The Law & The Gospel | Week 3

My name is Kyla, service lead Pastor here.

If you have your Bible, would you open it to John chapter 3?

John 3 · chapter mention

John chapter 3? We are in the beginning stages

John 3 · chapter mention

really of a series going through this passage in John chapter 3,

John 3 · chapter mention

we're looking at verses 1 through 21 throughout the series

today. We're just going to look at

really John 3. Verse 2 will be our main focus.

But in this series, that we've begun, we've titled it, the law

and the gospel. And the reason is we have a man

here in John chapter 3 who has lived his whole life according

John 3 · chapter mention

to the gospel, according to the law, sorry.

And when I mean he's lived his whole life.

He is staking everything about his eternity on his ability to

follow the law as perfectly as he is able.

And what Nicodemus this man, this Pharisee, a member of the

Sanhedrin as we looked at last week, which was a, the ruling

body among the Jews. The religious ruling body among

the Jews and also, He's called the teacher of Israel.

So he's got a high religious pedigree and what this man Fells

to see his his need to be born again.

He doesn't yet understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

That is the good news of a savior whose name is Christ

Jesus. And so that is what this passage

of scripture is really about. And in John 3 2, we get to learn

a little bit more about this man and his need.

And so if you would like Like we did last week, would you stand

in honor of the reading of God's word, if you're able, if you're

unable, that's okay. I understand.

We're going to start actually at the end of chapter 2, I'm going

to read John 2:23 through 32. So, just a, just a few verses

here five versus here. Now, when he was in Jerusalem at

the Passover, feast many believed in his name, when they

saw the signs that he was doing. So, the he, there is Jesus, he's

coming to Jerusalem for Passover.

To celebrate Passover, and in this, he has performed many

signs. He's taught and there are many

who have believed in his name, but Jesus verse 24 on his part,

did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and

Did no one to Bear witness about man for he himself knew what was

in man? Verse 1 of chapter 3.

Now, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a

ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night

and said to him. Rabbi, we know that you are a

teacher. Come from, God, for no one.

Can do these signs that you do. Unless God is with him.

Let me fairy Forest. Heavenly Father, we thank you

for your word. And the truths that we see here.

God I ask that by your spirit you grant to us ears to hear and

eyes to see the glory of Christ Jesus.

This morning, Father, whether we are men and women, boys and

girls who love the Lord already, or whether we are in that group

of people who are searching for a savior.

And God, we ask that you would help us to see Christ more fully

today for some unto salvation and for some unto Deeper

maturity with God lord, we love you and we thank you for your

word that we have now is a guide to us, a light unto our path

help to us in all things pertaining to Salvation and

life, and godliness. We depend upon your Revelation

today in Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

And you may have a seat The big idea that I want to throw out to

you today. So if you're taking notes, you

can go ahead and write this down.

The thing that I think John 3:2 reveals to us is this is that

John 3:2

God draws you out of your Darkness Into His Marvelous

Light. God draws you out of your

Darkness Into His Marvelous Light.

So, I mentioned a moment ago, Jesus in Jerusalem, he came to

Jerusalem From Galilee to observe.

The Passover feast while he was there, he's preaching.

He's performing many signs due to his preaching and sign

working. It says that there are many who

believed in his name but Christ did not entrust himself to them

because he knew what was in, man.

He knew them, John is referring to the idea that crop of Christ

knowing something, he's referring to omniscience, I'll

missions. Is that all knowingness of That

he knows all things. He there is nothing that is

outside of what he knows of his knowledge.

He doesn't simply no. So, John's not saying he simply

knows the names of the people or that he knows their family

members or their places of employment.

It's not like you and I are growing up in a small community

where you, you just kind of know many of the people, though.

You don't really know them, right?

You just know some things about them who their family members

are where they work that sort of thing.

When we read about the omniscience of God or of Christ,

in this particular Point, what it's saying is that he knows the

deepest desires of their hearts, he knows their thoughts and so

he knew them. And he knew that for many of

them, their belief was superficial.

It was tied simply to his sign working.

It's all that he was a miracle worker and they believed in his

name, Only read they believed in his name.

They what we know is that they believed at least that he's a

teacher sent from God, that he's a prophet.

And that's what Nicodemus is going to reveal for us today.

