1 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,700 Well, my name is Kyle, you're visiting with us. 2 00:00:07,700 --> 00:00:09,100 I want to say thank you for being here. 3 00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:10,800 I serve as lead. Pastor here. 4 00:00:11,300 --> 00:00:14,800 If you have your Bible you can turn to John chapter 3, John 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,700 chapter 3. I'm not normally a mobile 6 00:00:18,700 --> 00:00:20,700 preacher, if you know what I mean. 7 00:00:20,700 --> 00:00:24,800 I don't normally move around a whole lot today, I will 8 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:27,200 definitely not be moving around the whole lot. 9 00:00:27,300 --> 00:00:30,600 I bit down earlier to help Winnie who dropped a piece of 10 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,200 candy and we were trying to survive the five-second rule and 11 00:00:34,300 --> 00:00:42,100 I see my parents, so I'm gonna I'm gonna let the Strategic 12 00:00:42,100 --> 00:00:46,200 placement of this fig Leaf. Do its job. 13 00:00:46,300 --> 00:00:51,700 So, so, anyway, there you go. All right. 14 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:55,400 I wanted you guys to be as embarrassed as I am. 15 00:00:55,500 --> 00:01:01,000 All right. So Joshua, my edit that out of 16 00:01:01,008 --> 00:01:04,200 the audio or it'll be the clip this week. 17 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,400 I'm sure so. Alright John chapter 3. 18 00:01:08,300 --> 00:01:11,900 We are continuing in a series. We started last week we're going 19 00:01:11,900 --> 00:01:17,000 to walk through John chapter 3 which is we're going to look at 20 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:22,100 verses one through twenty one over the course of about 13 more 21 00:01:22,100 --> 00:01:26,000 weeks so we'll counting today be about 13 weeks walking through 22 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,200 those 21 verses. There's a lot happening In this 23 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,800 interaction between Jesus and Nicodemus that we have to get 24 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:37,200 into. And so today, what I, the main 25 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,500 goal is to introduce you to Nicodemus and what he's who he 26 00:01:41,500 --> 00:01:45,200 is, what he's struggling with, and why his Encounter With Jesus 27 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,200 is such a big deal for us. Okay, so we're going to look at 28 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:54,300 Nicodemus today. What happens is, Nicodemus is a 29 00:01:54,300 --> 00:01:57,800 great Pharisee leader, and he encounters Jesus Christ. 30 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,600 And so the point of the series 2 is to explore their 31 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:06,200 conversation. It's to see the inability of 32 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,500 morality to save you and it's to help. 33 00:02:09,500 --> 00:02:13,300 You see, also that faith in Christ is the only sufficient 34 00:02:13,300 --> 00:02:17,700 way of Salvation. Now, cards on the table, the 35 00:02:17,700 --> 00:02:20,400 idea for this series and I may have mentioned something about 36 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,500 this last week, but I will say it again, this week, the I For 37 00:02:22,508 --> 00:02:26,300 the series comes from a book by the former Pastor. 38 00:02:26,300 --> 00:02:29,900 Now author speaker, Stephen Lawson, he wrote a book called 39 00:02:29,900 --> 00:02:34,300 New Life In Christ and so much of the content of what we'll 40 00:02:34,300 --> 00:02:37,900 talk about is more original to him than myself. 41 00:02:37,900 --> 00:02:40,100 And so I want to get that out of the way, let you know that. 42 00:02:40,100 --> 00:02:45,300 That's where the inspiration for this came from his teaching on 43 00:02:45,300 --> 00:02:47,600 this chapter really opened my eyes to a lot of things. 44 00:02:47,900 --> 00:02:50,900 I think we need to hear today and so we're going to walk 45 00:02:50,900 --> 00:02:54,700 through John 3 with With that in mind, let me read to you. 46 00:02:55,300 --> 00:03:00,400 John chapter 31, through 21. I don't normally do this, but I 47 00:03:00,408 --> 00:03:03,200 wanted to today, will you guys if you're able, would you stand 48 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:04,600 up? As we read through this 49 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,100 together? This way of recognizing that 50 00:03:07,100 --> 00:03:09,200 this is God's word and not cause words. 51 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,600 All right, let's read together or not together. 52 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,400 I'll read you follow along. Sorry, I would be really 53 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:17,700 difficult. Now, there was a man of the 54 00:03:17,700 --> 00:03:21,100 Pharisees named Nicodemus. A ruler of the Jews. 55 00:03:21,500 --> 00:03:25,700 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know 56 00:03:25,700 --> 00:03:28,700 that you are a teacher. Come from, God, for no one. 57 00:03:28,700 --> 00:03:33,900 Can do these signs that you do. Unless God is with him and Jesus 58 00:03:33,900 --> 00:03:35,700 answered him. Truly truly, I say to you, 59 00:03:35,700 --> 00:03:39,900 unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 60 00:03:39,900 --> 00:03:43,900 And Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he is 61 00:03:43,900 --> 00:03:46,600 old? Can he enter a second time into 62 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:50,900 his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered truly, truly I 63 00:03:50,900 --> 00:03:55,000 say to you, unless If one is born of water and the spirit, he 64 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,700 cannot enter the kingdom of God, that which is born, of the flesh 65 00:03:58,700 --> 00:04:00,200 is flesh. And that, which is born of the 66 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,800 spirit is Spirit, do not Marvel. That I said to you, you must be 67 00:04:04,900 --> 00:04:08,200 born again, the wind blows where it wishes and you hear its 68 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:12,500 sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. 69 00:04:12,900 --> 00:04:17,000 So it is with everyone who is born of the spirit Nicodemus 70 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,300 said to him, how can these things be? 71 00:04:19,899 --> 00:04:22,700 Jesus answered him? Are you the teacher of Rule. 72 00:04:22,700 --> 00:04:24,800 And yet, you do not understand these things. 73 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:29,000 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and bear 74 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,600 witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our 75 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,300 testimony. If I have told you Earthly 76 00:04:35,300 --> 00:04:38,600 things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell 77 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:43,400 you Heavenly things, no one has ascended into heaven, except he 78 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,500 who descended from Heaven, the son of man, and as Moses lifted 79 00:04:47,500 --> 00:04:49,900 up, the serpent in the wilderness so must the son of 80 00:04:49,900 --> 00:04:54,300 man be lifted up that whoever Believes in Him may have eternal 81 00:04:54,300 --> 00:04:58,300 life verse 16 for God. So loved the world that he gave 82 00:04:58,300 --> 00:05:00,700 his only son, that whoever believes in him. 83 00:05:00,900 --> 00:05:03,200 Should not perish, but have eternal life. 84 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,200 For God, did not send his son into the world to condemn the 85 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,300 world, but in order that the world might be saved through 86 00:05:10,300 --> 00:05:13,300 him. Whoever believes in him is not 87 00:05:13,300 --> 00:05:16,600 condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, 88 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:20,300 because he has not believed in the name of the only son of God. 89 00:05:20,300 --> 00:05:24,000 And this is the Judgment that the light has come into the 90 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,100 world and people loved the darkness rather than the light 91 00:05:27,100 --> 00:05:30,700 because their Works were evil. For everyone. 