WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.639 who have been with us for a while may be familiar with the regional church that we're a part of in 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:09.859 every fall. We have a gathering that's far away. So this past week, I was with pastors from Wyoming 00:00:09.859 --> 00:00:15.019 and Montana and Colorado in Lander, Wyoming, and there's lots of exciting things going on in our 00:00:15.019 --> 00:00:21.100 regional church. There's new churches being started. There's new RUF chapters that are 00:00:21.100 --> 00:00:26.140 starting as well that we're excited about. All that to say, I'm not preaching this morning since 00:00:26.140 --> 00:00:30.760 I've been out, but our RUF campus minister at USOFA, Jeff Kreisel, will be joining us. We've heard 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:35.579 Jeff many times and we praise God for his ministry with the cadets there and we welcome him to our 00:00:35.579 --> 00:00:50.820 pulpit now. So welcome, Jeff. All right, well, good morning, everyone. My name is Jeff Kreisel. I'm 00:00:50.820 --> 00:00:56.740 excited to be here with you all this morning. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting 00:00:56.740 --> 00:01:03.259 our ministry, for making what I do a reality, not only financially, but also lending us Matthew in a 00:01:03.259 --> 00:01:07.900 couple weeks as he's going to be our speaker at our fall conference, and we're so excited to hear 00:01:07.900 --> 00:01:15.359 what he has to say. So the Air Force Academy is an interesting place. Unlike most colleges, 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:21.039 colleges, which assess students based off of their GPA, their grade point average at the academy, 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:28.260 our students, they are assessed also by their MPA, which is their military performance appraisals, and 00:01:28.260 --> 00:01:35.239 their PEA, which is their physical education average. So those three are kind of, at the end of each 00:01:35.239 --> 00:01:40.819 semester, our students receive a number. They receive their rank in each of those three areas, and then they 00:01:40.819 --> 00:01:46.339 receive their overall rank. The three are weighted, and they receive a number. A number is attached to 00:01:46.339 --> 00:01:53.899 their name at the end of every semester. And you can imagine that the number attached to their name 00:01:53.899 --> 00:01:59.739 can cause a number of reactions. And Tim Keller once said that don't let your successes go to your head, 00:02:00.299 --> 00:02:06.379 and don't let your failures go to your heart. And I deal with students who deal with both the success 00:02:06.379 --> 00:02:12.079 going to their head and the failures going to their heart. The number attached to their name, 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:17.680 it largely determines what their job in the Air Force will be. So it tends to create a very competitive 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:24.379 environment. And in my experience, the type of competition that it breeds kind of kills community. 00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:33.379 So USAPA may be more upfront with its works-based ranking system, but if we're honest, we're all 00:02:33.379 --> 00:02:40.859 swimming in the same works-based pool. Everyone feels the pressure to bolster their credentials, 00:02:41.159 --> 00:02:48.439 to build their resume, to be impressive to the watching world. We all ask the question, 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:55.699 have I done enough? And if we answer the question with a negative, if we say no, then we get to work. 00:02:55.800 --> 00:03:02.680 We believe we have to start sacrificing parts of our life in order to build our spiritual or physical 00:03:02.680 --> 00:03:09.819 resume, right? Our worldly resume. And so we may sacrifice our physical health. We may sacrifice 00:03:09.819 --> 00:03:16.659 our families, our marriage. We may sacrifice our hobbies, and we have no outlet to be recreated. 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:25.460 We may sacrifice church or our daily devotionals with God. And then after we've sacrificed so much, 00:03:25.460 --> 00:03:28.420 we then ask the question again, have I done enough now? 00:03:28.419 --> 00:03:37.039 Now, this morning, we'll be looking at John chapter 3, a story of a man who had the most 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:44.839 impressive list of credentials. But he couldn't beat the question, have I done enough, out of his head. 00:03:47.639 --> 00:03:55.079 Nicodemus, his SPA, his spiritual performance average, would have had him ranked in the top 1% 00:03:55.080 --> 00:04:00.900 of Israelites. He was the distinguished graduate from the pharisaical academy. 