That he believes that Jesus is at least a teacher with the help

of God that he is like the prophets of the Old Testament.

If you will, it's likely that many of them have believed him

to be to be the promised Messiah.

The one who was there in the All of religion.

At this moment, they are aware of during the Passover, feast

the idea of a messiah. And so seeing Christ do what

he's doing, some of them may have thought, this could be him,

this might be the Messiah. One of them.

Was intrigued by the preaching and assign working of Christ.

His name is Nicodemus and so Nicodemus, the great Pharisee

that member of the Sanhedrin teacher of Israel.

He comes to Jesus when by night. Yeah, By Night, very good.

The entire interaction is fascinating, which is why it's

worth an entire sermon series. Each versus is packed full of

depth. It's packed full of thick

biblical truths. If you will, in verse 2 is no

exception here. We see that God draws you out of

your Darkness into his own Marvelous Light.

So, let's examine verse 2 of John 3, John 3:2, this man came

John 3:2

to Jesus Nicodemus came to Jesus.

I want things. I want you brothers and sisters,

and those of you who may be unbelievers, who are here today,

I want you to know this, you do not come to Jesus by accidents,

you do not encounter God on a personal level without it being,

according to his Divine Providence, according to his

plan, when a man meets with God, it is because he was led by

God's Sovereign hand to do so He was led there.

It's never a result of chance. It's not a result of

coincidence. God, appoints the time, got a

points, the place for the meeting and he orders the steps

of a man to that place in time. Amen.

But the same is true when you get an opportunity to share the

Gospel of Jesus Christ with someone, whether whether you

make an appointment to do so. Hey co-worker, I want to talk to

you one day. About the gospel of Christ.

When can we do that? And you set a time, whether you

make a time or your coworker comes to you, and says, I'm

really struggling in life and you don't know why they've

opened up to you about their struggles, anybody ever had

those moments where somebody just opens up to?

And it's like, why are they telling me this?

I'm just trying to buy my groceries today.

You need to see that as a Divine appointment from the Lord, you

have an opportunity to be a spiritual blessing for someone.

The share the gospel with them to give them hope that's greater

than anything. They presently see.

So, whether you make an appointment to do so, or just

happens in the break room or in the line at the grocery store,

it is a Divine appointment from God.

God's hand is directing your steps and there's for such a

time. And so, when we read that, this

man came to Jesus by night, we understand that this moment is

orchestrated by God's hand, even though it's Nicodemus who

initiates the contact This meeting was set up by God Before

Time began. This is what we Southerners may

call a come to Jesus meeting a man.

I say that because the lie that has been living in Nicodemus for

so long is about to be confronted by the Son of God

himself. Proverbs offers us some wisdom,

this is not may just pulling things out of thin air.

The Bible directs Us in this idea of the providential hand of

God orchestrating things. Proverbs 16 is one of those

chapters where you see it, you see it on repeat really?

In verse 9 of Proverbs 16. It says the heart of man plans

his way but the Lord establishes his steps.

I'm guilty of making plans. I make plans a lot.

If you're a friend of mine, you know, that I like to plan

things. I like the idea of order, I

don't always see order not going to lie to you.

I like the the idea of things working out according to my

plan, but very rarely did things work out according to my plan,

there's so many pivotal points in my life, that didn't go

according to what I thought would be a good plan.

But I praise God for his intervention.

I praise God for his Divine Providence, in my life, for

orchestrating my steps, I have planned my way, but the Lord has

directed my steps. He did this for me, in my

marriage, Patricia was not the person that I thought I would

spend the rest of my life with. And yet I praise God for

Patricia daily. He's done this in me being here,

as Pastor pastoring in Magnolia Arkansas, the place where I grew

up was not on my plans, not on my list, not on my five-year

ten-year plan, but I could not imagine my life apart from being

here with you all doing this. I know that the Lord has

directed my steps. Amen.

Proverbs 19:21 many are the plans and the mind of a man but

Proverbs 19:21

it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

So again you see here that a man plots his way in his own mind.

He has an idea yet. Only the purpose of the Lord is

what stands. So, in other words, man will not

act outside of the purpose of God and proverbs 16:4.

Proverbs 16:4

For again, the Proverbs 16, the Lord has made everything for its

purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.

