The Power of Invitation: Living as Responsible Followers of Jesus

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of a Simple Invitation

A single, genuine invitation to experience Jesus can have a ripple effect that changes lives, families, and even the world. When Andrew met Jesus, he didn’t try to explain everything to his brother Simon Peter—he simply said, “We have found the Messiah,” and brought him to Jesus. That one act of inviting led to Peter becoming a foundational leader in the early church. Sometimes, the most significant impact you can have is not through eloquent words or deep explanations, but by inviting someone to “come and see” for themselves. [27:27]

John 1:40-42 (ESV)
One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

Reflection: Who in your life could you simply invite to experience Jesus with you—without pressure or explanation—just a heartfelt “come and see”?

Day 2: Jesus Is Better Experienced Than Explained

There are moments when words fall short, and the best way for someone to understand the hope and transformation Jesus offers is to experience Him personally. Philip’s response to Nathaniel’s skepticism wasn’t to argue or debate, but to say, “Come and see.” This approach recognizes that faith is often caught, not just taught, and that authentic encounters with Jesus can break through even the hardest doubts. [29:07]

John 1:45-46 (ESV)
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.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Reflection: Is there someone in your life who is skeptical or searching? How could you invite them to experience Jesus in a way that goes beyond words?

Day 3: Your Past Does Not Disqualify You from Inviting Others

No matter your history or reputation, Jesus welcomes you and can use your story to draw others to Him. The Samaritan woman at the well had a painful past and little influence in her community, yet after encountering Jesus, she became a powerful inviter—her testimony led many in her town to meet Jesus for themselves. Your story, with all its ups and downs, can be the very thing God uses to reach others. [33:04]

John 4:28-30 (ESV)
So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him.

Reflection: What part of your story might God use to encourage someone else to come and see Jesus, regardless of your past?

Day 4: Invest and Invite—Loving People Authentically

Being a responsible follower of Jesus means investing in relationships with genuine care, not treating people as projects, but as individuals deeply loved by God. When you invest in someone’s life—whether a friend, neighbor, coworker, or family member—and invite them to experience Jesus, you’re participating in God’s work of transformation. This is not about obligation or growing numbers, but about sharing the hope and love you’ve found. [36:33]

Romans 12:10-13 (ESV)
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Reflection: Who is God prompting you to invest in with authentic love, and how might you take a step to invite them into your faith community?

Day 5: Listening for the Cues—Responding to God’s Promptings

Opportunities to invite others often come when people share that things aren’t going well, they’re not prepared for something, or they’re not connected to a church. These “three knots” are like signals, inviting you to step in with compassion and extend an invitation. Paying attention to these cues can open doors for others to experience hope, community, and the life-changing presence of Jesus. [38:09]

Colossians 4:5-6 (ESV)
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Reflection: This week, listen closely for someone expressing a struggle, uncertainty, or disconnection—how can you respond with a gracious invitation to experience Jesus with you?

Sermon Summary

As we wrap up our series on responsibility, I want to challenge us to expand our understanding of what it means to be responsible followers of Jesus. It’s not just about taking responsibility for our own lives—our past, our present, our future—but also about considering the impact we have on others, especially those who are not yet part of our faith community. What kind of legacy are we leaving? What do we want people to thank us for at the end of our lives? These are questions that should shape how we live and interact with the world around us.

At Current, our vision from the very beginning has been to create a church that unchurched, de-churched, and church-hurt people love to engage with—a place where anyone can belong, regardless of where they are on their faith journey. This vision has been built by people who took responsibility not just for themselves, but for the next generation and for those outside our walls. There are five key ways we live this out: showing up on Sundays, serving on a team, connecting in a group, giving a percentage of our income, and inviting others to experience what we’ve found.

