1 00:00:04,900 --> 00:00:06,600 My name is Kyla, service lead Pastor here. 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,000 If you have your Bible, would you open it to John chapter 3? 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:13,200 John chapter 3? We are in the beginning stages 4 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:17,600 really of a series going through this passage in John chapter 3, 5 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,500 we're looking at verses 1 through 21 throughout the series 6 00:00:21,500 --> 00:00:22,500 today. We're just going to look at 7 00:00:22,500 --> 00:00:27,200 really John 3. Verse 2 will be our main focus. 8 00:00:28,300 --> 00:00:31,100 But in this series, that we've begun, we've titled it, the law 9 00:00:31,100 --> 00:00:33,600 and the gospel. And the reason is we have a man 10 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:38,200 here in John chapter 3 who has lived his whole life according 11 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,600 to the gospel, according to the law, sorry. 12 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:42,500 And when I mean he's lived his whole life. 13 00:00:42,500 --> 00:00:48,000 He is staking everything about his eternity on his ability to 14 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,800 follow the law as perfectly as he is able. 15 00:00:52,700 --> 00:00:56,300 And what Nicodemus this man, this Pharisee, a member of the 16 00:00:56,300 --> 00:00:59,900 Sanhedrin as we looked at last week, which was a, the ruling 17 00:00:59,900 --> 00:01:02,700 body among the Jews. The religious ruling body among 18 00:01:02,700 --> 00:01:06,200 the Jews and also, He's called the teacher of Israel. 19 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:11,100 So he's got a high religious pedigree and what this man Fells 20 00:01:11,100 --> 00:01:12,800 to see his his need to be born again. 21 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:17,100 He doesn't yet understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 22 00:01:17,100 --> 00:01:20,800 That is the good news of a savior whose name is Christ 23 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,300 Jesus. And so that is what this passage 24 00:01:24,700 --> 00:01:28,300 of scripture is really about. And in John 3 2, we get to learn 25 00:01:28,300 --> 00:01:32,500 a little bit more about this man and his need. 26 00:01:32,500 --> 00:01:35,700 And so if you would like Like we did last week, would you stand 27 00:01:35,700 --> 00:01:38,800 in honor of the reading of God's word, if you're able, if you're 28 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:40,500 unable, that's okay. I understand. 29 00:01:42,700 --> 00:01:46,000 We're going to start actually at the end of chapter 2, I'm going 30 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:51,200 to read John 2:23 through 32. So, just a, just a few verses 31 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:55,300 here five versus here. Now, when he was in Jerusalem at 32 00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:59,000 the Passover, feast many believed in his name, when they 33 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,300 saw the signs that he was doing. So, the he, there is Jesus, he's 34 00:02:03,300 --> 00:02:05,700 coming to Jerusalem for Passover. 35 00:02:05,700 --> 00:02:11,400 To celebrate Passover, and in this, he has performed many 36 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:13,600 signs. He's taught and there are many 37 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:18,000 who have believed in his name, but Jesus verse 24 on his part, 38 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:23,400 did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and 39 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:28,000 Did no one to Bear witness about man for he himself knew what was 40 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,800 in man? Verse 1 of chapter 3. 41 00:02:31,300 --> 00:02:34,100 Now, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a 42 00:02:34,100 --> 00:02:38,100 ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night 43 00:02:38,300 --> 00:02:42,000 and said to him. Rabbi, we know that you are a 44 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,700 teacher. Come from, God, for no one. 45 00:02:44,700 --> 00:02:50,400 Can do these signs that you do. Unless God is with him. 46 00:02:50,700 --> 00:02:52,600 Let me fairy Forest. Heavenly Father, we thank you 47 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,300 for your word. And the truths that we see here. 48 00:02:55,600 --> 00:03:00,100 God I ask that by your spirit you grant to us ears to hear and 49 00:03:00,100 --> 00:03:03,000 eyes to see the glory of Christ Jesus. 50 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,700 This morning, Father, whether we are men and women, boys and 51 00:03:07,700 --> 00:03:11,600 girls who love the Lord already, or whether we are in that group 52 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,500 of people who are searching for a savior. 53 00:03:14,500 --> 00:03:18,400 And God, we ask that you would help us to see Christ more fully 54 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:23,800 today for some unto salvation and for some unto Deeper 55 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:28,300 maturity with God lord, we love you and we thank you for your 56 00:03:28,300 --> 00:03:31,900 word that we have now is a guide to us, a light unto our path 57 00:03:32,700 --> 00:03:36,400 help to us in all things pertaining to Salvation and 58 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:40,500 life, and godliness. We depend upon your Revelation 59 00:03:40,500 --> 00:03:43,100 today in Christ's name, we pray. Amen. 60 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:47,800 And you may have a seat The big idea that I want to throw out to 61 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:49,100 you today. So if you're taking notes, you 62 00:03:49,108 --> 00:03:50,300 can go ahead and write this down. 63 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:54,300 The thing that I think John 3:2 reveals to us is this is that 64 00:03:54,300 --> 00:04:00,400 God draws you out of your Darkness Into His Marvelous 65 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:02,300 Light. God draws you out of your 66 00:04:02,300 --> 00:04:06,600 Darkness Into His Marvelous Light. 67 00:04:06,700 --> 00:04:09,800 So, I mentioned a moment ago, Jesus in Jerusalem, he came to 68 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:14,700 Jerusalem From Galilee to observe. 69 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:18,399 The Passover feast while he was there, he's preaching. 70 00:04:18,399 --> 00:04:22,500 He's performing many signs due to his preaching and sign 71 00:04:22,500 --> 00:04:24,100 working. It says that there are many who 72 00:04:24,100 --> 00:04:29,400 believed in his name but Christ did not entrust himself to them 73 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:33,000 because he knew what was in, man. 74 00:04:33,100 --> 00:04:37,700 He knew them, John is referring to the idea that crop of Christ 75 00:04:37,700 --> 00:04:41,800 knowing something, he's referring to omniscience, I'll 76 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,000 missions. Is that all knowingness of That 77 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,700 he knows all things. He there is nothing that is 78 00:04:48,700 --> 00:04:52,500 outside of what he knows of his knowledge. 79 00:04:52,700 --> 00:04:55,100 He doesn't simply no. So, John's not saying he simply 80 00:04:55,100 --> 00:04:57,800 knows the names of the people or that he knows their family 81 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,000 members or their places of employment. 82 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,000 It's not like you and I are growing up in a small community 83 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,400 where you, you just kind of know many of the people, though. 84 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:08,300 You don't really know them, right? 85 00:05:08,300 --> 00:05:10,500 You just know some things about them who their family members 86 00:05:10,500 --> 00:05:12,700 are where they work that sort of thing. 87 00:05:15,100 --> 00:05:18,900 When we read about the omniscience of God or of Christ, 88 00:05:18,900 --> 00:05:22,600 in this particular Point, what it's saying is that he knows the 89 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:27,800 deepest desires of their hearts, he knows their thoughts and so 90 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,100 he knew them. And he knew that for many of 91 00:05:31,100 --> 00:05:33,300 them, their belief was superficial. 92 00:05:33,300 --> 00:05:35,200 It was tied simply to his sign working. 93 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,100 It's all that he was a miracle worker and they believed in his 94 00:05:38,100 --> 00:05:41,900 name, Only read they believed in his name. 95 00:05:41,900 --> 00:05:44,900 They what we know is that they believed at least that he's a 96 00:05:44,907 --> 00:05:47,100 teacher sent from God, that he's a prophet. 97 00:05:47,100 --> 00:05:49,200 And that's what Nicodemus is going to reveal for us today. 98 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:54,900 That he believes that Jesus is at least a teacher with the help 99 00:05:54,900 --> 00:05:58,500 of God that he is like the prophets of the Old Testament. 