By Night

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Our sermon will be on John 3:1-21

We have a website: https://tahlequahworshipcenter.com/

We will be starting Sunday School next week

Rogers Littlefield will be bringing music for us in a few weeks 5/16

Prayer requests:

Sue

Georgey

Billy and his Dad

Songs

Amazing Grace - 230 - Eb

It is Well - 430 - G

God So Loved - C

By Night

Introduction

You ever been in a situation where you didn’t want to be seen?

Maybe you were doing something you weren’t supposed to be doing?

I remember being over at Granny’s house and there was a camper there. The camper was my Dad’s. Granny told us not to be inside it.

Here’s a picture of one similar to it

Photo from Homestead Wannabes

I decided that I was going to get in it. My cousin Diann came in and I think my sister stayed at the door and told us we were going to get in trouble.

By Night

Then I heard Granny hollering. “I told you to stay out of that camper.”

I didn’t want to get in trouble with Granny. I don’t know that ever got a spanking from Granny, but her yelling at me was probably worse.

I decided I wasn’t going to get caught. Everyone else was coming out the door of the camper.

This camper was one of those that fit in the back of a truck. It had these little openings over what would be the wheel wells in a truck. Some of you know what I’m talking about.

I dove through one of those ...

But there was some kind of nail underneath. I tore my shirt and my skin.

I have a large scar there to this day.

It’s faded a bit 40 or so years later, but it’s still there.

I got caught, but I also bandaged up by Granny.

She didn’t punish me because I had already done it to myself.

I was trying not to get caught.

Today, we are going to talk about Nicodemus and his visit to Jesus at night. He didn’t want to get caught.

Him visiting Jesus at night is about liked a Baptist preacher going to the liquor store.

Let’s turn to John 3.

John 3:1–21 NKJV

1 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.” 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.” 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.”

Why did he Hide?

In order to understand that, we need to understand the day and time that Jesus lived and started his ministry in.

Just from the words of Jesus we know that many of the religious leaders didn’t like Jesus or John that came before.

Jesus called them names that would be considered rough and a bit crass.

We also need to understand Nicodemus’ position. He was a member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was a group of priests and teachers (Rabbis) who decided on various religious and legal matters.

He was a member of the group who was trying to get rid of Jesus and here he was trying to talk to him.

I think he came by night because he didn’t want the others to know. What would they think, would they kick him off the Sanhedrin?

So he comes by night. He wants to find out who Jesus is.

He knows something - He knows that if the things he has heard about Jesus is true, then he must be of God.

John 3:2 NKJV

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.”

See, Nicodemus has the information, but what will he do with it?

Why didn’t he Hear?

Jesus tells him that he must be born again, but Nicodemus isn’t understanding. To be honest, to someone who has not been born again, it is a difficult thing to understand.

Unless you have experienced it, you don’t really know what I’m talking about.

It is like being born a 2nd time. That’s because we are born of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit

Some people say it is just a psychosomatic experience. (an experience relating to the interaction of mind and body)

What it is is a change of your inner desires. It starts with repentance or a change of mind.

But then, God himself visits you and changes you.

It starts with information, but information is not enough.

In this exchange, Nicodemus is confused. He doesn’t understand what Jesus is talking about.

This is what those who are not Christians don’t get. They don’t see what happens on the inside.

They can see what’s on the outside. That’s what Jesus is talking about in

John 3:8 NKJV

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.”

Why didn’t he Hear?

We don’t see the wind, but we can see and feel its existence.

When we become a Christian, our inner desires are changed. It doesn’t mean that everything is changed or that we become this sinless model of perfection. That was Jesus not me.

But we change. I heard someone say it changes our want to.

Nicodemus hears the words, but he doesn’t understand this change of heart.

Where was his Heart?

Jesus is now going to lay it out all on the line. He’s tells us what’s about to happen as well as all the truths surrounding it.

He tells Nicodemus and the disciples that he he is the Messiah and that he is about to die for the sins of all.

The imagery that Jesus uses here is profound.

In order to understand it, we need to put ourselves into the mind of Nicodemus.

See, he would have understood the references that Jesus is using.

First in verse 13, he identifies himself as the Messiah and that he came from heaven. Then in verse 14, he talks about the time that Moses used a pole with a bronze serpent on it and if the people would look up at it, then the serpents that were biting them wouldn’t kill them. They would be saved.

It’s the imagery of the cross. See, Jesus was about to be lifted up. He’s about to die for everyone’s sins.

When we look at that we don’t see the depth and the wonder of God’s word. We don’t see the whole sacrificial system like Nicodemus does.

He knows that blood is required for the remission of sins.

So when we get to the pivotal verse, He understands what it means when Jesus says that God so loved the world.

He knew what it meant that he gave his Son.

Let that sink it and stir it around awhile.

Nicodemus now knows the information. What’s he going to do with it

It’s not good enough to have Information. What you really need is transformation.

We need not only to believe but to receive.

We need to receive the Spirit of God.

What the problem is We love the darkness rather than the light.

We need to seek the light

The difference between a Christian and everyone else is that if you are a Christian, you seek the light.

I got a little too much light yesterday.

What I seek is the light of God.

I seek his truth.

What to you seek

Do you seek the light?