00:04:02.220 --> 00:04:08.700 But he still couldn't rest. He couldn't stop swimming in the swimming pool that is works-based 00:04:08.700 --> 00:04:17.060 righteousness. He couldn't stop asking the question, have I done enough? And so, Nicodemus decides that 00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:22.900 he's going to go and meet this guy named Jesus, a guy who had been turning kind of the religious world 00:04:22.899 --> 00:04:29.939 upside down. He had performed miracle after miracle. He was teaching profound truths. He was gathering 00:04:29.939 --> 00:04:36.979 this loyal group of followers. And he was royally annoying the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin. 00:04:38.599 --> 00:04:44.339 Well, Nicodemus, he comes to Jesus, and he essentially says, check out all of my credentials. 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:47.639 Certainly, I, of all people, have done enough. 00:04:47.639 --> 00:04:54.579 And Jesus essentially says, if you want to enter the kingdom of God, you need to check 00:04:54.579 --> 00:05:01.159 your credentials at the door. And then fix your eyes on the spiritual resume of the one 00:05:01.159 --> 00:05:07.620 who will be lifted up. The one who actually has the power to heal and to bring new life. 00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:14.419 So with that, I invite you all to please stand for the reading of God's word. We'll be looking 00:05:14.420 --> 00:05:19.240 at John chapter 2, verses 23, 3 to 15. 00:05:22.080 --> 00:05:27.439 Now, when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw 00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:33.319 the signs that he was doing. But Jesus, on his part, did not entrust himself to them because 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:38.560 he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:43.960 was in man. Now, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 00:05:43.959 --> 00:05:49.339 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher 00:05:49.339 --> 00:05:54.939 come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered 00:05:54.939 --> 00:05:59.779 him, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of 00:05:59.779 --> 00:06:07.039 God. Nicodemus said to him, how can I be born when he, how can a man be born when he is old? 00:06:07.219 --> 00:06:12.479 Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, truly, truly, 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:17.200 I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:23.620 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel 00:06:23.620 --> 00:06:29.120 that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear it sound, 00:06:29.200 --> 00:06:34.680 but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the 00:06:34.680 --> 00:06:41.379 spirit. Nicodemus said to him, how can these things be? Jesus answered him, are you the teacher 00:06:41.379 --> 00:06:47.040 of Israel? And yet you do not understand these things. Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of 00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:53.139 what we know and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told 00:06:53.139 --> 00:06:58.220 you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has 00:06:58.220 --> 00:07:04.340 ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the son of man. And as Moses lifted up the 00:07:04.340 --> 00:07:10.580 serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have 00:07:10.580 --> 00:07:17.880 eternal life. This is the very reading of God's word. Let me pray for us. Heavenly father, you are a 00:07:17.880 --> 00:07:24.820 good and gracious God. We pray this morning that you would heal us by helping us see Jesus, our great 00:07:24.819 --> 00:07:37.980 healer. We pray all these things in his name. Amen. You may be seated. All right, so in the late 19th 00:07:37.980 --> 00:07:44.180 century, there was a guy named Charles Blondin, and he became the most famous tightrope walker in the 00:07:44.180 --> 00:07:53.879 entire world when he scaled Niagara Falls. As Charles Blondin's fame grew, he grew in confidence. 00:07:53.879 --> 00:08:00.639 So first, he ditches his pole, like the balancing pole, and he walks across Niagara Falls without any 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:08.180 support. Then he gets even more confident. He walks across blindfolded, and then he walks across backwards, 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:17.819 and then he walks across on stilts. And if that wasn't enough, he strapped a stove onto his back. He walks 00:08:17.819 --> 00:08:25.399 across. Once he got to the midway point, he sits down on the rope, takes the stove off his back, cracks a 00:08:25.399 --> 00:08:31.439 couple eggs on the stove, makes an omelet, and he eats it in front of all of his adoring fans. 00:08:32.460 --> 00:08:40.679 This guy was absolutely nuts, and he did things that nobody else could do. No one else could cross 00:08:40.679 --> 00:08:47.519 Niagara Falls on a tightrope, especially the way that he was crossing. Charles Blondin was in a league 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:55.979 all by himself. In first century Judaism, Nicodemus was viewed in a similar light. He was viewed as 00:08:55.979 --> 00:09:04.199 someone who was in a league all by himself. He wasn't just a Pharisee. He was selected by his 00:09:04.200 --> 00:09:09.000 contemporaries to serve on the Sanhedrin, which was the ruling body of the Israelites. 