WEBVTT

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 Well great, we had a week's break didn't we last week from John's Gospel and we're back in John's Gospel and we're trying to work out what is genuine Christian belief that's if you've been here over the last few weeks what is it what isn't it are we doing it are we not doing it and in our passage today we come to another one of John's belief motifs it's there in verse 23 of chapter 2

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 there we're introduced to a new group John calls them the many doesn't he the many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing it's exciting isn't it we've been set up to look for this kind of thing as we read through John's Gospel and we're told the many believe in him as a result of seeing their miracles the signs that he

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 does they believe in his name John picks up of the language that he uses in the prologue in in chapter 1 when he's describing what genuine belief is he uses that language doesn't he a belief in his name those who did receive him who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God it looks like God's family is growing isn't it as the many believe in his name

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 John's clear isn't it as the many believe in his name John's clear isn't he that they believe they're not pretending to believe they're not saying one thing and doing another they're not being hypocritical so verse 24 comes as a great shock doesn't it it's a very disturbing verse but Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them because he knew all people

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 Jesus is reluctant to count them as followers of whom he can be sure the impression made on them of his miracles was no guarantee in Jesus's mind of their perseverance and of their genuine faith the kind of belief that he was looking for and the couple of verses at the top of your sheets there are a kind of set up for the famous encounter between Jesus and

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 Nicodemus in chapter 3 and Nicodemus in chapter 3 John is teeing us up for that and the key message that John wants us to understand as Jesus and Nicodemus meet is that if you want to know what faith is if you want to know what genuine belief is and whether you're doing it and whether you're not doing it humanly speaking to get it right you cannot get it right

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 why doesn't Jesus sign up for that and why doesn't Jesus sign up for the church on that morning into church membership it is a problem verse 24 Jesus knows about all people they look legit don't they and John adds that little comment it's really interesting in verse 24

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 Jesus on his part did not interest himself to them as if to say isn't it everyone else thought they were legit we all thought I mean you know John the apostle thought you could have fooled me

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 we thought they were genuine believers but Jesus singular on his part with his unique knowledge of humanity sees right through them doesn't he and it's a problem of human nature of all people everyone thinks revival has come but God incarnate he's not being insulting to our species here but he thinks hang on a minute for a second here

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 you are only human it is your fallen human nature verse 25 Jesus knew what was in man John uses the word anthropos that the human person no matter what you look like from the outside Jesus knows what is in on the inside of a fundamental human person and it's an inability to believe properly

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 and we've got to realize to get belief right we cannot get it right in ourselves I've got two main points really this afternoon our problem we see is two things first of all our natural human attitude towards Jesus our natural human attitude towards Jesus your only human

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 Nicodemus he comes to Jesus doesn't he and I want to focus in on a few key bits here look at verse two in the second paragraph this man came to Jesus by night and said to him rabbi we know that you're a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him

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 now you might think okay that is good isn't it Nicodemus's attitude towards Jesus seems well here he says good things about him he calls him rabbi what a sign of respect that is

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 God is with you so that you can do these miracles Nicodemus actually puts his finger on some of the things that Jesus will later stress that we must believe about him that he has come from God

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 Nicodemus gets that right doesn't he his knowledge of Jesus seems right and good but the problem is his deep seated attitude towards Jesus his problem is clear the moment he opens his mouth

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 what are his first words rabbi we know rabbi we know that you are a teacher come from God notice Nicodemus he comes to the rabbi doesn't he this great teacher but he doesn't come with a question he comes with a statement

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 he doesn't really ask him a question even to start off with does he he does later but he comes with a statement

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 Nicodemus's posture in the conversation is one of initial certainty certainty concerning the things that he thinks he knows already about Jesus

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 so he comes to him doesn't he Jesus your signs are so very convincing

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 and I've come to tell you that that we now know who you are we know who you are we know who you are we know what you're doing here you're you're a teacher aren't you you're you're you're a good man so good you're here

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 others thought that he was going to bring about a revolution didn't they others thought that he was just a prophet either way we've got you sussed Jesus

