Message Twelve

Michelangelo was chipping away with his chisel at a huge piece of rock. Asked a friend, "What are you doing?" "I'm releasing the angel that's imprisoned in this marble," he answered. The Lord Jesus is the only one who can redeem and release the hidden hero in every man. We get a glimpse of this as we go with our Lord to Galilee. It was there that He found Philip. Now there are two ways to find something or someone. There's the stumbling and the seeking. In this case the Lord Jesus didn't stumble over this sinner. He sought Him out, for the Bible says, "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Hear the call. To Philip the Lord Jesus said, "Follow Me." It's interesting to note that the word "follow" means accompany Me, or come and travel with Me. He wants us to walk by His side. He doesn't want us to lag or linger behind, neither does He want us to run or rush ahead. He wants us to accompany Him.

Let's meet the convert. The Bible says, "Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter." The name "Bethsaida" means fishtown. Think of it...our Lord went to fishtown to get several of His most dependable disciples. It was Dr. Harry Ironside who said, "The earlier followers of our Lord Jesus were, with few exceptions, men from the lower walks of life: fishermen, tax-collectors, Galilean peasants. Judas was the only 'gentleman' in the entire apostolic band. He was from Judea...and he turned traitor." Thus it was out of the lower walks of life that the Lord Jesus began to construct the church, against which the gates of hell can't prevail.

Let's listen to the confession of the convert. It's written in John 1:45, "Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, 'We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth!'" Philip got saved, and he at once thought of his friend and brought him to the Lord. Andrew got saved, and he at once thought of his family and brought Peter to the Lord. The Samaritan adulteress got saved, and she at once thought of her neighbors and brought them to the Lord. Are there folk in your family, and friends in your community who are unsaved? Have you ever tried to bring them to the Lord? In the great commission, Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." And where does the world begin? Where your nose ends. So begin where you are to confess Christ. That's what Philip did. He confessed to a friend, "We have found Him!" There was no uncertainty there. One of old said, "If you have
any certainties, let us have them. We have doubts enough of our own." Philip was certain. He said with assurance, "We have found Him," not it. Christianity is Christ. It's not a system but the Savior, not a creed but Christ. Our Lord Himself said, "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent."

Let's listen to a question. On hearing that Jesus came from Nazareth, Nathanael asked, "Can any good come out of Nazareth?" He answered, "Come and see." There was a newspaper man who was a skeptic and a slave to sin. One night he went to a revival. He, too, wanted to know if any good came out of Nazareth. The evangelist said to him, "Bill Shannon, God challenges you to test Him and to try Him, and if He doesn't make good you can quit, and you haven't lost a thing." He tried Him. No, he didn't quit. He became a great evangelist, and for many years I was his song leader. How I loved to hear him say: "Christ is not a disappointment." Why don't you try Him?

copyright 2000 Guido Evangelistic Association

All Scripture verses are quoted from the New King James Version.

This series of messages on the books of the Bible were originally written for broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program, "The Sower." They are collected and reprinted here for your enjoyment and spiritual edification. Go to the Sower's site for more at www.TheSower.com.