March 16, 2025 • 40 mins
The gospel offers transformative hope for doubters, sinners, and long-time believers alike, as seen through Nicodemus's journey from nighttime questioning to daylight devotion.
• Nicodemus, a Pharisee and Jewish ruler, approaches Jesus secretly at night with questions and doubt
• Jesus explains being "born again" is a spiritual rebirth through water and Spirit, not a physical experience
• The Spirit works like wind—invisible yet powerful, with effects that can be clearly seen in transformed lives
• John 3:16 begins with God's initiative—He loved and gave His Son for whoever believes
• "Whoever" means no one is beyond God's reach or too far gone for His redemptive grace
• Nicodemus's faith journey progresses from secret inquirer to public disciple bringing 75 pounds of burial spices
• The gospel doesn't just save non-believers but moves Christians from sideline faith to bold action
How will you respond today? Perhaps you need to pray about where God wants you to follow Him with greater boldness, or maybe you're just beginning your journey with Jesus. Wherever you are, take the next step.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:23):
1st Baptist, baptist El Dorado, will you join me now
in listening to our sermon fromthis week?
Lord Jesus, thank you so muchfor your word.
Thank you for a chance to reada text this morning like John,
chapter 3, even a verse John 3,16, that I know many may know,
(00:45):
maybe a popular verse.
But let us not be tempted tojust think we've seen it all
before.
Let us not be tempted to justmove along with it because maybe
we learned it as a child oranything like that.
Lord, but instead let us takeour time and just even this
morning, even now, hear yourword as if it's for the first
(01:07):
time.
Lord, transform us.
Speak through your spirit, lord, in Christ's name, amen.
I was sitting on Monday night ina church finance meeting Some
of you were there as well and asI was sitting there, a text
came to me and one of the nicertexts I've ever received.
It just said very kindly thereon what was it?
(01:29):
The 10th?
Very kindly, happy birthday.
And let me know how thankfulthis individual was for myself
and my family being here.
And I was blown away andhonored by the kindness of this
message.
And I'm sitting there in thatmeeting and three or four more
texts come through while I'msitting there and three or four
more of the kindest texts I'vereceived in some time.
(01:49):
Happy birthday, we're gladyou're here.
Happy birthday, we're thankfulfor your family.
Happy birthday, and I'm justblown away.
I get home.
More of these texts comethrough.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday 6 30 am.
The next morning, happybirthday comes through.
I'm'm so honored, I'm blownaway.
The only issue my birthday isJuly 23rd and I'm sitting there
(02:11):
so thankful because I'm soencouraged by these texts.
But I do kind of feel badbecause each time I have to text
back and just mention thatthank you, but we got a little
bit longer.
It just so happened that one ofour dear saints she may or may
not be in this room, but I won'tname names happened that one of
our dear saints she may or maynot be in this room, but I won't
name names this morning One ofour dear saints had it in her
calendar that my birthday wasthis week, and not only did she
(02:32):
text me, she texted multiplegroup texts to make sure they
texted me as well.
But I was so encouraged and Ireally was reminded of this
lesson that news can travelquickly.
News can travel quickly andalso this news can make an
impact.
Can make an impact.
I think of John 3.16 thismorning.
(02:52):
News that traveled quickly, thegreatest news we've ever heard.
Jesus promised us that that youwill be my disciples in
Jerusalem, judea, samaria and tothe ends of the earth.
And that news traveled quicklyin the first century and even to
where we sit here today, on theother side of the planet, from
where that news was originallygiven.
(03:13):
That news traveled quickly.
But we also see that news madean impact.
We think of a verse like John 3,16, for God so loved the world,
he gave his one and only son.
Again, I've said it multipletimes the world he gave his one
and only son.
Again, I've said it multipletimes.
Maybe you grew up in church andit's okay if you didn't, but if
you grew up in church maybe youeven memorized that verse as a
(03:34):
child.
You had no clue as a child whatin the world only begotten
meant, but you knew it.
I looked this week at the mostpopular internet searches for
verses of scripture Coming in atnumber two there were two that
were tied at about 82,000monthly searches Philippians
(03:55):
4.13, I can do all thingsthrough Christ who strengthens
me and Jeremiah 29.11, for Iknow the plans I have for you,
both of those coming in at about82,000 monthly searches on the
internet.
You can probably guess whatnumber one was John 3-16.
What might surprise you ormaybe not, it came in at 2.1
million monthly searches.
(04:17):
People are interested in thisverse.
There's just something aboutthis.
It is news that travels quicklyand clearly, news that has made
an impact.
And John 3.16 is probably theclearest single picture we get
of the gospel in all ofscripture.
I want us to see three thingsthis morning as we walk through
(04:39):
this text, and number one isthis that the gospel is good
news for the doubter.
The gospel is good news for thedoubter.
Look with me in John 3, verse 1.
Now there was a man of thePharisees named Nicodemus, a
ruler of the Jews, and this mancame to Jesus by night and said
to him Rabbi, we know that youare a teacher, come from God,
(05:00):
for no one can do these signsthat you do unless God is with
him.
And Jesus answered him.
Truly, truly, I say to you,unless one is born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God.
So first John is setting thescene here.
We first see Nicodemus.
Nicodemus is an individualwe're going to see on three
different occasions in the bookof John.
(05:21):
We get kind of a lot ofdescription or a longer event
here in John 3.
The other two occasions arevery quick, kind of single
verses that we see of Nicodemus.
But we see Nicodemus first as aPharisee.
We've talked a little bit inhere about who the Pharisees are
.
They are the religious elite ofthe day.
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They are the religious scholars.
They knew their Old Testament.
They knew the law.
They delighted to carry out thelaw.
They are the religious scholars.
They knew their Old Testament.
They knew the law.
They delighted to carry out thelaw.
Not only that, they wereoverjoyed when you saw just how
good they were at carrying outthe law.
In fact they loved doing it somuch.
They loved you seeing them doit so much.
They created more laws just sothey could follow even more than
(06:03):
Jesus even wanted us to.
They made more commands thanwhat God gave in Levit laws,
just so they could follow evenmore than Jesus even wanted us
to.
They made more commands thanwhat God gave in Leviticus just
so that they could impress youwith their own
self-righteousness of howimpressive they really are
following the law.
They loved themselves.
They loved showing off howreligious they were.
But not only was Nicodemus aPharisee, it says he was a ruler
(06:25):
of the Jews.
He's in an elevated position.
It's likely he was part of theSanhedrin a word you'll see
throughout the Gospels.
The Sanhedrin, that's a groupof 70 men who were kind of set
above to be rulers, judges overthe Jewish people.
This would be like the SupremeCourt of the Jewish people.
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This was a high and loftyposition and Nicodemus was on it
.
He was part of it.
And so Nicodemus comes to Jesus.
But it's interesting he comes toJesus, verse 2 tells us, by
night.
There may be multiple ways wecan think about it and the
answer may be all of the abovebut one.
We can think of Nicodemuscoming at night because anytime
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throughout the gospel of John heuses night.
It's can often be a referencefor doubt or unbelief or even a
sinful event.
We think of a sinful event.
We think of Peter at nightdenying Jesus three times.
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We think some of these nightmoments in the book of John, so
just describing sin or doubt.
But we also think about it likethis, with this Pharisee, this
ruler of the Jews, this memberof the Sanhedrin Nicodemus
coming to Jesus.
Maybe it is the case that he'scoming at night because he wants
the cover of darkness, becausehe knows that Jesus is really a
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threat to the Pharisees, becausehe's a threat to the status quo
.
He's a threat to a Phariseestanding as the religious elite.
In fact, jesus is preaching andteaching nothing new, just a
new understanding of somethingvery old.
But the Pharisees like the oldunderstanding because in their
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own understanding that they'vecreated, they get to be on top,
they get to be in charge.
Jesus was a threat to that.
