#2 (THE "INVITATION FROM GOD"
SERIES)
"COME AND SEE!"
TEXT: Jn.
1:35-42; Hag. 1:5-9; Luke
9:58
INTRO: Why do
people flock to all kinds of teachers and seminars? Why do people jump from one thing to
another thing? They are all
desperately searching for meaning and satisfaction in life!
One of the main reasons
people commit suicide is that they cease to believe there is any reason for
living anymore, that there is no meaning or purpose to life – so they quit, they
give up.
The world is a battlefield
today; the forces of darkness are competing for the souls of men and women,
drawing them to meaningless existences while filling their lives with so much
busyness that they have no satisfaction in anything – and to distract them from
the real meaning in life.
With all the emptiness in
this world God shouts from the heavens and makes an invitation: "COME AND
SEE!" -- come and see the real meaning to life. It is not found in a thing but in a
person called Jesus Christ!
PROP SENT: The Bible teaches us that the only
real meaning in life is found in a living relationship with God through Jesus
Christ, we are invited by God to come and see this for ourselves by inviting
Christ into our lives.
I. LOOKING FOR SATISFACTION!
A. Meaning
1. Andrew and John had become
disciples of John the Baptist, they were interested in his call to a real life
of service to God.
a. They had felt a real need to know
God and through following John the Baptist they had felt something tugging on
their hearts.
b. Fishing had not been enough for
them, while it provided a means of living it didn't provide satisfaction
for their souls!
c. This is still true today, people
are always looking for that job or place that will satisfy the longing of their
heart but when they get them they discover that ultimately these things still
don't satisfy them long term.
2. Though they certainly had enjoyed
the ministry of John the Baptist they heard him say one day when Jesus was
passing by that Jesus was the "Lamb of God."
a. John the Baptist was not the
answer, he was only the one who would point the way to the real answer, the real
meaning in life was found in Jesus!
b. When that day came John the Baptist
pointed them toward Jesus, the one who could meet their deepest needs and desire
– the one to give them meaning!
3. They had wandered here and there in
their life and they were tired, they wanted the real thing, much the same way
people wander today looking for meaning!
ILLUS: THERE IS A
STORY OF A FARMER WHO WAS CHIDED ONE DAY FOR HIS EXHAUSTED DOG WHEN HE GOT INTO
TOWN. THE FARMER HAD RIDDEN IN ON A
HORSE AND BUGGY AND HIS DOG WAS AT THE WAGON'S SIDE, PANTING AND PUFFING NEARLY
READY TO COLLAPSE. PEOPLE CHIDED
THE FARMER FOR MAKING THE POOR DOG RUN ALL THE WAY WHILE HE RODE IN COMFORT AND
EASE. HOWEVER THE FARMER RESPONDED,
"THAT DOG IS NOT TIRED FROM FOLLOWING ME TO TOWN. WHAT TIRED HIM WAS HIS FOOLISH
ZIGZAGGING. THERE WAS NOT AN OPEN
GATE, A HOLE IN A FENCE, OR A TREE STUMP THAT HE DID NOT EXPLORE ALONG THE
WAY. HE IS TIRED FROM ALL HIS
ZIGZAGGING FROM THE PATH. HAD HE
STAYED BY MY SIDE HE WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE!" THIS IS THE WAY MANY PEOPLE ARE TODAY,
INCLUDING SOME CHRISTIANS, THEY WEAR THEMSELVES OUT FROM ALL THE DIVERSIONS
OR ZIGZAGGING THEY TAKE FROM GOD ON THE PATH OF LIFE! – SOURCE UNKNOWN
4. Both Andrew and John immediately
left the Baptist and began to follow Jesus ... but even here there is a hint
that they didn't really understand what it was they were looking for or had
found.
a. Jesus turns around and asked them
an interesting question: "WHAT do you want?" -- not "WHO do you
want?"
b. This indicates that Jesus knew that
they were seeking SOMETHING rather than SOMEONE to fill their
need.
c. This is still the probing question
for everyone: "What are you
looking for?"
d. The answer is somewhat of a
surprise however, for satisfaction in life will never come from a THING,
it will only come from a PERSON – THE PERSON OF JESUS
CHRIST!
