For God so Loved
May be seated.
Please turn in your Bibles to John chapter 3 and we will be focusing on verses 1 to 21 today. So I turning arrivals to John chapter 3 before we turn to God's word lettuce. Good time for prayer.
Oh gracious, Heavenly Father. Your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. We pray that you would work in amongst this time as we spend together opening your word. That our hearts would be enlightened that our minds would be enlightened as well that we would know, you more fully love you more deeply and serve you more worship Lee we pray that we would leave here at change people not because of my words but rather because of your words to your people Lord Empower me to speak your words graciously truthfully openly and honestly and let me get out of the way so that you can do your work in a Meister people. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen. You're now the word Lord from John chapter 3. Now. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him Rabbi. We know that you are a teacher come from God or no one else can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him truly truly. I say to you unless one is born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God Nicodemus said to him. How can a man be born when he is old. Can you enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered truly truly I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit. He cannot enter the kingdom of God that which is born of flesh is flesh. And that which is born of spirit is Spirit. Do not Marvel that I say to you. You must be born again the wind blows where it wishes and you hear it sound but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the spirit. Nicodemus said how can these things be Jesus answered him. Are you a teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these thing truly truly. I say to you we speak of what we know and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I had told you Earthly things and you do not believe how can I you believe if I tell you Heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from Heaven the son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up and whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world. But in order that the world might be saved through him whoever believes in him that is not condemned. But whoever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only son of God. This is the Judgment. The light has come into the world and the people love Darkness rather than the light because their works for evil for everyone who does wicked things hate the light and does not come to the light lest. His work should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to light so that it may be clearly seen. That his Works have been carried out in God the grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word Lord will stand forever. You probably heard this term before born again. It is a common and it can mean a variety of different things one might call themselves a born again Christian meaning that they believe themselves to be a Christian and now there might be a more charismatic understanding of this that you might have become a Christian but it took a while for you to be born again you now then taken possessed that the Holy Spirit to be able to exclude signs and wonders A recent study says that people that are claimed to be born again.
90% of them say that God is all-knowing all-powerful Creator in ruler of the universe. This is true an affirmative. But only three out of four of them will say that the Bible is God's word and contains no errors. Just over half of them would say that while on Earth. Jesus lived a sinless life.
Under half of them would agree that moral absolutes. Truth exist and are contained in the Bible.
43% say that the holy spirit is alive and not just a symbol of God's presence.
And only 34% agree with the statement that you have personal responsibility to share your religious beliefs with people who have different beliefs. These people claim to be born again Christians, but what does it mean to be born again? In this passage Jesus meets with a Pharisee and explain what's it mean to be born again? But also maybe a step-back what why did I choose this versus I look at a lot of theology today and I think we have a Bible verse the ology we look at bible verse Theology and we might all know John 3:16. We might all be able to quote it word for word. Even if we haven't been in church, very long. We might have seen it on a sign at a baseball game seen it on cups or bumper stickers. Martin Luther called this the the mini gospel. What is the context of this verse found? We might know verse 16 but very few of us with no reverse 15 or verse 17. And today I want to look at this conversation. Jesus has with this man Nicodemus. And I answer this question. How do you see and believe in the Sun? How do you see and enter into the kingdom of God and will be looking at three major portions of this text this even believe in the son. You must be born of the spirit to see you in the believe in the son. You must look unto Christ and finally to see and believe in the son. You must love his light.
So again, we start now in verse 23 now there was a man.
But if we backup we understand a little bit more about this passage to 23 to 25 says it's now there was he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing but Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them because he knew all people. And he needed no one to Bear witness about man for he himself knew what was in man. Is passive begins with this man coming Jesus knowing what is within man? The many see the signs and believe in him, but he knows he doesn't trust himself to them because he knows what is in man. And Nicodemus was a Pharisee and member on the Sanhedrin. This is not just a Pharisee but one of the 72 on the Sanhedrin and he comes to Jesus and asked a question. He comes by night and ask him a question. East Texas fact rabbi
We know. That you are a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.
