A Church for the Community

John 1:35-51 (NIV) 35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour. 40Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42And 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). 43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45Philip 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.” 46“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” 48“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” 51He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

What are we aiming for?

• A church environment that cultivates deeper fellowship among believers.

John 13:35 (NIV) “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”.

• A church environment that is accessible for those who are unsure about Jesus.

• A church environment that oozes hospitality, conversation, and community.

Revelation 3:20 (NIV) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

What does “Come and See” mean?

1. “Come and see” means come and think.

John 1:1 (NIV) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

2. “Come and see” means come and experience.

John 4:28-30 (NLT) 28Then the woman left her water jar, went back into the town, and said to the people, 29“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30So they left the town and made their way toward Jesus.

3. “Come and see” means, come and process this with friends.

3 Qualities You’ll Need:

– Patience.

John 1:29 (NIV) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

– Courage.

– Confident humility.

4. “Come and see” means to eventually come and follow.

5. “Come and see” means come and wonder.

“Wonder” is inevitable because you will see…

– He knows you better than you think.

– He loves you more than you can fathom.

Talk It Over

What was your life like before you encountered Jesus? How did you encounter Jesus? How did that encounter change you?
How can you love others like Jesus has loved you? (Remember love is more than warm fuzzies, it’s an attitude that reveals itself in action.)

Where do you see opportunities for “the church” to break down social barriers?

As followers of Christ, we often need to examine our motives when doing something to “glorify God”. Can you think of a time you thought you were seeking God’s glory, but were seeking your own glory? How can you be more aware of this in the future?

Where do you have opportunities to serve your fellow believers this week? Do you find it difficult to allow other believers to serve you? Explain.

Parents: Our children are watching to see if we really believe what we say. They are looking to see…What it means to trust God when things get tough. What it means to love or show kindness. What is means to forgive. What it means to have faith in something bigger than ourselves. It doesn’t mean we have to be perfect! They are watching what it looks like when we mess up too. They are watching how we handle that! Kids often want to see that our faith is real. They want to see where we place our hope and our trust. Let them see it! Here are some practical ways to do that this week! Ask your kids to pray for you and with you. Share some of your favorite scriptures, and what they mean to you. Discuss a challenge in your life (keep it age appropriate, of course), and how you are trying to navigate it in a way that honors God. Let them see your faith is real, even if its new or developing!