WELCOME

Rev. George Henry van der Westhuizen

John • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

John 3:1–21

Salvation

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Welcome To St Paul’s Presbyterian church Call to worship:

Malachi 3:1 NASB95

1 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.

Let us worship the Lord! Let us worship the One who is coming!

Chorus All Hail King Jesus 14 All Hail King Jesus, all hail Emmanuel https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yhs-invalid&ei=UTF-8&p=all+hail+king+jesus+lyrics#id=2&vid=b3eb09be5420b590a9f15ccbb23c088b&action=click

Chorus Behold what manner of love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wySS_kvU0c&t=33s

Call to confession:

God calls us to “prepare the way of the Lord” and in order to do so we are to “make his paths straight.” While we do strive to do just these things, we often find curves and bumps in the road along the way. Let us confess our sin together so that God can help us continue to prepare the way going forward.

Prayer of confession (from Luke 1:75 and Malachi 3:2) Holy and righteous God, far too often we are a far cry from the holiness you invite us into. And often we fail to live up to your righteous standards for how we are called to live. Refine us with your righteous refiner’s fire to remove all our sinful impulses and impurities. Cleanse us with the fullers’ soap to make us pure and holy once again. Help us to live in a way that would be pleasing to you, our Lord. Amen.

Assurance of pardon (from James 5: 15-16) We are not perfect, but we do not need to be. God in Christ is! And God in Christ has taken care of us and this world once again: “Every valley shall be filled ... and the rough ways made smooth.” In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven and freed! May your ears hear this good news, and your eyes see the salvation of God!

James 5:15–16 NASB95

15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Prayer for illumination Holy, holy, holy God, just as your word came to John in the wilderness, send it once again to us now in this place. Speak to us your gospel message so that we may cry out with the good news once more. We love you, Lord. Amen.

Hymn Mine eyes have seen thew glory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDEFHYwCJxE&list=PL7YIEhvIObrm6EY8wglHBw4RLx80B_657&index=34

Sermon

The New Birth

By Rev. George van der Westhuizen

John 3:1–21 (NASB95)

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, 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? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into 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 be amazed 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 do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?”

10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?

11 “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.

12 “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

13 “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.

14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;

15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

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

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

19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

Nicodemus ask’s a question

A ruler of the Jews

Came at night

Wrong idea of who Jesus was

Many people around the world ask this Question, Jesus, who are you?

Jesus answered and said to him

you must be born again !!!!

Notices:

John Oberholtzer

Offering (Luke 1:68) “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them.” As blessed, redeemed, and favoured people, may we share what we have been given so generously at this time.

Luke 1:68 NASB95

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,

Prayer of dedication (from Philippians 1:4) Holy God, I thank you for these people. I thank you for this assembled body. And I thank you for their continued faithfulness. I find myself constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for each and every one of them because of their sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. Bless these our gifts and multiply them into your blessings! Amen.

Prayer

Hymn Rescue the perishing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMFRt2aLuMI&list=PL7YIEhvIObrm6EY8wglHBw4RLx80B_657&index=44 Charge and benediction (Luke 3:4-6) Cry out in the wilderness, cry out in our world: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Luke 3:4–6 NASB95

4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight. 5 ‘Every ravine will be filled, And every mountain and hill will be brought low; The crooked will become straight, And the rough roads smooth; 6 And all flesh will see the salvation of God.’ ”

Now go. Go out. Go forth with the grace and peace of God our Creator, our Redeemer and our Sustainer now and forevermore.