Believe

Believe

John 3:1-16

( “BORN AGAIN!!!” )

Good Morning

Well this morning, we’re CONTINUING, with our Bible study series and we are going to look at 1 of our 12 pillars of becoming that Uncommon Human!

And in our verses today, we’re going to see Jesus TELL A MAN, HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN!

Well that reminds me of the story of… The Pastor that was preaching a sermon about HEAVEN, while a man named MARIO…. was sleeping! (INTRO SLIDE #1)

This Pastor told his congregation, “I want all of you that want to go to heaven, to stand up right now!”

Everyone STOOD UP in the church, except MARIO who was STILL SLEEPING!

Then after everyone sat down, the Pastor said… “Now, I want all of you that want to GO TO HELL… to STAND UP!

And when he yelled out those final words STAND UP, Mario woke up, and then in a daze, he stood up!

But then Mario looked around the church, and he realized that he was THE ONLY ONE standing up!

Finally Mario looked up at the Pastor

And he said… “PREACHER, I don’t know what we’re voting for, but it LOOKS LIKE YOU AND ME are the ONLY ONES FOR IT!” (SERMON SLIDE)

Well you can see our sermon title and Bible text on the screens!

Must Believe to be Born Again

TODAY, we’re going to study verse by verse, through JOHN 3:1-16!

And the title of our sermon is…

“Must Believe to be BORN AGAIN!”

Today we’re going to find Jesus tell a man named Nicodemus, you must be…“BORN AGAIN!

For Jesus, BEING BORN AGAIN, was the most important decision that a person must make in their lives!

And this story about Jesus, is packed full of important lessons and principals for your life as a Christian today! (INTRO SLIDE #2)

And as we read through these verses, we’re going to learn about…

“4 truths about being…BORN AGAIN!

So let’s get started, and would you open up your Bibles with us to JOHN Chapter 3!

We’ll begin by reading verses 1 to 3!

John 3: 1-3- There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

So as our story begins, we see a man named NICODEMUS come’s secretly at night, to visit Jesus!

So who was this man named NICODEMUS???

Let me tell you 4 important things you need to know about this man named NICODEMUS!! (MEDIA SLIDE )

4 things to know about Nicodemus…

#1- He was a Pharisee!

Nicodemus was a Jewish religious leader, and a member of a powerful group of Jewish men called the “Sanhedrin”!

The SANHEDRIN was a council of seventy men who ran the religious affairs of Israel.

#2- A “good” and “religious” man!

#3- Searching for the truth!

#4- Appears in John 3, 7, and 19

All this means that Nicodemus was a religious guy, that had power, a great education… and lot’s of money!

Nicodemus had everything that this world had to offer!

If anyone could have earned their way to heaven, Nicodemus would have MADE IT IN for sure!

But there was a problem… Nicodemus wasn’t going to heaven!

And deep down Nicodemus realized that all of his good works and religious rituals weren’t getting him any closer to God.

And because of that, one night Nicodemus decided to risk everything… and visit Jesus under the cover of darkness.

Let’s see what Nicodemus said to Jesus when he came to visit here in verse 2?

Nicodemus said this in the middle of verse 2… “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

This non-Christian man named Nicodemus came to Jesus the right way!

And if you know anyone that needs to be saved, they can learn some real lessons from the way that Nicodemus came to Jesus here.

#1- Nicodemus came to Jesus knowing that he didn’t have all the answers!

#2- Nicodemus came to Jesus ready to listen and receive.

And #3- Nicodemus came to Jesus wanting to examine the evidence about Jesus personally!

Friends, that’s the way that people NEED TO COME TO JESUS.

Now if a person like Nicodemus CAME TO YOU searching for spiritual answers… What would you tell them?

Well here in these verses, we find out what Jesus told Nicodemus to do.

And here in verse 3… Jesus put his SPIRITUAL FINGER, directly on Nicodemus’ biggest problem… his need to be saved!

Check out what Jesus told Nicodemus here in verse 3!

(verse 3) Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

This brings up our FIRST TRUTH about being BORN AGAIN! (SLIDE)

#1- Jesus said you must be born again to get to heaven! (REPEAT)

By saying YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN, Jesus answered the questions that had been burning in Nicodemus’ heart!

