Welcome to Redemption Church in Plano, Texas. My name is Chris Fluitt and I am glad to welcome everyone. Thank you for joining us in worship.

Nobody Left Out

We are in the 2nd week of our sermon series “Nobody Left Out.” We are inviting you to read along in a 4 day devotional with the same title.

Last week we met a ‘no-good- thief’ named Zacchaeus and discovered how Jesus came to “the spot” and called Zacchaeus by name. Today we are going to talk about Nathanael the ‘know-it-all’.

John 1: 35-42(NIV) The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

Invitations

These are the early days of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus had just been baptized by John the Baptist, and the next day John the Baptist was with 2 of his disciples and seeing Jesus passing by the Baptist said “Look, the lamb of God.” The 2 disciples followed Jesus at the invitation of John the Baptist.

Would Jesus allow these 2 disciples to follow? Yes. Jesus doesn’t leave anyone out. All are invited.

One of the 2 disciples is named Andrew and he tells his brother Simon whom Jesus calls Peter. The other disciple remains unnamed. In my opinion the best guess is that the unnamed disciple is John, the writer of the gospel of John, the epistles 1st 2nd & 3rd John, and the book of Revelation.

John 1:43 (NIV) The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Invitations

These are such great moments: where someone meets Jesus, and they turn around and invite their friends and family to meet Jesus, also. 

Church, this is how it is supposed to work. When you meet Jesus you are supposed to share Jesus. You are not supposed to meet Jesus in secret. All of your friends are supposed to know about your first love. All of your family are supposed to know. We are invited to meet Jesus and we invite others to meet Jesus, as well.

There is even something Jesus taught us about called baptism. Someone who has met Jesus is plunged into the water and we invite everyone to come watch us profess our following Jesus. Have you been baptized?  I want you to be baptized and I want you to invite all your family and friends to watch you and see with their own eyes that you belong to Jesus.

This story started with Andrew finding Jesus. Andrew tells his bro Simon Peter.
Then the story shifts to Jesus walking up to a guy named “Phillip” and says “Follow me.”  Now an excited Phillip finds his friend named Nathanael and tells him – “We have found Him!”

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

Phillip does not undersell Jesus. He says that we have found the one we have always sought.  The One we have been looking for… we found the one that Moses told us about.

Deuteronomy 18:18 (NIV) I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.

Nathanael, listen up!  We have found Him. We found the one that all the prophets told us about… Isaiah, Micah, Habakkuk, Daniel, Jeremiah, Zechariah… All the prophets were looking for Him… and now we have found him.

Phillip is BEYOND excited!  He is delighted to invite his friend Nathanael to meet Jesus and now, let’s read  how Nathanael responds.

*46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

All Nathanael seemed to hear was “Nazareth.” Nathanael wanted to meet the savior… but not if He was from Nazareth.  Nazareth was a small little town with no great history. No one famous was from Nazareth.

I find this a really funny response because Nathanael is from Bethsaida. Bethsaida was a small little fishing town. The name Bethsaida literally means “house of fish.”  There is a great restaurant called “fish shack” in Plano… I think I will rename it Bethsaida from now on.

The Invitation Dismissed

Philip excitedly and boldly invited Nathanael to meet Jesus… but Nathanael was a big wet blanket.  Nathanael kinda sucked all the joy out of the room. 

Sometimes you invite people and they are excited…
Sometimes you invite people and they are dismissive…
Never stop inviting!
Invite again!

But what if they make fun of what I believe…?  This is exactly what Nathanael did to Phillip’s invitation, but watch what Philip does.

46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

Philip invites Nathanael again.  I love how Philip does this.  Let’s learn a strategy.

• Philip excitedly says “I have found him…”  “Jesus is awesome…”  “Look what God has done for me…”
• Nathanael makes light of Philip’s experience…
• Philip says “Come and see.”  Come and see for yourself.

Come & See

Jesus has done so much for me… but that is not why you should believe.  You should come meet Jesus for yourself. 

Come and see is a great invitation.

We Christians sometimes get the invitation backwards

Wrong Idea:  Believe and then Come

Believe my testimony and then start coming to church.
Believe my view on the Bible and then start reading the Bible.
Believe in God and then start praying.

 

Remind me again, how did Jesus approach people?  Philip for example.

John 1:43 (NIV) The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Does Jesus walk up and say “Believe that I have the incarnation of God in human flesh?
…believe that I have the fulfillment of the over 300 messianic prophecies…
…believe I am worthy of worship…
…believe that I can do miracles…

This is not Jesus’ invitation at all. Jesus simply invites us to follow him and see for ourselves.

 

To everyone who is struggling with doubt, I want to invite you to come anyway. “Come and see” if Jesus really is who we have claimed Him to be.

So Nathanael receives 2 invitations from Philip, and he comes to see.

John 1:47(NIV) When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

Nathanael is not a believer yet, and yet Jesus is happy to see him. 

Skeptics are welcome

Skeptics are welcome.
Unbelievers are welcome.
Atheists and agnostics are welcome.
Doubters are welcome.
You are invited and are welcome to come and see.

In verse 47 Jesus gives Nathanael a great compliment. “Here is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
It’s like Jesus is saying…
“Now here is a guy who will tell you the truth.”
“Here is a fella who won’t mess around, but will tell you like it is.”
“Finally someone who is brutally honest, and not worried about hurting feelings.”

Nathanael and Jesus have an interesting interaction.

John 1:48(NIV) “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

A shared moment

Jesus and Nathanael share a moment that no one else knows about. Only Nathanael and Jesus really know what verse 48 is about. 

I think that this is perfect.

There are moments that nobody knows about but me and Jesus.
There are dreams, fears, heartaches, and joys that nobody can really understand but me and Jesus.
There are prayers that only you and God know about.

Nathanael was under a fig tree… perhaps praying? Perhaps struggling with his faith, but really honestly talking to God with no deceit in his mouth? 

Nathanael may have felt all alone under that fig tree, but he was not alone.

Michael Murray  

Michael Murray, the author of “Nobody Left Out,” was born with cerebral palsy. This disability affects his motor skills. Michael shares the following quote on page 28.

“Several years ago, there was a small park near my house I would visit. I would sit on the swing by myself and talk to God about all the things I was angry about, worried about, and sad about. That swing was my fig tree. And looking back now, I can see I wasn’t alone. I imagine Jesus saying to me, all these years later, “Michael, I saw you while you were still on the swing.” – Michael Murray – Nobody Left Out pg 28

A shared moment

At what moment did you think you were alone? What is your fig tree?

I Thank you Jesus for seeing me, when I thought I was all alone.

This shared moment between Nathanael and Jesus was impactful.

John 1:49(NIV) Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

Nathanael went from skeptic to believer and preacher in just a moment with Jesus. 

What turns a Skeptic into a Believer?

Not church membership…
Not a doctrinal stance…
Not trying to believe harder…

 

Just a moment with Jesus…
A moment where you are known by Jesus.

Have you had that moment?   Come and see.
Maybe you have had that moment in the past, but you need to have another moment today.  Come and see.

‘Know-it-alls’ and skeptics are welcome. Nobody left out.