Sermon Series: Who We Are
Scripture: John 1:35-42
John Son
Introduction
In this short passage, John the Baptist points two of his disciples to Jesus, and they begin following Him. When Jesus sees them, He asks, “What are you seeking?” They ask where He is staying, and Jesus responds with a simple invitation: “Come and you will see.” (Show v.38-39)
Now, one of those two disciples is Andrew. And after spending time with Jesus, Andrew goes to find his brother Simon, tells him that they have found the Messiah, and brings him to Jesus.
Notice the pattern that begins to emerge here: people are introduced to Jesus, they begin following Him, and then they bring others to Him. This is a glimpse of what it looks like when people encounter Jesus and begin to take part in His mission.
Now, I want to be careful here because this pattern we see here is not like a rigid, “three-step formula” for discipleship. However, as we read it alongside the wider teaching of Scripture, these movements can help us think about how we intentionally participate in Jesus’ mission.
At New Hope Downtown, we have been emphasizing that Discipleship is the ongoing process of becoming more like Jesus by coming to know Him, love Him, and obey Him. That remains at the heart of everything we do as a church.
But how do we put that into practice? How do our different ministries work together to help people grow as disciples of Jesus? And how does each ministry fit into the bigger picture of our disciple-making mission?
To help us answer these questions, I want to introduce three movements of discipleship: 1. Come and See, 2. Come and Follow, and 3. Go and Bear Fruit.
These three movements give us a framework for understanding how we participate in the mission of Jesus and how our different ministries fit together in that mission. They are not rigid stages or separate boxes that we put people into, as if everyone must complete one before moving on to the next. Rather, they help us see the different ways we can invite people to Jesus, walk with them as they grow in Him, and equip them to live out their faith and help others follow Him.
And so, as we walk through these three movements, I want us to consider not only what our ministries do, but also how each ministry contributes to the bigger picture of making disciples. Because our goal is not simply to have active ministries or even a busy church. Our goal is to become a church where people come to know Jesus, grow to become more like Him, and help others do the same.
So let’s take a closer look at this framework, starting with:
1. Come and See: Creating Opportunities to Encounter Jesus
When Jesus sees these two men following Him, His first words are not a command or a lecture. In verse 38, Jesus asks them a question: “What are you seeking?” And when the two men ask where He is staying, verse 39 tells us that Jesus responds, “Come and you will see.” (Show v.38-39)
Notice how Jesus responds to their curiosity. These two disciples are not yet fully formed followers. They are only beginning to discover who Jesus is, and Jesus invites them to come closer and gives them the opportunity to discover who He is for themselves. He doesn’t require them to have everything figured out before they come to Him. He simply invites them to spend time with Him and see for themselves. So they go with Him, see where He is staying, and spend the rest of that day with Him.
This reminds us that Encountering Jesus is not simply about receiving information about Him; it is about coming to know Him personally. And that often takes time. It happens as people are welcomed, given space to explore, and invited into a relationship with Jesus and His people.
And that is where we see the heart of “Come and See.” Before people can grow in following Jesus, they need opportunities to encounter Him and to hear and understand the good news about Him.
People come to church from all kinds of places:
Some already know a great deal about Christianity, while others are exploring faith for the first time.
Some grew up in the church but have never really understood the gospel personally, while others are simply looking for friendship, community, or a place where they can ask honest questions.
Wherever they are coming from, we want to create opportunities for them to encounter Jesus, discover who He is, and take a step closer to Him.
That is one reason we have ministries that focus on welcoming people and building relationships. It is why we offer Alpha and Christianity 101, where seekers and new believers can ask honest questions about Jesus and the Christian faith.
Think about our Connect Team. Their work is not simply to stand in the back greeting people. Through a warm greeting, a conversation, or helping someone find their place, they make it easier for a person to take that first step toward becoming part of the community.
Our Events Team helps people build relationships beyond the Sunday worship service. Sometimes people first begin to feel connected to a church not through a formal program, but through a conversation over a meal, an activity, or a friendship that develops over time. Our casual events, like summer volleyball, winter skating, and board-game nights have created spaces for people to get to know our community in a relaxed and welcoming environment. And as those relationships grow, people may begin to open their hearts to the gospel and become more receptive to learning about Jesus. These events may seem simple, but they can be meaningful opportunities to help people take their first steps toward Him.
