1 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,100 Just want to say welcome again to New Life Community Church, 2 00:00:08,100 --> 00:00:11,600 it's good to see everybody this morning, glad to be here. 3 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:14,200 Weather's nice. It's been a good weekend. 4 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:16,600 My wife, and I did a lot of spring cleaning yesterday and 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,200 I'm exhausted from it, but we were productive. 6 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:21,000 So it's been a good. Been a good weekend. 7 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,100 I hope you guys have had a great weekend as well. 8 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,900 My name is Jasper. I'm the associate pastor here at 9 00:00:26,900 --> 00:00:30,800 New Life, Community Church and apparently listening to Kyle, 10 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,100 talk this morning. It is Divine Providence that I'm 11 00:00:33,100 --> 00:00:36,000 preaching today. Either that or he knew I was 12 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,200 preaching, so he gave it all. He had at the ball field this 13 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,700 weekend, I'm not sure, but but it worked out. 14 00:00:40,700 --> 00:00:42,900 Great, God is good. Hey man, I'm glad that. 15 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,000 I'm glad that I'm able to do this. 16 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,700 I'm glad that we're a church where we have a plurality of 17 00:00:48,700 --> 00:00:52,400 Elders that get up and preach. And so, I'm honored to be here 18 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:57,500 doing this, just to let you know, this is not me being here, 19 00:00:57,500 --> 00:00:59,300 was not a backup thing. We had planned. 20 00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:02,400 This Kyle is in seminary right now and he's taking a lot of 21 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,600 classes and he's finishing up a He has been working really 22 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:09,100 really hard this week especially to finish some assignments and 23 00:01:09,100 --> 00:01:12,200 get and get all that finalized for this semester. 24 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:16,600 So you guys don't ever hesitate to lift him up in prayer and 25 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,300 prayer for that, pray for that. He works really hard for that. 26 00:01:19,300 --> 00:01:23,000 He's working really hard to try to learn and better himself to 27 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,600 better serve us as lead Pastor so you guys continually pray for 28 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,200 him and then also I think we've mentioned this once and not 29 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,000 again since then, but when you give there's actually a fund for 30 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:36,600 that. At to help pay for those things 31 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,800 for training for staff and pastors and all of that. 32 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,600 And so we want to be able to help him and that as well. 33 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,700 So if you guys feel led to do that, by all means we can give 34 00:01:45,700 --> 00:01:48,800 toward helping pay for things like Seminary, so that that's 35 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,400 not coming out of his pocket. So just encourage him in that. 36 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,700 Lift him up in prayer, support him in that as he's trying to be 37 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,000 a better Pastor for you guys and for us all. 38 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,900 So anyway, I'm glad to be able to preach today, so we're going 39 00:02:01,900 --> 00:02:05,100 to be continuing our series and John After three. 40 00:02:05,100 --> 00:02:07,100 So if you have your Bibles, go ahead and turn there. 41 00:02:09,100 --> 00:02:11,500 The series is titled, the law and the gospel. 42 00:02:11,500 --> 00:02:15,900 And we have been taking a look at this story of Jesus and 43 00:02:15,900 --> 00:02:19,600 Nicodemus and so we've gone through verses 1 through 8, 44 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:21,700 we're going to be looking at verses 9 and 10. 45 00:02:21,700 --> 00:02:25,900 Today, we're going to start at verse 1 and go ahead and read 46 00:02:25,900 --> 00:02:29,300 from there, just to kind of as a refresher to get caught back up. 47 00:02:29,300 --> 00:02:32,200 So if you have your Bibles, you want to follow along with me, 48 00:02:32,300 --> 00:02:37,100 John 3, starting at verse 1. Let's do what we've been doing 49 00:02:37,100 --> 00:02:39,600 and let's stand. If you were able for the reading 50 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:44,100 of God's word. Starting at verse 1 now, there 51 00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:48,300 was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 52 00:02:48,700 --> 00:02:51,500 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him. 53 00:02:51,500 --> 00:02:54,400 Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher. 54 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,100 Come from God, for No One. Can Do the signs that you do 55 00:02:58,300 --> 00:03:01,300 unless God is with him, Jesus answered him. 56 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,500 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he 57 00:03:05,500 --> 00:03:09,600 cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him. 58 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:11,600 How can a man be born when he is old? 59 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,200 Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? 