And so even Wicked is being ordered according to the

Providence of God. Now, it's true that this is a

subject with a whole lot of layers to it, and so, it's

really tough to comprehend. It's a difficult thing to come

to grips with, but that doesn't make it any less true, or any

less meaningful for our lives that we do need to think about

these things over ABS 2024, a man's steps are from the Lord.

How can man understand his way? And I think that's really where

we're at. When we think about Divine

Providence and then man's decisions the place where God's

Providence and man's decisions intersect is really far beyond

our comprehension and that's what he's saying.

How can the man understand God's way in this?

The late great preacher, Charles Spurgeon.

He describes it like standing on a train track and he says this,

he says, just as the Realms of a train track, which run, parallel

to each other appear. If you're standing, you're

looking down the train tracks. He says they appear to merge in

the distance, right? You see the two lines and they

just appear to come closer and closer.

He says so the doctrines of God's Providence, or sovereignty

and man's decisions or responsibility, which seems

separate from each other in this life.

But they will merge in eternity and Eternity will see clearly

how these two things have worked together.

And so our task Spurgeon says, it's not to force the emerging

in this life. It's not the demand that we

figure these things out. It's just the simply keep them

in Balance he says and to live accordingly.

Amen. Keep Planning your way, keep

trusting. The Lord, keep doing those

things and know that God's Providence is orchestrating,

those steps at the end of the day.

And so we can rightly then celebrate the Providence of God

as the psalmist does is he says our God is in the heavens and

Psalm 115 3, our God is in the heavens, he does all that he

pleases again in Psalm 135 5 through 6.

And really the whole song is dedicated to this idea but I

pulled two verses out for the sake of time.

He says, for I know that the Lord is great and that Our Lord

is above all gods. Amen.

But here's why he says it, whatever the Lord pleases he

does in heaven and on earth, and the Seas and all deeps.

And then he goes into the Deliverance of the Israelites

from Egypt and God's Providence. God's sovereignty over those

events, The Parting of the sea. The The killing of the

firstborn, all the things that led to the Deliverance of

Israelites from Egypt. And so, what we understand at

least from scriptures, decide is this that everything that

happens in our world happens because God is orchestrating it.

God's hand is setting it in motion even evil which we saw

there in Proverbs 16 but Jacob affirms this and our sorry,

Joseph affirms this in Genesis 50 verse 20, where he's talking

Genesis 50:20

to his brothers and his brothers are sizing for all that, they

put him through. As Joseph has risen to power in

the house of the good pharaoh before the bad Pharaoh took

over. And he says, as for you, you

meant evil against me but God meant it for good to bring it

about that. Many people should be kept alive

as they are today. If you know the story of Joseph

you know he was put through the ringer and at every turn.

God continued to bless him, God continue to order his steps and

so whether you're already saved by faith, In Christ Jesus our

you're hearing the gospel for the very first time today it is

because of a Divine appointment, the Lord has met with you.

You're encountering Christ Jesus.

As you encounter his word being proclaimed faithfully and that's

what Nicodemus is experiencing in.

John chapter 3, he is coming face to face with Jesus Christ.

John 3 · chapter mention

And so this is what I mean, is partially what I mean?

When I say God draws you out of your Darkness, God is the one

who orchestrates is. He's the one Pulling you out of

your Darkness into His Marvelous Light.

John 3:2, reveals another truth, force it reveals that everyone

John 3:2

approaches God in darkness. Everyone comes to God by night.

This man came to Jesus by night and he said to him, Rabbi, we

know that you are a teacher. Come from, God, for no one.

Can do these signs that you do unless God is with him, the

Apostle. John is the writer of this

gospel. John is often referred to, he

refers to himself actually in this as the Beloved disciple.

The one whom Jesus loved. He was near to cross very near

to Christ. And the Apostle John writes in

such a way that he uses double meanings very often.

He especially likes to employ a simile here and they're things

that are like something else. And so he uses those often in

his writing and the use of Darkness and Light is seen

throughout the book. You see it in chapter 1, you see

it here in chapter three, you see it throughout the rest of

the book. So what does John mean when he

says that Nicodemus came to Christ by night?

One of the things that he means is that Nicodemus came at night

time. I mean, we we want to read it as

it is to before we start looking for some other meaning, he came

at night time, he certainly did. And why did Nicodemus come at

nighttime? We came at night time to

conceal. The meeting.

