John 3:1 -18

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• Text passage John 3:1-18

John 3

Born from Above

2. There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, "Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in on it."

• Pharisees num. About 6000 in Israel
• Very important to them to show outward religion (fasting, praying, ceremonial washing –etc)
• Knew messiah coming
• Very opposed to Jesus
• Jesus very critical of them
• Many theories on why he went at night but I think so no one would see him
• Evidently, the Pharisees had drawn a conclusion about Jesus.
• Called him teacher out of respect / I think he knew who Jesus was (John 7:50,51 & 19:39)

3. Jesus said, "You're absolutely right (about being a teacher – knowing more than you). Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to—to God's kingdom."

• No kidding
• Very well could have taken the attitude of “don’t even try to think of yourself as equal, but I believe Jesus Knew Nic. knew who Jesus was.
• Everything Jesus did pointed to God’s Kingdom & He wanted to get across not only to Nic. But to you and I that we must accept the salvation God is giving to us. Eph 2:8-9

        "How can anyone," said Nicodemus, "be born who has already been born and grown up? You can't re-enter your mother's womb and be born again. What are you saying with this 'born-from-above' talk?"

 5-6 Jesus said, "You're not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the 'wind-hovering-over-the-water' creation,(Gen. 1:1) the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it's not possible to enter God's kingdom. When you look at a baby, it's just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can't see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit.

 7-8 "So don't be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be 'born from above'—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it's headed next. That's the way it is with everyone 'born from above' by the wind of God, the Spirit of God."

 9 Nicodemus asked, "What do you mean by this? How does this happen?"

 10-12 Jesus said, "You're a respected teacher of Israel and you don't know these basics? Listen carefully. I'm speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don't believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can't see, the things of God?

 13-15 "No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert (a type of Jesus Num 21:6-9 )so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up—and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.

 16-18 "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. (Message)

God’s purpose now is to re-establish Kingdom, in doing, He, sacrificed His Son to “buy back”

- Jesus came 1^st time as a Savior not a Judge

• Jews in those days believed Messiah would judge mankind – they had reason to believe that (Psalm 98:9, Isaiah 3:13)

they rejected Jesus, so salvation had to come from non-Jews (gentiles)Jews did not see Church age (we are in now) – Gospel supposed to come through Jews:

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.

• notice He does not save by love – He saves by belief - loves all unconditionally - saved or not: God will love us even going to hell.

He saves by Grace – His Grace comes by faith in His Word Eph 2:8-9 – you must be born again (John 3) by accepting and relying on His Word

Ephesian 1:5-6 – He chose us to be adopted sons through (because of)Jesus

John 14:6 – way, truth , light

Heb 2:9-11 - Captain = Gr. archegegos >author >take the lead

Jesus makes it clear that only through Him can we enter into God’s family (children of)

18 "^(AC)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 ^(AD)the only begotten Son of God.

- You never surprise God

- penalty is always (with God) pre-determined

(NKJV)

Romans 10:9-11

9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."^[

The Holy Spirit - The Most Neglected Member Of The Trinity

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. – NIV

• Certain Pharisees considered themselves to be better than other “non-religious” people.

(Apostle Paul said if there’s anything good in me it’s because of Jesus) so…

let’s be glad we’re saved but take others with us!

1. The Holy Spirit is the most neglected member of The Trinity
   1. Christians seek relationship with God (as they should)
   2. Christians seek relationship with Jesus (as they should)
   3. We pray to God in the name of Jesus (all these are Biblical)
   4. What do you think are the reasons for this? (Class discussion)
   5. easy for children of Israel to believe in God they saw Him (passed down knowledge)

they also had teachings handed down from Adam and Eve via Moses.

6. easy for us to believe in Jesus – He lived on earth (passed down knowledge)

(scripture)

2. God’s intentions toward us
   1. Why did God establish the earth and create man?(class discussion)
   2. relationship
   3. Fatherhood / mentor

Holy Spirit of OT

• Part of Godhead – God The Father, God The Son, God The Holy Spirit - Gen 1:1, 1:26 – Job 3:4
• God created man and gave him His Spirit – Gen2:7, 1 Cor. 6:19
• Spirit of God – Came to kings and prophets (wasn’t there all the time – only when God wanted to act specifically.)

Holy Spirit of NT

• The seed of God (re-establishing lost Kingdom) could NOT come through sinful man.
• Scripture records account of god coming to earth by way of the Holy Spirit -

• John prob. only person who has actually (through spiritual eyes) seen the Godhead
  • Luke 3:22 – Holt Spirit “like a dove” doesn’t mean He is one. He is a distinct person. strong as an ox

ran like the wind – that doesn’t mean they are an ox or the wind

Has mind Rom 8:27, a will and emotions -1 Cor 12:11, He speaks - Heb3:7

Jesus said to disciples before he departed – John 14:14-18

Then He says in chapt.16:7 – 8 – He said believe me.

