Late Night Deep Talks

Who knows ?

So interactions in the church world can be kind of weird sometimes...

This is a story about a guy who basically comes Jesus to ask Him who He is. That’s a question we all need to have an answer for, and Jesus basically answers that question in this conversation with Nicodemus.

Tell the story really well, paint the picture. Explain why Nicodemus is curious (look back in ch 2) and a little about who he was (think about a group of stuffy old men, but one his is kinda cool).

Everyone and only ones who believe in Jesus will be born into his eternal Kingdom.

You must be born again

This is a kind of confusing truth, but we have to be born again to see God’s Kingdom.

Being born is kind of a thing you can only do once… YOBO

vv1-2

So we’ve already hinted at the fact that Nicodemus is kind of a big deal.

He’s like a member of the senate and the Supreme Court for Israel.

He’s one of most revered religious teachers in Judaism of his day.

He’s coming to Jesus to ask questions.

He realized he needed to learn God’s truth and He knew it was too important to not check out.

This would have probably been a risky move for Nicodemus.

We have to understand the importance of finding the answers to these questions.

vv3-8

Jesus says you have to be born again, and Nicodemus asks a reasonable follow-up question.

“Are you supposed to crawl back in??”

Jesus is speaking about a spiritual birth.

Before this spiritual birth, we are spiritually dead because of our sin.

Ephesians 2:1–2 HCSB

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient.

Ephesians 2:

So how are we born again? It happens by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus explains this more in verse eight, which we could have a whole sermon over!

He says the work of the Holy Spirit is like the wind...

Yes, we understand the wind better now, but don’t over think this metaphor.

You can’t see the wind, but you see its work.

You can’t control it, it just does its thing.

This is how the Holy Spirit works in salvation.

Scripture is clear the God is the one at work in our salvation.

Romans 9:16 HCSB

So then it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy.

Scripture is also clear that we have a responsibility to believe in Jesus. Mark records it as his first teaching.

Mark 1:15 HCSB

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news!”

This is a topic that has been discussed and argued about for centuries, but we need to just receive what Scripture tells us and trust God.

Here’s what I can tell you for sure; if you don’t believe that you need to be born again, then you won’t be. So believe this truth. But you may still have questions. You probably do, Nicodemus did. The great teacher of Israel, and even he had to be born again.

Everyone must be born again

Nicodemus’ religious credentials didn’t take care of him, and none of yours will take care of you.

So last night, Parker asked me if I knew about the Portuguese Man of War. I laughed and asked if he mean manawar. He insisted it was man of war. I laughed. I told my friends about it. They didn’t get why it was funny. Then I used the google and found out Parker was right and I was wrong. The giant jelly fish is called a Man of War. My friends laughed at me. I felt a little dumb. I assumed I knew because of who I was and found out I didn’t.

I think Nicodemus may have been making a bit of the same mistake here, thinking he had it all figured out and was good because of who he was. Jesus shows him otherwise.

vv10-13

Being a pharisee didn’t mean he got it all. Jesus is telling him that he’s been missing it.

We can’t fall into the same trap that Nicodemus did. You can’t think that just because you’ve been in church your whole life or because your family...

If you are going to see God’s Kingdom you have to humble yourself and be born again. You can’t rely on anything besides God for it.

Jesus helps Nic understand with a story of Moses.

vv 14-15

Read

We have to believe in Jesus for ourselves, have a relationship with him ourselves. No one else’s will do anything for us. Being a member of a church won’t give you life. Jesus explains this with probably the best known Bible verse of all time.

Believe for eternal life

To be born again, put your faith in Jesus and receive God’s free gift of forgiveness and life.

Story of a king who had someone stealing from his castle, found it to be his child, and he laid over the child to take the punishment.

Believe in Jesus. Believe what?

That He’s God’s Son.

v16

This makes Him God.

That He came to save you.

v17

The Pharisees were reminding the world of their condemnation and thinking they weren’t condemned. That’s not what Jesus does. Jesus saves.

Save you from what?

v18

The punishment for your sin...

We are condemned until we place our faith in Him because we are all sinners.

Save you how?

2 Corinthians 5:21 HCSB

He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

How do we know we can put our faith in Him?

Matthew 28:5–7 HCSB

But the angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead. In fact, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”

Matthew 28:

God loves you and he proved it by sending his Son for you. If you don’t have a relationship with Him, if you haven’t put your faith in Jesus’ word about

who He is...

what He’s done...

then you stand condemned before God. You must admit you are a sinner who needs forgiveness and righteousness.

I want to take a moment for any of you who have not made the decision to do that to do it. For any of you who haven’t put your faith in Jesus to put your faith in Him now and make that confession to Him...

Have a short time of prayer.

Jesus leaves Nic with something to think about, and it’s what I’ll leave you with tonight.

The Judgement

There are really only two responses to Jesus. We must respond to the Gospel, Jesus explains how we respond here. You run to him or hide from him.

vv19-21

John 1:9 HCSB

The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

John 1:5 HCSB

That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

John 1:5

People who love their sin more than Jesus want to stay in the dark so they don’t feel convicted over their sin. If they stay away from Jesus and his Word, they don’t feel bad about it. But those who love Jesus more than their sin go to Him and let him shine light into the darkness in their lives so they can get rid of sin and get more Jesus.

If you don’t like to read the Bible because it makes you feel bad. If you don’t like hearing preaching because it points out things that need to change in your life, that’s a problem. That’s a sign that you’re running from the light, from Jesus. You need to turn to the light and surrender.

My boys wake up in the middle of the night sometimes needing to use the bathroom. I take them and turn that light on and then… AHHH!! That light hurts at first, but then you adjust and see the light is a good thing.

It hurts when your sin is pointed out, but you find out that Jesus is better. You find out it’s better for Him to do his works through you in the light.