60 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,900 Jesus answered truly, truly I say to you unless one is born of 61 00:03:19,900 --> 00:03:23,200 water and the spirit, he cannot enter the enter, the kingdom of 62 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,100 God, that which is born, of the flesh is flesh. 63 00:03:26,100 --> 00:03:30,000 And that, which is born of the spirit is Spirit, do not Marvel. 64 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,000 That I said to you, you must be born again, the wind blows where 65 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,100 it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where 66 00:03:37,100 --> 00:03:41,600 it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is 67 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,100 born. Born of the spirit Nicodemus 68 00:03:44,100 --> 00:03:49,700 said to him, how can these things be Jesus answered? 69 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:54,200 Are you the teacher of Israel? And yet you do not understand 70 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:57,600 these things. Let's pray, father. 71 00:03:57,600 --> 00:03:59,800 Again, we thank you for letting us be here today. 72 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,400 We thank you for all your provision all your blessings. 73 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:07,200 God, we pray now that as we study this passage and talk 74 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:09,700 about it, that you're magnified and glorified, we pray that you 75 00:04:09,700 --> 00:04:11,700 give us discernment to understand. 76 00:04:11,900 --> 00:04:13,600 Word. Well, to hear what you want us 77 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:15,200 to hear. I pray that you speak through it 78 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:17,300 today. Speak through me, we thank you 79 00:04:17,308 --> 00:04:19,100 again for letting us be here in Jesus name. 80 00:04:19,100 --> 00:04:20,500 Amen. You guys can have a seat. 81 00:04:22,900 --> 00:04:27,000 So so far what we've established reading this story in verses 1 82 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,500 through 8, I'm going to do a really fast kind of fly by just 83 00:04:30,500 --> 00:04:33,800 recap of some of the things we've talked about Jesus in 84 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,200 Jerusalem during the Passover. He's doing many signs and 85 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,700 wonders many miracles and Nicodemus witnessed some of 86 00:04:40,700 --> 00:04:44,200 these signs and Anders. Now he was again, the leading 87 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,500 Pharisee, he was the teacher of all Israel. 88 00:04:46,500 --> 00:04:50,400 He was the top of the food chain, when it came to the 89 00:04:50,407 --> 00:04:52,500 Pharisees. He's at the very, very top. 90 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,100 So he comes to Jesus at night. He's sneaking around, he doesn't 91 00:04:56,100 --> 00:05:00,000 want to be seen doing this. Okay, so keep that in mind as 92 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,000 well. He comes and he acknowledges 93 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,500 Jesus as a rabbi, he calls him Rabbi, which means teacher. 94 00:05:05,500 --> 00:05:09,000 So if the the top teacher of all the Pharisees, the guy that 95 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,900 supposed to know it all, he's running, the whole show is Now 96 00:05:11,900 --> 00:05:14,900 calling Jesus. Rabbi he's saying, look, you're 97 00:05:14,900 --> 00:05:17,400 above me. Like I'm here to learn from you. 98 00:05:18,500 --> 00:05:20,600 He comes to him and he's acknowledging this. 99 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,500 He's kind of praising Jesus for the things he's done. 100 00:05:23,500 --> 00:05:27,100 And Jesus we were told back at chapter 2 right there at the end 101 00:05:27,100 --> 00:05:29,700 is that Jesus already knew what was in the heart of man. 102 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,100 And so before Nicodemus ever asks a single question, Jesus 103 00:05:33,100 --> 00:05:36,200 knows why He's there and he immediately goes straight to. 104 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:40,200 You can't see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. - 105 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,400 Miss didn't ask how you're born. He didn't ask any of that. 106 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:44,500 He just came and said, nobody can do what you do, unless 107 00:05:44,500 --> 00:05:47,000 they're from God. So Jesus gets right to the point 108 00:05:47,100 --> 00:05:49,900 starts, addressing the heart of the matter, which was Nicodemus, 109 00:05:49,900 --> 00:05:53,700 his heart. And so he tells him you have to 110 00:05:53,700 --> 00:05:56,700 be reborn to enter the kingdom of God. 111 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:02,300 This blows Nicodemus, his mind, he's never heard this term. 112 00:06:02,300 --> 00:06:05,600 Never heard it put this way. He should understand this, but 113 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,400 he doesn't. But this idea that everything 114 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:09,500 I've done everything, I've worked. 115 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,400 Worked for means nothing. I have to start over completely 116 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:18,400 start over and then to take it even further last week, Jesus 117 00:06:18,700 --> 00:06:22,000 uses the wind analogy where he says, look, not only do you need 118 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:26,000 to be reborn, not only do you have to start over all of the 119 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:30,000 stuff you've done is not good enough but you can't just do 120 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,600 this on your own. This isn't just a thing you work 121 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,500 for. This is actually out of your 122 00:06:35,500 --> 00:06:37,900 control because God does this in you. 123 00:06:38,700 --> 00:06:41,600 So it's like the wind. It's who knows? 