WEBVTT

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 I would like you to turn in your Bibles this morning to John chapter 3.

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! And as we get started, I remind you that actually this morning you're going to be praying for several people.

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 One is for Caleb as he is ministering somewhere in New York.

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 I'm not persuaded where it is. I just know he's out there somewhere.

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 And God knows, and you just pray, and we're trusting that the Holy Spirit helps Caleb to preach with clarity,

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 with simplicity, and with passion that lifts up the glory of Christ in a very troubling environment.

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 And I want you to know that you are going to be part of kind of setting a milepost in Caleb's ministry and his life.

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 He will without question remember this Sunday.

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 And I want him to also remember what it is to preach with the prayers of people that are absent from him

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 and lifting him up before the throne that he can know what it is to do it under the power of the Spirit of God.

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 Well, if I would ask you to do that for Caleb, guess who else I'm going to plead for?

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 That's me.

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 I trust you'll do that.

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 John chapter 3, verse 1.

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 Now, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

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 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him,

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 Rabbi, we know that you're a teacher come from God,

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 for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.

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 Jesus answered him,

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 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

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 Nicodemus said to him,

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 How can a man be born when he's old?

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 Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?

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 Jesus answered,

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 Truly, truly, I say to you,

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 unless one is born of water and of the Spirit,

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 he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

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 Our Father,

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 for us this morning,

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 our prayer is a confession, first of all, of our own frailty and inadequacy,

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 a recognition that by our own enabling and our flesh,

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 there is nothing we can do that is of eternal significance.

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 And our desire is that this morning,

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 the Lord Jesus Christ,

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 who enjoys the worship of angels in heaven,

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 and someday of all the redeemed,

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 would be the one that is lifted up this morning by your Spirit.

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 We understand from John, as we will see later in our studies,

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 Lord willing,

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 that the ministry of the Spirit includes bringing attention to the Lord Jesus,

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 and we pray that you would do that today.

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 I pray, Father, for Caleb,

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 that today his preaching would be anointed and strengthened by the Spirit of God,

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 and that in retrospect, as he looks back,

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 he would say,

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 Wow, that was something that God did.

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 That people would come to Christ there in New York.

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 That people would have hearts that are comforted and encouraged,

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 but also convicted and sobered.

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 I pray, Lord, also for our fellowship this morning,

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 as we sit under the teaching of the Word of God,

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 that those who are here that do not know Christ

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 would be drawn by grace to see the absolute despair of their soul

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 and the inability they have of saving themselves.

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 Give to them a holy terror of what eternity without Christ will be,

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 and draw them to find in Jesus Christ the only hope

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 in this life and the life to come.

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 Amen.

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 Well, as we take this passage,

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 we are in our process of moving through the book of John,

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 and remember that John chapter 20, verse 31,

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 gives us a thematic overview of what this book is all about,

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 and it helps to remember.

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 It always helps to kind of have the central goal in mind

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 because we do have a tendency of kind of getting lost in the weeds.

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 Would you agree with me?

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 Sometimes caught up in all the little details,

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 and we forget the overarching theme.

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 It's important to remember,

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 this book was written to make it clear

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 from the evidence that is provided

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 that Jesus is the Son of God,

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 so that knowing that fact,

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 you may come to faith believing on Him

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 and have everlasting life.

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 As we have worked so far through the book,

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 we've kind of come through that opening statement

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 in the prelude in which we are reminded

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 that Jesus indeed is the Son of God,

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 the Creator of the universe,

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 and the One who by all things were made,

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 and the One who is the light and the life of God.

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 We've also seen the reminder of the impact

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 that He had at the very start,

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 doing a very kind of small little miracle

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 in a wedding in which He turned the water into wine.

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 Later, we find that as you work your way through

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 cleansing the temple,

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 and subsequent to that,

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 there were a lot of people that they believed in Him,

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 they believed in the evidence that He was providing,

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 but their belief was not a belief

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 that drew them to genuine conversion and faith.

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 And so it makes sense that as we are working our way

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 through the book of John,

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 on the heels of the statement that we have in John chapter 2,

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 that there were a lot of people that believed,

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 but it really didn't do anything,

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 we now come to a very interesting little picture

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 about what saving faith really comes down to be.

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 And as we open our passage this morning,

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 we find Nicodemus,

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 and I would say that probably John chapter 3

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 is one of those famous chapters in the Bible.

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 Most everybody knows John 3, 16.

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 You've got that one.

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 And we know the story of Nicodemus,

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 kind of the background to what that little verse is all about.

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 As you look here,

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 you find Nicodemus coming to Jesus,

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 and in essence,

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 what you're coming to grips with

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 is a guy who had an empty heart.

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 He had an empty heart.

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 That's what we're looking at.

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 It tells us here that Nicodemus,

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 the ruler of the Jews,

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 he came to Jesus by night,

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 and he said,

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 hey, we know that you're a teacher come from God

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 because no one could do these signs that you do

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 unless God is with him.

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 As we kind of step back a little bit

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 to understand the context of this,

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 I want you to understand

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 that at the heart of all the religions of the world,

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 all the systems of faith in the world,

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 there are only two basic concepts.

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 You've heard me say this,

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 but I want to drive it home

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 because it has bearing on our lesson this morning.

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 One system of belief

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 is of the persuasion

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 that men by their effort

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 may work their way up the ladder into heaven.

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 And we bump into those people all the time, don't we?

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 We say, so what gives you confidence

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 that you're going to be in heaven?

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 Well, I'm a pretty good person.

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 Or on the other side,

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 we have those people who say,

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 well, I'm not really sure.

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 I'm hoping that my good outweighs my bad.

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 Or you have people say,

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 well, I hope God grades on the curve.

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 And whatever you're dealing with there,

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 you're listening to someone who has the idea

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 that salvation really must be something

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 that comes about because of human effort.

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 On the other hand,

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 the Bible teaches us clearly

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 that salvation is not something that happens

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 because of human effort.

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 It is clear in the Scripture

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 that salvation happens

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 because of God's grace in His ministry

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 in the lives of broken and ruined sinners.

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 How do people come to Christ?

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 By the way,

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 how many of you know that the name Jesus

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 actually tells you the fact

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 about how salvation happens?

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 Jesus means what?

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 Jehovah is salvation.

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 It doesn't say that Jehovah helps with salvation.

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 It says, hey, salvation is something God does.

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 And so as we deal with Nicodemus,

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 as we open up this passage,

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 we find here a man that,

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 driven by the emptiness of his heart,

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 he comes to Jesus.

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 And I want you to understand something

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 about Nicodemus that we know

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 from the very beginning.

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 This man was very serious about doing his best.

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 He wasn't one of those guys

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 that really wasn't all that interested

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 in how his performance was.

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 He was a guy who checked on his grades all the time.

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 How many of you remember people like that in school?

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 They bothered me marginally.

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 What I mean by that is that,

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 well, I figured they were just

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 in a different parallel universe

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 and I wasn't all that concerned about them,

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 but I did.

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 Well, I have a 98 in math.

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 What does that look like?

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 You know, it's like, forget that one.

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 Nicodemus was really all over how he was doing.

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 He was a very religious

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 and very conscientious person.

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 And we know that because he was a Pharisee.

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 That's what it tells us.

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 Now, we use the term Pharisee

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 kind of as a little dig at somebody.

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 Oh, you're a Pharisee.

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 I want you to understand

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 that the Pharisees were pretty serious people

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 about religion and behavior.

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 They were people who had

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 all different kinds of rules

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 about how to keep the Sabbath.

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 And one that I found most interesting was,

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 here's the deal.

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 If a chicken laid an egg on the Sabbath,

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 I'm serious,

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 you were allowed to eat that egg

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 so long as you planned

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 to execute the chicken the next day

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 for breaking the Sabbath.

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 Now, the logic is just irrefutable.

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 You follow that, don't you?

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 Let me say it again so you get it.

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 If a chicken laid an egg on the Sabbath,

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 you were allowed to execute that chicken

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 and eat that chicken.

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 Now, how did you eat chicken

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 if you didn't cook it?

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 I haven't figured that one out.

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 But they were, okay,

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 you could kill, you could eat the egg.

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 I don't know, forget it.

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 Anyway, here's the deal.

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 You were allowed to have that egg

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 so long as the chicken

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 was going to be slaughtered

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 the next day for breaking the Sabbath.

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 Do you understand?

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 If you were to go to the web today,

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 and I did this earlier in the last week,

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 I went to the web

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 and kind of checked on

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 what kind of rules would be affecting me

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 if I were a Jew today.

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 And here's the deal.

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 If you are an Orthodox,

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 a practicing Jew,

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 serious about keeping the Sabbath,

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 and you turn a light switch on,

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 on the Sabbath,

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 you're not allowed to turn it off.

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 Got that?

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 You may not cook.

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 You may not turn on electricity.

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 And so one of the things

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 that a lot of times

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 would happen in a Jewish home

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 is that come around

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 about Friday evening,

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 just at the right time,

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 they'd go through the house

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 and flick on the lights

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 that they wanted on

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 for their next 24 hours.

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 And they would leave them on.

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 So when you go to sleep at night,

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 guess what you do?

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 How many of you sleep

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 with those things over your eyes

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 so that you pretend that it's dark?

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 There are lots of little rules

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 that go with,

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 you cannot drive a car

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 to the synagogue.

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 And so how many of you

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 have been in Cleveland

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 and see the herd of them,

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 the large group of them

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 walking towards the synagogue?

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 The reason they're doing it

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 is that they're not allowed.

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 Driving burns gasoline

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 and anything that involves fire

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 is wrong.

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 The Pharisees were very,

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 very, very particular

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 about keeping all the rules.

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 And it tells us here

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 that Nicodemus,

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 a Pharisee,

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 was a ruler of the Jews.

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 What that means

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 is that he had kind of

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 worked to the top

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 of the food chain.