00:09:11.040 --> 00:09:17.840 He was not only a member of the Sanhedrin. Jesus says in verse 10 that Nicodemus was the teacher 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:27.259 in Israel, of Israel. He was like the dean of the theology department. He knew his Bible inside and out. 00:09:27.259 --> 00:09:34.500 He was a celebrity. He was one of, some scholars believe, he was one of, if not the most respected 00:09:34.500 --> 00:09:44.559 and influential people in all of Israel. Nicodemus was a big deal. Nicodemus was the guy that everyone 00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:52.899 looked at, and they said, that's what right looks like. That is the picture of like success. That is 00:09:52.899 --> 00:10:00.199 what I aspire to be. Nicodemus was the kind of guy who had like a jam-packed schedule with really 00:10:00.199 --> 00:10:05.319 important meetings and really important tasks, and yet he still found time at like four in the morning 00:10:05.319 --> 00:10:11.679 to like go do CrossFit, you know. He was that kind of guy who like raised his kids to be like perfect. 00:10:11.819 --> 00:10:16.519 They were all in the National Honor Society, and they probably all were captains of their respective 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:26.000 sports teams. Nicodemus was the picture of self-discipline, self-control, political influence, 00:10:26.199 --> 00:10:36.519 spiritual zeal. But according to John, Nicodemus was also the picture of something else. He was the 00:10:36.519 --> 00:10:44.559 picture of someone who was walking around in the dark. Now, if you were a first century Israelite, 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:51.779 and you heard or you read this story about Nicodemus walking around in the darkness, it would have been 00:10:51.779 --> 00:10:59.899 shocking. And that's kind of the point. It's meant to shock not only them, but us. If there was anyone 00:10:59.899 --> 00:11:08.119 in all of Israel who had the credentials to earn God's favor, to earn his way into God's kingdom, 00:11:08.120 --> 00:11:14.840 to earn his way into God's family, it was Nicodemus. He was in a league all by himself. 00:11:17.100 --> 00:11:25.940 But in verse two, we see Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the darkness. You know, John doesn't tell us 00:11:25.940 --> 00:11:35.620 explicitly why Nicodemus came to Jesus under the cover of darkness. But given the theme of light and 00:11:35.620 --> 00:11:41.759 darkness that runs throughout the entirety of John's gospel, I think the answer is pretty obvious, 00:11:41.860 --> 00:11:48.039 like why he makes this point to say that he was coming in the darkness. 00:11:49.940 --> 00:11:55.240 Despite all of his credentials, his heart was still dark. Despite all of his credentials, 00:11:55.399 --> 00:11:58.360 that question, have I done enough, was still plaguing him. 00:11:58.360 --> 00:12:04.480 But due to his credentials, due to his reputation and his high standing in society, 00:12:04.480 --> 00:12:10.500 he was embarrassed to be seen with Jesus in the light of day. And so he comes at night. Now, 00:12:10.539 --> 00:12:15.440 I like to imagine that Nicodemus was lying in bed, tossing and turning, and he couldn't fall asleep 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:20.259 because he kept replaying these conversations that he was having with his Pharisaical friends 00:12:20.259 --> 00:12:28.159 about Jesus. And he just like, he just could not sleep. And so he wakes up. He goes to see Jesus. 00:12:28.279 --> 00:12:33.779 He pays him a visit because he had a feeling that Jesus was different, but he couldn't quite put his 00:12:33.779 --> 00:12:40.439 finger on it. And so Nicodemus sneaks over to Jesus's place. And he probably quietly knocks on the door 00:12:40.439 --> 00:12:48.639 while staying within all of the shadows. When Jesus answers, Nicodemus bursts into the stream of 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:55.419 compliments. He says, Rabbi, which in and of itself is a compliment. That was an honorary title given to 00:12:55.419 --> 00:13:01.899 a man that we don't even know if he went to some elite religious school. But Nicodemus, the teacher 00:13:01.899 --> 00:13:09.620 of Israel, calls Jesus teacher. Then he says, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one 00:13:09.620 --> 00:13:17.960 can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. In other words, he says, Jesus, you're legit. 00:13:17.960 --> 00:13:25.800 We believe that you have come from God. No one can do these things. We've taken notice of your 00:13:25.800 --> 00:13:32.680 spiritual resume, and it is quite impressive. Your credentials amaze us, and we want to invite you to 00:13:32.680 --> 00:13:39.780 join our Pharisaical club. We're the top 1%. We're the distinguished graduates, and we'd like to invite you 00:13:39.779 --> 00:13:48.179 to join our club. And how does Jesus respond to these many compliments? He doesn't say, wow, Nicodemus, 00:13:48.419 --> 00:13:56.039 I'm so honored to join your prestigious club. I really appreciate that you would think of me, that you took 00:13:56.039 --> 00:14:03.519 notice of my spiritual resume. Jesus doesn't even say, thanks, but no thanks. 