Inviting others isn’t about growing a big church for its own sake, or out of obligation, or because we think there’s something wrong with people. It’s about sharing what has genuinely changed our lives. Jesus makes life better and makes us better at life. But some things can’t be fully explained—they have to be experienced. That’s why a simple invitation can be so powerful. Throughout the Gospels, we see lives changed not by arguments or clever tactics, but by personal invitations: “Come and see.” Whether it was Andrew inviting Peter, Philip inviting Nathaniel, the Samaritan woman inviting her whole town, or Matthew inviting his friends, the story of Jesus has always moved forward through relationships and invitations.

Being responsible means paying attention to the people around us—listening for the cues that someone is struggling, unprepared, or disconnected from church—and responding with genuine care. Our role is to invest in people’s lives, love them as Jesus does, and invite them to experience the hope and transformation we’ve found. This is our signature move as followers of Jesus: to invest and invite, not because people are projects, but because they are deeply loved by God. As we enter the Christmas season, let’s be attentive to those around us and courageous in our invitations, knowing that a simple “come and see” can change a life—and maybe even the world.

Key Takeaways

1. Legacy is shaped by intentional responsibility The legacy we leave is not accidental; it’s the result of taking responsibility for both our own lives and the lives of others. When we ask what we want people to thank us for, it reframes our daily choices and priorities. True responsibility means investing in things that outlast us, especially the spiritual well-being of others. [01:46]
2. Invitation is more powerful than explanation Many spiritual truths are better experienced than explained. Rather than relying on arguments or clever tactics, a simple, authentic invitation—“come and see”—can open the door to transformation. Our role is to create irresistible environments and extend genuine invitations, trusting that God will do the rest. [24:25]
3. Invest in people, not projects We are called to invest in relationships, not treat people as projects to be “fixed.” Genuine care, love, and presence are what open hearts to the message of Jesus. When we love people as they are, without agenda, our invitations become meaningful and life-giving. [36:33]
4. Pay attention to the cues around you God often signals opportunities for us to invite others through the “three knots”: when things are not going well, when someone is not prepared for a new season, or when someone is not in church. Being attentive to these cues and responding with a simple invitation can be a catalyst for life change. [38:09]
5. Our greatest responsibility is to invite The story of Jesus has always moved forward through personal invitations. As followers of Jesus, our greatest responsibility is to invest in others and invite them to experience the hope, grace, and transformation we’ve found. This is how we participate in God’s work of changing lives, one invitation at a time. [44:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:21] - The Question of Responsibility
[01:21] - Legacy and What Matters Most
[03:50] - Why Start a Different Kind of Church
[05:20] - Five Ways to Take Responsibility
[06:15] - The Power of Showing Up
[06:59] - Serving and Spiritual Growth
[07:37] - Groups: Real Community
[08:41] - Giving as Faith and Support
[09:55] - The Transformative Power of Invitation
[11:13] - Insiders, Outsiders, and Our Mission
[14:17] - Why, Who, and How We Invite
[16:41] - What Invitation Is and Isn’t
[23:04] - Jesus Makes Life Better
[24:25] - Jesus Is Better Experienced Than Explained
[26:46] - The Ripple Effect of Invitation
[29:32] - Jesus Crosses Boundaries
[33:53] - Matthew’s Story: No One Is Disqualified
[35:55] - Invest and Invite: Our Signature Move
[37:53] - Listening for the Three Knots
[43:31] - The Cues Will Tell You the Who’s
[44:54] - What Will People Thank You For?
[45:44] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 1:40-46 (ESV) — > One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
> The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 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.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

John 4:28-30, 39 (ESV) — > So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and were coming to him.
> ...
> Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”

Observation Questions

In John 1, what was Andrew’s first response after spending time with Jesus? What did he do next?
How did Philip respond to Nathanael’s skepticism about Jesus? What phrase did he use?
What did the Samaritan woman do after her encounter with Jesus at the well? Who did she go to, and what was her message?
According to the sermon, what are the “three knots” that can serve as cues for us to invite someone to church? ([38:09])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Andrew and Philip’s invitations to others were so effective, even though they didn’t try to explain everything about Jesus?
The sermon says, “Invitation is more powerful than explanation.” What does this mean in the context of sharing faith? ([24:25])
The Samaritan woman had a complicated past, yet her invitation led many in her town to Jesus. What does this suggest about who God can use to reach others? ([33:30])
The sermon talks about “investing in people, not projects.” What’s the difference between treating someone as a project and genuinely caring for them? ([36:33])

