This is the eighth lesson in the series on a journey into following Jesus. I really appreciate the author of these lessons, a brother by the name of Tom Higgle that lives down in Oklahoma. And he puts a lot of effort and time into these studies and I appreciate it for one. But, So far we've had a pretty interesting view into the disciples and who they are as individuals and the characteristics of their personalities and the type of men they were. So this morning's lesson, number eight, is titled Finding God's Purpose for Your Life. Anybody have any guesses as to which disciple this one will be talking about? Do you recall whenever Philip went and met Jesus, who's the first person he went to go talk to? His buddy, Nathanael. And Nathanael is who we're gonna be looking at this morning. I learned several things about Nathanael in this study for this lesson, and they're kind of surprising in one way because I guess I never put it together. But, As I've been saying, we've discovered in our previous lessons that Jesus uses strong, dynamic, bold people like Peter, who take charge but often make decisions too quickly. He uses humble, gentle, behind-the-scenes people like Andrew, who are willing to play second fiddle. He uses zealous, insensitive, ambitious people like James. He uses intolerant, clannish people like John. The Lord also uses people like Philip who are analytical, practical, and for whom faith comes slowly. It's not just a thing for him. He had to like study it for a second and then figure out who this Jesus really was. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Through his grace, he transforms us into useful instruments to accomplish his purpose for our lives. Now that's a lot of words, but it's very straightforward. His purpose for our lives. It is not who or what we are that matters, but what we are willing to become with God's help. That's why the Bible says not many with worldly achievements or wise after the flesh are called. That's found in 1 Corinthians 1.26. And I'll read that to you right now. For you see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. And then Paul says this, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. Not what we would, in our wisdom, would do, but God is, well, he's God, he's all wise. Today we are going to meet another ordinary man who will be transformed by our Lord. And he has two names. I don't know how many of you recognize this or realize this, but he's known by both Nathanael and Bartholomew. So when you read Bartholomew, it's the same guy as Nathanael. The first three Gospels and Acts all list Bartholomew sixth or seventh in the lists of the 12. Matthew 10, 3, Mark 30, 18, 19, Luke 6, 14, 16, and Acts 1, 13. And I'll just read the Matthew citation here. Philip in Bartholomew, Thomas in Matthew the Publican, James the son of Alphaeus and Libaeus, whose surname was Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanite, Judas Iscariot. So you see this big list of disciples listed, and he either falls in at sixth or seventh. But he's known in the first three Gospels as Bartholomew, but in the Gospel of John, Gospel of John, it's different. In the reference in Acts, it listed him as, there was Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee. So he was called Nathanael there and in the Book of John. I found that very interesting. I'd never had placed Bartholomew and Nathanael as the same person, ever. How many years have I been reading the Bible in my life, and I didn't see that? I never even realized that I wasn't seeing all 12, even though I knew there was Nathanael and Bartholomew. It's just, the mind is a funny thing. So as we will see in today's lesson, Nathaniel's life reveals three truths about finding God's purpose for your life. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, we come to you this morning so grateful to be in your house, so grateful to be able to come here and ponder the things that you provide to us in your book. Lord, you're so slow to learn, and so ignorant of all your ways. We just pray, Lord, that you would guide and direct us in this study, and Lord, just open our hearts and minds and our ears, and just let us learn from what we hear. These things we pray now in Jesus' precious and holy name, amen. So, the very first thing you gotta do that Nathanael teaches us is you gotta be a seeker. You must be a seeker. You gotta be looking for what's going on here in the first place. We know Nathanael was a seeker by the scriptures. In John 1, 45 and 46, I'll read, well, 45, Philip findeth Nathanael, we recall that from our last weeks. We have found him of whom Moses and the law and the prophets did write. Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said to him, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, come and see. So Nathanael was of Cana in the Galilee, and that's in John 21 too, which was only about eight miles northeast of Nazareth. So he was really, nowadays we call him grown up in the same hometown with Jesus. that didn't know him. He was apparently a close friend of Philip's, and in the first three Gospels where he is called Bartholomew, he is always paired with Philip. In John's Gospel, Philip brings Nathanael to Jesus by telling him he has found him about whom Moses and the prophets wrote. What's that tell us about Nathanael then? He was well-versed in what those prophecies and those scriptures said. He was looking for this person himself. He was seeking. So by telling Nathanael he has found the Messiah, Philip implies Nathanael is a seeker, looking for the Messiah. Philip then tells him, Jesus is from Nazareth. To which Nathanael asks, can any good thing come from Nazareth, come out of Nazareth, come from Nazareth? That's in John 1 46. This might mean Nathanael