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 Furthermore,

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 we understand

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 that being a ruler

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 of the Jews

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 meant that he was

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 one of the Sanhedrin,

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 the 70,

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 that were involved

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 in making kind of legal

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 and cultural decisions

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 for the Jewish nation.

00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:39.559
 He was at the top of it.

00:12:39.559 --> 00:12:41.679
 His spiritual

00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:43.939
 or his religious discipline

00:12:43.939 --> 00:12:46.079
 was so well-regulated

00:12:46.079 --> 00:12:46.899
 that other people

00:12:46.899 --> 00:12:47.799
 paid attention to him

00:12:47.799 --> 00:12:48.039
 and said,

00:12:48.139 --> 00:12:49.839
 hey, Nicodemus is a model.

00:12:49.979 --> 00:12:50.839
 That's what you're supposed

00:12:50.839 --> 00:12:51.579
 to be like.

00:12:53.119 --> 00:12:54.939
 Now, when you look

00:12:54.939 --> 00:12:57.559
 in John chapter 7, verse 50,

00:12:57.559 --> 00:12:58.459
 where it tells us

00:12:58.459 --> 00:12:59.500
 that he was part

00:12:59.500 --> 00:13:00.399
 of the Sanhedrin,

00:13:01.219 --> 00:13:02.419
 we get the idea

00:13:02.419 --> 00:13:04.119
 that he was at least

00:13:04.119 --> 00:13:05.239
 willing to stand up

00:13:05.239 --> 00:13:06.219
 for what he understood

00:13:06.219 --> 00:13:07.419
 about the truth

00:13:07.419 --> 00:13:08.879
 and he appealed

00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:10.259
 that Jesus

00:13:10.259 --> 00:13:11.399
 should not be judged

00:13:11.399 --> 00:13:12.679
 prematurely,

00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:13.580
 but on the basis

00:13:13.580 --> 00:13:14.439
 of what he actually

00:13:14.439 --> 00:13:15.000
 had done.

00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:16.559
 So I want you

00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:17.039
 to understand

00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:17.879
 that Nicodemus,

00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:19.120
 as we think about this guy,

00:13:19.179 --> 00:13:20.059
 was a guy who had worked

00:13:20.059 --> 00:13:21.379
 very hard for a long time

00:13:21.379 --> 00:13:23.559
 and he was top in.

00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:26.500
 Despite being respected

00:13:26.500 --> 00:13:27.179
 by everybody

00:13:27.179 --> 00:13:28.220
 that he was around,

00:13:29.620 --> 00:13:30.299
 Nicodemus

00:13:30.299 --> 00:13:32.899
 was really not satisfied.

00:13:33.820 --> 00:13:34.840
 How do we know that?

00:13:34.840 --> 00:13:37.379
 We know that because

00:13:37.379 --> 00:13:39.019
 Nicodemus came to Jesus

00:13:39.019 --> 00:13:39.940
 and he came,

00:13:40.139 --> 00:13:40.700
 in essence,

00:13:41.220 --> 00:13:42.660
 asking a question

00:13:42.660 --> 00:13:44.460
 about spiritual issues.

00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:45.920
 And we know that

00:13:45.920 --> 00:13:47.220
 he asked that question

00:13:47.220 --> 00:13:48.120
 because Jesus,

00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:49.800
 as we saw in

00:13:49.800 --> 00:13:51.320
 the previous verses

00:13:51.320 --> 00:13:52.960
 in John chapter 2,

00:13:53.460 --> 00:13:54.980
 understanding the heart of man,

00:13:55.060 --> 00:13:55.980
 he knew what was really

00:13:55.980 --> 00:13:57.000
 going on inside.

00:13:58.019 --> 00:13:58.800
 And so I want you

00:13:58.800 --> 00:13:59.759
 to recognize that

00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:01.540
 even though Nicodemus

00:14:01.540 --> 00:14:02.720
 had all these benefits

00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:04.519
 and accolades

00:14:04.519 --> 00:14:05.420
 and he was accepted

00:14:05.420 --> 00:14:06.120
 by the culture

00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:06.779
 that he was in,

00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:09.000
 he sensed his loss

00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:10.639
 and he came to Jesus

00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:11.920
 looking for spiritual help.

00:14:12.560 --> 00:14:13.519
 That's why he was there.

00:14:14.820 --> 00:14:16.060
 Some have made

00:14:16.060 --> 00:14:17.139
 quite a bit

00:14:17.139 --> 00:14:17.800
 out of the fact

00:14:17.800 --> 00:14:19.540
 that Nicodemus

00:14:19.540 --> 00:14:20.259
 came to Jesus

00:14:20.259 --> 00:14:21.000
 at night.

00:14:22.340 --> 00:14:23.420
 And I do want to take

00:14:23.420 --> 00:14:23.899
 just a minute

00:14:23.899 --> 00:14:24.860
 and explain something.

00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:26.259
 If the Bible

00:14:26.259 --> 00:14:27.620
 doesn't tell us

00:14:27.620 --> 00:14:29.620
 something,

00:14:29.620 --> 00:14:31.539
 we are doing

00:14:31.539 --> 00:14:32.500
 no more than

00:14:32.500 --> 00:14:33.440
 mere speculation

00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:34.960
 if we try to figure out

00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:35.899
 why he came

00:14:35.899 --> 00:14:36.840
 to Jesus at night.

00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:37.240
 How many of you

00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:38.240
 understand what I just said?

00:14:38.700 --> 00:14:39.899
 If we don't have

00:14:39.899 --> 00:14:41.679
 the clear evidence,

00:14:43.159 --> 00:14:43.580
 speculation

00:14:43.580 --> 00:14:45.360
 is just that.

00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:46.240
 In fact,

00:14:46.360 --> 00:14:47.639
 speculation sometimes

00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:48.560
 when it is declared

00:14:48.560 --> 00:14:49.200
 to be fact

00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:50.759
 can become frustrating

00:14:50.759 --> 00:14:51.480
 and confusing

00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:52.299
 and misleading.

00:14:53.560 --> 00:14:54.240
 Truth of the matter

00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:55.360
 is we don't know

00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:56.299
 why Nicodemus

00:14:56.299 --> 00:14:56.960
 came to Jesus

00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:57.480
 at night.

00:14:57.740 --> 00:14:58.460
 He could have had

00:14:58.460 --> 00:14:59.420
 a long work day.

00:15:00.700 --> 00:15:02.360
 Or whatever the reason,

00:15:02.440 --> 00:15:03.280
 we just find that

00:15:03.280 --> 00:15:04.019
 there he was

00:15:04.019 --> 00:15:05.000
 in front of Jesus

00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:06.160
 and he was coming

00:15:06.160 --> 00:15:06.720
 to Jesus

00:15:06.720 --> 00:15:08.220
 because he recognized

00:15:08.220 --> 00:15:09.540
 that Jesus

00:15:09.540 --> 00:15:11.259
 was a source

00:15:11.259 --> 00:15:12.840
 of spiritual insight.

00:15:13.060 --> 00:15:14.100
 And how do we know that?

00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:15.900
 We know

00:15:15.900 --> 00:15:17.780
 that you are a teacher

00:15:17.780 --> 00:15:19.540
 come from God.

00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:20.620
 And how do we know

00:15:20.620 --> 00:15:21.240
 that you're a teacher

00:15:21.240 --> 00:15:21.940
 come from God?

00:15:22.160 --> 00:15:23.460
 Because no one

00:15:23.460 --> 00:15:25.000
 can do these signs

00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:25.960
 that you do

00:15:25.960 --> 00:15:27.120
 unless God

00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:27.800
 is with him.

00:15:28.460 --> 00:15:29.720
 He recognized

00:15:29.720 --> 00:15:31.540
 the evidence

00:15:31.540 --> 00:15:32.400
 that Jesus'

00:15:32.740 --> 00:15:34.600
 signs provided.

00:15:35.639 --> 00:15:36.540
 I've got to tell you

00:15:36.540 --> 00:15:37.580
 something about Nicodemus.

00:15:37.639 --> 00:15:38.379
 I respect him

00:15:38.379 --> 00:15:40.460
 because he

00:15:40.460 --> 00:15:41.180
 was willing

00:15:41.180 --> 00:15:42.000
 to recognize

00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:42.680
 the emptiness

00:15:42.680 --> 00:15:43.540
 of his soul

00:15:43.540 --> 00:15:44.840
 and he was willing

00:15:44.840 --> 00:15:45.700
 to do something

00:15:45.700 --> 00:15:46.240
 about it

00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:46.860
 at least

00:15:46.860 --> 00:15:48.160
 in asking questions.

00:15:49.160 --> 00:15:50.540
 Do you understand that?

00:15:51.639 --> 00:15:52.940
 It's one thing

00:15:52.940 --> 00:15:54.000
 to be convicted

00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:55.280
 about things

00:15:55.280 --> 00:15:55.980
 that are going on

00:15:55.980 --> 00:15:56.560
 in your life

00:15:56.559 --> 00:15:57.539
 and not do

00:15:57.539 --> 00:15:58.399
 anything about it.

00:15:58.519 --> 00:16:00.279
 That's wrong.

00:16:01.339 --> 00:16:02.459
 Here was Nicodemus.

00:16:02.579 --> 00:16:03.539
 He was convicted.

00:16:03.959 --> 00:16:04.519
 He sensed

00:16:04.519 --> 00:16:05.019
 the emptiness

00:16:05.019 --> 00:16:05.799
 of his heart.

00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:06.939
 He recognized

00:16:06.939 --> 00:16:07.599
 that even though

00:16:07.599 --> 00:16:09.039
 he was at the top

00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:10.139
 of other people's opinions,

00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:11.779
 he really wasn't

00:16:11.779 --> 00:16:12.539
 inside

00:16:12.539 --> 00:16:13.519
 what he needed

00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:14.399
 to be spiritually

00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:15.959
 and there was a vacuum

00:16:15.959 --> 00:16:16.959
 and there was an emptiness.

