TITLE: COME AND SEE
SCRIPTURE: ST. JOHN 1:44-46
I am excited this late hour and final moments of the year 2011 to bring this close-out sermon. This will be the final sermon delivered behind this Sacred Desk at Perfected Praise Worship Center this year. We end our first Full Year as a Church Family and I am humbled. Shortly we will go into PRAYER and Pray the old year out and be in Prayer as the New Year Rushes In. While the World is out PARTYING and DICK CLARK is - ROCKING THE NIGHT AWAY – it’s good to know that the Saints of God all across the Land are Praying for God’s continued Mercy and Grace. I firmly believe that it is the Saints of God that have held the faith causing our nation to continue to be as Prosperous as it is. Without the Praying Saints, I fear what our country would look like today.
While it does appear that PREACHING means different things to various age groups – I still believe preaching is not about – PROSPERITY – DESTINY – DECLARING AND DECREEING – PROMOTION – TAKING ANYTHING BACK - Preaching is Still about JESUS.
It seems to me that Jesus is being preached LESS AND LESS from our Pulpits across the land. Sermons are more about WHAT GOD WILL DO FOR YOU. I believe where our HEART is, has much to do with what Christianity is becoming. Whatever our Heart is Excited about that’s what we will Share with those around us. If we are experiencing something exciting in our lives we want to SHARE IT. You want to tell others about it. Why I look at FACEBOOK, people put on FB what they are excited about, what they are doing – in essence what they want to talk about.
• Heard people talk about have you seen this movie or that movie
• Many Recipes were shared over the Holiday Period
• As we travelled some made suggestions as to where we should stay and what Restaurant we should eat
• Shared things we are excited about
I wonder this evening are we still excited about:
• Seeing our Loved Ones Saved
• Seeing our Children in Church
• Winning our Co-Workers to Christ
• Seeing our Church Grow
• Seeing our Spiritual Growth
I want to challenge us this evening to get Excited about Jesus as we enter into this New Year. We must be more excited about Jesus than we have been about:
• The return of the NBA after their Lockout
• Oklahoma State University in the Fiesta Bowl in a few day
• Our Favorite Television Show
• Our Grandchildren
• Must be Excited about Jesus and all He has done for us
I’m not saying that Jesus is all that we should ever be conversing about – but He should take up the Majority of our conversations. What else is there to talk about? I am interested in what’s going on at your job – I’m interested in your health issues and concerns – I’m interested in your children – I’m interested in your dreams and aspirations – WITHOUT JESUS IN THE EQUATION WE ARE JUST SPINNING OUR WHEELS.
• We can run to the North, South, East, West
• We can fill out all the Job Applications
• We can Invest and Save
• Without the Hand of Jesus working in our Life
In our text we learn the HEART and SIMPLICITY of the message used by a few new converts to Jesus. Matter of Fact their EXCITING MESSAGE OF INVITATION consists of only three words – Come and See. Jesus does not seem to be very popular in our day and age. I have been following TIM TEBOW of the Denver Broncos who elects to place Jesus first in all of his interviews and actions on Football Field. Commentators as well as other Sports Figures have asked him to “TONE IT DOWN” with the Jesus stuff.
• It’s really not Tim Tebow that is being ridiculed
• It’s not his belief that is being ridiculed
• They are rejecting Jesus and all that He stands for
Yes, my brothers and sisters, people will respond NEGATIVELY to our excitement about Jesus. Many people reacted to Jesus and His teachings with INDIGNATION because He was telling them that they must CHANGE. That stressed them out because they loved their safe, secure and comfortable lives more than they loved God. Is it any different in our own day when people get upset with the teachings and traditions of the Church that constantly tell them to move from one place to another in terms of spiritual maturity?
In our text PHILIP shows us how to respond when folks react negative to our excitement about Jesus. The Bible says that it was NATHANIEL that showed Skepticism to the news that “WE HAVE FOUND HIM OF WHOM MOSES IN THE LAW, AND THE PROPHETS, DID WRITE, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE SON OF JOSEPH.”
• Nathaniel is skeptical
• Just like others you will run into
• “Can any good thing come from Nazareth”
• He reveals the disgust that Galileans have with Nazarenes
• He reveals his prejudice issues
CAN THERE ANY GOOD THING COME OUT OF NAZARETH? It sounds like the attitude of someone from a neighboring rival town, like us saying "Can anything that good come out of Spencer?" Or "Bethany?" Like a Oklahoman saying, "Can anything good come out of Texas?" It sounds like the attitude of someone who told jokes that began with "Have you heard the one about the Nazarene who went into a Walmart...?" Plus, Nazareth was "AN OBSCURE AND INSIGNIFICANT BACKWATER WITH NOTHING TO OFFER ANYONE, A PLACE WHERE DREAMS DIE INSTEAD OF BEING NURTURED.”
