Come and See
March 23, 2008 SD 21
Come and See.doc File: G3
Come and See
(An Easter Message)
Nate was a skeptic. He wasn’t an atheist. But he was a bigot. At least when it came to people from Nazareth—he viewed them all as unlearned, and uneducated, and just not worth his time and effort.
So when his friend Philip comes talking about the messiah and mentions that he is from Nazareth—he is skeptical.
“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
That is his question…
His friend Philip doesn’t argue…just extends an invitation…Come and see….
Come and see for yourself…
John the Baptist is standing with two of his disciples when Jesus walks near…
“Look!” says John, “there is the lamb of God.”
When those two disciples heard it they stepped out and started following Jesus down the street.
Jesus turned to them and asked what they wanted…
“Where are you staying” they asked
In other words—we want to spend some time with you
Jesus said: “come and see”
And they spent the rest of the evening with Him
One of them was Andrew (the brother of Peter)
You hear a lot about Peter—not much about Andrew
But without Andrew Peter would have never known!
“Come and See…”
It is an invitation
A woman with a reputation—a bad reputation—met Jesus outside the city of Sychar in Samaria—He talked to her and answered her deepest questions and met her deepest need…
A deep thirst in her soul was satisfied…
An emptiness she yearned to have filled was met
She went back into her village – unafraid of the people – no longer embarrassed by her past…
Come see a man who told me everything I ever did.
“Come and see…”
A simple invitation…
An invitation to open your own investigation into the truth.
It is not enough to have it on the word of someone else…it is time to do your own search…check it out…
The claims of Jesus are rather incredible…audacious…
And he invites us to take out the microscope…
Get out the binoculars
Check it out from every angle
Get the big ppicture
See the minute detail
Investigate! Come and see for yourself!
Too many will only make a cursory glance at the Gospel message and write it off without the decency of honest investigation…
If what Jesus said is true your destiny rest on your response.
If you truly give it your best investigation and discover it to be false—then you can write it off…but don’t allow yourself to just go on without checking Him out…
C.S. Lewis said, “if Christianity is false, then it means absolutely nothing (and 2000 years of history is a sham)…If it is true then everything is effected by it.”
Come and see….
Come and view the evidence…
I could go on to give you all the information today
Proofs of the resurrection
Proofs of biblical accuracy and validity
Proofs of Christian history
ETC.
But my invitation to you today is to come and see Jesus!
Come and see the Rock that has withstood the erosion of time
Come and hear his voice echo through the words of scripture and through the human heart and mind…
Come and see the truth tested…undaunted…established
Come and know His grace…full and free…
Come and know His love…for you!!!!
Come and see the flame that all the tyrants and oppressors of history have not been able to extinguish
Come and see the passion that persecution and oppression have not squelched
Come and see the hospitals and orphanages rising beside the crumbling ruins of humanism and atheism.
Come and see what Christ has done!
The invitation of Psalm 66:5 is “Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.”
Come and see the lives touched by the masters hand
The alcoholic now dry
The embittered not joyful
The fearful now courageous
The marriages rebuilt
The addict now free
The wanderer now home
The lonely place in the family of God
Come and see…
It is His invitation to investigation
He is not afraid of your scrutiny
He invites your questions
He opens his heart and His word to you!
He won’t avoid your searching
He won’t ignore your probe
Come and see!!!!
“Walk with the women on Sunday morning…just as the sun peeks over the horizon…as they enter the garden where the tomb is sealed…they watched His body being laid in the grave of a man named Joseph…
On earth Jesus had no place to lay his head
In death he used a borrowed tomb…
But he didn’t stay there long!
They came early in the morning to put spices on the body…
They came to see the tomb—guarded by Rome’s best soldiers
As they come---the earth shakes…
An angel came and rolled back the stone so they could peer in.
The guards shook and passed out!
The angel just took his place on the stone—he sat donw to wait for the ladies to arrive…
He said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified. 6 He is not here. He has risen from the dead as he said he would. Come and see the place where his body was. (Matt. 28:5-6 NCV)
“Come and see the place where He was…”
“Where He was….”
Come and see the evidence of an empty tomb…
Lee Strobel, Educated at Yale Law School, award winning journalist, former legal editor at the Chicago Tribune—was an athiest…until his wife got saved and began her own adventure of faith…She challenged him to look at the evidence…
He took the challenge—determine to debunk the whole Christian message…
But an honest appraisal of the evidence led hium to his own personal faith…(he has now written numerous books challengeing the readers to examine the evidenc)
Come and see!!!
Come and see Jesus!
Come and see the lives he has touched…
Come and watch the pierced hand of God touch the common heart of people like you and me…
Come and see Him wipe the tear from the sorrow-filled eyes…
Come and observe…as he forgives the ugliest sin…and sets the captive free…
Come and let him heal the hurt in your heart…
Come to Jesus!
Show “Resurrection” (mpg)
The simplest message—and most profound is found in a short verse in the Bible…
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son
--God loved, He gave!
That whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life…
--We believe, We live
Why don’t you check it out for yourself!
Start with a prayer! Talk to God!
“Lord I want to know!
Show me!
But don’t pray it unless you are ready for the consequences…because if you conclude that it is true…you must decide…
And if you already have that faith growing in your heart pray a prayer like this…
“I believe, and I receive your gift of life……..”