Outreach Means Invitation

We did not find Jesus on our own. Someone pointed us to Him. We need to point others to Him. In the first chapter of John, Jesus begins His public ministry by personally inviting a select few to become His disciples. Andrew became a disciple before his more famous brother, Peter. In fact, it was Andrew who always seemed like he was bringing people to Jesus (he also found a little boy with loaves and fishes in John 6:8-9, and a delegation of Greeks in John 12:20-22). After this story, John describes Philip having a conversation with a cynic, Nathanael, who asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip does not try to convert Nathanael; he just listens to him and then invites him to “come and see.”

A witness knows the story is not about him or her. We are not the message; we are only the messengers. While we must know what we believe and why, we will be unsuccessful if we try to argue people into the kingdom of heaven. Paul had some great advice for us in conducting ourselves wisely and always having gracious speech. People are far more likely to be loved into the kingdom of God than preached into it. Kindness, gentleness, tenderness and humility consistently demonstrated are far easier to respond to than self-righteousness and condemnation.