100 00:05:58,500 --> 00:06:02,000 If you will, it's likely that many of them have believed him 101 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,100 to be to be the promised Messiah. 102 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:11,100 The one who was there in the All of religion. 103 00:06:11,100 --> 00:06:14,400 At this moment, they are aware of during the Passover, feast 104 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,700 the idea of a messiah. And so seeing Christ do what 105 00:06:17,700 --> 00:06:21,800 he's doing, some of them may have thought, this could be him, 106 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:27,100 this might be the Messiah. One of them. 107 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,800 Was intrigued by the preaching and assign working of Christ. 108 00:06:31,900 --> 00:06:36,200 His name is Nicodemus and so Nicodemus, the great Pharisee 109 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,100 that member of the Sanhedrin teacher of Israel. 110 00:06:38,100 --> 00:06:44,800 He comes to Jesus when by night. Yeah, By Night, very good. 111 00:06:45,500 --> 00:06:49,600 The entire interaction is fascinating, which is why it's 112 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:54,400 worth an entire sermon series. Each versus is packed full of 113 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,900 depth. It's packed full of thick 114 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,900 biblical truths. If you will, in verse 2 is no 115 00:07:01,900 --> 00:07:05,000 exception here. We see that God draws you out of 116 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:09,800 your Darkness into his own Marvelous Light. 117 00:07:10,900 --> 00:07:16,500 So, let's examine verse 2 of John 3, John 3:2, this man came 118 00:07:16,500 --> 00:07:20,000 to Jesus Nicodemus came to Jesus. 119 00:07:21,100 --> 00:07:23,400 I want things. I want you brothers and sisters, 120 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,800 and those of you who may be unbelievers, who are here today, 121 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:32,600 I want you to know this, you do not come to Jesus by accidents, 122 00:07:33,700 --> 00:07:39,200 you do not encounter God on a personal level without it being, 123 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:43,000 according to his Divine Providence, according to his 124 00:07:43,300 --> 00:07:47,300 plan, when a man meets with God, it is because he was led by 125 00:07:47,300 --> 00:07:51,400 God's Sovereign hand to do so He was led there. 126 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:54,100 It's never a result of chance. It's not a result of 127 00:07:54,108 --> 00:07:57,800 coincidence. God, appoints the time, got a 128 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:02,700 points, the place for the meeting and he orders the steps 129 00:08:02,700 --> 00:08:06,800 of a man to that place in time. Amen. 130 00:08:07,900 --> 00:08:10,800 But the same is true when you get an opportunity to share the 131 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,800 Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone, whether whether you 132 00:08:13,900 --> 00:08:18,900 make an appointment to do so. Hey co-worker, I want to talk to 133 00:08:18,900 --> 00:08:21,900 you one day. About the gospel of Christ. 134 00:08:21,900 --> 00:08:23,700 When can we do that? And you set a time, whether you 135 00:08:23,700 --> 00:08:27,700 make a time or your coworker comes to you, and says, I'm 136 00:08:27,700 --> 00:08:30,500 really struggling in life and you don't know why they've 137 00:08:30,500 --> 00:08:33,700 opened up to you about their struggles, anybody ever had 138 00:08:33,700 --> 00:08:35,200 those moments where somebody just opens up to? 139 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:36,600 And it's like, why are they telling me this? 140 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:38,200 I'm just trying to buy my groceries today. 141 00:08:39,799 --> 00:08:42,299 You need to see that as a Divine appointment from the Lord, you 142 00:08:42,299 --> 00:08:46,200 have an opportunity to be a spiritual blessing for someone. 143 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,800 The share the gospel with them to give them hope that's greater 144 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:52,700 than anything. They presently see. 145 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,000 So, whether you make an appointment to do so, or just 146 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,100 happens in the break room or in the line at the grocery store, 147 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,200 it is a Divine appointment from God. 148 00:09:02,300 --> 00:09:06,200 God's hand is directing your steps and there's for such a 149 00:09:06,208 --> 00:09:08,500 time. And so, when we read that, this 150 00:09:08,500 --> 00:09:12,500 man came to Jesus by night, we understand that this moment is 151 00:09:12,500 --> 00:09:17,400 orchestrated by God's hand, even though it's Nicodemus who 152 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:23,200 initiates the contact This meeting was set up by God Before 153 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,900 Time began. This is what we Southerners may 154 00:09:26,900 --> 00:09:30,100 call a come to Jesus meeting a man. 155 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:38,000 I say that because the lie that has been living in Nicodemus for 156 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,200 so long is about to be confronted by the Son of God 157 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:45,200 himself. Proverbs offers us some wisdom, 158 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:47,600 this is not may just pulling things out of thin air. 159 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,900 The Bible directs Us in this idea of the providential hand of 160 00:09:50,900 --> 00:09:54,200 God orchestrating things. Proverbs 16 is one of those 161 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,800 chapters where you see it, you see it on repeat really? 162 00:09:59,300 --> 00:10:02,400 In verse 9 of Proverbs 16. It says the heart of man plans 163 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,400 his way but the Lord establishes his steps. 164 00:10:08,300 --> 00:10:11,800 I'm guilty of making plans. I make plans a lot. 165 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:16,200 If you're a friend of mine, you know, that I like to plan 166 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:20,300 things. I like the idea of order, I 167 00:10:20,300 --> 00:10:22,500 don't always see order not going to lie to you. 168 00:10:23,300 --> 00:10:26,400 I like the the idea of things working out according to my 169 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:30,600 plan, but very rarely did things work out according to my plan, 170 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:35,200 there's so many pivotal points in my life, that didn't go 171 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:39,900 according to what I thought would be a good plan. 172 00:10:41,100 --> 00:10:43,300 But I praise God for his intervention. 173 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,900 I praise God for his Divine Providence, in my life, for 174 00:10:47,900 --> 00:10:51,900 orchestrating my steps, I have planned my way, but the Lord has 175 00:10:51,900 --> 00:10:55,100 directed my steps. He did this for me, in my 176 00:10:55,100 --> 00:10:58,600 marriage, Patricia was not the person that I thought I would 177 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:03,200 spend the rest of my life with. And yet I praise God for 178 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:10,100 Patricia daily. He's done this in me being here, 179 00:11:10,100 --> 00:11:14,600 as Pastor pastoring in Magnolia Arkansas, the place where I grew 180 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:19,300 up was not on my plans, not on my list, not on my five-year 181 00:11:19,300 --> 00:11:25,300 ten-year plan, but I could not imagine my life apart from being 182 00:11:25,300 --> 00:11:29,200 here with you all doing this. I know that the Lord has 183 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:31,900 directed my steps. Amen. 184 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:38,100 Proverbs 19:21 many are the plans and the mind of a man but 185 00:11:38,100 --> 00:11:41,500 it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. 186 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:46,100 So again you see here that a man plots his way in his own mind. 187 00:11:46,100 --> 00:11:49,100 He has an idea yet. Only the purpose of the Lord is 188 00:11:49,100 --> 00:11:51,600 what stands. So, in other words, man will not 189 00:11:51,700 --> 00:11:57,700 act outside of the purpose of God and proverbs 16:4. 190 00:11:57,900 --> 00:12:01,700 For again, the Proverbs 16, the Lord has made everything for its 191 00:12:01,700 --> 00:12:04,000 purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. 