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Identity: What Are You Seeking? (Part 2)
- Dr Alfonse Javed
- Feb 22
- 9 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Andrew’s evangelism is the overflow of joy, not the burden of duty. When evangelism is no longer an obligation or burden, it becomes a habit.
John 1:35-42 - 35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 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?” 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. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 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).
What would you do if you found what you were seeking your whole life? I ask because last time, we began to look at what Jesus asked in our text, “What are you seeking?” When it comes to identity, that question searches the heart and exposes what our soul longs for.
The Problem
Cultural identity doesn’t care about the soul. If you step back and broadly divide the world into the West and the rest, you will see two dominant patterns of cultural identity: traditional identity and modern identity. Both are equally bad because neither focuses on what really matters: your soul.
In a traditional identity, you are expected to rearrange your life around what the culture declares to be the highest good, whether it’s family, nation, morality, community, or religion. In a modern identity, it is the opposite. You expect others to rearrange their lives around what you consider the highest good. People need to know that in one system, you are your duties and obligations, and in the other, you are your desires and ambitions.
However, when you honestly answer the question Jesus asked, “What are you seeking?” you find that the gospel identity is exactly what your soul longs for.
In John 1:37-42, that is what Andrew experienced when he responded to Jesus’ question: “What are you seeking?” That soul-searching question still today serves as a diagnostic question that exposes the “main thing” in our hearts that defines us, and that main thing is what we seek, and what we seek shapes who we become. So, what is the main thing you are seeking and is it what your soul longs for? In Matthew 16:26, Jesus said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”
The Big Idea
Not only does whatever the main thing we seek in life shape who we become; it also determines our eternity. So, what are you seeking? This question in our text unfolds three movements of identity corresponding to our past, present, and future: Displaced, Disclosed, and Designated identity. Displaced identity is before we meet Jesus; disclosed identity is when we meet Jesus, and designated identity is the result of meeting Jesus. In John 1:37-39, we covered the first movement of displaced identity. Today, we focus on the disclosed identity.
The Disclosed Identity (John 1:40-42)
John 1:40-41 reads, “40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).”
Interestingly, this account leaves many details out. For example, we know one of the disciples is Andrew, but who is the other nameless disciple? Many Bible scholars believe that it is John, the author of this Gospel, but we cannot say for sure. That is a minor issue, but the major issue is that the account does not say anything about the conversation between Jesus and these two disciples. They were together the whole evening and night. John 1:39 said it was the tenth hour which in Jewish timekeeping tradition was about four in the afternoon. Yet nothing is reported about the conversation but the reaction to it is. This informs us that a true encounter with Jesus leads to an action. Whatever happened in Andrew’s private conversation with Jesus spilled immediately into his public life.
Spiritual Principle
When identity is disclosed by Christ, it cannot stay hidden. Andrew becomes a pattern for every believer whose identity is disclosed when they truly find Jesus. When the dawn arrives, you cannot hide it. Andrew’s life answers one question: What does a person who has truly found Jesus look like?
It Changes His Priority
When we truly find Jesus, it changes our priority. In John 1:37-39, hearing Jesus say “come and see” moved the two disciples from seeking to staying with Jesus, and in John 1:40-41, their action moved them from searching to finding.
The Christian faith, fundamentally, is about action. When you are saved by the power of Jesus Christ, when you encounter Him and He saves you, the next thing you do because you are saved, is take action.
What they found changed them drastically overnight. The text says Andrew first found his brother, Simon. This means he had to go out of his way to do what he felt he should do first. His priority was not to get more knowledge, attend a seminar on evangelism, wait for perfect theology, or clean himself up to show the evidence that he is more spiritual now. He immediately took action because his priority had changed. His priority was to look for his brother.
Spiritual Principle
When we truly find Jesus, the first thing we must do is to go look for the lost, starting with our own family members. Andrew’s first instinct after meeting Jesus is a movement toward someone he loves. It didn’t matter what his brother would think of him. Andrew’s priority was to find his brother and introduce him to Jesus.
It’s like a man whose house catches fire in the middle of the night. He does not sit on the edge of the bed analyzing smoke patterns. He runs down the hallway, waking everyone he can reach. You see, urgency overrides comfort, confusion, and crisis. Andrew models that urgency. Today, in the church, that urgency is lost, so billions of lost people are heading to hell.
Can we be honest about the lost urgency for the lost in the church? Today, most Christians treat evangelism like an optional extra credit. Andrew treats it as a first priority. Many Christians feel they may lose relationships with their loved ones if they evangelize them, so they never share the gospel. I tell you, true love speaks plainly and often results in saving loved one from eternal hell; it’s the silence that kills them.
Challenge
Who is your Simon? If you cannot name one person you are intentionally moving toward with the gospel, Andrew’s example exposes a gap between admiration and imitation.
Application
Schedule evangelism like you schedule appointments. Andrew went out of his way, but also Andrew went out of love for his brother. Christ-centered love is intentional, not accidental. If you love your family, friends, and neighbors, go out of your way to share Jesus.