5. Jesus could tell they were looking
in the wrong place for their satisfaction so He is about to share an important
message with them.
B. Message
1:38b; Hag.
1:5-9
1. Their response to Jesus' question
indicated that they didn't understand who Jesus really was even though John the
Baptist had clearly told them that Jesus was the "lamb of
God" -- they still referred to Jesus simply as "RABBI" meaning "Teacher."
a. They didn't see Him clearly at
all!
b. They saw Jesus in a way like they
saw John the Baptist, just another teacher.
c. Much of the world still sees Jesus
this way.
ILLUS: A GREAT
GERMAN ATHEIST (FICHTE) SAID OF JESUS, "TILL THE END OF TIME ALL THE SENSIBLE
WILL BOW LOW BEFORE THIS JESUS OF
2. Notice what Haggai said about
people living in his day: (READ
PASSAGE IN HAGGAI
1:5-9)
a. The people at that time believed in
God but their lives were busy for their own pursuits -- God had little priority
in their lives. (This is similar to
today!)
b. And yet, the more they worked for
themselves the emptier they felt; while they seemed to work hard for what they
got they ended up with feeling emptier and
emptier.
c. They had neglected God's house
while building their own, they put God on the back burner in their lives and so
were not gaining!
d. This Old Testament passage is the
parallel to the New Testament passage where it is written "Seek first the
3. Their answer to Jesus' question "what do you
want" is "Where are you
staying?"
a. They thought Jesus might give them
a place of security, a place to teach them, a place to settle
down.
b. They were simply looking for a
place to rest but Jesus will show them something very different from what they
might have thought they needed!
II. LOOKING FOR SECURITY
A. Material
1:39a
1. They had asked Jesus "Where are you
staying?" and Jesus responds with "Come and
see!"
a. While they think they are heading
off to some safe place to find security, perhaps a camp where Jesus will teach
them the meaning of life, Jesus has in mind however to show them the real place
of security!
b. Their focus is the material realm;
Jesus however has something very different in mind for them. Where will Jesus take us that will give
us meaning and peace in our lives?
c. Jesus' plan however is to show them
that security is not found in “something” but “someone” -- namely
HIM!
2. Christ's offer is still good “COME AND
SEE!” -- CHECK HIM OUT!
ILLUS: JOHN MOSER
HAS BEEN REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST LEARNED AND UPRIGHT JURISTS AND JUDGES OF
B. Modify! 1:39b; Lk.
1. They must have been disappointed
when they arrived at the place Jesus had invited them to "Come and
see!" -- and what they discovered
was only Jesus!
a. There certainly wasn't anything
spectacular about the accommodations Jesus took them
too!
b. How could a place like this offer
satisfaction???
c. Jesus begins to open their eyes to
see that it is not a PLACE, it is a PERSON ... namely Jesus
Himself!
2. If it was some PLACE or some
PROGRAM they had to have been disappointed, Jesus later taught them, LK.
a. Jesus didn't put his trust in
places, there is no place to lay down or settle down and find real peace, at
least not on this planet!
b. There is a better place and the way
to get there is through a person, it is Jesus
Himself!
3. They needed to modify their
understanding of security, it can't be found on this planet, it will only be
experienced in heaven -- and the way there is only through
Christ!
a. This was a unique message, all
other religions promise redemption only if you accomplish some level of success
at doing enough good works!
b. Jesus was making the path to
security through Him – not through us!
