Christ’s Disciples: Andrew (part 2)

As I observe modern day Christianity often I see much being made of prominent Christian leaders. It is almost like we have our own Christian “celebrities” who are sought after and emulated. We want to have churches like such-and-such a church. We want to have ministries styled like so-and-so’s ministry. We want to be able to write and speak and have the success of the most popular Christian leaders of the day. It is easy to fall into thinking that to be used by God I have to be like these men, but as disciples of Christ, is that how we should be thinking?

Andrew would not have qualified as one of today’s Christian “celebrities.” He did not have the pizzaz, charisma or strong leadership of say, Peter. What we find though is that God called him and used him none the less. Here are some lessons that I think we can learn from the life of Andrew the disciple.

God demonstrates His grace by using different personalities.

Aren’t you glad that you don’t have to be like Peter for God to use you? God’s grace can mold every personality into a Christ-like vessel that is useable for His glory. You don’t have to be an aggressive leader to be used in significant ways by God. You don’t have to be outgoing to be used by God. God can take your character traits and your personality and shape it into something that is used by Him. This does mean though that we must have the desire to be used by Him. It does mean that we must be spending time with Him to be used by Him. It does mean that we must be teachable and responsive to be used by Him. But God in His grace can and will use you for His glory. There may be many of us who are not being used, not because of our personality, but because we are not in a place to be used. We have not been following Christ closely. We have not desired to be taught. Will you, like Andrew, respond to the Lamb of God by following Him?

God magnifies His power through little things.

In John 6 we have the account of Jesus feeding 5000 people. John tells us that Jesus asks Philip where they are going to be able to buy bread for these people. Philip responds that even a years wages would not be enough to buy food for these people. Matthew tells us that Jesus then asks His disciples to feed them. The only response to this comes from Andrew who brings a little boy to Jesus who has only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and it seems as if even Andrew in his response wonders how that can be used. But Andrew was the one that brought him to Jesus. It is almost as if he is saying that he is not quite sure how this is going to work out, but here it is. In a lot of ways he seemed to understand that even the smallest gift is not insignificant when it is turned over to Jesus. This is all we have, but here it is.

Have you ever felt like that before? Lord, I know this is not enough, but it is all I have, here it is, it is yours. This is a recognition of the power of Christ. This is a submission of the best that I have. Are you willing to do the same? Are you willing to say, Lord here is my life, it isn’t much, but it is all that I have, and it is yours. Are you willing to say, Lord here is my personality, it isn’t outgoing or flamboyant, but it is all that I have, and it is yours. The power of God is displayed and the glory of God is magnified when He takes insignificant things and uses them beyond their man-determined abilities.

There is little that is known of Andrew after Pentecost. Whatever he did in the establishment of the church was done humbly and behind the scenes. Church tradition tells us that he took the gospel north and one of the church historians tells us that he made it all the way to Scythia, which would be modern day Russia. He finished his life as did all the disciples except John in martyrdom. One account of his death tells that he led the wife of a Roman governor to Christ and when she began to influence her husband, he demanded that she recant of her faith. When she would not, he had Andrew crucified upside down. This governor also instructed that Andrew be tied to the cross instead of being nailed so that it would take him longer to die. Most accounts of his death tell us that Andrew hung there for two days and exhorted those that passed by to come to Christ for salvation (MacArthur, John, Twelve Ordinary Men, p 74).

The apostle Andrew is a demonstration of a life that is lived in humility and relative obscurity, but one that is lived giving everything no matter how small to Christ. His example turns our eyes to the value and power of Christ. Will you see Christ and respond as Andrew did?