Now, we should be clear about something. Simply attending an event or walking through the church doors does not automatically mean someone has encountered Jesus in a life-changing way. We cannot manufacture faith through a well-organized program or a welcoming atmosphere. It is the Holy Spirit who opens hearts and brings people to faith. But we can faithfully create opportunities for people to hear the gospel, experience Christ-centered hospitality, build meaningful relationships, and take steps toward Jesus.
And this responsibility does not belong only to the teams I have mentioned. It belongs to all of us. When you invite a friend to church, when you take time to talk with someone who is new, when you welcome someone who does not yet know many people, you are participating in this movement. You may never know how much a simple act of kindness or a genuine conversation can mean to someone. But God can use these ordinary moments to open doors for the gospel.
So the question is not simply, “Did we organize a successful event?” or “Did we welcome people on Sunday?” The deeper question is: Are we helping people take steps toward Jesus? Are we making room for people to hear the gospel, ask questions, and discover what it means to belong to the family of God?
That is the heart of Come and See.
But the mission does not stop there. We do not want people to visit our church, enjoy our fellowship, and remain where they are spiritually. We want to help them grow in their relationship with Jesus. That brings us to the second movement.
2. Come and Follow: Walking Together as We Grow in Christ
When Andrew brings Simon to Jesus, Jesus looks at him and gives him a new name: Peter. This is the beginning of a much longer journey of following Jesus. At this point, Peter has not yet learned everything he needs to learn. He will misunderstand Jesus, struggle with fear, and need correction. He will grow, stumble, and grow again. In other words, meeting Jesus is just the beginning; the journey of becoming His disciple continues from there.
We see this more clearly in Matthew 4, when Jesus encounters Peter and Andrew by the Sea of Galilee as they are working as fishermen. Jesus calls them into a deeper commitment to follow Him. Listen to what He says in Matthew 4:19- “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
“Follow me.” That is the invitation. “I will make you fishers of men.” That is the promise. And notice who does the making: Jesus says, “I will make you.” As we follow Him, He shapes us. Discipleship is not about having everything figured out from the beginning; it is about faithfully following Jesus and allowing Him to transform us over time.
That is why Jesus says in Luke 9:23 - “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Following Jesus involves more than knowing information about Him. It means learning to trust Him as we surrender our lives, love what He loves, obey His Word, and become more like Him in every area of our lives.
And this is not a journey we are meant to take alone. God has given us the church—a community where we learn from His Word, pray for one another, encourage one another, speak truth to one another, and help one another keep following Jesus.
This is where our Life Groups and Discipleship Classes become especially important.
In our Life Groups, we share life together, pray for one another, and discuss the Sunday sermon so that we can apply God’s Word to our everyday lives. But the goal is not simply to have a good discussion every other week. Our goal is to help one another grow as disciples of Jesus, mutually encouraging and shaping one another in the way of Christ.
When someone shares a struggle, we listen, pray, and walk alongside them. When someone is discouraged, we remind them of God’s promises. When we see a brother or sister growing in faith, we give thanks and encourage them to keep going. And when we are struggling ourselves, we humble ourselves to receive the care, wisdom, and support God provides through His people.
In other words, we are not simply attending a Life Group to receive something for ourselves. We are also there to help others grow in Christ, just as they help us grow. This is mutual discipleship: walking alongside one another, helping one another follow Jesus, and becoming more like Him together in the ordinary realities of life.
Our Discipleship Classes equip us to think, love, and serve like Jesus. As we study Scripture and learn more about the Christian faith, we are better able to understand the gospel, discern God’s truth, and live faithfully in the different circumstances of our lives.
But I want to emphasize something important. Discipleship is not the responsibility of our Life Group leaders, teachers, pastors, or ministry leaders alone. Those who lead and teach carry a particular responsibility, but every believer is called to take part in the growth of the body. You do not need to have all the answers to encourage another believer. You do not need to be a Bible expert to pray with someone. You do not need to be spiritually mature in every area of life before you can share what God is teaching you. We grow as we walk together, with humility, patience, and a willingness to keep learning from Jesus.
