Untitled Sermon (3)

UNIT 20 / SESSION 1

THE SON BRINGS

ETERNAL LIFE 

Belief or Unbelief

How has the Bible pinpointed what is wrong with the human condition?

The heart

Last week - Jesus turning over the tables

Proving He is concerned with the our hearts toward worship/living for Him

What is the difference between Christianity and all other forms of religion?

Christianity is completely grace - All other forms are works

Do you think this is how the world views Christianity? Explain.

POINT 1

Merit doesn’t get it done (John 3:1-8).

Nicodemus

Mentioned several times especially again at the burial of Jesus

He was a member of the Pharisees. An elite religious party of the time

meaning “to separate”;

zealous for the Mosaic law &

and their own oral traditions, which they added to it [cf. Matt. 15:2–6; Mark 7:8–13]).

Not only that but Nicodemus was no run-of-the-mill Pharisee;

he was a ruler of the Jews.

meaning a member of the Sanhedrin (cf. 7:50),

the governing council of Israel

Still under the authority of the Romans).

Jewish tradition traced the origin of the Sanhedrin to the seventy elders who assisted Moses (Num. 11:16–17).

Ironically, it was the Pharisees very zeal for the law (could we say zeal for the Bible)that caused the Pharisees to become ritualized and external. Having unchanged hearts, they would only replace true religion with mere behavior modification and ritual.

This is the problem!!! And even Christians have to guard against it.

It’s our flesh’ses natural tendency. To try and be good on our own.

Why does the flesh tend to always retreat to works? ASK?

Because grace takes faith

If I do something myself then I know

What is our purpose for being created by God?

To glorify Him

Why strive for holiness then?

v. 2Why is Nicodemus coming to Jesus?

Nicodemus noticed something different about Jesus

God was with Him

Proof/How did He know?

The signs he could/can do

So if Nicodemus was a ruler, a member of the Sanhedrin/ a stickler to God’s law, why was he coming to Jesus?

First, Did Nicodemus ever say why He came to see Jesus?

No because Jesus already knew!!

v. 3 Based on Jesus’ answer can we draw a conclusion as to why he came?

Nicodemus knew he was missing something in his religion

What was Nicodemus missing? vs Works based

A relationship

Freedom

Grace

Mercy

The Holy Spirit was stirring in His heart that what He was doing wasn’t complete

v. 3 What did Jesus say was the answer to Nicodemus’ form of religion ie external merit?

One needed to be born again

Anything else?

Nope

Just that you had to be born of the flesh and spirit

When you were born from your mother

When the Holy Spirit brings life to your spirit

If it is truly that simple why did Jesus explain more?

Because Nicodemus refused to believe the truth he came to find!

Nicodemus believed more in the lie that he could get to God on his own terms and merit more than the truth Jesus just told him

Don’t believe the lie of the world, Merit doesn’t get it done

POINT 2

Belief in Christ is the Only way (John 3:9-16).

Jesus being the gracious compassionate person that is is explains more by adding what key word?

Belief

What is the opposite of Belief

v. 11 What Nicodemus had, Unbelief.

He “did not accept our testimony”

v. 11 Who is “our” & “we”

John the Baptist, Jesus, The Holy Spirit and disciples

The two problems the world always has with Jesus

Intellectually, while Nicodemus acknowledged Jesus to be a teacher sent from God (3:2), he was unwilling to accept Him as God.

Spiritually, he was very reluctant to admit that he himself was a helpless sinner

(Quote) “Unbelievers are not ignorant, but willfully reject the truth”

What do you think about that?

v. 12-15 What message is Jesus conveying here?

He is the one who came from heaven

Therefore 2 things

He has authority to speak

He is the Son of Man

the one to be lifted up

v. 14 What did the Israelites have to do in order to be healed from the snake bite?

Believe enough to look up at the serpent Moses lifted up

What is the answer to Unbelief?

Belief

Belief in what?

That the Son of Man who came from heaven to be lifted up so that those who would believe enough to look to Him who was lifted up that they might be healed/forgiven from their sins

penitent or repentant, faith.

(Mac) Saving faith goes beyond mere intellectual assent to the facts of the gospel and includes self-denying trust in and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:9; cf. Luke 9:23–25). Only such genuine faith produces the new birth (John 3:7) and its resulting transformed heart and obedient life.

Why this illustration of Moses and the serpent from Jesus?

Nicodemus would understand it

Especially when 3 years later when Nicodemus would literally see Jesus lifted up

Can you imagine!!!

Being born again takes belief in the Son of Man

POINT 3

(Results of Belief or Unbelief) (John 3:17-21).

First Unbelief

So if you don’t believe Jesus said you

are being judged

Explain

Love darkness rather than light

Your Deeds are evil

will be exposed and punished

Second Belief

If you believe, born again you

will not be judged

will have eternal life

will be saved

will practice truth

v. 17 Why did Jesus come into the world?

So that the world might be saved

Is this the message the world is hearing from us?????????

You mean it wasn’t/NOT to judge

Response: What is the Holy Spirit saying:

About God

He made a way for you and me and the entire world to be born again. In right relationship with the Father.

Amazing Grace

About you

You either believe or you have unbelief

There is no middle

If you do believe then you will

Not perish but spend eternity with Jesus

Practice Truth. Walk in the light

Not like the Pharisee trying to earn grace but with a genuine heart to please the one who saved you by His grace