ILLUS: A
CONDEMNED BUDDHIST MONK WHO HAD ATTEMPTED TO KILL A LEADER IN HIS COUNTRY WAS
WAITING TO DIE, TO BE EXECUTED. THE
NIGHT BEFORE HIS EXECUTION HE ASKED THAT A CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY BE BROUGHT TO
HIS CELL AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. HE
REQUESTED A SPECIFIC MISSIONARY THAT HE HAD KNOWN AND REJECTED BEFORE. WHEN THE ASTONISHED MISSIONARY ARRIVED,
KNOWING THIS MAN REJECTED HIM AND HIS MESSAGE BEFORE, HE WAS TAKEN BACK BY THE
REQUEST OF THIS MONK TO BE BAPTISED AS A CHRISTIAN BEFORE HE DIED. THE MISSIONARY BEGAN TO EXPLAIN THE
IMPLICATIONS OF HIS REQUEST AND THE MEANING OF SALVATION, THE MAN AGREED TO
ACCEPT EVERYTHING. THE MISSIONARY
THEN ASKED HIM WHY HE WANTED TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN WHEN ALL HIS LIFE HE HAD
LIVED AS A BUDDHIST MONK, AND THE MAN RESPONDED, "I WISH TO DIE IN A FAITH BY
WHICH I CAN COME FREELY TO GOD, UNRESTRAINED BY PERSONAL WORTHINESS AND
CONFIDENT THAT I CAN ENTREAT FORGIVENESS SIMPLY OUT OF GOD'S LOVE AND
MERCY." HE HAD FOUND THE PERSON WHO
COULD BRING SECURITY, NONE OF HIS WORKS COULD DO THAT, NOR COULD ANY MONASTERY
OFFER IT ... ONLY THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST -- AND FREELY! – SOURCE UNKNOWN
4. They spent the entire day with
Jesus until 4 in the afternoon, and Jesus did show them the place ... it was in
Him!
III. LOOKING FOR SALVATION! 1:40-42
A. Messiah!
1:40-41
1. Now that they had accepted Christ's
invitation to “COME AND SEE” they realized that Jesus was not
just "RABBI"
... He was MESSIAH!
a. Andrew could not keep this news to
himself, he needed to go immediately and find his brother Simon to share this "good
news" -- the very meaning of the term: “Gospel!”
b. Jesus had honored His invitation,
they HAD COME AND THEY HAD
SEEN!
c. Their understanding had been opened
and their excitement started to pour out, this was too good to keep to
oneself!
2. They had found what they were
looking for, finally their search had come to an end. Now everything else in life would hold
meaning, they could survive the worst of trials and experience the greatest of
joys known. Their lives were now
fulfilled in Christ, the Savior.
3. They had found something they could
finally trust their lives to ... Jesus.
B. Ministry
1. Now that they had found salvation
in Christ it became a passion for them to bring others to
Christ!
a. Andrew not only takes the message
to his brother Simon Peter, he also leads him back to Jesus to SEE for
himself!
b. Andrew doesn't ask Peter to be like
him, but to find Jesus and be like Him!
c. This is the purpose of ministry --
to bring others to Christ!
2. Andrew couldn't offer his
brother Simon a perfect brother, but he could offer him the perfect
Savior!
ILLUS: A SUNDAY
SCHOOL TEACHER ONCE TAUGHT A FINE LESSON ON HEAVEN AND AFTER THE LESSON ASKED
THE CLASS, "WHO WANTS TO GO TO HEAVEN?" EVERY CHILD RAISED THEIR HANDS EXCEPT
ONE BOY. THE TEACHER LOOKED AT HIM
PERPLEXED AND ASKED HIM, "WHY DON'T YOU WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN?" HE ANSWERED, “REALLY DO BUT NOT WITH THIS
CROWD!” HE NEEDED TO GET HIS EYES
OFF OF MAN, AND ON CHRIST! – SOURCE UNKNOWN
3. It is not enough that we find satisfaction
for our own souls, we must also look to share it with
others!
a. No matter how imperfect those
others might be, they too need to find the meaning to life in
Christ!
b. When Simon came to Jesus his life
too was transformed, he was given a new name along with his new life and he too
found the greatest longing of his heart!
CONCLUSION: Andrew and John were looking for
something special for their lives, for significance and meaning. Jesus invited them to "come and
see" -- to come and see what was really important in life. What they saw was different from what
they expected at first, but Christ gave real meaning to their lives and He still
does today! Have you accepted
Jesus' invitation to "come and see?" The invitation is still valid and still
open.