Sermon Tone Analysis

(S1) —

Have you ever been grateful for a second Chance?

Do over?

New Lease on life?

Opportunity to do something better the second time around?

There was a man, standing before God, anxiously awaiting admission into heaven.

Peering through the gates, he could see those streets paved of gold, heavenly beings flittering about with words of joyous refrain, praising God.

He says to God, “I am here to gain entrance into this is a most glorious place.

He pulls out a piece of paper, and says with confidence, “Here is my ticket,”

“What is this,” God says, only glancing at the paper the man held.

The man replies, “It is all the good I have done, while I was on earth.”

God replies, Hmmm…I don’t recognize you; did you come to be born in me while you were a man?

The man looks at him with a puzzled stare.

Yes of course God, I followed all your laws and instructed the people to do the same.

God replies, “but did you know my son?

Did you hear his words?

The man looks at his paper, “but…look at my list….God abruptly interrupts, “All those things are good…but did you have faith?

Did you speak of the hope I offered through my son?

Did you have joy and peace to stand even under the pressures of life?

And most of all did you have love for others, the love you were to share with the world?”

The love I so freely offered for you?

The man’s looks to the ground, confused and dismayed…God says, did you hear the words of the one I sent, “unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God?”

In this hypothetical encounter at the entrance of heaven— the goodness of the person without the spirit of God.

(S2)—SERIES—Wesley—Jesus’ response in his encounter with Nicodemus

John 3:7 “So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’”

What did this mean for Nicodemus and those like him?

What does this mean for us today?

In his sermon New Birth, John Wesley addresses three questions—WHY we must be born again?

HOW must we be born again?

To WHAT end must we be born again?

(S3)—He reconciles two great doctrines of our Methodist faith.

1. JUSTIFICATION—What God does FOR US by FORGIVING our sin

2. REGENERATION—What God does IN US to RENEW our fallen nature

New Birth—A second chance, fresh start, being born in the spirit, so we can live into God’s best for us

In Nicodemus’ encounter there is an underlying tension between WHO he was and who he was created to be.

The reality for us is the same—that all the good we do won’t be enough, without the life-giving spirit of Jesus

(S4) — PRAY

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.

After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus.

“Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us.

Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.

John 3:1–2 (NLT)

He was a religious man, who had a legalistic approach to faith in God—”strict adherence, to law especially to the letter rather than the spirit”—rule followers—Do all the right things, even though they don’t do all the right things.

This created confusion among the faithful—Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy

A lady may not look in the mirror on the Sabbath, she might see a gray hair, if she did then she might pull it out, if she did then that would be work; breaking the rule of the Sabbath.

If you had a sore throat you could drink vinegar but not gargle with it because that would be work.

The Pharisees had externalized religion; the premise of their belief was that salvation is based on one’s own merit; and keeping the laws, most of their own making, was the way to get on the good side of God; like the man before God, they carried the list in their back pocket.

Nicodemus was doing all the good he could in hopes of entering the kingdom of God.

But, before we throw him under the proverbial bus, he did come to Jesus with questions—In the Dark of night—We all know—He was representing not only himself, but a group of people who were eager for more of Jesus

Two things held in tension—Jesus telling Nicodemus, ”ye must be born again,” with the common view of religion, which Nicodemus represents.

Nicodemus is seeking answers from a RELIGIOUS point of view—Jesus’ response is of a RELATIONAL nature.

(S5)

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3 (NLT)

Jesus’ words would have been both shocking and confusing to Nicodemus—He understood this phrase in the context of a non Jew converting to Judaism—He was a devout Jew, so why would he need to be born again?

Jesus had a way of speaking truth in a variety of ways depending on who he was talking to—With his Disciples (teacher to a student)—Woman at the well (understanding)—The Crowds (compassion)—Thief on the cross(merciful)—Pilate; stern honesty—Children, let them come to me.”

We to also need to hear Jesus’ speaking to us in ways that will draw us to his truth—Jesus spoke BOLDLY to Nicodemus

(S6)—His response is almost comical

“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus.

“How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

John 3:4 (NLT)

Nicodemus; physical rebirth— Jesus is talking of a SPIRITUAL Birth—Sometimes our human understanding can keep us from SPIRITUAL blessing

Isaiah 55:8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.

“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”

On our own we are limited, but when we seek Jesus, our eyes can be opened to the heart of God.

(S7)—Jesus goes one step further...

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.

John 3:5 (NLT)

Nicodemus’ perspective; he hadn’t been baptized, because the Pharisees rejected John’s baptism.

Water and Spirit—Baptism—Not what Jesus is talking about

“Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.

14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again.

It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

John 4:13-14

(S8)— A life-giving rebirth that can be found only in Jesus—He makes this clearer by saying...

Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.

So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’

John 3:6–7 (NLT)

It’s not enough to follow a few rules, or even to be Baptized—You MUST BE BORN AGAIN—There has to be a spiritual REGENERATION—Change in the heart and life of a person that happens not because of merit, but of the living God in them.

Nicodemus discouraged asks, ”How is this possible?”

(S9)— Jesus’ response

The wind blows wherever it wants.

Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

John 3:8 (NLT)

You will never be able to go back and explain it to the others, only know that it’s happening.

Asbury College

(S10)—J.W. —3 questions—

WHY we must be born again?

The NECESSITY of New Birth?

Created in the image of God—Gen.

1:26-27

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, So God created human beings in his own image.

In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

“Created not in his natural image...political image...but chiefly of his MORAL image…” Humanity was at creation, filled with the spirit and holiness of God.

God’s love was the sole principle of his created thoughts, temper, words and actions—God’s justice, mercy, and truth—was in the heart of mankind— God’s purity from sin was in all

Otherwise God could not have pronounced his creation, as good — Yet created, “able to stand and liable to fall.”—

Through a willful act of disobedience God’s good garden was tarnished

Genesis 2:17 “...except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.””

“Mankind lost the life of God.

Separated in spirit—The love of god was distinguished from the sinful soul of man”

A snake caused them to doubt—DID GOD REALLY SAY THAT?