Bring Your One: Andrew's Example of Invitation

Sep 13, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The First Invitation – From Andrew to Peter

Andrew’s story begins with a simple act: after meeting Jesus, he immediately found his brother Simon Peter. He didn’t wait to become an expert or resolve every doubt. He carried the same invitation Jesus gave him – “come and see” – to someone he already knew. This pattern defines Andrew’s life: those transformed by Jesus naturally introduce others to Him. Faithfulness, not perfection, fuels the call to bring others to Christ. Start with the person already in your orbit. [48:16]

“He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus.” (John 1:41-42, ESV)

Reflection: Who is the “Simon” in your life – someone you know deeply but may have overlooked? What would it look like to say, “Come and see,” without waiting for the “right” moment?

Day 2: Noticing the One in a Crowd of Thousands

When faced with a hungry multitude, Andrew didn’t see an abstract problem. He noticed a specific boy with five loaves and two fish. While others calculated impossibility, Andrew saw a person. Bringing people to Jesus requires seeing individuals, not just crowds. It means pausing long enough to recognize the potential in what seems insignificant. Jesus multiplies our small obediences. [52:24]

“One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?’” (John 6:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you stopped seeing individuals and started seeing only “crowds”? How might Jesus use your willingness to notice one person this week?

Day 3: Becoming the Person Others Bring Their Questions To

When Greeks sought Jesus, Philip didn’t approach Him directly – he went to Andrew. Andrew’s reputation as a “bridge-builder” made him the obvious choice. Cultivating a life that naturally connects people to Jesus takes consistency, not grand gestures. It’s about becoming someone others associate with Christ’s welcome. [55:44]

“So these came to Philip… and asked him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.” (John 12:21-22, ESV)

Reflection: If someone wanted to “see Jesus,” would they instinctively come to you? What habits make your life a reliable pathway to Christ?

Day 4: The Cost of Bearing Fruit – Death Precedes Harvest

Jesus responded to Andrew’s invitation with a paradox: life comes through death. The Greeks’ arrival signaled the gospel’s expansion to all nations, but only through the cross. Inviting others requires surrendering comfort, fear, and control. Like a seed dying to bear fruit, our small deaths of pride or convenience create eternal harvests. [57:48]

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24, ESV)

Reflection: What “death” – of comfort, reputation, or self-sufficiency – might God be asking you to embrace to see spiritual fruit in someone’s life?

Day 5: You Don’t Transform – You Introduce

Andrew’s legacy wasn’t about converting people but connecting them to Jesus. He brought Peter, the boy, and the Greeks without knowing the outcome. Our role isn’t to manufacture results but to faithfully present people to the One who saves. Transformation belongs to Christ; our task is relentless introduction. [01:06:58]

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you taken responsibility for outcomes God never assigned you? How might you rest in being a “bridge” rather than a “builder” this week?

Sermon Summary

Andrew’s life in John’s Gospel is marked by one simple thing: Andrew brought people to Jesus. Jesus first meets Andrew through John the Baptist’s witness, “Behold the Lamb of God,” and Jesus answers Andrew’s searching question with, “Come and see.” Andrew comes, sees, stays with Jesus, and then immediately finds his brother Simon Peter. Andrew does not wait until he knows all the theology or has every answer. Andrew simply knows, “We have found the Messiah,” and he brings Peter to Jesus.

Andrew’s example shows that people who follow Jesus bring people to Jesus. Andrew sees Jesus, and what he sees changes everything. Andrew passes along the same invitation he received: come and see. The person closest to Andrew becomes his first one, because Andrew understands that the Messiah is too good to keep to himself.

Andrew’s next appearance shows that one does not have to stay one. Andrew sees a boy in the middle of a crowd of more than five thousand people, notices what the boy has, and brings him to Jesus. Andrew does not know what Jesus will do with five barley loaves and two small fish. Andrew knows only that Jesus can do what Andrew cannot do. Andrew’s responsibility is not transformation. Andrew’s responsibility is faithfulness.

The Greeks in John 12 reveal the biggest part of the story. Philip brings their request to Andrew because Andrew has become the person who knows how to bring somebody to Jesus. The Greeks say, “We wish to see Jesus,” but Jesus sees much more than a few outsiders asking a question. Jesus sees the nations coming to Himself. Jesus says, “The hour has come,” because His death is near and the cross will open the way for the gospel to go beyond Israel to every nation.

