Come And See What The Lord Can Do

Today is a day of celebration. We welcome Donna, David, Merwyn and AnnMarie into the life of this congregation. We give thanks for the paths that have brought them here. Perhaps after a long journey of faith or after time away. Whatever the path, we celebrate that God has led us together to this moment. Whenever we welcome new members, it is natural to ask: What does it mean to belong to a church? What does it mean to follow Jesus? And what can we expect from him?
The answer begins not with what we can do for Jesus, but with what Jesus has already done and continues to do for us. In John’s Gospel, Jesus gives a simple invitation: “Come and see” (John 1:39). That invitation still stands today. Come and see God’s love at work, lives changed, forgiveness offered freely. Come and see hope where there once was despair. The Christian faith is not first about mastering a set of doctrines. It is about meeting a person—the living Christ.
When people encountered Jesus in the Gospels, remarkable things happened. The blind received sight. The lame walked. The hungry were fed. The guilty found forgiveness. The grieving found comfort. And those fearful disciples found courage. Repeatedly, Jesus met people where they were and led them toward where God wanted them to be. That is still what Jesus does today. The details may differ, but the grace remains the same. Perhaps the greatest gift Jesus offers is found in his words from Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
“Come to me, all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Many of us hear those words and immediately feel their power because we know what it means to be weary. There is physical weariness. Many people carry chronic pain, illness, aging bodies, sleepless nights, or caregiving responsibilities. There is emotional weariness. Worry about children, marriages, finances, communities, and the future can become a constant companion. There is spiritual weariness. Sometimes faith itself can feel exhausting. We wonder if we are doing enough, believing enough, serving enough, praying enough. The burdens pile up. Some burdens come from life itself. Others come from expectations we place upon ourselves. Isn’t that the truth! We can never be enough.
The promise is not that life will suddenly become easy. The promise is that we do not carry our burdens alone. The Christian life is not the absence of struggles. It is the presence of Christ within them. As Psalm 46 reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. God is a present help. Right now, Today, at this very moment.
Jesus specializes in new beginnings. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.” We all need to hear these words so we can let go of mistakes we can’t forget, and receive God’s forgiveness. The Gospel declares that God’s grace is always greater than our failures. Peter denied Jesus three times yet became a leader of the church. Paul persecuted Christians yet became one of Christianity’s greatest apostles. Mary Magdalene became the first witness to the resurrection. The Bible is full of people whom God transformed.
God is still transforming lives. Jesus sees not only who we are but who, by God’s grace, we can become. That is good news for every new member and every longtime member alike. Because We are all still growing, still learning, and being formed by God’s Spirit. That is why church matters. Christianity has always been a shared journey. The New Testament repeatedly speaks of believers as a family, a body, a community. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” Think about that image. A body functions because its parts work together. Each member contributes something unique. All are needed. Membership is not merely having your name on a church roll.
It is becoming part of a living community where people worship together, learn together, serve together, and care for one another. Zion’s Red Church is a place where burdens can be shared. Most importantly, it is a place where Christ promises to be present.
Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). The church is holy because Christ is present, not because it’s members or pastor are perfect. We gather together because we need God’s grace. We hear God’s Word, we pray, we ask for and receive forgiveness. And Christ meets us again and again.
Today, as we welcome new members, let us remember that we are all recipients of God’s grace. Whether you joined this church fifty years ago or five minutes ago, the foundation is the same. Jesus Christ is the one who calls us, who forgives us and who strengthens us. Jesus Christ is the one who sends us into the world to love and serve.
So to our new members, welcome. Welcome to a community that seeks to follow Jesus. Welcome to a family of faith that rejoices in your presence. And for all of us, hear again the promise of Scripture from Paul in Romans:
Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
Thanks be to God. Amen.