124 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:45,600 Who knows it, right? So, Nicodemus, has now been 125 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:47,700 told, not only do you have to start over, you have to be 126 00:06:47,700 --> 00:06:50,200 reborn, but that's not something you can do in yourself. 127 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:52,400 That's something. Only God can do in you. 128 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:57,000 It's out of your control. So his mind has been kind of 129 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:01,500 blown by all of this. And that's what leads us to our 130 00:07:01,500 --> 00:07:03,700 passage today we're going to be in verses 9 and 10. 131 00:07:03,700 --> 00:07:07,400 This is what we're looking at and this is the main point that 132 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:09,400 I really want to drive home and this is what we're going to 133 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:14,400 start unpacking is that this idea of rebirth or being reborn, 134 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:16,400 that's just another word for salvation. 135 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,000 It's another way of saying being saved and so the main point 136 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:25,600 today is it salvation always has and always will come by grace 137 00:07:25,900 --> 00:07:30,600 through faith. By grace, through faith. 138 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:33,200 So, let's talk about that. Let's talk about what it means 139 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:39,300 to be saved by grace. So in verse 9 Nicodemus says, 140 00:07:39,300 --> 00:07:44,800 how can these things be? He is an utter astonishment from 141 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,200 the things that Jesus has told him so far. 142 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:50,600 When he says these things, how can these things be? 143 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,700 He's talking about everything that they've discussed up into 144 00:07:53,700 --> 00:07:55,400 this point. He's talking about this idea of 145 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:57,700 rebirth. He's talking about this idea 146 00:07:57,700 --> 00:08:00,700 that At rebirth doesn't just happen because I want it to or 147 00:08:00,700 --> 00:08:03,200 I'm going to make that happen. But that God has to do that. 148 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:06,600 In me, all of this has just blown his mind. 149 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:10,100 He said, how can this be? He's an utter astonishment. 150 00:08:10,100 --> 00:08:15,000 He is in shock, he's stunned, he's shook with, he's he doesn't 151 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:16,800 know what to think about any of this. 152 00:08:17,900 --> 00:08:20,800 So Jesus has just taken everything that he thought 153 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,800 everything he knew about righteousness, about entering 154 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,600 the kingdom of God, about being close to God, and he took it and 155 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,700 flipped it on its head. And said, no, that is not how 156 00:08:29,700 --> 00:08:35,600 this works. So remember as a Pharisee, he is 157 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:39,299 living a life where your righteousness was completely 158 00:08:39,299 --> 00:08:42,900 100% based on how hard you worked and working your way up 159 00:08:42,900 --> 00:08:45,800 that ladder and doing more and more for God, that was, that was 160 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,700 in his mind. What righteousness and salvation 161 00:08:48,700 --> 00:08:53,700 was Jesus is saying, no, it's not about how hard you work. 162 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,500 It's not about what you do. In fact, you need to start over. 163 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,300 You need to be reborn and by the way, that is totally out of your 164 00:09:01,300 --> 00:09:02,100 control. Roll. 165 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,100 It's not something you just do in yourself. 166 00:09:05,100 --> 00:09:08,900 It's something God does. So this is why Jesus uses that 167 00:09:08,900 --> 00:09:12,600 wind analogy Colin packed? This really well, last week he 168 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,500 pointed out that the holy spirit is like the wind, it is 169 00:09:15,500 --> 00:09:19,800 independent irresistible and visible and incomprehensible. 170 00:09:20,500 --> 00:09:22,300 So in other words, it's unpredictable. 171 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:28,300 Rebirth or salvation is a complete Act of Grace on the 172 00:09:28,300 --> 00:09:30,600 part of God in the life of a believer. 173 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,400 If you guys ever heard that old saying about Justice? 174 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:35,900 Mercy and Grace. I'm pretty sure. 175 00:09:35,900 --> 00:09:37,800 I've said that I know you guys have heard this before. 176 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:41,500 But Justice is, when you get exactly what you deserve, what 177 00:09:41,500 --> 00:09:46,700 you've earned Mercy is when you don't get what you deserve. 