192 00:12:05,100 --> 00:12:07,900 And so even Wicked is being ordered according to the 193 00:12:07,900 --> 00:12:12,500 Providence of God. Now, it's true that this is a 194 00:12:12,500 --> 00:12:15,500 subject with a whole lot of layers to it, and so, it's 195 00:12:15,500 --> 00:12:18,600 really tough to comprehend. It's a difficult thing to come 196 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:23,100 to grips with, but that doesn't make it any less true, or any 197 00:12:23,100 --> 00:12:26,500 less meaningful for our lives that we do need to think about 198 00:12:26,500 --> 00:12:31,700 these things over ABS 2024, a man's steps are from the Lord. 199 00:12:31,700 --> 00:12:35,400 How can man understand his way? And I think that's really where 200 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:36,700 we're at. When we think about Divine 201 00:12:36,700 --> 00:12:41,600 Providence and then man's decisions the place where God's 202 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:46,400 Providence and man's decisions intersect is really far beyond 203 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,200 our comprehension and that's what he's saying. 204 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:52,600 How can the man understand God's way in this? 205 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,500 The late great preacher, Charles Spurgeon. 206 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:02,600 He describes it like standing on a train track and he says this, 207 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:07,300 he says, just as the Realms of a train track, which run, parallel 208 00:13:07,300 --> 00:13:10,000 to each other appear. If you're standing, you're 209 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,400 looking down the train tracks. He says they appear to merge in 210 00:13:12,408 --> 00:13:14,400 the distance, right? You see the two lines and they 211 00:13:14,700 --> 00:13:16,500 just appear to come closer and closer. 212 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,600 He says so the doctrines of God's Providence, or sovereignty 213 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:25,000 and man's decisions or responsibility, which seems 214 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:27,000 separate from each other in this life. 215 00:13:27,300 --> 00:13:32,100 But they will merge in eternity and Eternity will see clearly 216 00:13:32,100 --> 00:13:33,900 how these two things have worked together. 217 00:13:33,900 --> 00:13:37,200 And so our task Spurgeon says, it's not to force the emerging 218 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,400 in this life. It's not the demand that we 219 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:42,900 figure these things out. It's just the simply keep them 220 00:13:42,900 --> 00:13:45,300 in Balance he says and to live accordingly. 221 00:13:45,500 --> 00:13:48,200 Amen. Keep Planning your way, keep 222 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,200 trusting. The Lord, keep doing those 223 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:54,100 things and know that God's Providence is orchestrating, 224 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:56,000 those steps at the end of the day. 225 00:13:56,900 --> 00:13:59,600 And so we can rightly then celebrate the Providence of God 226 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:02,800 as the psalmist does is he says our God is in the heavens and 227 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:06,700 Psalm 115 3, our God is in the heavens, he does all that he 228 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:10,000 pleases again in Psalm 135 5 through 6. 229 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,200 And really the whole song is dedicated to this idea but I 230 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:14,400 pulled two verses out for the sake of time. 231 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:17,700 He says, for I know that the Lord is great and that Our Lord 232 00:14:17,700 --> 00:14:20,600 is above all gods. Amen. 233 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,800 But here's why he says it, whatever the Lord pleases he 234 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,100 does in heaven and on earth, and the Seas and all deeps. 235 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:30,500 And then he goes into the Deliverance of the Israelites 236 00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:36,400 from Egypt and God's Providence. God's sovereignty over those 237 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:43,700 events, The Parting of the sea. The The killing of the 238 00:14:43,700 --> 00:14:47,300 firstborn, all the things that led to the Deliverance of 239 00:14:47,300 --> 00:14:51,100 Israelites from Egypt. And so, what we understand at 240 00:14:51,100 --> 00:14:53,700 least from scriptures, decide is this that everything that 241 00:14:53,700 --> 00:14:57,300 happens in our world happens because God is orchestrating it. 242 00:14:57,300 --> 00:15:01,700 God's hand is setting it in motion even evil which we saw 243 00:15:01,700 --> 00:15:06,200 there in Proverbs 16 but Jacob affirms this and our sorry, 244 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:10,400 Joseph affirms this in Genesis 50 verse 20, where he's talking 245 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,200 to his brothers and his brothers are sizing for all that, they 246 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:17,200 put him through. As Joseph has risen to power in 247 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:19,800 the house of the good pharaoh before the bad Pharaoh took 248 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:22,300 over. And he says, as for you, you 249 00:15:22,300 --> 00:15:25,000 meant evil against me but God meant it for good to bring it 250 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,200 about that. Many people should be kept alive 251 00:15:28,300 --> 00:15:30,200 as they are today. If you know the story of Joseph 252 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:34,000 you know he was put through the ringer and at every turn. 253 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:39,400 God continued to bless him, God continue to order his steps and 254 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:43,500 so whether you're already saved by faith, In Christ Jesus our 255 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:46,900 you're hearing the gospel for the very first time today it is 256 00:15:46,900 --> 00:15:51,600 because of a Divine appointment, the Lord has met with you. 257 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,100 You're encountering Christ Jesus. 258 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:58,200 As you encounter his word being proclaimed faithfully and that's 259 00:15:58,200 --> 00:15:59,700 what Nicodemus is experiencing in. 260 00:15:59,700 --> 00:16:04,800 John chapter 3, he is coming face to face with Jesus Christ. 261 00:16:05,500 --> 00:16:07,500 And so this is what I mean, is partially what I mean? 262 00:16:07,500 --> 00:16:10,700 When I say God draws you out of your Darkness, God is the one 263 00:16:10,700 --> 00:16:13,700 who orchestrates is. He's the one Pulling you out of 264 00:16:13,700 --> 00:16:16,600 your Darkness into His Marvelous Light. 265 00:16:18,500 --> 00:16:22,300 John 3:2, reveals another truth, force it reveals that everyone 266 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:29,100 approaches God in darkness. Everyone comes to God by night. 267 00:16:31,300 --> 00:16:35,700 This man came to Jesus by night and he said to him, Rabbi, we 268 00:16:35,700 --> 00:16:38,700 know that you are a teacher. Come from, God, for no one. 269 00:16:38,700 --> 00:16:44,700 Can do these signs that you do unless God is with him, the 270 00:16:44,700 --> 00:16:47,200 Apostle. John is the writer of this 271 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:50,300 gospel. John is often referred to, he 272 00:16:50,300 --> 00:16:54,700 refers to himself actually in this as the Beloved disciple. 273 00:16:55,600 --> 00:17:00,200 The one whom Jesus loved. He was near to cross very near 274 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:03,700 to Christ. And the Apostle John writes in 275 00:17:03,700 --> 00:17:08,800 such a way that he uses double meanings very often. 276 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:13,700 He especially likes to employ a simile here and they're things 277 00:17:13,700 --> 00:17:19,099 that are like something else. And so he uses those often in 278 00:17:19,099 --> 00:17:22,400 his writing and the use of Darkness and Light is seen 279 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:24,500 throughout the book. You see it in chapter 1, you see 280 00:17:24,500 --> 00:17:30,200 it here in chapter three, you see it throughout the rest of 281 00:17:30,208 --> 00:17:32,800 the book. So what does John mean when he 282 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:37,300 says that Nicodemus came to Christ by night? 283 00:17:39,900 --> 00:17:43,600 One of the things that he means is that Nicodemus came at night 284 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:47,100 time. I mean, we we want to read it as 285 00:17:47,100 --> 00:17:50,900 it is to before we start looking for some other meaning, he came 286 00:17:50,900 --> 00:17:54,300 at night time, he certainly did. And why did Nicodemus come at 287 00:17:54,308 --> 00:17:55,700 nighttime? We came at night time to 288 00:17:55,700 --> 00:17:57,600 conceal. The meeting. 