Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Good morning, my name is Nathanael, some of you may know me as Bartholomew which was my last name or rather the name of my father.

My name means “given by God”

More specifically, I am a man given by God to serve Jesus Christ as His disciple

And all of you today ought to know that the LORD God has given you life and life more abundantly that you may serve Jesus Christ faithfully as his follower too; that’s the true definition of a disciple of Jesus Christ- you follow Jesus

And never forget that the LORD God used somebody to prepare the way for you to follow Jesus Christ and you are called to do the same for somebody else.

For me that person was John the Baptist, who indirectly prepared a way for me to follow Jesus Christ.

It was John the Baptist who gave testimony of Jesus Christ- telling his disciples that Jesus Christ is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world

John tells his disciples that Jesus is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world

Andrew, a friend of mine, followed Jesus Christ based upon John the Baptist’s testimony

After Andrew decided to follow Jesus, he then told his brother Simon Peter about Jesus and brought Simon Peter to Jesus

Then Jesus called Philip who is from the same town as Andrew and Peter.

We all lived in the same town together by the way.

Discipleship ought to start in your home and local town.

Philip made up his mind to follow Jesus, then Philip found me and shared the good news about Jesus Christ- this man from the town of Nazareth

I responded- “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

And maybe today you are wondering can anything good come out of your family or out of your community or out of your ministry.

I’ve stopped by here today to tell you that if Jesus’ shows up then something will happen, something good is going to happen.

Something good is going to come out of your situation or even predicament.

After I asked the question: “Can anything good come out Nazareth?”

Philip promptly replied to me- “Come and see for yourself!”

And that’s what you need to do as well as tell your friends and family

Don’t make up your mind about the church and Jesus Christ only based upon what you have heard, but come and see for yourself

I so I decided to check out this Jesus for myself

John 1:47

Can you imagine that?

Jesus told me that I was a member of God’s chosen people- a member of His family.

Can you believe that?

Jesus identified me with God’s people.

Jesus’s kind and gracious words made me feel special and privileged.

In fact, I kind of figured the reason Jesus called me in the first place was because I was fairly holy compared to many others of my day.

All the rest of the disciples were not what you would normally call saints, if you know what I mean.

Peter was very presumptuous and had a sailor’s tongue.

If you came at Peter sideways, there was no telling what he might say.

And that other Simon, the Zealot, he was the kind of brother that would cut you if you got out the pocket with Jesus.

And James and John they were just hot heads.

Why they have to ask Jesus about calling down fire on folks who did not receive Jesus properly.

Sometimes we want to take things in our own hands and try to help out Jesus.

But I soon learned, that was not the way Jesus operated or rolled.

Now James and John they were not only extreme but they had an ambition for power to be with Jesus on His thrown and in His glory to His right and left.

They even had the audacity, the gall and boldness, to put their mother, Salome, up to asking on their behalf.

Have you ever asked Jesus for something?

And you new you were reaching kind of high and you were not being humble.

Has the taste of power ever made you hungry for more.

That was James’ and John’s problem.

And with Thomas doubting and Judas being such a penny pincher and back stabber, Jesus obviously needed a holy brother within the fold.

You always want some people around you to provide a little balance when everybody else is so unpolished.

Transition To Body

But as I continued to walk with Jesus Christ, I rather quickly learned that Jesus did not call me because I was special or that I was bringing some specific gift or talent to the table.

In fact, Jesus never calls people because of what they can do for him, but rather what Jesus can do in them, in spite of them, and through them.

That’s why Jesus told us, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

In fact as time went on, several of the other disciples did more than I ever did publicly.

They have gone down in history to be considered great leaders within the early church.

Most of you probably do not even know my contribution to the body of Christ, to the church of the living God.

I was just a plain ole’ disciple, follower of Jesus Christ.

A faithful, committed, student, learner, and follower of Jesus Christ.

And probably there are some among you today, individuals who serve the LORD faithfully behind the scenes without anyone hardly ever noticing.

Or maybe you just do it back at home within our family or at your job or community where no one at the local church building may never know what you been doing or contributing to the cause of Jesus Christ.

Or maybe you are still trying to figure out this “walk by faith and not by sight” thing and how do you properly please such an awesome and gracious God such as Jesus Christ.

And let me tell you just in case you don’t already know:

So maybe you too probably, wonder why, in the world, Jesus Christ, who is so awesome and good, would chose and call you to be one of His disciples, his apprentices, his pupils, his followers.

In fact one of my contemporaries by the name of Paul, once said it this way when the Holy Spirit of God spoke through him to write:

2 Corinthians 4:

Body

Well I eventually learned that Jesus Christ called me and he called you because:

Chosen To Give God Glory

As we, the first disciples, continued to walk with Jesus and be in the presence of the glory of God; as we continued to follow, watch, and learn from Jesus, we were expected to do some of the works and wonders that Jesus did

In fact Jesus told us that we would do even greater things.

Mark 6:

My friend and contemporary Paul said it this way

:35-37

John

John 15:1-8

Illustrate: I remember when Jesus Christ once went up on a mountain with Peter, James, and John to pray.

He left the rest of us disciples down at the bottom of the mountain to do the work of soul saving while He was gone...

And when Jesus asked us to feed

Chosen To Grow Faithful Followers (Of Jesus Christ)

Hear but really listening so no heart changing response- along the path

Hear with joy and receive immediately,- but don’t go deep and grow, so immediately fall away

Hear but trust (believe and accept) the world more than the WORD.

They are conflicted and choose the world of Jesus Christ.

You call these three groups marginal or carnal Christians

Hear and accept and bear fruit

Matthew 28:

Chosen To Share Same Story (Of Jesus Christ)

Mark 16:15-16

Transition To Conclusion

Matthew And Jesus calls all types of people

And Jesus calls all types of people

Because disciples answer the call of Jesus by following Him

And Jesus calls all types of people

Jesus calls disciples to be with Him- that’s what it means to truly Give God Glory

Disciples are chosen to bear fruit that is to grow Fellow Followers of Jesus Christ- those are committed followers

Jesus sends out HIS disciples that they might proclaim the good news

And there’s only one story that we proclaim and share-

That God so loved the world

That He gave his only begotten son

That whom so ever believes in Him

Shall not perish but have eternal everlasting life

So we Give God Glory

Conclusion