Come and See

I love a good story—especially one that draws you in, makes you feel like you're right there, experiencing it for yourself. And that’s exactly what the Gospel of John invites us to do. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to step into the stories of real people who encountered Jesus—people just like us, with questions, struggles, and hopes—and we’re going to see how one moment with Him changed everything.

Today, we begin with one of the very first encounters in John’s Gospel—when Jesus calls His first disciples. It’s a moment of invitation, discovery, and transformation. And it’s not just their story—it’s ours too. So grab your Bible and let’s step into the story together. Turn to John 1:35.

THE INTRODUCTION

[HOLD UP THE REPORT]

According to a 2013 study by Transportation for America, our nation’s = transportation infrastructure is in bad shape. The study found that 1 in 9 bridges across the country are structurally deficient. That means millions of people cross over dangerous, failing bridges every single day—bridges that could= collapse if they aren’t repaired or replaced.

The report says:

“Every day, millions of people from all walks of life in cities and towns, large and small, travel over one of our country’s 66,405 structurally deficient bridges—more than one in nine of all bridges. Structurally deficient bridges are those that require significant maintenance, rehabilitation, or replacement.”

Now, let’s think about that for a second. A bridge is designed to connect people. A bridge exists to help you get from where you are to where you need to be.

But when a bridge is broken? When a bridge is weak? When a bridge fails? Everything gets disrupted. People can’t get where they need to go. And in the worst cases, lives can be lost.

Christians Are Called to Be Bridges

And here’s where this hits home for us: Christians are meant to be bridges.

We are called to connect people to Jesus—to help them get from where they are to where they need to be. Jesus found you so you could find others.

Our mission statement as a church is to glorify God by helping all people find and follow Jesus together. This is the mission we have committed ourselves to in obedience to Christ’s command to go into all the world and make disciples, followers of Jesus.

But let’s be honest: sometimes, we’re not doing that. Sometimes, we think we’re being a bridge, but in reality, we’re structurally deficient. We are failing to connect people to Jesus.

So, what causes this deficiency?

Four Reasons Christians Become Structurally Deficient

Faulty Methods – Some Christians share the gospel like a pushy car salesman. You ever met someone like that? Always pressing, always pressuring—trying to force someone to “sign on the dotted line.” But Jesus never manipulated people into following Him. He invited them. He loved them. And people were drawn to Him. We don’t push people to Jesus—we lead them to Him.

A Cold Heart – Remember when you first met Jesus? When you first experienced His love? You couldn’t stop talking about it! You told your family, your friends, your co-workers—anyone who would listen. But over time… the fire cooled. The excitement faded. And if we’re not careful, our hearts can grow cold.

Complacency – Let’s be real: sometimes we don’t share Jesus because, deep down, we just assume someone else will do it. “Oh, I hope they come to Christ,” we say. “I hope they make it to heaven.” But hope isn’t a strategy! We are the plan. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). That command wasn’t for someone else—it was for you.

A Lost Sense of Purpose – Here’s the biggest one: Most Christians fail to connect people to Jesus simply because they don’t realize this is their primary purpose. Listen—Jesus didn’t just save you from sin. He saved you for a mission. He found you so that you can find others.

Jesus Found You So You Can Find Others

Jesus said, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

That was His mission. And if we are following Jesus, His mission becomes our mission. We are to help all people find and follow Jesus together.

So let me ask you: Are you a bridge that connects people to Jesus? Or are you structurally deficient?

Because if your faith is real—if your love for Jesus is alive—then the people around you should be able to connect to Him because of you. You cannot save people, but you can connect them to Jesus and leave the rest to Him.

Jesus found you. Now it’s time to find others.

When we fail to connect people to Jesus, the consequences are dire and eternal. There is no “Plan B.”

Let that sink in. No Plan B.

God has entrusted the message of the Gospel—that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again to give eternal life—to us. We are God’s only plan for reaching the lost.

That means the eternal destiny of our family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers hangs in the balance.

Have you been sharing the love of Jesus? If you’re like me, your answer is probably not as often as you should. Beyond preaching here every Sunday, I know that if I’m not intentional, I can go through an entire week without personally sharing my faith. And that is tragic.