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:13.500 Remember, according to John 2, verse 25, Jesus already knew what was in the heart of man. And so 00:14:13.500 --> 00:14:20.740 Jesus already knew what was in the heart of Nicodemus. And what was in Nicodemus' heart? Darkness. 00:14:20.740 --> 00:14:30.899 And so Jesus goes straight to his dark heart. And he says, if you want to see the kingdom of God, 00:14:31.460 --> 00:14:37.620 you have to be born again. Literally, in the Greek, this phrase can be translated, 00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:39.919 you have to be born from above. 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:49.659 He says, despite all of your credentials, unless you're born again, unless you're born from above, 00:14:49.839 --> 00:14:58.360 until you move from darkness to light, you cannot enter God's kingdom. If you want to come into my 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:07.500 house, you have to check your credentials at the door. You have to be born again. Now, Nicodemus did not 00:15:07.500 --> 00:15:14.100 understand what in the world Jesus was talking about, right? He's like, what do you mean? What do 00:15:14.100 --> 00:15:21.039 you want me to do exactly? You want me to crawl back into my mother's womb? He's like, that's impossible. 00:15:22.120 --> 00:15:26.480 What you're asking me to do is impossible. And that's the point. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:34.860 The one requirement to enter God's kingdom is impossible for you to accomplish. 00:15:37.500 --> 00:15:45.740 Just think about your physical birth for a moment. What role did your will play in your physical 00:15:45.740 --> 00:15:52.679 birth? What role did your intellect play or your upbringing? What role did your credentials 00:15:52.679 --> 00:16:02.860 have in your physical birth? How much effort did you contribute to being born? Zero. 00:16:02.860 --> 00:16:11.700 You had no say on when you were born or where you were born or why you were born. You were delightfully 00:16:11.700 --> 00:16:19.379 passive throughout the entire process. Your birth wasn't done by you. It was done for you. 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:27.580 You did nothing to earn your physical birth. And in this discourse, Jesus is saying the same 00:16:27.580 --> 00:16:37.200 thing about your spiritual birth. You contribute nothing. In theological terms, this is what we call 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:45.139 regeneration. Okay? Jesus says a few chapters later in John 6, he says, no one can come to me unless the 00:16:45.139 --> 00:16:55.620 Father who sent me draws him. God is the one and the only one who not only initiates your new birth, 00:16:55.620 --> 00:17:02.399 God is the one who is ultimately responsible for your new birth, for you becoming a Christian, for you 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:10.759 being born from above. It is all God. And you are delightfully passive throughout the entire process. 00:17:12.339 --> 00:17:15.259 It's not done by you. It's done for you. 00:17:15.259 --> 00:17:24.160 Now, I'm not really into zombie movies. My brother is. He's obsessive about certain zombie shows and 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:31.079 movies. But follow my train of thought here, okay? Imagine there was a zombie who decides that he wants 00:17:31.079 --> 00:17:38.400 to be a human. And so he goes to the local mall and he spends every penny that he owns to buy 00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:46.740 the best clothes. He gets a slick new haircut. He gets a mani-pedi. He gets like the best skin 00:17:46.740 --> 00:17:55.660 treatment that the world can offer. And then when he walks out of the mall, when he's wearing his nice, 00:17:55.660 --> 00:18:01.420 you know, pataguchi clothes, he realizes that he still wants to eat people. 00:18:01.420 --> 00:18:11.860 Why? Because he's still a zombie, right? Despite his best efforts to clean himself up, it doesn't 00:18:11.860 --> 00:18:17.880 matter what he's wearing. By nature, he's still a zombie who wants to eat people. 00:18:20.140 --> 00:18:28.940 Listen, like Nicodemus, you cannot smart your way into God's kingdom. You cannot willpower your way 00:18:28.940 --> 00:18:36.680 into God's family. There is no ladder that can get you to the heavens. There is no tower you can build. 00:18:37.960 --> 00:18:45.220 Like Nicodemus, your credentials, your spiritual resume cannot earn you a ticket into the new heavens 00:18:45.220 --> 00:18:53.019 and new earth. If you are responsible for even 1% of your salvation, you are doomed. 00:18:53.019 --> 00:19:01.720 Because the 1% is infinite. You can't even come close to bridging that gap. 00:19:03.220 --> 00:19:13.119 You have to be born again. In this new birth, it comes from outside of you. It is an outside-in grace. 