Nicodemus doesn't want to be seen as the teacher of Israel, a

Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin.

He doesn't want to be seen as coming to Jesus.

It's no small thing for him to do this.

He was a great religious leader, he was the teacher of Israel.

And if he comes to another man who is not recognized as a

member of the Pharisees, not a part of the Sanhedrin, not a

teacher of Israel as he is. Is and he calls him rabbi.

One is because he has great respect for him but to he's

doing it at night time. So that he's, it's not seen as

beneath him. His reputation is on the line by

coming to Christ. If he were to be seeing coming

to Christ, and this moment there would have been many who would

have scoffed at him including the Pharisees.

The second thing though that his coming to Christ does bye-bye,

nighttime is coming to Christ at all.

It puts his own reputation online, but its reputation of

the Pharisees, on the line to is a member of this religious

party. They are the religious Elites

they held from Jerusalem, which is the religious capital of the

nation and Jesus does not. I don't even know where Jesus is

from, he's from Nazareth. All right.

Earlier in John chapter 1 verse 46, Jesus is Calling his

John 1:46

disciples. One of them named Nathaniel says

to his brother about Christ, as he's being called he's saying

hey come and see this Man from Nazareth.

We think he could be the Christ and Nathaniel responds and 1:46.

He says can anything good come from Nazareth?

This was the General consensus consensus of Nazareth at the

time. And so a Pharisee seeking to

learn from a, non Pharisee was bad enough, but a Pharisee

seeking to learn from a non Pharisee who held from Nazareth.

Well, that was even worse. And so, his reputation is on the

line. The reputation of the Pharisees

is on the line and so he comes by night time.

But there's a double meaning in this and it gets revealed later

in the chapter. I'll read some of those verses

to you today, just to help you see that what I say again is not

my wisdom but the Lord's wisdom. When John uses darkness in his

gospel, he's describing Humanity's spiritual blindness.

He is talking about how you were Without Eyes.

You are blind spiritually when he speaks of Darkness, these

people do not know God neither, do they seek God?

That's what he means. By night time, we know this is

true because John 3:18 through 20 which is later in the

John 3:18–20

interaction. Jesus is talking to Nicodemus

and here's what he says, whoever believes in him, talking about

himself, whoever believes in Christ is not condemned, but

whoever does not believe is condemned already.

Ready, because he has not believed in the name of the only

son of God. And this is the Judgment verse

19. The light has come into the

world and people loved the darkness rather than the light

because their works are evil to hear that.

They loved what the darkness, rather than the what the light.

How do we know because their works are evil?

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does

not come to the light, lest his work, should be exposed.

So again these people who are in spiritual Darkness, they're

spiritually blind. They need to love the Lord.

Nor are they seeking him? Neither there, neither submitted

to the Lord nor do they want to be because they're in love with

their sins. John is describing, Nicodemus is

meeting. But he's also the meeting time

but he's also describing Nicodemus his spiritual State.

He's in darkness, he's blind. And so Nicodemus was not yet a

believer in Christ. He's not yet come to the light,

so he's still in darkness. He still a lover of Darkness.

He was like any one of us before we became Believers in Christ

Jesus. Amen.

It's like any one of us. I read Titus 33 last week, I'll

read it again. This is Paul describing to

Titus. He's encouraging belief in the

gospel but he's reminding people who you were before Christ saved

you by grace. He says, for we ourselves taught

us were once foolish we were disobedient, we were LED astray,

we were slaves to various passions and Pleasures.

We passed our days and Malice and envy.

We were hated by others. And we hated one another.

That's what spiritual Darkness looks like.

And that's how you would describe Nicodemus, though, he

is very religious. And when you're in that state,

when you're in a state of Darkness, you don't see your own

depravity. You don't see your own spiritual

bankruptcy. You can't comprehend it.

You you can't comprehend your need for a savior because you

think in your mind I've got it all together.

The way I'm living is just fine and so you don't see your need

for a new birth Nicodemus. Did not see his need for a new

birth. I mentioned Stephen Lawson

writing a book on New Life In Christ and many of that he's

been very helpful for putting this together.

This is one of the quotes from his book.

He says everyone born into this world is Born Into the same

black and state. We all once lived in the

darkness living a life of sin taking pleasure in evil.

He says, this may still be true in your own life.