00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:17.180
 emptiness.

00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:21.280
 So I've got to tell you

00:16:21.280 --> 00:16:22.019
 if you're sitting here

00:16:22.019 --> 00:16:22.620
 this morning

00:16:22.620 --> 00:16:25.300
 and you have

00:16:25.300 --> 00:16:25.720
 an emptiness

00:16:25.720 --> 00:16:26.580
 in your soul,

00:16:27.580 --> 00:16:29.000
 if you have

00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:30.019
 a secret sense

00:16:30.019 --> 00:16:30.740
 of the darkness

00:16:30.740 --> 00:16:31.700
 of your heart,

00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:33.620
 if you have

00:16:33.620 --> 00:16:34.680
 no confidence

00:16:34.680 --> 00:16:35.519
 about where

00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:36.620
 your eternity

00:16:36.620 --> 00:16:37.580
 will be spent

00:16:37.580 --> 00:16:38.460
 and you are

00:16:38.460 --> 00:16:39.639
 struggling this morning

00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:40.840
 with the reality

00:16:40.840 --> 00:16:41.620
 of the burden

00:16:41.620 --> 00:16:42.759
 of sin in your life,

00:16:42.920 --> 00:16:43.780
 I would appeal

00:16:43.780 --> 00:16:44.060
 to you,

00:16:44.100 --> 00:16:44.580
 at least do

00:16:44.580 --> 00:16:45.600
 what Nicodemus did,

00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:47.120
 go find Jesus.

00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:49.820
 To sit there

00:16:49.820 --> 00:16:51.200
 in the sourness

00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:51.820
 and the bitterness

00:16:51.820 --> 00:16:52.940
 and the hopelessness

00:16:52.940 --> 00:16:53.700
 and the despair

00:16:53.700 --> 00:16:54.879
 of your heart

00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:56.680
 that is at this moment

00:16:56.680 --> 00:16:58.220
 under the convicting power

00:16:58.220 --> 00:16:59.240
 of the Spirit of God

00:16:59.240 --> 00:17:00.200
 is wrong.

00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:00.879
 Do something.

00:17:03.060 --> 00:17:04.120
 I appreciate the fact

00:17:04.120 --> 00:17:04.819
 that Nicodemus

00:17:04.819 --> 00:17:06.059
 was willing to confess

00:17:06.059 --> 00:17:06.900
 that he had

00:17:06.900 --> 00:17:07.940
 a spiritual problem

00:17:07.940 --> 00:17:09.799
 and it was one

00:17:09.799 --> 00:17:10.640
 he couldn't fix.

00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:13.279
 And so I would plead

00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:14.180
 with you this morning

00:17:14.180 --> 00:17:14.980
 as you sit here,

00:17:14.980 --> 00:17:16.059
 if you are here today

00:17:16.059 --> 00:17:17.839
 and there is a spiritual issue

00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:18.779
 going in your life

00:17:18.779 --> 00:17:19.640
 and you recognize

00:17:19.640 --> 00:17:20.779
 it's not something

00:17:20.779 --> 00:17:21.579
 you can solve,

00:17:21.819 --> 00:17:22.779
 at least be humble

00:17:22.779 --> 00:17:24.819
 and humble yourself

00:17:24.819 --> 00:17:25.740
 and come to him

00:17:25.740 --> 00:17:26.400
 and ask for help.

00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:27.480
 Jesus, I need help.

00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:30.440
 Let's look at a second thing

00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:30.880
 this morning

00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:31.900
 as we look at the passage

00:17:31.900 --> 00:17:32.839
 and recognize

00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:33.819
 the divine remedy.

00:17:35.860 --> 00:17:36.220
 Jesus,

00:17:36.680 --> 00:17:38.099
 having Nicodemus

00:17:38.099 --> 00:17:38.799
 come to him

00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:39.279
 and says,

00:17:39.420 --> 00:17:39.980
 hey, listen,

00:17:40.420 --> 00:17:40.960
 you're a teacher

00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:41.759
 come from God

00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:42.299
 and I know it

00:17:42.299 --> 00:17:43.279
 because of these signs.

00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:45.099
 Instead of Jesus saying,

00:17:45.220 --> 00:17:45.720
 well, you know what?

00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:46.720
 I'm glad you picked up

00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:47.460
 on those things.

00:17:49.980 --> 00:17:51.639
 Jesus doesn't respond

00:17:51.639 --> 00:17:54.399
 according to the input

00:17:54.399 --> 00:17:56.139
 or the comments

00:17:56.139 --> 00:17:58.059
 that Nicodemus brought.

00:17:58.839 --> 00:17:59.579
 In fact,

00:17:59.639 --> 00:18:00.599
 what we have him do

00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:01.420
 is go on a completely

00:18:01.420 --> 00:18:02.139
 different tack

00:18:02.139 --> 00:18:04.160
 and Nicodemus

00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:04.700
 didn't pose

00:18:04.700 --> 00:18:05.759
 their actual question

00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:06.720
 but we find that

00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:08.059
 Jesus addressed it

00:18:08.059 --> 00:18:08.920
 quite clearly.

00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:10.240
 You see,

00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:11.339
 Jesus cut to the heart

00:18:11.339 --> 00:18:12.660
 of Nicodemus' concern

00:18:12.660 --> 00:18:13.519
 because what he said

00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:14.039
 was this

00:18:14.039 --> 00:18:15.740
 and allow a little bit

00:18:15.740 --> 00:18:16.339
 of liberty here

00:18:16.339 --> 00:18:17.319
 as I kind of reverse

00:18:17.319 --> 00:18:17.920
 the order here

00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:18.700
 for you to think about.

00:18:19.500 --> 00:18:20.740
 Here's what Jesus said

00:18:20.740 --> 00:18:21.160
 in essence

00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:22.460
 as you look at verse 4

00:18:22.460 --> 00:18:23.279
 or 5.

00:18:25.059 --> 00:18:26.079
 You're not going to heaven

00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:28.380
 unless you start over

00:18:28.380 --> 00:18:29.319
 by being born again

00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:30.019
 and that's a fact.

00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:32.799
 You're not going to heaven

00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:35.039
 unless you start over again

00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:36.000
 by being born again

00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:37.059
 and that's a fact.

00:18:37.059 --> 00:18:40.399
 Look at the verse.

00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:42.019
 Truly, truly,

00:18:42.220 --> 00:18:43.599
 that's the fact part, right?

00:18:44.039 --> 00:18:45.799
 Anytime the teacher

00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:46.759
 in your class

00:18:46.759 --> 00:18:47.319
 would say

00:18:47.319 --> 00:18:48.819
 this is important,

00:18:49.619 --> 00:18:51.139
 even the average scholar

00:18:51.139 --> 00:18:51.779
 does what

00:18:51.779 --> 00:18:52.700
 with that information?

00:18:52.839 --> 00:18:53.460
 What did you do?

00:18:54.220 --> 00:18:56.179
 You do a circle around it

00:18:56.179 --> 00:18:56.679
 and you said

00:18:56.679 --> 00:18:58.460
 this will be on the,

00:18:58.599 --> 00:18:59.279
 on what?

00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:00.679
 The test.

00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:02.379
 You paid attention.

00:19:02.579 --> 00:19:04.059
 So when Jesus said

00:19:04.059 --> 00:19:04.779
 truly, truly,

00:19:04.899 --> 00:19:05.759
 that was like saying

00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:07.799
 this is, get this.

00:19:08.339 --> 00:19:09.220
 This is important.

00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:10.799
 This is very important.

00:19:12.119 --> 00:19:13.480
 And so as you stop

00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:14.759
 and look at this statement,

00:19:14.940 --> 00:19:15.960
 Jesus makes it clear

00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:17.180
 what I'm going to say next

00:19:17.180 --> 00:19:18.519
 is significant

00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:19.960
 and you'd better tune up

00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:20.579
 and pay attention.

00:19:21.660 --> 00:19:22.079
 Secondly,

00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:22.779
 he makes that very

00:19:22.779 --> 00:19:23.640
 interesting statement,

00:19:23.779 --> 00:19:25.119
 you must be born again.

00:19:26.279 --> 00:19:27.240
 The Greek word

00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:28.000
 that is used there

00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:28.680
 in verse 3

00:19:28.680 --> 00:19:29.259
 and I'm not going to

00:19:29.259 --> 00:19:30.240
 belabor the point here

00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:31.160
 but it could be taken

00:19:31.160 --> 00:19:32.160
 two different ways

00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:33.339
 neither of which

00:19:33.339 --> 00:19:34.680
 changed the meaning of it

00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:36.960
 and both actually help

00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:38.320
 drive a point home.

00:19:39.140 --> 00:19:39.580
 For one,

00:19:39.720 --> 00:19:40.480
 that word again

00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:42.299
 can mean to do again,

00:19:42.560 --> 00:19:43.200
 second time,

00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:44.240
 over again.

00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:46.259
 It could also mean

00:19:46.259 --> 00:19:47.180
 from above.

00:19:48.019 --> 00:19:49.519
 And in both cases,

00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:50.620
 the issue is that

00:19:50.620 --> 00:19:52.440
 something pretty dramatic

00:19:52.440 --> 00:19:53.820
 needs to take place

00:19:53.820 --> 00:19:55.500
 in the life of the person

00:19:55.500 --> 00:19:56.779
 who is concerned about

00:19:56.779 --> 00:19:57.420
 what's happening

00:19:57.420 --> 00:19:58.600
 in their life spiritually.

00:19:58.599 --> 00:20:01.579
 There are some of you

00:20:01.579 --> 00:20:02.480
 sitting here this morning

00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:04.699
 that the truth of the matter

00:20:04.699 --> 00:20:05.659
 is you've not believed

00:20:05.659 --> 00:20:06.459
 in Jesus Christ

00:20:06.459 --> 00:20:07.079
 as your Savior.