And if this person comes this man comes to Jesus. He says that you come from God. And we know from these signs that God is with you. But this is knowing what's within the heart of man. Answers him. How do you believe in the son you believe in the son? You must be born again. Jesus stasis, very clearly. Inverse of 3 to 13. Jesus answered him truly truly. I say to you unless one is born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus comes and said that we see these wonders these signs he perform. Vegeta says unless you are born again. You cannot see the kingdom of God. You can't see the fullness of what it is.
He sees the signs.
He says unless you are born again.
He uses this wording very vague wording in a Greek. Unless one is Born Again born from above maybe another way to literally translate it.
How can I an old man be born again? Must be entered into the woman's womb again.
In Jesus Dan repeats what he is said before someone is born of water and of spirits. You cannot enter into the kingdom of God. What does this then mean water and spirit? This is one of those things that are scholarly debate would ensue and I try not to believe it may be summarized the different perspectives. So what does water reference this In this passage? Some people would say that go hand-in-hand. Some Catholics and would point to this and say that this is why would they believe in baptismal regeneration them unless you're born in water, then you can't then believe you need to be baptized as an infant begins your walk in grapes. Or some people try and answer that there's two types of first first one of water which represents antibiotic fluid and then the spirit and then I use verse 6 to be able to explain that that is flat. What's The Flash's flashing what's born of spirit is Spirit. But really there's no real answer the points to that biblically speaking. There's no reference. It's not a common understanding although we might put water in water birth together. We don't know it wouldn't be a cultural thing down. Or we could maybe point to John 4 and say that the woman at the well that Jesus says who who is thirsty come to me and drink and I will give him something to drink but we need to understand in this we're generally trying to answer it with what happens after this conversation. The Jesus rebukes him in verse 10 and says that you do not understand this you're a teacher of the law and you do not understand this. So it's hard for Jesus to rebuke him on something. He hasn't talked yet. Versation with the woman at the well, he hasn't seen John the Baptist didn't understand that. Do we need to look at what the Pharisee a Jew my understand this to be?
So biblically water means renewal or washing we see this throughout the Old Testament numbers 19, Isaiah for Isaiah. 3244. Go to Zechariah 13. Maybe best illustrates. This point has Ezekiel 36 verses 24 to 27. I will take you from the nation's and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean from all your uncleanliness cleanest. And from all your Idols, I will cleanse you and I will give you a new heart and a new spirit. I will put within you and I will remove the Heart of Stone from your flesh and give you a heart of Flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to have a my rules. Jesus showing this gray contrast and you've been born of water and of the spirit. He speaks of these contrastive warning flashing flashing Spirit of spirit. What is contrast later of heavenly things than Earthly things?
We know what we know we bear witness to what we have seen and and Jesus says in verse 3 that anyone who is descended.
Verse 13. No one who has ascended into heaven except he who has descended from Heaven the son of man.
Maybe they put another way to New Living Translation says this the first 13 no one has ever gone to heaven and returned for the son of man has come down from heaven. So you're wanting to know the answer to these questions. Here's the answer. I know I am from Heaven you want to talk about Heavenly things. I knew this idea. You must be born of the spirit to see and believe in the son. You must be born again born from above. This is a big word. The three jollity is filled with big words that end in tion you no justification adoption sanctification for appreciation, you know, and here's a big word that sums up this passage regeneration. Regeneration is an inner cleansing and renewal of the human nature by the Holy Spirit. Mint and spiritual condition is transformed from the deposition of sin to one of new relationship with God. regeneration in Boalsburg moral restoration And reception of New Life. The idea rivet regeneration is expressed as rebirth being born again. And then Uber suggest the newness of Life In Christ. The process of regeneration is not brought about by human righteousness by put a gracious Act of God.
One must be born again. He needs to see him believe in the kingdom of God to enter into the kingdom of God. How do you believe and see the sun? Jesus gives its illustration and it's like when you ever seen the trees on a calm day. Just sitting there still. Leaves begin to Russell did the tree almost begins to talk. When the wind is strong it begins to bow.