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 and that carries on today doesn't it people think that maybe he was a social revolutionary

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 and others think he was a good moral example others a wise sagely teacher others a spiritual mascot others a philosopher

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 others think he was just a con man or a magician others think he was a trickster but either way whatever you think of him either good or bad

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 the bottom line is we know who you are Jesus we've got you nailed we've worked you all out all by ourselves

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 and we just want to let you know that Jesus the point here is not what Nicodemus thinks of him

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 whether he thinks good things or bad things about Jesus that is kind of irrelevant

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 the point actually is that he thinks he knows Jesus in the first place

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 that by himself he's got the know-how that he's got the insight

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 and we can be like that can't we we've got all the data we've got all the interpretative skills

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 we've got the intellects and to nail Jesus down to nail the person of Jesus Christ down to make our informed

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 decisions about him to take him or to leave him to believe him or not we know who he is

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 and people say don't they your Jesus is clearly not the same as my Jesus

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 we come to Jesus with a statement of who we know he is

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 Jesus you are this to me we don't come to him with a question

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 and Nicodemus is the spokesperson for the human race here isn't he

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 he represents human certainty based on human deduction of what human beings see in Jesus Christ

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 he's got a superiority complex hasn't he

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 but that arrogance actually makes Nicodemus stupid

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 it makes him ignorant of the things that he should know about Jesus

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 Jesus says doesn't he later on in this chapter

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 how can you be the teacher of Israel and not know these things

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 John shows us here that it's not for lack of information that people don't see Jesus for who he is

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 or understand what he's come to do

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 it is fundamentally an attitude problem

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 it is a posture of certainty in our own inventions of Jesus Christ

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 that make people stupid as to who he really is

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 and we all do it don't we

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 there's a great episode of a TV show

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 called Undercover Bosses

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 where an overzealous factory manager

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 features in the show

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 and he is so sure that he knows who the new guy

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 in the forklift truck department is

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 he's just another lackey

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 who signed into the company a couple of weeks ago

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 we as the audience know that he's actually the CEO of the whole company

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 and he signed on to work undercover

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 and at one point the manager gets so annoyed with him

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 without realising it he fires his own boss

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 the reveal at the end is TV gold

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 you should watch it

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 your attitude is that natural pride of having Jesus nailed

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 isn't it

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 thinking we know who you are

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 but Nicodemus

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 you're only human

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 you're only human

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 and I know what's in humans

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 Jesus says

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 I know what's in man

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 and this is what you do

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 isn't it

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 with me

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 you can't believe

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 because you are blocked

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 by this natural

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 fallen human attitude to me

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 your natural assumptions

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 and your sense of certainty about me

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 that's the first thing

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 secondly

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 you can't believe

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 not only because of your natural attitude

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 but because of your natural human birth

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 you can't believe

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 because of your natural human birth

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 look at verse 3

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 Jesus answers him

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 truly truly

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 I say to you

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 unless one is born again

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 he cannot see the kingdom of God

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 Jesus is saying there isn't he

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 that true belief

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 and entry into God's kingdom

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 is more than natural human deduction

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 it's more than simply being impressed by Jesus

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 it's more than the belief

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 that you are competent to judge who Jesus is

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 true belief actually is not at all natural

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 it is entirely supernatural

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 Jesus describes it as being born

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 doesn't he

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 being born again

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 or above

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 what's he saying there

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 let me say that

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 if you hear that

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 and you haven't understood it

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 then you're halfway to understanding it

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 because what we're talking about here

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 are deeply mysterious things

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 in the work of God

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 we are walking here

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 right at the bounds of human language

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 so much so that John

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 in the original Greek

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 he has to use a word

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 that has two meanings

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 it can mean to be born from above

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 or to be born again

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 but if we can simplify it

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 Jesus shows Nicodemus

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 that true belief

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 is about something far deeper

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 than what you claim to know

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 and what you judge about Jesus

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 from your own experience

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 it is about something far more fundamental

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 to your identity in the first place

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 it's not about how you conceive of him