00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:09.899
 You've never come to faith

00:20:09.899 --> 00:20:13.439
 and you have sat

00:20:13.439 --> 00:20:14.059
 and listened

00:20:14.059 --> 00:20:14.759
 to the preaching

00:20:14.759 --> 00:20:15.559
 and the announcement

00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:16.679
 of the word of God

00:20:16.679 --> 00:20:18.539
 and the undeniable declaration

00:20:18.539 --> 00:20:20.359
 that this is indeed

00:20:20.359 --> 00:20:21.179
 the Son of God

00:20:21.179 --> 00:20:22.039
 who's come into the world

00:20:22.039 --> 00:20:22.839
 to save sinners

00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:25.179
 and in practical terms

00:20:25.179 --> 00:20:26.419
 as you sit there

00:20:26.420 --> 00:20:28.019
 and refuse that truth.

00:20:28.360 --> 00:20:28.880
 In essence,

00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:29.660
 what you're saying

00:20:29.660 --> 00:20:31.160
 is Jesus is a liar

00:20:31.160 --> 00:20:32.620
 because what he says

00:20:32.620 --> 00:20:33.300
 about himself

00:20:33.300 --> 00:20:34.380
 is not true.

00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:38.660
 It is a weighty moment

00:20:38.660 --> 00:20:40.240
 to realize

00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:41.279
 that Jesus puts us

00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:41.980
 on the spot

00:20:41.980 --> 00:20:43.259
 of saying yes or no

00:20:43.259 --> 00:20:43.900
 to who he is

00:20:43.900 --> 00:20:44.860
 and what he's here to do.

00:20:45.420 --> 00:20:46.060
 And it's appropriate

00:20:46.060 --> 00:20:46.960
 to understand that.

00:20:47.340 --> 00:20:48.380
 Jesus cuts right to it.

00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:48.680
 He says,

00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:49.019
 listen,

00:20:49.140 --> 00:20:50.100
 let me tell you something.

00:20:50.600 --> 00:20:51.740
 Unless you're born again,

00:20:51.860 --> 00:20:52.900
 you cannot see

00:20:52.900 --> 00:20:54.200
 the kingdom of God.

00:20:54.200 --> 00:20:56.319
 Furthermore,

00:20:57.360 --> 00:20:59.279
 apart from the new birth,

00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:00.340
 in essence,

00:21:00.460 --> 00:21:01.019
 what he is saying

00:21:01.019 --> 00:21:02.120
 is no one's going to heaven.

00:21:03.299 --> 00:21:04.700
 Apart from the new birth,

00:21:04.980 --> 00:21:06.759
 no one is going to heaven.

00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:10.759
 I am stunned today

00:21:10.759 --> 00:21:13.299
 by the number of people

00:21:13.299 --> 00:21:14.299
 that I bump into

00:21:14.299 --> 00:21:15.160
 that are professing

00:21:15.160 --> 00:21:16.240
 evangelical Christians

00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:16.920
 and what I mean

00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:18.120
 by that mouthful

00:21:18.120 --> 00:21:18.720
 is there are people

00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:19.140
 who say,

00:21:19.580 --> 00:21:19.660
 well,

00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:20.519
 Jesus is the pretty

00:21:20.519 --> 00:21:21.340
 important guy

00:21:21.340 --> 00:21:22.759
 and I kind of believe

00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:23.900
 what the Bible says

00:21:23.900 --> 00:21:25.700
 but I don't believe

00:21:25.700 --> 00:21:26.519
 in hell.

00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:29.200
 I really think

00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:30.119
 that at the end of the day,

00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:30.819
 how many of you

00:21:30.819 --> 00:21:31.460
 heard the phrase

00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:32.160
 love wins?

00:21:33.740 --> 00:21:34.700
 I have someone

00:21:34.700 --> 00:21:35.660
 who I periodically

00:21:35.660 --> 00:21:36.619
 read their posts

00:21:36.619 --> 00:21:38.559
 and they keep on commenting

00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:39.480
 about love wins

00:21:39.480 --> 00:21:40.220
 and love wins

00:21:40.220 --> 00:21:40.980
 and love wins

00:21:40.980 --> 00:21:41.640
 and love wins

00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:42.240
 and the implication

00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:44.220
 is that at the end of the day

00:21:44.220 --> 00:21:45.400
 when it's all said and done

00:21:45.400 --> 00:21:46.720
 that God is not going

00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:48.099
 to send anybody to hell.

00:21:49.319 --> 00:21:50.059
 Let me help you

00:21:50.059 --> 00:21:50.779
 understand something.

00:21:50.779 --> 00:21:54.500
 The reason Christ Jesus

00:21:54.500 --> 00:21:55.579
 came into the world

00:21:55.579 --> 00:21:58.379
 was to satisfy

00:21:58.379 --> 00:22:00.359
 the debt

00:22:00.359 --> 00:22:01.139
 and the judgment

00:22:01.139 --> 00:22:02.480
 that sin has created

00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:04.700
 and the truth

00:22:04.700 --> 00:22:05.160
 of the matter

00:22:05.160 --> 00:22:06.759
 is that sin,

00:22:07.079 --> 00:22:07.759
 any sin,

00:22:07.980 --> 00:22:08.639
 every sin

00:22:08.639 --> 00:22:09.440
 that I commit

00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:10.319
 is against

00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:11.680
 a holy God

00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:13.440
 and His

00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:14.819
 infinite glory

00:22:14.819 --> 00:22:16.319
 makes even

00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:17.099
 the smallest

00:22:17.099 --> 00:22:18.279
 thing that I do

00:22:18.279 --> 00:22:20.079
 infinitely offensive.

00:22:20.779 --> 00:22:22.799
 And the satisfaction

00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:24.759
 for that infinite offense

00:22:24.759 --> 00:22:26.859
 is an infinite penalty.

00:22:28.059 --> 00:22:29.619
 And God sent His Son,

00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:31.019
 the Lord Jesus Christ,

00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:32.220
 to pay

00:22:32.220 --> 00:22:33.879
 that infinite price

00:22:33.879 --> 00:22:34.500
 by dying

00:22:34.500 --> 00:22:35.440
 in my place.

00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:37.879
 And so when

00:22:37.879 --> 00:22:38.920
 Jesus

00:22:38.920 --> 00:22:40.980
 said to Nicodemus,

00:22:41.139 --> 00:22:42.539
 you've got to be born again,

00:22:42.899 --> 00:22:43.819
 you have to understand

00:22:43.819 --> 00:22:44.519
 He was talking

00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:45.139
 to a person

00:22:45.139 --> 00:22:45.960
 who was at the top

00:22:45.960 --> 00:22:46.700
 of the food chain,

00:22:46.779 --> 00:22:47.299
 so to speak,

00:22:47.639 --> 00:22:48.379
 religiously

00:22:48.380 --> 00:22:50.540
 in Israel.

00:22:51.340 --> 00:22:52.420
 And in essence,

00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:54.300
 Jesus says to Nicodemus,

00:22:54.660 --> 00:22:54.960
 you,

00:22:55.460 --> 00:22:56.880
 who have your PhD

00:22:56.880 --> 00:22:57.780
 in religion,

00:22:58.040 --> 00:22:58.820
 have to start

00:22:58.820 --> 00:22:59.900
 all over again.

00:23:01.180 --> 00:23:02.380
 And Nicodemus says,

00:23:02.600 --> 00:23:02.920
 what?

00:23:04.660 --> 00:23:05.580
 Play out with

00:23:05.580 --> 00:23:06.340
 what He says here.

00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:07.480
 How can a man

00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:08.740
 be born when he's old?

00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:09.540
 Can he enter

00:23:09.540 --> 00:23:10.400
 a second time

00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:11.940
 into his mother's womb

00:23:11.940 --> 00:23:12.640
 and be born?

00:23:13.100 --> 00:23:13.880
 Some have

00:23:13.880 --> 00:23:14.900
 taken this

00:23:14.900 --> 00:23:15.380
 to mean

00:23:15.380 --> 00:23:16.700
 that Nicodemus

00:23:16.700 --> 00:23:17.200
 was kind of

00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:18.480
 being a little sarcastic

00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:19.380
 and taking

00:23:19.380 --> 00:23:20.259
 what Jesus said

00:23:20.259 --> 00:23:21.020
 and played it out

00:23:21.020 --> 00:23:21.460
 a little bit

00:23:21.460 --> 00:23:22.540
 with an edge.

00:23:22.780 --> 00:23:23.700
 I don't know

00:23:23.700 --> 00:23:24.360
 that at all.

00:23:25.560 --> 00:23:26.540
 I think Nicodemus

00:23:26.540 --> 00:23:27.540
 came with sincerity.

00:23:28.380 --> 00:23:29.420
 He took the information

00:23:29.420 --> 00:23:30.520
 that Jesus provided

00:23:30.520 --> 00:23:31.220
 and he was completely

00:23:31.220 --> 00:23:32.280
 blown away by it

00:23:32.280 --> 00:23:34.340
 because his mind

00:23:34.340 --> 00:23:35.240
 wasn't tracking

00:23:35.240 --> 00:23:36.500
 in that range.

00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:37.720
 It just wasn't there.

00:23:38.520 --> 00:23:39.340
 And so he asked

00:23:39.340 --> 00:23:40.420
 the obvious question,

00:23:40.740 --> 00:23:42.060
 how can that happen?

00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:44.280
 How can that happen?

00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:48.140
 Then in verse 5,

00:23:49.580 --> 00:23:50.300
 Jesus answered

00:23:50.300 --> 00:23:50.940
 and said to him,

00:23:51.080 --> 00:23:52.600
 truly, truly,

00:23:52.759 --> 00:23:53.420
 I say to you,

00:23:53.520 --> 00:23:55.140
 unless one is born again,

00:23:55.340 --> 00:23:55.860
 or I said,

00:23:56.280 --> 00:23:57.420
 sorry, verse 5,

00:23:57.780 --> 00:23:58.700
 unless one is born

00:23:58.700 --> 00:24:00.240
 of water and the spirit,

00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:01.620
 he cannot enter

00:24:01.620 --> 00:24:04.020
 the kingdom of God.

