Twelve Were Chosen
A Study of the Original Apostles
Andrew
A Brother Among Brothers
Teaching Strategy
The focus of this lesson is on Andrew, the brother of Peter. Of special note is how Andrew was called by our Lord and some observations about him. We also explore what we learn from Andrew to help us in our faith walk.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Know: Learn the characteristics of the apostles that enable us to influence others for Jesus.
- Feel: Value the apostles as role models in serving the Lord.
- Do: Apply the characteristics of the apostles in our life of faithful service to the Lord.
Body of the Lesson
Discussion Questions
Below are suggested questions to use during the guided discussion portion of the lesson. There are also suggested responses to questions to help students grasp the various concepts. These are provided to assist the discussion and are not considered as “right or wrong” responses.
Andrew goes to Peter, his brother, and brings him to Jesus. We learn from that action that our natural response should be a willingness to bring others to Jesus, perhaps starting with those close to us.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus instructed the apostles to begin teaching in Jerusalem, then to move to Judea, Samaria, and to all the world. At a personal level one can say that those we know personally are in a symbolic way, our "Jerusalem". From there we begin to teach others we meet as we fulfil our personal mission to show Jesus to others.
Andrew focused on one-on-one or personal evangelism. This is powerful because it relies on the relationship we have or establish with others. It allows us to show to them our love for the Lord and them, as well as our concern to help them discover salvation through our Lord. Many times, in other forms of evangelism, although powerful in themselves, the person may not have the opportunity to fully learn God's will for their salvation or to reach for deeper understanding. Personal evangelism overcomes this shortcoming.
We don't see Andrew rushing ahead into answering questions or taking the lead on activities. He obviously has a presence but it's not seen in the same dynamic way as the others.
There are many in the church today that bring a lot to the activities and success of the church. They serve in silent ways but still have a positive effect. Like Andrew, this less dynamic and outward personality give some confidence to approach that person.
Any successful effort, and congregation, uses a variety of personalities. Paul made a strong point of this in I Corinthians 12 as he compared the body to the church showing that just as the body has many parts that have different, yet important functions, so too does the body of Christ. The important thing is that we recognize our gifts and use them to the furtherance of the gospel and to the glory of God.
Andrew is always shown bringing someone to Jesus. He recognizes that although Jesus came to save humanity, it is done through one soul at a time. We don't see Andrew speaking before large groups, other than his presence with the other apostles at Pentecost in Acts 2. Yet it was Peter who is shown speaking to the larger groups. Andrew, like several of the other apostles, focuses on one-on-one interactions.
That's a great lesson for us. Whether we speak to large groups or individuals, we must always remember that God wants a relationship with us as individual souls so our efforts must always include going to the individual to introduce them to Jesus and to encourage faithfulness.
The intent of this question is for us to think about what we do, like to do, and can do with what and who we are. Each of us know someone who needs the gospel. Can we speak to that person, bring that person to another, or somehow encourage that person to seek our Lord?
Further, each of us have something we enjoy doing or have a talent for. How can we use that to show Jesus to others? We should always be looking for ways to show Jesus. That's the seed sowing effort we are tasked with.