The Bible says that every unconverted person lives in

spiritual Darkness, Romans 1:21. Elsewhere.

Romans 1:21

He says the scriptures say that the God of this world talking

about Satan has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that

they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of

Christ. The second Corinthians, 4:4 all

unbelievers, according to Ephesians 4:18 are darkened in

Ephesians 4:18

their understanding. if you're unable to see your spiritually

blind, Everyone, whether they see themselves as religious or

not is in need of a new birth from God.

And it's found only by God, sorry, only by grace, through

faith in Jesus Christ. And so, this is what we're

seeing again, with Nicodemus, got his drawing him out of his

Darkness. He is spiritually darkened.

He's drawing him out of his darkness and he's revealing to

him spiritual lights. I think the final thing that we

see here about Nicodemus is that he is deeply deeply, religious,

kind of building. On what we just talked about

that, he's blind to Christ Jesus When Nicodemus spoke to Christ

he did. So with much respect, he

certainly respects him, he calls him Rabbi again for Nicodemus to

use the word Rabbi which means teacher a Jewish teacher.

So it's the understanding that, you know, God's law and you

teach it well for him to use that as a term of great respect.

Again, Lawson points out people usually address Nicodemus is

Rabbi but here he's calling Christ rabbi And so he's

acknowledging that Christ is a gifted teacher who possesses a

far greater Authority than he does.

It's a really big deal that we see him.

Say Rabbi Nicodemus approach is Jesus, so that he might be

taught by Jesus. He has questions, he's coming to

Christ to have questions answered.

It doesn't fully understand what's going on.

But again, like we explored last week, There's a whole and

Nicodemus, all of his religious strivings all his religious

accolades. All of his wonderful perfect

attendance in the temple. His teaching of the law is

expounding, on the knowledge of God, his helping others,

understand it. All of that has meant nothing,

he still fills a void. He still fills a void and so he

wants to know some things and he knew that Christ.

We thought at least don't know if he knows it yet, but he know,

he thinks at least a Christ may have the answers to this void.

Nicodemus his clothes and his understanding, when he's a

pursuer of God granted, his confidence is in the wrong

place, but he is closed and his understanding and we know that

because he says no one can do these things that you do unless

God is with him, so he recognizes that Jesus is

different because of the power that's demonstrated through

Christ. Then others have been then he

him itself is he has more power. He sees God.

He sees Christ, sorry, but he doesn't see him as the Son of

God yet. Again, I'm going to use Lawson

here. Jesus was not merely a teacher,

come from God, quite the contrary, he was God.

Who had come to teach? He's not a teacher.

Come from God, he's God. Who has come to teach a world of

difference? Lawson says separates those two

statements, the first recognizes Jesus to be on equal footing

with the other prophets and teachers all of those from the

Old Testament. Even John, the Baptist himself

came from God, they came demonstrating power, they came

with a message of authority. And so at this point Nicodemus

is saying Jesus. Is merely a gifted teacher.

And a long line of prophets with wise and helpful.

Instruction Nicodemus is thoughts about Christ or what

many today think about Christ. He's a wise teacher.

He says some good things. He says some crazy things too

but it most of his instructions are helpful.

You should love your neighbor. You should do good to those who

persecute you. You shouldn't judge people

wrongfully. You shouldn't look at a woman

lustfully Lustfully you shouldn't divorce your spouse.

You should write. I mean, there's so many things

about what Christ teaches that are good and right.

And people say yes, and amen. But Nicodemus.

Nicodemus, like those lost and goes on to say, but Nicodemus

had not yet recognized, the most important truth about Jesus.

He failed to discern that Jesus possessed Eternal deity in his

sinless, Humanity in, Jesus is Incarnation, that's when he was

born of the Virgin Mary, according to the word spoken by

the angel, according to the providential hand of God, He's

conceived by the Holy Spirit. And he's incarnated, he's born.

And in that moment whilst it goes on to say he willingly laid

aside his Heavenly glory to inhabit, a human body in the

form of a lowly servant. Jesus was God in human flesh.

He's truly God yet truly human. And as the God man, he came to

accomplish the salvation of sinners.

Jesus says himself that I have come to seek and to save the

Lost. He's on a Divine Rescue Mission.

He's come to redeem people from their sinfulness.

