God has always told people to come to a place, come to me, come out from them, and in general, come live with me. To live with God is to listen to Him, Obey Him, and “walk” daily with Him. The example of a truly righteous man who did just that is recorded in Genesis 5:24. “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”
At times the message, the command really, to come was directed to an individual like Abraham. Sometimes it was passed through messengers like Moses, who was sent to bring Israel out of Egypt or other prophets sent to call Israel from sin back to God. And now, the final message is through His Son, Our Lord, and Christ, Hebrews 1:1-2.
Always, the message has been one of education, reasoning, and encouragement. Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD…The result of the call to come, going to the whole world, has been as foretold in Isaiah 2:3 Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths…”
Each time the church meets, an invitation is extended to come to Jesus. We are not the one inviting but only extending the invitation He made in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
In Jesus’ invitation, there is a contrast made between the burdens the world places on a person and the burden (yoke) He places. The world places a significant, tiresome, mental, and physical strain on humanity with no lasting reward. Jesus offers gentle, loving care to those who learn of Him, do things His way, and the eternal reward of eternal life with Him.
Jesus makes it very clear that the call to “come” is from The Father. He says in John 6:37-39 “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me (answer the call to come), and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day.”
Jesus promised that He would go to heaven, prepare places for each, and return to take all who follow Him to heaven John 14:2-3. A few hours later, He prayed to The Father that all who came to Him would be with Him. John 17:24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Today, we do as Isaiah 2:3 said would happen. As Andrew invited Peter, John 1:40-42, Philip invited Nathaniel, John 1:43-46, the Samaritan woman, invited her neighbors John 4:28-30, we encourage people to; come hear His word, come learn of Him, and come follow Him into eternity.
Many have the idea that to talk to others about the gospel plan of salvation, they need to know everything. But New Testament examples show people who knew very little ran to tell others what little they had learned. Then together, their knowledge grew. Even the church at Corinth was started, taught, and admonished over time. Paul planted the seed of truth; Apollos helped it grow. But the word of God could increase both the physical size and spiritual strength of the church. 1 Corinthians 3:6. There is a saying among some to “tell what you know and grow.” With each growth period comes the ability to tell more of the gospel.
Many among us can “plant the seed.” There are many also who can teach the fundamental principles of God’s word. There are enough who can teach the deeper things of the Spirit and those passages Peter describes as “hard to understand,” 2 Peter 3:16 referring to Paul’s writings. Not one of us can ever spread all the word of God to everyone. But working together, we can spread the truth of God’s Word throughout our community.
So let us begin planting the seed by inviting others to “come” hear the Word of The Lord.