00:19:13.799 --> 00:19:22.180 It's an outside-in power. And it's this outside-in grace that is evidenced by an inside-out transformation. 00:19:23.019 --> 00:19:30.400 It doesn't start from the inside. It comes from the outside. Even though Nicodemus was the most 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:35.940 credentialed man in Israel, even though he knew his Bible inside and out, he was still in the dark. 00:19:36.859 --> 00:19:44.759 He was still spiritually dead. He was like a spiritual zombie trying to dress himself up all cute. 00:19:44.759 --> 00:19:54.079 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. You have to be born 00:19:54.079 --> 00:20:02.879 from above by the Spirit. Now, it is not a coincidence that much of the imagery used in John chapter 3, 00:20:02.879 --> 00:20:13.579 it comes from Ezekiel 37. Jesus is using Valley of Dry Bones imagery to describe Nicodemus. 00:20:13.579 --> 00:20:20.939 Because his soul was spiritually dead. And if you recall, in Ezekiel 37, the great prophet, 00:20:21.699 --> 00:20:27.099 he comes across this valley that is just filled with dry bones. And these bones have been dead for 00:20:27.099 --> 00:20:35.659 quite some time, right? They were dry. They were dead dead, right? They couldn't will themselves back to life. 00:20:35.660 --> 00:20:45.060 They couldn't think their heart to beat again. Their heart was gone. These bones had no hope to save 00:20:45.060 --> 00:20:55.500 themselves. And in John 3, Nicodemus' soul was like that valley. His soul was dry bones. He had no hope 00:20:55.500 --> 00:21:06.019 to save himself. You see, becoming a Christian is a supernatural work. Just as dry bones can't will 00:21:06.019 --> 00:21:14.480 themselves back to life, you can't work yourself into Christianity. It won't work. It will never work. 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:24.079 Now, I think that most Reformed Christians understand this. We understand that people are saved by God's 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:30.259 grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God's glory alone, as revealed in the scriptures 00:21:30.259 --> 00:21:39.099 alone. We believe that God is responsible for our justification. But when it comes to our 00:21:39.099 --> 00:21:47.819 sanctification, this is where many Reformed Christians swerve off course. Now, this is what happened to the 00:21:47.819 --> 00:21:55.159 Christians in Galatia. They had Paul as their pastor. He was like the king of Reformed theology, right? 00:21:56.079 --> 00:22:01.859 They understood that they were justified by God's grace alone. But then something happened. They started out 00:22:01.859 --> 00:22:08.719 in faith. They were born from above. But over time, they started to think that they had to work to stay 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:19.680 in God's good graces. And so Paul calls them out. He says, oh, you foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? 00:22:20.940 --> 00:22:29.460 He says, did you receive the Spirit by works of the law? Did you earn the Holy Spirit by what you do with 00:22:29.460 --> 00:22:38.319 your resume, with your credentials, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish, having begun in the 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:46.179 Spirit? Are you now being perfected in the flesh? In other words, what's Paul saying? He's saying, what are 00:22:46.179 --> 00:22:53.819 you thinking? What are you doing? You started off right. You started off over here in the Spirit, 00:22:55.139 --> 00:23:00.319 trusting in Jesus alone that he is your righteousness. But now you're over here and you're 00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:05.799 trying to get yourself perfected in the flesh. So you didn't start off that way. 00:23:05.799 --> 00:23:15.960 The truth is, many of us are no different from the Galatians. Many Christians start off right. 00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:24.159 We start off in faith, believing that we are saved by grace alone, that we are born from above by the 00:23:24.159 --> 00:23:32.259 Spirit. We start off depending solely on Christ's righteousness. But then at some point in life, 00:23:32.259 --> 00:23:39.940 something happens. And I would argue it's probably sin. And then we sin again, and we start to feel 00:23:39.940 --> 00:23:45.559 guilt and shame, and we think that we have to now do something to get back into God's good graces, 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:53.259 that we have to earn our way back into his love. Over time, we start to think to ourselves, 00:23:53.259 --> 00:24:06.519 God doesn't love me anymore. How could he love me? He probably hates me now. Eventually, God's grace has 00:24:06.519 --> 00:24:13.119 to run out, right? And so I need to get to work and prove to him that I'm worth loving. 00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:22.039 And over time, we who started out in the Spirit, we start to think that we have to add something. We have 00:24:22.039 --> 00:24:28.979 to contribute something to earn God's favor, even though we already have God's favor in Christ. 