Jesus answered the big questions of… “How can I really know God?” and… “How can I get to heaven?”

Jesus’ simple answer was Nicodemus… you must be born again!

Let’s continue, by reading verses 4 to 6 together! (SLIDE)

John 3: 4-6- Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

So here in these verses, Jesus begins to explain to Nicodemus, what it means to be born again!

Now at first, Nicodemus didn’t have a clue what Jesus was talking about!

So here in verse 4, Nicodemus asked Jesus a question!

In the middle of verse 4, Nicodemus asked Jesus… “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

Now Jesus didn’t get mad at this question… This was an honest question!

Really what Nicodemus is asking Jesus is… HOW?

How can I be born again? And that’s a great question!

Well that reminds me of the story of the FOUR YEAR OLD SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS at Calvary Chapel Rosarito! (MEDIA SLIDE #20 )

#20- The teacher was telling these cute little pre-schoolers that they needed to be BORN AGAIN to get to heaven!

Well all of the little pre-schoolers looked confused…

Finally, one little boy named DOMINIC raised his hand to ask a question…

And little Dominic asked… “TEACHER, do I really have to be born gain? I was born the first time just 4 years ago?” (SLIDE OFF)

Well getting back to our Bible text, Jesus answered Nicodemus’ question here!

Jesus explained what it means to be BORN AGAIN, lets

see how Jesus begins His answer here in verse 5!

(verse 5) Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Jesus says that in order to be saved, a person must be born twice…

A Christian must be…

#1- Born of water

AND

#2- born of the Spirit.

Do you know what that means?

Well first off, to be born of water speaks of our physical birth.

Everyone is born after their mommy’s water breaks… and then surprise… here comes the baby!

But Christians… must also be born #2- of the Spirit, and in a minute we’ll see Jesus explain what that means!

But I want you to listen to what Jesus tells Nicodemus next here in verse 6, so let’s read that verse one more time!

Jesus told Nicodemus…(verse 6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

What Jesus was saying here is… you aren’t ok Nicodemus…

Nicodemus, you were born into a religious home with Jewish parents… but that’s simply a physical or fleshly birth…

Nicodemus, The family you were born into physically, doesn’t affect you spiritually or eternally.

You see, Nicodemus thought that because he was born Jewish and religious he was going to heaven… but Jesus said no, that’s not how things work.

Jesus is using wisdom and patience, to share the truth with a non-believer!

And this is important, because God wants ALL OF US, to be SHARING OUR FAITH!

And this brings up our SECOND TRUTH about being BORN AGAIN! (SLIDE)

#2- Sharing your faith? Ask this question: “How does a person get to heaven?” (REPEAT)

A lot of times when we’re talking with and counseling non-believers, we bring up everything EXCEPT what Jesus said here is the most important thing!

The first thing that they need to understand is that Jesus said… they must be born again!

Now with some of the people that we meet and talk to out there in the world, we’re not going to know where they stand spiritually at first.

But one of the easiest ways to find out if a person is really a Christian, is to ask them this important question…

How does someone get to heaven?

You see, everyone has an opinion about that topic, and everyone thinks that THEY ARE RIGHT!

But if a person answers… you get to heaven by being good, or by being spiritual, that’s a pretty good sign that they aren’t a Christian… and aren’t going to heaven.

I think that all of us know people today that are a lot like Nicodemus.

Religious people, good people… but because they aren’t born again yet, they don’t have a relationship with God…

And Christian, God has placed YOU IN THEIR LIVES, to be a WITNESS of the truth!

You see, God wants us to talk with the people around us, the same way that Jesus talked to Nicodemus here in our story today!

We can tell people that if they want to be saved and get to heaven, THEY MUST BE BORN AGAIN! just like Jesus told Nicodemus here.

And the truth is, EVERYONE WANTS TO GO TO HEAVEN!

FILL IN

But according to the words of Jesus, if anyone wants to get to heaven… they must be born twice!

All people are born first through water, but then a person must also be born a 2nd time through the Holy Spirit by being BORN AGAIN!