This is what the spirit dies. It it breathes, New Life. Into someone just freed up looked dead still the spirit Works within them. Or maybe more of a common thing that we would understand. I'm not sure the technical term for these things. But, you know, you're driving around the road and UCF mattress store. And now the front they have I call them spaghetti man around and around again.
Is it worth the spirit is like it it it brings new life into someone. You can use them to regenerate them from within. Ezekiel passage where a Heart of Stone is replaced with a heart of Flesh Stone begins to beat It we're like the spaghetti man lifeless, but not just a spaghetti Man without the Dust. What is the game and it is not plugged into the wall did? Ephesians 2 says you were dead in your trespasses and sins Colossians 2 says that you were dead in your trespasses.
The God made a life together with him have a few and forgiving all your trespasses. We're very start. It's a breath of God that takes us from dust to make us alive.
And this is us we're dead and without the work of the spirit within us. We cannot have a beating heart. Maybe today you're here because your parents have dragged you here. Maybe you're here cuz you're asking questions. Maybe you're here. And you don't know whether you're a Christian. Now I can sit down with you and open the Bible and talk about the Bible. I could show you how the testimony of the church has pointed towards it being the Living Word of God. I can point to the heavy Heavenly of the matter. the advocacy of the doctrine the Majesty of the words The consent of all the parts you look at the whole thing how it's one story from start to finish the scope of the hold a fou discovery that makes a man's way of salvation.
Did the Perfection of it? I can talk about these things. But unless the holy spirit moves within you.
When you realize it's the word of God. Have you been born of the spirit? Is your heart being melted from a Heart of Stone and beginning to beat? Do you feel that your wife your lungs have received a new breath?
Is your mind renewed in Christ? hitting younger Christians thinking of how the Holy Spirit has made us willing and able to believe. Put it in Naples us to do good works being Sanctified by the spirit. Not for our own good, but for God's pleasure.
To doing it enabled in us through a will to do freely and cheerfully was God revealed in his law.
Shows us and bears witness to us about our adoption. That we are children of God.
or too immature Christian that the spirit enables us as life within a to pray according to his will
United to Christ by the spirit United one to another having communion with one another each other's Graces and gifts. Even just weekly hearing the word live and breathe out. Does it hit Your Heart of Stone or does it hit your heart of Flesh? Is it Spirit within you to enable you to hear to hear the gracious Glory of our loving Heavenly Father?
When you partake of the sacraments? Is it a Bread and Wine?
Or is it a feast that unites you to Christ telling you of the Heavenly matter in which we will share. Lifting us up unto himself.
He said to Nicodemus you must be born again. How do you see him believe in the son you seem to believe in the son. You must be born of the spirit. Secondly, you must look unto Christ. To see and believe in the son. You must look unto Christ verses 14 to 18. He just goes from this to say and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. So must the son of man be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Piadas sexy will see that believes in him. is essential in numbers 21 Moses is the mediator of the people in the people falling and terrible thing happened to the Serpent's bite people within the camp and people are starting to die.
And the Lord tells Moses to make a fiery serpent set it on Cole and whoever is bitten when he sees it he shall lift. So Moses made a bronze serpent sitting on the serpent bit anyone he would look at the serpent and live.
Is it that the serpent is it a symbol of sin that there's sin within the camp of Israel and it's it's destroying a can.
God tells Moses to set a fiery Serpent and set it on a pole look unto this.
The cause of this is the serpent in the camp and the cure for this is the serpent. The cause for our sin is Adam and ourselves for the Cure is a man Jesus Christ.
Lift it up. Regretting Isaiah 53 that he bore our iniquities upon the cross.
It's not just the act of the serpent being there. They're the people needed to look up and gaze at him. It's not just the lifting up its the looking and so too we must look to Christ.