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 but how you are conceived

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 what matters in believing in the right way

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 is having the right birth

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 Jesus describes two kinds of birth

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 doesn't he

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 in verse 6

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 if you look there

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 born of the flesh

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 or born of the spirit

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 imagine your birth certificate

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 Jesus looks at your birth certificate

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 doesn't he

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 and with all the details on it

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 and next to your name

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 he sees only one of two possibilities

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 flesh birth

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 or spirit birth

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 they're Bible words

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 flesh

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 it just means

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 natural human birth

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 and spirit

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 is to do with God

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 isn't it

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 it's being born by God

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 conceived by God

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 in about an hour

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 if I go down to Buckingham Palace

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 after this talk

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 and I speak to the Queen's guards

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 at the gate

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 imagine it

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 and I could tell him

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 couldn't I

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 I want to come in

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 can you let me in

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 just me

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 I really want to sit in the royal suite

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 I want to be a royal

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 for the rest of my life

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 can you let me in

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 I really want a Range Rover

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 he'd say get lost

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 wouldn't he

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 don't waste my time

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 and I could say

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 well actually

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 don't you know who I am

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 I am a member of the royal family

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 Lord Robert

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 this is preposterous

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 let me in

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 to the palace

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 well what would he say

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 he would say

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 well show me your birth certificate

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 then

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 if you're conceived

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 by royal people

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 if it says

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 royal birth

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 on your birth certificate

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 then come in

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 to the kingdom

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 but if not

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 forget it

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 birth is everything

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 isn't it

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 when it comes to royal things

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 and when it comes to kingdoms

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 and when it comes to the kingdom of God

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 it's true

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 you can do all you like

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 to try and be royal

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 but without the right birth

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 you're not coming in

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 and the same goes for belief

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 that is why this passage is here

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 after the many

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 believe

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 it is explaining to us

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 what is going on here

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 it's the same

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 with belief

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 true belief

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 is like birth

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 in one sense

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 it is something

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 that you just

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 cannot do

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 by yourself

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 your first birth

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 you had no part in it

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 did you

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 you did nothing

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 really

00:16:15.920 --> 00:16:18.580
 you were a shriveled mess

00:16:18.580 --> 00:16:19.780
 of flailing limbs

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 you were so vulnerable

00:16:21.820 --> 00:16:23.000
 you were so weak

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 and it's the same

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 with belief

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 it's like being born

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 born again

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 and it must be done

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 by God

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 and God alone

00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:36.220
 you've got to be born

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 of the spirit

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 of God

00:16:38.019 --> 00:16:40.740
 really

00:16:40.740 --> 00:16:42.120
 the meeting of Nicodemus

00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:43.220
 is an exposition

00:16:43.220 --> 00:16:44.080
 of John

00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:45.419
 chapter 1

00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:46.240
 verse 12

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 to 13

00:16:47.059 --> 00:16:47.799
 do you remember that

00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:48.559
 John says

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 to all who did receive him

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 who believed in his name

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 there's that language again

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 he gave the right

00:16:54.899 --> 00:16:56.360
 to become children of God

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 and we're thinking

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 aren't we

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 well John

00:16:58.059 --> 00:17:00.019
 clarify what that means

00:17:00.019 --> 00:17:02.219
 believing in his name

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 what is that

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 and he does that

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 he said

00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:06.879
 people who believe

00:17:06.879 --> 00:17:07.460
 in his name

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 are people who are born

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 not of blood

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 nor of the will of flesh

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 nor of the will of man

00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:16.359
 but they are born of God

