In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, we see two powerful instances of two men, Andrew and Philip, encountering Jesus.
When you read through these instances, they seem anything but powerful. They seem like an ordinary meeting between Jesus and each of these men.
However, the reason I call them powerful is that these encounters, although they happened individually and separately, followed a very special pattern – a pattern that should be visible in our lives too.
Read through Andrew’s meeting of Jesus, and you will see that right after he decides to follow Jesus, the Gospel says that ‘the first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah.”
That’s right. That’s the very first thing Andrew did after finding Jesus. He went and found his brother Simon and told him.
The same Simon, who became Peter, who led the Church.
Without Andrew, we wouldn’t have Peter.
Then came Philip’s meeting with Jesus.
Once again, we see, just like Andrew, Philip decided to run to his friend, Nathanael.
The Gospel tells us – 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.”
What’s so special about these encounters, and why is it something we should follow?
The truth is, if we claim to be disciples of Jesus, we must be willing to run to our friends and family and tell them about Him just as Andrew and Philip did.
We must have one arm extended towards Jesus, reaching out to touch Him and know Him.
And we must have our other arm extended towards a friend, or family member, inviting them in to know Jesus.
Isn’t that a beautiful pattern? It’s a pattern that led to people like Peter and Nathanael coming to the Lord. It’s a pattern that led to the world turning upside down because of what these men did in the Name and power of Jesus.
It’s a simple pattern to go out and call people. To be like Andrew and say, ‘I have found Him, the Messiah’, and to be like Philip and say, ‘Come and see.’
And it can change the world.
We want to take this opportunity to invite you to a series called Alpha.
Alpha is a course where we meet online, watch videos and discuss and explore the Christian faith together in a fun, open and safe environment.
We are going to be running this series starting on 7th September 2021, every Tuesday from 8pm – 9:15pm IST.
Here’s some of the testimonies that came out of our last Alpha session –
Alpha Alpha Alpha! How do I describe my experience? Mind blowing!!! That was what it was.. I’ve been a staunch Christian for quite some time now yet I learnt so much from this small group of amazing individuals. If I have to describe it in one like I’ll say it’s all about Christ and Community! I have come out of this course, feeling stronger and closer to God but also with a great group of Christian friends! I came into this group curiously, I was reluctant to turn on my video but soon it became the highlight of my week. It was such a delight to meet this group every week. I absolutely loved my experience and wouldn’t trade this for anything.
– Merin Peter
Alpha was my navigator to find myself in Christ. Every week it changed every cell of my body. Every day I started looking at things from a very different perspective. I was confident enough to talk about my flaws and open up to God.
– Anna Mary
I have been richly blessed by being a part of Alpha – a fellowship/gathering where I felt truly welcomed and known. We have developed some great friendships and it encouraged me to have open discussions with my peers in the group without worrying about being judged. This group also challenges me to keep my relationship with Jesus a priority.
– Jinson Joy
Didn’t know what to expect from the alpha course, but was really touched by how easy it was to relate to in terms of the basics of Christianity. It maintained the depth while making the theory more applicable.
– Sruti Arthur
If you would like to join us, please message us at +91 9886675654 or reach out at [email protected]
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