And here comes the passage so we all know. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
4
all this before
is it easy to work for in the Bible? It's there for a reason.
It's a it's a it's a logical argument. Why has God so loved the world because we needed regeneration. We needed someone to be the serpent for us.
There's there's the trinitarian nature God so loved the world that he gave his only son and prior to this the Holy Spirit working in believers.
Regenerated way we now can look to Christ. Pittsburgh speaks of God the greatest lover. Did he so loved to the greatest degree? To the world to the greatest company that he gave the greatest act. His one and only begotten son the greatest gift. That whoever the greatest opportunity believes the greatest Simplicity in him the greatest attraction shall not perish. the greatest promise but the greatest difference have the greatest certainty eternal life the greatest possession
did those who look unto Christ that believe in him shall not perish and not have eternal life. The guy didn't send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order to for the world might be saved through him. What is stark contrast to what is condemnation awaiting him? To another there's salvation in life. eternal life
the object of our faith is not faith in itself. The object of our faith is Christ. Fake princess to Christ if we hold onto her face and say we have faith that have faith in the wrong thing. We don't have faith in the right thing. We do not have faith in Christ fake sister Christ.
Is a great negative inverse 18 did those who have not believe were condemned already? Unless you've been born of the spirit unless you look unto Christ.
You don't have to do anything. You already condemned.
You don't have to not believe. Because you're already condemned.
To see and believe in the son. You must look unto Christ. Will pass truly speaking the the question one of the Heidelberg Catechism that I am not my own before long body and soul both in life and death to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood in his Set Me Free from all power of the devil. He also perceives me preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly father not a hair can fall for my hair and all things must work together for myself Haitian here for it by his holy spirit. He also assured me of eternal life and makes me hot my heart willing and ready from now on to live for him.
And it's rare that we have a saying that you must look up and live with your working with heavy machinery and stuff like that. You've got a crane and you don't want that crime to hit an electrical wire. And so too we must look up and live not for the dangers of electricity, but look out Sims live unto the person who has bought our price. Hey should drive us to praise and glorify his name.
In the Pilgrims Progress is Story by John Bunyan in allegory of the Christian Life. And in Pilgrim is is heavy laden with this enormous burden of sin. He walks in walks in how how will he lose this burden from his back?
And he he goes to the mountain of the law, but he's unable to climbing. Then finally he assumed to a hill. John Pilgrim rice, so I saw in my dream just as Christian came up with the cross his burden loosed from his shoulders and Phil from his back and began to Tumble and so continue to do so until it came to the mouth of this temperature where it fell in and I saw you no more. Is there a light this is there? Send wood board on our backs. But when we walk to the Christ Christ beers it for him. We must look unto Christ and believe in him and that should drive us like the wind. The weight and burden of sin is flung from it back and begins to roll down hill and is gone forever. Christ is not only our savior, but he is our beautiful savior.
Did not only a burden is taken from our back. price of the rags which were wearing we're taking promise and we were giving his righteous robes. There's not condemnation but Salvation Paul writing Romans 1 there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ. We cannot but think we cannot be worth it. We cannot but the clear the Christ is our beautiful savior our glorious Redeemer. The wonderful thought love of the father giving his son that we shall not perish but have eternal life This Magnificent Lord. We give our life to
Do the work of the spirit being born in the spirit looking unto Christ and finally to see and believe in the son. You must love the light in vs. 19 + 21.
19 and 21. Jesus talks to Nicodemus about Darkness and Light and needs to be understood that John loves this metaphor loves this contrast.
In verse 2. We see the Nicodemus comes to Jesus big comes to Jesus in the darkness in the night.
What does it say about people that love the darkness? Did their Works were evil that they did Wicked things that they hate the light. They hate the light because their Works would be exposed. Contrastive Darkness set upon a person's heart a person's mind person person's actions.
But then light has come that light has come into the world. Hey people loved Darkness rather than light because their Works were evil.
It comes to light it is clearly seen the acts in the works of these people.