00:24:29.419 --> 00:24:37.619 Listen, my friends, you don't work to get God's favor. You work because you already have it. 00:24:37.619 --> 00:24:45.459 That is a paradigm-shifting truth. My friends, self-justification doesn't work. 00:24:46.719 --> 00:24:51.139 And this is why Paul is so shocked, why he's so disturbed with the Galatians, 00:24:51.479 --> 00:25:00.219 because they have so quickly turned to a different gospel. That's what Paul calls works-based 00:25:00.219 --> 00:25:07.599 religions. He calls them a completely different gospel, even if they're prettied up with Christian 00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:14.579 ease. You see, this is a difference that runs at the very heart of Christianity. It hits the 00:25:14.579 --> 00:25:23.019 fundamentals of what Christianity is. The gospel is not you getting to God. It is God getting to you, 00:25:23.179 --> 00:25:29.740 not just at the beginning of your Christian walk, but every step throughout, all the way to the finish 00:25:29.740 --> 00:25:37.159 line. Nicodemus, in John 3, he was beginning to realize that a works-based system of salvation 00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:45.019 salvation was not good news. In fact, I think he was starting to realize that it was really, 00:25:45.180 --> 00:25:54.259 really, really bad news. You see, the law says, do this and live. And we're looking at all that 00:25:54.259 --> 00:25:58.940 the law requires, and we think to ourselves, we know to ourselves, I can't do it. 00:25:58.940 --> 00:26:07.420 And then we start asking that question, have I done enough? And we never really know. 00:26:09.120 --> 00:26:16.580 The law shows us our need for new life, but the law cannot give us new life. And the law will show 00:26:16.580 --> 00:26:25.759 you no mercy. The standard is set, and the standard is perfection. I imagine that Nicodemus, as he's 00:26:25.759 --> 00:26:33.160 walking over to Jesus' house, in the darkness, was beginning to realize that his best efforts 00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:40.839 still didn't meet God's standard. They didn't even come close. Keep in mind, Nicodemus knew the law 00:26:40.839 --> 00:26:47.720 better than anyone. And the more you know about the law, if you're looking at it honestly and not 00:26:47.720 --> 00:26:53.299 lowering the bar, if you're looking at the law honestly, the more you realize that you don't measure up. 00:26:53.299 --> 00:27:00.960 A couple years ago, my family and I went to Disney World, and every day, without fail, one of my 00:27:00.960 --> 00:27:05.539 children would go up to a ride that they had set their heart on. They would get over to the little 00:27:05.539 --> 00:27:13.119 measuring stick, and they would fail to measure up. And they would cry, and it was always sad. 00:27:14.339 --> 00:27:20.139 But the standard was set, and Disney World shows no mercy. 00:27:20.140 --> 00:27:31.120 And neither does the law. Right? Neither does God's law. And so if we can't find mercy in God's law, 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:38.960 where do we find it? And that brings us to verses 14 and 15. And I love this. Like, Nicodemus is a 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:45.040 biblical scholar, and so Jesus meets him where he is. He will meet the woman at the well in John 4, 00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:51.839 where she is, but in a different way than Nicodemus here. He opens his Bible, and he tells a story from 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:58.339 Numbers 21, a story that Nicodemus would have been very familiar with. God has just delivered the 00:27:58.339 --> 00:28:03.740 Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and now they're wandering in the wilderness. God has provided for 00:28:03.740 --> 00:28:08.799 their physical needs. He's given them manna from heaven. He's given them water from the rock. 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:16.680 But as the journey to the promised land continues, the people become impatient, and they begin to 00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:25.220 grumble and complain against not only Moses, but to God. And so God sends a plague of poisonous snakes 00:28:25.220 --> 00:28:33.980 to discipline the Israelites in order to bring them to repentance. And almost immediately upon sending 00:28:33.980 --> 00:28:41.620 the snakes, God gives Moses the antidote. God says, make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. 00:28:42.160 --> 00:28:48.079 And if anyone who has been bitten by a serpent looks up at the pole, they'll be healed. 00:28:49.819 --> 00:28:57.920 You see, the Israelites were killing, the serpents were killing the Israelites, and God says, take a symbol 00:28:57.920 --> 00:29:07.560 of what is killing them. Put that symbol on a pole. Raise it up, and when they look at it, they will be healed. 