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Q3. Bringing a Friend to Jesus


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Q3. (John 1:40-42) What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter's conversion? Today, why do so many Christians substitute bringing a person to Jesus with bringing them to church? What might be the similarities? What might be the differences?

  1. He was Simon Peter’s brother and was the man who introduced Peter to Jesus ultimately ending in his conversion.
  2. I believe too many Christians these days feel that introducing someone to Jesus is akin to imposing His message on them.  In that light, it’s a lot easier to invite them to attend worship at their local church where there are other believers that can help take the burden off of them.  In reality, the first step should be to introduce them Jesus through prayer; the second step would then be to invite them to attend worship services.  As Jesus’ disciples, we are called to offer His love and His message to everyone, in every circumstance, ALWAYS.   Jesus didn’t tell us to take someone to church, He said to “go and make disciples of all nations.”  Bringing people to Jesus includes praying for and with them and leading them ultimately to repentance and baptism.
  3. The similarities would be that you could easily introduce someone to Christ in the church setting; the difference being that when we find someone in need of His grace, it is incumbent upon every Christian to take personal responsibility for sharing His love and His message.  As Paul said in his letter to the Romans, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…”
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  • 1 year later...

Q3. (John 1:40-42) What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter's conversion? Today, why do so many Christians substitute bringing a person to Jesus with bringing them to church? What might be the similarities? What might be the differences?

Andrew plays a huge role! Andrew came to Peter and told him they had found the Messiah and then leads him to Jesus. Today there is no physical way to take someone to Jesus. To a lot of Christians church is where they go to commune with Jesus. It helps to set mood for prayer. To bring a person to church is, for some, the closest they can come to bringing someone to meeting Christ. Of course church is a place for a spiritual meeting. 

 

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  • 1 year later...
On 8/8/2014 at 6:33 AM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q3. (John 1:40-42) What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter’s conversion? Today, why do so many Christians substitute bringing a person to Jesus with bringing them to church? What might be the similarities? What might be the differences?

Andrew went and found his brother Peter and brought him (introduced him) to Jesus.  We can do the same thing. We of course cannot take people to meet the physical Jesus, but we can introduce them to our friend Jesus and explain how we know Him and what he means to us.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The role that Andrew played in Simon Peter’s conversion is to introduce him to Jesus. The reason that so many Christians substitute bring a person to Jesus with bringing them to church is because Jesus is not here on the earth in person. The church is the closest thing that we have. The similarities is that we introduce them to Jesus and the difference is that we also introduce them to the rest of the saints in the church.

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  • 7 months later...

What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter’s conversion? Today why do so many Christians substitute bringing a person to Jesus with bringing them to church? What might be the similarities? What might the differences?

Andrew had the honor of bringing his brother to the Lord through telling him about the Messiah.

I would have to say it deals with fear, rejection, intimidation and being laughed at mainly. They think that bringing a friend to church is a lot safer option.

The similarities could be bringing them to Christ. However the difference is that they would not be discipled.

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  • 5 months later...

Q3. (John 1:40-42) What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter’s conversion? Today, why do so many Christians substitute bringing a person to Jesus with bringing them to church? What might be the similarities? What might be the differences?

When Andrew found the Messiah, he couldn’t keep it to himself. He goes back to his family and brings his brother Peter to Jesus. This is an automatic reaction of a true disciples of Jesus. He wants others also to follow Jesus, for he is not content to go to heaven alone.

Mostly because they feel that they are inadequate to share the gospel and introduce them to Jesus and that it would be better if someone more authoritative will tell them about Jesus. But it is the sheep that gives birth to sheep. A great percentage of the people who come to Jesus, come because someone has shared to them personally about Jesus. Maybe growth happens in the church but birth happens mostly with personal exchange about who Jesus is just like Andrew told his brother Simon Peter about Jesus.

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  • 1 month later...

Q3. (John 1:40-42) What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter's conversion? Andrew told Simon Peter that they had found the Messiah and brought him to Jesus.  T

Today, why do so many Christians substitute bringing a person to Jesus with bringing them to church? That is what we have been taught to do. 

What might be the similarities? The similarities are that we know Jesus is 'at church.'  We hopefully learn about Him at church and worship Him at church.  We have people who will hopefully help us grow in the Lord. 

What might be the differences? Church is only a day or two a week.  Our walk with Jesus is to be a life style all the time.  People may learn more about the church's doctrine than the doctrine of Christ if we lead people to church.  If we lead people to church rather than Jesus they may think that they can't know Jesus themselves.  Jesus called us to make disciples who obey His teaching.  I have found there is much difference between Jesus' words in the gospels and what we learn in many churches.  When I was young I would always want to invite people to church because I thought that is where God was.  Now I would lead people to Jesus rather than church because I now know that Jesus lives in our hearts not in a building and wants to live in our hearts 24 hours a day.  He doesn't want to live in a building where we meet with Him only once a week for an hour and live our lives on our own the rest of the week.  I have also found there is much discrepancy what many churches teach and the pure words of Jesus in the bible.  I have also found that people tend to look to the pastor raether than Jesus if you take them to church rather than to Jesus.  The bottom line is I spent many years in the church getting much of man's teaching rather than Jesus' teaching.  Personally, there is only one church I would invite people to now.  It is the church whowe pastor focused totally on Christ and taught me not to listen to any person including him unless it confirmed with what God was speaking to me through His Word and Spirit.  He taught me to focus on Christ.