178 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:51,100 And then Grace is when you are given something that you did not 179 00:09:51,100 --> 00:09:53,900 earn and you don't deserve it, it's a gift. 180 00:09:54,500 --> 00:09:58,000 And that's why I salvation is a, it's a grace of God. 181 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:01,000 It is something that we are given that we didn't earn and We 182 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:07,100 don't deserve. So in rebirth, that's what's 183 00:10:07,100 --> 00:10:09,200 happening. This is not something we've done 184 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,100 to earn it, it's not something I did at some point that now I 185 00:10:12,100 --> 00:10:16,900 qualify none of that. It is completely an act of God 186 00:10:17,100 --> 00:10:24,100 in my life for every person we were slaves to sin but he frees 187 00:10:24,100 --> 00:10:29,500 us, he is the author. And Perfecter of our Salvation, 188 00:10:29,500 --> 00:10:36,600 not us, I'm not saved because I chose Jesus and allowed him to 189 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:39,500 come into my heart. Like I got to dictate that. 190 00:10:39,500 --> 00:10:42,600 It was my decision. That is not what's happening 191 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,000 here. I'm not in control of this. 192 00:10:45,100 --> 00:10:48,100 I don't get too stiff arm Jesus until I decide. 193 00:10:48,100 --> 00:10:49,600 Okay, I'm going to let you in now. 194 00:10:50,300 --> 00:10:52,700 If that's the case, I'm am Nipa today. 195 00:10:52,700 --> 00:10:54,400 I'm all powerful. Not him. 196 00:10:56,100 --> 00:10:59,300 I don't get to choose when God gives me a new heart. 197 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,900 And opens my eyes to see and ears to hear the truth, and see 198 00:11:03,900 --> 00:11:07,400 the truth. I when I, when it comes to my 199 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:11,400 decisions and my choices. Yeah, I have them and I choose 200 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:17,000 sin and destruction every time. Until God gives me a new heart 201 00:11:17,100 --> 00:11:21,700 and new desires and new affections and a new mind only. 202 00:11:21,700 --> 00:11:24,800 Then can I pursue him left to my own devices? 203 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:29,000 I am going to chase sin every single time and run from God 204 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:31,700 every single time and anything good. 205 00:11:31,700 --> 00:11:37,900 I do is just filthy rags. But because of his love, his 206 00:11:37,900 --> 00:11:45,300 Mercy, his grace, he chose me. Not because of anything I did to 207 00:11:45,300 --> 00:11:49,200 earn it or deserve it or initiate it or any of that. 208 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:53,000 Not because he saw something in me that one day would happen. 209 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:57,500 Not because I was special, but solely based on his love and his 210 00:11:57,500 --> 00:12:02,200 grace and his Mercy was I saved God loved me so much that he 211 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,900 sent his son. He sent his son to save me 212 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:13,100 before I was ever even born. So rebirth is totally 100% an 213 00:12:13,100 --> 00:12:16,000 act of Grace. We are undeserving, we are 214 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,300 rebellious, Sinners that constantly turn from God and he 215 00:12:20,300 --> 00:12:23,700 pursues us and Nicodemus, just couldn't comprehend this. 216 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:28,200 This idea that rebirth and then and then at the fact that that's 217 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,000 not something I get to control and dictate was blowing his 218 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:33,900 mind, he couldn't comprehend it and Jesus. 219 00:12:34,900 --> 00:12:38,600 Responds accordingly to Nicodemus is kind of shocked and 220 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:42,600 how can these things be? Which leads to the second part 221 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,200 of this is not only are we saved by grace. 222 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:51,700 We are saved through faith saved by grace, through faith verse 223 00:12:51,700 --> 00:12:56,800 10, Jesus says, Are you the teacher of Israel? 224 00:12:57,100 --> 00:12:59,000 And yet, you don't understand these things. 225 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:03,000 Remember Nicodemus was the the leader of it. 226 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,100 Alright. The Pharisee of Pharisees, he's 227 00:13:05,100 --> 00:13:08,700 the top dog, and yet he does not understand anything. 228 00:13:08,700 --> 00:13:10,300 Jesus is talking about right now. 229 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,800 Now, these are, these are sharp words from Christ. 230 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:19,000 He is rebuking Nicodemus, he's telling him you should know 231 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:24,400 this, but you don't. He fully expected Nicodemus to 232 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:26,400 know these things to understand it. 233 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:32,600 As we've already said this idea of rebirth, this idea of 234 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:36,300 Salvation and regeneration was not something new from 235 00:13:36,300 --> 00:13:38,100 Nicodemus, he should have known about this. 236 00:13:38,100 --> 00:13:42,200 We've pointed out some Old Testament passages that he would 237 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:46,800 have read and should be familiar with like Ezekiel 36:26 through 238 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:49,900 27. It says this, I will give you a 239 00:13:49,900 --> 00:13:53,900 new heart and a new spirit. I will put within you and I will 240 00:13:53,900 --> 00:13:56,900 remove the Heart of Stone from your flesh and give you a heart 241 00:13:56,900 --> 00:13:57,800 of Flesh. Flesh. 242 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:02,900 And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my 243 00:14:02,900 --> 00:14:05,600 statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 244 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:09,000 You notice what God is saying there? 245 00:14:09,100 --> 00:14:12,200 I will do this in you. I'm going to put my spirit in 246 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:16,600 you and make you love me and make you walk in my ways. 247 00:14:16,700 --> 00:14:18,300 I do this. Not you. 248 00:14:20,500 --> 00:14:25,300 We are incapable of walking in his statutes and obeying his 249 00:14:25,300 --> 00:14:28,200 rules apart from him giving us this ability. 