Let’s continue on with our study by reading verses 7 to 10 together! (SLIDE)

7-10- Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

So here Jesus continues to TELL NICODEMUS how a person is saved!

Now unfortunately, this religious man Nicodemus, really had a hard time understanding this!

Look at HOW JESUS described Nicodemus here in verse 10?

Verse 10… Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

Nicodemus was a GOOD, RELIGIOUS man, and yet NONE OF THAT, was enough to get him into heaven!

And this brings up our THIRD TRUTH about being BORN AGAIN! (SLIDE)

#3- Many “GOOD”, “RELIGIOUS”, and “SPIRITUAL” people are not going to heaven! (REPEAT)

Here in verse 8, Jesus compares the work of the Holy Spirit to THE WIND!

In verse 8 Jesus says…The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Jesus’ point is that the work of the Holy Spirit in Salvation, is A SPIRITUAL WORK, not a physical one.

And just as we can’t see the wind… we can’t see the work of the Holy Spirit in and around us either!

God has always used the Holy Spirit to save people, and as a Jew, Nicodemus should have known this!

Nicodemus should have remembered the famous verse from the Old Testament in which God explained how He worked in the world.

Listen to what God said way back in…Zechariah 4:6 (SLIDE)-

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,

says the LORD Almighty.”

GOD SAVES PEOPLE in mysterious ways!

The SPIRIT MOVES in MYSTERIOUS WAYS!!!

Do you believe God works in mysterious ways?

Well that reminds me of the TRUE STORY of the INNER CITY PASTOR whose congregation was being destroyed by wasting all their money buying lottery tickets! (MEDIA SLIDE #30 )

#30- So this Pastor preached a 2 week series on the EVILS of the LOTTERY!

Well after the series was over, the Pastor’s wife came up to him, and she told him… I need to confess something to you…

She told him… “Recently, I BOUGHT A LOTTERY TICKET!

Well the Pastor got mad, and started shouting and yelling and asking her why she SINNED and did that…

But then the wife interrupted him and told him… “I also wanted to tell you that my lottery ticket WON A MILLION DOLLARS!

Well the next Sunday the Pastor began a new sermon series…

And this new sermon was called… ‘GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS!” (SLIDE OFF)

We need to understand that the Holy Spirit has a big part in salvation!

First of all, the Holy Spirit is convicting everyone in the whole world of their sin!

And as He does that, the Holy Spirit shows people their need for help… for a savior!

And when a person finally repents of their sins and places their faith in Jesus… they become born again…

And it’s at that moment that the Holy Spirit comes inside of their hearts to live in them, and seal them for heaven.

John 3: 11-16- Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Jesus loved Nicodemus, and Jesus wanted Nicodemus to get to heaven, but there was still A BARRIER between the two of them!

And Jesus brings up that problem here in verse 12, so let’s read that verse again!

In verse 12, Jesus told Nicodemus… If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Jesus is bringing up a really important principal for us as we talk with non-believers!

Understand, non-believers are not going to understand the Christian life!

Non-believers are not going to understand why you love Jesus and the church…

Non-believers won’t understand why you want to obey God, and you don’t want to go out and sin and party with them.

It’s IMPOSSIBLE for non-believers to understand spiritual things, because their still SPIRITUALLY BLIND to God’s truth.

But the key to non-believers understanding spiritual things, is they must respond to the work of the Holy Spirit and receive Jesus.

And this brings up our FORTH and FINAL TRUTH about being BORN AGAIN! (SLIDE)

#4- When we REPENT of our SINS, and BELIEVE in JESUS, we are SAVED! (REPEAT)

And the moment that God saves you, He makes you a NEW CREATION!

Listen to how the Apostle described this over in…

2 Corinthians 5:17 -“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

And we see Nicodemus mentioned two more times in the Gospel of John.

In John Chapter 7, NICODEMUS is defending Jesus before the other Jewish leaders…

And then up in John chapter 19, after Jesus’ death, Nicodemus bravely came to get Jesus’ body down from the cross and prepare it for burial!

We see our famous verse

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

This is probably the most popular verse for evangilist

The Jews thought that God only loved them, not the whole world.