00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:17.299
 he says

00:17:17.299 --> 00:17:20.000
 true belief

00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:20.720
 in his name

00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:21.740
 is of God

00:17:21.740 --> 00:17:24.339
 it comes from him

00:17:24.339 --> 00:17:26.819
 to get it right

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 we've got to realise

00:17:27.819 --> 00:17:28.619
 we

00:17:28.619 --> 00:17:29.980
 can't

00:17:29.980 --> 00:17:30.859
 get it right

00:17:30.859 --> 00:17:33.500
 just as to be born

00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:33.960
 right

00:17:33.960 --> 00:17:35.039
 we don't

00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:35.619
 get it right

00:17:35.619 --> 00:17:36.099
 do we

00:17:36.099 --> 00:17:37.579
 that's the point

00:17:37.579 --> 00:17:40.440
 but here's the rub

00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:40.859
 with it

00:17:40.859 --> 00:17:43.000
 because it's the very

00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:44.460
 impossibility

00:17:44.460 --> 00:17:45.740
 of it for you

00:17:45.740 --> 00:17:46.559
 to do it

00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:48.240
 that will actually

00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:49.319
 lead you to the

00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:50.420
 possibility of it

00:17:50.420 --> 00:17:53.019
 once you grasp

00:17:53.019 --> 00:17:54.220
 that you cannot

00:17:54.220 --> 00:17:54.920
 do it

00:17:54.920 --> 00:17:57.500
 you will begin

00:17:57.500 --> 00:17:58.299
 to do it

00:17:58.299 --> 00:18:00.740
 as soon as you

00:18:00.740 --> 00:18:01.640
 start saying

00:18:01.640 --> 00:18:03.180
 I can't do this

00:18:03.180 --> 00:18:03.559
 Lord

00:18:03.559 --> 00:18:06.299
 I need your help

00:18:06.299 --> 00:18:07.860
 to get into the

00:18:07.860 --> 00:18:08.140
 kingdom

00:18:08.140 --> 00:18:10.319
 even to believe

00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:12.779
 when you think

00:18:12.779 --> 00:18:14.119
 you can't achieve

00:18:14.119 --> 00:18:15.019
 perfect belief

00:18:15.019 --> 00:18:15.460
 actually

00:18:15.460 --> 00:18:17.059
 you're well

00:18:17.059 --> 00:18:17.759
 on your way

00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:20.059
 the kind of

00:18:20.059 --> 00:18:20.779
 believing Jesus

00:18:20.779 --> 00:18:21.559
 is looking for

00:18:21.559 --> 00:18:22.519
 is the kind of

00:18:22.519 --> 00:18:23.079
 believing that

00:18:23.079 --> 00:18:24.579
 is only from God

00:18:24.579 --> 00:18:28.519
 I've spoken on

00:18:28.519 --> 00:18:29.439
 Nicodemus

00:18:29.439 --> 00:18:30.179
 on this passage

00:18:30.179 --> 00:18:31.019
 quite a few times

00:18:31.019 --> 00:18:31.480
 before

00:18:31.480 --> 00:18:32.559
 and because he's

00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:33.079
 religious

00:18:33.079 --> 00:18:34.119
 that's always

00:18:34.119 --> 00:18:35.200
 why I've gone to him

00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:36.240
 he's an easy target

00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:36.720
 isn't he

00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:38.480
 to kind of attack