But Nicodemus must see, for somereason there's just something
about Jesus that he can't quiteunderstand.
And so he comes and he giveshim respect.
Rabbi, we know you're a teacher, we know you're doing these
things.
You must come from God.
(08:36):
But Jesus, answers, gets downto business.
Unless one is born again, hecannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus, you probably believe, like a Pharisee does, that if
you just follow the rules enough, you'll make it.
But the truth is, nicodemus,you've got to be born again.
Verse four Nicodemus said tohim how can a man be born when
(08:59):
he is old?
Can he enter a second time intohis mother's womb to be born?
Jesus answered.
Truly, truly, I say to you,unless one is born of water and
the spirit, he cannot enter thekingdom of God.
That which is born of the fleshis flesh.
That which is born of thespirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said toyou you must be born again.
(09:22):
Jesus and Nicodemus in thismoment are really thinking and
speaking at two very differentlevels.
Jesus says you must be bornagain.
And here's Jesus thinking interms of theology and Nicodemus
thinking in terms of biology.
They're just on two differentlevels.
And in Nicodemus's mind, how inthe world can this happen?
(09:44):
He thinks this is a physicalphrase, quite literally.
He says it's almost comical.
If it weren't so strange, howcan you go into your mother's
womb again to be born?
Jesus wants him to understand.
I'm talking about somethingdifferent than the physical, but
the spiritual.
You must be born again by waterand spirit, the water, which is
(10:06):
the cleansing, the spirit thatawakens your soul to life.
There's something deeper thanthe physical.
We are all born physically.
You're here right now.
Praise God, you've been bornphysically, but there's a second
birth that must take place, thespiritual birth.
We quote it often.
Katie Farron read it last weekthat you were dead in your
(10:28):
trespasses and sins.
Therefore, you need a spiritualbirth Ephesians 2.4,.
But God made us alive in Christ.
He wants Nicodemus to realizethat you've got to be born again
.
You've got to be born againSpiritually.
You need a new birth that itwon't come just by keeping the
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status quo of Pharisee life.
It won't come, as we've readabout in Romans, just by keeping
the law.
There's nothing wrong, in fact,praise God.
You're keeping the commands ofGod and being obedient to him.
But is the motivation right?
Are you doing it because you'resomeone that's been born again?
That's what he wants Nicodemusto see in verse 8.
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The wind blows where it wishesand you hear its sound, but you
do not know where it comes fromor where it goes.
So it is with everyone who isborn of the spirit.
This is a timely verse becauseon a day like yesterday, I
remember getting here yesterdaymorning and even late yesterday
evening, you probably heard alot of wind.
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Yesterday you saw the effectsof a lot of wind in our own
community.
I certainly am thinking ofthose across the state who, in a
devastating fashion, saw theeffects of wind, and so we're
praying for many in thenortheast part of the state.
But we know this, the windblows and we see trees move, we
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make and we played outside for abit yesterday in the afternoon.
We felt the breeze, we can feelthe wind, we can see the
effects of the wind, but you'venever seen the actual wind.
You've seen its effects, you'vefelt it, but the actual wind
itself you don't see.
And Jesus makes the illustration.
This is just like the Spirit ofGod, that the Spirit is moving,
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weaving in and out, even amongus now, as we gather together on
a Sunday morning as the peopleof God, in and out of all areas
of our life, praise God.
The spirit is moving and thespirit is working.
And Jesus wants Nicodemus torealize the spirit is moving all
around us and you don't see it,but the spirit's working.
(12:46):
I wonder if in your own lifeyou've had those moments where
you haven't seen the Spirit movebut you've seen the Spirit move
.
You've seen the Spirit'seffects in your own life as he's
one praise God if you know Him,awoken you to salvation.
But also you've been, maybeyou've been reading the word of
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God and you read a verse likeJohn 3, 16, or a passage like
Psalm 23, or maybe some textthat, if you've been a Christian
for some time, you've read ahundred times.
Yet today you see it in a newway the spirit working.
Maybe you've seen the spiritwork in a conversation with
someone that that maybe for thelongest time was far from the
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Lord, and yet in this oneconversation you could tell the
Lord is doing business.
Maybe you've seen the spiritworking in a relationship that's
been restored, that you neededto seek forgiveness, or they
asked forgiveness of you and youdidn't think forgiveness was
even possible.
Yet the spirit was working, thewind was moving and you didn't
see the spirit, but he was inyour midst.
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Jesus reminds us that he's inour midst now.
So it is with everyone who isborn of the spirit.
Nicodemus, verse 9, said how canthese things be?
Jesus kind of gives them a hardtime here.
Verse 10, are you a teacher ofIsrael?
And yet you do not understandthese things.
(14:14):
Jesus never took it easy on thePharisees.
We read that throughout theGospels.
Verse 11, truly, truly, I say toyou we speak of what we know
and bear witness to what we haveseen, but you do not receive
our testimony.
I say to you we speak of whatwe know and bear witness to what
we have seen.
But you do not receive ourtestimony.
If I've told you earthly thingsand you do not believe, how can
you believe if I tell youheavenly things?
(14:34):
No one has ascended into heavenexcept he who descended from
heaven, the son of man.
And as Moses lifted up theserpent in the wilderness, so
must the son of man be lifted upthat whoever believes in him
may have eternal life.
Now we say Jesus, you've lostme here because we were having a
(14:55):
normal conversation.
And now we've got Moses andserpents and the wilderness and
the serpent being lifted up.
What is going on?
Well, first of all, we seeJesus describe himself as the
son of man.
This old Testament phrase wesee a lot in the book of Daniel
the son of man, this comingMessiah who is the very son of
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God, and we see that the son ofman has descended from heaven.
And then Jesus takes us all theway back to Numbers, chapter 21
.
This quick story in 21, fourthrough nine, when the people of
God are in the wildernessbecause of their own sin.
They've been set free fromslavery in Egypt and yet they
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have the audacity to be angry atGod and they say God, we are
hungry, god, we, we are thirsty.
Would it not have been betterif we had just stayed in Egypt?
At least we had something toeat back there?
And they're angry at the veryGod who saved them from slavery
and in judgment.
God quite literally you canread it sends these serpents
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that bite many individuals, andmany individuals in the camp do
die and many others are verysick because of these snake
bites.
This story is all there.
Numbers chapter 21 Mosesintercedes for the people, and
God in his mercy says this Moses, if you will craft this bronze
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serpent, if you'll put it on apole and you'll raise the pole
up, whoever has been bit by thissnake, if they will just look
and gaze their eyes upon thatsnake, lift it up, they will be
healed and they will be able toavoid death.
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Now here's what's fascinatingwith this illustration.
Jesus says this so too must theSon of man be lifted up.
Now think about that.
People who were dying, quiteliterally, because of snake
bites, take their eyes and lookupon this lifted up serpent on
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this pole in the wilderness, andbecause of that they're healed.
So too must the Son of man belifted up.
The Son of man of course he'sreferring to himself being
lifted up upon the cross.
And so, quite literally, thatyou and I, not because of snake
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bites but because of our own sin, we are dying, men and women,
we are dead men and women.
And yet if we too, like theydid in the wilderness, but look
to something better than abronze serpent, look to Christ,
jesus on the cross, then we toocan avoid death and we too can
find life, because on the cross,jesus took our sin, and so we
too have this opportunity.
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Jesus says that whoeverbelieves in him may have eternal
life.
The gospel is good news fordoubters.
Good news for doubters.
Nicodemus, coming at night,probably doesn't want to be seen
, probably has some doubts aboutwho Jesus is, but surely some
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curiosity as well, knows there'ssomething different about this
man.
Probably has enough history asa Pharisee and a member of the
Sanhedrin that he may even wantto be wrong about Jesus, and
hopefully Jesus will prove himwrong.
But even in his doubt, askssome very hard questions, even
in his unbelief.