92 00:05:30,700 --> 00:05:34,500 Who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the 93 00:05:34,500 --> 00:05:38,700 light, lest his work, should be exposed, but whoever does what 94 00:05:38,700 --> 00:05:42,100 his true comes to the light, so that That it may be clearly 95 00:05:42,100 --> 00:05:44,500 seen. That his Works have been carried 96 00:05:44,500 --> 00:05:46,600 out in God. We pray for us. 97 00:05:46,608 --> 00:05:48,600 Father, we love you. We thank you for your word 98 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,000 today. Father, we ask that you would 99 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,600 Enlighten our hearts and Minds by the power of your spirit 100 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:58,500 today or convict us where we need convicting, strengthen us 101 00:05:58,500 --> 00:06:01,300 where we need strengthening a strengthening and courage, as 102 00:06:01,300 --> 00:06:03,700 father, where we need to be encouraged. 103 00:06:03,900 --> 00:06:09,600 May we see Christ today and find Salvation in him alone, in 104 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:10,600 Christ's name. I pray. 105 00:06:10,700 --> 00:06:12,600 Amen. You may be seated. 106 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:22,400 If I ask you, who is the most difficult person to reach with 107 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:27,100 the gospel, I think the answers would probably vary from one 108 00:06:27,100 --> 00:06:29,900 person to the next. You would have in mind, someone 109 00:06:29,900 --> 00:06:34,100 who is difficult to reach. Is it the drug or alcohol 110 00:06:34,100 --> 00:06:37,200 addict? Is that the sexually perverse is 111 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,900 the atheist. Maybe you have other people in 112 00:06:40,900 --> 00:06:45,500 mind that boss, you work for or that co-worker or that 113 00:06:45,500 --> 00:06:48,100 mother-in-law. Mine. 114 00:06:48,100 --> 00:06:52,600 Of course, however, the most difficult person to reach for 115 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:57,200 Christ is the one who falsely thinks that they already have a 116 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:01,300 right relationship with God. That this person is often 117 00:07:01,300 --> 00:07:05,100 considered a good guy by those who are around him. 118 00:07:05,100 --> 00:07:08,700 He is highly moral. He does all the right things. 119 00:07:08,700 --> 00:07:11,600 He gives back to the community. He may even serve in a local 120 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,600 church though. He may appear to have some 121 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,500 spiritual eyes. He's really blind and he's 122 00:07:19,500 --> 00:07:24,300 blinded by his own good works. He's deceived he's unable to see 123 00:07:24,300 --> 00:07:28,900 that he must be born again because of their good works. 124 00:07:28,900 --> 00:07:34,200 It's easy for such people to always assume that the gospel is 125 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,500 for someone else. The fact that Jesus came to 126 00:07:37,500 --> 00:07:42,800 save, Sinners must mean the addicts, the sexually immoral, 127 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,700 The Atheist. The one who doesn't do all those 128 00:07:46,700 --> 00:07:50,400 good works. And so that person is blind to 129 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:54,300 their own spiritual needs. We would call them spiritually 130 00:07:54,300 --> 00:07:59,900 blind and yet they would believe they have spiritual signs 131 00:08:00,500 --> 00:08:04,600 because they lack any true ability to make them. 132 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:10,600 See Christ, make them see their need for a savior and that lack 133 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:14,900 of sight makes them the most difficult to reach for the 134 00:08:14,900 --> 00:08:18,200 gospel. They fail to see that everyone. 135 00:08:18,900 --> 00:08:24,100 All people say it with me. All people, all people are in 136 00:08:24,100 --> 00:08:27,200 need of a new birth that comes from God Alone. 137 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,600 Lawson says, their problem is not that they think they are 138 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:34,900 too. Sinful to be saved. 139 00:08:34,900 --> 00:08:37,299 The very opposite is the case they presume. 140 00:08:37,299 --> 00:08:40,600 They are too good to need a new life with God. 141 00:08:42,100 --> 00:08:44,900 So if you grow up in a Christian home you may find it easy to 142 00:08:44,900 --> 00:08:48,600 trust in yourself, you're trusting in your own good works. 143 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:51,200 You've learned christianese you, speak it really? 144 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:55,300 Well, you do the acts of service, you attend church 145 00:08:55,400 --> 00:09:00,700 regularly, you're counting on your morality to gain God's 146 00:09:00,700 --> 00:09:04,800 acceptance and that life looks good to you. 147 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,700 It looks good to those around you but it is not enough to 148 00:09:08,700 --> 00:09:11,800 satisfy the perfectly righteous judgment. 149 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:17,900 God, you must be born again. You are driven by Eternal 150 00:09:17,900 --> 00:09:19,500 longings. We talked about this last week, 151 00:09:19,500 --> 00:09:25,000 how God created man, with a sense of Eternity yet so that he 152 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:28,700 cannot find out what God is doing from beginning to end 153 00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:31,900 Ecclesiastes 3:11. And so you have a sense of 154 00:09:31,900 --> 00:09:34,500 Eternity. There's a God sized, I know it's 155 00:09:34,500 --> 00:09:38,000 cliche, but there's a god-sized hole in the heart of every 156 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,300 person that only God can fill in. 157 00:09:41,300 --> 00:09:44,500 The problem, is, we go about, trying to fill it with so many 158 00:09:44,500 --> 00:09:48,700 other things because we have Longing for something that last 159 00:09:48,700 --> 00:09:52,800 something that's Eternal something that will fill us with 160 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:56,900 satisfaction and so whatever you do, reflects your Eternal 161 00:09:56,900 --> 00:10:01,100 longing, addicts are searching for Eternal satisfaction, the 162 00:10:01,100 --> 00:10:04,100 sexually immoral or searching for Eternal satisfaction. 163 00:10:04,100 --> 00:10:09,300 The moral zealots is searching for Eternal satisfaction. 164 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:14,300 The Atheist is searching for Eternal satisfaction, though. 165 00:10:14,300 --> 00:10:17,300 He does it by explaining, Everything away. 166 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,100 You may fool yourself for a season but at the end of the day 167 00:10:22,100 --> 00:10:25,900 you wake up and you realize I'm missing something. 168 00:10:25,900 --> 00:10:31,100 Something is not right about my life and so your Eternal 169 00:10:31,100 --> 00:10:35,400 longings drive you to keep searching for satisfaction. 170 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:40,400 The point, I want to put before you today is this, you find. 171 00:10:41,500 --> 00:10:45,400 Eternal satisfaction for your Eternal longings. 