00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:05.160
 Now, so I want you

00:24:05.160 --> 00:24:05.680
 to understand

00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:06.560
 what's being said here.

00:24:06.700 --> 00:24:08.220
 Salvation cannot happen

00:24:08.220 --> 00:24:09.940
 apart from the

00:24:09.940 --> 00:24:11.740
 exclusive work of God.

00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:13.500
 It's very interesting

00:24:13.500 --> 00:24:14.000
 when you,

00:24:15.080 --> 00:24:15.640
 how many of you

00:24:15.640 --> 00:24:16.400
 understand what it is

00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:17.220
 to take a text

00:24:17.220 --> 00:24:17.860
 and preach what you

00:24:17.860 --> 00:24:18.360
 want to say?

00:24:19.580 --> 00:24:20.140
 Let me give you

00:24:20.140 --> 00:24:20.580
 an illustration.

00:24:21.500 --> 00:24:22.280
 Some have looked

00:24:22.280 --> 00:24:23.040
 at this passage

00:24:23.040 --> 00:24:24.440
 and thought

00:24:24.440 --> 00:24:25.080
 that it referred

00:24:25.080 --> 00:24:25.580
 to baptism.

00:24:25.800 --> 00:24:25.920
 I mean,

00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:26.860
 anytime you have water,

00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:27.520
 some people think

00:24:27.520 --> 00:24:28.200
 it means baptism.

00:24:29.960 --> 00:24:30.840
 I've heard the story

00:24:30.840 --> 00:24:31.360
 of a pastor

00:24:31.360 --> 00:24:31.900
 who was really

00:24:31.900 --> 00:24:32.420
 kind of big

00:24:32.420 --> 00:24:32.860
 on preaching

00:24:32.860 --> 00:24:33.440
 on baptism,

00:24:33.580 --> 00:24:34.120
 and one day,

00:24:34.300 --> 00:24:35.200
 he actually hit

00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:35.620
 a passage

00:24:35.620 --> 00:24:36.280
 where there was

00:24:36.280 --> 00:24:36.860
 no water

00:24:36.860 --> 00:24:37.520
 in any place

00:24:37.520 --> 00:24:38.020
 in the text,

00:24:38.019 --> 00:24:38.740
 and he says,

00:24:38.819 --> 00:24:39.400
 now some of you

00:24:39.400 --> 00:24:40.000
 may have noticed

00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:40.579
 this passage

00:24:40.579 --> 00:24:41.639
 does not refer

00:24:41.639 --> 00:24:42.019
 water.

00:24:42.139 --> 00:24:42.319
 He says,

00:24:42.359 --> 00:24:42.980
 that brings up

00:24:42.980 --> 00:24:43.460
 baptism.

00:24:44.740 --> 00:24:45.440
 Sometimes you want

00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:46.039
 to get wherever

00:24:46.039 --> 00:24:46.539
 you're going

00:24:46.539 --> 00:24:47.000
 to get where

00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:47.599
 you want to go.

00:24:48.440 --> 00:24:49.759
 And here is Jesus

00:24:49.759 --> 00:24:50.680
 making the statement,

00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:51.420
 you have to be born

00:24:51.420 --> 00:24:52.460
 of water and the spirit,

00:24:52.740 --> 00:24:53.480
 and I got to tell you,

00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:54.539
 it has nothing to do

00:24:54.539 --> 00:24:56.079
 with being born physically,

00:24:56.299 --> 00:24:57.180
 and it has nothing

00:24:57.180 --> 00:24:58.200
 to do with baptism.

00:24:59.519 --> 00:25:00.180
 How many of you

00:25:00.180 --> 00:25:00.859
 have study Bibles?

00:25:00.940 --> 00:25:01.359
 Raise your hand

00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:01.940
 and wave at me

00:25:01.940 --> 00:25:02.460
 so I can see

00:25:02.460 --> 00:25:03.079
 the study Bibles

00:25:03.079 --> 00:25:03.460
 out here.

00:25:03.779 --> 00:25:03.960
 Okay?

00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:05.519
 Study Bibles

00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:07.940
 are not bad tools.

00:25:09.799 --> 00:25:10.680
 One of the problems

00:25:10.680 --> 00:25:11.420
 with study Bibles

00:25:11.420 --> 00:25:11.980
 is that they don't

00:25:11.980 --> 00:25:12.920
 get everything right,

00:25:13.099 --> 00:25:14.319
 but it's a starting place.

00:25:15.799 --> 00:25:17.220
 The thing that is important

00:25:17.220 --> 00:25:18.779
 as we look at this passage

00:25:18.779 --> 00:25:19.759
 and we try to understand

00:25:19.759 --> 00:25:20.759
 what does Jesus mean

00:25:20.759 --> 00:25:21.599
 when he says water

00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:23.160
 and the spirit,

00:25:24.279 --> 00:25:25.920
 we have to remember

00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:28.139
 that the best thing

00:25:28.139 --> 00:25:29.440
 to help us understand

00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:30.000
 the Bible

00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:31.839
 is the Bible

00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:33.960
 and the enabling

00:25:33.960 --> 00:25:35.119
 of the spirit of God

00:25:35.119 --> 00:25:37.079
 and the context.

00:25:37.239 --> 00:25:38.139
 And by that I mean,

00:25:38.500 --> 00:25:40.079
 who was Jesus talking to?

00:25:40.159 --> 00:25:41.319
 He was talking to a guy

00:25:41.319 --> 00:25:42.379
 who had his PhD

00:25:42.379 --> 00:25:44.199
 in Old Testament theology

00:25:44.199 --> 00:25:45.439
 and knew the scriptures

00:25:45.439 --> 00:25:46.619
 backwards and forwards.

00:25:48.339 --> 00:25:49.039
 Later on,

00:25:49.099 --> 00:25:49.699
 he's going to say

00:25:49.699 --> 00:25:50.539
 to Nicodemus,

00:25:51.019 --> 00:25:53.279
 kind of a snort,

00:25:53.399 --> 00:25:53.500
 you know,

00:25:53.579 --> 00:25:54.500
 there's no snort

00:25:54.500 --> 00:25:54.939
 in the text

00:25:54.939 --> 00:25:55.639
 in case you're wondering,

00:25:56.079 --> 00:25:56.459
 but it's like,

00:25:56.619 --> 00:25:58.379
 don't you get it?

00:25:58.659 --> 00:25:59.439
 Are you a teacher

00:25:59.439 --> 00:25:59.939
 in Israel

00:25:59.939 --> 00:26:00.519
 and don't know

00:26:00.519 --> 00:26:00.979
 these things?

00:26:01.659 --> 00:26:02.899
 Jesus expected

00:26:02.899 --> 00:26:03.919
 Nicodemus

00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:04.920
 to understand

00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:05.840
 the Old Testament.

00:26:08.539 --> 00:26:09.100
 Clearly,

00:26:09.460 --> 00:26:10.660
 in Jewish thinking,

00:26:10.840 --> 00:26:12.100
 baptism at best

00:26:12.100 --> 00:26:14.000
 was not something

00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:14.960
 that saved.

00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:18.080
 Baptism was merely

00:26:18.080 --> 00:26:19.360
 an outward evidence

00:26:19.360 --> 00:26:20.039
 of something

00:26:20.039 --> 00:26:20.660
 happened,

00:26:20.880 --> 00:26:21.500
 that had happened

00:26:21.500 --> 00:26:22.019
 in the heart.

00:26:22.700 --> 00:26:23.180
 But,

00:26:23.259 --> 00:26:23.880
 if you will turn

00:26:23.880 --> 00:26:24.440
 in your Bible

00:26:24.440 --> 00:26:25.380
 over to Ezekiel

00:26:25.380 --> 00:26:26.660
 chapter 36,

00:26:27.460 --> 00:26:27.880
 by the way,

00:26:27.940 --> 00:26:28.380
 just notice,

00:26:28.539 --> 00:26:29.440
 some of you may have

00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:30.860
 cross-references

00:26:30.859 --> 00:26:31.699
 over in the margin

00:26:31.699 --> 00:26:32.179
 that says,

00:26:32.419 --> 00:26:33.279
 go to Ezekiel

00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:34.079
 chapter 36.

00:26:34.399 --> 00:26:35.279
 And in this case,

00:26:35.399 --> 00:26:35.799
 go there.

00:26:37.659 --> 00:26:38.139
 Ezekiel

00:26:38.139 --> 00:26:41.159
 chapter 36,

00:26:42.159 --> 00:26:46.059
 and we're going

00:26:46.059 --> 00:26:46.619
 to look at

00:26:46.619 --> 00:26:48.139
 verse 25-27.

00:26:50.099 --> 00:26:51.299
 What does the water

00:26:51.299 --> 00:26:52.099
 refer to?

00:26:52.099 --> 00:26:54.959
 I will sprinkle

00:26:54.959 --> 00:26:55.740
 clean water

00:26:55.740 --> 00:26:56.240
 on you,

00:26:56.319 --> 00:26:56.839
 and you shall be

00:26:56.839 --> 00:26:57.519
 clean from all

00:26:57.519 --> 00:26:58.480
 your uncleanliness

00:26:58.480 --> 00:26:59.599
 and from your

00:26:59.599 --> 00:27:00.000
 idols.

00:27:00.159 --> 00:27:00.819
 I will cleanse

00:27:00.819 --> 00:27:01.059
 you,

00:27:01.419 --> 00:27:02.279
 and I will give

00:27:02.279 --> 00:27:02.939
 you a new heart

00:27:02.939 --> 00:27:03.659
 and a new spirit

00:27:03.659 --> 00:27:04.539
 I will put within

00:27:04.539 --> 00:27:04.839
 you,

00:27:05.240 --> 00:27:06.259
 and a new spirit

00:27:06.259 --> 00:27:07.000
 I will put within

00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:07.139
 you,

00:27:07.179 --> 00:27:07.779
 and I will remove

00:27:07.779 --> 00:27:08.679
 the heart of stone

00:27:08.679 --> 00:27:09.480
 from your flesh

00:27:09.480 --> 00:27:10.439
 and give you

00:27:10.439 --> 00:27:11.480
 a heart of flesh.