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At this moment, jesus allowshim to come and ask real-life,
of the real life, jesus, aboutwhere real life, salvation comes
from.
Have you ever had doubts?
I'm talking about in yourunbelief, but even in your
belief, even in our belief, andas believers, we're tempted to
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think that if I have questions,if I have maybe even that scary
word doubts, if I'm wonderingGod, what are you up to?
If I'm wondering God, are youeven moving in this situation,
we're tempted to think thatthose doubts mean is there
something wrong with my faith?
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Am I missing it somehow?
Doesn't it just seem likeeverybody else just lives this
perfectly faithful life and theynever doubt and they never have
questions and they never wonderthings?
They've got it figured out.
I sit here sometimes withquestions.
We're tempted to think theremust be something wrong because
we've got questions.
I see a Jesus here who delightsto bring Nicodemus in and let's
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have a conversation.
Now we've got to trust Jesuswith the answers he gives and
sometimes he doesn't even answerthe questions we were
originally asking.
We just read through the bookof Job on Wednesday night and we
saw very clearly he didn'tanswer hardly a single one of
Job's questions, but he answeredwhat God wanted answered.
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But we can bring our doubts,our curiosity, even our
questions, to Jesus and he'sready and willing to meet with
us.
I see someone in Nicodemus whois doubting, in unbelief,
doubting can Jesus be who hesays he is?
But, as we'll see throughout,he's going to see something in
him that changes everything.
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The gospel is good news for thedoubter.
I want to see this as well.
The gospel is good news for thesinner.
Now let's turn to John 3, 16.
For God so loved the world thathe gave his only son that
whoever believes in him shouldnot perish but have eternal life
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.
I love where this verse begins.
It begins with God, for God soloved the world.
Everything that will beunpacked in John 3.16, the depth
of the theology that exists,the good news of our salvation,
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that is unpacked in John 3.16,it all begins with God.
God begins it all.
God sees it all played out,sees it come to fruition.
It's God's victory and this isthe God.
By the way, who is God all byhimself?
He doesn't need you or I to beGod.
He wasn't sitting in heaven oneday and thinking wouldn't I be
(21:24):
a greater God if Taylor Guerinjust existed?
That's never something he said.
He's God all by himself.
And yet, because of his lovefor the world, what did he do?
He gave.
I think about a love that leadsto that giving.
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How good are we at giving,we're good at receiving, we're
good at keeping once we getthings.
But God showed his love in thisway that he gave.
And again, god is God all byhimself.
God is God without having toreally give anything.
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He's God on his own.
He is just all by himself.
And yet we who had nothing, wewere given everything because
God delighted to give.
He doesn't owe you and Ianything.
He, he, he doesn't owe it to us, but he loves us to give us
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what we don't deserve to give us, the exact thing we are not
owed.
This is how much our God lovesus that he gave.
And what did he give?
What did he give?
Excuse me, he gave his only sonNotice, for God so loved the
world that he gave good adviceto us.
He gave us some goodsuggestions about how to live
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the good life.
For God so loved the world thathe came and gave us a little
pat on the back and said youknow, go get them out there.
It's a scary world.
You got that.
No.
God so loved the world that hegave his only son, jesus Christ,
his only begotten son, his ownunique son, begotten, not made.
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It is not as if Jesus Christbegan to be at Bethlehem, that
he was created and formed andcame to us at Bethlehem and
there's the first time ever,jesus comes on the scene.
No, jesus is co-eternal withthe Father seeing.
No, jesus is co-eternal withthe father.
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We serve God three in onefather, son and spirit.
And the second person of thetrinity.
God gave him to us to come tous for God's love, the world
that he gave who?
His only son?
And he gave this son.
Here's what blows me awayKnowing what it would mean to
give his son, gave his son sothat his son could be the
sacrifice for us.
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Gave his son, knowing Isaiah 53,that he was the suffering
servant.
He knew it because he wrote itthe suffering servant to come
and suffer for us.
He gave us his son to sufferand die on a cross.
Why?
That?
Whoever believes in him shouldnot perish but have eternal life
.
That word, whoever what doesthat word mean?
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I'll tell you it means this.
It means whoever.
If you've ever wondered whatpastors do between Sunday and
Sunday, I'll tell you we come upwith amazing theology like that
.
Whoever what does it mean?
Whoever.
We just saw Paul talk about inRomans the last three weeks,
that the gospel is for allpeople, for Jews and for
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Gentiles, that whoever mightcome, that whoever would come,
that the spirit would awakentheir hearts and they would come
to the person of Jesus Christfor salvation.
That reminds me of this realitythat no one is outside of the
grace of God.
No one is too far gone.
Some of us can, can givetestimony to that this morning,
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because we were the very onesthat if someone could have been
too far gone, it would have beenus and some of you sit here and
maybe you know someone in yourlife, maybe students in the room
, you know someone at school,you know someone at your high
school, your middle school, onyour college campus, that in
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your mind you're tempted tothink if someone's too far gone
for the grace of God, that's gotto be him, that's got to be her
.
And yet what we see?
That whoever believes that noone is too far gone.
We serve a God who loved theworld so much that he offered
this grace to whoever.
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And so whoever that is in yourlife that you're tempted to
wonder are they too far outside?
Are they ever going to hearanything about Jesus?
Are they ever going to be opento the things of the Lord.
You keep at it, you keeppraying, you keep loving them
well, and you just see what thatspirit, like that wind that
blows around on your campus, inyour workplace, even in your own
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home.
You see what that spirit iscapable of.
For God so loved the world, hegave his only son that, whoever
might believe what would happen?
They would not perish, theywould not spend eternity in a
real place called hell,separated from God, but instead
they might have what they mighthave eternal life.
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The gospel is good news for thesinner.
Nicodemus needed this gospel.
You need this gospel, I needthis gospel.
But lastly, is this the gospelis good news for the Christian.
We sometimes think of thegospel, or even that verse John
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3, 16, as a good verse fornon-believers, for people that
need to come to know the Lord,or the gospel that's for
non-believers, so that they canbecome believers.
And that's true.
By the way, praise God, I wantthe gospel for non-believers
John 3.16 for nonbelievers.
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But let me tell you, the gospelis good news for Christians.
If you've known Jesus 10minutes, 10 years or 10 decades,
the gospel is for you.
Amen.
We don't graduate from it, andNicodemus didn't either.
I want to turn quickly to John,chapter 7, starting in verse 50.
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As we see encounters withNicodemus in the book of John,
we can see that wind of the HolySpirit working.
John, chapter 7, there's thismoment where the Jews are all
confused, these Jewishindividuals.
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They're confused about whoJesus is.
Some people, they're sayinghe's the Christ, some believe
he's a prophet.
Is he the son of David?
That's coming and the Pharisees, they're not too excited about
that and division is beingcaused.
And the Pharisees are, they'renot too excited about that and
division is being caused and thePharisees are trying to shut
this down.
Y'all are being silly.
He's not a prophet, he's no sonof David.
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We've seen this guy, we've readthe scriptures.
This can't be him.
They're having thisconversation.
They're trying to shut down allthese people who think there
might be something to Jesus.
To shut down all these peoplewho think there might be
something to Jesus.
And in this very moment, inverse 50 of John, chapter 7, as
the Jews are trying, thereligious leaders, the Pharisees
, are trying to shut down thisconversation.
(28:45):
Verse 50, nicodemus, who hadgone to him before John, chapter
3, and was one of them, he wasa Pharisee as well.
He said to them does our lawjudge a man without first giving
him a hearing and learning whathe does?
One statement.
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It's not that impressive of astatement.
It's not as if Nicodemus standsup before the Pharisees and
says don't y'all know?
This is Jesus, son of God.
Come to us, for God so lovedthe world, he gave his only son.
It's not an evangelism sermonor anything like that.
My translation is simply this byNicodemus, shouldn't we just
(29:29):
hear the man out?
That's all it is.
There's this dispute.
