Matt Destry

Come and see: how Jesus builds the church

Big idea

This is the raw, first call of Jesus: come and see. They come. They stay. They bring others.

Lordship here is relational before it is institutional. Before Jesus gives them tasks, He gives them: friendship, proximity, shared life. The Church is born not as an organisation, but as a shared orbit around a person.

Text John 1:35-51

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said

"Look, the Lamb of God!" 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed

Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said,

"Rabbi" (which means "Teacher'), "where are you staying?" 39 "Come," he replied, "and you will" see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him

"We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter[a]). 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.

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." 48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." 49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel." 50 Jesus said, "You believe[b] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that." 51 He then added, "Very truly I tell Son of Man.) will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on' (e) the

Exegesis: the first words of Jesus, The first community forms The pattern of discipleship, The ladder to heaven Movement 1: a church in the radical middle Word people. Spirit people. Justice people. Contemplative people.

Movement 2: from admiration to following

Movement 3: why community matters

1. Follow: bring yourself
2. Come and see: bring someone else
3. Remain: bring your place

The One you were seeking...has been seeking you all along.