And the goal is not simply to become more knowledgeable Christians or to become better at church activities. Knowledge is important, but knowledge alone is not the goal. The goal is to become more like Jesus—to know Him more deeply, love Him more genuinely, and obey Him more faithfully.
But here’s the thing - Even that growth is not something we achieve through our own strength. The gospel reminds us that we are people who have been saved by grace, and we depend on Christ not only for the beginning of our Christian lives, but for every step of our growth. So we keep returning to Jesus, receiving His grace, learning from His Word, and depending on His Spirit to change us.
So as we think about this movement, we can ask ourselves: Are our ministries helping people grow in Christ? Are we creating opportunities for honest relationships, biblical learning, prayer, accountability, and practical obedience? Are we inspiring and encouraging one another follow Jesus in our homes, at work, at school, and in our relationships?
That is the heart of Come and Follow.
But even this is not the end of the journey. Jesus doesn’t call us to follow Him only for our own spiritual growth. He shapes us so that our lives will bear fruit for His glory and for the good of others. That brings us to the third movement.
3. Go and Bear Fruit: Living Out Our Faith and Helping Others Follow Jesus
Look again at what Andrew does after meeting Jesus. He does not keep the news to himself. He goes to find his brother and brings him to Jesus.
What this shows is that - Encountering Jesus and following Him begins to change the way we live and relate to others. The good news that has changed us becomes good news we want others to hear.
This is also what Jesus teaches in John 15. He describes Himself as the true vine and His disciples as the branches. Listen to verse 5: 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
And then in verse 16, Jesus says: 16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit...”
Notice the order. Abiding comes first, and fruit follows. We do not bear fruit in order to earn God’s love or prove that we deserve to belong to Him. We bear fruit because we already belong to Jesus and depend on Him. As our lives begin to reflect His character, we become participants in His work in the world. So the goal of discipleship is not simply that we would become mature Christians. It is that, as we grow in Christ, our lives would increasingly reflect Him and serve His purposes.
Here at New Hope Downtown, our Local Missions Team has a particular role in helping us live out this calling of Go and Bear Fruit. Their purpose is to inspire, mobilize, and equip our members to live missionally by sharing the gospel in word and deed—in our everyday lives, throughout Downtown Toronto, and especially among those who are marginalized. One way they do this is through our partnership with Good Shepherd, an organization that serves marginalized and vulnerable people in our city. Through this partnership, our members have opportunities to serve others practically and demonstrate the love of Christ.
But Jesus does not send us only to our own city. He sends us to make disciples of all nations. That is why our Overseas Mission Team leads mission trips to places like India and Germany. Just as Cherlene shared with us today, these mission trips are one way our members can take part in Jesus’ mission beyond our local community. Through these efforts, we want to inspire and equip our members to share the gospel and make disciples, both locally and globally. Some may be called to go, while others may be called to pray for, support, and send those who do.
These teams play an important role in helping our church participate in Jesus’ mission. But when we talk about Go and Bear Fruit, we are talking about more than what we do together as a church through our organized ministries and mission efforts. As a church, we want to cultivate disciples who embrace this calling and learn to bear fruit in their own lives, wherever God has placed them. Our mission teams are one way we live this out together, but the call to Go and Bear Fruit belongs to every follower of Jesus.
That means our calling does not end when a mission trip is over or when we leave the church building on Sunday. God has placed each of us in homes, workplaces, schools, neighbourhoods, and relationships where we can bear fruit for His glory and point others to Jesus. We may pray for a friend who does not know Jesus, show compassion to someone who is struggling, or look for opportunities to share the hope we have in Christ. We can also help fellow believers grow in their faith by encouraging someone who is new to the faith, praying with a struggling brother or sister, or walking alongside someone as they learn to understand and apply God’s Word.
This is the kind of discipleship we want to cultivate at New Hope Downtown: disciples who do not simply grow in their own relationship with Jesus, but whose lives begin to bear fruit for His glory and the good of others. Wherever we go and whatever our circumstances may be, we want to keep asking how we can live out our faith, serve others, and help people take their next steps in following Jesus.