Who is he?
And Nicodemus, among thePharisees of whom he is one,
just says should we just hearthe man out?
And you read the next verse andyou see quickly he is ridiculed
because of this and it'sdangerous sometimes to read
(29:49):
between the lines of Scripture.
I don't want to make too muchof a habit of reading what's not
there, but I just got toimagine an interaction in John
chapter 3 with Jesus himself ledhim to this one place of minor
boldness in John chapter 7.
Shouldn't we just hear the guyout?
But now turn with me to Johnchapter 19, verse 38.
(30:12):
Jesus has just died on thecross.
As he promised in John 3, theson of man was lifted up that
you and I who look upon himcould be saved.
Jesus has been put on the cross.
He has breathed his finalbreath, taking our sin upon
himself.
He will go down to the graveand in three days, praise God,
(30:35):
he's going to come out of thegrave.
But first what we see is thisverse 38, after these things,
joseph of Arimathea, who was adisciple of Jesus but secretly
for fear of the Jews, askedPilate that he might take away
the body of Jesus.
And Pilate gave him permission.
So he came and took away hisbody.
Joseph comes, this one disciple, he comes to Jesus, excuse me,
(31:02):
he comes to Pilate and he justasks for the body of Jesus.
I just want to give the guy aproper burial.
I'll anoint him for his burial,I'll prepare him for burial and
I've got a tomb picked out forhim.
And Pilate says you can do that.
Verse 39.
Nicodemus also, who earlier hadcome to Jesus John, chapter 3,
(31:23):
by night came bringing a mixtureof myrrh and aloes, about 75
pounds in weight.
So they took the body of Jesusand bound it in linen cloths
with the spices, as is theburial custom of the Jews.
When Joseph of Arimathea comesto get the body of Jesus to put
it in a tomb who comes with himNicodemus, nicodemus.
(31:47):
And this was a costly thing forNicodemus to do One reading
between the lines of scripture.
I do imagine it was costly interms of his reputation.
This was a bold thing in thelight of day to come with Joseph
to get the body of Jesus.
This was probably a publicdeclaration of his love for
(32:11):
Jesus, his respect and care forJesus.
Sometimes we'll give aninvitation I've given them
before and I'll give them againwhere we say something like this
with now, with every head bowedand every eye closed, and we'll
say that nothing wrong withthat.
But this was a moment forNicodemus where every eye was
open and every head was up andwe were watching.
(32:33):
Nicodemus and I don't doubtthis word got the Pharisee.
Did you hear Nicodemus?
Apparently he's a Jesus guy now.
Apparently he wanted to helpJoseph get Jesus buried and it
was also costly, not just forhis reputation, I would imagine,
but I know it was costly evento his own bank account 75
pounds of myrrh and aloes toprepare Jesus' body for burial.
(32:58):
Do you remember the passage whenMary comes to anoint Jesus'
feet with this perfume and thedisciples are blown away?
In this moment, because this islike a year's worth of wages
for Mary and it's just beingpoured out.
And one disciple says couldn'tthis money have been used for
the poor?
They don't get it, but theywere blown away.
(33:20):
Why?
Because Mary brought one poundof perfume.
Nicodemus brings 75.
This was costly for him.
This meant something to him,willing to associate with Jesus.
And this is how Nicodemus'story ends.
We don't get a lot more, but Ijust got to tell you, as I look
(33:42):
at John chapter 3, in his doubthe doesn't know a thing about
Jesus, but he's starting tofigure it out, I see by John
chapter 7, he's at least willingto entertain the idea of who
Jesus might be.
And finally, in John 19, he'ssaying this I'm in, I'm in.
(34:04):
Our belief in Jesus should leadus to action.
Why is the gospel good news forChristians?
Because the gospel, just likeNicodemus, that belief that
Jesus is who he says he is, itleads us somewhere.
It leads us to take our faithseriously.
(34:25):
It gets us off the sidelines ofthe Christian life.
And even when all the otherPharisees stand around and all
the other members of theSanhedrin look at each one of us
and say you are absolutelycrazy for following after Jesus,
we would say, hey, I've justseen too much, he's done too
(34:46):
much for me, he's walked with metoo long.
You may not be interested, butI've seen too much to go back
now.
And that we would say this thatJesus, I'm in, and even as
believers, because we believe inthe gospel and we take the
(35:07):
gospel seriously, much likeNicodemus, it leads us to action
, it leads us to boldness, towhere we have conversations with
others, where we can say thename of Jesus, whereas Brian
reminded us, we have thosepeople in our lives that do not
know the Lord that we're nolonger going to.
(35:28):
Let it be because they haven'theard about the Lord.
If they die not knowing Jesusas Savior, it's not going to be
because we didn't talk to themabout Jesus as Savior.
Because the gospel, if it haschanged us and transformed us,
(35:52):
we go out and let it make usbold to where, like Nicodemus,
going to the body of Jesus, nomatter the cost, no matter what
it takes, no matter what it doesto my reputation, no matter the
cost of it in any area of life,I've just decided I'm just
going to follow him.
Is that true of you?
(36:12):
Is that true of you?
Christian in the room.
Is that true of you that thiswill not be a sidelined
Christian experience, butinstead this will be me as a
believer, you as a believer,saying Jesus wherever you lead,
(36:36):
I'll go, just like Nicodemus, inin boldness, in a willingness
to follow.
Wherever you lead, I'll go for250 people in this room.
I don't know what that lookslike in your life specifically,
but I would imagine in thismoment, as you sit here, you can
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even apply this text to yourown life.
What is that area in my lifethat maybe I know the gospel but
I'm not being bold like Ishould?
What's the conversation I needto have?
What do I need to talk aboutwith that?
What do I need to talk aboutwith that?
When does that conversationneed to move from just the small
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talk we're usually having tothe deeper things?
Maybe it's evangelism, or maybeit's a fellow believer and I
just need to be bold to talkwith him about Jesus and move
our relationship to the nextlevel as men or women, as other
women that can walk togethertowards Jesus and discipling one
another.
Where does boldness need tohappen in your own life?
I can't answer that questionfor you.
I can answer it for me.
(37:44):
I can't answer it for youspecifically, but you can answer
it for you.
What's it gonna take today,believer, to move from maybe, a
John 3 to a John 7 to a John 19?
To make that move, to say,jesus, I'm ready to be yours,
(38:12):
I'm ready to go where you sendme, I'm ready to be bold for you
.
How do you need to respond thismorning?
Maybe, believer, you just needto take time to pray.
Lord, what is it in my lifewhere I need to follow you?
What are the conversations Ineed to have?
What are the steps I need totake spiritually?
That will require a boldnessthat only your spirit can give
(38:33):
me.
Maybe you want to respond thismorning by coming down and
chatting with me or anotherpastor.
Let me pray for you.
Maybe you want to.
Maybe you're in John chapterthree right now and you want to
come to know the Lord for thefirst time.
Maybe that's you this morning.
Maybe you want to come be apart of this church.
But, however, you need torespond.
I pray that you would Let melet me pray and we'll worship
(38:53):
again, and I'll be right downfront.
I pray that you would Let mepray and we'll worship again,
and I'll be right down front.
Lord Jesus, thank you for yourword, thank you for John 3 and
thank you for the reminder thatyou love us so much that you
gave your only son, that if webelieve in you, we would not
perish but have eternal life.
Lord, let that not just besomething we memorize or
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something, a verse we knowthat's there, but, god, let it
be something that penetrates ourheart, that every day, for the
believers in this room, everyday, we would remind ourselves
of that reality again and againand again, that we are yours,
lord, let it lead us out inboldness, just like Nicodemus,
just like that gospel changedhis heart.
(39:43):
I believe, lord, let it do thesame in our own lives, growing
us in boldness and a willingnessto follow you, whatever it
takes.
Lord.
If there's one here that needsto respond, lord, would they do
so?