289 00:17:58,700 --> 00:18:02,400 Nicodemus doesn't want to be seen as the teacher of Israel, a 290 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:04,300 Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin. 291 00:18:04,500 --> 00:18:08,700 He doesn't want to be seen as coming to Jesus. 292 00:18:09,100 --> 00:18:12,100 It's no small thing for him to do this. 293 00:18:12,500 --> 00:18:16,900 He was a great religious leader, he was the teacher of Israel. 294 00:18:16,900 --> 00:18:23,200 And if he comes to another man who is not recognized as a 295 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,100 member of the Pharisees, not a part of the Sanhedrin, not a 296 00:18:26,100 --> 00:18:30,300 teacher of Israel as he is. Is and he calls him rabbi. 297 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:35,600 One is because he has great respect for him but to he's 298 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,100 doing it at night time. So that he's, it's not seen as 299 00:18:38,100 --> 00:18:42,800 beneath him. His reputation is on the line by 300 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,700 coming to Christ. If he were to be seeing coming 301 00:18:46,700 --> 00:18:51,000 to Christ, and this moment there would have been many who would 302 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:53,800 have scoffed at him including the Pharisees. 303 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,700 The second thing though that his coming to Christ does bye-bye, 304 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:01,500 nighttime is coming to Christ at all. 305 00:19:01,500 --> 00:19:03,700 It puts his own reputation online, but its reputation of 306 00:19:03,700 --> 00:19:06,500 the Pharisees, on the line to is a member of this religious 307 00:19:06,500 --> 00:19:09,400 party. They are the religious Elites 308 00:19:10,300 --> 00:19:14,000 they held from Jerusalem, which is the religious capital of the 309 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,600 nation and Jesus does not. I don't even know where Jesus is 310 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,500 from, he's from Nazareth. All right. 311 00:19:22,700 --> 00:19:27,200 Earlier in John chapter 1 verse 46, Jesus is Calling his 312 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:30,000 disciples. One of them named Nathaniel says 313 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,800 to his brother about Christ, as he's being called he's saying 314 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,000 hey come and see this Man from Nazareth. 315 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:41,700 We think he could be the Christ and Nathaniel responds and 1:46. 316 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,600 He says can anything good come from Nazareth? 317 00:19:46,300 --> 00:19:50,200 This was the General consensus consensus of Nazareth at the 318 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,500 time. And so a Pharisee seeking to 319 00:19:52,500 --> 00:19:54,800 learn from a, non Pharisee was bad enough, but a Pharisee 320 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:58,100 seeking to learn from a non Pharisee who held from Nazareth. 321 00:19:58,700 --> 00:20:01,900 Well, that was even worse. And so, his reputation is on the 322 00:20:01,900 --> 00:20:03,900 line. The reputation of the Pharisees 323 00:20:03,900 --> 00:20:07,000 is on the line and so he comes by night time. 324 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:13,100 But there's a double meaning in this and it gets revealed later 325 00:20:13,100 --> 00:20:15,300 in the chapter. I'll read some of those verses 326 00:20:15,300 --> 00:20:19,200 to you today, just to help you see that what I say again is not 327 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:24,300 my wisdom but the Lord's wisdom. When John uses darkness in his 328 00:20:24,300 --> 00:20:28,300 gospel, he's describing Humanity's spiritual blindness. 329 00:20:29,900 --> 00:20:32,000 He is talking about how you were Without Eyes. 330 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:36,500 You are blind spiritually when he speaks of Darkness, these 331 00:20:36,500 --> 00:20:39,900 people do not know God neither, do they seek God? 332 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:43,200 That's what he means. By night time, we know this is 333 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:46,100 true because John 3:18 through 20 which is later in the 334 00:20:46,100 --> 00:20:48,300 interaction. Jesus is talking to Nicodemus 335 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:52,500 and here's what he says, whoever believes in him, talking about 336 00:20:52,500 --> 00:20:55,700 himself, whoever believes in Christ is not condemned, but 337 00:20:55,700 --> 00:20:58,700 whoever does not believe is condemned already. 338 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,700 Ready, because he has not believed in the name of the only 339 00:21:01,700 --> 00:21:05,800 son of God. And this is the Judgment verse 340 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:08,000 19. The light has come into the 341 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:11,100 world and people loved the darkness rather than the light 342 00:21:11,100 --> 00:21:14,900 because their works are evil to hear that. 343 00:21:14,900 --> 00:21:20,000 They loved what the darkness, rather than the what the light. 344 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,700 How do we know because their works are evil? 345 00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:29,400 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does 346 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:33,700 not come to the light, lest his work, should be exposed. 347 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,900 So again these people who are in spiritual Darkness, they're 348 00:21:36,900 --> 00:21:39,500 spiritually blind. They need to love the Lord. 349 00:21:39,500 --> 00:21:42,700 Nor are they seeking him? Neither there, neither submitted 350 00:21:42,700 --> 00:21:46,200 to the Lord nor do they want to be because they're in love with 351 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:51,200 their sins. John is describing, Nicodemus is 352 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:55,500 meeting. But he's also the meeting time 353 00:21:55,500 --> 00:21:58,100 but he's also describing Nicodemus his spiritual State. 354 00:21:58,100 --> 00:22:03,300 He's in darkness, he's blind. And so Nicodemus was not yet a 355 00:22:03,308 --> 00:22:06,700 believer in Christ. He's not yet come to the light, 356 00:22:06,900 --> 00:22:11,200 so he's still in darkness. He still a lover of Darkness. 357 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:16,600 He was like any one of us before we became Believers in Christ 358 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:18,300 Jesus. Amen. 359 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:25,100 It's like any one of us. I read Titus 33 last week, I'll 360 00:22:25,100 --> 00:22:27,800 read it again. This is Paul describing to 361 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:29,900 Titus. He's encouraging belief in the 362 00:22:29,900 --> 00:22:34,500 gospel but he's reminding people who you were before Christ saved 363 00:22:34,500 --> 00:22:39,200 you by grace. He says, for we ourselves taught 364 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:43,000 us were once foolish we were disobedient, we were LED astray, 365 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:46,500 we were slaves to various passions and Pleasures. 366 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:50,200 We passed our days and Malice and envy. 367 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:54,900 We were hated by others. And we hated one another. 368 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,500 That's what spiritual Darkness looks like. 369 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:04,700 And that's how you would describe Nicodemus, though, he 370 00:23:04,700 --> 00:23:09,000 is very religious. And when you're in that state, 371 00:23:09,100 --> 00:23:12,400 when you're in a state of Darkness, you don't see your own 372 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:14,500 depravity. You don't see your own spiritual 373 00:23:14,500 --> 00:23:17,200 bankruptcy. You can't comprehend it. 374 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,200 You you can't comprehend your need for a savior because you 375 00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,100 think in your mind I've got it all together. 376 00:23:24,100 --> 00:23:29,600 The way I'm living is just fine and so you don't see your need 377 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:33,800 for a new birth Nicodemus. Did not see his need for a new 378 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:37,600 birth. I mentioned Stephen Lawson 379 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:42,000 writing a book on New Life In Christ and many of that he's 380 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,100 been very helpful for putting this together. 381 00:23:44,300 --> 00:23:46,400 This is one of the quotes from his book. 382 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,600 He says everyone born into this world is Born Into the same 383 00:23:49,900 --> 00:23:53,200 black and state. We all once lived in the 384 00:23:53,208 --> 00:23:56,300 darkness living a life of sin taking pleasure in evil. 385 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,700 He says, this may still be true in your own life. 386 00:24:03,300 --> 00:24:06,200 The Bible says that every unconverted person lives in 387 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,700 spiritual Darkness, Romans 1:21. Elsewhere. 