And this Divine appointment is exactly what Nicodemus needs to

finally see Christ for who he is the Incarnate Son of God.

It's a truth he doesn't yet recognized as truth he's not yet

seen Nicodemus though, deeply religious is spiritually blind

he's deeply religious you guys. He's more religious than any of

us have ever been. And yet, he's spiritually blind.

He's unable to see Christ. He's unable to see his need for

a new birth. And I tell you today, that

Nicodemus stands as a warning for you and me.

They could even as a warning for us.

For all of your religious pedigree.

You can still be religiously or spiritually blind.

You can still be blind. You can still be on the outside

looking in, but you've been baptized and you say that you

believe in Jesus, you can still be on the outside looking in.

Maybe you attend church regularly, every time the doors

are open, you're there. You're singing louder than

anyone else. You're one of the first to

volunteer. And all of that motivation can

simply be selfish, not spiritual.

None of that is absolute evidence of a new life.

Nicodemus, saw Jesus as an amazing miracle worker.

He says no one can do these things apart from God being with

him but he doesn't see him as the Son of God.

He's not submitted to his lordship.

Nicodemus was on the outside. Looking in though, he was widely

considered the most religious man of his day.

Again, I tell you this is a warning for you and me.

We need to be Solomon. Our approach to the story.

We must not sit here and think about who the Nicodemus is, are

without first reflecting on the question, am I Nicodemus?

Maybe you like the idea of Christ who doesn't mean some

don't, but church-going people who doesn't you like his

miracles? You like his teachings on love

you. You like those things about

Christ, but you don't love Jesus.

You've not made him the Lord of your life.

You've not surrendered yourself to him.

You see the benefits of religion, right?

I see the benefits of being a church member.

There's a shared experience with others.

I get to eat with people in a home on Wednesday nights when we

study the word together, we pray for one another.

I have their help. When I'm in need, I have their

comfort. When I'm struggling, when I'm

doubting, when I'm in fear. I get to come together with them

on Sunday mornings and we sing and we pray, we do our call to

worship or we recognize who Christ is and why we so

wonderfully. Welcome people into this church

that they might see and experience the one.

Who justifies the inexcusable the one who's able to save

sinners. And yet, you don't see that you.

It's possible that you are spiritually blind.

You're the sinner in need of saving. maybe you're here

because you grew up going to church, maybe you're here

because mama said or daddy said or grandma, said, we're going to

church And if you don't do anything else in your life, you

need to go to church. So much stock is put in your

church attendance. It's really quite scary Church.

Attendance is commanded by God, don't mishear me.

He says not to forsake the Gathering.

But he's telling Believers, not to forsake, the giving he

doesn't say, Do not forsake the Gathering so that you might be

saved, which is what so many people are doing.

You don't forsake the Gathering as a Christian because you

recognize, this is where we come together with the body to

magnify Christ to remember the Salvation that we've gained in

his grace and to encourage one another, to keep pressing on

your stirring up, one another to love and good works.

But if you come to church is one who thinks that church

attendance is a part of being good.

You're missing the mark. if you do, not surrender your entire

life to the rule and reign of Christ, Jesus If you do not love

him and renounce, your sinful desires, your sinful ways, then

you're merely on the outside looking in and you fooled

yourself into thinking. You're one of God's people.

And like, Nicodemus, you may be considered deeply religious

because of your attendance and your servants heart and your

abilities and all of those things.

And yet you're actually spiritually blind.

It's really incredible to see what God is doing here through

Christ for Nicodemus. And we'll see it more as we go

throughout the passage, but God is literally drawing, Nicodemus

out of this spiritual darkened State, and he's revealing

Marvelous Light to him. Let me finish this up by talking

to you about the greatest miracle.

Nicodemus points out the signs of Christ.

No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him,

so he performed signs, we don't know which ones he performed

there in Jerusalem during Passover.

We might have some, you know, idea if we look at some of the

other gospels, but John doesn't name them here.

But Nicodemus saw signs and he calls them signs.

Because the word sign means it's sign.

It's what a signs. Do they tell you something,

right? They point you in a direction

and so he's saying no one could do these signs.

Unless God is with him. So with Nicodemus is saying he's

confessing. I recognized the miracle but

that's a sign. There's something tied to it,

what's going on? No one could do that unless God

is with him. Enlighten me, Jesus.

