Sermon Tone Analysis

*Seeing Isn't Always Believing*

*John 3: 1-21*

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*I.

Introduction*

* *

*A.    **Being Too Familiar*

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1.

A youth pastor was preparing to speak at camp one summer like he had done every summer of his ministry.

2.     He knew the kids at camp would, for the most part, be kids who were raised in the church and had heard the scriptures taught most of their lives.

3.     His concern was that they had grown a little too accustomed to talks like his and wouldn't really pay close attention.

4.     He decided to shake things up a little and began with a question; "What's reddish gray, furry, runs in the forest, climbs trees and gathers nuts?"

5.     No response.

6.     Asks again; "What's reddish gray, furry, runs in the forest, climbs trees and gathers nuts?"

7.     Again, no one says anything.

8.     Asks a third time; "What's reddish gray, furry, runs in the forest, climbs trees and gathers nuts?"

9.     Finally, a junior high girl in the front raises her hand and says, "I think it's a squirrel, but I'll say Jesus Christ."

*B.

**John 3:16*

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1.

I'm afraid that's what happens to us when something becomes so familiar and well known.

We risk making the extraordinary, simply routine.

2.

Not going to embarrass anyone for fear that they'd choke under the pressure, but I bet majority of you this morning could stand up and quote John 3:16.

3.     For those of you who grew up going to church, it's probably the first verse of the Bible you memorized.

a.      Which is weird because they ought to start us out a little easier with verses like John 11:35, "Jesus wept."

Or 1 Thess.

5:17, "Pray continuously."

4.     How many of you remember that guy with the goofy rainbow colored wig who showed up at the choices locations during sporting events in the 70's and early 80's? 

a.

I was watching a replay of the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach when Tom Watson chipped in on the 71st hole to win and there was Rainbow Head right behind him on the tee box!

5.     Remember him?

His plain white t-shirt had those big black letters, JOHN 3:16!

6.

I have no way of knowing if people across America went scrambling to find a Bible and look it up.

But the verse got a lot of attention.

7.     Well, this morning we're going to look at not only John 3:16, but the context surrounding it.

8.     It involves a private conversation Jesus had with a man named Nicodemus and it’s the first of three successive encounters that illustrate what John wrote at the end of chapter 2.

9.     We left off before Easter in ch.2 with Jesus in Jerusalem for Passover and showing his passion for true worship and his zeal to deal with people who would be obstacles to others' worship by clearing the Temple of animal salesmen and money changers.

10.

The Jewish authorities challenged Jesus and asked what authority he had to do that and wanted proof through a miraculous sign…a trick!

11.

Jesus told them a sign was coming and alluded to his death, burial and resurrection.

12. Ironically, he did perform miraculous signs while in Jerusalem, but they weren't sideshow antics, they were acts of love and compassion (vs.23).

13.

As a result, people believed in him, but vs.24 tells us Jesus didn't put his trust in them.

In fact, vs.25, he knew what was in a man.

14.

The conversation with Nicodemus in ch.3 illustrates clearly how Jesus knew what was in the man's heart…more so than even Nicodemus himself!

 

*C.

**Nicodemus' Story and Ours*

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1.     Nicodemus' story is our story because he had the same desires, hopes and questions we all have, whether he was totally conscious of them or not.

a.

The desire for a meaningful life.

b.

The hope of there being more than just this life.

c.

The questions of where to find these answers!

2.     King Solomon wrote in the book of Eccles.

3:11, "God has made everything beautiful in its time.

He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

3.     That nagging question you have of "What's after this life," was put in your heart and head by God so you'd search for the answer!

4.     Nicodemus had the question and he knew, not as deeply as Jesus knew it about him, but at some level Nicodemus knew that he hadn't found the answer.

5.     When he saw Jesus miracles done from, and for, love, he decided to pursue him and talk to him himself.

6.

What emerges in this conversation, and the conversation in ch.4 with a lonely, five time divorcee, is Jesus' own teaching on the real issues of life.

7.     *Prayer* - honest and open hearts.

*II.

Jesus' Teaching on the Real Issues of Life - John 3:1-21*

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*A.

Jesus Addresses our Deepest Need…Regeneration  (v.1-9)*

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1.

The chapter starts by telling us who this Nicodemus was.

2.     Part of an elite group called Pharisees, known for their, shall we say, enthusiastic adherence to the law.

3.     It's not that they woke up one morning and decided to be religious bullies for the rest of Israel.

They were concerned that God's favor had left Israel - due to Roman occupation - and believed that only strict obedience would restore his favor.

4.     Unfortunately, that motive became tainted and the Pharisees became a proud bunch who enjoyed flaunting their superior faith in front of everyone else.

5.     Nicodemus was not only a Pharisee, but he was a member of the ruling council called the Sanhedrin.

6.     Giving him the benefit of the doubt, it's my opinion that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night not out of fear of what others would think, but out of a desire to see if this Jesus was really part of God's plan and activity for Israel.

7.     The Sanhedrin would all be at Jerusalem during Passover and no doubt had some debate about Jesus and what to do with him.

a.

After all, he had disrupted things at the Temple earlier and the reports were that he WAS doing miraculous things.

8.     Jesus had aroused some deep yearnings in Nicodemus.

I say that because of how the conversation begins.

9.     When you read vs.2&3 something has to strike you.

Jesus seems to answer a question that Nicodemus isn't even asking!

At least not openly!

a.

But remember, Jesus knew what was in a man, and so he tells him what Nicodemus really wanted and needed to hear.

10.

The term "born again" is another of those things that is well known, but not necessarily known well!

11.

Ever since Jimmy Carter told a reporter during his presidential campaign that he was born again, the phrase has become a loaded one and a misunderstood one.

It was for Nicodemus as well.

12.

Even in his best intentions, Nicodemus had a mindset that still prevails today, which is that all humanity needs is education and our issues can be settled.

a.

You learn about something in order to master it.

b.     Knowledge is power!

13.

But Jesus isn't offering knowledge, he's offering much more…regeneration!

He continues (vs.4-9).

That's a whole lot!!

14.

In one fell swoop, Jesus tells Nicodemus - and us - that the only answers to our deepest needs are spiritual in nature.

15.

Here is Jesus telling one of the most prominent Jews of the day, one who would hold up his religious piety and moral integrity up against anyone, and is saying to him, you can't enter God's kingdom unless you're born of water and the Spirit!

16.

The water would have been a reference to John the Baptist ministry of baptizing in water for repentance.

a.      Mark 1:4f, "And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins…I baptize you with water, but he (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

17.

In essence, Jesus is asking Nicodemus, "Where were you when John was baptizing?

You were conspicuous by your absence - along with your Sanhedrin friends.

You wouldn't humble yourself before that wild prophet, but if you're going to get into the kingdom of God, you have to repent, you have to admit your need!"

a.      That's probably the number one thing that keeps people from being born again - it's not that they don't understand, it's that they understand too well!

b.

They don't want to admit their need!

c.

They don't want to admit that there is something basically wrong with them.

d.