00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:12.799
 I will put my

00:27:12.799 --> 00:27:13.959
 spirit within you

00:27:13.959 --> 00:27:14.859
 and cause you

00:27:14.859 --> 00:27:15.619
 to walk in my

00:27:15.619 --> 00:27:16.859
 statutes and be

00:27:16.859 --> 00:27:17.879
 careful to obey

00:27:17.879 --> 00:27:18.579
 my rules.

00:27:18.579 --> 00:27:21.639
 You see,

00:27:22.019 --> 00:27:23.240
 when Jesus made

00:27:23.240 --> 00:27:23.919
 this statement

00:27:23.919 --> 00:27:25.039
 to Nicodemus,

00:27:25.059 --> 00:27:25.579
 who'd come and

00:27:25.579 --> 00:27:25.699
 said,

00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:26.079
 hey, listen,

00:27:26.339 --> 00:27:26.939
 I've got a

00:27:26.939 --> 00:27:27.779
 spiritual problem

00:27:27.779 --> 00:27:28.299
 and we need to

00:27:28.299 --> 00:27:28.960
 do something about

00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:29.199
 this,

00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:30.039
 or I need to do

00:27:30.039 --> 00:27:30.699
 something about it,

00:27:30.740 --> 00:27:31.240
 Jesus said,

00:27:31.480 --> 00:27:31.679
 hey,

00:27:33.099 --> 00:27:34.899
 this is not

00:27:34.899 --> 00:27:35.500
 something you can

00:27:35.500 --> 00:27:36.699
 just decide.

00:27:37.539 --> 00:27:38.259
 It's got to be

00:27:38.259 --> 00:27:38.759
 something that

00:27:38.759 --> 00:27:39.619
 somebody else does

00:27:39.619 --> 00:27:40.139
 for you.

00:27:40.379 --> 00:27:41.119
 And when he says

00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:41.879
 the water and the

00:27:41.879 --> 00:27:42.139
 spirit,

00:27:42.259 --> 00:27:43.019
 he was referring

00:27:43.019 --> 00:27:44.220
 to the ministry

00:27:44.220 --> 00:27:45.099
 of the spirit of

00:27:45.099 --> 00:27:46.519
 God in the heart

00:27:46.519 --> 00:27:47.599
 of the man who

00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:48.339
 recognizes

00:27:48.339 --> 00:27:49.779
 his desperate

00:27:49.779 --> 00:27:50.819
 condition and

00:27:50.819 --> 00:27:51.519
 his absolute

00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:52.279
 inability to

00:27:52.279 --> 00:27:53.039
 save himself.

00:27:54.500 --> 00:27:55.659
 Water and

00:27:55.659 --> 00:27:57.279
 spirit refer

00:27:57.279 --> 00:28:00.659
 not to the

00:28:00.659 --> 00:28:01.759
 physical part,

00:28:01.959 --> 00:28:02.480
 but they're

00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:03.240
 referring to

00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:03.980
 that which is

00:28:03.980 --> 00:28:04.879
 of the spirit's

00:28:04.879 --> 00:28:05.659
 work in a man's

00:28:05.659 --> 00:28:06.079
 life.

00:28:07.220 --> 00:28:07.899
 And so when

00:28:07.899 --> 00:28:08.720
 Jesus went on

00:28:08.720 --> 00:28:09.339
 there in verse

00:28:09.339 --> 00:28:09.740
 six,

00:28:10.179 --> 00:28:10.740
 that which is

00:28:10.740 --> 00:28:11.299
 born of the

00:28:11.299 --> 00:28:12.279
 flesh is flesh,

00:28:12.939 --> 00:28:13.799
 that which is

00:28:13.799 --> 00:28:14.299
 born of the

00:28:14.299 --> 00:28:15.220
 spirit is spirit,

00:28:16.220 --> 00:28:17.000
 what he was

00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:17.720
 saying is this,

00:28:17.779 --> 00:28:18.099
 is that

00:28:18.099 --> 00:28:20.299
 the human body

00:28:20.299 --> 00:28:21.939
 produces human,

00:28:22.639 --> 00:28:23.000
 mental,

00:28:23.439 --> 00:28:24.819
 physical results.

00:28:26.019 --> 00:28:27.179
 Only the spirit

00:28:27.179 --> 00:28:28.159
 of God can

00:28:28.159 --> 00:28:29.179
 produce spiritual

00:28:29.179 --> 00:28:29.879
 results.

00:28:30.740 --> 00:28:31.319
 How many of you

00:28:31.319 --> 00:28:32.639
 ever tried to

00:28:32.639 --> 00:28:34.179
 persuade people

00:28:34.179 --> 00:28:34.919
 into the kingdom

00:28:34.919 --> 00:28:35.619
 with all the

00:28:35.619 --> 00:28:36.419
 logic that you

00:28:36.419 --> 00:28:36.919
 possessed?

00:28:37.459 --> 00:28:37.859
 You ever tried

00:28:37.859 --> 00:28:38.079
 that?

00:28:39.959 --> 00:28:40.719
 How many of you

00:28:40.719 --> 00:28:41.179
 ever tried to

00:28:41.179 --> 00:28:41.799
 argue somebody

00:28:41.799 --> 00:28:42.319
 into the kingdom?

00:28:42.319 --> 00:28:45.019
 I remember at

00:28:45.019 --> 00:28:46.200
 one point in

00:28:46.200 --> 00:28:47.220
 my ignorant

00:28:47.220 --> 00:28:47.819
 youthfulness

00:28:47.819 --> 00:28:48.619
 thinking that

00:28:48.619 --> 00:28:49.859
 much of

00:28:49.859 --> 00:28:50.559
 witnessing was

00:28:50.559 --> 00:28:51.119
 just kind of

00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:51.899
 being persuasive

00:28:51.899 --> 00:28:53.220
 with a couple

00:28:53.220 --> 00:28:54.799
 Bible facts.

00:28:55.659 --> 00:28:56.599
 And there was a

00:28:56.599 --> 00:28:57.319
 time when I

00:28:57.319 --> 00:28:57.980
 thought that maybe

00:28:57.980 --> 00:28:58.480
 I was going to

00:28:58.480 --> 00:28:59.139
 be a salesman,

00:28:59.179 --> 00:28:59.519
 and I thought,

00:28:59.599 --> 00:28:59.980
 well, I can

00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:00.500
 carry that

00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:01.240
 discipline over

00:29:01.240 --> 00:29:03.019
 into spiritual

00:29:03.019 --> 00:29:03.559
 realms.

00:29:04.059 --> 00:29:04.960
 And so do you

00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:05.740
 realize that there's

00:29:05.740 --> 00:29:06.359
 a way you can

00:29:06.359 --> 00:29:07.359
 manipulate people to

00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:08.139
 say yes about

00:29:08.139 --> 00:29:08.879
 enough times that

00:29:08.879 --> 00:29:09.779
 they'll buy a used

00:29:09.779 --> 00:29:10.759
 vacuum cleaner from

00:29:10.759 --> 00:29:10.899
 you?

00:29:12.399 --> 00:29:14.019
 Now, because of

00:29:14.019 --> 00:29:14.619
 that, there's a

00:29:14.619 --> 00:29:15.839
 three-day reversionary

00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:16.139
 rule.

00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:16.539
 How many of you

00:29:16.539 --> 00:29:16.940
 know that?

00:29:17.779 --> 00:29:18.639
 You sign it in

00:29:18.639 --> 00:29:19.139
 your home, you

00:29:19.139 --> 00:29:20.019
 have three days to

00:29:20.019 --> 00:29:20.720
 decide no.

00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:22.819
 Well, I talked

00:29:22.819 --> 00:29:23.579
 many people into

00:29:23.579 --> 00:29:24.160
 quote-unquote

00:29:24.160 --> 00:29:26.420
 conversion, and they

00:29:26.420 --> 00:29:27.259
 exercised the

00:29:27.259 --> 00:29:28.379
 three-day reversionary

00:29:28.379 --> 00:29:29.079
 clause as soon as

00:29:29.079 --> 00:29:29.539
 I left.

00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:32.019
 You can't persuade

00:29:32.019 --> 00:29:32.940
 people with

00:29:32.940 --> 00:29:34.079
 intellect to become

00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:34.599
 believers.

00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:35.539
 I understand that,

00:29:35.579 --> 00:29:35.819
 right?

00:29:36.819 --> 00:29:37.759
 It has to be the

00:29:37.759 --> 00:29:38.339
 work of the Spirit

00:29:38.339 --> 00:29:38.779
 of God.

00:29:39.779 --> 00:29:41.139
 And the point

00:29:41.139 --> 00:29:42.819
 that Jesus was

00:29:42.819 --> 00:29:43.859
 making here is the

00:29:43.859 --> 00:29:44.779
 physical part of

00:29:44.779 --> 00:29:46.099
 man cannot produce

00:29:46.099 --> 00:29:47.619
 genuine spiritual

00:29:47.619 --> 00:29:48.420
 life.

00:29:48.700 --> 00:29:49.259
 It's not going to

00:29:49.259 --> 00:29:49.519
 happen.

00:29:51.639 --> 00:29:53.079
 And so all the

00:29:53.079 --> 00:29:53.819
 self-help books in

00:29:53.819 --> 00:29:56.079
 the world, all the

00:29:56.079 --> 00:29:56.799
 name-it-claim-it

00:29:56.799 --> 00:29:59.299
 hucksters, all the

00:29:59.299 --> 00:30:00.220
 yoga and meditation

00:30:00.220 --> 00:30:01.379
 and vegan diets that

00:30:01.379 --> 00:30:02.220
 you decide to follow,

00:30:02.299 --> 00:30:02.839
 they're not going to

00:30:02.839 --> 00:30:03.700
 change who you are

00:30:03.700 --> 00:30:04.279
 inside.