Jesus becomes the one before there can ever be anybody’s one. Jesus, the one Savior, gives Himself as the one sacrifice on the one cross, and His death produces much fruit. Jesus is lifted up so that He may draw all people to Himself. Salvation, forgiveness, and redemption are available because Jesus died and rose again.

Fear, assumption, and comfort often keep people from extending an invitation. Fear asks, “What if they say no?” Assumption decides somebody does not want to come before asking. Comfort protects a relationship from an awkward moment. Jesus calls His followers to sacrifice those things and trust Him with the outcome. The invitation can be simple: “I’m going to church next Sunday. Would you come sit with me?”

Key Takeaways

1. Come and see Jesus personally. Jesus gives Andrew a simple invitation before Andrew ever brings anybody else along. A person cannot faithfully point others toward a Christ he has refused to pursue himself. Personal time with Jesus turns invitation from a religious duty into an honest overflow of having found the Messiah. [47:35]
2. Faithfulness matters more than outcomes. Andrew brings Peter, then brings a boy with a small lunch, without knowing what Jesus will do next. Jesus alone changes hearts, multiplies small offerings, and saves sinners. Faithfulness means noticing people, caring enough to act, and placing them before Christ. [53:47]
3. Jesus sees the nations in need. The Greeks come asking to see Jesus, but Jesus sees the harvest His death will produce. The cross becomes the hinge that opens salvation to every nation, neighbor, family member, and enemy. Jesus’ death means nobody is outside the reach of His invitation. [58:51]
4. Do not say no for others. Fear, assumption, and comfort can make an invitation feel costly before it is ever given. Satan can keep a person silent by making rejection feel more certain than grace. Jesus calls His followers to risk an honest invitation and trust Him with the answer. [1:04:23]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[37:36] - Raising Bibles and Prayer
[37:53] - Andrew Brought People to Jesus
[38:50] - Why Invitations Matter
[41:32] - Come Sit With Me
[43:19] - Starting at the End of John
[44:23] - Greeks Want to See Jesus
[46:22] - People Who Follow Jesus Bring People
[46:54] - Andrew Meets Jesus
[48:16] - Andrew Brings Peter
[50:48] - Andrew Notices the Boy
[55:03] - Becoming a Person Who Brings Others
[57:11] - The Hour Has Come
[59:13] - The Cross Produces Much Fruit
[1:03:25] - Fear, Assumption, and Comfort
[1:06:41] - Invite Your One

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 12:20–23

Verse 20: Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. [44:23]

Verse 21: So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” [45:05]

Verse 22: Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. [45:18]

Verse 23: And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” [45:38]

John 1:35–42

Verse 35: The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples. [47:10]

Verse 36: And he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” [47:19]

Verse 37: The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. [47:22]

Verse 38: Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” [47:34]

Verse 39: He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. [47:45]

Verse 40: One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. [48:10]

Verse 41: He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). [48:24]

Verse 42: He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). [48:28]

John 6:8–9

Verse 8: One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, [51:38]

Verse 9: “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” [51:42]

Observation questions

What happens between John the Baptist’s declaration, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” and Andrew bringing Simon Peter to Jesus?
What simple invitation does Jesus give Andrew, and how does Andrew’s response show that he spent personal time with Jesus? [47:45]
In John 6, what does Andrew notice that others in a crowd of more than five thousand people could have easily overlooked? [52:27]
When the Greeks ask Philip to see Jesus, what does Philip do, and what might this show about Andrew’s reputation among his friends? [55:33]

Interpretation questions

Andrew calls Jesus the Messiah before he appears to know very much about Him. What does this show about the kind of knowledge a person needs before inviting someone else to meet Jesus? [49:49]
Andrew brings the boy and his small lunch to Jesus without knowing how Jesus will use it. How does this help distinguish a believer’s responsibility of faithfulness from Jesus’ work of changing lives? [53:47]
Why does Jesus respond to the Greeks’ request by saying, “The hour has come”? How does His coming death open the way for people from every nation to come to Him? [58:38]
Jesus compares His death to a grain of wheat that dies and produces much fruit. How does that image shape the reason believers invite others—not merely to attend church, but to know the Savior who died for them? [59:13]

