Come & See (1) – Experience Required

Welcome to CROLCC, we are so glad you are here worshiping with us. Last week pastor Richard asked a question as he started his message, “What is the church?” Some would say church is like a hospital, where many people in needs come to get their needs fulfilled. Some would say church is like an army, ready to battle for the kingdom of God. Others would say church is like a family, where people get to know each other and serve one another. His question really made me think, how would I want our church to look like?

But I think what echoed in my heart the most was when pastor Richard said, “the church exists for those who are not in the church yet.” Do you believe that? I certainly do, and that’s why I want to build a church that doesn’t look like a church. Not that I don’t like traditional church buildings, but as I keep thinking about the people that are not in the church, I want to be able to provide a place for them to come to know Jesus.

You may have wondered, how did the church get started? Why do people all over the world gather together every week to worship God? From the earliest days of the church until today, people become followers of Jesus in the exact same way: through an invitation.

Moving Forward

There are hundreds of people who live near you. Many of them don’t know Jesus. We want them to experience what we’ve experienced. So, we invest in relationships with them. And when the time is right, we invite them into an environment where they may have a life changing encounter with their Savior.

Changing Your Mind

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

John 1:29

Discussion Questions

1. When you hear the word “evangelism,” what comes to mind? Is your response to the word positive or negative? Why?

2. Read John 1:35–46. How does what happens in this passage differ from the way most people think about evangelism?

3. If Jesus modeled a “come and see” approach to evangelism, what kind of place does the church have to be for people to see Jesus when they come?

4. Who is one person in your sphere of influence that you can invest in or invite to church? What is it about that person that makes it easy for you to connect with him or her?

5. What is one thing you can do this week to invest in that person? How can this group support you?