Come and see
What do Christians and English Pointers have in common? They both point to something. A Christian should point others to the Cross of Christ.
There’s a song by Don Francisco called I’ve gotta tell Somebody. I use my Facebook page often to invite people to church. I promote this blog a lot online because if I don’t there is no one to read it. You walk outside you see billboards, signs, businesses all promoting something. Do you promote the change God makes in you? This past Sunday Pastor Micah read a passage in John 1:40-46 and it’s a story we need to remember. When God changes your life your response should be “I’ve gotta tell somebody I’ve gotta tell somebody I’ve gotta tell somebody what Jesus did for me.” I try hard to encourage the reader of the blog and equip them with God’s Word so they can go forth and encourage someone else and hopefully help someone else draw closer to God. I want you to look at this passage and see how the dots connect. Two weeks ago Aaron Paris said something to me that floored me it was almost prophetic. “One day someone is going to come up to you maybe two years down the line and tell you that something you wrote in your blog really impacted their life and you probably won’t remember saying it.” Some have heard me mention this. There is a G.I.Joe graphic novel I have and Scarlett and Snake Eyes are behind enemy lines. Snake Eyes is wounded and he’s a man who has been mute since his head was burned years back. She asked him what he wants her to do. He signs the letters CM or Charlie Mike meaning “Continue the mission.” See just when hope seems gone I have to remember to Continue the Mission. You may not think your life intersects with many people. But I want you to see what Phillip, Andrew and Nathanael did.
John 1:40-46
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother Simon, and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah’. Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, ‘Your name is Simon, son of John— but you will be called Cephas(which means Peter)’. The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Phillip and said to him. ‘Come follow me.’ Phillip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown. Phillip went to look for Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ ‘Nazareth!’ Exclaimed Nathanael, ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth?’
‘Come and see for yourself,’ Phillip replied.”
The message was simple. The effect on people’s lives wasn’t. We connect and interact with others. Are you continuing the mission and pushing people closer or farther away from God? If you have some sort of social media do you leverage that technology to push others to God? Micah also said something that hit me hard. “The closer you get to Jesus, the more you care about people who are not close to Jesus.”
“The truth is in. The proof is in when you hear your heart start asking what’s my motivation.”
Galatians 6:9-10
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone— especially to those in the family of faith.”
My dad has this saying he instills in the people at his church and I had to ask him what it was because I forgot but the church has a great commission found in Matthew 28:19-20. When you go to church it’s not a social club.
“When you walk through the door (of church to leave) you are entering your mission field.
We are on mission with God to carry the gospel to the whole world.” We have been told to go to the uttermost part of the earth and that is where you and I interact. As a follower of Christ you are empowered.
I normally don’t talk a lot about the music in the blog but I wanted to this time. Back when I went to college I had this friend Sheryl Goza and we rode back and forth to school for a bit. Now for years I had heard the band White Heart at Christian skate night in Annaville because someone always requested the song Desert Rose. Well one day Sheryl and I went to the Family Christian store in Beeville and she bought the cd Highlands by White Heart. Years later I get a copy of the same cd and for the first time I heard The Cry a song about God calling out trying to get people’s attention. This blog has been about interacting with others and pointing them to God. God is trying to reach people and we the church are sent forth in that effort. Get off the sidelines stop being a watcher and be a messenger.
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