Again, Lawson adds. This was good, he says each

Miracle. Jesus performed was a Divine

confirmation that he had been sent by God each display of

tower validated that he had come to bring Salvation to those who

were perishing in their sins. When Jesus Open the Eyes of

those who were physically blind, he demonstrated that he gives

sight to those who are spiritually blind, when he

unstopped physically deaf ears. He showed that he gives hearing

to those who Cannot understand spiritual truth when he healed

paralyzed legs. He showed that he could cause

Sinners to walk in newness of Life, each Miracle testified

that Jesus gives eternal life which is the very thing that

Nicodemus needed most Amen. I'm said to you before, and I

will say it till the day I die. The greatest miracle that God

performs today. Is not when he heals someone of

cancer. It's not when he heals someone

of being physically blind. It's not when he makes the lame

to walk. The greatest miracle that God

performs today is in the granting of new spiritual life

to those who are spiritually dead.

You cannot cause your own physical birth.

Can you? You make yourself?

Got to be careful with children present.

Did you cause your own conception?

No. Did you cause your own birth on

that day that you were born? Whatever day that was no.

The Bible says that you are in the womb and you were fearfully

and wonderfully made and he knit together.

Your bones, your muscles, your tissue be formed, your arms and

your legs. He created your personality

while you were in the womb. So what Psalm 139 is saying You

can't cause you're spiritual birth.

In any way that you could cause you're in the same way that you

can't cause your physical birth, your dependent upon Christ for

this. And when God transforms a sinner

into a saint, it's by the power of His spirit, it's by the work

of Christ Jesus. On the cross, it's by his own

hand. We witness the greatest miracle

that God performs when we see someone come to New Life in

Christ Jesus and all the other Miracles are, but a foretaste of

Heaven there, but a foretaste of that Eternal dwelling that

Believers will enjoy a men in the presence of God, where

there's no more tear, there's no more pain.

Is no more death. There's no more sickness,

there's no more sin. The curse is finally forever

broken in that state. Nicodemus needed to see his

desperate need for new life and so do you if you haven't

already, You two must be dramatically Changed by the

spirit of God. You must be a sinner who is

saved by the grace of God alone. You need to be transformed into

a new creation in Christ. Jesus and like Nicodemus, you

need that And like Nicodemus also, you may only experience

this by coming to Jesus Christ for your salvation.

By looking to the author and the finisher of our salvation.

Friends, I ask you today, where do you stand with Christ?

Jesus? Who Is He To You?

If you've already submitted your life to him, then, you know what

it means to become a new creation, you're seeing new

desires. Birthed in.

You, you're seeing old desires, passed away, you're seeing

sinful ways, be stripped off of you.

You've seen the ways of Christ take root in your heart and your

mind. It's becoming harder to send for

you as a Believer because you're more and more aware of your

sinfulness. Your more and more dependent on

the spirit of God, you're growing in Christ likeness

You're hungry for his word and so you read it often.

You enjoy studying it with brothers and sisters.

You spend time in prayer with him.

Maybe not as much as you'd like, but you do.

You're growing in it, you're learning to love the

conversation, you get to have with the Lord on the regular. if

all of those things sound foreign to you, it's possible

that you don't know what it means to be a new creation.

It's possible that you haven't been born again.

It's possible that you're on the outside looking in.

Yet you think you're on the inside?

Looking out. Maybe you've tried everything,

maybe you've tried church. Maybe you've pursued every

desire to its end you chased after peace to, no avail.

Maybe you're experiencing the same.

Empty feeling that Nicodemus felt The same empty feeling that

all of us before, coming to Christ, have felt, listen, you

will not find peace in the vain pursuit of this world.

Vanity of vanities Solomon says, all of it is Vanity.

The end of the matter is this much has been written but this

is what you need to know. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 12,

fear God. Revere God.

And keep his Commandments submit yourself to his authority.

What you need is outside of you. It comes from an eternal place.

And you're searching for God and only in the life that only he

can provide you. That's why you feel an emptiness

in this. Again, I found lost in helpful.

He says, instead of hiding under the cover of spiritual Darkness,

like, Nicodemus, you are called by God, to come to Christ Jesus

to come to his son. And so, I urge, you come to the

Lord Jesus today. You must see your empty life.