This morning we give our timeto you in Christ's takes, lord.
If there's one here that needsto respond, lord, would they do
so?
This morning, we give our timeto you in Christ's name, amen.
Would you stand now as wecontinue to worship?
1st Baptist, baptist El Dorado, will you join me now
in listening to our sermon fromthis week?
Lord Jesus, thank you so muchfor your word.
Thank you for a chance to reada text this morning like John,
chapter 3, even a verse John 3,16, that I know many may know,
(00:45):
maybe a popular verse.
But let us not be tempted tojust think we've seen it all
before.
Let us not be tempted to justmove along with it because maybe
we learned it as a child oranything like that.
Lord, but instead let us takeour time and just even this
morning, even now, hear yourword as if it's for the first
(01:07):
time.
Lord, transform us.
Speak through your spirit, lord, in Christ's name, amen.
I was sitting on Monday night ina church finance meeting Some
of you were there as well and asI was sitting there, a text
came to me and one of the nicertexts I've ever received.
It just said very kindly thereon what was it?
(01:29):
The 10th?
Very kindly, happy birthday.
And let me know how thankfulthis individual was for myself
and my family being here.
And I was blown away andhonored by the kindness of this
message.
And I'm sitting there in thatmeeting and three or four more
texts come through while I'msitting there and three or four
more of the kindest texts I'vereceived in some time.
(01:49):
Happy birthday, we're gladyou're here.
Happy birthday, we're thankfulfor your family.
Happy birthday, and I'm justblown away.
I get home.
More of these texts comethrough.
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday 6 30 am.
The next morning, happybirthday comes through.
I'm'm so honored, I'm blownaway.
The only issue my birthday isJuly 23rd and I'm sitting there
(02:11):
so thankful because I'm soencouraged by these texts.
But I do kind of feel badbecause each time I have to text
back and just mention thatthank you, but we got a little
bit longer.
It just so happened that one ofour dear saints she may or may
not be in this room, but I won'tname names happened that one of
our dear saints she may or maynot be in this room, but I won't
name names this morning One ofour dear saints had it in her
calendar that my birthday wasthis week, and not only did she
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text me, she texted multiplegroup texts to make sure they
texted me as well.
But I was so encouraged and Ireally was reminded of this
lesson that news can travelquickly.
News can travel quickly andalso this news can make an
impact.
Can make an impact.
I think of John 3.16 thismorning.
(02:52):
News that traveled quickly, thegreatest news we've ever heard.
Jesus promised us that that youwill be my disciples in
Jerusalem, judea, samaria and tothe ends of the earth.
And that news traveled quicklyin the first century and even to
where we sit here today, on theother side of the planet, from
where that news was originallygiven.
(03:13):
That news traveled quickly.
But we also see that news madean impact.
We think of a verse like John 3,16, for God so loved the world,
he gave his one and only son.
Again, I've said it multipletimes the world he gave his one
and only son.
Again, I've said it multipletimes.
Maybe you grew up in church andit's okay if you didn't, but if
you grew up in church maybe youeven memorized that verse as a
(03:34):
child.
You had no clue as a child whatin the world only begotten
meant, but you knew it.
I looked this week at the mostpopular internet searches for
verses of scripture Coming in atnumber two there were two that
were tied at about 82,000monthly searches Philippians
(03:55):
4.13, I can do all thingsthrough Christ who strengthens
me and Jeremiah 29.11, for Iknow the plans I have for you,
both of those coming in at about82,000 monthly searches on the
internet.
You can probably guess whatnumber one was John 3-16.
What might surprise you ormaybe not, it came in at 2.1
million monthly searches.
(04:17):
People are interested in thisverse.
There's just something aboutthis.
It is news that travels quicklyand clearly, news that has made
an impact.
And John 3.16 is probably theclearest single picture we get
of the gospel in all ofscripture.
I want us to see three thingsthis morning as we walk through
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this text, and number one isthis that the gospel is good
news for the doubter.
The gospel is good news for thedoubter.
Look with me in John 3, verse 1.
Now there was a man of thePharisees named Nicodemus, a
ruler of the Jews, and this mancame to Jesus by night and said
to him Rabbi, we know that youare a teacher, come from God,
(05:00):
for no one can do these signsthat you do unless God is with
him.
And Jesus answered him.
Truly, truly, I say to you,unless one is born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God.
So first John is setting thescene here.
We first see Nicodemus.
Nicodemus is an individualwe're going to see on three
different occasions in the bookof John.
(05:21):
We get kind of a lot ofdescription or a longer event
here in John 3.
The other two occasions arevery quick, kind of single
verses that we see of Nicodemus.
But we see Nicodemus first as aPharisee.
We've talked a little bit inhere about who the Pharisees are
.
They are the religious elite ofthe day.
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They are the religious scholars.
They knew their Old Testament.
They knew the law.
They delighted to carry out thelaw.
They are the religious scholars.
They knew their Old Testament.
They knew the law.
They delighted to carry out thelaw.
Not only that, they wereoverjoyed when you saw just how
good they were at carrying outthe law.
In fact they loved doing it somuch.
They loved you seeing them doit so much.
They created more laws just sothey could follow even more than
(06:03):
Jesus even wanted us to.
They made more commands thanwhat God gave in Levit laws,
just so they could follow evenmore than Jesus even wanted us
to.
They made more commands thanwhat God gave in Leviticus just
so that they could impress youwith their own
self-righteousness of howimpressive they really are
following the law.
They loved themselves.
They loved showing off howreligious they were.
But not only was Nicodemus aPharisee, it says he was a ruler
(06:25):
of the Jews.
He's in an elevated position.
It's likely he was part of theSanhedrin a word you'll see
throughout the Gospels.
The Sanhedrin, that's a groupof 70 men who were kind of set
above to be rulers, judges overthe Jewish people.
This would be like the SupremeCourt of the Jewish people.
(06:47):
This was a high and loftyposition and Nicodemus was on it
.
He was part of it.
And so Nicodemus comes to Jesus.
But it's interesting he comes toJesus, verse 2 tells us, by
night.
There may be multiple ways wecan think about it and the
answer may be all of the abovebut one.
We can think of Nicodemuscoming at night because anytime
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throughout the gospel of John heuses night.
It's can often be a referencefor doubt or unbelief or even a
sinful event.
We think of a sinful event.
We think of Peter at nightdenying Jesus three times.
(07:30):
We think some of these nightmoments in the book of John, so
just describing sin or doubt.
But we also think about it likethis, with this Pharisee, this
ruler of the Jews, this memberof the Sanhedrin Nicodemus
coming to Jesus.
Maybe it is the case that he'scoming at night because he wants
the cover of darkness, becausehe knows that Jesus is really a
(07:53):
threat to the Pharisees, becausehe's a threat to the status quo
.
He's a threat to a Phariseestanding as the religious elite.
In fact, jesus is preaching andteaching nothing new, just a
new understanding of somethingvery old.
But the Pharisees like the oldunderstanding because in their
(08:15):
own understanding that they'vecreated, they get to be on top,
they get to be in charge.
Jesus was a threat to that.
But Nicodemus must see, for somereason there's just something
about Jesus that he can't quiteunderstand.
And so he comes and he giveshim respect.
Rabbi, we know you're a teacher, we know you're doing these
things.
You must come from God.
(08:36):
But Jesus, answers, gets downto business.
Unless one is born again, hecannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus, you probably believe, like a Pharisee does, that if
you just follow the rules enough, you'll make it.
But the truth is, nicodemus,you've got to be born again.
Verse four Nicodemus said tohim how can a man be born when
(08:59):
he is old?
Can he enter a second time intohis mother's womb to be born?
Jesus answered.
Truly, truly, I say to you,unless one is born of water and
the spirit, he cannot enter thekingdom of God.
That which is born of the fleshis flesh.
That which is born of thespirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said toyou you must be born again.