True Wisdom

• Praise

• Prayer

• Pastor Dan

A. text:

Prov. 4:7

The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! [For skillful and godly Wisdom is the principal thing.] And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and

interpretation). – Amplified Bible

Wisdom = applied knowledge , shrewdness, skill (in war), ethical and spiritual prudence

Greek word khokma (kokma)

1. In the text, what kind of knowledge, or what is referred to as wisdom?

Story of Matthew and Kenyan boy

(Matthew part of mission team. 2 weeks Nairobi, Kenya)

1) Boy lived in slum his whole life

• Boy lived in slum in city
• Slum population about 725,000
• Area about 1 ½ x 3 mi. (by contrast, Greater DM about 300,000)
• Boy 17 yrs old
1. Matthew asked him if he could have one thing in life – what would it be?
   • Did not ask for car, money etc.
   • Boy Wanted wisdom
   • God honored boys prayer – it lined up with His will

3. Matthew – a man of God and one who anyone would say is a man of true wisdom – an assistant pastor in our church and Pastor Dan’s # 1 advisor (besides his wife)
   • Brought him from Perry, Ia. to D.M. to Chicago to London and then to Kenya to stand before that young man and speak wisdom into his life.
   • Think of what The God Of The Universe is able to do!

4. God’s primary way of blessing ANYONE is with wisdom!

• If you apply the knowledge you have, seek more knowledge (which is wise), are shrewd and prudent, then you can figure out how to make more money or figure out how to do the things you need to accomplish to be obedient (to God, that’s what He requires in the first place).
• If obedience is what God requires, He will equip you for it – where God guides, He provides.
• This is how a Loving Father blesses His Children’s obedience. (do you bless your kid’s disobedience?)
  1. I don’t always – I tend to take it for granted

• King David impressed on Solomon at an early age to have a relationship with God, to honor Him and to be obedient. David (a man after God’s own heart) also let Solomon know that God blesses most of the time by speaking WISDOM to us. That’s why Solomon Prayed and asked God for WISDOM.

1 Kings 3

7 "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."

Prov. 4:7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
       Though it cost all you have, get understanding. - NIV

4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding – KJV

• Proverbs 4:3-9 Message Bible (synonyms – discuss/study)

3-9 When I was a boy at my father's knee,
    the pride and joy of my mother,
He would sit me down and drill me:
   "Take this to heart. Do what I tell you—live!
Sell everything and buy Wisdom! Forage for Understanding!
   Don't forget one word! Don't deviate an inch!
Never walk away from Wisdom—she guards your life;
   love her—she keeps her eye on you.
Above all and before all, do this: Get Wisdom!
   Write this at the top of your list: Get Understanding!
Throw your arms around her—believe me, you won't regret it;
   never let her go—she'll make your life glorious.
She'll garland your life with grace,
   she'll festoon your days with beauty."

1 Corinthians 3:18-20

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; 20 and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”

Amplified version -

18 Let no person deceive himself. If anyone among you supposes that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool [let him discard his worldly discernment and recognize himself as dull, stupid, and foolish, without true learning and scholarship], that he may become [really] wise. 19For this world's wisdom is foolishness (absurdity and stupidity) with God, for it is written, He lays hold of the wise in their [own] craftiness;

    20And again, The Lord knows the thoughts and reasonings of the [humanly] wise and recognizes how futile they are.

• Brother-in-law one of smartest people I know
• Great guy
• Knows many obscure facts
• Does not know God
• God says his knowledge is useless!
•  Does not have TRUE WISDOM

1. How do I get true wisdom?

1. MUST be born again – (Rom. 10:9)

2. Acknowledge God in all your ways - (Prov. 3:6)

3. Worship in truth – (John 4:23)

4. Fear of Lord – (Prov. 1:7)

5. Pray and ask for it – be obedient make sure Jesus is Lord over every phase of your life. THAT IS TRUE WISDOM – (John 1:9)

The Basis For What We Believe

Text:, Col 2:13-15, Rom 5:19

Colossians – Freedom from the law, to expose false teaching religious and self-righteousness through ritual

Romans – Explains Christianity

These two verses sum up what God has done for mankind as He re-established His Kingdom.

A.

Col 2:13 new living Translation

You were dead because of your sins and because you’re sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins.

1. Dead because of sinful nature – Sinful nature is in mankind because of disobedience by Adam to God.

Gen 3:1 – 7

• This passage explains why bad thing happen to good people – why bad thing happen in the world
• You MUST under stand this for anything to make sense

2. Cut away
   1. circumcision – a ritual God commanded Moses to perform on his people ( his charges ) or oversee it done, in the wilderness.

No law from Adam till Moses

2. The idea being a setting themselves apart in a way that they will not forget, that

They remember the act of obedience (and disobedience). – note that obedience is required as He re-establishes His Kingdom.