388 00:24:09,700 --> 00:24:13,200 He says the scriptures say that the God of this world talking 389 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:16,300 about Satan has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that 390 00:24:16,300 --> 00:24:19,500 they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of 391 00:24:19,700 --> 00:24:23,500 Christ. The second Corinthians, 4:4 all 392 00:24:23,500 --> 00:24:26,700 unbelievers, according to Ephesians 4:18 are darkened in 393 00:24:26,700 --> 00:24:30,300 their understanding. if you're unable to see your spiritually 394 00:24:30,300 --> 00:24:35,100 blind, Everyone, whether they see themselves as religious or 395 00:24:35,100 --> 00:24:39,900 not is in need of a new birth from God. 396 00:24:40,700 --> 00:24:44,800 And it's found only by God, sorry, only by grace, through 397 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:48,200 faith in Jesus Christ. And so, this is what we're 398 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,300 seeing again, with Nicodemus, got his drawing him out of his 399 00:24:51,300 --> 00:24:53,900 Darkness. He is spiritually darkened. 400 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,300 He's drawing him out of his darkness and he's revealing to 401 00:24:57,300 --> 00:25:02,900 him spiritual lights. I think the final thing that we 402 00:25:02,900 --> 00:25:07,500 see here about Nicodemus is that he is deeply deeply, religious, 403 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:09,400 kind of building. On what we just talked about 404 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:15,000 that, he's blind to Christ Jesus When Nicodemus spoke to Christ 405 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,200 he did. So with much respect, he 406 00:25:17,208 --> 00:25:21,500 certainly respects him, he calls him Rabbi again for Nicodemus to 407 00:25:21,500 --> 00:25:24,500 use the word Rabbi which means teacher a Jewish teacher. 408 00:25:24,500 --> 00:25:27,600 So it's the understanding that, you know, God's law and you 409 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:32,700 teach it well for him to use that as a term of great respect. 410 00:25:35,500 --> 00:25:38,200 Again, Lawson points out people usually address Nicodemus is 411 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:42,200 Rabbi but here he's calling Christ rabbi And so he's 412 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:46,700 acknowledging that Christ is a gifted teacher who possesses a 413 00:25:46,700 --> 00:25:50,100 far greater Authority than he does. 414 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:52,600 It's a really big deal that we see him. 415 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:58,600 Say Rabbi Nicodemus approach is Jesus, so that he might be 416 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:02,400 taught by Jesus. He has questions, he's coming to 417 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,700 Christ to have questions answered. 418 00:26:05,300 --> 00:26:07,000 It doesn't fully understand what's going on. 419 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,900 But again, like we explored last week, There's a whole and 420 00:26:10,900 --> 00:26:14,300 Nicodemus, all of his religious strivings all his religious 421 00:26:14,300 --> 00:26:17,600 accolades. All of his wonderful perfect 422 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:21,600 attendance in the temple. His teaching of the law is 423 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:24,400 expounding, on the knowledge of God, his helping others, 424 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:28,900 understand it. All of that has meant nothing, 425 00:26:28,900 --> 00:26:35,300 he still fills a void. He still fills a void and so he 426 00:26:35,300 --> 00:26:39,200 wants to know some things and he knew that Christ. 427 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:43,800 We thought at least don't know if he knows it yet, but he know, 428 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:48,200 he thinks at least a Christ may have the answers to this void. 429 00:26:51,700 --> 00:26:56,100 Nicodemus his clothes and his understanding, when he's a 430 00:26:56,100 --> 00:26:59,700 pursuer of God granted, his confidence is in the wrong 431 00:26:59,700 --> 00:27:03,900 place, but he is closed and his understanding and we know that 432 00:27:03,900 --> 00:27:07,000 because he says no one can do these things that you do unless 433 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,900 God is with him, so he recognizes that Jesus is 434 00:27:11,300 --> 00:27:15,400 different because of the power that's demonstrated through 435 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:18,800 Christ. Then others have been then he 436 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:26,800 him itself is he has more power. He sees God. 437 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:30,400 He sees Christ, sorry, but he doesn't see him as the Son of 438 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:36,000 God yet. Again, I'm going to use Lawson 439 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,500 here. Jesus was not merely a teacher, 440 00:27:38,500 --> 00:27:41,500 come from God, quite the contrary, he was God. 441 00:27:41,500 --> 00:27:43,900 Who had come to teach? He's not a teacher. 442 00:27:43,900 --> 00:27:46,400 Come from God, he's God. Who has come to teach a world of 443 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:48,400 difference? Lawson says separates those two 444 00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:53,200 statements, the first recognizes Jesus to be on equal footing 445 00:27:53,300 --> 00:27:55,600 with the other prophets and teachers all of those from the 446 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:58,400 Old Testament. Even John, the Baptist himself 447 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:02,100 came from God, they came demonstrating power, they came 448 00:28:02,100 --> 00:28:06,500 with a message of authority. And so at this point Nicodemus 449 00:28:06,500 --> 00:28:12,600 is saying Jesus. Is merely a gifted teacher. 450 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:15,800 And a long line of prophets with wise and helpful. 451 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:20,100 Instruction Nicodemus is thoughts about Christ or what 452 00:28:20,100 --> 00:28:23,300 many today think about Christ. He's a wise teacher. 453 00:28:23,800 --> 00:28:27,500 He says some good things. He says some crazy things too 454 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:29,700 but it most of his instructions are helpful. 455 00:28:29,700 --> 00:28:33,100 You should love your neighbor. You should do good to those who 456 00:28:33,100 --> 00:28:35,800 persecute you. You shouldn't judge people 457 00:28:35,900 --> 00:28:38,900 wrongfully. You shouldn't look at a woman 458 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:41,600 lustfully Lustfully you shouldn't divorce your spouse. 459 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:43,700 You should write. I mean, there's so many things 460 00:28:43,700 --> 00:28:46,600 about what Christ teaches that are good and right. 461 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:51,400 And people say yes, and amen. But Nicodemus. 462 00:28:53,300 --> 00:28:57,900 Nicodemus, like those lost and goes on to say, but Nicodemus 463 00:28:57,900 --> 00:29:01,300 had not yet recognized, the most important truth about Jesus. 464 00:29:01,500 --> 00:29:06,200 He failed to discern that Jesus possessed Eternal deity in his 465 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:11,200 sinless, Humanity in, Jesus is Incarnation, that's when he was 466 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,000 born of the Virgin Mary, according to the word spoken by 467 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:18,000 the angel, according to the providential hand of God, He's 468 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:23,200 conceived by the Holy Spirit. And he's incarnated, he's born. 469 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:27,600 And in that moment whilst it goes on to say he willingly laid 470 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:30,900 aside his Heavenly glory to inhabit, a human body in the 471 00:29:30,900 --> 00:29:34,900 form of a lowly servant. Jesus was God in human flesh. 472 00:29:34,900 --> 00:29:39,700 He's truly God yet truly human. And as the God man, he came to 473 00:29:39,700 --> 00:29:41,600 accomplish the salvation of sinners. 474 00:29:42,900 --> 00:29:47,800 Jesus says himself that I have come to seek and to save the 475 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:50,500 Lost. He's on a Divine Rescue Mission. 476 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,400 He's come to redeem people from their sinfulness. 477 00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:02,300 And this Divine appointment is exactly what Nicodemus needs to 478 00:30:02,300 --> 00:30:05,300 finally see Christ for who he is the Incarnate Son of God. 479 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:09,000 It's a truth he doesn't yet recognized as truth he's not yet 480 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:14,900 seen Nicodemus though, deeply religious is spiritually blind 481 00:30:15,500 --> 00:30:20,500 he's deeply religious you guys. He's more religious than any of 482 00:30:20,500 --> 00:30:25,700 us have ever been. And yet, he's spiritually blind. 