(09:22):
Jesus and Nicodemus in thismoment are really thinking and
speaking at two very differentlevels.
Jesus says you must be bornagain.
And here's Jesus thinking interms of theology and Nicodemus
thinking in terms of biology.
They're just on two differentlevels.
And in Nicodemus's mind, how inthe world can this happen?
(09:44):
He thinks this is a physicalphrase, quite literally.
He says it's almost comical.
If it weren't so strange, howcan you go into your mother's
womb again to be born?
Jesus wants him to understand.
I'm talking about somethingdifferent than the physical, but
the spiritual.
You must be born again by waterand spirit, the water, which is
(10:06):
the cleansing, the spirit thatawakens your soul to life.
There's something deeper thanthe physical.
We are all born physically.
You're here right now.
Praise God, you've been bornphysically, but there's a second
birth that must take place, thespiritual birth.
We quote it often.
Katie Farron read it last weekthat you were dead in your
(10:28):
trespasses and sins.
Therefore, you need a spiritualbirth Ephesians 2.4,.
But God made us alive in Christ.
He wants Nicodemus to realizethat you've got to be born again
.
You've got to be born againSpiritually.
You need a new birth that itwon't come just by keeping the
(10:49):
status quo of Pharisee life.
It won't come, as we've readabout in Romans, just by keeping
the law.
There's nothing wrong, in fact,praise God.
You're keeping the commands ofGod and being obedient to him.
But is the motivation right?
Are you doing it because you'resomeone that's been born again?
That's what he wants Nicodemusto see in verse 8.
(11:14):
The wind blows where it wishesand you hear its sound, but you
do not know where it comes fromor where it goes.
So it is with everyone who isborn of the spirit.
This is a timely verse becauseon a day like yesterday, I
remember getting here yesterdaymorning and even late yesterday
evening, you probably heard alot of wind.
(11:35):
Yesterday you saw the effectsof a lot of wind in our own
community.
I certainly am thinking ofthose across the state who, in a
devastating fashion, saw theeffects of wind, and so we're
praying for many in thenortheast part of the state.
But we know this, the windblows and we see trees move, we
(11:57):
make and we played outside for abit yesterday in the afternoon.
We felt the breeze, we can feelthe wind, we can see the
effects of the wind, but you'venever seen the actual wind.
You've seen its effects, you'vefelt it, but the actual wind
itself you don't see.
And Jesus makes the illustration.
This is just like the Spirit ofGod, that the Spirit is moving,
(12:22):
weaving in and out, even amongus now, as we gather together on
a Sunday morning as the peopleof God, in and out of all areas
of our life, praise God.
The spirit is moving and thespirit is working.
And Jesus wants Nicodemus torealize the spirit is moving all
around us and you don't see it,but the spirit's working.
(12:46):
I wonder if in your own lifeyou've had those moments where
you haven't seen the Spirit movebut you've seen the Spirit move
.
You've seen the Spirit'seffects in your own life as he's
one praise God if you know Him,awoken you to salvation.
But also you've been, maybeyou've been reading the word of
(13:08):
God and you read a verse likeJohn 3, 16, or a passage like
Psalm 23, or maybe some textthat, if you've been a Christian
for some time, you've read ahundred times.
Yet today you see it in a newway the spirit working.
Maybe you've seen the spiritwork in a conversation with
someone that that maybe for thelongest time was far from the
(13:30):
Lord, and yet in this oneconversation you could tell the
Lord is doing business.
Maybe you've seen the spiritworking in a relationship that's
been restored, that you neededto seek forgiveness, or they
asked forgiveness of you and youdidn't think forgiveness was
even possible.
Yet the spirit was working, thewind was moving and you didn't
see the spirit, but he was inyour midst.
(13:54):
Jesus reminds us that he's inour midst now.
So it is with everyone who isborn of the spirit.
Nicodemus, verse 9, said how canthese things be?
Jesus kind of gives them a hardtime here.
Verse 10, are you a teacher ofIsrael?
And yet you do not understandthese things.
(14:14):
Jesus never took it easy on thePharisees.
We read that throughout theGospels.
Verse 11, truly, truly, I say toyou we speak of what we know
and bear witness to what we haveseen, but you do not receive
our testimony.
I say to you we speak of whatwe know and bear witness to what
we have seen.
But you do not receive ourtestimony.
If I've told you earthly thingsand you do not believe, how can
you believe if I tell youheavenly things?
(14:34):
No one has ascended into heavenexcept he who descended from
heaven, the son of man.
And as Moses lifted up theserpent in the wilderness, so
must the son of man be lifted upthat whoever believes in him
may have eternal life.
Now we say Jesus, you've lostme here because we were having a
(14:55):
normal conversation.
And now we've got Moses andserpents and the wilderness and
the serpent being lifted up.
What is going on?
Well, first of all, we seeJesus describe himself as the
son of man.
This old Testament phrase wesee a lot in the book of Daniel
the son of man, this comingMessiah who is the very son of
(15:17):
God, and we see that the son ofman has descended from heaven.
And then Jesus takes us all theway back to Numbers, chapter 21
.
This quick story in 21, fourthrough nine, when the people of
God are in the wildernessbecause of their own sin.
They've been set free fromslavery in Egypt and yet they
(15:37):
have the audacity to be angry atGod and they say God, we are
hungry, god, we, we are thirsty.
Would it not have been betterif we had just stayed in Egypt?
At least we had something toeat back there?
And they're angry at the veryGod who saved them from slavery
and in judgment.
God quite literally you canread it sends these serpents
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that bite many individuals, andmany individuals in the camp do
die and many others are verysick because of these snake
bites.
This story is all there.
Numbers chapter 21 Mosesintercedes for the people, and
God in his mercy says this Moses, if you will craft this bronze
(16:20):
serpent, if you'll put it on apole and you'll raise the pole
up, whoever has been bit by thissnake, if they will just look
and gaze their eyes upon thatsnake, lift it up, they will be
healed and they will be able toavoid death.
(16:41):
Now here's what's fascinatingwith this illustration.
Jesus says this so too must theSon of man be lifted up.
Now think about that.
People who were dying, quiteliterally, because of snake
bites, take their eyes and lookupon this lifted up serpent on
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this pole in the wilderness, andbecause of that they're healed.
So too must the Son of man belifted up.
The Son of man of course he'sreferring to himself being
lifted up upon the cross.
And so, quite literally, thatyou and I, not because of snake
(17:25):
bites but because of our own sin, we are dying, men and women,
we are dead men and women.
And yet if we too, like theydid in the wilderness, but look
to something better than abronze serpent, look to Christ,
jesus on the cross, then we toocan avoid death and we too can
find life, because on the cross,jesus took our sin, and so we
too have this opportunity.
(17:47):
Jesus says that whoeverbelieves in him may have eternal
life.
The gospel is good news fordoubters.
Good news for doubters.
Nicodemus, coming at night,probably doesn't want to be seen
, probably has some doubts aboutwho Jesus is, but surely some
(18:09):
curiosity as well, knows there'ssomething different about this
man.
Probably has enough history asa Pharisee and a member of the
Sanhedrin that he may even wantto be wrong about Jesus, and
hopefully Jesus will prove himwrong.
But even in his doubt, askssome very hard questions, even
in his unbelief.
(18:30):
At this moment, jesus allowshim to come and ask real-life,
of the real life, jesus, aboutwhere real life, salvation comes
from.
Have you ever had doubts?
I'm talking about in yourunbelief, but even in your
belief, even in our belief, andas believers, we're tempted to
(18:51):
think that if I have questions,if I have maybe even that scary
word doubts, if I'm wonderingGod, what are you up to?
If I'm wondering God, are youeven moving in this situation,
we're tempted to think thatthose doubts mean is there
something wrong with my faith?
(19:11):
Am I missing it somehow?
Doesn't it just seem likeeverybody else just lives this
perfectly faithful life and theynever doubt and they never have
questions and they never wonderthings?
