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It wasn’t long after coming to College Station that I was introduced to a little restaurant down the street known as Café Eccell. Actually it was the Strawberry Tart at Café Eccell to which I was introduced that caused me to sigh, “I think I’m going to like it here – very much.” Have you ever tasted that thing? I have in turn introduced many people to this dessert delicacy. In fact, that very week I was back in search of more, with a friend in tow, “Whatever you get for lunch is up to you,” I said, “but for dessert you have to try the Strawberry Tart.”

Some people examine it for its contents. They wonder just how the shell gets made and what the ingredients of the cream in the middle might be. These are questions I’ve never wondered. I only need to know three words, “Strawberry Tart, please.”

My friend, Russ, once mentioned to me, “What if people would ever get as excited about Jesus as we do about sports and food?”

I think about that a lot when I am screaming my lungs out at a baseball game or sighing with wonder at the table. I remember a time when people did. It was one of the first stories I came upon when reading the gospel according to John. Look at the excitement and unrestrained desire to share the experience in this passage of scripture found in John 1:35-46. Hear now the word of the Lord:

35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o”clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

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 about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth .” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth ?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. In this passage John recorded for his readers the invitational spirit present at the meeting of Christ. Let’s pray.

This passage pleases my friend Russ, I’m sure. It is filled with a contagious excitement. The disciples that we meet in this passage are not experts. In fact, Leon Morris, a New Testament scholar describes Philip as “a perfectly ordinary person of limited ability.” No, they are not experts, but they are enthusiastic. We discover anew in this passage that to invite someone to Jesus does not require an answer key, it only takes us saying, “Come and see.”

Come and See Some Things that Are Too Good to Miss.

There was something about John the Baptizer’s gaze that led two of his disciples to follow Jesus. John Calvin contrasted that look to the millions of people who merely glance at Jesus and then go back to what they were doing. These two disciples saw in John the Baptizer’s gaze that something was different about this man upon whom he looked, something too good to miss. Immediately the two disciples of John started following Jesus. When he asked what they wanted they asked him, “Where are you staying?” I prefer the King James rendering of this question, “Where dwellest thou?” because it directs my attention to not only where Jesus is camping out, but also “where do you come from?” I think the two disciples recognized that there was something special about this man – something too good to miss.

You’ve had those moments haven’t you, moments that are simply too good to miss? I have. In fact, a few weeks ago when one of our library patrons offered me tickets to the presentation of the 2006 George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service to Billy Graham I rearranged my calendar. I knew this was a big deal. Billy Graham has been used by God to change so many lives and comfort so many world leaders, that I simply had to go. When an extra ticket turned up in the office I mentioned to Tammy that we ought to take Zac. Let me tell you how excited a 15-year old preacher’s kid got when he heard we were going to spend our evening at an award ceremony for an 87-year-old world-renowned preacher – not very. But I was convinced that this was a moment too good to miss. We got there at 5 til 5 (it started at 5) and the place was packed. Fortunately, a few of the ushers were students who attend this church. We were escorted to the front of Rudder Auditorium to the VIP section. It was not that we were VIP’s, but some of those who were could not make it, so we got their seats. My son’s mood softened when he noticed Chuck Norris a few rows in front of us. Billy Graham was frail. He has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, endured a battle against cancer and was just getting over a bout with bronchitis. He used a walker and spoke much softer than the times I have heard him at televised crusades. The message, however, still rang clear:

“My calling has been to proclaim the gospel and urging people to commit their lives to Christ,” he said. “My calling has been to help people look beyond this world and its problems to the world to come - to help us understand that we weren’t created for this life alone, but we were created for eternity and for fellowship with God.”

That statement alone was too good to miss. I’m glad Tammy and I were there and that we had our son with us.

I’m convinced that what has driven Billy Graham to preach to over 210 million people over six decades is the same thing that brings many of you here today and is the same thing that caused those two disciples to follow Jesus – some things are too good to miss. I’m sure the two disciples had so much that they wanted to ask Jesus, but all they could think of was, “Where dwellest thou?” I’m sure that there was so much that Jesus could have said in response, but all he said was, “Come and see.” Could it be that simple? Perhaps our primary task as followers of Jesus is to invite others to experience Jesus. Remember to invite someone to Jesus does not require an answer key, it only takes us saying, “Come and see. Come and see some things that is too good to miss.”

Come and See Some Things that Are Too Good to Keep to Oneself.