250 00:14:29,700 --> 00:14:33,300 Deuteronomy chapter 30 verse 6 says in the Lord, your God will 251 00:14:33,300 --> 00:14:37,300 circumcise your heart and the heart of your Offspring. 252 00:14:37,300 --> 00:14:41,400 So that you will love the Lord, your God with all your heart and 253 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:43,700 all your soul and that you may live. 254 00:14:45,300 --> 00:14:47,700 Let's talk about this for just a second, this idea of 255 00:14:47,700 --> 00:14:49,500 circumcision of the heart. Okay? 256 00:14:49,500 --> 00:14:54,100 So we know that the physical act of circumcision was established 257 00:14:54,100 --> 00:14:57,000 in the abrahamic, Covenant in Genesis 17 and then 258 00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,700 re-established again, reinstituted in the Mosaic 259 00:14:59,700 --> 00:15:02,700 Covenant in, Leviticus 12. So this was a thing. 260 00:15:02,700 --> 00:15:05,900 God did with the people of Israel as a sign of the Covenant 261 00:15:05,900 --> 00:15:08,800 that he had made with them. But this is talking about 262 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:12,200 something different, this isn't physical circumcision, this is a 263 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:15,100 circumcision of the heart. This is something different. 264 00:15:15,100 --> 00:15:21,000 This is a process where God cuts off or removes, the old heart, 265 00:15:21,100 --> 00:15:25,200 and gives you a brand new heart that is able to follow him and 266 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:28,700 love him. He takes the old, you and cuts 267 00:15:28,700 --> 00:15:32,300 it off and does away with it, and creates a new you with a new 268 00:15:32,300 --> 00:15:36,100 heart, and new desires, and new affections than a long for the 269 00:15:36,108 --> 00:15:40,800 Lord, whereas, before you rebelled against God, Why is 270 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:43,800 this necessary? Well, it tells us in the text so 271 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,800 that you will love the Lord, your God with all your heart, 272 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,300 and your soul, and that you may live again. 273 00:15:49,300 --> 00:15:54,900 Apart from this apart, from God, circumcising our heart and doing 274 00:15:54,900 --> 00:15:59,000 this work in us, we do not do this, we don't love the Lord, we 275 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,800 don't follow his statutes and try to live in a way that 276 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:05,800 pleases him. So, don't miss this. 277 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:10,200 The circumcision of the heart. This removing This Heart of I 278 00:16:10,208 --> 00:16:14,000 want to be in giving a heart of Flesh happens first, then 279 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,900 following the Lord then obedience to God. 280 00:16:17,900 --> 00:16:21,400 So this was necessary for everyone, this is Old Testament. 281 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,700 This isn't New Testament stuff. Not only for the Israelites, but 282 00:16:24,700 --> 00:16:27,300 for their children, this is for you and your Offspring. 283 00:16:28,300 --> 00:16:31,800 So simple Birthright, just being an Israelite wasn't enough, you 284 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:33,400 know? We're told that there are those 285 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,300 who were of Israel yet, not of Israel. 286 00:16:38,100 --> 00:16:42,100 Romans 9 637 says not all who are descended from Israel, 287 00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:46,200 belong to Israel and not all are children of Abraham because they 288 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:51,400 are his offspring. well, if it's not his offspring that are his 289 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:56,900 children than who are Jeremiah 925 through 26, says, behold the 290 00:16:56,900 --> 00:16:58,800 days are coming declares the Lord. 291 00:16:58,900 --> 00:17:03,500 When I will punish all those who are circumcised merely In the 292 00:17:03,508 --> 00:17:10,099 Flesh, Egypt, Judah Edom. The sons of am on Moab for all 293 00:17:10,099 --> 00:17:14,300 these nations are uncircumcised. And all the house of Israel are 294 00:17:14,300 --> 00:17:20,300 uncircumcised in heart. So we know that that Israel 295 00:17:20,300 --> 00:17:22,900 practice circumcision. This is what they did. 296 00:17:22,900 --> 00:17:25,800 It's what they were known for this but God says he's going to 297 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,700 punish them because they're uncircumcised of heart that it's 298 00:17:29,700 --> 00:17:33,700 physical only. The even the Israelites God's 299 00:17:33,700 --> 00:17:39,000 chosen people had to go through a heart change, God had to put 300 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:43,400 his heart and his Spirit within them for them to be saved, they 301 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:47,400 weren't saved just because they were Israelites and then of 302 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:51,100 course, we read in Hebrews 11. So we walked through a little 303 00:17:51,100 --> 00:17:53,500 bit of Hebrews 11 and Sunday school this morning, talking 304 00:17:53,500 --> 00:17:59,300 about this about faith. That chapter is called the Hall 305 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:01,800 of Faith. Instead of the Hall of Fame, the 306 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,300 Hall of faith. And it is just a list of Old 307 00:18:05,300 --> 00:18:10,600 Testament Heroes that were saved by Faith by their faith in God. 308 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:17,900 That is what made them righteous Abraham, Sarah Isaac, Jacob, 309 00:18:17,900 --> 00:18:22,300 Moses, Nicodemus should have known all of these. 310 00:18:22,300 --> 00:18:24,100 Should have known every one of these characters. 