3. The ownership was transferred for a time to Satan, (who had been kicked out of heaven) – God had to do this because this because He is perfect. The Word says – Pslm 138:2 He magnified thy Word above all thy name. God is a God of perfection. He always does what He says He is going to do – God is CHRACTER

He ALWAYS holds Himself to standards of:

• Legality
• Faithfulness – He always does what He says He will do – NEVER forces anything on anybody

3. Made you alive with Christ

a. Made you and I equals – co-laborers – equals – joint heirs

Rom 8:17 - And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together.

The idea is that if we accept Christ as God into our hearts, then we have Life as He Has – eternal life with God – forever – Part of His Family

B.

Col 2:14 New Living Translation

He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross

1. Cancelled the record – KJV says “blotted out the handwriting”. The idea is that the debt we owe is done away with.

Hebrew word for cancelled is interesting because one of it’s definitions is the canceling of a debt owed. That is exactly the meaning here because when we accept Christ, our accountability or debt that must be paid (God is a perfect God), for the sin inherent in man, by the work Christ did at the cross.

3. Make a show of them openly

• Crashed party in hell – Christ Conquers Death – “more than conquerors in Christ”
• Matt 16:19
• Rom 8:37
• In ancient times returning king – parade spoils of war and leaders upon re-entry of palace or castle walls
• Christ exposes the devil to us – makes fun of him – give us the keys to life and death

Calls us more than conquerors – of death

• Tells us we are the head and not the tail
• Tells us there is no condemnation
• Makes provision for sins to be forgiven - on and on

All of these things are because of Christ and only through Him

It is our job to stay in Him

• Bible study
• Prayer
• Meditation – read Word - study

Be All That You Can Be

Pray

• Text

Dictionary.com def. - ARMY

1,	the military forces of a nation, exclusive of the navy and in some countries the air force.

2.	(in large military land forces) a unit consisting typically of two or more corps and a headquarters.

3.	a large body of persons trained and armed for war.

4.	any body of persons organized for any purpose: an army of census takers.

5.	a very large number or group of something; a great multitude; a host: the army of the unemployed.

Hebrew

H1416 gĕduwd ghed·üd' band, troop, army, company, men H2426 cheyl khāl wall, rampart, host, trench, poor, bulwark,  H2428 chayil khah'·yil army, man of valour (Gidion Judges 6), host, forces, valiant, strength, riches, wealth, power, substance, might, strong, misc H2429 chayil (Aramaic) khah'·yil aloud, army, power, most H2502 chalats khä·lats' deliver, Arm, loose, armed men, prepared, take, army, make fat, put off, delivered out, draw out, armed soldiers, withdrawn H4634 ma`arakah mah·ar·ä·kä' army, fight, order, place, rank, rows H4675 matstsabah mats·tsä·bä' garrison, army H6635 tsaba' tsä·bä' host, war, army, battle, service, appointed time, warfare, soldiers, company, misc New Testament (Greek) G3925 parembolē pä-rem-bo-lā' castle, camp, army G4753 strateuma strä'-tyü-mä army, man of war (Eph 6), soldier G4760 stratopedon strä-to'-pe-don army

Most kings have some sort of kingdom and with that some form of government is established

• God has a Kingdom (Matt 6:33… seek ye first,  Mark 1:14 …Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God)

• Kingdom on earth lost by Adam through disobedience… (Rom 5: 19  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

• Kingdom re-established by Christ –start when born and deal sealed at cross  (Isa 9:6… For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.) (the word government is also translated “responsibility” in some versions)

• Kingdom lost temp (God had plan…  ) – re-established by Jesus, Jesus’ ministry on earth – fully man and fully God (teaching) -then at cross

• Until Jesus comes back The Kingdom Of God re-established in our hearts by being born again  John 3:3 … Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

 

If believers are a “band” or have “something in common” we are, by definition, an army

As soldiers in that army we have a commander, His name is Jesus

·        He is The Name above all Names  (Rev 22:13, Isa 44:6)

·        Alpha and Omega (Rev 21:6)

·        The list goes on and on – all boils down to how God first described Himself and told Moses when asked His Name – He said I Am

He sets Himself apart, distinguishes self as The Head, Ruler, The COMMANDER OF THE ARMY!

If you and I are born again, we are in that army – like it or not

·        Our Commander has given us a mission – expand The Kingdom

1.      Mark 16:15
He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation

2.      go to church or Bible Study – stay connected with other believers   

Ecclesiastes 4:12  Though one may be overpowered,
       two can defend themselves, A cord of three strands is not quickly broke

 Find out who God is from The Word

Find out who The Word says you are

meditate on The Word – daily – making that a priority is the only way you can   do it –

teach children the word–

set example

teach others (introduce them to Christ, about personal relationship)

if you fall back – go back at it

living for Christ is a process it has to be on purpose and because you want to (free will)