The story about how the very first disciples met Jesus is simple, but fascinating. Philip had himself just met Jesus and probably didn???t know much more than one thing: that he had found what he had been looking for. But he was so convinced about this one thing that he immediately wanted to help his friend reach the same conviction.
Editor’s Note: This article was taken from the October 26th, 2005 Newsletter from the Oslo and Bergen, Norway Churches
“The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote ??? Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’
‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked.
‘Come and see,’ said Philip.” — John 1:43-46
The story about how the very first disciples met Jesus is simple, but fascinating. Philip had himself just met Jesus and probably didn???t know much more than one thing: that he had found what he had been looking for. But he was so convinced about this one thing that he immediately wanted to help his friend reach the same conviction.
When Ann Kristin was baptized here in Bergen in the end of July, she had already been talking to the sisters about this friend of hers from her former church who also wanted to study the Bible with us.
When Marita, who is 28 years old and comes from Bergen, was baptized in the ocean on Oct. 16th, the temperature was foreboding winter but the atmosphere was all the more special, since everyone present understood that they were witnessing the same chain reaction as described in John 1. And it doesn???t stop there ??? several of Marita???s friends have responded to her appeal to “Come and see!” and one of them, whom the brothers are studying the Bible with, was present at her baptism.
All in all, the disciples in Bergen are now involved in studying the Bible with 15 different people, and with the addition of one sister who decided to move here from Oslo in October, we are now 16 disciples. The place we rent for services doesn???t look so oversized any more.
But we don???t have to be young disciples to say “Come and see!” ??? and sometimes it takes time before the invitation is accepted. On Oct. 8th, Mervi was having the privilege of baptizing her co-worker, Elisabet, in Oslo. When Mervi tried reaching out to one of her patients three years ago, the response was fairly negative. Then they met again “by chance” at a work-related seminar two years later. While they kept in touch, Elisabet???s attitude slowly started changing. After becoming Mervi???s co-worker this fall, they started studying the Bible together, and after three weeks she finally became our sister!
God has a plan for every single person and the only thing we really need to do is to say, “Come and see!” How long it takes before someone responds is ultimately not that important when we see someone accept the invitation and receive eternal life.
Editor’s Note: To read the original article about the Bergen planting, go here.