They've got it figured out.
I sit here sometimes withquestions.
We're tempted to think theremust be something wrong because
we've got questions.
I see a Jesus here who delightsto bring Nicodemus in and let's
(19:34):
have a conversation.
Now we've got to trust Jesuswith the answers he gives and
sometimes he doesn't even answerthe questions we were
originally asking.
We just read through the bookof Job on Wednesday night and we
saw very clearly he didn'tanswer hardly a single one of
Job's questions, but he answeredwhat God wanted answered.
(19:56):
But we can bring our doubts,our curiosity, even our
questions, to Jesus and he'sready and willing to meet with
us.
I see someone in Nicodemus whois doubting, in unbelief,
doubting can Jesus be who hesays he is?
But, as we'll see throughout,he's going to see something in
him that changes everything.
(20:16):
The gospel is good news for thedoubter.
I want to see this as well.
The gospel is good news for thesinner.
Now let's turn to John 3, 16.
For God so loved the world thathe gave his only son that
whoever believes in him shouldnot perish but have eternal life
(20:39):
.
I love where this verse begins.
It begins with God, for God soloved the world.
Everything that will beunpacked in John 3.16, the depth
of the theology that exists,the good news of our salvation,
(21:01):
that is unpacked in John 3.16,it all begins with God.
God begins it all.
God sees it all played out,sees it come to fruition.
It's God's victory and this isthe God.
By the way, who is God all byhimself?
He doesn't need you or I to beGod.
He wasn't sitting in heaven oneday and thinking wouldn't I be
(21:24):
a greater God if Taylor Guerinjust existed?
That's never something he said.
He's God all by himself.
And yet, because of his lovefor the world, what did he do?
He gave.
I think about a love that leadsto that giving.
(21:48):
How good are we at giving,we're good at receiving, we're
good at keeping once we getthings.
But God showed his love in thisway that he gave.
And again, god is God all byhimself.
God is God without having toreally give anything.
(22:11):
He's God on his own.
He is just all by himself.
And yet we who had nothing, wewere given everything because
God delighted to give.
He doesn't owe you and Ianything.
He, he, he doesn't owe it to us, but he loves us to give us
(22:36):
what we don't deserve to give us, the exact thing we are not
owed.
This is how much our God lovesus that he gave.
And what did he give?
What did he give?
Excuse me, he gave his only sonNotice, for God so loved the
world that he gave good adviceto us.
He gave us some goodsuggestions about how to live
(22:59):
the good life.
For God so loved the world thathe came and gave us a little
pat on the back and said youknow, go get them out there.
It's a scary world.
You got that.
No.
God so loved the world that hegave his only son, jesus Christ,
his only begotten son, his ownunique son, begotten, not made.
(23:20):
It is not as if Jesus Christbegan to be at Bethlehem, that
he was created and formed andcame to us at Bethlehem and
there's the first time ever,jesus comes on the scene.
No, jesus is co-eternal withthe Father seeing.
No, jesus is co-eternal withthe father.
(23:41):
We serve God three in onefather, son and spirit.
And the second person of thetrinity.
God gave him to us to come tous for God's love, the world
that he gave who?
His only son?
And he gave this son.
Here's what blows me awayKnowing what it would mean to
give his son, gave his son sothat his son could be the
sacrifice for us.
(24:01):
Gave his son, knowing Isaiah 53,that he was the suffering
servant.
He knew it because he wrote itthe suffering servant to come
and suffer for us.
He gave us his son to sufferand die on a cross.
Why?
That?
Whoever believes in him shouldnot perish but have eternal life
.
That word, whoever what doesthat word mean?
(24:24):
I'll tell you it means this.
It means whoever.
If you've ever wondered whatpastors do between Sunday and
Sunday, I'll tell you we come upwith amazing theology like that
.
Whoever what does it mean?
Whoever.
We just saw Paul talk about inRomans the last three weeks,
that the gospel is for allpeople, for Jews and for
(24:47):
Gentiles, that whoever mightcome, that whoever would come,
that the spirit would awakentheir hearts and they would come
to the person of Jesus Christfor salvation.
That reminds me of this realitythat no one is outside of the
grace of God.
No one is too far gone.
Some of us can, can givetestimony to that this morning,
(25:11):
because we were the very onesthat if someone could have been
too far gone, it would have beenus and some of you sit here and
maybe you know someone in yourlife, maybe students in the room
, you know someone at school,you know someone at your high
school, your middle school, onyour college campus, that in
(25:31):
your mind you're tempted tothink if someone's too far gone
for the grace of God, that's gotto be him, that's got to be her
.
And yet what we see?
That whoever believes that noone is too far gone.
We serve a God who loved theworld so much that he offered
this grace to whoever.
(25:52):
And so whoever that is in yourlife that you're tempted to
wonder are they too far outside?
Are they ever going to hearanything about Jesus?
Are they ever going to be opento the things of the Lord.
You keep at it, you keeppraying, you keep loving them
well, and you just see what thatspirit, like that wind that
blows around on your campus, inyour workplace, even in your own
(26:14):
home.
You see what that spirit iscapable of.
For God so loved the world, hegave his only son that, whoever
might believe what would happen?
They would not perish, theywould not spend eternity in a
real place called hell,separated from God, but instead
they might have what they mighthave eternal life.
(26:36):
The gospel is good news for thesinner.
Nicodemus needed this gospel.
You need this gospel, I needthis gospel.
But lastly, is this the gospelis good news for the Christian.
We sometimes think of thegospel, or even that verse John
(26:58):
3, 16, as a good verse fornon-believers, for people that
need to come to know the Lord,or the gospel that's for
non-believers, so that they canbecome believers.
And that's true.
By the way, praise God, I wantthe gospel for non-believers
John 3.16 for nonbelievers.
(27:19):
But let me tell you, the gospelis good news for Christians.
If you've known Jesus 10minutes, 10 years or 10 decades,
the gospel is for you.
Amen.
We don't graduate from it, andNicodemus didn't either.
I want to turn quickly to John,chapter 7, starting in verse 50.
(27:41):
As we see encounters withNicodemus in the book of John,
we can see that wind of the HolySpirit working.
John, chapter 7, there's thismoment where the Jews are all
confused, these Jewishindividuals.
(28:02):
They're confused about whoJesus is.
Some people, they're sayinghe's the Christ, some believe
he's a prophet.
Is he the son of David?
That's coming and the Pharisees, they're not too excited about
that and division is beingcaused.
And the Pharisees are, they'renot too excited about that and
division is being caused and thePharisees are trying to shut
this down.
Y'all are being silly.
He's not a prophet, he's no sonof David.
(28:24):
We've seen this guy, we've readthe scriptures.
This can't be him.
They're having thisconversation.
They're trying to shut down allthese people who think there
might be something to Jesus.
To shut down all these peoplewho think there might be
something to Jesus.
And in this very moment, inverse 50 of John, chapter 7, as
the Jews are trying, thereligious leaders, the Pharisees
, are trying to shut down thisconversation.
(28:45):
Verse 50, nicodemus, who hadgone to him before John, chapter
3, and was one of them, he wasa Pharisee as well.
He said to them does our lawjudge a man without first giving
him a hearing and learning whathe does?
One statement.
(29:07):
It's not that impressive of astatement.
It's not as if Nicodemus standsup before the Pharisees and
says don't y'all know?
This is Jesus, son of God.
Come to us, for God so lovedthe world, he gave his only son.
It's not an evangelism sermonor anything like that.
My translation is simply this byNicodemus, shouldn't we just
(29:29):
hear the man out?
That's all it is.
There's this dispute.
Who is he?
And Nicodemus, among thePharisees of whom he is one,
just says should we just hearthe man out?
And you read the next verse andyou see quickly he is ridiculed
because of this and it'sdangerous sometimes to read
(29:49):
between the lines of Scripture.
