Sermon Tone Analysis

The Kingdom of God in John

Uniqueness in John:

Introduction:

Today is our last study on the Kingdom theme in the gospels.

I hope that these past 8 weeks have been a blessing.

The purpose of these Bible studies can be summarized in two reasons: first and foremost, to learn how to better study the Bible.

The tools that we have used and applied in our Bible studies should be something you keep practicing and going back to.

The insights you will gain by doing this will open the Bible in ways that will be greatly beneficial.

The second reason for these Bible studies is to learn greater truths about the Kingdom of Heaven.

Through the Biblical understanding of the Kingdom, we have learned lessons that can be applied to our lives.

We have been challenged by the truths of the Kingdom.

We have seen what God wants to change in our lives while we live in the Kingdom of Grace.

We have also seen how we should perceive our duties as residents of the Kingdom today.

Truly, the Kingdom theme is a deep one, one that I hope you continue searching and seeking beyond this last Bible study.

But we still have this last Bible study to go.

And today we go from the Gospel of Luke to the Gospel of John: the fourth of the gospels and perhaps one that is very familiar to all of you.

I don’t think we have to say much about the Gospel of John, as many important verses, ideas and theological truths come from the Gospel.

There are some things that stand out as different:

The introduction of the book presents a full and complete idea of the relationship of Jesus and the father.

In one statement, John presents the eternal aspect of Jesus, the differentiation with God the father, and the unity with God himself.

We also see Jesus as presented as the Word, a greek concept that shows the powerful We see John present the Holy Spirit as the counselor (something that no other gospel does) And of course there is a stronger emphasis on love in the Gospel of John in comparison to the other gospels.

Over 90% of John is unique to the other gospels.

And today we want to see what John says about the Kingdom.

We want to conclude our Bible study and with final thoughts about the Kingdom of God.

Let us pray.

The Kingdom of God in John

John is not a synoptic gospel:

We do not see the baptism of Jesus.

We do not see clear instructions on the Lord’s supper.

We don’t even see Jesus casting out demons, nor Jesus healing a single leper.

But perhaps the biggest distinction that makes this Gospel non-synoptic is that it does not present the Kingdom theme the way the other gospels do.

All the Kingdom parables (Where Jesus begins with the Kingdom of heaven/God is like”) are virtually non-existent.

All the Kingdom parables (Where Jesus begins with the Kingdom of heaven/God is like”) are virtually non-existent in the book of John The phrases “Kingdom of Heaven” is not present in the Gospel.

The word Kingdom shows up only three times in the gospel, in two different instances And the phrase Kingdom of God shows up only once in entire book.

In the book of John The phrases “Kingdom of Heaven” is not present in the Gospel.

The word Kingdom shows up only three times in the gospel, in two different instances

And the phrase Kingdom of God shows up only once in entire book.

am sure this is a story you know very well, one that you have heard in countless sermons and devotionals.

But most of the time when we read this conversation, we really only look at bits and pieces.

There is an added benefit when we take the entire conversation as a whole, and understand how Jesus is leading this conversation.

We can divide the conversation into three blocks.

All three blocks contain a statement or question from Nicodemus, and an answer from Jesus.

And each block builds upon another, explaining the block before it.

So we begin with Block #1:

“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.”

Now in Block #1 we see the only time that Jesus mentions that Kingdom of God in the book of John.

For our studies, this is very important.

But it is also important because in the answer Jesus gives Nicodemus, Jesus tells us that anyone that wants to see the Kingdom of God must be “born again.”

This is very important: There is no way to see the truth true kingdom of God if an individual, you or me, are not born again.

This is a direct statement.

No confusion.

The truth’s of the Kingdom of God are only perceive by those who have been born again.

The next block explores this important statement: Block #2:

“4 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.

7 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.”

I want you to notice the following:

Block #2 helps us explain what Jesus meant in Block #1 In Block #1, Jesus tells us that if you want to see the Kingdom of God, you must be born again.

In Block #2, Jesus tells us that being born again means to be born of water and the spirit.

In this Block we are also told that if you are born again, you not only begin to understand/see the kingdom, but you also enter the kingdom of God.

That is to say, that the the moment I am born again, I begin to live in the Kingdom.

(Here we see the dual aspect of the Kingdom.

If you are born again today, the Kingdom does not arrive in the future.

You begin to live the kingdom now.

And Jesus tells us that the reason we begin to live in the kingdom when we are born again is because we go from people of the flesh, to people of the Spirit.

Living in the kingdom is in fact living by the Spirit of God.

What does the “born again” process entail?

We turn to the next block for an explanation: Block #3:

“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?

11 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.

17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

According to Block #3, Jesus explains what he means when he says “born again” of the Spirit.

Jesus is clear that the Son of Man must be lifted up.

Once that happens, the individual must “believe” in the one who was lifted up, so that he can gain entrance into the Kingdom.

In other words, “born again” means to “believe in Jesus.”

And if they believe in Jesus, they not only gain entrance into the Kingdom, but they also see a change in their works, habits, and deeds.

Belief in Jesus makes you fit for life in the Kingdom of God.

I like the way EGW puts it:

“Those who believe in Jesus Christ are changed from being rebels against the law of God into obedient servants and subjects of His kingdom.

They are born again, regenerated, sanctified through the truth.”

Fundamentals of Christian Education, p 332

And if this were not clear enough, look at what Paul writes in

Brothers and sisters, entrance to the Kingdom, and understanding Kingdom are only for those born again, that is, only those who believe in Jesus.

And believing in Jesus means to be “in Christ,” to allow Him to take full control.

So how much do we believe in Jesus?

My Kingdom

.

But before we go there, I want you to turn with me to , right after the moment that Jesus fed the 5,000.