It’s tragic because when we fail in this, we fail in God’s purpose for our lives. It’s tragic because there are people right now—people we love—who are open to hearing about Jesus. It’s tragic because we know the truth, but too often, we keep it to ourselves.

I don’t want to keep failing in this. I want to do better. And I suspect you do, too.

So how do we, as found people, go and find people? How do we connect our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers to Jesus?

We can find the answer by looking at the very first followers of Jesus—the ones He called at the beginning of His ministry.

Open your Bible to John 1:35-51.

Transition

To set the stage for what we’re about to read, let me remind you of the context.

Jesus had just begun His public ministry. Before Him, John the Baptist had been preparing people—calling them to repentance and getting their hearts ready for the Messiah. Then, one day, John looked up, saw Jesus, and declared, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

And from that moment, Jesus began calling men to follow Him.

The first one was Andrew. And what did Andrew do as soon as he met Jesus? He went and found his brother, Simon Peter. He said, “We have found the Messiah!” and he brought Peter straight to Jesus.

Do you see the pattern? Jesus found Andrew, and Andrew found his brother. This is how the Gospel spreads.

And this is where our story picks up in John 1:43-45

John 1:43–45 ESV

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

The first Christians were passionate about telling others about Jesus. It was natural, even instinctive. But why? What made the evangelized become evangelists?

One key is found in a simple but powerful word repeated in this passage: “found.”

When Andrew ran to his brother Simon Peter, he didn’t say, “I think I found something interesting.” No! He declared, “We have found the Messiah!”

And then, in verse 45, Philip does the same thing when he tells Nathanael: “We have found Him—the One Moses and the prophets wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph!”

The Greek word translated “found” is eurisko—the word from which we get “eureka!” It’s a word of discovery and excitement. It’s the word Archimedes is said to have shouted when he made a groundbreaking discovery.

It’s the word inventors use when they make a major breakthrough.

It’s not a casual word. It’s an explosive word.

Philip wasn’t just sharing news—he was making an announcement! Eureka! We’ve found Him! The Messiah is here!

So here’s the first principle for connecting people to Jesus:

1. Be excited enough that you WANT to share Jesus with someone.

Think about it—when you experience something amazing, you tell people about it!

When you watch a great movie, you recommend it.

When you eat at an incredible restaurant, you tell your friends.

When your favorite sports team wins big, you celebrate it!

But somehow, when it comes to the greatest discovery of all—the Son of God, the Savior of the world—we stay quiet.

Listen, if you're not excited to share Jesus, that’s a heart issue.

If that passion has faded, it’s time to stop and repent. Ask God to restore the joy of your salvation—to rekindle that fire inside you so that you can’t help but talk about Jesus!

Transition:

So, the first step in connecting people to Jesus is simple: Be excited enough that you want to share Him.

Now, let’s look at John 1:45 to discover the second step.

John 1:45 ESV

45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Philip was so overjoyed that he immediately went out and found his friend Nathanael. He wasn’t just concerned about his own discovery—he wanted Nathanael to experience it too.

And that leads us to our second principle for connecting others to Jesus...

2. Care Enough About Their Soul to Share the Good News

Philip had a personal experience with Jesus, and he couldn’t keep it to himself—he wanted Nathanael to experience the same life-changing encounter.

That’s what true friends do. We share good news. If you see a great movie, land a new job, or meet someone famous, what’s the first thing you do? You tell your friends. You want them to celebrate with you. It’s natural.

But for some reason, when the news is spiritual in nature, we hesitate.

Pastor Bryan Wilkerson makes this point with a humorous illustration:

"Imagine you're on a coffee break, chatting with a coworker, and you say, ‘Uh, hey… could I talk to you for a minute about something? I-I know this is kind of unusual, and I-I don’t want to pressure you or anything, but… I went to this new restaurant over the weekend… and, um, it was really good. Now, I know you already have places you like, and that’s totally fine. You might not even believe in restaurants, and I respect that. But, I just thought, maybe, you might, I don’t know… like to try this one?’”

How ridiculous does that sound? If we find something good, we don’t apologize for sharing it—we naturally tell people!

So why does it get so awkward when the good news is about Jesus?

