The Simplest Command - The Greatest Question
Chris Spenner, Pastor
Gospel of John - John 3:1-21 - The Simplest Command • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 34:33
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The GOSPEL
The GOSPEL
READ John 3:1-18 passage
1) The Command/The Confusion
1) The Command/The Confusion
Explain Nicodemus’ quandary
His question - literally
“Water and the spirit”
He knows the Law, He knows what Moses wrote
Interesting to look at the two on the road to Emmaus, Jesus uses Moses’ writing to point out that He is Messiah
2) What do you mean by?
2) What do you mean by?
Illustration that points makes something clear, makes it attractive
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21)
The people spoke against God and Moses
People had to trust what they were told, look to the serpent on the staff
The staff did not provide salvation - FAITH did
Humans
Born alive physically, eventually die physically
What happens in between determines your eternal existence - proximity
Born spiritually dead, must decide to be born spiritually (born again)
If you want to be part of the Kingdom of God (the “good” kingdom)
“Born again” = “Born from above” literally
3) Jesus’ first coming
3) Jesus’ first coming
Nicodemus struggled with “earthly things”
Explain - signs, etc.
Biblical Christianity is not a blind faith - God never expects faith to be blind, but rather the logical choice based on evidence
Unsaved around us struggle with those same things
Assuming they see the signs - the church
“Come and see”
First coming - Jesus came to save, not judge
His second coming - Jesus is coming to judge, not save
Loving? God takes some pot-shots from lots of people...
How can a loving God send people to Hell?
He doesn’t - A Loving God rescues people from Hell
Humans are born sinners - choose to reject Jesus and simply continue on path to Hell, nobody sending you anywhere without your choosing
ASIDE: I don’t like “pro-choice” because people never define the choice
However, Salvation…People have the choice, trust or accept Jesus, and understand the consequences
A Loving God rescues people from Hell, without making you earn it (ALL ‘religions’ outside of Biblical Christianity are works-based)
The command is clear - be born again!
Everyone here has been born of water
Everyone here needs to be born from above, born again, born of the Spirit
How do you answer the questions that come your way?
The lost ask questions that come from not knowing God - I can accept that - it’s not personal (accept between them and God)
All this - John 3 - is history
Revelation 4 and forward, that is future
Do you KNOW that you are born again?
Think you can’t know that?
I leave you with 1 John 5:13
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.