00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:39.619
 religious people

00:18:39.619 --> 00:18:41.299
 John tells us

00:18:41.299 --> 00:18:41.899
 he's the ruler

00:18:41.899 --> 00:18:42.519
 of the Jews

00:18:42.519 --> 00:18:43.859
 but what I've

00:18:43.859 --> 00:18:44.519
 missed actually

00:18:44.519 --> 00:18:45.399
 until this week

00:18:45.399 --> 00:18:45.979
 is that

00:18:45.979 --> 00:18:47.459
 Nicodemus

00:18:47.459 --> 00:18:48.399
 is put here

00:18:48.399 --> 00:18:49.279
 not because of

00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:50.159
 what is unique

00:18:50.159 --> 00:18:50.539
 to him

00:18:50.539 --> 00:18:51.219
 as a religious

00:18:51.219 --> 00:18:51.959
 person

00:18:51.959 --> 00:18:53.679
 but actually

00:18:53.679 --> 00:18:54.659
 what is common

00:18:54.659 --> 00:18:55.279
 to him

00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:56.239
 as a man

00:18:56.239 --> 00:18:57.639
 as a human

00:18:57.639 --> 00:18:58.139
 being

00:18:58.139 --> 00:19:00.219
 you see

00:19:00.219 --> 00:19:00.579
 at the end

00:19:00.579 --> 00:19:01.819
 of chapter 2

00:19:01.819 --> 00:19:03.139
 verse 25

00:19:03.139 --> 00:19:03.619
 there

00:19:03.619 --> 00:19:05.299
 John ends

00:19:05.299 --> 00:19:06.000
 with the word

00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:06.779
 man

00:19:06.779 --> 00:19:07.539
 doesn't he

00:19:07.539 --> 00:19:09.440
 Jesus knew

00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:10.019
 what was in

00:19:10.019 --> 00:19:10.700
 man

00:19:10.700 --> 00:19:12.299
 and then

00:19:12.299 --> 00:19:13.039
 in the next

00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:14.220
 verse of chapter 3

00:19:14.220 --> 00:19:15.420
 he uses the same

00:19:15.420 --> 00:19:16.359
 word again

00:19:16.359 --> 00:19:18.420
 there was a man

00:19:18.420 --> 00:19:20.000
 of the Pharisees

00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:21.000
 named Nicodemus

00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:22.079
 and John

00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:23.240
 flows them together