Maybe we should take a lesson from Philip here. He simply told his friend the truth: “We have found Him!” No hesitation. No awkwardness. Just joy.

Maybe we should start saying more often, “Man, we had a great service at church this weekend,” or “I read something in the Bible today that really spoke to me.” Just like Philip, we should believe that our friends will be glad to hear good news.

Because at the end of the day, sharing Jesus is the most loving thing we can do if we truly believe eternity is at stake.

[VIDEO] Most of you have heard of the magician duo Penn & Teller. Did you know Penn Jillette is an atheist? He once shared a story about a Christian businessman who gave him a Bible and told him about Jesus. Watch this…

[Insert 4-minute video here]

Transition: We’ve seen that to connect people to Jesus, you must first be excited enough that you want to share Him. Second, you must care enough about their soul to tell them the Good News.

Now, let’s look at a third lesson in John 1:46

John 1:46 ESV

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

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Nathanael was skeptical. He struggled to believe that the Messiah could come from a backwater town like Nazareth.

It would be like me saying, “I’ve found the Son of God. He’s from Sopchoppy, Florida.” (And if you’re from Sopchoppy, don’t send me emails!)

Nathanael didn’t hide his doubts—he was honest about them. And how Philip responded gives us the third principle for connecting people to Jesus…

3. Allow Them to Be Honest About Their Doubts

Your friends, family members, coworkers, or neighbors may have doubts when you share that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

Some may believe Jesus was just a good man who loved people and did good things.

Others may struggle with the idea that He rose from the dead after three days.

Some may not even be sure that God exists.

Others may question how you can know the Bible is true.

And that’s okay. Doubts are a natural part of faith.

When someone expresses skepticism, don’t be defensive. Give them room to wrestle with their questions. Respect them enough to listen. You don’t have to have all the answers. But you can do what Philip did when Nathanael voiced his doubt.

Let’s look at the rest of John 1:46

John 1:46 ESV

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

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’”

“Come and see.” What a simple yet powerful response!

Philip didn’t argue. He didn’t try to convince Nathanael with a well rehearsed speech. He simply invited him to experience Jesus for himself.

We are entering the easiest time of the year to say, “Come and see.” Studies show that people are more open to visiting church at Easter than at any other time of the year.

So when someone shares a doubt you can’t answer, don’t panic. Let them be honest. The Christian faith can withstand the sincere scrutiny of skeptics. Sometimes, the best response isn’t an explanation—it’s an invitation.

Transition: First, be excited enough to share Jesus with someone. Second, care enough about their soul to share the Good News. Third, allow them to be honest about their doubts.

Now, let’s look at the fourth principle for connecting others to Jesus…

4. Invite Them to Take a Closer Look at Jesus

Philip didn’t take it personally when Nathanael doubted his claims about Jesus. Instead, he simply extended an invitation: “Come and see for yourself!”

That’s an important lesson for us. When people express doubt, skepticism, or even disbelief, we don’t need to argue or get defensive. Instead, we can invite them to keep an open mind and take a closer look at Jesus.

Of course, Jesus isn’t physically walking the earth today. But the Bible describes the church as the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). That means when people encounter believers, they should get a glimpse of who Jesus is. That’s why inviting people to church—whether it’s a Sunday service or your LifeGroup—is such a powerful way to introduce them to Jesus.

Let’s do a quick survey. How many of you started coming to our church because someone invited you? Raise your hand.

Look around—that’s proof right there!

God often works through a simple invitation to bring people closer to Him.

Now, I want you to start thinking: Who in your life could you invite to take a closer look at Jesus?‘

There are people around you—friends, family members, coworkers—who may be waiting for someone to extend that invitation.

Transition: Finally, there’s one more principle we need to learn about connecting others to Jesus. Let’s review:

Be excited enough to share Jesus with someone.

Care enough about their soul to share the Good News.

Allow them to be honest about their doubts.

Invite them to take a closer look at Jesus.

Now, let’s discover the fifth principle from John 1:47-51—where Philip steps aside, and Jesus takes center stage.

Philip did his part—he extended the invitation. But when Nathanael actually met Jesus, everything changed. Let’s read what happens next:

John 1:47 ESV

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

At this moment, Philip fades into the background. It’s no longer about Philip and Nathanael—it’s about Jesus and Nathanael.

