Something To Seek
Introduction
In 1996, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two graduate students at Stanford University, were working on a research project that eventually made them multi-millionaires, and internet technology icons. Page and Brin created a website whose name is recognized by computer geeks and grandmas alike.
Their research project was a new search engine that they named Google.i
For the technically challenged and internet illiterate, Google is a site that helps you find what you’re looking for on the internet. You simply type in a word or a phrase and Google gives you a list of web sites that match your search.
What words or phrases would best describe what you are searching for in life? If you could use Google for your life’s pursuits, what would you type into the search engine? No doubt, some of you would type in the phrase, “more money.” Some would search for “true love”. Others would enter the word, “happiness”, because the search of their life is to find something that brings them true happiness.
Long before Google, the internet, and computers, the Lord Jesus asked a very relevant and important question. In John 1:38, Jesus turned to His first two disciples and asked them, “What seek ye?” That’s a good question. In reality, all of life is spent in the pursuit and search of something.
Unfortunately, most people are seeking for all the wrong things. In the story of this initial meeting between Jesus, and the first men to ever follow Him, we learn what it is we should be seeking. Christ and His life should be our constant pursuit. If you are searching for something else, or you have stopped pursuing Christ, then something is wrong.
In this story, we find that there are three things we should seek for in our journey with the Lord. No matter who you are, or where you are in your relationship with Christ, all three of these things should be something you passionately pursue.
Notice first of all, in following Jesus, we should:
I. Seek His Cleansing
In John chapter one, we learn the circumstances that led up to the first of the twelve disciples, and why they chose to follow Jesus. We pick up in verse 35, where it says, “Again the next day after John [the Baptist] stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!” John the Baptist pointed to Jesus, and proclaimed Him to be the “Lamb of God”. His mini-sermon had an immediate impact. Verse 37 says, “And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.”
What initially drew these two disciples to Jesus was the message they heard about His work as the Lamb of God. These two disciples remind us that the first and foremost reason for coming to Jesus is the search for salvation and cleansing through His sacrificial death on the cross.
There are a couple of reasons to seek His cleansing. First of all:
A. Because You Are A Sinner
These two disciples, Andrew and probably John, had originally been disciples of John the Baptist. However, he had been telling them from the beginning that what they truly needed, he could not give them. In verse 20 of this chapter, John had publicly said, “I am not the Christ.” In other words, John had made it clear that he was not the one who would save Israel from their sins.
One day, while these two disciples were following John, he made an important declaration. In verse 29, it says, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” These two disciples left John and followed Jesus because they both realized that more than they needed the preaching John could give them; they needed the pardon Jesus could give them.
Today, you must understand that your greatest need is to have your sins forgiven and pardoned by the blood of Jesus. You must seek his cleansing because you are a sinner. You may not have sinned as much as someone else, but you have sinned. The Word of God declares that “all have sinned”.
Some may be rich and some may be poor, Some may do things that others abhor, One man has morals, another has none, But both are guilty and all are undone.
Of all of life’s pursuits, none is more important than the one that seeks to deal with the fact of your sin and guilt before God. You should seek His cleansing, not only because you are a sinner, but notice also further:
B. Because He Is The Savior
Look again at John’s simple message in verse 36. He pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
That name, Lamb of God, would have instantly awakened something in the heart of these two first followers of Jesus. They had been to the Temple. They had seen the little lambs brought in for sacrifice. No doubt, these two had themselves brought a lamb as an offering for their sins.
There had been the lamb of Andrew, and the lamb of John. However, now they were looking at the Lamb of God. Jesus was to be the one, final sacrifice for the sins of the people. He was the offering to God, by God, and from God that would finally and forever save His people from their sins.
You need to seek Jesus and the cleansing that He alone can give you because, as Peter said in His sermon in Acts 4, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Of all your pursuits in life, none are as important as the one that brings you to the foot of the cross, where you understand that you are a guilty sinner before God and that only through the substitution and sacrifice of Jesus Christ can you be cleansed of your sin and made right with God!