didn't think any good thing related to God's purpose could come out of Nazareth. Because Nazareth is not even mentioned in the Old Testament. Therefore, Nathanael's question about Nazareth is honest skepticism, which opens the door for light and truth. Nathanael knows that Micah prophesied the Messiah would be born in, and this is found in Micah 5.2, but thou, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel. Whose goings forth have been of old from everlasting. Or in directly translated from the Hebrew would be from the days of eternity. Bethlehem Ephrata, most people would pronounce it, or Ephrath, is the ancient name of Bethlehem. We know this because it's actually in Genesis 48, seven. Look there, 48 and the seventh verse. And as for me, when I came from Paden, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way. when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath. And I buried her there in the way of Ephrath, the same is Bethlehem." So it's identified very early in the scriptures, in the first book of the Bible, that Bethlehem has some special significance. Since the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, Nathaniel probably assumed he would grow up there. We know Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but grew up in Nazareth. However, many Jews could have trouble accepting a Messiah who had not come from Bethlehem. But he did come from Bethlehem. Understanding Nathanael's response, Philip says, come and see in John 1 46. Philip doesn't argue with Nathanael. He knows Nathanael has to experience Jesus. like we all do. This is true of all lost people. We can't talk them into the kingdom. They have to experience the work of the Holy Spirit confirming Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross for their sins. Again, this being in John 16, eight, and I read as follows. And when he has come, he will reprove the world of sin. and of righteousness and of judgment. Reprove means or convince the world of their sin. That's why it is so important to get people into Bible studies and worship services where the Bible is taught and preached. They need to come and see for themselves so the Holy Spirit can work in their lives. Like Nathanael, to find God's purpose for your life, you must be a seeker. And the second, in the second point, you must be sincere. Nathanael, I think we're gonna see, pretty sincere. Philip brings Nathanael to Jesus, and when he sees Nathanael approaching, what does Jesus say about Nathanael in John 1, 47? John 147, he says, Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and saith to him, of him, behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. What's guile mean? The word that they translated guile was dolos, meaning it means deceit or hypocrisy. So he said right off, he looked at Nathanael and Jesus knowing his heart, he says, you're indeed an Israelite and you have no guile in your person. That's pretty impressive. If you walk up on the Lord and he says you have no guile, that's a good start. That's a real good start. Nathanael is void of any such falsehood and is an honest and sincere seeker, which is his dominant characteristic. You might want to remember that one. His dominant characteristic is he is honest, sincere seeker. Hearing Jesus' statement about him, Nathanael is shocked and asks Jesus how he knows him. And in John 1.48, this is where Nathanael says this. It says, Nathanael said unto him, whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said to him, before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree. Mind blown, right there, right? Wait a minute, you saw me under the fig tree? Well, there's some significance in the use of the word fig tree here as well. So let's go on. When I saw you under the fig tree. In ancient times, the homes of poor people were just one big room. So for privacy, a person could go out in the yard and under the shade of the fig tree to think or meditate. At the time of Jesus, the phrase to sit under the fig tree was a euphemism the Jews used for studying or meditating on the scriptures. Because Jesus is God in the flesh and blood, this is an example of what truth found in Psalm 139 too. Let's go there. And it reads like this. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising. Thou understandest my thought afar off. we cannot hide anything from God. Our most remote thoughts, our most, I mean, the whole thought of being able, we know from the very first sin that is recorded in the Bible, what's the first thing they tried to do? Cover themselves, not be honest with God, who they had fellowship with God, Adam and Eve, right? But what did they do? Yeah, they tried to lie to God, which is an impossibility. But anyway, moving on with what our subject is here, and immediately Nathanael knows who Jesus is because of his use of those words and the knowledge that he had of what Nathanael had been doing prior to Philip calling him. After this confession, excuse me, and he is the first, of the disciples to confess Jesus as the Son of God. If we look at John 1, 49, Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel. That's pretty adept at seeing who Jesus really was. After this confession, Jesus tells Nathanael, because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these. Now let's look at John 1.50. Jesus answers, said unto him, because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these. We go to 1.51. Then Jesus gives an even more astonishing revelation about Nathanael under the fig tree. He tells him in 1.51, and he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. Again, the word translated guile was dolos, or hypocrisy. Nathaniel doesn't have that in him. Jesus gives an even more, excuse me, after he's told Nathanael that. It's obvious