John 1:48 ESV

48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

Nathanael is shocked—how could Jesus know about him? But Jesus reveals something incredible: “I saw you.”

Long before Philip invited Nathanael, Jesus was already aware of him. He had seen Nathanael under the fig tree, pondering the deep questions of life, God, and salvation. Jesus’ supernatural knowledge of Nathanael’s heart was proof that He was the Son of God.

John 1:49 ESV

49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

In that moment, Nathanael believes. His life is forever changed—he has finally found the One he’s been searching for all his life.

John 1:50–51 ESV

50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Jesus tells Nathanael, “You haven’t seen anything yet.” He is the bridge between Heaven and earth, and His coming miracles will reveal that truth.

I can imagine Philip grinning ear to ear as he realizes something profound: God was already at work in Nathanael’s heart long before he ever invited him.

That’s the fifth principle:

5. Trust That God Is Already at Work in Their Hearts

When you invite someone to meet Jesus, you’re not starting the process—God already has. Your job isn’t to convince or change them; it’s simply to point them toward Jesus and let Him do the rest.

So don’t be discouraged if someone doesn’t respond immediately. You never know what God is already doing in their heart. Trust that He is at work, and keep inviting them to “come and see.”

 Trust that God is already at work in their life.

 As much as Philip loved Nathanael and cared about his soul, there was One who loved him even more—God Himself. And as much as we care about our family members, friends, and neighbors, God cares about them even more. He loves them with an everlasting love. He is already at work in their lives. And He wants to use us to help bring them to Jesus.

We cannot make someone fall in love with Jesus, but we can arrange the introduction! It is not our job to save people—only God can do that. But it is our job to connect people to Jesus so they can come to know and trust Him as the Son of God.

Author Jerry Root put it this way:

“We don’t take God to anybody. He’s already there and already more interested in that person than we are. We’re just there to listen, to ask questions, and watch for God to show up.”

Conclusion:

Friends, imagine what would happen if we became like Philip. Imagine if we…

Were so excited about Jesus that we couldn’t help but share Him with those who don’t yet know Him.

Cared enough about people’s souls to tell them the Good News—that Jesus is the Savior who gives eternal life.

Allowed people to be honest about their doubts rather than dismissing them.

Invited them to take a closer look at Jesus for themselves.

Trusted that God is already at work in their lives!

I’ll tell you what will happen—many of the people we love will come to faith in Jesus! Like Nathanael, they will confess Him as the Son of God, and their lives will be forever changed. And you will have played a role in connecting them to Jesus!

Our church will experience the joy of seeing more and more people come to faith. Our community will be transformed as moms and dads, single adults, teenagers, children, and seniors find salvation in Christ.

Friend, Jesus found us so we can find others.

Jacksonville is known as the City of Bridges—a place where bridges connect communities across the St. Johns River and the Intracoastal Waterway. From just one room in the Bank of America Tower, you can see nine bridges.

I want our church to be known as a church of bridges—people connecting people to Jesus. With over 2,200 members, that means we have over 2,200 bridges to reach our city for Christ. Let’s connect people to Jesus! Because Jesus found us so we can find others.

Application:

Here’s where you can start. Think of three people in your life who need Jesus. Write their names down—on your bulletin, in your phone, or in your sermon notes. Keep those names somewhere visible as a daily reminder. Commit to praying for them and look for opportunities to connect them to Jesus by inviting them to church.

Why? Because Jesus found you so you can find others.

Bottom Line: We exist to help all people find and follow Jesus together.

Prayer:

Jesus, we bow before You with gratitude that You found us. In our sin and separation from the Father, You sought us out and called us to Yourself. Thank You for forgiving our sins, for dying on the cross, and for rising from the dead to give us eternal life.

We know You found us so we can find others. Put on our hearts today the names of people who need You. Help us to be a bridge, connecting them to You.

And Jesus, if there’s someone in this room today who needs to be connected to You through faith, I pray that today will be their day of salvation. May they trust You as the Son of God and receive the forgiveness You so freely offer.

In Your name, we pray. Amen.