172 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,800 Only in the New Birth, if you're taking notes you can write that 173 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:56,400 down. You find Eternal satisfaction 174 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:01,000 for your Eternal longings. Only in the new birth. 175 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:04,500 So let's talk about Nicodemus for a moment. 176 00:11:05,300 --> 00:11:09,600 John chapter 31 is our verse for today. 177 00:11:10,900 --> 00:11:15,400 Now, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a 178 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:20,000 ruler of the Jews. What do we see here about 179 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,200 Nicodemus first? We see that he's a Pharisee, 180 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:24,500 right? There was a man of the Pharisees 181 00:11:24,500 --> 00:11:28,300 named Nicodemus. What does it mean to be a 182 00:11:28,300 --> 00:11:32,900 Pharisee? The word Pharisee literally 183 00:11:32,900 --> 00:11:37,100 means separatist. These men were a morally and 184 00:11:37,100 --> 00:11:40,600 socially isolated group. They had taken themselves out of 185 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:45,100 society and separated themselves so that they might maintain 186 00:11:45,500 --> 00:11:50,800 religious purity. Being a Pharisee came with a lot 187 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:55,600 of respect because of the life that they had chosen to live by 188 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,100 respect. I mean respect from the other 189 00:11:58,100 --> 00:12:01,400 Elites. It means that Nicodemus was 190 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:03,800 widely respected. He was one of the top religious 191 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,500 leaders in God's, chosen nation of Israel. 192 00:12:07,300 --> 00:12:10,200 To be a Pharisee meant that he was well trained that he was 193 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:15,100 highly knowledgeable about God's word especially the law. 194 00:12:15,900 --> 00:12:19,500 He lived a life separated from glaring, immoralities, he 195 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:23,800 wouldn't mix with the deplorable, 's of his day, his 196 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:29,100 peers respected him greatly and praised him again. 197 00:12:29,100 --> 00:12:32,600 Lawson says Nicodemus was a part of the strictest, religious 198 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:37,100 sect, and the nation, and the most conservative party in the 199 00:12:37,100 --> 00:12:44,200 land. so, he was a We'll get to it in a moment but he was a 200 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:51,800 bible-believing conservative. If you're on the outside, 201 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,800 looking in, on Nicodemus, and you're seeing these things about 202 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:57,200 him, you're seeing his rise to fame. 203 00:12:57,200 --> 00:12:59,600 And the stature that he's gained, you would have never 204 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,400 guessed that. That guy needed a new life from 205 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,600 God. Nicodemus couldn't even see it. 206 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,200 He couldn't see that his eternal longings. 207 00:13:11,700 --> 00:13:16,300 Were not being satisfied in his commitment to God's law and 208 00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:21,300 teaching others to do the same. But something began to gnaw at 209 00:13:21,300 --> 00:13:25,100 him. Nicodemus, like all Pharisees 210 00:13:25,100 --> 00:13:29,300 could see that his nation was eroding morally. 211 00:13:30,300 --> 00:13:34,000 And so he withdrew from others to perfect and protect that 212 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:39,600 Holiness that he worked so hard to maintain many today, do the 213 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:43,700 same thing and just like the Pharisees of old their desire to 214 00:13:43,700 --> 00:13:48,300 maintain Holiness is driven by their pride. 215 00:13:48,900 --> 00:13:53,600 We are better than them and so, therefore, we do not mix with 216 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,500 them. It's a prideful thing 217 00:13:57,500 --> 00:13:59,100 withdrawing from those who are morally. 218 00:13:59,100 --> 00:14:02,400 Corrupt is not the way to Purity before God. 219 00:14:04,900 --> 00:14:09,900 It's not the way you are no less corrupt than those who you deem 220 00:14:09,900 --> 00:14:13,100 corrupt. Although yours might look 221 00:14:13,100 --> 00:14:17,000 different, your corruption may feel different, but you two must 222 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:21,600 be born again. Nicodemus, a self-righteous 223 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,300 ruler could not see that he suffered from the same 224 00:14:24,300 --> 00:14:27,300 indwelling sin as the tax collectors, and the prostitutes, 225 00:14:27,500 --> 00:14:30,900 and the thieves that he tried. So hard to avoid, he didn't 226 00:14:30,900 --> 00:14:35,400 understand his own depravity. He thinks God that he was not 227 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:40,400 like those people over there. So, he withdraws from the crowds 228 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:42,700 he becomes a Pharisee seeks to maintain. 229 00:14:42,700 --> 00:14:46,500 His moral Purity is moral standing before God, which he 230 00:14:46,500 --> 00:14:50,500 thought would result in God's Eternal acceptance, but that 231 00:14:50,500 --> 00:14:53,100 didn't satisfy Nicodemus has Eternal longing, either. 232 00:14:53,100 --> 00:14:59,400 He felt something was missing. And so, he was Restless. 233 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:06,200 And that gnawing sense that something's not right? 234 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:12,600 What was he missing? So he was a Pharisee. 235 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:15,200 The second thing we see about him here in this verse is that 236 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:19,500 he's a ruler of the Jews. John describes him here as a 237 00:15:19,500 --> 00:15:25,500 ruler of the Jews. This means that he was a member 238 00:15:25,500 --> 00:15:29,200 of the Sanhedrin which was the Inner Circle that functioned as 239 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,800 the ruling body of the nation of Israel Nicodemus. 240 00:15:33,100 --> 00:15:37,000 Reach the highest point of political power in Israel and 241 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,500 his countrymen and his peers would have said he has arrived. 242 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:48,200 he's the kind of guy we all should strive to be like, The 243 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:51,500 Sanhedrin, which he was a part of as a ruler of the Jews was 244 00:15:51,500 --> 00:15:56,500 made up of a high priest and 70 qualified men, which meant they 245 00:15:56,508 --> 00:15:58,800 were highly successful in the religious order. 246 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,500 They were highly successful at being a separatist at 247 00:16:02,500 --> 00:16:09,300 maintaining their morality, at least in the eyes of one. 248 00:16:09,300 --> 00:16:15,600 Another This body of leaders governed, Israel. 249 00:16:16,900 --> 00:16:20,300 Lawson adds to what that means, they will to the ultimate 250 00:16:20,300 --> 00:16:22,500 Authority and legal and judicial matters. 251 00:16:22,500 --> 00:16:25,500 The Sanhedrin was the established power block. 252 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,400 He goes on to say it would be like combining the Supreme Court 253 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:33,700 and the Senate of the United States into one ruling body, 254 00:16:34,300 --> 00:16:37,000 whatever verdict this influential group rendered 255 00:16:37,100 --> 00:16:40,800 affected the entire nation. That's the Sanhedrin. 