Gods love was wide enough to love all mankind

Believing in Him - means much more than intellectual awareness or agreement.

It means TRUST IN…TO RELY ON…and to CLING TO

The love that we receive from people will fade away….but God will never stop loving His people!

Friends, in our verses today, we have seen Jesus TEACH US how to reach out to the non-believers around us!

BELIEVE is our First pillar of the Fit 2 Serve Method of being the Uncommon Human!

And F2S, that’s our GOOD NEWS TODAY, about… …

“Must Believe to be BORN AGAIN !!!”

Intro: Welcome my Friends

Joke or Story:

Sermon Title:

BIBLE TEXT:

Title Points:

Outline 1

Bible Text :

One Teaching Idea: (1 Sentence or Less)

Cross Reference:

1st Point

One Application:

Personal Story:

Outline 2

Bible Text

One Teaching Idea: (1 Sentence or Less)

Cross Reference:

2nd Point

One Application:

Personal Story:

Outline 3

Bible Text :

One Teaching Idea: (1 Sentence or Less)

Cross Reference:

3rd Point

One Application:

Personal Story:

Gospel Presentation

Tonight you can experience Gods love

We must first admit that we have sinned and need Jesus to forgiveness

Romans 3:23

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

We have all sinned

If we broken one of Gods laws we have sinned

lied once

cheated once

hated once

this makes us imperfect and we can’t get to Heaven

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If you hated someone in your heart you have murdered them

THAT IS THE Bad News

For the sake of justice there has to be hell

THIS IS THE GOOD NEWS

This is what distinguishes Jesus from everyone else …

Jesus is PERFECT

Jesus lived a sinless life……a perfect life

1 Peter 2:22

22 “Who committed no sin,

Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

because of that, Jesus is the only one who could die in place of a sinner like you &I.

2000 years ago He came and lived a perfect life and died on the cross so that we might be forgiven!

John 15:13

13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

The bible says “there is No greater love than one laying down His life for His friend”

There are three major events in everyones life

1. Birth - Have No control over

2. Death - No control over

3. When we ask God to forgive us! Trading in our imperfect for His perfect

There are some misconceptions of us being forgiven, but in the bible it is clear!

We have not been forgiven by

being christened

baptized

or confirmed

praying occasionally

going to church

or trying to be good

These are all good things but non of these give us forgiveness

Jesus said there are two things that we must do to be forgiven

1. Must be WILLING tot urn away from all that is wrong in our life!

WILLING - there may be things that you feel powerless to give up

addictions

habits

or complicated things

That’s ok as long as we are willing…..God will help us

2. Surrender to Jesus

If God made you don’t you think He deserves to be center

acknowledge Him as savior

humble our lives to Him in service

Story Of Gods Book

When we were born God created this book of our lives

When ever we broke His law it was written in there (every sin)

Say you don’t surrender your life

God will say sorry I can’t let you into Heaven!u

You never asked me to forgive you!

I loved you so much I tried many ways to get your attention

A. I died on the Cross to take your punishment

B. Someone explained to you in a simple way that you could be forgiven

C. There were churches throughout the world

D. I gave you a conscious to tell right from wrong

E. I created a world that was so awesome how could you not wonder!

F. Finally I rose from the dead to prove that I was God

You still did not surrender!

JOHN 14:6

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

So how about you?

If you die tonight were would you go?

Remember to get to heaven you need a perfect record!

You can only find this in Jesus

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

To receive this FREE Gift you only have to do two things

1. Be willling to turn from the wrong in your life

2. Surrendr to Jesus

unless you do these two things it is impossible to be forgiven

impossible to get into Heaven

This is so sad because this is the reason Jesus died for you &I:)

Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

The bible says “when we receive Christ we become a new creation!

The old has gone and the new has come!

I cant give you the words but I cant say them for you

I admit I am a sinner

I fall short of your perfection

I acknowledge that my sin will keep me out of your presents

I believe you sent your son to die on the cross to pay the penalty of my sin

I believe you died, were buried, and rose again, and waiting in Heaven for me

I ask you into my heart Jesus, to be my Lord,Savior, and King forevermore

In Jesus name Amen!