It Changes His Purpose
When we truly find Jesus, it changes our purpose. Andrew speaks clearly about the purpose of his life. Just as his former teacher, John the Baptist’s purpose was to highlight Jesus and point others to Jesus, now, after finding Jesus, Andrew’s purpose is to point others to Jesus too. Look at the first recorded words of Andrew to Simon, his brother, “We have found the Messiah.” Notice the simplicity. He does not present a philosophical, theological, or rational argument to convince his brother; he simply gives his testimony.
Spiritual Principle
What you see in Jesus determines what you say about Jesus. What Andrew saw is what he testified to. Your testimony is the best evangelism. Evangelism at its core is not an argument but an announcement. How often do you announce?
Imagine a lighthouse keeper during a storm. Ships are crashing against rocks. The keeper does not debate nautical theory. He lights the lamp. The purpose of the lighthouse is visibility. Andrew becomes a lighthouse. His words are a beam cutting through Simon’s darkness.
What do we do when we find an incredible restaurant, product, or streaming show? We announce it to others. We recommend it effortlessly. Why don’t we feel uncomfortable about that? It is because we are excited. If believers spoke of Christ with even a fraction of that natural eagerness, entire communities would hear the gospel.
Challenge
If you can recommend entertainment easily but hesitate to recommend Christ, either you never truly found Jesus, hence your true identity is not disclosed, or something has displaced your priority and your purpose of life.
Application
Tell people if you truly found the Messiah, the master of your life. Andrew’s sentence is short but world-changing: “We have found the Messiah.”
It Changes His Practice
When we truly find Jesus, it changes our practice. John 1:42 continues, “He brought him to Jesus.” Andrew does not stop at conversation. He escorts Simon into Christ’s presence.
This is the difference between pointing to a hospital and driving someone there. A sign can inform; a guide accompanies. Andrew becomes a guide.
Think of a mountain climber leading a novice. The guide does not shout instructions from the base. He climbs alongside, ensuring safe arrival. Evangelism includes presence, not just proclamation. Imagine teaching a child to swim. You don’t stand on the shore yelling techniques. You step into the water and hold them steady. Andrew steps into Simon’s life and walks him to Jesus.
Spiritual Principle
Encountering Christ results in transformation. A changed heart results in changed thoughts and actions.
Challenge
Who are you walking to Jesus?
Application
Practice saying simple gospel sentences out loud and invite people physically into spaces where they can encounter Christ, whether worship, Bible study, or conversations. Start by telling them about Jesus, but don’t stop there; bring them toward Him.
Closing Thought
As I close, think of a doctor who discovers that a patient’s routine symptoms actually indicate a life-threatening condition. If you are that patient, do you want that doctor to tell you that plainly or protect your feelings and not say anything? If you were the doctor, would you soften the truth to avoid discomfort or tell them plainly? Andrew’s evangelism is the overflow of joy, not the burden of duty. When evangelism is no longer an obligation or burden, it becomes a habit. That is what a person looks like who has truly found Jesus.
Action Step
Be an Andrew in your priority, purpose, and practice. Along with sermon series and testimony series, today we are also launching a 40 Day Witness Challenge. It is an evangelism challenge. Between now and Easter weekend, I ask you to find one Simon every day. Share your testimony and walk them to the presence of Jesus.
Appeal
Imagine if a church like ours— hundreds of people functioning like hundreds of Andrews. Each person, whether a child, a man, or a woman, intentionally brings one Simon to Jesus by sharing.
Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, Application
Observation: What Does the Text Say?
In John 1:37-42, what specific actions does Andrew take immediately after spending time with Jesus? List the verbs that describe his movements.
What question does Jesus ask the disciples in the passage? What reactions or outcomes follow that question in the narrative?
What three changes (priority, purpose, practice) occur in Andrew after encountering Jesus? Where do you see evidence of each in the text?
Interpretation: What Does the Text Mean?
Why do you think Jesus asks, “What are you seeking?” instead of immediately giving instructions or commands? What does this reveal about how Jesus addresses identity?
Andrew moves quickly from a private encounter to a public witness. What does this suggest about the nature of genuine transformation after meeting Christ?
Why is Andrew’s quiet role (bringing Simon to Jesus) spiritually significant, even though Simon becomes more famous later?
Application: How Should This Change Us?
Jesus’ question is personal: What are you seeking? If you answer honestly, what currently functions as the “main thing” shaping your identity?
Who is your “Simon” — one person in your life you feel called to intentionally move toward with the gospel? What is one concrete step you can take this week?
Which of these three areas do you struggle with most: discovering Christ as your priority, declaring Him as your purpose, or demonstrating His presence? Why?
In what ways has culture (traditional or modern pressures) influenced how you see yourself more than Christ has? What would it look like to re-center your identity in Him?
What practical rhythms could help you become more like Andrew — someone who naturally brings others toward Jesus?
As a group, discuss the 40-Day Witness Challenge.
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