Jesus asked those first two followers, “What seek ye?” No doubt, moved by John’s preaching, they were seeking His cleansing! I would say to you, seek His cleansing as well. You are sinner, and He is the Savior.
In 2003, a movie was released based on a novel by Philip Roth. The novel and the movie are the story of a professor whose entire life is based on a lie about his race. The title of the film and the novel caught my attention. They were entitled The Human Stain.
There is a human stain. It is sin. All of us, regardless of class, race, gender, or age are tainted and stained by sin. Rather than seeking to cover our sin with good works and religious efforts, we must seek the cleansing all sinners need, and only the Savior can provide. Seek His cleansing!
Notice something else we should be seeking as we follow Christ. Not only should we seek His cleansing, but notice also secondly that we should:
II. Seek His Command
When these first two disciples approached Jesus, they were seeking more than just forgiveness. Yes, they wanted cleansing, but they wanted more from the Messiah than just atonement. Notice how they addressed Him in verse 38. John says, “They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master)…” This title, Rabbi, was a very important distinction and title. It showed that these disciples were seeking something more from Christ than just forgiveness of sins.
What about you? Has your pursuit of Christ and your relationship with Jesus advanced beyond the point of accepting Him as Savior? The Christian life begins with the search for cleansing, but that is by no means all that is involved. In calling Him “Rabbi,” these disciples indicated that they wanted to listen to Him and learn from Him. They wanted to hear His commands for their lives.
Notice a couple of things we must do in seeking His command. First of all, we must:
A. Recognize His Lordship
Look again at verse 38. It says, “They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,)”
This title, Rabbi, is very important, because it demonstrates how these disciples viewed Jesus. In that day, those who were experts in the Law and the Word of God were called Rab, which means master, Rabbi, which means my master, or Rabboni, which means my greatest master. For someone to address another person as Rabbi, meant that they recognized them as their personal master, or the one from whom they would take instruction and direction. Doubtless, most of you would not hesitate to call Jesus your Savior. However, could you honestly call Him, Rabbi, or your master?
These first disciples leave us an important example. From their first meeting with Jesus, they recognized His lordship and authority over their lives. Did you know that following Jesus means that He is the master of your life? A true disciple of Jesus Christ seeks His command and instruction for their life.
Many professed Christians today only know a Jesus that existed in the past; who died in some distant land, on some ancient cross. They have never sought to know Him beyond His sacrificial death.
What about you? Have you recognized the fact of Christ’s lordship over your life? He has the right and the authority as your Savior and God to command every aspect of your life!
In seeking His command, you must not only recognize His lordship, but you must also:
B. Request His Leadership
While Jesus is Lord, He will not force Himself upon anyone. These two disciples sought Him and pursued Him before He began to teach them and instruct them.
By calling Him Rabbi, these disciples were saying that they wanted to learn from Him. They were seeking His instruction and direction for their lives.
Jesus will not lead you and teach you apart from your willingness to learn. With that being said, have you requested His leadership in your life? Have you asked the Master to be your Master? The Lord Jesus wants to teach you and lead you, but you must seek His command for your life. Your must allow Him to be the Lord He deserves to be in your life!
Sabrina Joyner has been a school teacher for 20 years. The first fifteen of those years was spent teaching at the middle school level. Five years ago, Mrs. Joyner moved down to the elementary level, and has done so well there that she has been named the teacher of the year for her city. In an interview with the local paper, she said this about teaching on the elementary level: “The children are excited. They want to please and they want to learn. Learning is still a joy for them.”
In Matthew 18:3, Jesus said, “…Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
As a Christian, part of our quest in life ought to be a childlike eagerness to learn from the Lord Jesus. We should seek His command for our lives.