Receiving verse 21 whoever does what is true comes to light. So there may be clearly seen that his Works have been carried out in God. The words are then transformed for the glory of God.
So if you are born again born of the spirit, you've looked on to Christ then there's a love of the light. Like I said, John loves this contrast he contrast the children of the light with the children of Darkness those who believe in the son and reject the sun those who walk in the light and walk in the darkness those who live by the truth and follow the line of eternal life now and who are condemned already those who will never perish and abide in God's Wrath those who are from above and those who are from the Earth. To see and believe the sun. You must love the light.
Like an x-ray or CAT scan does not break the bone. It only reveals what bone has done it only shows you the tumor. It doesn't make the tumor.
And those who hate the light hate the light because they don't love the light that hit the light because I don't want their Works to be exposed.
You're already doing what they're doing. They just don't want that to be exposed. nearby Can Dance
when you love the light the light still exposes our action, but it Comforts us when we look unto Christ and can fix us when we are actually in the spirit it Comforts the Saints and conviction condemns The Sinner.
Do you love the light?
Deep ear there's a part of your life that might be revealed. They come to the Forefront.
Maybe it's something you do in the dark something you do when no one else is looking.
or maybe it's something you don't do but you think
7-year cautious of If people could know what I actually think.
You ever State the comment in your mind, and I think that's not a big deal. This lightness Darkness are in contrast with another each other.
But it's never a tie. It's never which one will win. There is always a Victor.
Do you love the light?
Boys and girls, do you listen to your mom and your dad? What do you want to do what you want to do?
You live a life. On Sunday that is different from Monday to Saturday.
Are you scared of your thoughts and deeds been exposed to others who also love the light?
Do you worry that maybe your search history would be made public in any way.
You seek to maybe copy or imitate the people that are around you. Whose hearts love the light love the darkness and so to you start to begin to love the darkness.
John 8:31 says that Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him if you abide in my word, you truly are my disciples. We look in and if we just believe that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life and that is it.
It is true. Look unto him, but you're nice to be a change within our hearts there needs to be the spirit and neighborliness to in order to believe truly. We need to look unto Christ and realize that Christ is the object of our faith.
And we also must be driven to love the lights. Are heart smooth and stirred to do things for the glory of God. Or someone says the blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the way of Sinners or sits in the seat of scoffers. But his Delight is in the law of the Lord in all his law he meditates day and night. He's like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season. Is leaf does not with her and all that he does he prospers for the wicked are not so but her like chapped for the wind drives away. Thomas Watson Puritan says that when you read the Bible think of every line that you read the God is speaking to you. I think we often open the Bible and read this and we think God is speaking about us.
How many challenges has the moves up to do something for his glory? It's not just a general statement, but it should drive us to do it not because that's how we are saved but because because we have looked unto him for salvation through faith. We were driven to do things for his glory and wonder To this conversation that Jesus has with his Pharisee who comes in the night. We see later that actually Nicodemus heart is changed at this point in this narrative. I don't believe it is but you look towards the end of John's gospel when Jesus is dead and Nicodemus comes Was Joseph of Arimathea? in the light and puts Jesus body in the Tomb.
He comes and says that you are from God. We see your works. But Jesus Takes it and says you see the works from a fleshly perspective, but you do not see them from a spiritual perspective. Did if you really want to see and believe in the son, you must be born of the spirit. You must look unto Christ for salvation. And finally you must love the light.
How much Fuller is our Theology and just taking a first but taking the context? It was our Theology of bills are Theology of God how wonderful he is. Is not leftist alone, but he has given us his spirit.
I just go to the Lord in prayer.
A gracious Heavenly Father we are so thankful that we were once Children Of Darkness but through your life through your spirit. Has created a a heart that beats for you. We pray that that would be not a moment in history. But the rest of our lives their lives would be filled with spirit that we might be comforted by the Blessed promises which are found in the Bible. It also convicted where we fall short that we might be more and more made in the likeness of Christ. Not for our Glory about For Your Glory in your glory alone. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.