May 10, 2026

The 2nd Biggest fan of Jesus (You!)

Introduction - This message is a follow-on to the teaching my wife just delivered, which left you with the thought of making disciples.  We originally conceived the idea of talking to married couples but realized that our church is more comprised of singles that doubles. 

Genesis 1:27-28 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” NASB

The idea is to multiply ourselves.  God wants His people to fill the earth and cause major changes in it, causing it to be “subdued.” This was spoken before the fall of man.  The job is not delegated to angels. This was the first expectation spoken to man in the entire Bible—to multiply Himself! Reproduction happened first by the union of male and female people until Jesus, who was the first of a line of “born-again” people.  They were born of flesh in the natural manner understood by the world and then born again by the Spirit of God. 

John 3:3-7 Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 

Mary certainly took part in God’s program to reproduce godly offspring.  Jesus was the first person ever begotten by a completely spiritual birth.  Mary’s “career” was to raise and nurture Jesus through his formative years.  In similar manner, once we become a Christian, our reproductive ability no longer is limited to physical reproduction of our own kind, but we now have the opportunity, need, and expectation of God to spiritually impregnate and nurture “born again” people. (God gives life, of course).  So for everyone, old, young or in between, everyone of us is called to be a reproducer.  This is evidenced by Paul’s comments to Timothy:

1 Timothy 4:15 For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 

Many Christians, taught by the modern church, focus entirely on receiving benefits from Jesus. I call this stage of Christian life “consumer Christianity.”  It is much better to realize that we were put here to raise spiritual kin, first and foremost.  Our needs will be taken care of abundantly if we do that.  I’d like to spend some time examining exactly how we are to take part in this reproductive process, since we are impregnators and nurturers, not birthers.  

1 Corinthians 3:6-9 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

So, how do we go about doing this planting and watering (nurturing) ministry?  

Luke 16:8-12 for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. 9And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it is all gone, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10 “The one who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and the one who is unrighteous in a very little thing is also unrighteous in much. 11Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true wealth to you? 12And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

Jesus said something very important at the beginning of this passage:  unsaved people are more savvy about dealing with unsaved people than we saved people are about dealing with saved people.  For example, we try to win people to Christ the hard way, by being confrontational and preachy.  We use words they don’t understand and we have little to do with them except to recite a few truisms and show them a clean pair of heels.  Jesus’ approach is smarter and much different.  He said to  1) make friends by means of  2) the wealth of unrighteousness.  Very simple.  The “wealth of unrighteousness” is a simple descriptive name for the materials we live within, eat, put on our bodies to protect ourselves, and transport ourselves around the world we inhabit.  People frequently need food, a little less frequently a place to sit or sleep, even less frequently transportation, and less frequently the means to buy necessities of life.  We must start by making a friend.  Until that happens, little reproductive life will take place.  It is only then that unsaved people see that we have something better than they have and they ask questions.  It is then that we have a chance to “give an account for the hope that lies within you.  That is not complicated or difficult.  

Conclusion - Mary was probably Jesus’ biggest fan.  The reproduction of a spiritual life is not limited to females and males any more.  We really express our love for Jesus (hence show ourselves be His 2nd biggest fan) when we obey what He says, male or female.  In this lesson, we are instructed to use the everyday resources for living God has given us (home, food, car, clothes, money, etc.) to make friends.  This is what God considers wise use of what has been given to us to live on.  It does not just refer to tithes and offerings, but to all that we would consider materials and goods which have come into our possession.  If we use those to further relationships with people, God will bless us.  In fact, the very people you make friends with may be some of the people who will be the heavenly welcoming committee who greet you and show you around heaven when you pass away!