THE POWER OF AN INVITATION
Keith O’Connor
Woodland Church
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
1. Come and See
(John 1:35-39, NLT) “The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come and see,” he said.”
a. Point people to Jesus
(John 1:36, NLT) “Look! There is the Lamb of God”
(John 1:29, NLT) “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”
b. Jesus’ personal invitation
(John 1:46, NLT) “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied”
2. Come and Hear
(Luke 5:1, NLT) “One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God”
(Psalm 66:16, ESV) “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul”
(Romans 10:17, NLT) “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ”
(John 10:27, NLT) “My Sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow Me”
3. Come and Follow
(Matthew 4:19, NLT) “Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people”
(Mark 8:34, NLT) “Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me”
(1 John 1:9, ESV) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
4. Come and Rest
(Matthew 11:28, NLT) “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest”
(1 Peter 5:7, NLT) “…casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you”
Growthwork
- Invite someone to church
- Be authentic
- Pray for opportunities