00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:08.399
 Spiritual life and

00:30:08.399 --> 00:30:09.720
 salvation can only

00:30:09.720 --> 00:30:10.420
 come through the

00:30:10.420 --> 00:30:11.160
 work of the Spirit

00:30:11.160 --> 00:30:11.640
 of God.

00:30:12.700 --> 00:30:13.759
 Look at verse 7.

00:30:15.259 --> 00:30:16.440
 Do not marvel.

00:30:19.039 --> 00:30:20.799
 When I say to you,

00:30:20.860 --> 00:30:21.700
 when I said to you,

00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:22.360
 you must be born

00:30:22.360 --> 00:30:22.660
 again.

00:30:24.500 --> 00:30:25.500
 You see, here was

00:30:25.500 --> 00:30:26.620
 Nicodemus who came

00:30:26.620 --> 00:30:28.900
 with this emptiness in

00:30:28.900 --> 00:30:29.519
 his heart.

00:30:31.079 --> 00:30:32.860
 He sensed that

00:30:32.860 --> 00:30:34.420
 something was wrong,

00:30:34.420 --> 00:30:37.180
 and he saw that Jesus

00:30:37.180 --> 00:30:39.100
 was doing things that

00:30:39.100 --> 00:30:39.860
 were exceptional.

00:30:40.900 --> 00:30:41.860
 And he came and

00:30:41.860 --> 00:30:44.240
 said, man, I need

00:30:44.240 --> 00:30:44.680
 help.

00:30:46.019 --> 00:30:47.100
 And Jesus said, hey,

00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:49.140
 this is not a problem

00:30:49.140 --> 00:30:50.019
 you can solve by

00:30:50.019 --> 00:30:50.600
 yourself.

00:30:52.700 --> 00:30:54.620
 Spiritual life and

00:30:54.620 --> 00:30:55.980
 salvation can only

00:30:55.980 --> 00:30:57.060
 come through the work

00:30:57.060 --> 00:30:57.840
 of the Holy Spirit.

00:30:57.839 --> 00:31:00.259
 And so here you are in

00:31:00.259 --> 00:31:00.779
 verse 8.

00:31:00.879 --> 00:31:01.919
 It says, the wind blows

00:31:01.919 --> 00:31:03.339
 where it wishes, and

00:31:03.339 --> 00:31:04.679
 you hear its sound, but

00:31:04.679 --> 00:31:05.919
 you do not know where

00:31:05.919 --> 00:31:06.959
 it comes from or where

00:31:06.959 --> 00:31:07.599
 it goes.

00:31:08.759 --> 00:31:09.899
 Jesus is taking a very

00:31:09.899 --> 00:31:11.419
 simple little thing, and

00:31:11.419 --> 00:31:12.599
 he's making an application

00:31:12.599 --> 00:31:13.720
 to help make the point

00:31:13.720 --> 00:31:14.899
 to Nicodemus.

00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:17.819
 You at least understand

00:31:17.819 --> 00:31:19.339
 that the wind which you

00:31:19.339 --> 00:31:22.720
 cannot see, and probably

00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:24.619
 as smart as Nicodemus was,

00:31:24.619 --> 00:31:25.979
 he was not a

00:31:25.979 --> 00:31:27.139
 meteorologist and did

00:31:27.139 --> 00:31:28.199
 not understand all the

00:31:28.199 --> 00:31:29.439
 nuances of how the wind

00:31:29.439 --> 00:31:29.959
 works.

00:31:30.739 --> 00:31:31.279
 How many of you remember

00:31:31.279 --> 00:31:32.199
 the little poem, who

00:31:32.199 --> 00:31:33.019
 has seen the wind?

00:31:33.159 --> 00:31:35.239
 Neither you nor I.

00:31:35.779 --> 00:31:36.119
 Okay.

00:31:38.059 --> 00:31:39.339
 But when the wind is

00:31:39.339 --> 00:31:40.599
 rustling in the leaves, we

00:31:40.599 --> 00:31:41.479
 know the wind is going

00:31:41.479 --> 00:31:41.839
 by.

00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:43.959
 And Jesus says, hey,

00:31:43.979 --> 00:31:46.019
 listen, you don't get

00:31:46.019 --> 00:31:49.059
 the idea of what the

00:31:49.059 --> 00:31:50.459
 wind is necessarily, but

00:31:50.459 --> 00:31:52.279
 you see the evidence of

00:31:52.279 --> 00:31:52.559
 it.

00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:54.779
 And he was pointing

00:31:54.779 --> 00:31:58.539
 out that what Nicodemus

00:31:58.539 --> 00:32:00.539
 could see was the work

00:32:00.539 --> 00:32:02.359
 of the Holy Spirit in

00:32:02.359 --> 00:32:04.339
 people's lives that was

00:32:04.339 --> 00:32:06.879
 drawing attention to what

00:32:06.879 --> 00:32:07.759
 he needed inside.

00:32:09.039 --> 00:32:10.119
 So when you look at this

00:32:10.119 --> 00:32:11.099
 passage, what should you

00:32:11.099 --> 00:32:11.339
 do?

00:32:12.200 --> 00:32:12.879
 What should you do?

00:32:13.659 --> 00:32:15.019
 I want to remind you that

00:32:15.019 --> 00:32:16.359
 the purpose of preaching is

00:32:16.359 --> 00:32:17.279
 really to bring people to

00:32:17.279 --> 00:32:18.179
 the point of saying yes or

00:32:18.179 --> 00:32:18.679
 no to God.

00:32:19.519 --> 00:32:20.619
 And there are some of you

00:32:20.619 --> 00:32:21.720
 sitting here this morning

00:32:21.720 --> 00:32:22.860
 that the truth of the

00:32:22.860 --> 00:32:24.920
 matter is have never come

00:32:24.920 --> 00:32:27.000
 to the place of coming

00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:28.700
 to grips with the absolute

00:32:28.700 --> 00:32:30.400
 moral bankruptcy of your

00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:31.940
 heart and the emptiness

00:32:31.940 --> 00:32:33.759
 and the darkness of your

00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:34.180
 soul.

00:32:34.620 --> 00:32:36.160
 And as a result of that,

00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:38.319
 there is this void that you

00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:41.660
 cannot ultimately fill with

00:32:41.660 --> 00:32:42.380
 your own efforts.

00:32:42.380 --> 00:32:44.780
 So what do you do?

00:32:46.780 --> 00:32:47.920
 Number one, I want you to

00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:49.260
 understand that the work of

00:32:49.260 --> 00:32:50.280
 the Spirit of God is to

00:32:50.280 --> 00:32:50.960
 bring conviction.

00:32:52.200 --> 00:32:53.600
 And if you are sitting here

00:32:53.600 --> 00:32:54.920
 this morning and the Spirit

00:32:54.920 --> 00:32:57.000
 of God is convicting you of

00:32:57.000 --> 00:32:58.700
 the darkness of your soul and

00:32:58.700 --> 00:33:00.720
 the reality of your spiritual

00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:02.640
 bankruptcy, I want to tell you

00:33:02.640 --> 00:33:03.520
 that's good news.

00:33:03.600 --> 00:33:04.620
 That's not bad news.

00:33:05.580 --> 00:33:07.360
 That means the Spirit of God is

00:33:07.360 --> 00:33:09.280
 drawing and working and he's in

00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:11.240
 the process of persuading you

00:33:11.240 --> 00:33:13.119
 that you're absolutely hopeless

00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:14.299
 in your own condition.

00:33:15.079 --> 00:33:16.460
 You cannot save yourself.

00:33:17.559 --> 00:33:18.899
 What's the second thing that we

00:33:18.899 --> 00:33:19.139
 do?

00:33:19.700 --> 00:33:21.420
 One, we're convicted by the

00:33:21.420 --> 00:33:22.139
 Spirit of God.

00:33:22.259 --> 00:33:23.720
 Number two, we confess.

00:33:24.119 --> 00:33:25.420
 And confession means

00:33:25.420 --> 00:33:27.420
 essentially to say, God,

00:33:27.539 --> 00:33:29.599
 you're right about my heart.

00:33:30.899 --> 00:33:32.819
 You're right about my heart.

00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:35.920
 It is dark and it is hard.

00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:37.759
 It is an idol factory.

00:33:38.200 --> 00:33:39.460
 It is filled with bitterness

00:33:39.460 --> 00:33:40.800
 and dissatisfaction.

00:33:41.220 --> 00:33:42.840
 It is broken in its condition

00:33:42.840 --> 00:33:45.000
 and I can't do anything about it.

00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:49.080
 And third, we call out in faith.

00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:51.500
 And we believe in the promises

00:33:51.500 --> 00:33:52.820
 that Jesus has made.

00:33:53.220 --> 00:33:54.420
 And here's the promise that I

00:33:54.420 --> 00:33:55.320
 want you to hold on to.

00:33:56.019 --> 00:33:57.460
 Here's what the Bible says.

00:33:57.539 --> 00:33:59.360
 It says, whosoever calls upon

00:33:59.360 --> 00:34:01.160
 the name of the Lord, what?

00:34:01.779 --> 00:34:02.620
 Shall be saved.

00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:04.900
 Do you understand how simple

00:34:04.900 --> 00:34:05.360
 that is?

00:34:06.560 --> 00:34:08.079
 Do you understand that nobody

00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:10.280
 gets there without, first of all,

00:34:10.500 --> 00:34:12.240
 being convicted by the Spirit of God

00:34:12.240 --> 00:34:13.639
 and recognizing the bankruptcy

00:34:13.639 --> 00:34:14.500
 of their soul?

00:34:14.700 --> 00:34:16.139
 That's the work of Christ.

