Come See

Jesus at Sunrise

Intro: God uses ordinary people, doing ordinary things, to accomplish

his extraordinary purpose.

• 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (The NET Bible)18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.”

• 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic law? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching.

• 22 For Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks ask for wisdom, 23 but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. 24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

• 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

• 26 Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position.

• 27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.

• 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, 29 so that no one can boast in his presence.

• 30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

What do we learn from the 1 Corinthians 1:18-31?

• God seldom uses extraordinary people.– Seldom uses the extremely wise– Seldom uses the extremely intelligent– Seldom uses experts (Mosaic Law)– Seldom uses the great debaters (Philosopher)

• Most of us are not:– Wise by human standards– Powerful (physically or financially)– Born of privilege

20 Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic law? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish?

26 Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position.

What do we learn from the 1 Corinthians 1:18-31?

• The world:– Thinks we are foolish– Thinks we are weak– Thinks we are low– Despises us– Regards us as nothing.

• But, God uses foolish things (us and preaching) to confound and set aside what the world regards as something.

• Why? so no one can boast in his presence.

27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something,

29 so that no one can boast in his presence. 30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

So, God uses ordinary people, doing ordinary things, to accomplish

his extraordinary purpose.

• What are the ordinary things we can do to accomplish God’s extraordinary purpose?

• Let us look at an example in the Gospel of John to see ordinary people doing ordinary

things, and bringing about God’s extraordinary purpose.

• John 1:35-51 (The NET Bible)35 Again the next day John was standing there with two of his disciples. 36 Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When John’s two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

• 38 Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?” So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 Jesus answered, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

God Uses Ordinary People

• The Two extraordinary People– Jesus– John the Baptist

• John was extraordinary• John was ordinary

• The ordinary People – The unnamed seekers (two disciples)

He was the prophet sent to tell about the coming Messiah.

He had extraordinary talents.

He did not meet the world’s views of extraordinary:

Not wealthy

Not a scholar

Not well dressed

His job was to point to Jesus

Why were they attracted to him?

They are unnamed

They are simply two of many of John’s disciples

They are seekers

They do the ordinary: Seek, preach, invite and follow.

• Preach: John the Baptist does the actions of an ordinary preacher.

• Seek and follow: The Disciples followed the teacher– They followed John – They followed Jesus

• Invite: Jesus invited them over to his place

He pointed to Jesus

36 Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 35 Again the next day John was

standing there with two of his disciples.

37 When John’s two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

38 Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?” So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 Jesus answered, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day.

The disciple does the ordinary – he invites family

• Andrew invites a family member to visit Jesus– The disciple is given a name– He seeks out his brother– He tells him his conclusion about Jesus– He invites his brother to find out for himself.

• Andrews ordinary actions have extraordinary results. Andrew and Peter become extraordinary.

• We ought to invite our family.

40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is translated Christ). 42 Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the

son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

The disciple does the ordinary – He invites a friend

• Jesus invites Philip• Philip invites Nathanael

– He finds and tells him his opinion of Jesus– He listens to Nathanael’s skepticism– He challenges him to find out for himself

• An ordinary act of inviting friends can have extraordinary results.

• We ought to invite a friend

43 On the next day Jesus wanted to set out for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 (Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.)

45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and

see.”

Philip’s ordinary act (an invitation) accomplished Christ’s extraordinary

purpose• Nathanael experiences the omniscience of

Jesus.• Nathanael becomes a believer.• Jesus promises Nathenael he will witness

the extraordinary.

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel!”

50 Jesus said to him, “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 He continued, “I tell all of you the solemn truth – you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

The story Alexander Whyte and a salesman named Rigby

While doing ordinary things God will use us to fulfill his extraordinary purpose

Let’s invite

Come See Jesus at

Sunrise

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