midshipman on board a ship, and when rounding Cape Horn on a very stormy night, a godly mate on board, in the same watch as myself, took me quietly alone, and spoke to me about Jesus. God blessed the words of the mate, and I was turned to the Lord through his testimony to Christ, on board that ship that night.” “Thank God!” I said. “What happened then?” “I came home as soon as I could, for I had a brother here. I told him the gospel as clearly as I could, and, thank God! he too was converted. You perhaps are not acquainted with my brother, but he has been the means of sending eight hundred missionaries to heathen lands since that day.”
At the time I thought that was just like Andrew. That is just the way the gospel spreads. If you enjoy Jesus, you will want somebody else to get to know Him. It does not need great preaching, or brilliant, eloquent preachers to get people converted. I have heard of an infidel who was converted most simply. Perhaps you have heard of him. He did not believe in the Lord at all; and he lived in the West Indies. Sunday was a very miserable day with him; it is ever so with the unconverted. It is always a dismal day for them. Why, it is the happiest day of the week for me; the other six days are uncommonly happy, but Sunday beats them all, I find, for one is usually freer to worship, and work for, the Lord. Not so did the infidel find his Sundays, for there was no racing, no theater, or anything of that kind going on. Now there happened to be a godly minister preaching in a chapel nearby, and some of the man’s family went there. One Sunday he resolved to go to hear him; not exactly to listen to, but to criticize the preacher.
The infidel came every Sunday afterwards, and the minister thought, I most try to reach him, so he prepared a most wonderful set of sermons. When they were all delivered, lo, and behold! the infidel was converted, and made a happy confession of Christ. Well, thought the minister, he will be sure to come to tell me about it; but day by day went by, and he never came. The parson then resolved to go and see him. He called at the infidel’s house, or rather, at the house of the man who had been an infidel, and was received most courteously. “I have heard good news of you,” said the preacher. “It is quite true, thank God,” was the man’s answer, “I have got to know that my sins are forgiven,” and he made a most happy confession of Christ. “I am so glad,” said the preacher, “pray tell me which of the sermons was instrumental in causing this change?” “The sermons,” said the man, “made not a bit of difference. They went over me like water off a duck’s back.” “Tell me, then, what has wrought the change?” “It happened one night while leaving your chapel. An old negress slipped, and fell upon the steps, and I just put out my hand and picked the old woman up. ‘Oh! thank you, Massa,’ she said; ‘you love Jesus, don’t you, my blessed Jesus?’ These words went to my heart like an arrow, for I felt that this old black woman knew a Being, a Saviour, of whom I was totally ignorant.” “You love Jesus, my blessed Jesus!” was what converted him. That is what will win souls for Christ.
The words, “We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ; and he brought him to Jesus,” tell us Andrew’s sermon, and its effect. What a discovery these fishermen made. Andrew discovered the Messiah, and Simon discovered his Lord. I do not think he was easily brought to Jesus. He was a wonderfully natural man, Peter; and hence it is very likely that he was slow to go to Jesus. The last thing a man does is to go to Jesus. But Andrew somehow constrained him, and “he brought him to Jesus.” That is just what I want to do tonight; I want to bring you 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 1:4242And 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 1:42)). Very simple words these! But that change of his name was, I doubt not, the moment of his conversion, the moment of his salvation.
I have no doubt Peter thought it was an extraordinary thing for the Lord to change his name. I have always been known by the name of Simon, and He has taken upon Him to change my name, “Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” Let us see, then, the Lord’s meaning. The changing of a name always implied that the one whose name was changed was subject to him who changed his name (see Genesis 17:5-15, 32:28, 35:10, 41:45; Daniel 1:7,7Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. (Daniel 1:7) verse 12). At that moment the Lord told Simon, You belong to Me; from this minute you are Mine. I do not think Peter forgot it, though he did not take in the truth fully. It was sovereign love that spoke there; and it was a divine person who spoke to him. He knew what He was saying, and He changed Peter’s name. That is what takes place when the Lord meets the sinner. You pass from being a sinner to being a saint. You pass through a change of name, just as Jacob, which means “supplanter,” had his name changed to Israel, “a prince with God.” What does the Lord say here? “Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” And what is a stone? A bit of a rock! And who was the rock? Christ. Did Peter understand that? Perhaps not then; but you remember afterward, when Jesus asked, “Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?” that presently “Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I also say unto thee, That thou art Peter” [He confirms his name], “and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:13-1813When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:13‑18)).
What is the rock? Peter? Not a bit of it! Christ is the rock, and Peter is the stone put on the rock. That is a very good place to be. I never knew a stone yet that sunk through a rock. And I never knew anybody that was resting on the Rock of Ages, resting on Jesus, that was lost. Have you become a stone? How do you become a stone? Peter tells us: “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious; ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4, 54To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4‑5)). From that moment when Simon came to Jesus, and had his name changed to Peter, he became a stone. Though he did not then know what it was to be built in, he learned he was a stone, and soon after he knew what the building was of which he became an integral part. That, he learned, was the house of God, built upon the rock Christ. Peter was a stone, and so is every converted soul in this house tonight. My brother in Christ, you are a stone; and Christ would like you to know what it is to be a stone in His building. “To whom coming, as unto a living stone... ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house.”
We become living stones as soon as we come in contact with Christ, who is the Living Stone. This moment the blessed Lord speaks of when He says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live” (John 5:2525Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. (John 5:25)). The voice of the Son of God went down into the heart of Simon, the son of Bar-Jona, quickening him, and I think Peter became acquainted with a change within himself; though I do not judge he quite understood what was wrapped up in the Lord’s enigmatical expression. Indeed, he was like many a person whom the gospel reaches. He knows a change has come over him, but he cannot explain it. He becomes an altered man, though he cannot tell what has taken place. I think at that moment when Simon found Jesus, he apprehended that there was a tie between his soul and the Saviour. The voice of the Son of God entered into the heart of Peter, and what he heard was this, “Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.” You and I are stones from the time we derive from Christ. Do you know what a Christian is? He is a little bit of Christ: The Christian derives his life, his righteousness, his grace, and his sanctification from Him. He lives in the life of Christ, before Gad. I do not think Peter learned all that at that moment, brit he learned it afterward. It was, notwithstanding, a wonderful moment in his history.
Have you known a similar experience?
On Christ salvation rests secure;
The Rock of Ages must endure;
Nor can that faith be overthrown
Which rests upon the “Living Stone.”
No other hope shall intervene;
To Him we look, on Him we lean;
Other foundations we disown,
And build on Christ the “Living Stone.”
W. T. P. W.
 
1. Extracted from “Seekers for Light.”