00:34:16.519 --> 00:34:18.420
 Tim Knoyer and no one else

00:34:18.420 --> 00:34:20.079
 in this church, no one else

00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:21.400
 that you will ever bump into

00:34:21.400 --> 00:34:23.200
 has the ability ultimately

00:34:23.200 --> 00:34:25.420
 of persuading you of the darkness

00:34:25.420 --> 00:34:26.160
 of your heart.

00:34:26.420 --> 00:34:27.740
 Only God can do that.

00:34:27.739 --> 00:34:32.579
 But when that persuasion comes

00:34:32.579 --> 00:34:34.459
 and that convicting power

00:34:34.459 --> 00:34:35.459
 of the Spirit of God

00:34:35.459 --> 00:34:37.059
 bears down on your heart,

00:34:37.259 --> 00:34:38.799
 the thing to do is to confess

00:34:38.799 --> 00:34:41.319
 and say, I am a bankrupt sinner

00:34:41.319 --> 00:34:44.119
 deserving the judgment of God.

00:34:46.199 --> 00:34:48.139
 And yet I understand that God

00:34:48.139 --> 00:34:51.399
 sent His Son to die for my sins

00:34:51.399 --> 00:34:52.519
 upon the cross.

00:34:52.519 --> 00:34:55.320
 And I will not in my arrogance

00:34:55.320 --> 00:34:57.199
 say, no thank you.

00:35:01.360 --> 00:35:02.960
 I will cry out.

00:35:04.139 --> 00:35:05.759
 And I will confess.

00:35:06.980 --> 00:35:08.739
 And I will believe that He

00:35:08.739 --> 00:35:09.940
 who sent His Son

00:35:09.940 --> 00:35:11.340
 to be my Savior

00:35:11.340 --> 00:35:13.639
 and to die in my place

00:35:13.639 --> 00:35:14.900
 will keep His promise.

00:35:16.159 --> 00:35:16.840
 You know what He promised?

00:35:18.099 --> 00:35:19.719
 He said this in the Scriptures,

00:35:19.719 --> 00:35:21.439
 whosoever calls upon the name

00:35:21.439 --> 00:35:22.839
 of the Lord shall be saved.

00:35:24.519 --> 00:35:25.099
 Do you know what?

00:35:26.439 --> 00:35:27.799
 At the end of the day,

00:35:28.359 --> 00:35:31.099
 you cannot receive the blessing

00:35:31.099 --> 00:35:32.500
 and the benefit of salvation

00:35:32.500 --> 00:35:33.500
 just by sitting there

00:35:33.500 --> 00:35:35.279
 and saying, well, it sounds good.

00:35:37.139 --> 00:35:38.459
 You have to reach out and say,

00:35:38.539 --> 00:35:39.539
 I need that desperately.

00:35:39.719 --> 00:35:41.179
 I receive it for myself.

00:35:41.539 --> 00:35:43.439
 I believe Jesus died for me

00:35:43.439 --> 00:35:45.539
 and I trust Him as my Savior.

00:35:49.719 --> 00:35:51.019
 Let's bow our heads

00:35:51.019 --> 00:35:53.119
 and come to the Lord in prayer.

00:35:55.419 --> 00:35:57.219
 I want to appeal to you this morning

00:35:57.219 --> 00:35:59.419
 as you sit here

00:35:59.419 --> 00:36:03.159
 to come to grips with where you are

00:36:03.159 --> 00:36:04.359
 in your spiritual journey.

00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:05.539
 There are some of you here today

00:36:05.539 --> 00:36:07.899
 that I think are not saved.

00:36:10.679 --> 00:36:12.319
 I don't know that for a fact,

00:36:12.500 --> 00:36:14.139
 but there are some of you here

00:36:14.139 --> 00:36:16.480
 that have never come to faith in Christ.

00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:19.440
 You're kind of going through

00:36:19.440 --> 00:36:20.699
 thinking you're a pretty good person,

00:36:20.800 --> 00:36:21.579
 but I want to tell you this.

00:36:21.659 --> 00:36:22.599
 Jesus didn't die

00:36:22.599 --> 00:36:24.880
 to waste His life on the cross.

00:36:24.980 --> 00:36:26.119
 He died because no one

00:36:26.119 --> 00:36:27.079
 can save themselves

00:36:27.079 --> 00:36:28.059
 by their own effort.

00:36:29.579 --> 00:36:30.599
 And this morning,

00:36:30.740 --> 00:36:31.639
 the Spirit of God

00:36:31.639 --> 00:36:33.219
 is working to bring conviction

00:36:33.219 --> 00:36:34.460
 and to help you

00:36:34.460 --> 00:36:35.559
 who sit here

00:36:35.559 --> 00:36:36.559
 under the teaching

00:36:36.559 --> 00:36:37.420
 of the Word of God

00:36:37.420 --> 00:36:39.960
 recognize the moral bankruptcy

00:36:39.960 --> 00:36:42.260
 of the empty heart of man.

00:36:42.260 --> 00:36:45.740
 Christ Jesus came into the world

00:36:45.740 --> 00:36:46.540
 to save sinners.

00:36:47.860 --> 00:36:49.060
 He died on the cross

00:36:49.060 --> 00:36:50.820
 to satisfy the judgment of God

00:36:50.820 --> 00:36:52.040
 for all of your sin.

00:36:53.480 --> 00:36:54.540
 How can you

00:36:54.540 --> 00:36:57.340
 turn away from that offer

00:36:57.340 --> 00:36:59.340
 that He graciously makes

00:36:59.340 --> 00:37:00.080
 to you this morning

00:37:00.080 --> 00:37:00.860
 and say,

00:37:01.120 --> 00:37:01.480
 not today,

00:37:01.560 --> 00:37:02.320
 I don't care.

00:37:03.700 --> 00:37:04.960
 I would plead with you

00:37:04.960 --> 00:37:05.860
 in Christ's stead.

00:37:07.160 --> 00:37:09.960
 Hear the convicting truth

00:37:09.960 --> 00:37:10.880
 of the gospel

00:37:10.880 --> 00:37:12.119
 and humble yourself

00:37:12.119 --> 00:37:14.400
 for the glory of Christ.

00:37:16.800 --> 00:37:17.619
 Father God,

00:37:19.059 --> 00:37:20.340
 You know our heart.

00:37:21.539 --> 00:37:22.820
 You know our need.

00:37:24.300 --> 00:37:25.460
 And I ask that Your Spirit

00:37:25.460 --> 00:37:26.840
 would work to draw us

00:37:26.840 --> 00:37:27.619
 to the cross

00:37:27.619 --> 00:37:28.380
 and to faith

00:37:28.380 --> 00:37:30.199
 in the Lord Jesus Christ

00:37:30.199 --> 00:37:31.059
 in whom alone

00:37:31.059 --> 00:37:32.340
 is salvation.

00:37:33.980 --> 00:37:35.119
 And I ask this

00:37:35.119 --> 00:37:36.380
 because of the Lord Jesus.

00:37:37.340 --> 00:37:37.619
 Amen.

00:37:37.619 --> 00:37:39.819
 Let's stand together

00:37:39.819 --> 00:37:40.699
 as John leads us

00:37:40.699 --> 00:37:41.279
 in our singing.

00:37:42.079 --> 00:37:43.239
 And as we are singing,

00:37:43.339 --> 00:37:44.380
 we give a moment for you.

00:37:44.480 --> 00:37:45.480
 Some of you are here today

00:37:45.480 --> 00:37:47.319
 and the Spirit of God

00:37:47.319 --> 00:37:48.299
 is touching your heart

00:37:48.299 --> 00:37:49.219
 that there's something

00:37:49.219 --> 00:37:50.380
 you need to take care of publicly.

00:37:51.239 --> 00:37:52.739
 It may be that you need

00:37:52.739 --> 00:37:53.739
 to be obedient to the Lord

00:37:53.739 --> 00:37:54.659
 in a matter of baptism.

00:37:55.460 --> 00:37:56.819
 It may be that He's calling

00:37:56.819 --> 00:37:57.940
 to be part of this fellowship.

00:37:58.319 --> 00:37:58.480
 You know,

00:37:58.559 --> 00:37:59.719
 it's one thing to kind of

00:37:59.719 --> 00:38:01.299
 wave at the bus going by.

00:38:01.400 --> 00:38:02.420
 It's another thing to get on

00:38:02.420 --> 00:38:02.679
 and say,

00:38:02.739 --> 00:38:03.400
 I'm part of it.

00:38:04.519 --> 00:38:04.679
 Hmm?

00:38:05.900 --> 00:38:07.159
 And all God's people said what?

00:38:08.019 --> 00:38:08.420
 Okay.

00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:10.239
 And then there may be

00:38:10.239 --> 00:38:11.099
 some of you here today

00:38:11.099 --> 00:38:12.359
 that desperately need Jesus

00:38:12.359 --> 00:38:13.119
 as your Savior.

00:38:13.400 --> 00:38:14.619
 I would plead with you.

00:38:14.799 --> 00:38:15.739
 Don't walk out of here

00:38:15.739 --> 00:38:17.019
 without taking care of that.

00:38:17.839 --> 00:38:18.859
 Now we're going to sing.

00:38:18.920 --> 00:38:20.179
 We're going to sing our hearts out.

00:38:20.239 --> 00:38:20.940
 Aren't we going to do that?

00:38:22.199 --> 00:38:24.059
 And if God is working in your heart,

00:38:24.199 --> 00:38:25.199
 don't you mess with Him

00:38:25.199 --> 00:38:25.759
 this morning.

00:38:25.880 --> 00:38:26.339
 Be humble.

00:38:26.619 --> 00:38:27.119
 Be humble.

00:38:27.339 --> 00:38:27.779
 Be humble.

00:38:28.039 --> 00:38:28.500
 Be humble.

00:38:28.500 --> 00:38:28.559
 Be humble.

00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:28.559


00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:28.559


00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:28.559