Extend the Invitation to Come and See
Come and See
Have you ever wondered, How do you invite friends to church?
How do you talk to people about Jesus?
What if you don’t know what to say or do?
I’ve got an idea… what if you simply started with these two words, “Come and see.”
The Invitation of Jesus to “Come and See”
That’s what happened when Jesus called His first disciples.
Before he said, “Come follow me,” He said, “Come and see.”
Before Jesus started His ministry, his cousin John the Baptist was working to prepare the way. One day, John saw Jesus walking by.
John had his own disciples, people who were following him because they thought he was on to something. I’m not sure they entirely understood what John was up to in those days by the Jordan River.
John was baptizing people and preaching that the Kingdom of God was near. But John’s disciples knew that God was up to something and John was a part of it.
Then Jesus walks by and John proclaims, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Two of John’s disciples are standing right there. They hear what John says and they see Jesus. They start following Jesus.
Jesus sees them and asks them what they want. They ask him where he’s staying. Wherever it is they want to be there, too. Jesus doesn’t answer their question, instead, he offers this invitation:
“Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.
John 1.39
Come and See, Follow Me
And what’s interesting is that as you continue to read John’s gospel, his story of the life and ministry of Jesus, it’s all built on this framework of “Come and See, Follow Me.”
In John 1, we’re invited to to Come and See the Word of God who became flesh, to dwell among us.
In John 2, come and See the One who turns water into wine!
In John 3, Nicodemus Comes to See Jesus in the night and learns that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life!
In John 4, a woman at the well comes and sees Jesus in the middle of the day and when she believes in Jesus as the Savior of the world she invites everyone in town to come and see the one who told her everything she ever did!
In John 5, come and see the One who heals.
In John 6, come and see the One who fed the 5000, the One who walks on water, who is the Bread of Life!
In John 7, come and see the Living Water!
In John 8, come and See the Light of the world, The great I AM!
In John 9, come and See the One who heals the blind!
In John 10, come and see the Good Shepherd!
In John 11, come and see the Resurrection and the Life!
In John 12, come and see the Anointed One, the Savior of the world!
In John 13, come and see the One who washes our feet.
In John 14, come and see the Way, the Truth, the Life!
In John 15, come and see the True Vine!
In John 16, come and see the One who overcomes the world!
In John 17, come and see our High Priest who prays for us!
In John 18, come and see a different kind of King.
In John 19, come and see the crucified One.
In John 20, come and see the resurrected One!
In John 21, come and see Jesus who extends the invitation again… Come and see, follow me.
Extend the Invitation
Are you wondering how you invite friends to church?
How you can talk to people about Jesus?
The good news is that you don’t have to have all the answers or even have it all figured out. All you have to do is extend the invitation…
Come and See.
Want more from this Series… Click here.
To hear the full sermon around this idea of Come and See, Click Here!
