Feb. 4 Application | ‘The First Thing’

By David Faust 

Yolanda was new to our community and looking for work, and Gina needed assistance while she recovered from knee replacement surgery. As the two women worked side by side in Gina’s home, their friendship blossomed despite a significant language barrier. (Yolanda speaks Spanish, and Gina thanks God for “Google Translate”!) Gina prayed for Yolanda’s family and invited them to attend our church’s Latino services. Soon Yolanda asked if Gina and her husband, Andrew, would study the Bible with her family. During a recent worship service, Yolanda confessed her faith in Christ (in Spanish) and Gina baptized her.  

Their story reminds me of Andrew, one of Jesus’ earliest followers. According to John 1:41, “The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ).”  

After Andrew met Jesus, the first thing he did was tell someone else about the Lord.  Unfortunately, for many Christians that’s the last thing we do. How can we put disciple making at the top of our priority list? Here are three points to consider. 

1. Sharing our faith should be natural and relational.  

Evangelist Dwight L. Moody observed, “Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining—they just shine.” 

No one twisted Andrew’s arm and compelled him to join an evangelistic campaign. He didn’t read a book or attend a training seminar before he shared his faith. He simply found his brother and told what he knew. Of course, we need to study and prepare ourselves “to give an answer to everyone who asks” about the reasons for our hope (1 Peter 3:15); but let’s not make the process more complicated than it needs to be. Evangelism, someone said, is basically just one poor beggar telling another poor beggar where to find bread. 

Andrew started with his family and introduced his brother to the Lord. If we pray and build authentic, high-trust relationships with others, natural discipleship opportunities will arise.  

2. Christ himself is our primary message.  

Andrew didn’t waste time on minor issues. He told his brother, “We have found the Messiah” and brought him to Jesus. Many of our neighbors have their guard up. They are cautious because too often the gospel has gotten tangled up with confusing religious traditions and political disputes. Effective disciple makers clear away the fog and help our friends encounter the incomparable person of Jesus Christ. “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord” (2 Corinthians 4:5). 

3. We should encourage new believers to share their testimony.  

As soon as a candle is lit, it starts to shine. Immediately after Andrew met Jesus, he introduced his brother to the Lord. New believers don’t have all the answers, but they know enough to introduce their friends and relatives to Jesus. The Lord told a man whose life he had transformed, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19).  

I knew a preacher in New York City who told new believers before they left the baptistery, “Now it’s your joy and your job to tell your friends about Jesus.” After all, making disciples should be the first thing Christians do—not the last thing.  

Personal Challenge: Think of unbelievers or seekers you know who need Christ. Pray for opportunities to serve them in love and to engage them in conversation about the Lord.