483 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,100 He's unable to see Christ. He's unable to see his need for 484 00:30:29,100 --> 00:30:33,900 a new birth. And I tell you today, that 485 00:30:33,900 --> 00:30:36,600 Nicodemus stands as a warning for you and me. 486 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:40,400 They could even as a warning for us. 487 00:30:42,300 --> 00:30:44,100 For all of your religious pedigree. 488 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:49,200 You can still be religiously or spiritually blind. 489 00:30:50,700 --> 00:30:54,600 You can still be blind. You can still be on the outside 490 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:58,700 looking in, but you've been baptized and you say that you 491 00:30:58,700 --> 00:31:02,100 believe in Jesus, you can still be on the outside looking in. 492 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,600 Maybe you attend church regularly, every time the doors 493 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:07,700 are open, you're there. You're singing louder than 494 00:31:07,700 --> 00:31:12,100 anyone else. You're one of the first to 495 00:31:12,100 --> 00:31:16,600 volunteer. And all of that motivation can 496 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:19,400 simply be selfish, not spiritual. 497 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:24,400 None of that is absolute evidence of a new life. 498 00:31:26,500 --> 00:31:30,300 Nicodemus, saw Jesus as an amazing miracle worker. 499 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:38,600 He says no one can do these things apart from God being with 500 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:42,900 him but he doesn't see him as the Son of God. 501 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:46,400 He's not submitted to his lordship. 502 00:31:46,700 --> 00:31:51,300 Nicodemus was on the outside. Looking in though, he was widely 503 00:31:51,300 --> 00:31:54,600 considered the most religious man of his day. 504 00:31:57,500 --> 00:32:00,200 Again, I tell you this is a warning for you and me. 505 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:04,800 We need to be Solomon. Our approach to the story. 506 00:32:05,500 --> 00:32:09,100 We must not sit here and think about who the Nicodemus is, are 507 00:32:09,100 --> 00:32:14,600 without first reflecting on the question, am I Nicodemus? 508 00:32:20,100 --> 00:32:24,300 Maybe you like the idea of Christ who doesn't mean some 509 00:32:24,300 --> 00:32:29,700 don't, but church-going people who doesn't you like his 510 00:32:29,700 --> 00:32:32,700 miracles? You like his teachings on love 511 00:32:32,700 --> 00:32:34,900 you. You like those things about 512 00:32:34,900 --> 00:32:37,300 Christ, but you don't love Jesus. 513 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:39,900 You've not made him the Lord of your life. 514 00:32:39,900 --> 00:32:42,300 You've not surrendered yourself to him. 515 00:32:43,500 --> 00:32:45,500 You see the benefits of religion, right? 516 00:32:45,500 --> 00:32:48,000 I see the benefits of being a church member. 517 00:32:49,100 --> 00:32:51,100 There's a shared experience with others. 518 00:32:51,700 --> 00:32:54,900 I get to eat with people in a home on Wednesday nights when we 519 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:57,400 study the word together, we pray for one another. 520 00:32:58,500 --> 00:33:01,500 I have their help. When I'm in need, I have their 521 00:33:01,500 --> 00:33:05,400 comfort. When I'm struggling, when I'm 522 00:33:05,400 --> 00:33:11,700 doubting, when I'm in fear. I get to come together with them 523 00:33:11,700 --> 00:33:15,000 on Sunday mornings and we sing and we pray, we do our call to 524 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:18,600 worship or we recognize who Christ is and why we so 525 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:21,200 wonderfully. Welcome people into this church 526 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:24,100 that they might see and experience the one. 527 00:33:24,100 --> 00:33:27,200 Who justifies the inexcusable the one who's able to save 528 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:33,100 sinners. And yet, you don't see that you. 529 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,100 It's possible that you are spiritually blind. 530 00:33:38,300 --> 00:33:47,800 You're the sinner in need of saving. maybe you're here 531 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:51,000 because you grew up going to church, maybe you're here 532 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:54,400 because mama said or daddy said or grandma, said, we're going to 533 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:57,700 church And if you don't do anything else in your life, you 534 00:33:57,700 --> 00:34:01,400 need to go to church. So much stock is put in your 535 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:05,300 church attendance. It's really quite scary Church. 536 00:34:05,300 --> 00:34:09,000 Attendance is commanded by God, don't mishear me. 537 00:34:09,300 --> 00:34:11,300 He says not to forsake the Gathering. 538 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:15,000 But he's telling Believers, not to forsake, the giving he 539 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,600 doesn't say, Do not forsake the Gathering so that you might be 540 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,000 saved, which is what so many people are doing. 541 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,300 You don't forsake the Gathering as a Christian because you 542 00:34:24,300 --> 00:34:27,000 recognize, this is where we come together with the body to 543 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:31,300 magnify Christ to remember the Salvation that we've gained in 544 00:34:31,300 --> 00:34:37,800 his grace and to encourage one another, to keep pressing on 545 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:40,100 your stirring up, one another to love and good works. 546 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,500 But if you come to church is one who thinks that church 547 00:34:43,500 --> 00:34:46,600 attendance is a part of being good. 548 00:34:48,199 --> 00:34:57,000 You're missing the mark. if you do, not surrender your entire 549 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:05,000 life to the rule and reign of Christ, Jesus If you do not love 550 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:11,300 him and renounce, your sinful desires, your sinful ways, then 551 00:35:11,300 --> 00:35:14,900 you're merely on the outside looking in and you fooled 552 00:35:14,900 --> 00:35:20,100 yourself into thinking. You're one of God's people. 553 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:25,800 And like, Nicodemus, you may be considered deeply religious 554 00:35:25,800 --> 00:35:30,800 because of your attendance and your servants heart and your 555 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:33,000 abilities and all of those things. 556 00:35:33,500 --> 00:35:35,500 And yet you're actually spiritually blind. 557 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:41,800 It's really incredible to see what God is doing here through 558 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:46,900 Christ for Nicodemus. And we'll see it more as we go 559 00:35:46,900 --> 00:35:50,600 throughout the passage, but God is literally drawing, Nicodemus 560 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:55,600 out of this spiritual darkened State, and he's revealing 561 00:35:55,800 --> 00:36:04,400 Marvelous Light to him. Let me finish this up by talking 562 00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:05,700 to you about the greatest miracle. 563 00:36:07,900 --> 00:36:10,600 Nicodemus points out the signs of Christ. 564 00:36:10,900 --> 00:36:16,300 No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him, 565 00:36:16,300 --> 00:36:19,800 so he performed signs, we don't know which ones he performed 566 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:22,400 there in Jerusalem during Passover. 567 00:36:23,700 --> 00:36:27,100 We might have some, you know, idea if we look at some of the 568 00:36:27,107 --> 00:36:29,400 other gospels, but John doesn't name them here. 569 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:34,600 But Nicodemus saw signs and he calls them signs. 570 00:36:36,100 --> 00:36:40,400 Because the word sign means it's sign. 571 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:43,600 It's what a signs. Do they tell you something, 572 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:46,100 right? They point you in a direction 573 00:36:46,700 --> 00:36:49,700 and so he's saying no one could do these signs. 574 00:36:50,900 --> 00:36:55,300 Unless God is with him. So with Nicodemus is saying he's 575 00:36:55,300 --> 00:36:58,200 confessing. I recognized the miracle but 576 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:00,600 that's a sign. There's something tied to it, 577 00:37:00,700 --> 00:37:04,500 what's going on? No one could do that unless God 578 00:37:04,500 --> 00:37:08,200 is with him. Enlighten me, Jesus. 