So those two disciples went and spent the day with him. It must have been quite a day, for by the end of it Andrew was convinced that this was the much anticipated Messiah. The first thing he did was to find his brother, Simon, and bring him to Jesus. This was simply too good to keep to himself. Each time we meet Andrew in this gospel he is bringing someone to Jesus. In chapter 6 he is bringing a boy with some loaves and fish to Jesus. He is bringing Greeks seeking Jesus to the Savior in chapter 12.

Franklin Graham noticed this and initiated a friendship ministry entitled Operation Andrew , a five-step approach for bringing people to Jesus. I’ve adapted it slightly to fit our setting at A&M United Methodist Church:

• Look around for people you know who need Jesus in their lives.
• Look up to God as you pray every day for these persons.
• Look out for opportunities to build on your relationships with these individuals in authentic ways.
• Look forward to inviting these individuals to hear your faith story or experience your faith community.
• Look after those who respond to your invitation. Do not leave them on the pew and consider mission accomplished. The mission is to invite others to Jesus through authentic relationships. Don’t ever compromise that.

So much has been made of this part of Christianity that it can feel like a daunting task. There are life-long Christians who are intimidated by the thought of inviting another person to hear their faith story or experience their faith community. They feel inadequate for such a potentially life changing moment. Many of us have even quit using the term “witness” because it seems to describe those other churches who do that kind of stuff, like knock on doors and ask, “If you died tonight, where would you spend eternity?” However, let me reclaim the word “witness” for us as it was initially employed – as a legal term. A witness is only to tell what that person has experienced. We hear no lofty christological explanations from Andrew, no questions related to eternity. All we see is a guy who just experienced something too good to keep to himself. Remember to invite someone to Jesus does not require an answer key, it only takes us saying, “Come and see. Come and see something too good to keep to myself.”

Come and See Some Things that Are too Good to Believe.

The Jewish people had been looking for the Messiah for a long time. One commentator cited that the Rabbis had interpreted 456 Old Testament passages messianically. 456 signs peppered throughout the scriptures, each declaring that God’s Anointed One would come – stay alert. The problem was that after all the centuries of waiting this was too good to believe. Then for Nathanael to hear that the Promised One was from Nazareth – impossible! R.V.G. Tasker in his commentary on John wrote, “Nathanael’s prejudice is at once aroused. Nazareth was in Galilee, and Galilee has only produced hot-headed fanatics and bogus-Christs.” Perhaps Philip could have argued with Nathanael and cited all the wonders of this man from Nazareth, but he knew what would be much more effective, three words – “Come and See.”

It is not an easy thing to convince people of a grace that Jesus offers. I describe that grace with the acronym, “FAB” – forgiveness, acceptance, belonging. As I describe how God’s grace through Jesus brings forgiveness for all those things about which we have felt so much guilt for such a long time, people look at me with eyes that long for such a commodity, but never thought it possible. When I talk about the universal need for acceptance that I felt most profoundly in middle school, but which has never fully left me, I see the common experience in those with whom I am talking. When I speak of the almost euphoric feeling of belonging that God offers, I see the eyes of wanderers who have been searching for that place for a long time. FAB – forgiveness, acceptance, belonging – all coming out of Nazareth (are you sure?) I see the look so often. It is a look of things too good to believe. To which I offer three words, “Come and see.”

Eugene Peterson wrote in his book, Working the Angles:

“It is God with whom we have to do. People go for long stretches of time without being aware of that, thinking that it is money, or sex, or work, or children, or parents, or a political cause, or an athletic competition, or learning with which they must deal. Any one or a combination of these subjects can absorb them and for a time give them meaning and purpose that human beings seem to require. But then there is a slow stretch of boredom. Or a disaster. Or a sudden collapse of meaning. They want more. They want God.”

When we invite them to meet the Messiah we may very well get that, “this is too good to believe” look. To which we need only offer three words. Remember to invite someone to Jesus does not require an answer key, it only takes us saying, “Come and see.”

Inviting people to Jesus used to be so easy. Look at it in this passage of scripture. Do you want to know where Jesus is staying? Come and see. Do you want to bring your brother to meet this new guy from Nazareth? Tell him to come and see. Is there a friend that thinks this grace that I call FAB is too good to believe? Invite that person to come and see. It should be as easy as introducing someone to the Strawberry Tart at Café Eccell. I don’t care how they make it, I just want to be sure they have some more. Remember to invite someone to Jesus does not require an answer key, it only takes us saying, “Come and see.”

Amen.