00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:14.920 And keep in mind that the snakes were still on the ground. They were still biting at their ankles. 00:29:16.560 --> 00:29:23.039 Every part of them probably wanted to look down and avoid the snakes or start stomping on these 00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:29.039 poisonous snakes. But God tells them, don't look down. Look up. I'll take care of the snakes. 00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:40.259 And so Moses lifts up the pole, and everyone who looked at the pole in faith was healed. 00:29:40.819 --> 00:29:43.539 And there was a 100% success rate. 00:29:45.899 --> 00:29:48.899 Nicodemus would have known immediately what Jesus was saying. 00:29:48.900 --> 00:29:55.640 Jesus was saying, when I'm lifted up like that, I want you to look at me. 00:29:56.980 --> 00:30:02.460 Even when your sin is still biting at your ankles, don't look down. Look up. 00:30:04.360 --> 00:30:10.200 Because here's the thing, Nicodemus, when I am hanging on a cross, I am going to become the thing 00:30:10.200 --> 00:30:11.300 that is killing you. 00:30:12.800 --> 00:30:15.259 I'm going to become your self-righteousness. 00:30:15.259 --> 00:30:17.680 I'm going to become your legalism. 00:30:17.980 --> 00:30:23.019 I'm going to become your guilt and your shame and your addictions and all of your idolatries. 00:30:23.200 --> 00:30:26.039 I am going to become what is killing you. 00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:34.180 And if you look up in faith and you see me on that cross, you will be healed. 00:30:35.640 --> 00:30:37.059 You will be reborn. 00:30:37.059 --> 00:30:40.359 You will move from darkness to life. 00:30:40.440 --> 00:30:42.480 You will move from death to life. 00:30:42.899 --> 00:30:45.460 And there's a 100% success rate. 00:30:48.319 --> 00:30:50.119 Let's return to Charles Blondin. 00:30:51.740 --> 00:30:57.419 Of all of his daredevil feats crossing Niagara Falls, there was one that made him really famous. 00:30:58.940 --> 00:31:02.119 One day he walked over to the crowd, and he said, 00:31:02.119 --> 00:31:05.379 Does anybody believe that I can carry a person across? 00:31:07.239 --> 00:31:08.839 And the crowd started yelling, 00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:09.339 Yeah! 00:31:10.479 --> 00:31:11.779 Yes, you can do it. 00:31:11.819 --> 00:31:13.379 We believe that you can do it. 00:31:15.139 --> 00:31:17.979 But when he asked for a volunteer, nobody raised their hand. 00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:19.199 Nobody stepped forward. 00:31:22.219 --> 00:31:25.859 You see, while the people genuinely believed that he could do it, 00:31:25.859 --> 00:31:29.059 they didn't trust him with their life. 00:31:29.859 --> 00:31:32.700 But then there was one man, and he did step forward. 00:31:32.759 --> 00:31:34.099 His name was Harry Calcord. 00:31:34.779 --> 00:31:39.319 Now, I want you to imagine if Harry, he gets on Blondin's back, 00:31:39.619 --> 00:31:42.339 and they start to make their way across the tightrope. 00:31:42.700 --> 00:31:44.339 And about halfway, he's like, 00:31:44.579 --> 00:31:45.019 You know what? 00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:46.419 I think I'm good from here. 00:31:46.599 --> 00:31:47.559 You can let me down. 00:31:48.119 --> 00:31:50.220 I think I'm good to make it on my own. 00:31:51.980 --> 00:31:53.099 Blondin would have been like, 00:31:53.099 --> 00:31:54.099 You're nuts, man. 00:31:54.960 --> 00:31:56.980 No, you're going to cling to my back. 00:31:56.980 --> 00:32:01.319 Because if I let you off, you will not make it on your own. 00:32:03.480 --> 00:32:06.440 My friends, depending on your own righteousness, 00:32:06.940 --> 00:32:12.640 to earn God's favor is like walking across a tightrope that you cannot cross. 00:32:14.279 --> 00:32:16.200 Maybe you get a few steps, 00:32:16.980 --> 00:32:19.980 but eventually you will start to sway, 00:32:20.140 --> 00:32:22.180 you'll lose your balance, and you will fall. 00:32:23.039 --> 00:32:26.559 100% failure rate to anybody who tries. 00:32:26.980 --> 00:32:31.120 Listen, to get to the other side, 00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:35.700 you have to cling to the one who is truly in a league all by himself. 00:32:37.440 --> 00:32:40.420 And not only at the beginning of the Christian life, 00:32:40.460 --> 00:32:43.779 but every step throughout the Christian life. 00:32:45.299 --> 00:32:47.559 Christians never stop clinging. 00:32:47.559 --> 00:32:52.200 Before Blondin walked across the tightrope, 00:32:52.720 --> 00:32:54.259 he gave Harry these instructions. 00:32:55.440 --> 00:32:56.059 He said, 00:32:56.159 --> 00:32:56.899 Look up, Harry. 00:32:57.839 --> 00:32:59.799 You are no longer Harry Calcord. 00:33:00.419 --> 00:33:01.980 You are Charles Blondin. 00:33:02.639 --> 00:33:04.220 Until I clear this place, 00:33:04.599 --> 00:33:05.960 you be a part of me. 00:33:07.099 --> 00:33:08.539 Mind, body, and soul, 00:33:08.619 --> 00:33:09.480 if I sway, 00:33:09.659 --> 00:33:10.819 you sway with me. 00:33:11.299 --> 00:33:13.539 Do not attempt to do any balancing 00:33:13.539 --> 00:33:14.899 yourself. 