And your need for the life that Christ offers you must turn away

from your empty religious trappings, or your vein

Pursuits, and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ today.

I read it last week, I'll read it again.

Matthew, 11:28 Christ looks out on a people who are spiritually

burdened by the law and by the Pharisees.

And he says this, he says come to me all who labor and are

heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for.

I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your

souls. For my yoke is easy and my

burden is light. Christ offers you rest today

from your striving Eternal rest, final, rest.

And every one of us needs. The same thing.

We needed a new life. Formed in Us by God through

Christ Jesus. You need God to draw you out of

your Darkness into His Marvelous Light.

And only God can grant you spiritual life.

Only God can cause life in. You only, he can satisfy those

Eternal longings that you have that void will never be full

until you come to Christ. You will never know, peace until

you know, Jesus is Lord. well, the early early Church, Father,

How about the name of Saint Augustine?

He wrote this. He said our hearts are restless

until they find their rest and You O Lord.

Amen. If you're an unbeliever or

you're an unsaved, self-identified Christian and

you're filling that weight today.

I want you to know that I'm glad you are here today.

I'm glad you're here to hear these words.

Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ.

And you will be saved this day. if you're a born-again believer

in Jesus Christ, do not turn from what saved you.

The grace of God. You're not turn from God's

grace. To an exercise of vain religion.

Do not so quickly forsake the grace of God that saved.

You do not be misled by the world, you're not being misled

by your own desires, lean on and lean into the grace of God for

your sanctification, the same Grace that saves is the same

Grace that sanctifies you, each day.

So trust the grace of God just as you did in your salvation.

Well no, leave you with these words from 1st, Peter 2:9

through 12 is speaking to exiled Believers, and they're finding

themselves in a dispersion because of persecution, and

they're all over the the place all over the known world. and he

says this, he writes this to them to encourage them in their

distress, he says, but you are a chosen race.

You are a royal priesthood, you are a holy nation, a people for

God's Own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of

him who called you out of Darkness Into His Marvelous

Light. He says in verse 10 he says once

you were not a people It doesn't mean once you didn't exist, he

said he'd meet me. Once you were not my people once

you were not the chosen people. Once you were not the holy

nation, once you were not a royal priesthood but now you are

God's people, he says, and once you had not received Mercy but

now you have received Mercy. I want to urge you the same way

he urges you in verse 11. He says beloved I urge you as

sojourners and exiles. Meaning you live in Nations but

the nation. You're a part of is unseen the

land you long for is not yet realized.

So you're a Sojourner in the land you're in Exile, you're a

people who seem like they have no home.

They don't fit. And yet, here we are.

He says, I urge you as sojourners and Exiles to abstain

from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your

soul. He says, keep your conduct among

the Gentiles honorable so among those who are unbelievers keep

your conduct honorable live as Christians so that when they

speak against you as evildoers They may see your good deeds and

glorify God on the day of visitation.

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord brothers and

sisters. I urge you declare the

excellencies of God who has drawn You By His Marvelous Grace

out of your spiritual Darkness into his spiritual light and you

stand to your feet this morning. Heavenly Father, we praise you

for your word. We thank you, Lord, for your

kindness and salvation. We thank you, Lord, for the joy

that is ours in Christ Jesus. We thank you that we know peace

from all our vain strivings And we praise you for the Salvation,

we've received my father, you know, our hearts, you know us

we've read today and so you know that we are prone to wonder.

We are prone to chase after things that we think will add to

what you've done. God, help us.

Help us to not forsake the grace that saved us as we pursue

sanctification. Help us to lean on your grace

daily. For are being made more and more

like Christ. Lord help us.

Now, in this moment of repents, maybe where we've done that,

Randy, where we're finding confidence in the flesh, having

been born by the spirit as Paul says in Gentiles and Galatians

having been born by the spirit. Are We Now relying on the flesh?

Help us. And father it for anyone in

here. It doesn't know you as Lord,

whether they've convinced themselves that they do because

of their religious efforts and Zeal or whether they were just

flat out in Rebellion against you.

Convict. Holy spirit's lead unto

salvation today. Draw them to yourself that they

might experience. Marvelous, Lights, peace, with

God, reconciliation forever. Lord, we love you.

We love you. Christ's name.

I pray. Amen.

We love you. Christ's name.

I pray. Amen.