Application Questions

The sermon asks, “What would you like people to line up at the end of your life to thank you for?” Take a moment to reflect: What do you hope your legacy will be? How does this shape your daily choices? ([01:46])
Think about the five ways the sermon described taking responsibility (showing up, serving, connecting, giving, inviting). Which of these comes most naturally to you, and which is most challenging? Why? ([05:20])
The “three knots” are: things are not going well, not prepared for, and not in church. Can you think of someone in your life who is experiencing one of these? What would it look like to invite them to “come and see”? ([38:09])
The sermon says, “Jesus is better experienced than explained.” Have you ever tried to explain your faith and felt stuck? How might a simple invitation be more effective? ([24:25])
Have you ever hesitated to invite someone to church because you were worried about how it would come across? What holds you back, and how could you overcome that? ([18:26])
The sermon encourages us to “invest and invite” as our signature move. Who is someone you can intentionally invest in this month—not as a project, but as a person you care about? What’s one step you can take? ([36:33])
As we enter the Christmas season, what is one practical way you can be attentive to the cues around you and be courageous in your invitations? ([44:16])

Sermon Clips

Our goal from the very beginning was to create a place where unchurched people or people with varied or limited church experience would come, and they would get an experience that felt helpful to them, that they would walk out going, that was very enjoyable. Like, I look forward to going back to that next week, where people might walk out and go, hey, I'm not sure if I believe everything you believe. I'm not sure if I'm there yet, but man, I sure do like being around you guys, and I can't wait to come back the next week. That's what we wanted to create. [00:04:23] (28 seconds) #WelcomingCommunity

Giving, your giving, as Ryan was just talking about just a moment ago, is literally how the church functions. It's literally how we exist. We cannot exist without people's giving. And here's the great thing about giving. It also grows your faith. Because when you, like Jesus himself, he taught us that our hearts are most attached to our wallets. That's the thing that we are most attached to. And so when we're attached to something, we give and we give sacrificially. And then when we give sacrificially and God shows up, it grows our faith. [00:08:52] (29 seconds) #FaithGrowsThroughGiving

And so what that means for us is that our greatest opportunity, and really, I would say our greatest responsibility in light of the series that we're going through, I think one of our greatest, if not the greatest responsibilities that we have as followers of Jesus is to invite people, to invite outsiders. And as you look around you, we've got plenty of empty seats just waiting for them. [00:13:54] (22 seconds) #InviteOutsiders

But there are some things in life, you know this, we all know this, there are some things in life that are kind of difficult to explain. It's like I could try and explain it to you, but you really just kind of have to experience it for yourself. And I think that's how Jesus is. I believe that Jesus is better experienced than explained. It's like, oh, I wish I could explain him to you. I wish I could, but like you just, you got to just come to church. You got to just experience it. Like that would be so much better than any explanation I could possibly give you. [00:24:03] (32 seconds) #ExperienceOverExplanation

``Just to go back to the question I started off our time with, what would you like people to line up at the end of your life to thank you for? What do you want people to line up at the end of your life and thank you for? Thank you. Thank you for telling me. Because you told me about this, I've met Jesus and he has changed my life. [00:45:07] (19 seconds) #ThankfulForJesus

And one of the things, a phrase that we hear around Christmas time, I found Jesus and I've discovered that he is not just the light of the world, but he is now the light of my world. This is what the responsibles, this is what the responsibles do. They answer that call and make a difference and invest and invite. [00:45:26] (24 seconds) #LightOfMyWorld

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What is the primary reason for inviting others to Jesus?

How do personal stories influence others to follow Jesus?

What cues signal it's time to invite someone to church?