Sunday Shorts: Come and See

John 1:45-46 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth."

Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

I love this conversation between Philip and Nathanael. The two of them must have been the best of friends and shared many experiences together. The fact that Philip approaches Nathanael first with the exciting news that he has found the long-awaited Messiah means that he must have been very close to his friend. He had already been given the blessing of Jesus in his life, so Philip wanted his best buddy to experience the same thing.

Nathanael’s response is comical – he doesn’t believe Philip and even doubles down on this by asking if anything good could come out of Nazareth. For some reason, Nathanael did not have a high regard for Nazareth – perhaps it was morally corrupt, economically insignificant, or just a rival town to his – whatever the case, Nathanael is reluctant to believe his friend and probably preferred to stay away from this Jesus – whoever he was.

Philip’s response is wonderful. He doesn’t confront his friend’s uncertainty or get into a religious argument about the Messiah. All that Philip gives is a simple invitation. “Come and see,” he says. In other words, humor me and then make up your mind for yourself. It’s a beautiful way to bring someone to Jesus; it’s a non-compelling invitation to allow his friend to freely decide for himself.

Perhaps we have someone who is close to us that we would love to come to church. Maybe we worry about their salvation or are anxious about their beliefs. Instead of forcing them to come to worship or confronting them about their religious ideas, we should just simply invite them to come and see for themselves what church is like – and then leave it with them to decide whether or not they wish to initially come without coercing them with guilt, disdain, or even fear.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we love You and we wish that our families and friends could love You, too. Help us to find ways to encourage our loved ones to come and experience You, to see who You are for themselves, and to find in You all that they have been looking for. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

 

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor who now lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

Church Growth devotion: Just a Generation Away - Judges 2:19

Today’s readings: (click on links)

Judges 2:16-23

1 Corinthians 14:13-25

Just a Generation Away

Judges 2:19    But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

I've heard some people say that we are just one generation away from the end of Christianity. I really don’t believe that, however I do understand the sentiment.

Every church has the responsibility of passing on the faith to the next generation. If any congregation wants to survive, it needs to take this seriously. For instance, during this year, 4000 new churches will open; however, 7,000 churches will close. There are many reasons which cause church closings, but amongst the most common is the reluctance or inability of an older generation passing on the faith to an upcoming one.

One of the saddest closures that I ever experienced in Tennessee occurred when an older white and wealthy congregation closed its doors. The reason? The community where the church resided was now full of immigrants, but instead of handing over the church to a brand new generation of local worshippers, the original members shut down the building and ended its ministry. I believe that was shameful and very unfaithful, but perhaps the present community is a whole lot better and stronger without those kind of ‘Christians’ anyway.

The challenge of continuity that all congregations face depends upon how willing church members are at both inviting and welcoming new people to church. If it’s all left to church staff or ‘someone else,’ then the church will plateau and growth will stagnate. However, if the good folks in the pews take up this challenge and encouragingly invite families and friends, colleagues and neighbors to church, then the congregation has a much greater opportunity of continuing its Christ-given mission.

Questions for personal reflection

When was the last time I invited someone to church? Who could I presently invite?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, the Church belongs to You. You call our congregations into being in order to present a faithful witness of Your Gospel and Kingdom in our communities. Help us to care about being dedicated to You and give us opportunities to invite others to Your church where we serve. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask a question or make a comment about today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s latest chess drawing called “Opposites.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3700/10336642203_97a3010332_b.jpg