I don't want to make too muchof a habit of reading what's not
there, but I just got toimagine an interaction in John
chapter 3 with Jesus himself ledhim to this one place of minor
boldness in John chapter 7.
Shouldn't we just hear the guyout?
But now turn with me to Johnchapter 19, verse 38.
(30:12):
Jesus has just died on thecross.
As he promised in John 3, theson of man was lifted up that
you and I who look upon himcould be saved.
Jesus has been put on the cross.
He has breathed his finalbreath, taking our sin upon
himself.
He will go down to the graveand in three days, praise God,
(30:35):
he's going to come out of thegrave.
But first what we see is thisverse 38, after these things,
joseph of Arimathea, who was adisciple of Jesus but secretly
for fear of the Jews, askedPilate that he might take away
the body of Jesus.
And Pilate gave him permission.
So he came and took away hisbody.
Joseph comes, this one disciple, he comes to Jesus, excuse me,
(31:02):
he comes to Pilate and he justasks for the body of Jesus.
I just want to give the guy aproper burial.
I'll anoint him for his burial,I'll prepare him for burial and
I've got a tomb picked out forhim.
And Pilate says you can do that.
Verse 39.
Nicodemus also, who earlier hadcome to Jesus John, chapter 3,
(31:23):
by night came bringing a mixtureof myrrh and aloes, about 75
pounds in weight.
So they took the body of Jesusand bound it in linen cloths
with the spices, as is theburial custom of the Jews.
When Joseph of Arimathea comesto get the body of Jesus to put
it in a tomb who comes with himNicodemus, nicodemus.
(31:47):
And this was a costly thing forNicodemus to do One reading
between the lines of scripture.
I do imagine it was costly interms of his reputation.
This was a bold thing in thelight of day to come with Joseph
to get the body of Jesus.
This was probably a publicdeclaration of his love for
(32:11):
Jesus, his respect and care forJesus.
Sometimes we'll give aninvitation I've given them
before and I'll give them againwhere we say something like this
with now, with every head bowedand every eye closed, and we'll
say that nothing wrong withthat.
But this was a moment forNicodemus where every eye was
open and every head was up andwe were watching.
(32:33):
Nicodemus and I don't doubtthis word got the Pharisee.
Did you hear Nicodemus?
Apparently he's a Jesus guy now.
Apparently he wanted to helpJoseph get Jesus buried and it
was also costly, not just forhis reputation, I would imagine,
but I know it was costly evento his own bank account 75
pounds of myrrh and aloes toprepare Jesus' body for burial.
(32:58):
Do you remember the passage whenMary comes to anoint Jesus'
feet with this perfume and thedisciples are blown away?
In this moment, because this islike a year's worth of wages
for Mary and it's just beingpoured out.
And one disciple says couldn'tthis money have been used for
the poor?
They don't get it, but theywere blown away.
(33:20):
Why?
Because Mary brought one poundof perfume.
Nicodemus brings 75.
This was costly for him.
This meant something to him,willing to associate with Jesus.
And this is how Nicodemus'story ends.
We don't get a lot more, but Ijust got to tell you, as I look
(33:42):
at John chapter 3, in his doubthe doesn't know a thing about
Jesus, but he's starting tofigure it out, I see by John
chapter 7, he's at least willingto entertain the idea of who
Jesus might be.
And finally, in John 19, he'ssaying this I'm in, I'm in.
(34:04):
Our belief in Jesus should leadus to action.
Why is the gospel good news forChristians?
Because the gospel, just likeNicodemus, that belief that
Jesus is who he says he is, itleads us somewhere.
It leads us to take our faithseriously.
(34:25):
It gets us off the sidelines ofthe Christian life.
And even when all the otherPharisees stand around and all
the other members of theSanhedrin look at each one of us
and say you are absolutelycrazy for following after Jesus,
we would say, hey, I've justseen too much, he's done too
(34:46):
much for me, he's walked with metoo long.
You may not be interested, butI've seen too much to go back
now.
And that we would say this thatJesus, I'm in, and even as
believers, because we believe inthe gospel and we take the
(35:07):
gospel seriously, much likeNicodemus, it leads us to action
, it leads us to boldness, towhere we have conversations with
others, where we can say thename of Jesus, whereas Brian
reminded us, we have thosepeople in our lives that do not
know the Lord that we're nolonger going to.
(35:28):
Let it be because they haven'theard about the Lord.
If they die not knowing Jesusas Savior, it's not going to be
because we didn't talk to themabout Jesus as Savior.
Because the gospel, if it haschanged us and transformed us,
(35:52):
we go out and let it make usbold to where, like Nicodemus,
going to the body of Jesus, nomatter the cost, no matter what
it takes, no matter what it doesto my reputation, no matter the
cost of it in any area of life,I've just decided I'm just
going to follow him.
Is that true of you?
(36:12):
Is that true of you?
Christian in the room.
Is that true of you that thiswill not be a sidelined
Christian experience, butinstead this will be me as a
believer, you as a believer,saying Jesus wherever you lead,
(36:36):
I'll go, just like Nicodemus, inin boldness, in a willingness
to follow.
Wherever you lead, I'll go for250 people in this room.
I don't know what that lookslike in your life specifically,
but I would imagine in thismoment, as you sit here, you can
(36:56):
even apply this text to yourown life.
What is that area in my lifethat maybe I know the gospel but
I'm not being bold like Ishould?
What's the conversation I needto have?
What do I need to talk aboutwith that?
What do I need to talk aboutwith that?
When does that conversationneed to move from just the small
(37:23):
talk we're usually having tothe deeper things?
Maybe it's evangelism, or maybeit's a fellow believer and I
just need to be bold to talkwith him about Jesus and move
our relationship to the nextlevel as men or women, as other
women that can walk togethertowards Jesus and discipling one
another.
Where does boldness need tohappen in your own life?
I can't answer that questionfor you.
I can answer it for me.
(37:44):
I can't answer it for youspecifically, but you can answer
it for you.
What's it gonna take today,believer, to move from maybe, a
John 3 to a John 7 to a John 19?
To make that move, to say,jesus, I'm ready to be yours,
(38:12):
I'm ready to go where you sendme, I'm ready to be bold for you
.
How do you need to respond thismorning?
Maybe, believer, you just needto take time to pray.
Lord, what is it in my lifewhere I need to follow you?
What are the conversations Ineed to have?
What are the steps I need totake spiritually?
That will require a boldnessthat only your spirit can give
(38:33):
me.
Maybe you want to respond thismorning by coming down and
chatting with me or anotherpastor.
Let me pray for you.
Maybe you want to.
Maybe you're in John chapterthree right now and you want to
come to know the Lord for thefirst time.
Maybe that's you this morning.
Maybe you want to come be apart of this church.
But, however, you need torespond.
I pray that you would Let melet me pray and we'll worship
(38:53):
again, and I'll be right downfront.
I pray that you would Let mepray and we'll worship again,
and I'll be right down front.
Lord Jesus, thank you for yourword, thank you for John 3 and
thank you for the reminder thatyou love us so much that you
gave your only son, that if webelieve in you, we would not
perish but have eternal life.
Lord, let that not just besomething we memorize or
(39:20):
something, a verse we knowthat's there, but, god, let it
be something that penetrates ourheart, that every day, for the
believers in this room, everyday, we would remind ourselves
of that reality again and againand again, that we are yours,
lord, let it lead us out inboldness, just like Nicodemus,
just like that gospel changedhis heart.
(39:43):
I believe, lord, let it do thesame in our own lives, growing
us in boldness and a willingnessto follow you, whatever it
takes.
Lord.
If there's one here that needsto respond, lord, would they do
so?
This morning we give our timeto you in Christ's takes, lord.
If there's one here that needsto respond, lord, would they do
so?
This morning, we give our timeto you in Christ's name, amen.
Would you stand now as wecontinue to worship?
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