• Nathanael is not interested in following just anyone claiming to have a new idea
• Least of all one from Nazareth
• He is wise to imposters
• He doesn't want to be set up for later disappointment
This text is interesting. What does PHILIP Do? Does he respond like most of us when we encounter opposition to our Faith? Do your FRIENDS – NEIGHBORS – CO-WORKERS – even know that you are Saved?
• Philip met opposition – Does He Give Up?
• Does he walk away?
• Does he get discouraged?
• Does he begin to hide his new belief
• Does he get out his Bible and Preach a Message?
Philip doesn't argue with Nathanael. Perhaps he understands his friend well enough to know that arguing will get him nowhere. Instead, his response seems to echo the words Jesus spoke earlier. He does not get discouraged but instead he INTERJECTS TWO IMPORTANT TERMS - COME and SEE.
• We have heard about the Messiah
• We have heard the coming King
• Well guess what, we found Him
• Philip didn’t preach a three-point sermon
• He didn’t start condemning Nathaniel for his bad attitude
• He didn’t judge his actions
• He simply invited Nathaniel to Come and See!
I know what someone is thinking this evening. Bishop you don’t know what I have been through in my life. I have had some issues and people don’t want to hear what I have to say about My Jesus.
• I’ve had Children out of Wedlock
• I’ve had a few failed Marriages
• Photo in the local paper for being behind on Child Support
• I’ve been on Drugs
• I’ve been in and out of Jail
• Used to Run with the Wrong Crowd
I am reminded of Jesus in the 4th Chapter of this same book –Jesus has just sent his disciples to town to buy food. He is tired from travelling all day and sits down to rest next to a WELL. After while a SAMARITAN WOMEN approaches in the heat of the day after all the local women have drawn their water, filled their pots and left. Jesus begins to talk with this woman who HAD A PAST.
• This is a woman who had 5 divorces
• This woman is now living with another man
• This woman has a past that she is not proud of
She holds a conversation with Jesus who NEVER CONDEMNS her. At the end of the conversation, this woman with a past becomes an EVANGELIST. Look at VS. 28-29 with me - This Samaritan Woman rushes back to town and tells the towns people Come and See - COME SEE A MAN THAT HAS TOLD ME ALL THINGS.
• I didn’t think I was good enough for Him
• I don’t know why He chose to talk to me
• I was just going to draw some water
• But I found everlasting life
This is the same charge that we have today. We should be telling those we come into contact with to Come and See. It makes no difference what our background. ALL OF US HAVE A PAST - just tell a dying world Come and See.
• Our job is not to condemn the sinner but to bring them to Jesus
• We are not to preach condemnation but preach to them – love
• You can’t clean fish before you catch them
• So get them first to Come and See
• Then allow God to clean up their lives
We may not always know what to say to that person who needs Jesus in their life. We may not know where to begin to tell them about the love of Jesus. I may not have the comforting words for their situation. But one thing I can say – Come and See the man:
• Who can turn your life around
• Who can take your situation and make it good
• Who can restore your marriage
• Who can restore your fellowship with your kids
• Who can heal the blind
• Who can cause the deaf man to hear again
• Who can save a sinner from a burning hell
• Who can reclaim that backslider needing to restore their fellowship with God
That is the simple message as we close out this Year and boldly enter into a New Year. Take the message out and tell those we come into contact that - All you have to do is – “Come and See”
• You are not coming to see the pastor
• You are not coming to hear the music
• You are not coming to see who all shows up
• You are coming to see the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
• Your neighbor may not be here this Sunday
• Your Sunday school teacher may be out this week
• Your friend you sit with each Sunday maybe gone
• But Jesus is here and He is waiting to meet you!
Come and See
Notice that with PHILIP and with the SAMARITAN WOMAN - They were so excited after they met Jesus that they had to TELL SOMEBODY. If you don’t have the joy in your soul that causes you to talk about Jesus – You need to come and restore some things in your life. We need to put Christ First in our Life.
-- Come and See
--Maybe we should write those three words above the doors to the sanctuary - Come and See
--Are you looking for a church where you might be welcomed as you are? - Come and See
--Are you curious about the exciting things you hear happening at that church on the corner? - Come and See
--Are you looking for meaning, for answers, for it all to make sense? - Come and See
--We don't have all the answers -- in fact, we have lots of questions ourselves. But we'll add your questions to our questions and let’s Come and See together
--Maybe we should write those three words on the front of our Bibles - Come and See
-- Come and See what others saw when they went looking for God
--Come and see for yourself
--Come and see Love
--Come and see God
--Come as you are
--Just come