256 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:42,900 That's what Nicodemus is part of. 257 00:16:44,500 --> 00:16:47,300 So, we might say that Nicodemus had all the power and all the 258 00:16:47,300 --> 00:16:50,100 authority that he could ever want yet. 259 00:16:50,100 --> 00:16:53,900 Something's not right, something's missing and the 260 00:16:53,900 --> 00:16:56,200 power, and the prestige that that he knew. 261 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:58,500 It was a constant hit of dopamine. 262 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,400 No Doubt. But it wasn't enough to satisfy 263 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:07,400 that Eternal longing. It is sold that god-sized hole. 264 00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:14,500 Lawson as it, his achievements were like biting into cotton 265 00:17:14,500 --> 00:17:18,200 candy. That was sweet for a moment but 266 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:23,200 were without substance. Maybe you can relate to this. 267 00:17:24,599 --> 00:17:28,500 Maybe you think about your life? Is there some point in your 268 00:17:28,500 --> 00:17:32,900 life? Where it seemed like as you 269 00:17:32,900 --> 00:17:38,000 gained more of the world you were only left filling emptier, 270 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:44,900 not more fulfilled. Maybe that's part of your 271 00:17:44,900 --> 00:17:47,800 testimony. Maybe that's you today you 272 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:50,500 think? Yeah, that's me the more I gain 273 00:17:50,500 --> 00:17:52,600 of the world. The more things seem to go right 274 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:59,800 the more I think to myself something's amiss if that's you 275 00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:02,800 then you know, the same gnawing empty feeling that Nicodemus 276 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:09,500 felt So we know that Nicodemus was a Pharisees, a ruler of the 277 00:18:09,500 --> 00:18:11,400 Jews, and what this means for us. 278 00:18:11,900 --> 00:18:14,800 What it meant for them is that they were strict, conservative. 279 00:18:14,900 --> 00:18:18,400 Bible Believers. He believed in divine 280 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:19,600 inspiration. What I mean? 281 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:21,900 Conservative Bible, believer? I'm not thinking politically 282 00:18:21,900 --> 00:18:24,700 conservative necessarily, though, he would have been that. 283 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:27,800 I just mean he was conservative about God's word. 284 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,500 Here's what we mean by that. He believed in divine 285 00:18:32,500 --> 00:18:37,600 inspiration, that every word. Of his Bible. 286 00:18:40,100 --> 00:18:44,000 Was breathed out by God. It was considered profitable for 287 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:49,700 training and godliness. Lawson ads as a result. 288 00:18:49,700 --> 00:18:52,200 He believed in the sovereignty and the Providence of God, he 289 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:54,900 believed in a final Resurrection, at the end of the 290 00:18:54,900 --> 00:18:58,500 age, he believed in a future kingdom of God upon the Earth, 291 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,200 he believed in the Eternal Destinies of Heaven and Hell for 292 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:05,600 believers and unbelievers. He goes on to say, Nicodemus, 293 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:07,700 didn't try to explain the Bible away. 294 00:19:07,700 --> 00:19:13,600 He took the scriptures at face value just as we should But this 295 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:17,900 was unlike the Sadducees, who were the religious liberals of 296 00:19:17,900 --> 00:19:21,100 the day? He did not deny the reality of 297 00:19:21,100 --> 00:19:24,100 the supernatural World nor did he doubt the realm of angels 298 00:19:24,100 --> 00:19:27,200 Miracles and the resurrection, as the Sadducees did. 299 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,300 To the contrary. He believed that these biblical 300 00:19:32,300 --> 00:19:36,200 matters. To be exactly as God had 301 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:42,100 recorded them in his word. Again, looking at Nicodemus you 302 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:46,300 would never think that this guy needs a new life from God. 303 00:19:49,300 --> 00:19:52,900 But here's what we know about the new life from God agreeing 304 00:19:52,900 --> 00:19:58,100 with right Doctrine. Does not produce reconciliation 305 00:19:58,100 --> 00:20:02,100 with God automatically even the demons believe these shoes. 306 00:20:02,100 --> 00:20:05,200 And they tremble, right? It's what James says. 307 00:20:07,300 --> 00:20:11,000 What Nicodemus was holding onto is a dead Orthodoxy. 308 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:13,800 He is orthodox. But it's dead. 309 00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:17,700 There's no life in him. He has a head full of knowledge, 310 00:20:17,700 --> 00:20:22,900 but a heart that is as empty as can be Nicodemus needed to be 311 00:20:22,900 --> 00:20:26,400 born again. The same can be said, for many 312 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:30,100 so-called religious persons today having the right beliefs 313 00:20:30,100 --> 00:20:33,200 or doing good works. Or those things, do not 314 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:39,100 guarantee your salvation. A Heart of Stone can be easily 315 00:20:39,100 --> 00:20:42,600 like the tablets of stone that contain God's law. 316 00:20:43,300 --> 00:20:49,400 They're full of the knowledge of God, but they are dead to save. 317 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,500 And so I ask again, does this describe your own heart? 318 00:20:57,900 --> 00:21:00,600 Your own life is your mind full of the knowledge of God, but 319 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:05,000 your heart dead to Christ. Empty to Christ. 320 00:21:07,900 --> 00:21:10,300 Maybe it's the scribes someone, you know. 321 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,200 The fourth thing we learn about Nicodemus is that he's not just 322 00:21:18,300 --> 00:21:21,900 a teacher, he is the teacher of Israel. 323 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:27,600 Jesus addresses him in John 3 10, we read it earlier and Jesus 324 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,200 answered him and said are you the teacher of Israel? 325 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:34,900 And yet you do not understand these things. 326 00:21:36,300 --> 00:21:39,600 While some ads is comment, Jesus acknowledged that Nicodemus was 327 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:43,200 the premier Bible teacher in the entire nation. 328 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:46,600 This means he was an expert in God's written word. 329 00:21:46,700 --> 00:21:50,200 He was respected by others as an expert because of his knowledge 330 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,700 and command of the law. And he would have held the final 331 00:21:53,700 --> 00:22:00,600 word in any to say, what any Bible passage meant, he would 332 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:07,300 have been that revered. and yet his problem is, he cannot see 333 00:22:07,500 --> 00:22:11,900 his need for a new life from God, he longed for something 334 00:22:11,900 --> 00:22:15,000 still and even though he had spent his life pursuing God's 335 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:20,900 ways, he's empty, Nicodemus needed God himself. 336 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:26,300 Not just the ways of God. He needed a new birth. 