Sermon on John 3:1-16, for Trinity Sunday (1 Yr lectionary), "We can be born again!"
Sermon outline:
·
We just had our school Spring Musical,
“Nic’ at Night” about this same story! Beautiful singing and great telling of
the story of Nicodemus. “Secret disciple”. That changed when he and Joseph of
Arimathea, boldly buried the body of Jesus after His death on Good Friday, and
were no doubt among the faithful who saw Him after His resurrection. Refrain
from song: John 3:16 means, “we can be born again!”
·
Pharisees—strict laws, Jewish leaders,
many on the Sanhedrin, or ruling council of 70. Most would become fierce opponents
of Jesus; Sabbath law, forgiving sins and making Himself equal to God, calling
God His Father, making Himself equal to God. Saul was a Pharisee, persecuting
Christians, before his conversion and becoming the Apostle Paul. This is why
the secret visit—going against the group. Made his discipleship open when he
buried Jesus.
·
Musical—talked about the temptation to
“hide” our discipleship, or be “secret disciples”. Encouraged us to come into
the light and let people know who you are. When people mock, laugh, or even
insult you for being a Christian—do you hide it, or do you give witness and
stand with humble courage? Christians don’t always realize it if we’re in a
“bubble”, but for a long time in our society, to be Christian is a mark of “low
status.” In other words, if status in this life is important to you, being a
Christian won’t advance you very far after those goals. (“status seeking” is of
no value before God). But Jesus never paid attention to the “status” of any man
or woman—neither Nicodemus, the Pharisees, the outcast Samaritans, tax
collectors, etc. He didn’t regard their status, but their hearts in relation to
Him. Christ calls us to “acknowledge Him before men” which is what our
confirmand Kahoku is doing today. Confess the faith of his baptism by water and
the Spirit—new birth, and to say that he has studied and believes this faith in
Jesus. By faith in Jesus, we gain the only “status” that should really
matter—we’re children of God, loved by our Father, saved by His Son, and filled
with His Holy Spirit.
·
V. 3 & 5. Born “again” or “from
above”. Born of water and the Spirit. Heavenly or new birth. Baptism, water and
Spirit. All have natural birth from our mother—enter the world as flesh, even
as Jesus did. But to see or enter the kingdom of God, we must be born
again, spiritual rebirth, washing of renewal and regeneration by the Holy
Spirit. This second birth can’t happen by any earthly power—not our will or
flesh (John 1:12-13), but by God. He gives us the right to become children of
God by believing in Jesus. John 3:16 means “We can be born again!”
·
Why is our earthly, natural birth not
enough? “What is born of the flesh is flesh, what is born of the spirit is
spirit.” 1 Cor. 2:14 the mind of flesh cannot understand the things of
God—foolish to him. Our natural, fleshly mind is incapable of “getting it”. To
see God’s Kingdom, understand the Gospel of Jesus. We need the mind of Christ,
the gift of the Spirit, to understand. God uses His Word to open our ears and
mind, so that we can “get it.”
·
What do we learn about the kingdom of
God, which the world can’t understand? Moving of the Spirit is invisible to us,
but we recognize its effects like we see the moving of objects by the wind.
When God begins to work in someone’s life, they are transformed, and others can
even see it. Queen Kaahumanu, the queen of the islands in the 1820s, had a
reputation for being proud and arrogant, but after years of study with the
missionaries, she converted to Christ, and her change in life to become a
humble servant to her people, was so dramatic that she was renamed “Kaahumanu
Hou” or “the new Kaahumanu” (Awakening: A
Christian Nation. Gospel Hawaii Series 3, Dr. Steve Walton, p. 4). Several
years later, when she lay dying a friend described her as “more humble, more lovely, more affectionate than ever. Every breath was
prayer or praise to God for what He was doing for her people. She had been
permitted to see them turning to the Lord and professing their faith by
thousands…”. And shortly before her death, she was presented with the freshly
printed copy of the New Testament, in the Hawaiian language for the first time,
in a red leather cover with her name printed on it—which she held to her chest
as she lay dying. (From Kaahumanu: A
Memorial prepared by Mrs. H.A.P. Carter, 1892—p. 28 in Na Himeni Haipule Hawaii).
·
The Spirit of God is invisible to us,
but the effects on people’s lives are not. In our own lives, we can recognize
the working of the Holy Spirit when we are convicted of our sins—we feel the
cry of our guilt before God, and feel the yearning to be free of that guilt, as
we are when we trust in Him for the forgiveness He freely gives us in His Son
Jesus. John 3:16. We “see” the work of the Spirit when we have joy and
confidence in His love and protection for us, even in the midst of suffering
and crosses in life. We know that our Savior Jesus was not spared suffering,
and neither will we—but we know that it’s not for nothing, as Jesus has
defeated death for us. By this rebirth from God, of water and the Spirit, we
will enter the kingdom of God, by His grace.
·
No one has ascended to heaven except the
one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. We cannot climb up to heaven.
The pile of our good works, no matter how high, is an anthill—no flight of
stairs or ladder to heaven. Only Jesus has come down from and gone up to
heaven. Only He is our ladder, our entrance, the Way and the Door to heaven.
Through Him alone we have access to the Father. Not trying to leap up from our
works, but being carried up by the death of Jesus for our sin, and His rising
to new life again, so that whoever believes in Him has eternal life.
·
In addition to confirmation day, also
Trinity Sunday. Here is another mystery—God as three in one. Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. No way to unravel—but can see the mystery in the way salvation is
revealed to us—God the Father loved the World. The Father’s love motivated Him
to send His Son Jesus. Jesus came into the world on a salvation rescue mission.
He took the lowest status, born in a manger, suffering on a horrible cross,
killed alongside criminals—took that lowest status so He could elevate us to eternal
life, we might have His riches. And the Holy Spirit is sent by Him to give us
the new birth of water and Spirit. To give us faith and renewal, so that we
transform from old lives of selfishness and sin, into the new creation we are
in Him. The status as God’s children comes to us immediately when we believe in
Him. The transformation of our life, our walk of discipleship, takes a
lifetime. But when it is complete, in death, and we enter into His eternal
kingdom, there will be perfection and live forevermore! Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, has set His seal of ownership and love upon us, when we experienced
that new birth of water and the Holy Spirit in our baptism. May He always
strengthen and renew us in that faith. Amen.
Sermon Talking
Points
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- The Pharisees
were influential leaders among the Jews, and strict followers of the law
(as they saw it). Nicodemus was also on the Sanhedrin, the 70 member
ruling council. Why did Nic’ come to Jesus at night? John 3:2; 5:18;
7:30-31; 10:31-33.
- Read John 3 vs.
3 & 5 carefully and compare them. Being “born again” or “born from
above” is parallel to “born of water and Spirit.” What is this referring
to? How do we receive this new birth? Cf. John 1:12-13; Titus 3:5-6.
- If someone is
not “born from above” (3:3), why can’t they “see” or enter (3:5) the
kingdom of God? 1 Corinthians 2:11-16. What then gives them the ability to
see and to access it?
- How is the
movement of the Holy Spirit like the wind? John 3:8 What other movements
or forces are invisible to us, but have a very real, recognizable effect
on us and the world?
- Who is the only
one who is our path, our ladder, or our door into heaven? John 3:13; 1:51;
14:6.
- How does this
passage speak of all three members of the Trinity? John 3:16, 3:5, 8, 13.
While we cannot unravel this mystery, how is it shown and revealed in the
way that all three Persons of the Trinity work for our salvation?
- How wide does
God’s love extend? How wide the sacrifice or payment that Jesus makes for
sin?
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