Come and See
Our three-year-old, Kate, love binoculars; it’s hilarious listening to her try to pronounce the word. She rarely uses them correctly, but why would that stop her? She wears them around her neck in the car and when we play in the yard. She also loves to use her binoculars when we can’t find stuff around the house. If we are missing a shoe, a blanket, or a bag, Kate will use her binoculars to help us locate the missing item.
On the magical occasions when Kate does use the binoculars correctly, she gets excited and always wants to share her delight with whoever is with her. With the undefiled excitement that can only belong to a three-year-old, she yells, “Daddy, come and see!”
In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, we witness an incredible moment as John the Baptist recognizes Jesus as the “Lamb of God.” Immediately, two men who were following John began to follow Jesus. One of these men, Andrew, senses the presence of the divine and joyfully identifies Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Andrew's heart is so full of love and excitement that he cannot help but share his discovery with his brother, Peter. Instead of a long, drawn-out speech, Andrew tells Peter to “Come and see” the Messiah up close, no binoculars needed.
The following day, another person, Philip, experiences the same epiphany as Andrew. He rushes to share his newfound faith with his dear friend Nathanael, who is initially skeptical. But with a quiet determination and unshakeable faith, Philip simply says, "Come and see" Jesus.
These men, Andrew and Philip, were not trained theologians or charismatic preachers. They were ordinary people with faith and knew that the best way to share the good news was to simply invite others to experience Jesus for themselves.
Our friend Rob is a new Guide.
Despite his busy schedule, he finds time each week to disciple a man at The Foundry, walking with him out of the darkness of addiction and into the light of hope in Christ. Rob's approach to discipleship is simple yet profound: he invites his Journeyer to "come and see" Jesus, just as Andrew and Philip did centuries ago.
Last weekend, Rob invited his Journeyer to Easter service with his family at Shades Mountain Baptist. Not only did the Journeyer come, but he brought his mother. After church, the entire group went to Rob’s house for Easter lunch. This is what discipleship and love look like. This is one of the many ways we can invite others to “come and see Jesus.”
As Rob would tell you…
Discipleship is not about mastering complex theological concepts or memorizing books on apologetics. It's about opening your heart to the presence of God and sharing that experience with others. It's about inviting someone to "come and see Jesus" and trusting that God's unbound grace will do the rest.
Are you actively participating in discipleship? If not, we’d love to talk with you about the PATH.
For a Journeyer, someone starting their recovery journey, the requirement is a desire to leave the wilderness of addiction. For a Guide, the requirements are following Jesus, faithfully participating in your church, and the willingness to invite people looking for hope to…
“Come and see Jesus.”