That is the heart of Go and Bear Fruit.
Conclusion: One Church, One Mission
Now, as I bring this message to a close, let’s bring these three movements together. Come and See. Come and Follow. Go and Bear Fruit.
These are not three separate missions. They are three ways of seeing how we take part in the one mission Jesus has given His church. We create opportunities for people to encounter Jesus and connect with His people. We walk alongside one another as we grow in knowing, loving, and obeying Him. And as we remain in Christ, we live out our faith, serve others, share the gospel, and help others follow Jesus.
Along the way, we have looked at several of our ministries. But there are others whose service is just as much a part of this mission, and I want to make sure we recognize them too. And please don’t hear any of this as sorting our ministries into boxes. Almost every ministry in our church touches all three movements, and every one of them has a part in this one mission.
To our Sunday Operations Team: much of what you do goes unnoticed, from preparing for the sacraments to making sure the snacks are ready. But because you serve, our congregation can gather, worship, and be fed by the Word and by one another. Your faithfulness is part of how people meet Jesus here.
To our Praise Team: through the songs you lead, you help us Come and See Jesus as we worship Him together, and you help us Come and Follow as we respond to Him in faith and obedience. Sometimes, a song of praise can touch our hearts in ways that a sermon alone may not.
To our Media Team: through the sermon slides, announcements, social media, and livestreaming you prepare, you help our congregation engage more deeply with God’s Word, keep people connected to the life of our church, and extend our worship and teaching beyond these walls. Your service helps people Come and See Jesus and Come and Follow Him.
To our Education Department: through your ministry to our children and youth, you help them Come and See who Jesus is, Come and Follow Him as they grow in their faith, and Go and Bear Fruit by living out their faith in their homes, schools, and everyday lives. You are not simply teaching them about Jesus; you are helping shape them into disciples who know Him, follow Him, and live for Him.
To our Sprouts Ministry Team: as you care for our youngest children, you give parents the freedom to participate in worship and grow in their own walk with Jesus, while helping our little ones begin their own journey of Come and See as they experience the love and care of God’s family.
To our Intercessory Prayer Team: as you intercede for our church and its ministries, you remind us that Come and See, Come and Follow, and Go and Bear Fruit all depend on the Lord’s work in us and through us. Through your faithful prayers, you uphold every ministry as we seek to make disciples.
And to every one of you who does not serve on a team: you are not on the sidelines. In your home, your workplace, your school, and your neighbourhood, you have been sent too.
Our tasks are different, but our purpose is the same: that people would come and see Jesus, follow Him, and go and bear fruit. So whatever you do in this church, the question is not only “What is my task or How can I serve?” but “How does this ministry, or my place in this church, help someone know Jesus and become more like Him?”
Now, we will not do this perfectly. We will have seasons when our ministries feel stretched, we will have people who need more care than we know how to give, and times when we wonder whether our efforts are making a difference.
But let me remind you once again - we do not carry this mission alone. The same Jesus who gave us the Great Commission, who has all authority in heaven and earth, has promised to be with us always!
And the same Jesus who calls us to bear fruit is the one who reminds us to abide in Him, remain in Him and rest in His faithfulness!
So my brothers and sisters, as we take on this mission as a church to make disciples, let us keep our eyes on Jesus, abide and depend on Him as we serve one another faithfully, encourage one another patiently, and seek to make disciples together — so that we may be a church where people come and see Jesus, where they come and follow Him together, and where they go and bear fruit for His glory. Amen.
Reflection and Response
Let’s take a moment to reflect and respond. As the Holy Spirit is prompting our hearts, let’s ask ourselves – As it pertains to:
1. Come and See: How can I help someone encounter Jesus or feel welcomed into the life of our church?
2. Come and Follow: Who is helping me grow in knowing, loving, and obeying Jesus? How can I help someone else grow in their faith?
3. Go and Bear Fruit: How is Jesus calling me to live out my faith, serve others, or help someone else follow Him?
4. As a church: How can my ministry team or How can I as a member become more intentional about contributing to our shared mission of making disciples?
