The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-04-02
PETER AND JOHN BECOME
% DISCIPLES OF JESUS rs

6EIGN AND JOhN bECOME
% "a DISCIPLES OF JESUS
LESSON TExT-John 1:29.42; Mark 1:le
20. a s
GOLDEN TExT-And Jesus said unto
them, Come We after me. and I will make
you to become fishers of men.-Mark ILL.,
Personal faith in Christ is the
heart of Christian experience. Since
persons are won by other persons il
was vitality important that the Lord
choose the right disciples at the very
beginning of the Church. Outstand-
ing among the twelve disciples were
Peter and John, whose lives and
letters we study during the next
three, months. n. sna .aat
The manner in which they became
disciples is of unusual interest-and
is instructive as well. We will OBJ
serve that our Lord is working in
much the same way on the Peters
and Johns Of our own day. They
came to Him by way Of
1. Testimony-They Heard About
Jesus (John 1:29-34, Az.
John, who modestly refrains from
naming himself ". 40), heard about
Jesus from John the Baptist. His
testimony is notable for its pointed
presentation of Christ, and it's un-
mistakable desire that they follow
Him. John was an important man
with vigorous message, but he rec
ognized that his only real business
for God was to point men to Christ.
He enjoyed having men follow him,
but only that he might lead them
to Jesus. Fo4i
In doing Christian work we should
learn so to bear our testimony that
we may magnify Christ, and not
ourselves. We must be careful to
win men to Christ, and not to our
selves or our cause or church.
Peter was brought to Jesus by his
brother Andrew. Andrew was quiz
ct, modest man of whom we do not
read that he preached a single SER
mon. But he did do personal work
(see John 6:8, 9; 1921, 22). He has
been called "Andrew the finder"
May ''his tribe" increase We need
more like him. s'---sf - A-A'
Hearing about Jesus is not enough.
There must be the next step, the in
dispensable personal meeting with
the Lord. sss--
III. Experience They Saw Jesus
(Johfi / 1859, 42). @r
81 The necessity of a personal ex-
perience with Christ is so clearly
stated in Scripture that one can only
marvel that it is so neglected in
many churches today.
Neither John the Baptist nor, lat
er, Andrew was content to tell about
|. Jesus. They brought John and Pc
ter to the Lord. John said, "Behold
the Lamb of Cod ". 36); and An
/ drew brought him to Jesus" ".
Az. These sum up the soul-win-
ner's duty. We must bring our fam
lily, our friends, yes, the stranger
with whom we deal, into the pres
ence. of Jesus.
/ He will look into their eyes and
into their souls and see in them all
the gifts and graces which may
make them useful to Him w.. AZ.
John was the brother of James and
Peter the Brother of Andrew-just
two humble fishermen in the sight of
men. But Jesus saw in them two
of the most useful men who have
ever lived. Let us give Him
chance to deal with our friends and
acquaintance. ~ a4 a.
3 Hearing and seeing are both ,ex-
.cellent, but they lack, one final step
land here it is Aa4la44 sl-le :
.sfIu. Action-T They Followed Jesus
l(John LAO; Mark 1:16-20). .alit
First Of all they followed Jesus in
becoming believers on Him as the
Messiah. d That experience Of Johns
we find in John LAO, and Of Peters
(by inference) in verse A.. There is
no salvation apart from that act of
the will which follows knowledge
of Christ. ..oao
In the passage in Mark we find Him
calling them to leave their secular
calling as fishers of fish to follow
Him and become fishers Of men.
Before they could become what He
wanted them to be, they had to do
something-rise up and follow Him.
Their unauestioning response indi-
Gated their faith, but, more than that,
it showed that they were the kind of
obedient men who could be used of
the Lord. Jesus might have called
His disciples from the learned and
the mighty. But one wonders wheth-
er they would have been willing to
respond without argument, and to
learn of Him without prejudice or
preconceived ideas of theology.
God must often pass the mighty
and the noble Of this world, and call
those who are foolish enough to be-
lieve Him and obey (read ! Cor.
1:17-29). The reason is given there
ssThat no flesh should glory in his
presence" The glory belongs to the
Lord, not to His servants.
Because they did obey they be-
came fishers Of men," He led them,
trained them, encouraged them,
blessed them, and used them.
A disciple is a slearner," but he
L W -