00:33:14.900 --> 00:33:18.580 Brothers and sisters, 00:33:18.720 --> 00:33:19.660 through faith in Christ, 00:33:19.800 --> 00:33:21.740 you are united to Christ, 00:33:22.259 --> 00:33:23.560 mind, body, and soul. 00:33:23.800 --> 00:33:27.120 His righteousness is your righteousness. 00:33:28.400 --> 00:33:30.900 His credentials are your credentials. 00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:34.400 His sacrifice is your sacrifice. 00:33:34.640 --> 00:33:36.160 His death is your death. 00:33:36.340 --> 00:33:39.480 His resurrection is your resurrection. 00:33:39.480 --> 00:33:43.019 And therefore, 00:33:43.180 --> 00:33:44.880 your life is not a balancing act 00:33:44.880 --> 00:33:46.120 to earn God's favor. 00:33:47.019 --> 00:33:48.380 Just cling to Jesus. 00:33:49.220 --> 00:33:50.319 He'll get you across. 00:33:51.460 --> 00:33:52.839 He won't let you go. 00:33:53.099 --> 00:33:54.259 He won't let you fall. 00:33:54.599 --> 00:33:57.059 He has a 100% success rate 00:33:57.059 --> 00:33:58.559 in getting all of his people 00:33:58.559 --> 00:33:59.759 all the way home. 00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:03.640 Even people like me 00:34:03.640 --> 00:34:04.839 and you 00:34:04.839 --> 00:34:06.619 and the Galatians 00:34:06.619 --> 00:34:07.920 and Nicodemus. 00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:10.300 In John 19, 00:34:11.480 --> 00:34:11.900 thankfully, 00:34:12.079 --> 00:34:13.380 we see Nicodemus again. 00:34:13.480 --> 00:34:14.659 His story doesn't end 00:34:14.659 --> 00:34:15.400 in John 3. 00:34:17.000 --> 00:34:18.519 Jesus has just been crucified 00:34:18.519 --> 00:34:21.139 and Nicodemus comes 00:34:21.139 --> 00:34:22.179 not by night, 00:34:22.500 --> 00:34:24.519 but he comes in the light of day. 00:34:26.119 --> 00:34:27.159 Something happened. 00:34:27.159 --> 00:34:29.859 Nicodemus looked up 00:34:29.859 --> 00:34:31.460 and he was healed 00:34:31.460 --> 00:34:33.099 and he moved from darkness 00:34:33.099 --> 00:34:34.539 into the light 00:34:34.539 --> 00:34:36.599 and Nicodemus brings with him 00:34:36.599 --> 00:34:39.659 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes 00:34:39.659 --> 00:34:42.139 for Jesus' burial preparation. 00:34:43.219 --> 00:34:44.920 It was an outside-in grace 00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:47.779 that produced an inside-out transformation. 00:34:50.579 --> 00:34:52.159 Nicodemus looked up at the cross 00:34:52.159 --> 00:34:52.920 and he was healed. 00:34:53.960 --> 00:34:56.079 His dead bones were brought to life 00:34:56.079 --> 00:34:58.480 and so he checked his credentials 00:34:58.480 --> 00:34:59.440 at the door 00:34:59.440 --> 00:35:02.900 and he fixed his eyes 00:35:02.900 --> 00:35:04.279 on his sinless Savior, 00:35:04.440 --> 00:35:06.860 a Savior who took upon himself 00:35:06.860 --> 00:35:08.019 the serpent's bite, 00:35:08.319 --> 00:35:10.079 who took upon himself 00:35:10.079 --> 00:35:11.799 the sting of death. 00:35:14.139 --> 00:35:14.539 My friends, 00:35:14.659 --> 00:35:16.279 the gospel frees us 00:35:16.279 --> 00:35:17.500 from the question, 00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:18.579 have I done enough? 00:35:19.819 --> 00:35:21.259 Because when you look up 00:35:21.259 --> 00:35:23.199 and you see Jesus on the cross, 00:35:24.279 --> 00:35:25.559 he is your enough. 00:35:26.619 --> 00:35:27.099 Today, 00:35:27.480 --> 00:35:27.920 tomorrow, 00:35:28.059 --> 00:35:28.860 and every day. 00:35:29.500 --> 00:35:29.719 Amen. 00:35:31.019 --> 00:35:31.860 Let me pray. 00:35:32.179 --> 00:35:32.880 Heavenly Father, 00:35:33.960 --> 00:35:35.319 we pray that you would give us 00:35:35.319 --> 00:35:37.199 this kind of healing, 00:35:38.199 --> 00:35:39.920 that we would be a people 00:35:39.920 --> 00:35:41.599 who cling to Christ 00:35:41.599 --> 00:35:43.039 not only at the beginning 00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:44.139 of the Christian life, 00:35:44.159 --> 00:35:45.659 but every step throughout. 00:35:45.659 --> 00:35:48.279 we can't do this on our own. 00:35:48.279 --> 00:35:49.559 We need your help. 00:35:49.659 --> 00:35:50.399 We need the Spirit 00:35:50.399 --> 00:35:53.399 to draw us near to you, 00:35:53.619 --> 00:35:55.119 to convict us of our sin, 00:35:55.199 --> 00:35:56.739 but also to remind us 00:35:56.739 --> 00:35:58.019 of our need 00:35:58.019 --> 00:35:59.039 for a sinless Savior. 00:35:59.799 --> 00:36:00.719 And we pray, Lord, 00:36:00.779 --> 00:36:02.039 that we would see Christ 00:36:02.039 --> 00:36:03.119 a little bit more clearly 00:36:03.119 --> 00:36:05.759 as a result of Nicodemus' story, 00:36:06.319 --> 00:36:07.739 and that we would reflect him, 00:36:07.799 --> 00:36:08.980 that we would also move 00:36:08.980 --> 00:36:10.519 from darkness to light, 00:36:10.639 --> 00:36:11.920 from death to life, 00:36:12.319 --> 00:36:13.559 by clinging to Christ. 00:36:13.559 --> 00:36:14.840 It's through his name we pray. 00:36:15.039 --> 00:36:15.239 Amen. 00:36:15.239 --> 00:36:15.379 Amen.