Before we get started-
I had a random thought this morning- (don't raise your hands!) But how many of us started a Lent with idea we were going to give something up- a favorite food or drink, etc... Or maybe we were going to add something - like more prayer time, bible reading, etc...?
Now again, don't raise your hands, but how many of us failed?
Our hearts are in the right place, our spirits are willing but....( finish the sentence). Why is that? Paul said the good he wanted to do, he doesn't. The thing he doesn't want to do, he does- sounds familiar, right! My belief is that we struggle with old vs new nature! Our old man hasn't been fully crucified! I heard someone say we like to offer our selves as a living sacrifice, but then we crawl off the altar!
No shame or condemnation because I'm right there too!
Let's agree to make a connection with God today, Amen?
This Is Greater Love!
I think it best to start our Easter message in a very familiar place,
John 3:16-17 NLT
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
We're going to come back in a minute to John 3:16, but first lets back up a few verses to the beginning of Chapter 3:
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)
So who was Nicodemus? A highly respected and powerful Pharisee and teacher who had come to Jesus by night. It’s thought this was because he was ‘cautiously curious’ about Jesus- but not wanting to jeopardize his standing among the religious leaders. I am really intrigued by Nick. The ‘party line’ was that Jesus was a threat and needed to be eliminated. Nicodemus obviously wasn’t so sure, so he had to check Jesus out for himself.
John 3:3 Jesus answered, I assure you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus came to Jesus and made a statement- Jesus immediately knew why he was there and answered a question that Nicodemus hadn’t asked out loud yet- How does someone ‘See the Kingdom of God’? How does one enter it? You must be born again.
When I think of being born, I think of babies!
Born again- As most of you know, we have a baby granddaughter. She is the most wonderful and amazing little person! I love her as completely as anyone could love another! She’s not yet capable of doing anything for me- she cant make me dinner, get me my phone, or even tell me that she loves me! My greatest joy is just being in the room with her, and better yet, to hold her in my lap!
It’s like that with God- even while we are like newborn babies in our faith, he loves us completely and without any expectation in return- except that we would grow in relationship with him.
So Jesus is telling Nicodemus, a respected and educated leader, that he needs to become like a child, His spirit needs to be born again! He needs a ‘do-over’!
The Big Idea. Jesus Loves You! This is my most important point this evening- If you haven’t checked out Jesus for yourself, tonight is a great opportunity! Don’t believe because someone else told you to- check Jesus out for yourself!
He promises to meet you at your current state. Come to him just as you are, just like Nicodemus, questions and all! If you are already right with Jesus, but have some family member or friend you’ve been talking to or sharing with about Jesus, this is the single most important thing to tell them:
Check Jesus out for yourself- no preconceived notions or bias.
When we were passing out the door hangers, there was a person that announced that she didn’t want our propaganda, didn’t believe in our God or our ‘dogma’. The funny thing is- we hadn’t said one word about what we believed or what we represented- for all she knew we could have been from the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster! (Yes- that’s a real thing, lol!) The first thing anyone must do in sharing is to get the person to at least check Jesus out for themselves.
Jesus says that he will reward those that diligently seek him. I am proof that that promise works!
Nikŏdēmŏs (5), victorious among his people- I believe this is a prophetic name- that Nicodemus was indeed ‘victorious’ because he sought out Jesus for himself!
Later in the Gospels we find Nicodemus caring for the needs of Jesus in death. Most believe that he heeded the words of Jesus that night!
Back to John 3:16-
Some Key questions-
What was God’s motivation in sending Jesus? LOVE!!! (True love gives!) God so LOVED, that He GAVE!
Did God send Jesus to Judge the world? NO! (vs 17)
Who is the promise of salvation open to? (The World…EVERYONE)
What is the requirement to be saved? Believe in Him- Period! Let's not complicate this! The Holy Spirit is more than able! So....
Let God Clean the Fish!
I heard someone say something that really stuck with me. Why do you suppose Jesus primarily used Fishermen to start this movement called Christianity? Why did he call us ‘Fishers of Men’? Our job is to spread out the nets and catch the Fish! He didn’t ask us to sort them out, or even to clean them! Let God do that! Amen?
So, If it’s not our job to judge folks,- not even Jesus job according to verse 17, what is our job?
A clue is found in 1 John 4. Let's go there for a bit....
1 John 4:7-21
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Love is an action, love does! Feelings and emotions aside, love takes action.
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
God made the first move- in order for a relationship to occur- someone has to be the first to act!
11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
‘Full Expression’ Action-reaction- one of the laws of physics and Nature says that for every action, there is a reaction! We respond to God’s love by giving it to others!
13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
I am again struck by the wonderful simplicity of the Gospel! The Proof that God exists? God’s spirit lives in us! Who gets in? All who confess Jesus. How can you tell- God lives in them/ they live in God. But sometimes I don’t feel so Godly…
17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
Ahhh the seeds! Love grows! In recent weeks we saw how Faith and Hope are like tiny seeds- God plants them in us, but it’s up to us to water them! It’s the same with love!
Living like Jesus is not done by our ‘trying’! Back in verse 16, it says that we are to put our trust in His love. When we let Him love us and love through us, GOD lives in us! That’s all the proof the world needs!
18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other* because he loved us first.
No fear! God doesn’t operate like that. When one resorts to use of fear, they are not representing God, they perhaps haven’t experienced this ‘perfect love’!
20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a brother or sister,* that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their brothers and sisters.
We're commanded to love! It's a pretty simple test, If/then statement. If you love God, then you love ALL his kids, because they're your family!
In John 15:15, Jesus calls us not just servants, but Friends!
John 15:15
The Voice (VOICE)
15 I don’t call you servants any longer; servants don’t know what the master is doing, but I have told you everything the Father has said to Me. I call you friends.
We will be exploring more about this thing called Love in the weeks to come- I hope you’ll join us!
We’re gathered here this Easter evening to celebrate and remember what our Savior and Friend accomplished for us on that Resurrection Sunday over 2000 years ago.
We will be exploring more about this thing called Love in the weeks to come- I hope you’ll join us!
