Wednesday Service | You’ve Been Invited Part 1: COME AND SEE! | Jordan Brawner

John 1:35-40 (NLT)

³⁵ The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. ³⁶ As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

³⁸ Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.

They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

³⁹ “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.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus.

[1] God to send an invitation!

Revelation 3:20 (NLT)

²⁰ “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

Luke 19:5-6 (NLT)

⁵ When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

⁶ Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.

Isaiah 1:18 (AB)
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson, They shall be like wool.”

[2] The most powerful invitations come from people who have had an !

John 1:45-47 (NIV)

⁴⁵ Philip 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.

⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

John 4:28-30 (NIV)

²⁸ Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”³⁰ They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

Psalm 34:8 (NLT)

⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good.
    Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

WHY SHOULD WE BE INVITERS?

Luke 14:14-24 (NLT)

¹⁴ Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

¹⁵ Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”

¹⁶ Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. ¹⁷ When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ ¹⁸ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’¹⁹ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’²⁰ Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

²¹ “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’²² After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ ²³ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.²⁴ For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”

• Because God wants a heaven!

• Because he promises to those who do!

• Because we have something so to invite people to!

Luke 23:40-43 (NLT)

⁴⁰ But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?⁴¹ We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

⁴³ And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

[3] Believers have the invitation that could ever be given!