311 00:18:24,100 --> 00:18:27,600 It should have been familiar with their story and that their 312 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:30,100 faith is what was counted to him as righteousness. 313 00:18:30,100 --> 00:18:32,000 Not their deeds, not their works. 314 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:39,700 All of those people had their hearts circumcised and God had 315 00:18:39,700 --> 00:18:44,100 put his Spirit within them. See, God does not change the way 316 00:18:44,700 --> 00:18:47,900 that he saves from the Old Testament to the new. 317 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:51,600 It's not like he used to save a certain way and then all that 318 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:53,000 changed. After Jesus. 319 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:57,900 It's always been by grace through faith, that the people 320 00:18:57,900 --> 00:19:01,600 of God were saved. It's always been from this heart 321 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:03,600 transplant that we're talking about. 322 00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:08,100 Now, again, Nicodemus should have known, all of this. 323 00:19:08,700 --> 00:19:10,900 All of this is in the Old Testament, okay? 324 00:19:10,900 --> 00:19:13,900 He as the teacher of Israel should have understood. 325 00:19:13,900 --> 00:19:16,500 These verses, you should have known this, he should have known 326 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,500 what circumcision of the heart means, and removing the Heart of 327 00:19:19,508 --> 00:19:22,500 Stone and being given a heart of Flesh, you should have 328 00:19:22,500 --> 00:19:24,600 comprehended these things. You should have known these 329 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:29,000 texts. So after all is learning after 330 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,400 being the teacher of Israel, the smartest guy in the room could 331 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:36,700 quote, you all these verses, he was the most, holy guy around. 332 00:19:37,300 --> 00:19:40,900 After all of that, it meant nothing. 333 00:19:40,900 --> 00:19:44,700 He still didn't get it, he still didn't comprehend. 334 00:19:44,700 --> 00:19:50,000 What Jesus was telling him, he could not comprehend that he 335 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:55,400 needed to be reborn. And that God does that in you, 336 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,500 you don't learn that you don't work for that. 337 00:19:59,100 --> 00:20:03,100 He didn't comprehend that that rebirth that salvation always 338 00:20:03,100 --> 00:20:09,400 has and always will be an act of Grace on God's part in our lives 339 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,700 and that it happens through our faith in him and believing in 340 00:20:12,700 --> 00:20:14,800 him. Not ourselves. 341 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:18,200 Not our Good Deeds, not how hard we work. 342 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:23,400 I'm not saved because I come to church every week, I'm not saved 343 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:27,200 because I went to a Juana's as a kid, or even because I walked an 344 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:30,000 aisle and said a prayer, I'm not Saying that that wasn't 345 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,200 salvation for you. But just because you do these 346 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:37,800 things doesn't make you saved. It's only by being reborn being 347 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:40,700 given a new heart and new desires. 348 00:20:40,700 --> 00:20:44,000 Only when God does that in you, are you now saved? 349 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,300 And a Christian we need to understand this people because 350 00:20:47,700 --> 00:20:53,500 we live in an area and in a time when cultural Christianity is a 351 00:20:53,500 --> 00:20:59,000 big, big deal. Don't miss this. 352 00:20:59,500 --> 00:21:02,100 Now I'm looking through this room and I'm seeing a ton of 353 00:21:02,100 --> 00:21:04,700 people that I love dearly. There are my brothers and 354 00:21:04,700 --> 00:21:07,500 sisters in Christ and I know I'm preaching to the choir to a lot 355 00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:11,800 of you guys but that's fine. The preaching, the gospel never 356 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:12,900 gets old. Amen. 357 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:15,600 We need to hear this. We need to make sure we 358 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:17,300 understand it. My hope for you. 359 00:21:17,500 --> 00:21:19,700 Is that as I'm saying these things, you're thinking, amen. 360 00:21:19,700 --> 00:21:21,200 That's exactly what happened to me. 361 00:21:22,700 --> 00:21:28,300 But the truth of the matter is, there are Nicodemus has still 362 00:21:28,300 --> 00:21:31,900 running around. There are those of us who have 363 00:21:31,900 --> 00:21:36,400 grown up hearing this our whole lives who have spent a lot of 364 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:39,500 time sitting in a Pew or in a chair in a church. 365 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:44,800 We can tell you any verse you want to know There are a lot of 366 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:49,000 people like Nicodemus that it has not registered, it's not 367 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,900 been real in here. Because it's all been just our 368 00:21:52,900 --> 00:21:55,500 work and it's not been a work of God in us. 369 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:01,900 Perhaps the best passage on this is Ephesians 2, 1 through 10, 370 00:22:01,900 --> 00:22:04,500 Patricia read, part of it during worship. 