Come and See Jesus

John 1:35-42 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter.

Last week, Pastor Obie continued in our church’s Sunday sermon series through the book of John. He stated that all of Christ’s disciples (followers/students) are called to be a Christian witness of the gospel to others, but are not in it for fame or followers of themselves, but to point to the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ and to bring glory to God. What are you seeking? What is the desire and motive of your heart? Are they toward making an eternal impact? Do we want to be in the presence of the Lord?

Philippians 3:13-14 “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

God does not see His children from our failures in the past, but from our future potential. Expect great things to happen. Pastor Obie gave us three steps in evangelism; taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to our family, friends, acquaintances and neighbors within our sphere of influence. (1) Invest in individual lives. Let them in and share the “good news” of forgiveness, salvation and eternal life in heaven. But, in doing so, abide in Christ and stay connected in the Word of God, prayer and the church. The goal is to have the people that the Holy Spirit has prepared in advance to come to the realization that Jesus is the Messiah of God, their personal Savior and Lord.

Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

The second step in evangelism; taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to our family, friends, acquaintances and neighbors within our sphere of influence is (2) Be an influence by moving to action in trust. Jesus said “Go” and it wasn’t a recommendation. In marketing there are touch points of contact. Their touch points can be face-to-face discussions, promotional fliers, online ads and anything else that involves a business marketing message, brand name or logo reaching the customer. The Christian touch points are relational in genuine caring, heartfelt loving, legitimate interest, and a honest concern for one’s today, tomorrow and eternity by telling others the gospel truth. Therefore, influence is gained by trust through intentional and consistent time spent with others. To invest in and influence others are the first two touch points of the Great Commission to reach them for Christ and the third is invite.

Psalm 95:1-3 “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods.”

(3) Think and write down the names of people that you know who need Jesus and extend an invitation to them to get to know the Savior of the world. There is someone within our sphere of influence who needs to hear from you, whether they are open to the gospel or a septic. The truth shall set them free. You cannot force someone to believe in Jesus because faith is the work of the Holy Spirit, but you can invite them to a place where they can experience the Lord at eh foot of the Cross for themselves. Invite them to “taste and see for yourself” because Jesus reveals truths to the seeker and the skeptic with a revelation from God. Flawed humans will fail, but the Lord is good and in the business of redemption.

John 1:43-46 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

Jesus is the only ladder that links Heaven and Earth. Christ is the connection sent from God to reconcile and restore sinners. Advance the kingdom of God. help others come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and reduce the population of Hell; from sin’s death to salvation’s life - life true and eternal.

Remember the six B’s: The kingdom is built best by Believers bringing buddies, so invest, influence and invite.  

In Christ, Brian