337 00:22:26,300 --> 00:22:29,100 He needed spiritual life from God. 338 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:35,700 Revered Nicodemus was simply a dead man walking spiritually 339 00:22:35,700 --> 00:22:42,600 speaking. Lawson adds that Nicodemus is a 340 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:47,000 prime example of someone who can know many facts about the Bible, 341 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:51,400 but not personally know, God and can be so close to the kingdom 342 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,800 of God, yet. So far away from it at the same 343 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,300 time. And so it is with countless 344 00:22:56,300 --> 00:22:59,100 people. Today, we can memorize 345 00:22:59,100 --> 00:23:02,600 scripture, we can know sound Doctrine and even teach others, 346 00:23:03,300 --> 00:23:06,100 but not be truly right, with God. 347 00:23:11,100 --> 00:23:15,800 We have. My friends Eternal longings. 348 00:23:16,500 --> 00:23:22,100 And so, you strive for eternity, you strive for something that is 349 00:23:22,100 --> 00:23:26,500 sufficient for eternity and then that striving you search for 350 00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:31,800 Eternal satisfaction in all the wrong areas, and you come up 351 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:36,000 short. You're strict moralistic efforts 352 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:40,100 are merely attempts to give yourself a new birth and it will 353 00:23:40,100 --> 00:23:44,500 not work. You cannot earn God's acceptance 354 00:23:44,500 --> 00:23:49,000 by your own efforts. Morally. 355 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:53,800 Good people are great models of virtue but that does not mean 356 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:57,900 that they are Christians. Amen. 357 00:23:58,900 --> 00:24:02,800 And God's common Grace. We have a conscience, we know 358 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:06,300 right from wrong and so we follow right from wrong. 359 00:24:06,300 --> 00:24:10,300 But God says, in his word in Romans that, that is not enough 360 00:24:10,300 --> 00:24:14,100 to save, it's not enough to save. 361 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:20,300 And so morally, right? People morally, good people that 362 00:24:20,300 --> 00:24:23,100 we look at as model of virtue. They gained the Applause of, 363 00:24:23,100 --> 00:24:28,000 man, both inside the church and outside the church, they might 364 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,200 be thought of as godly people because they attend church 365 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:33,800 regularly, but teach Bible studies. 366 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:40,600 They pray for people. And at their funeral, the 367 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:44,300 preacher may even say to the crowd, he was a good man. 368 00:24:46,700 --> 00:24:49,100 Or as we say it here in the South, he was a good old boy. 369 00:24:51,700 --> 00:24:55,100 To which the crowd will heartily agree and in doing so, the 370 00:24:55,100 --> 00:24:59,000 preacher wrongfully Blends self-righteous moralism into 371 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,000 saving faith in the righteousness of Christ Alone. 372 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:07,900 And the temporary approval of man does not equal the Eternal 373 00:25:08,100 --> 00:25:13,400 approval of God. Such people must see their real 374 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:18,300 need, before it's too late. They're in need of New Life. 375 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:26,400 I need of New Life. While some ads stuff here, that 376 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:31,800 I wanted to read. This is a dangerous place to be 377 00:25:33,100 --> 00:25:34,400 morally. Good. 378 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:40,900 Yet dead in your sin. People in this state of 379 00:25:40,900 --> 00:25:43,600 self-deception or counterfeit? Believers? 380 00:25:44,100 --> 00:25:48,100 Who live in a masquerade World, they can't see their own 381 00:25:48,100 --> 00:25:51,600 distance from God. Simply put these people do not 382 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:57,800 know that they do not know God. He goes on. 383 00:25:57,800 --> 00:25:59,400 He says there are many like this today. 384 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:03,100 Not only are there not only are they church attenders and 385 00:26:03,100 --> 00:26:05,700 serving in Ministry but they lecture and seminaries, they 386 00:26:05,700 --> 00:26:09,000 stand in pulpits, they serve in children's ministry and teach 387 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,000 Sunday school. They are well respected citizens 388 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,400 in their Community, they separate themselves from the 389 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:19,100 world of egregious. Sinners, you would never see 390 00:26:19,100 --> 00:26:23,100 their name in the headlines. For something bad. 391 00:26:25,500 --> 00:26:31,200 I try to live a Pure Life. However, they still have an 392 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:35,300 internal problem. They're spiritually corrupted by 393 00:26:35,300 --> 00:26:39,300 their sin and dead. The religious practice gives 394 00:26:39,300 --> 00:26:43,200 this Aroma of life, to others. We look at them, and we would 395 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:48,200 say yes and amen. But there's no genuine spiritual 396 00:26:48,500 --> 00:26:53,300 spiritual life within them. While some again, there's a thin 397 00:26:53,300 --> 00:26:56,300 veil of morality that lies on the surface of their sinful 398 00:26:56,300 --> 00:26:58,500 lives. All the while their souls remain 399 00:26:58,500 --> 00:27:02,500 spiritually dead. They are reformed but have never 400 00:27:02,500 --> 00:27:07,300 been Reborn. I've learned to be good people 401 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:11,000 but have never learned their need for Christ. 402 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:14,700 They have a here to a strict code of morality, but have never 403 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:18,900 had their hearts Changed by God. Parents, can I talk to you for 404 00:27:18,900 --> 00:27:23,100 just a moment? If you are raising children. 405 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,900 Currently raising children, you need to be very careful of 406 00:27:28,900 --> 00:27:35,400 creating morally rights people. Who have no understanding of 407 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:39,100 their need for a savior. It's so easy to do. 408 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:43,500 Because you've been called by God in your home, to be a 409 00:27:43,500 --> 00:27:46,700 disciplinarian to help your child, understand the difference 410 00:27:46,700 --> 00:27:50,300 between right and wrong. And so, most of parenting, if we 411 00:27:50,308 --> 00:27:55,900 don't connect, the dots becomes law and were strictly imparting 412 00:27:55,900 --> 00:27:59,300 the law. If you do this, you break the 413 00:27:59,300 --> 00:28:02,400 law, you receive just punishment for that. 414 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:07,000 If you obey the law, you receive just reward for that and we're 415 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:11,700 just reinforcing the law. And so we Is morally, good 416 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:15,500 citizens. Who have no understanding of 417 00:28:15,500 --> 00:28:20,400 their need for Jesus Christ. We have to as parents connect 418 00:28:21,100 --> 00:28:27,100 our law with the gospel that you're breaking the law, son and 419 00:28:27,100 --> 00:28:31,300 daughter reveals your need for Jesus Christ as Lord. 420 00:28:33,300 --> 00:28:36,700 Be careful, be careful not to miss that. 421 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:40,100 It's so easy to create good children. 