371 00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:08,300 I want to read this to you now. Ephesians 2, 1 through 10 says, 372 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,500 and you were dead and the trespasses and sins in which 373 00:22:12,500 --> 00:22:15,300 you. Once walked following the course 374 00:22:15,300 --> 00:22:18,700 of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, 375 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:22,200 the spirit that is now at work in the sons of Disobedience, 376 00:22:22,700 --> 00:22:26,100 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh. 377 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,500 Carrie Hang out, the desires of the body and the mind. 378 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:34,100 And we're by Nature children of Wrath like the rest of mankind. 379 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:43,300 but, God being rich in Mercy because of the great love with 380 00:22:43,300 --> 00:22:46,700 which he loved us. Even when we were dead in our 381 00:22:46,700 --> 00:22:50,400 trespasses made us alive together. 382 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:55,500 With Christ by Grace, you have been saved and raised us up with 383 00:22:55,500 --> 00:22:59,900 him and seated us with him in the Heavenly places in Christ 384 00:22:59,900 --> 00:23:02,400 Jesus. So that in the coming ages, he 385 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:06,300 might show the immeasurable Riches of his grace and kindness 386 00:23:06,300 --> 00:23:10,600 toward us. In Jesus Christ, for by Grace, 387 00:23:10,900 --> 00:23:15,600 you have been saved through faith and this is not your own 388 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:17,900 doing. It is the gift of God. 389 00:23:18,100 --> 00:23:22,300 Not a result of works so that no one may boast. 390 00:23:23,300 --> 00:23:29,000 Amen. Jesus, not only expected 391 00:23:29,300 --> 00:23:34,700 Nicodemus to know this, But he expected Nicodemus to respond 392 00:23:34,700 --> 00:23:38,800 accordingly. When being told this, He 393 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:43,400 expected Nicodemus to believe what he was saying and to put 394 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:47,200 his faith and trust in him in Christ. 395 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,600 That's what Christ was expecting of him. 396 00:23:49,700 --> 00:23:53,700 Believe what I'm saying, trust me, put your faith in me. 397 00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,100 So what does this mean for us? What does this mean for us 398 00:23:59,100 --> 00:24:02,100 today? Well, the bottom line is this, 399 00:24:03,100 --> 00:24:08,600 what Nicodemus needed to do was believe, Jesus believe in Jesus. 400 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,700 Believe that what he's saying is true. 401 00:24:12,300 --> 00:24:17,100 He needed to check all of that stuff that he thought he knew at 402 00:24:17,100 --> 00:24:20,400 the door and he needed to believe what Christ was telling 403 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:24,300 him, he needed to have faith, and he needed to submit his life 404 00:24:24,300 --> 00:24:30,800 to Christ in that moment. We also need to do that. 405 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:34,400 You see it? It's God. 406 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:38,400 Who does the saving God circumcised has the heart. 407 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:41,400 God removes the heart of Flesh and gives us removes the Heart 408 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:43,200 of Stone and gives us a heart of Flesh. 409 00:24:44,900 --> 00:24:50,000 But we have a responsibility to. When God removes that Heart of 410 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,300 Stone and gives us that heart of Flesh and the Holy Spirit begins 411 00:24:53,300 --> 00:24:57,400 to pluck our hearts. We need to respond faithfully 412 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:03,200 and obediently we aren't completely when it comes to 413 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:04,800 this. We are completely off the hook 414 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:08,300 that we do nothing were called to be faithful and obedient to 415 00:25:08,300 --> 00:25:14,100 the Lord to respond in kind. And so, when Nicodemus, I'm sure 416 00:25:14,100 --> 00:25:16,800 we're going to talk about this at some point that this is the 417 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:22,600 last Instance, where we see him in this story from here, Jesus 418 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:25,500 goes on to teach and say many things, but this was the last we 419 00:25:25,500 --> 00:25:29,800 hear from Nicodemus. Now, we know that he shows up 420 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:33,400 later in the story of Jesus and in the life of Jesus and there 421 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:36,700 are a lot of speculations as to whether he ever actually did 422 00:25:36,700 --> 00:25:38,600 place his faith in Christ or not. 423 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:43,200 I'm sure Kyle is going to talk about this at some point but we 424 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:47,600 know that Christ expected him to respond. 425 00:25:48,700 --> 00:25:51,100 And that same expectation is there for us. 426 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:55,000 So I'm going to go ahead and invite the worship team to come 427 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:57,600 back up. And I want to talk about how we 428 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,700 can respond to this. How do we respond to this idea 429 00:26:00,700 --> 00:26:04,200 that we need to be reborn? That we need a new heart. 430 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,400 We need a new soul that God. Does this in us? 431 00:26:06,700 --> 00:26:11,100 That salvation is a complete Act of Grace. 