Application questions

Have you personally responded to Jesus’ invitation to “come and see” through regular time with Him in Scripture, prayer, and obedience? What might help you pursue Him more intentionally this week? [49:27]
Who is one person already close to you—a family member, friend, coworker, neighbor, or classmate—who needs an opportunity to see Jesus more clearly? What do you know about where that person is spiritually?
Is there someone around you whom you may have overlooked because they are part of a crowd, a busy routine, or a difficult situation? What would it look like to pause, notice, and care for that person this week? [54:29]
Which obstacle most often keeps you from inviting someone: fear of rejection, the assumption that they are not interested, or the comfort of avoiding an awkward conversation? Why does that obstacle have such influence? [01:04:14]
Is there a person for whom you have already decided “no” before ever asking them? What could change if you trusted Jesus with their response rather than trying to predict it? [01:05:54]
What would a simple, honest invitation sound like in one of your current relationships? Could you say something as direct as, “I’m going to church Sunday. Would you come sit with me?” [01:07:20]
Andrew became the kind of person others thought of when someone wanted to see Jesus. What habits, words, and relationships could help you become a person who naturally points others toward Christ? [01:07:35]

Sermon Clips

34s

#SacrificeToFollowJesus

“But Jesus calls those who follow Him to sacrifice. So, the question is, are we going to follow Jesus and sacrifice our fears, our assumptions, and our comfort or not. So, don't let the fear of hearing no keep someone from having the opportunity to say yes. See, we shouldn't say no for people that Jesus died to invite.”

47s

#BringYourOneFaithfully

“Andrew brought someone he knew. He brought someone from the crowd. He became someone that his friends came to when people were looking for Jesus. People who follow Jesus bring people to Jesus. Here's the comfort. You don't have to save your one. You don't have to change your one. You don't have to have every answer. You don't even have to know what Jesus will do with your one. Your responsibility and my responsibility isn't transformation, it is faithfulness.”

28s

#InviteForSalvation

“See, we shouldn't say no for people that Jesus died to invite. We don't invite people because church is good. We don't invite people because attendance numbers matter. We don't invite because back to church Sunday is coming. We invite people because Jesus died so that they could have salvation in his name, and people from every nation can be brought to saving faith in him.”

49s

#SeeTheOneTrustJesus

“This tells us several things. When everybody saw the crowd, Andrew noticed one. See, we've got to be continually looking past the group for individuals just like Jesus did for you and for me. But, Andrew didn't bring people to Jesus because he knew what Jesus would do. He wasn't certain of the outcome. Get this, Andrew brought people to Jesus because he knew that Jesus could do what Andrew couldn't do. See, Andrew knew that he had limitations. He knew that there was no way that they could feed this crowd. He knew there were different things in his life that constrained him, but he knew that Jesus could do something that he had that he did not have the ability to do.”

44s

#GospelToAllNations

“these Greeks came looking for Jesus, and now Jesus says, the hour has come. See, the arrival of the Greeks signals that the hour has come for Jesus' death, which would open the way for the gospel to go to all the nations. You get that? This is the beginning of the opening of the invitation for the gospel to go everywhere to everyone for all time. Philip and Andrew saw some Greeks looking for Jesus, but Jesus saw the nations coming to Himself.”

40s

#CrossOpensAccess

“This doesn't mark the beginning of the gentile evangelism, but it marks the beginning of the access for all of us to enter in. Because before there could ever be our one, there had to be the one. See, Jesus had to die. Jesus had to shed his blood on our on our behalf for our sins so that we could have our sins forgiven. So that one day, when we call on him and ask him to forgive our sins and save us, he would do that. He could save us, and he did. He knows that's what's coming.”

47s

#ComeAndSee

“From that moment on, he is marked as a follower of Jesus. His life has been radically transformed through the work of Jesus. And the first thing Andrew does is he goes and he finds Peter, and he brings Peter to Jesus. I want you to understand this. What Andrew is doing isn't complicated. Andrew had been a follower of Jesus for about three hours. I don't know. It wasn't this complicated thing. He couldn't tell you theology. He just knew this is the Messiah. We've got to follow him. And in that moment, he goes back and finds his brother, and he brings his brother to Jesus. He's very simply passing on the invitation that he had just received. Come and see.”

41s

#NoticeAndBring

“So, here's where this helps us. You and I don't have to know what Jesus will do with our one. We don't have to know. But our responsibility isn't to transform that person. Our responsibility is faithfulness with that person. See, we will only bring people to Jesus if we pause long enough to notice them, to care about them, and then to bring them to Jesus, this teaches us that we must notice the person around us. We have to notice the people around us.”

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West Asheville Baptist Church This sermon · AI assistant

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