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  • 1 month later...
On 8/7/2014 at 1:33 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q3. (John 1:40-42) What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter’s conversion? Today, why do so many Christians substitute bringing a person to Jesus with bringing them to church? What might be the similarities? What might be the differences?

Andrew told Peter that he had found the Messiah, and brought him to Jesus.  Because that's where most people find Jesus.  Some of us find Jesus in a blessing. Some of us find Jesus in a crisis. That was when I found Jesus, in a crisis. I had lost everything that I had, and had nowhere else to turn.

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  • 6 months later...

Q3. (John 1:40-42)

  1. What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter's conversion? Andrew played a crucial role in Simon Peter's conversion in that he did not keep his discovery of Jesus to himself. Instead, he went looking for and found his brother Simon and told him, 'We have found the Messiah' and then he brought him to Jesus.
  2. Today, why do so many Christians substitute bringing a person to Jesus with bringing them to church? It is in the Christian custom; beginning with bringing children to Jesus through baptism in Church, graduating to acting out our role as evangelists by bringing/recruiting people to church.
  3. What might be the similarities? Peter is the rock, the foundation upon which Jesus built His church of whom He is the Head and therefore the church is filled with Holy Spirit.
  4. What might be the differences? The differences might be that whilst Jesus is the same today and tomorrow, the church congregants and the church leadership are prone to being influenced by the flesh.


 

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  • 2 months later...

Q3. (John 1:40-42)

What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter’s conversion?

  • after Andrew spent an unknown period of time with Jesus, the assumption is that there were many things that Jesus shared with him
  • after this time of sharing, he immediately went and got his brother Peter. Another assumption, I believe truth, was the anticipation and expectation of the Messiah by the Jewish people, to include Peter and Andrew, and when Andrew reported, this is that Messiah that we've been expecting, Andrew was able to bring his brother to meet Jesus

Today, why do so many Christians substitute bringing a person to Jesus with bringing them to church?

  • the expectation is that simply by the person being in God's presence, and hearing the preaching, that is how their friend will get saved

What might be the similarities?

  • Jesus is being proclaimed (hopefully), and the word of God being preached is powerful and can bring salvation

What might be the differences?

  • Andrew had a personal encounter himself, and brought his brother to experience that same encounter
  • simply coming to a church service might take away some of the personal touch that a person needs to encounter the risen Christ
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  • 1 year later...

Andrew brings his brother Simon to Christ.  Christ is the Lamb of God and Messiah.  Peter comes to Christ upon hearing that He is the Messiah.  Peter meets with the Word of God/Logos incarnate and receives a new nature, and needs a new name.

Sadly, people go from one church to another either by curiosity or by a friend or family member.   Perhaps religious but not born again.  Many churches don't preach the necessity of Roman's 10:9-10;  new members join a church like joining a new Fraternity or health club.   It's a superficial matter, their lives are very much the same.  Peter meets Christ !  What a profound encounter!  Peter leaves the fishing business to follow Christ the Messiah.  Andrew stresses Christ is the Messiah.  Andrew points Peter to Christ alone not to an organization nor pointing his brother to an entertainment figure.

The "seeker friendly" churches and new age evangelical methods don't stress Christ alone enough as they should.   The Cross of Jesus Christ is hardly mentioned just as the basic tenets of the Nicene-Constancepolitan creed and othervmajor Confessions are neither mentioned.   Sincere inquiriers are introduced to ephemeral programs that really don't stress discipleship and sanctification .

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  • 4 months later...

What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter's conversion?

It was Andrew who brought Peter to Jesus and very likely if it wasn't for Andrew, Peter would never have got to know Jesus and be one of the 12 disciples.

Today, why do some Christians substitute bringing a person to Jesus with bringing a person to church?

I believe that so many Christians bring people to church rather than to Jesus Christ because they are afraid of judgment, they themselves don't really know Jesus, and they would rather have the church take care of the person then they themselves.

What are the similarities?

Both Jesus and the church speak the Word of God.

What are the differences?

Hearing the Word of God won't always convert a person to Christianity, but, one-on-one talks typically do (if the Holy Spirit is in the person and moving them). We should focus to help others, even it may be a slight hassle to us, rather than let the church take care of it, because sometimes, it is only we that can save somebody and saving somebody from hell is far more important than being comfortable on earth!

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  • 4 months later...

(John 1:40-42) What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter’s conversion?

Today, why do so many Christians substitute bringing a person to Jesus with bringing them to church?

What might be the similarities?

What might be the differences?

Andrew did not keep to himself where they had gone, but in his excitement and joy he shared the news with Simon Peter, which resulted in him also following Yeshua. 

At the church, being where many supposedly gather, who are followers of Christ, it seems to be the place where one can show that there are a diverse group of people who are followers of Christ. 

As this is the place where supposedly one should easily come to be with many believers, that would be the similarity. Bringing them where Christ is. He does say that where we gather in His Name He is in the midst of us. 

Differences could unfortunately so easily be that you are not really at ease in a crowd like that. Almost easier a one on one meeting first and encouraging like that until the time is right and you invite them to join together in the fellowship. 

Following Christ is a personal encounter. Not following because the group is following. 

 


 
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