432 00:26:12,300 --> 00:26:16,200 We're saved by grace, through faith and obedience through 433 00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:17,900 trusting. The Lord. 434 00:26:18,500 --> 00:26:23,500 How do we respond to this today? Well, if you're a Believer, if 435 00:26:23,500 --> 00:26:26,100 you're one of the people, I mentioned earlier that this is 436 00:26:26,100 --> 00:26:30,600 you, this is your story. And praise God, praise God. 437 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:34,700 Rebirth is the greatest miracle in the world that you were a 438 00:26:34,700 --> 00:26:37,400 different person and now you have been changed. 439 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:41,100 And so my prayer for you this morning is that you would not 440 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:45,300 your Would not be one saved because I worked really hard at 441 00:26:45,300 --> 00:26:48,800 it and I attended church and I tithe and I did all these 442 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:51,400 things. My prayer for you is that your 443 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:55,600 testimony would be. I was blind and God gave me 444 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:59,100 sight. I was a sinner and God saved me. 445 00:26:59,100 --> 00:27:02,300 He gave me a new heart, he changed, who I was. 446 00:27:02,500 --> 00:27:05,800 You should have seen the person. I used to be my prayer for you, 447 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:08,700 is that you would understand that God is merciful and 448 00:27:08,700 --> 00:27:11,800 gracious to you, and that you would give him the key. 449 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:16,400 Credit for that. And that after that, you would 450 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:20,200 go and be live faithfully and be obedient and live your life for 451 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:22,400 him. The rest of your days and tell 452 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:24,900 people about the gospel, tell people your story. 453 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:29,100 So, that's my prayer for you. If you can confidently, say your 454 00:27:29,100 --> 00:27:32,200 Christians morning. But there are people that cannot 455 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,500 say that they maybe are unbelievers, it would never put 456 00:27:34,500 --> 00:27:40,500 their faith in Christ. And so my prayer for you, If 457 00:27:40,500 --> 00:27:43,100 you're like Nicodemus, maybe, maybe you're hearing some things 458 00:27:43,100 --> 00:27:45,500 you're wrestling with. Maybe you're kind of don't 459 00:27:45,500 --> 00:27:47,600 understand it, maybe it's shocking. 460 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:52,600 My prayer for you is that you would do what Jesus expected 461 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:55,300 Nicodemus to do and respond in faith. 462 00:27:55,800 --> 00:28:00,900 Trust Christ, but your faith in him, and then go live your life 463 00:28:00,900 --> 00:28:04,700 in obedience to his word. But that's what were called to 464 00:28:04,700 --> 00:28:08,700 do, is to respond in faith to trust to believe. 465 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:12,200 Romans 10:9 says, if you confess with your mouth, that Jesus is 466 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:15,600 Lord, and believe in your heart, that God raised him from the 467 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,200 dead, you will be saved. Saved. 468 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:21,000 So if you've never done this, maybe you've attended church 469 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:23,400 your whole life, maybe you're just like Nicodemus and you 470 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:26,500 thought you knew or maybe you've never heard any of this. 471 00:28:26,500 --> 00:28:30,100 But my prayer for you is that you would trust him today today. 472 00:28:30,700 --> 00:28:35,900 Not tomorrow, put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ today if 473 00:28:35,900 --> 00:28:39,800 you've never done. So, I'm going to be around if 474 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:41,800 you need to talk later. If you need to talk to Kyle 475 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:44,500 Allen, any of our elders, we would love to talk to you about 476 00:28:44,500 --> 00:28:49,900 this but don't wait any longer. If you've never done this, Give 477 00:28:49,900 --> 00:28:55,800 God your life today let's pray. Father we love you we thank you 478 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:57,800 again for this opportunity to be in your house. 479 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:00,800 God I'm so grateful for salvation. 480 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:03,900 I'm grateful that while I was still a sinner. 481 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:09,100 Hell bent on running from you. Do you save me? 482 00:29:10,500 --> 00:29:11,400 Grateful. God. 483 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:14,900 Sure if your son that you sent Jesus to die for me, and I'm 484 00:29:14,900 --> 00:29:18,300 grateful that he pursued me, that he softened my heart that 485 00:29:18,300 --> 00:29:23,700 he gave me a new life, praise you for that and I pray, God, 486 00:29:23,700 --> 00:29:27,400 that anybody in this room that has never experienced this, that 487 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,900 you would save them today that you would give them, that heart 488 00:29:30,900 --> 00:29:33,100 of Flesh. He was circumcised the heart 489 00:29:33,100 --> 00:29:36,500 that you would open their eyes to see your truth that they 490 00:29:36,500 --> 00:29:38,700 would respond in obedience to that. 491 00:29:39,900 --> 00:29:42,600 God, we love you. We praise you for your Mighty 492 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:44,900 works. We worship you now. 493 00:29:45,100 --> 00:29:47,500 So we sing out. We pray that your honored and 494 00:29:47,500 --> 00:29:41,000 glorified Jesus. God, we love you. 495 00:29:41,300 --> 00:29:43,200 We praise you for your Mighty works. 496 00:29:43,700 --> 00:29:46,000 We worship you now. So we sing out. 497 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,100 We pray that your honored and glorified Jesus.