00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:24.000
 if you've got a

00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:24.940
 title in your

00:19:24.940 --> 00:19:25.579
 Bibles at home

00:19:25.579 --> 00:19:26.079
 it might say

00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:26.680
 something like

00:19:26.680 --> 00:19:27.759
 you must be

00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:28.259
 born again

00:19:28.259 --> 00:19:29.200
 that's not part

00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:29.700
 of the original

00:19:29.700 --> 00:19:30.099
 text

00:19:30.099 --> 00:19:31.480
 get a black

00:19:31.480 --> 00:19:32.139
 permanent marker

00:19:32.139 --> 00:19:33.019
 and scrub it out

00:19:33.019 --> 00:19:34.399
 because the flow

00:19:34.399 --> 00:19:35.379
 between chapter 2

00:19:35.379 --> 00:19:35.740
 and 3

00:19:35.740 --> 00:19:36.920
 is so important

00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:37.340
 here

00:19:37.340 --> 00:19:38.960
 John flows

00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:39.620
 them together

00:19:39.620 --> 00:19:41.460
 he says

00:19:41.460 --> 00:19:42.600
 in chapter 2

00:19:42.600 --> 00:19:42.900
 doesn't he

00:19:42.900 --> 00:19:43.820
 Jesus knows

00:19:43.820 --> 00:19:44.560
 what was in

00:19:44.560 --> 00:19:45.000
 man

00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:46.759
 so let me

00:19:46.759 --> 00:19:47.220
 give you an

00:19:47.220 --> 00:19:48.019
 example of a

00:19:48.019 --> 00:19:48.440
 man

00:19:48.440 --> 00:19:49.840
 here is

00:19:49.840 --> 00:19:50.519
 Nicodemus

00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:52.940
 and so

00:19:52.940 --> 00:19:53.820
 by scrubbing

00:19:53.820 --> 00:19:54.300
 out the little

00:19:54.300 --> 00:19:54.980
 title in our

00:19:54.980 --> 00:19:55.360
 Bibles

00:19:55.360 --> 00:19:56.440
 we see

00:19:56.440 --> 00:19:57.120
 don't we

00:19:57.120 --> 00:19:59.279
 that Nicodemus

00:19:59.279 --> 00:20:00.140
 is just like

00:20:00.140 --> 00:20:00.900
 all of us

00:20:00.900 --> 00:20:02.980
 maybe his

00:20:02.980 --> 00:20:03.800
 religion makes

00:20:03.800 --> 00:20:04.420
 the point even

00:20:04.420 --> 00:20:05.080
 more strongly

00:20:05.080 --> 00:20:05.539
 doesn't it

00:20:05.539 --> 00:20:06.420
 that after all

00:20:06.420 --> 00:20:07.160
 all of that

00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:07.560
 religion

00:20:07.560 --> 00:20:08.200
 he's still

00:20:08.200 --> 00:20:09.100
 only human

00:20:09.100 --> 00:20:11.200
 underneath the

00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:11.900
 robes and all

00:20:11.900 --> 00:20:13.060
 the religiosity

00:20:13.060 --> 00:20:14.220
 he's just one

00:20:14.220 --> 00:20:15.600
 of the many

00:20:15.600 --> 00:20:18.019
 he's one like

00:20:18.019 --> 00:20:18.460
 us

00:20:18.460 --> 00:20:20.519
 and Jesus

00:20:20.519 --> 00:20:21.400
 knows what

00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:22.180
 is naturally

00:20:22.180 --> 00:20:23.120
 in us

00:20:23.120 --> 00:20:26.060
 it's wonderful

00:20:26.060 --> 00:20:27.000
 as you follow

00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:27.460
 the gospel

00:20:27.460 --> 00:20:28.460
 how Nicodemus

00:20:28.460 --> 00:20:28.940
 later

00:20:28.940 --> 00:20:30.600
 he stands up

00:20:30.600 --> 00:20:31.060
 for Jesus

00:20:31.060 --> 00:20:31.640
 doesn't he

00:20:31.640 --> 00:20:33.020
 in the Sanhedrin

00:20:33.020 --> 00:20:33.720
 in the court

00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:35.540
 he arranges

00:20:35.540 --> 00:20:36.300
 an honourable

00:20:36.300 --> 00:20:37.020
 burial for

00:20:37.020 --> 00:20:37.460
 Jesus

00:20:37.460 --> 00:20:38.540
 I think

00:20:38.540 --> 00:20:39.340
 Nicodemus

00:20:39.340 --> 00:20:40.500
 did believe

00:20:40.500 --> 00:20:42.320
 in the end

00:20:42.320 --> 00:20:44.280
 and perhaps

00:20:44.280 --> 00:20:44.920
 this was the

00:20:44.920 --> 00:20:45.620
 moment wasn't it

00:20:45.620 --> 00:20:45.940
 in this

00:20:45.940 --> 00:20:46.780
 conversation with

00:20:46.780 --> 00:20:47.320
 Jesus where

00:20:47.320 --> 00:20:48.180
 he stopped

00:20:48.180 --> 00:20:50.000
 bringing statements

00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:50.700
 to Jesus

00:20:50.700 --> 00:20:53.040
 and he started

00:20:53.040 --> 00:20:54.280
 asking questions

00:20:54.279 --> 00:20:57.339
 we like him

00:20:57.339 --> 00:20:57.799
 with this

00:20:57.799 --> 00:20:58.420
 superiority

00:20:58.420 --> 00:20:59.139
 complex

00:20:59.139 --> 00:20:59.779
 we make

00:20:59.779 --> 00:21:00.240
 ourselves

00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:00.740
 stupid

00:21:00.740 --> 00:21:01.500
 before Jesus

00:21:01.500 --> 00:21:03.339
 and we

00:21:03.339 --> 00:21:03.980
 kid ourselves

00:21:03.980 --> 00:21:04.359
 that we

00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:05.079
 can believe

00:21:05.079 --> 00:21:06.180
 by pure

00:21:06.180 --> 00:21:07.200
 human deduction

00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:08.200
 without God's

00:21:08.200 --> 00:21:09.019
 help at all

00:21:09.019 --> 00:21:11.859
 but we get it

00:21:11.859 --> 00:21:12.619
 right don't we

00:21:12.619 --> 00:21:13.440
 when we know

00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:14.599
 we can't

00:21:14.599 --> 00:21:15.319
 get it right

00:21:15.319 --> 00:21:17.240
 we're only

00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:17.700
 human

00:21:17.700 --> 00:21:19.859
 and we need

00:21:19.859 --> 00:21:20.639
 to be born

00:21:20.639 --> 00:21:21.639
 of God

00:21:21.640 --> 00:21:23.400
 born again

00:21:23.400 --> 00:21:25.460
 let's pray