Nathanael has been reading and meditating on the story of Jacob. If you recall, when he was fleeing for his life because of death threats from, I don't know, just his brother, Esau. You know, that's pretty, That seems to be a common theme in sin, doesn't it? Killing your brother or trying to kill your brother. It's a terrible thing. But he was fleeing for his life. While Jacob was sleeping in Bethel, he had a dream in which he saw stairway going up to heaven and angels ascending and descending on it. This is found in Genesis 28, 12. I'll read that passage for you. And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and at the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Jesus tells Nathanael, he will see greater things than that, than what he had been reading about in Jacob. He will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. That's found in John 1, 50 to 51. and which we've already read. When did Nathanael see this? After his resurrection, Jesus gives his final words to his disciples, including Nathanael. Jesus is taken up to heaven as they watch. While Nathanael and other disciples are looking up into the sky where Jesus is going, two men in white apparel suddenly stand beside them. This is found in Acts 1, 9, and 10. These two men are angels. What do they tell Nathanael and the other disciples in Acts 1, 11? In 1, 11, they say, which also said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? So they were looking up. There goes Jesus, he's going right into heaven. It's a pretty impressive, mind-blowing thing to think about. But, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. The phrase ascending and descending upon the Son of Man, John 151, probably means Jesus is the latter. He's that pathway to being able to approach heaven. Jacob saw reaching into heaven. When do you need a ladder? When you need to get to somewhere you can't get to on your own. Jesus is the only ladder, the only way to heaven, and the only way to find God's purpose for your life. So, to find God's purpose for our lives, We, like Nathaniel, need our own fig trees. Where's your fig tree? Do you go routinely to it? Do you have a place like that where you can go, you can sit, you can meditate and study on the word and have it be planted and grow in your heart? To find God's purpose for our lives, we like Nathaniel need our own fig tree, places where we have systematic Bible study and prayer time to seek sincerely God's purpose for our lives. God has a purpose for you and me every day. Our purposes are basically the same purpose as that of Moses. What is God's basic purpose for your life according to Exodus 9.16? I'll read this. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to show in thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. So to find God's purpose for your life, You first have to be a seeker, and you secondly have to be sincere. Let's look at the third point now. Third, you must be willing to sacrifice. After this first encounter with Jesus, Nathanael's name is not mentioned again. until after the resurrection when he, Simon Peter, Thomas, and four other disciples are fishing on the Sea of Galilee. This suggests his occupation was fishing. The resurrected Jesus calls to them from the seashore and feeds them the breakfast he has prepared. Then Jesus indicates by what death Peter will glorify God, and we find that in John 21, 19. It says this spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God, and when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, follow me. Jesus not only knew how Peter would die, he also knew how Nathanael would die. Traditions tell us that Nathanael was a missionary to several countries. including India. I've never heard this before, but I thought that was kind of fascinating since I've visited and lived and worked in India for a while. And it's a very interesting part of the world. One tradition says he was slashed with knives, placed in a sack and thrown into the sea. That'd be a pretty rough way to go. Another says he was crucified. All traditions say he died a brutal death. As Nathanael was being martyred, he must have remembered the words of Jesus in John 15, 18. If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. And we have to, I, myself, I have to, Consciously think about that because I get so excited and wound up around the axle on these political issues and these the damnable lies that are told on people, both directions. I don't care who you support, but the line is just awful. Jesus wants you and me to be different from the world. which is basically what the word holy means, separate, set apart. Because our morals and priorities are different, we arouse the animosity of the world just as Jesus did. That's becoming more and more evident every day too. This means there are sacrifices to be made if we are to have a journey into following Jesus. If you want to follow Jesus, it's not going to be an easy road all the time. The major lesson we learn from Nathaniel's life is to find God's purpose for your life. You must be a sincere seeker willing to make sacrifices. Turn to your chart that I gave you previously. Go ahead and record the personality characteristics that I mentioned for Nathanael in this lesson. To find God's purpose for your life like Nathanael, you must be a seeker, you must be sincere, and you must be willing to sacrifice. In this lesson, what has been most helpful or enlightening to you? So next Sunday, We will be continuing our journey into following Jesus with lesson nine, titled, Going from Despicable to Disciple. I think that pretty much describes us all. I know there's nothing of worth in me that recommended me to the Lord. It's what we do with Jesus that matters. So let's go to the Lord in prayer.