The Simplest Command - The Greatest Question

The GOSPEL

READ John 3:1-18 passage

1) The Command/The Confusion

Explain Nicodemus’ quandary

His question - literally

“Water and the spirit”

He knows the Law, He knows what Moses wrote

Interesting to look at the two on the road to Emmaus, Jesus uses Moses’ writing to point out that He is Messiah

2) What do you mean by?

Illustration that points makes something clear, makes it attractive

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21)

The people spoke against God and Moses

People had to trust what they were told, look to the serpent on the staff

The staff did not provide salvation - FAITH did

Humans

Born alive physically, eventually die physically

What happens in between determines your eternal existence - proximity

Born spiritually dead, must decide to be born spiritually (born again)

If you want to be part of the Kingdom of God (the “good” kingdom)

“Born again” = “Born from above” literally

3) Jesus’ first coming

Nicodemus struggled with “earthly things”

Explain - signs, etc.

Biblical Christianity is not a blind faith - God never expects faith to be blind, but rather the logical choice based on evidence

Unsaved around us struggle with those same things

Assuming they see the signs - the church

“Come and see”

First coming - Jesus came to save, not judge

His second coming - Jesus is coming to judge, not save

Loving? God takes some pot-shots from lots of people...

How can a loving God send people to Hell?

He doesn’t - A Loving God rescues people from Hell

Humans are born sinners - choose to reject Jesus and simply continue on path to Hell, nobody sending you anywhere without your choosing

ASIDE: I don’t like “pro-choice” because people never define the choice

However, Salvation…People have the choice, trust or accept Jesus, and understand the consequences

A Loving God rescues people from Hell, without making you earn it (ALL ‘religions’ outside of Biblical Christianity are works-based)

The command is clear - be born again!

Everyone here has been born of water

Everyone here needs to be born from above, born again, born of the Spirit

How do you answer the questions that come your way?

The lost ask questions that come from not knowing God - I can accept that - it’s not personal (accept between them and God)

All this - John 3 - is history

Revelation 4 and forward, that is future

Do you KNOW that you are born again?

Think you can’t know that?

I leave you with 1 John 5:13

1 John 5:13 NASB95

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.