422 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:47,400 It's easy, it really is and most cases a very simple thing to do. 423 00:28:48,500 --> 00:28:53,500 Attention consistency with discipline and you'll end up 424 00:28:53,500 --> 00:28:57,800 with good children. But if we don't connect the dots 425 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,200 will end up with children who think they're her right in the 426 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,900 eyes of God because they grew up going to church, they set in 427 00:29:03,900 --> 00:29:05,900 Sunday school. They learn some Bible verses. 428 00:29:05,900 --> 00:29:08,500 They got baptized because they could say all the right things. 429 00:29:10,500 --> 00:29:12,600 And then when the rubber meets the road, it turns out they 430 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:17,800 never really knew Jesus Christ. And what a sad thing to 431 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:23,300 experience later in life. And so we must be careful how we 432 00:29:23,300 --> 00:29:33,900 raise our children. The morally good person. 433 00:29:33,900 --> 00:29:36,400 Trust their own morality for salvation. 434 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:40,300 They assume that in their morality, they've achieved right 435 00:29:40,300 --> 00:29:44,700 standing with God. And friends, you do not want to 436 00:29:44,700 --> 00:29:48,900 stand before God Almighty with your moral, tally sheet in your 437 00:29:48,900 --> 00:29:55,500 hand, and hope put the hope of your Eternal Destiny on whether 438 00:29:55,500 --> 00:29:59,600 or not you did and said and knew more good things than bad 439 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:02,200 things. But that's what we're saying. 440 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:05,100 If we say that we're relying on our morality for relying on our 441 00:30:05,100 --> 00:30:09,600 good works, we're saying that at some point that must outweigh 442 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:14,900 all the bad things that we knew and said and did and it's 443 00:30:14,900 --> 00:30:21,400 foolishness any unrighteousness. Any sin is Worthy. 444 00:30:22,500 --> 00:30:27,100 Of death. That's the wage of sin is death. 445 00:30:27,700 --> 00:30:32,500 But the free gift of God is salvation in Jesus Christ, Our 446 00:30:32,500 --> 00:30:35,500 Lord. And so we must have our hope 447 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:40,400 somewhere else. God's standard for Holiness is 448 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,900 perfection and so it is unattainable for you. 449 00:30:43,900 --> 00:30:48,800 And I on our own, we are all unrighteous in the sight of God, 450 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:53,200 your Eternal longings will never be eternally Satisfied by 451 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:57,100 pursuing morale. Because you will fail time and 452 00:30:57,100 --> 00:30:58,800 time again. You will fail. 453 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:03,800 Your morality is fragile. It's broken. 454 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:07,800 And so you need something concrete to rest. 455 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:16,100 Your Eternal longings on Friend. We all need the same thing, 456 00:31:16,100 --> 00:31:20,400 whether you are a felon in prison or a fellow church 457 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:25,400 member, we need divine grace from God to transform our 458 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:29,800 hearts. Titus 3, 3 through 7 says this 459 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:32,300 for we ourselves were once foolish. 460 00:31:32,500 --> 00:31:35,000 So he's writing to encourage the church saying here's who you 461 00:31:35,100 --> 00:31:37,400 once were and then he's going to remind them of what's taking 462 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:39,400 place for. We ourselves were once foolish 463 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:43,900 disobedient, LED astray slaves to various passions and pleasure 464 00:31:44,100 --> 00:31:47,800 passing or days in Malice and envy hated by others and hating, 465 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:50,300 one another, but when the goodness and loving, kindness of 466 00:31:50,300 --> 00:31:53,600 God, our savior appeared, he saved us. 467 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:57,100 Not because of Works done by us in righteousness, but according 468 00:31:57,100 --> 00:31:59,300 to his own murder. See by the washing of 469 00:31:59,300 --> 00:32:01,700 regeneration in the renewal of the Holy Spirit. 470 00:32:02,700 --> 00:32:05,900 Whom he poured out on us richly through. 471 00:32:05,900 --> 00:32:10,200 Jesus Christ, Our Lord. So that being justified by his 472 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:15,700 grace, justified by his grace made right in the sight of God. 473 00:32:15,700 --> 00:32:21,300 By the grace of God, we might become heirs with Christ 474 00:32:21,300 --> 00:32:23,700 according to the hope of eternal life. 475 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:28,400 Amen. Everyone. 476 00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:32,800 I must come to the same place of humility. 477 00:32:34,100 --> 00:32:36,600 I think it was Jonathan Edwards. I could get it wrong, Puritan, 478 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:41,900 Pastor, 17th century, who said you bring nothing to Christ for 479 00:32:41,900 --> 00:32:47,400 your salvation except your sin We don't come to him with our 480 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,700 good works in our hands and say I'm worthy of Salvation. 481 00:32:51,700 --> 00:32:54,000 I've done this much. Not need a little bit more to 482 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:59,200 get me over the edge. Jesus We don't come to him and 483 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:03,600 say, well, if I must because on my own, I'm I am good enough. 484 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:06,800 Lord, surely, but I'll do this so that everyone else can see 485 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:10,300 what needs to be done. We don't come to him with any 486 00:33:10,300 --> 00:33:13,000 pride and arrogance at all about who we are. 487 00:33:13,100 --> 00:33:17,000 We come humble humiliated might be a better word. 488 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:25,000 By our sin broken over it. And we say Jesus here is my sin. 489 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:28,800 Would you grant to me your righteousness? 490 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:34,900 I'm trusting you for that. Everyone must see their 491 00:33:34,900 --> 00:33:38,700 corrupted nature. So that they see their need for 492 00:33:38,700 --> 00:33:42,000 God's Saving Grace. When you look at the holy God 493 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:44,000 you shouldn't see your need to be more moral. 494 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:47,300 Rather you should see your need for a brand new life. 495 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:50,300 We don't look at God and say, man, he's perfect those Ten 496 00:33:50,300 --> 00:33:53,800 Commandments or difficult? I really gotta shape up here. 497 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,300 I really got to get get myself together. 498 00:33:58,900 --> 00:34:01,500 Or maybe the Lord allowed my pants to split today, just so I 499 00:34:01,500 --> 00:34:05,100 wouldn't stand here with any kind of arrogance before you. 500 00:34:05,100 --> 00:34:07,700 Amen. I'm just humbled, as I can be 501 00:34:07,700 --> 00:34:18,300 today. Lawson says no one is too sinful 502 00:34:18,300 --> 00:34:20,600 to be beyond the saving power of God. 503 00:34:21,199 --> 00:34:23,600 Nor is anyone so good that they don't need it. 504 00:34:24,199 --> 00:34:27,600 Amen. Maybe some of you were once 505 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:30,100 depending on your own self-righteousness. 