579 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:14,300 Again, Lawson adds. This was good, he says each 580 00:37:14,300 --> 00:37:16,300 Miracle. Jesus performed was a Divine 581 00:37:16,500 --> 00:37:20,900 confirmation that he had been sent by God each display of 582 00:37:20,900 --> 00:37:25,700 tower validated that he had come to bring Salvation to those who 583 00:37:25,700 --> 00:37:30,700 were perishing in their sins. When Jesus Open the Eyes of 584 00:37:30,700 --> 00:37:33,600 those who were physically blind, he demonstrated that he gives 585 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:36,500 sight to those who are spiritually blind, when he 586 00:37:36,500 --> 00:37:40,100 unstopped physically deaf ears. He showed that he gives hearing 587 00:37:40,100 --> 00:37:45,300 to those who Cannot understand spiritual truth when he healed 588 00:37:45,300 --> 00:37:48,300 paralyzed legs. He showed that he could cause 589 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:53,000 Sinners to walk in newness of Life, each Miracle testified 590 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:57,400 that Jesus gives eternal life which is the very thing that 591 00:37:57,400 --> 00:38:05,000 Nicodemus needed most Amen. I'm said to you before, and I 592 00:38:05,008 --> 00:38:11,000 will say it till the day I die. The greatest miracle that God 593 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:15,400 performs today. Is not when he heals someone of 594 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:18,200 cancer. It's not when he heals someone 595 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:21,600 of being physically blind. It's not when he makes the lame 596 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:26,000 to walk. The greatest miracle that God 597 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:29,900 performs today is in the granting of new spiritual life 598 00:38:29,900 --> 00:38:32,300 to those who are spiritually dead. 599 00:38:37,300 --> 00:38:40,000 You cannot cause your own physical birth. 600 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,500 Can you? You make yourself? 601 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:45,600 Got to be careful with children present. 602 00:38:47,700 --> 00:38:49,400 Did you cause your own conception? 603 00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:56,400 No. Did you cause your own birth on 604 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:59,900 that day that you were born? Whatever day that was no. 605 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:05,700 The Bible says that you are in the womb and you were fearfully 606 00:39:05,700 --> 00:39:09,200 and wonderfully made and he knit together. 607 00:39:11,100 --> 00:39:15,900 Your bones, your muscles, your tissue be formed, your arms and 608 00:39:15,900 --> 00:39:17,800 your legs. He created your personality 609 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:25,800 while you were in the womb. So what Psalm 139 is saying You 610 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:28,600 can't cause you're spiritual birth. 611 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:34,200 In any way that you could cause you're in the same way that you 612 00:39:34,207 --> 00:39:39,100 can't cause your physical birth, your dependent upon Christ for 613 00:39:39,100 --> 00:39:43,200 this. And when God transforms a sinner 614 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:47,800 into a saint, it's by the power of His spirit, it's by the work 615 00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:50,700 of Christ Jesus. On the cross, it's by his own 616 00:39:51,100 --> 00:39:53,600 hand. We witness the greatest miracle 617 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:57,200 that God performs when we see someone come to New Life in 618 00:39:57,200 --> 00:40:01,100 Christ Jesus and all the other Miracles are, but a foretaste of 619 00:40:01,100 --> 00:40:05,800 Heaven there, but a foretaste of that Eternal dwelling that 620 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:09,300 Believers will enjoy a men in the presence of God, where 621 00:40:09,300 --> 00:40:11,300 there's no more tear, there's no more pain. 622 00:40:11,500 --> 00:40:13,500 Is no more death. There's no more sickness, 623 00:40:13,500 --> 00:40:18,600 there's no more sin. The curse is finally forever 624 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:24,400 broken in that state. Nicodemus needed to see his 625 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:28,800 desperate need for new life and so do you if you haven't 626 00:40:28,800 --> 00:40:33,100 already, You two must be dramatically Changed by the 627 00:40:33,100 --> 00:40:36,900 spirit of God. You must be a sinner who is 628 00:40:36,900 --> 00:40:41,800 saved by the grace of God alone. You need to be transformed into 629 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:46,000 a new creation in Christ. Jesus and like Nicodemus, you 630 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:51,500 need that And like Nicodemus also, you may only experience 631 00:40:51,500 --> 00:40:54,700 this by coming to Jesus Christ for your salvation. 632 00:40:55,600 --> 00:40:59,400 By looking to the author and the finisher of our salvation. 633 00:41:01,100 --> 00:41:04,300 Friends, I ask you today, where do you stand with Christ? 634 00:41:04,300 --> 00:41:08,300 Jesus? Who Is He To You? 635 00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:14,400 If you've already submitted your life to him, then, you know what 636 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:17,200 it means to become a new creation, you're seeing new 637 00:41:17,200 --> 00:41:20,000 desires. Birthed in. 638 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,200 You, you're seeing old desires, passed away, you're seeing 639 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:25,800 sinful ways, be stripped off of you. 640 00:41:27,300 --> 00:41:30,200 You've seen the ways of Christ take root in your heart and your 641 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:35,600 mind. It's becoming harder to send for 642 00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:38,900 you as a Believer because you're more and more aware of your 643 00:41:38,900 --> 00:41:41,200 sinfulness. Your more and more dependent on 644 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:44,400 the spirit of God, you're growing in Christ likeness 645 00:41:46,300 --> 00:41:50,200 You're hungry for his word and so you read it often. 646 00:41:50,500 --> 00:41:53,800 You enjoy studying it with brothers and sisters. 647 00:41:55,500 --> 00:41:57,400 You spend time in prayer with him. 648 00:41:58,700 --> 00:42:00,900 Maybe not as much as you'd like, but you do. 649 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,800 You're growing in it, you're learning to love the 650 00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:12,300 conversation, you get to have with the Lord on the regular. if 651 00:42:12,300 --> 00:42:21,600 all of those things sound foreign to you, it's possible 652 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:23,800 that you don't know what it means to be a new creation. 653 00:42:25,700 --> 00:42:27,800 It's possible that you haven't been born again. 654 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:34,200 It's possible that you're on the outside looking in. 655 00:42:34,200 --> 00:42:35,700 Yet you think you're on the inside? 656 00:42:35,700 --> 00:42:40,500 Looking out. Maybe you've tried everything, 657 00:42:40,900 --> 00:42:44,300 maybe you've tried church. Maybe you've pursued every 658 00:42:44,300 --> 00:42:49,600 desire to its end you chased after peace to, no avail. 659 00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:53,400 Maybe you're experiencing the same. 660 00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:59,300 Empty feeling that Nicodemus felt The same empty feeling that 661 00:42:59,300 --> 00:43:05,200 all of us before, coming to Christ, have felt, listen, you 662 00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:09,000 will not find peace in the vain pursuit of this world. 663 00:43:09,700 --> 00:43:13,400 Vanity of vanities Solomon says, all of it is Vanity. 664 00:43:14,300 --> 00:43:17,700 The end of the matter is this much has been written but this 665 00:43:17,700 --> 00:43:20,600 is what you need to know. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 12, 666 00:43:21,500 --> 00:43:24,600 fear God. Revere God. 667 00:43:25,600 --> 00:43:29,700 And keep his Commandments submit yourself to his authority. 668 00:43:35,100 --> 00:43:42,700 What you need is outside of you. It comes from an eternal place. 669 00:43:43,900 --> 00:43:48,400 And you're searching for God and only in the life that only he 670 00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:51,500 can provide you. That's why you feel an emptiness 671 00:43:51,500 --> 00:43:57,200 in this. Again, I found lost in helpful. 672 00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:00,100 He says, instead of hiding under the cover of spiritual Darkness, 673 00:44:00,100 --> 00:44:07,900 like, Nicodemus, you are called by God, to come to Christ Jesus 674 00:44:07,900 --> 00:44:13,100 to come to his son. And so, I urge, you come to the 675 00:44:13,100 --> 00:44:17,300 Lord Jesus today. You must see your empty life. 676 00:44:19,300 --> 00:44:23,000 And your need for the life that Christ offers you must turn away 677 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:27,600 from your empty religious trappings, or your vein 678 00:44:27,700 --> 00:44:32,700 Pursuits, and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ today. 