There is yet another thing we ought to search for in our relationship with the Lord. We should not only seek His cleansing, and seek His command, but notice also thirdly and finally that we should:
III. Seek His Company
There is a phrase in this text that spoke to my heart as I studied it. Notice again verse 38, and mark the question at the close of the verse. These two disciples said to Jesus, “…Rabbi…where dwellest thou?”
Jesus had asked them, “What are you seeking?” Clearly, there were a lot of things these men wanted, but mainly, they just wanted to be with Jesus.
As a Christian, we begin by searching for cleansing from Christ. We progress from that point to a desire to know and do His will. Both of these are important, but the ultimate pursuit and the highest aim of all Christian experience is to simply live in the presence of Jesus.
Notice a couple of truths we draw from this verse that speak to us about seeking His company in our lives. Notice first of all:
A. The Difference In This Request
Look again at verse 38. These two disciples ask Jesus, “…where do you live?” That struck me as a unique question. They did not invite Jesus back to their home. They wanted to go to His. It was not so much that they wanted Him to be a part of their lives, as they were interested in being a part of His.
Most people want Jesus to come into their lives, and to work around their schedule, and their needs, and their situation. Oh that we would reach the point in our Christian lives where we simply want to be wherever He is! How different our prayers would be if we wanted to go with Him, rather than Him going with us. No longer would we say, “Lord, I want to do this”, but rather, “Lord, what do you want me to do.” We will stop praying, “Lord, bless what I’m doing”, and we will start praying, “Lord, help me to do what your blessing.”
Last year, CNN.com posted an article entitled “The Six Most Annoying Things Kids Say”. On the list were the words, “Mine”, “It’s not fair”, “I want it now”, and “I don’t like you.”
No doubt, some of the things we say to God are immature and childish, and if He were anything like us, they would be annoying as well. How fresh and unique it must be to His ears to hear one of His disciples say, “Master, where are you going?” In seeking His company, notice not only the difference in this request, but notice also further:
B. The Desire Of This Request
What touched me about this request in verse 38 is that it indicated the desire of these disciples. They simply wanted to be with Jesus. They didn’t ask Him for any miracles. They didn’t want Him to meet any specific need. Their hearts desire was simply to be in His presence and share His company.
Examine your own heart. What is it that you want out of Jesus? Is the real desire and quest of your heart simply to be with Him and to experience His presence? There is nothing wrong with wanting Him to meet needs in your life, and seeking Him because you have a burden and a request.
However, the ultimate pursuit of the Christian life is simply to be in the presence of Jesus. Seeking His company is the greatest search you will ever make.
One of the classics of Christian literature is a book by a monk named Brother Lawrence. The book is entitled The Practice of the Presence of God. Brother Lawrence worked in the kitchen of the monastery; not exactly a glorious position. However, amid pots and pans, Brother Lawrence said, “I began to live as if there were no one [but] God and me in the world.” Brother Lawrence had a desire above all things to be with Jesus, no matter where that might be. He sought the Lord’s company.
Of all the things you are pursuing in life, could anything be more important than the seeking to live in the presence of Jesus? That should be the utmost desire of our heart.
What is the pursuit of your life? What is that you are seeking for day after day? These first disciples remind us that we have something for which we should all be seeking. Jesus Christ is the only worthy pursuit. His cleansing, His command, and His company should be the obsession of our soul, and the object of our lives. The aged Apostle Paul, with dimmed eyes and weakened body described his life’s ambition as being this: “That I may know Him….” That is something to seek!
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i Google, Wikipedia article, 10/14/08, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google
ii Milligan, Stephen, Educator Finds Teaching ‘Elementary’, 10/15/2008, The Walton Tribune Online, 10/15/08, http://www.waltontribune.com/story.lasso?ewcd=c6dced60b54b4009
iii Warnick, Melody, The Six Most Annoying Things Kids Say, 1/18/2007, CNN.com, 10/15/08, http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/parenting/01/15/par.most.annoying/index.html