506 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:35,000 Maybe you were blind to your need for God's New Life. 507 00:34:36,900 --> 00:34:43,900 Maybe that's you today. Could you be self-deceived about 508 00:34:43,900 --> 00:34:49,600 your standing with a holy God? Are you missing true salvation 509 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:50,699 in Christ? Jesus? 510 00:34:54,500 --> 00:34:59,600 I was reading in my Bible reading this week and In Matthew 511 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:01,800 their, Jesus presents. This idea of the sheep and the 512 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:04,700 goats, it's really quite terrifying. 513 00:35:04,700 --> 00:35:09,600 Bearable Jesus is standing there and he's talking about what 514 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:11,900 judgment will look like as final judgment. 515 00:35:11,900 --> 00:35:16,400 That he will separate the sheep from the goats and to the she 516 00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:20,500 people say, you clothed me, when I was naked, you fed me when I 517 00:35:20,508 --> 00:35:22,600 was hungry, you visited me. When I was in prison. 518 00:35:23,900 --> 00:35:26,600 And they'll respond to him. Lord, when did we do that? 519 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,000 He said because I didn't see him specifically is what they're 520 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:32,800 getting at. When did we feed you? 521 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:34,700 When did we visit you? When did we clothe you? 522 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:40,300 He said in as much as you did it to others, you've done it unto 523 00:35:40,300 --> 00:35:44,100 me. So your Works matter. 524 00:35:44,100 --> 00:35:48,300 Your works are just as James gets out in James chapter 1 and 525 00:35:48,300 --> 00:35:51,600 2. Your your works are the fruit of 526 00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:54,800 faith. But they're not the not the 527 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:58,500 producer of Faith are not the source of Faith are not the 528 00:35:58,500 --> 00:36:04,100 source of salvation. and then he gets the goats on the other side 529 00:36:04,100 --> 00:36:08,900 and he says, the same thing that I was naked. 530 00:36:08,900 --> 00:36:11,100 You didn't close me. I was in jail. 531 00:36:11,100 --> 00:36:13,800 You didn't visit me. When I was hungry. 532 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:17,900 You didn't feed me, Lord. When did we see you? 533 00:36:17,900 --> 00:36:20,900 We didn't see you. Lord and said, as much as you 534 00:36:20,900 --> 00:36:24,100 didn't do it unto these, you haven't done it unto me. 535 00:36:26,100 --> 00:36:28,600 Then he cast them into Eternal damnation. 536 00:36:33,900 --> 00:36:37,200 So Christ is saying he's letting us know, this truth. 537 00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:40,400 There will be many who stand before the Lord and their own 538 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:43,900 righteousness on the last day, thinking they are sheep and they 539 00:36:43,900 --> 00:36:47,400 were really goats. Many, who thought they were 540 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:51,200 saved because of their good works yet or not spiritually 541 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:57,500 born again. And so you must I friend, you 542 00:36:57,500 --> 00:37:02,600 must evaluate your life with real sincere honesty. 543 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,100 Weighing your life against the scriptures. 544 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:11,900 Weighing your faith and the fruit of it against what God's 545 00:37:11,900 --> 00:37:18,100 word says, is genuine. And what it says is false You 546 00:37:18,100 --> 00:37:21,700 must do that while you still have time to repent of your sins 547 00:37:21,700 --> 00:37:23,900 and believe in Jesus Christ for your salvation. 548 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:29,300 Awesome. Ed's this again. 549 00:37:29,300 --> 00:37:30,700 I think it's helpful. Maybe, you know, a lot of 550 00:37:30,707 --> 00:37:35,100 scripture, but you don't know. The God who wrote it, maybe your 551 00:37:35,100 --> 00:37:36,900 head is full and your heart is empty. 552 00:37:36,900 --> 00:37:39,900 Maybe you believe some facts about Jesus Christ, but have 553 00:37:39,900 --> 00:37:44,400 never placed your faith in him. Maybe you're trusting the faith 554 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:48,300 of your parents or grandparents, maybe you're trusting in your 555 00:37:48,300 --> 00:37:52,400 own church membership. Could it be that you come to 556 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:54,500 church? But have never come to Faith in 557 00:37:54,500 --> 00:37:57,200 Jesus Christ. Could it be that you verbally 558 00:37:57,200 --> 00:37:59,200 profess faith in Jesus? But do not in. 559 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:07,200 Wordly possess him. So you are striving to satisfy 560 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,700 your Eternal longings, but you haven't found Eternal 561 00:38:09,700 --> 00:38:15,000 satisfaction yet. Listen to me, you do not need 562 00:38:16,100 --> 00:38:21,500 another self-help book. You do not need something else 563 00:38:21,500 --> 00:38:24,100 to tell you how to pick yourself up by your bootstraps and get 564 00:38:24,100 --> 00:38:30,200 your life together. You do not need more integrity. 565 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:35,000 You do not need to upgrade your morality, you do not need to 566 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:40,200 serve and more Ministries. Because even if you could 567 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:45,200 achieve those things, you would still fall short of God's 568 00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:51,500 perfection. Which is what God demands, the 569 00:38:51,500 --> 00:38:54,800 Bible is abundantly clear. Lawson says that a right 570 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:59,400 relationship with God is gained not by what we do, but by what 571 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:07,100 he does for us in Christ Ephesians 2 4 and 5, but God 572 00:39:07,100 --> 00:39:11,200 being rich in Mercy because of the great love with which he 573 00:39:11,300 --> 00:39:13,000 loved us. Even when we were dead in our 574 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,100 trespasses made us alive together. 575 00:39:16,100 --> 00:39:21,400 With Christ by Grace, you have been saved. 576 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:27,100 Wilson adds to get into the kingdom of God, you must have 577 00:39:27,100 --> 00:39:30,400 faith alone and what God has done for you. 578 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:33,500 From start to finish. The new birth is the exclusive 579 00:39:33,500 --> 00:39:38,500 work of God in us. We cannot save ourselves and we 580 00:39:38,500 --> 00:39:42,100 must realize that we contribute. Nothing to what Jesus Christ has 581 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:47,100 accomplished. God must convict our heart of 582 00:39:47,100 --> 00:39:51,100 our own sin. He must create within each of us 583 00:39:51,100 --> 00:39:54,900 a hunger and a thirst for his perfect righteousness. 584 00:39:55,300 --> 00:39:58,600 God must freely. Give what we so desperately. 585 00:39:58,900 --> 00:40:05,400 Need, he alone can give us a new heart and a new start with him. 586 00:40:06,700 --> 00:40:12,700 So we turn to God through Jesus Christ. 587 00:40:12,700 --> 00:40:19,300 What Hebrews again 725. He is able to save God is able 588 00:40:19,300 --> 00:40:23,900 to save to the uttermost all of those who draw near to the 589 00:40:23,900 --> 00:40:29,700 father through Jesus Christ. He comes through Christ. 