679 00:44:34,300 --> 00:44:35,900 I read it last week, I'll read it again. 680 00:44:35,900 --> 00:44:40,200 Matthew, 11:28 Christ looks out on a people who are spiritually 681 00:44:40,600 --> 00:44:44,200 burdened by the law and by the Pharisees. 682 00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:49,700 And he says this, he says come to me all who labor and are 683 00:44:49,700 --> 00:44:51,800 heavy laden and I will give you rest. 684 00:44:52,200 --> 00:44:55,700 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for. 685 00:44:55,700 --> 00:45:01,300 I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your 686 00:45:01,300 --> 00:45:04,500 souls. For my yoke is easy and my 687 00:45:04,500 --> 00:45:10,900 burden is light. Christ offers you rest today 688 00:45:10,900 --> 00:45:16,800 from your striving Eternal rest, final, rest. 689 00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:21,000 And every one of us needs. The same thing. 690 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:26,000 We needed a new life. Formed in Us by God through 691 00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:30,000 Christ Jesus. You need God to draw you out of 692 00:45:30,008 --> 00:45:32,400 your Darkness into His Marvelous Light. 693 00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:35,400 And only God can grant you spiritual life. 694 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:40,400 Only God can cause life in. You only, he can satisfy those 695 00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:45,400 Eternal longings that you have that void will never be full 696 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:48,900 until you come to Christ. You will never know, peace until 697 00:45:48,900 --> 00:45:59,500 you know, Jesus is Lord. well, the early early Church, Father, 698 00:46:01,500 --> 00:46:02,700 How about the name of Saint Augustine? 699 00:46:02,700 --> 00:46:05,000 He wrote this. He said our hearts are restless 700 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:09,800 until they find their rest and You O Lord. 701 00:46:11,500 --> 00:46:15,500 Amen. If you're an unbeliever or 702 00:46:15,500 --> 00:46:20,700 you're an unsaved, self-identified Christian and 703 00:46:20,700 --> 00:46:22,200 you're filling that weight today. 704 00:46:22,600 --> 00:46:25,800 I want you to know that I'm glad you are here today. 705 00:46:26,700 --> 00:46:28,600 I'm glad you're here to hear these words. 706 00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:32,600 Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ. 707 00:46:32,600 --> 00:46:39,400 And you will be saved this day. if you're a born-again believer 708 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:45,700 in Jesus Christ, do not turn from what saved you. 709 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:48,600 The grace of God. You're not turn from God's 710 00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:53,800 grace. To an exercise of vain religion. 711 00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:59,000 Do not so quickly forsake the grace of God that saved. 712 00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:02,800 You do not be misled by the world, you're not being misled 713 00:47:02,800 --> 00:47:08,300 by your own desires, lean on and lean into the grace of God for 714 00:47:08,300 --> 00:47:12,900 your sanctification, the same Grace that saves is the same 715 00:47:12,900 --> 00:47:15,600 Grace that sanctifies you, each day. 716 00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:21,000 So trust the grace of God just as you did in your salvation. 717 00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:25,200 Well no, leave you with these words from 1st, Peter 2:9 718 00:47:25,600 --> 00:47:29,900 through 12 is speaking to exiled Believers, and they're finding 719 00:47:29,900 --> 00:47:32,900 themselves in a dispersion because of persecution, and 720 00:47:32,900 --> 00:47:38,300 they're all over the the place all over the known world. and he 721 00:47:38,300 --> 00:47:41,000 says this, he writes this to them to encourage them in their 722 00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:46,600 distress, he says, but you are a chosen race. 723 00:47:47,800 --> 00:47:55,000 You are a royal priesthood, you are a holy nation, a people for 724 00:47:55,000 --> 00:48:00,300 God's Own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of 725 00:48:00,300 --> 00:48:05,500 him who called you out of Darkness Into His Marvelous 726 00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:09,400 Light. He says in verse 10 he says once 727 00:48:09,400 --> 00:48:14,400 you were not a people It doesn't mean once you didn't exist, he 728 00:48:14,400 --> 00:48:16,800 said he'd meet me. Once you were not my people once 729 00:48:16,800 --> 00:48:19,400 you were not the chosen people. Once you were not the holy 730 00:48:19,400 --> 00:48:24,500 nation, once you were not a royal priesthood but now you are 731 00:48:24,500 --> 00:48:28,100 God's people, he says, and once you had not received Mercy but 732 00:48:28,100 --> 00:48:34,600 now you have received Mercy. I want to urge you the same way 733 00:48:34,600 --> 00:48:42,200 he urges you in verse 11. He says beloved I urge you as 734 00:48:42,200 --> 00:48:48,200 sojourners and exiles. Meaning you live in Nations but 735 00:48:48,200 --> 00:48:50,800 the nation. You're a part of is unseen the 736 00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:53,600 land you long for is not yet realized. 737 00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:59,500 So you're a Sojourner in the land you're in Exile, you're a 738 00:48:59,500 --> 00:49:02,000 people who seem like they have no home. 739 00:49:02,000 --> 00:49:05,000 They don't fit. And yet, here we are. 740 00:49:06,700 --> 00:49:10,200 He says, I urge you as sojourners and Exiles to abstain 741 00:49:10,200 --> 00:49:14,100 from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your 742 00:49:14,100 --> 00:49:16,800 soul. He says, keep your conduct among 743 00:49:16,800 --> 00:49:20,900 the Gentiles honorable so among those who are unbelievers keep 744 00:49:20,900 --> 00:49:25,000 your conduct honorable live as Christians so that when they 745 00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:32,100 speak against you as evildoers They may see your good deeds and 746 00:49:32,100 --> 00:49:35,100 glorify God on the day of visitation. 747 00:49:35,900 --> 00:49:39,500 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord brothers and 748 00:49:39,500 --> 00:49:41,800 sisters. I urge you declare the 749 00:49:41,800 --> 00:49:47,300 excellencies of God who has drawn You By His Marvelous Grace 750 00:49:47,300 --> 00:49:52,900 out of your spiritual Darkness into his spiritual light and you 751 00:49:52,900 --> 00:49:57,700 stand to your feet this morning. Heavenly Father, we praise you 752 00:49:57,700 --> 00:50:00,700 for your word. We thank you, Lord, for your 753 00:50:00,700 --> 00:50:05,000 kindness and salvation. We thank you, Lord, for the joy 754 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:11,000 that is ours in Christ Jesus. We thank you that we know peace 755 00:50:11,200 --> 00:50:18,300 from all our vain strivings And we praise you for the Salvation, 756 00:50:18,300 --> 00:50:24,300 we've received my father, you know, our hearts, you know us 757 00:50:24,300 --> 00:50:28,500 we've read today and so you know that we are prone to wonder. 758 00:50:28,500 --> 00:50:34,400 We are prone to chase after things that we think will add to 759 00:50:34,500 --> 00:50:39,600 what you've done. God, help us. 760 00:50:41,500 --> 00:50:46,300 Help us to not forsake the grace that saved us as we pursue 761 00:50:46,300 --> 00:50:50,300 sanctification. Help us to lean on your grace 762 00:50:50,700 --> 00:50:54,700 daily. For are being made more and more 763 00:50:54,700 --> 00:50:58,900 like Christ. Lord help us. 764 00:50:58,900 --> 00:51:01,800 Now, in this moment of repents, maybe where we've done that, 765 00:51:01,800 --> 00:51:05,500 Randy, where we're finding confidence in the flesh, having 766 00:51:05,500 --> 00:51:09,900 been born by the spirit as Paul says in Gentiles and Galatians 767 00:51:10,500 --> 00:51:13,700 having been born by the spirit. Are We Now relying on the flesh? 768 00:51:14,500 --> 00:51:19,100 Help us. And father it for anyone in 769 00:51:19,100 --> 00:51:23,200 here. It doesn't know you as Lord, 770 00:51:23,500 --> 00:51:26,100 whether they've convinced themselves that they do because 771 00:51:26,600 --> 00:51:33,900 of their religious efforts and Zeal or whether they were just 772 00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:36,500 flat out in Rebellion against you. 773 00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:41,500 Convict. Holy spirit's lead unto 774 00:51:41,500 --> 00:51:47,100 salvation today. Draw them to yourself that they 775 00:51:47,100 --> 00:51:51,100 might experience. Marvelous, Lights, peace, with 776 00:51:51,100 --> 00:51:57,700 God, reconciliation forever. Lord, we love you. 777 00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:06,600 We love you. Christ's name. 778 00:52:06,600 --> 00:52:07,600 I pray. Amen. 779 00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:06,600 We love you. Christ's name. 780 00:52:06,600 --> 00:52:07,600 I pray. Amen.