590 00:40:34,500 --> 00:40:38,100 And so God creates this new birth in US whilst in ads, we 591 00:40:38,100 --> 00:40:41,600 will remain the hardest person to reach with the Gospel of 592 00:40:41,600 --> 00:40:44,200 Jesus Christ. Not one of us will be saved 593 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:48,500 until we know that we are lost. Not one of us will seek Grace 594 00:40:48,500 --> 00:40:51,800 until we see our need of it. Not one of us will believe the 595 00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:55,200 good news until we know the bad news about ourselves without 596 00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:57,900 God's intervention. We are all like Nicodemus were 597 00:40:57,900 --> 00:41:02,200 stranded and without hope. You may be someone who thinks. 598 00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:07,700 That you understand truth but you have not experienced its 599 00:41:07,700 --> 00:41:11,000 saving power. When God gives you a new heart, 600 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:15,100 he transforms your affections so that you love him and you would 601 00:41:15,100 --> 00:41:23,000 desire now to obey him. And so I ask you today, have you 602 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:26,700 experienced the saving power of God. 603 00:41:36,700 --> 00:41:41,600 Have you received a new life by faith in the finished work of 604 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:43,000 the Cross of Christ? Jesus? 605 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:52,000 Friend, if you will, repent of your sins. 606 00:41:53,300 --> 00:41:56,000 Whether they be sins of the self-righteous moralistic 607 00:41:56,000 --> 00:42:00,000 nature. Or the unrighteous immoral 608 00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:04,200 nature, if you will, repent of your sins and you will turn in 609 00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:08,500 faith to Jesus Christ alone. For your salvation, then you 610 00:42:08,500 --> 00:42:12,900 will be saved today. Today will be the day of your 611 00:42:12,900 --> 00:42:19,000 salvation. Do not quench the Holy Spirit if 612 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:24,100 he's leading you to come to him. Don't turn away. 613 00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:28,200 This is a moment given to you by the grace of God for your 614 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:30,500 salvation. Don't miss it. 615 00:42:34,700 --> 00:42:39,900 I'm poor you today. Implore you today to turn to 616 00:42:39,900 --> 00:42:50,100 Salvation in Jesus Christ. Second Corinthians 5:21, read 617 00:42:50,100 --> 00:42:53,900 that to you, too. Close this out. 618 00:42:56,300 --> 00:42:59,600 Second Corinthians, 5:21 the Apostle, Paul's writing here of 619 00:42:59,600 --> 00:43:03,600 this new life in Christ, your new creation and then he's 620 00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:10,200 saying how it happened. He says for our sake, God made 621 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:14,500 him the father made him to be sin who knew no sin. 622 00:43:14,500 --> 00:43:18,300 The him, there is Jesus Christ, for our sake, the father made 623 00:43:18,300 --> 00:43:20,800 the son to be sin, who knew no sin. 624 00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:26,500 So that in Christ, we might become the righteousness of God. 625 00:43:28,100 --> 00:43:32,400 The righteousness of Christ, is your only hope for salvation. 626 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:35,800 And so if you'll repent of your sins, if you'll turn in faith to 627 00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:40,000 Jesus Christ, he will cover you with his own righteousness. 628 00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:45,700 And there will never be a need for you to think again by my own 629 00:43:45,700 --> 00:43:48,400 minds. Have I achieved my salvation or 630 00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:52,600 I must today, pull myself up by my bootstraps and work for my 631 00:43:52,600 --> 00:44:00,000 salvation, you can be at rest. Writer of Hebrews calls, it 632 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:05,100 resting in Christ. It's a rest for your souls. 633 00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:10,000 That's why Jesus says in Matthew 11:28 come to me all of you who 634 00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:15,600 are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke 635 00:44:15,600 --> 00:44:20,100 upon you for I am gentle and lowly at heart. 636 00:44:23,300 --> 00:44:26,200 You can come to him today. Let me pray for you. 637 00:44:27,600 --> 00:44:29,500 Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. 638 00:44:31,700 --> 00:44:33,200 We thank you for the love that you have. 639 00:44:33,200 --> 00:44:37,000 Shown Us in the face and the life of Christ Jesus. 640 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:43,600 Our lord. father today, we're looking at a man named Nicodemus 641 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:50,000 who by all appearances had everything needed for salvation 642 00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:55,400 and yet Christ looks him Square in the eye and says You must be 643 00:44:55,400 --> 00:45:02,200 born again. Father, would you help us today? 644 00:45:02,900 --> 00:45:06,900 See our need for Christ Jesus alone for our salvation. 645 00:45:10,100 --> 00:45:13,000 Lord I pray. This is a such a delicate thing 646 00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:22,100 but I asked Meg father. For your Holy Spirit to convict 647 00:45:22,100 --> 00:45:29,900 and draw anyone. Anyone to you, who is resting in 648 00:45:29,900 --> 00:45:32,100 their own righteousness for their salvation. 649 00:45:33,400 --> 00:45:39,200 Lord reveal. Of the futile nature of that 650 00:45:39,200 --> 00:45:44,700 hope. That they may turn and hope and 651 00:45:44,700 --> 00:45:50,900 Christ Alone. Heavenly Father, we thank you 652 00:45:50,900 --> 00:45:53,300 for the Salvation we have in Jesus Christ. 653 00:45:54,300 --> 00:45:56,900 We thank you that all of our Eternal strivings, this 654 00:45:57,400 --> 00:46:03,000 god-sized hole that we have within us is filled only by the 655 00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:05,000 spirit of God, which makes us alive. 656 00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:13,200 Or would you save your people today? 657 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:23,000 I pray that nothing not the enemy, not their own doubts and 658 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:26,900 fears. At their own frustrations over 659 00:46:26,900 --> 00:46:31,800 their failures, their own shame. I pray that nothing would keep 660 00:46:31,800 --> 00:46:39,100 them from coming to you today. and father, for any of us who 661 00:46:40,700 --> 00:46:45,200 you've walked this road before and We've truly been saved. 662 00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:50,000 But we're Outta this place where we we believe the right things 663 00:46:51,200 --> 00:46:54,400 but we do find ourselves a daily kind of leaning on ourselves. 664 00:46:55,600 --> 00:46:57,300 Would you forgive us of that? Lord. 665 00:46:58,500 --> 00:47:00,800 Would you help us to remember that? 666 00:47:00,800 --> 00:47:05,400 The gospel is for everyone, that is, it is for all of life. 667 00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:09,300 It's not from the moment of justification and that's it. 668 00:47:09,300 --> 00:47:14,000 It's it's for our justification, and our growth in godliness. 669 00:47:15,300 --> 00:47:19,200 And it's what will rest on. As we burst on to the scene of 670 00:47:19,200 --> 00:47:20,800 the new heavens and the new Earth. 671 00:47:21,200 --> 00:47:26,400 When we breathe our last, or you return still, we will proclaim 672 00:47:27,300 --> 00:47:33,600 the goodness of Christ Jesus and our salvation Father, we love 673 00:47:33,600 --> 00:47:37,100 you in Christ's name we pray. Amen. 674 00:47:33,000 --> 00:47:35,800 Father, we love you in Christ's name we pray. 675 00:47:36,600 --> 00:47:37,100 Amen.