Mountain Life Church/

Born Again Mountain Life Church/Life Pack/October 14, 2012

Born Again Sermon Notes October 14, 2012 Write any notes from the week here I. A Secret Seeker A. A Pharisee 1. The fundamentalist sect of religious leaders 2. A member of the Sanhedrin 3. Not a civic leader, as the Romans held that niche 4. The Sanhedrin were the religious leaders in Judea B. A Wealthy Leader 1. Perhaps the brother of Josephus, the well known historian 2. Helped with Jesus funeral 3. Jesus didn t just have poor people as His followers C. Willing to Open His Eyes 1. The paradigm of religious people Salvation comes through obedience and earning Sanctification (growing in holiness) comes through obedience and earning This thinking makes Jesus an enemy of orthodoxy 2. Nicodemus has doubts about his theology, but has no idea what truly IS right II. Jesus Blunt Answer A. I Assure You 1. Truly, Truly 2. Verily, Verily 3. When Jesus says this, we better listen! B. Unless You Are Born Again, You Cannot See the Kingdom of Heaven 1. There is only one kind of Christian - The born again kind 2 19

Table Talk Teens Read John 3 Question One: In your own words, describe what born again means. Question Two: To be born again or born from above is to have a spiritual transformation, which takes a person out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of God. It is the act by which God imparts spiritual life to one who trusts Christ. Without spiritual birth, a person cannot perceive spiritual things, nor can he or she enter the kingdom of God. Have you been born again? Question Three: In John 3:5-7, Jesus was saying that Nicodemus, in order to enter the kingdom, needed to turn to God and repent in order to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Because a fallen person (the flesh) cannot regenerate himself, the flesh cannot be made into Spirit. A person must experience a spiritual rebirth. How did Jesus answer Nicodemus question? Question Four: Read John 3:16. In your own words explain what this verse means. Question Five: God s motivation toward people is love. God s love is not limited to a few or to a group of people, but His gift is for the whole world. God s love was expressed in the giving of His most priceless gift His Son. On man s side, the gift must simply be received, not earned. A person is saved by believing, by trusting in Christ. Perish means a final destiny of ruin in hell apart from God who is life, truth, and joy. Eternal life is a new quality of life, which a believer has now as a present possession and will possess forever. Would you like to be born again? 18 2. You cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven without being born again. III.The Biblical Writers and Born Again A. Jesus and all the New Testament writers agreed, you must be transformed by the Holy Spirit through grace 1. Ezekiel 36: 26 2. I Corinthians 6: 17 3. I Corinthians 2: 14-15 4. 2 Corinthians 5: 17 5. Titus 3: 5 6. I Peter 1: 23 7. Moses & Joshua and entering Abundant Life B. You cannot earn the Kingdom 1. Paul s Writings 2. The history of earning IV.Spiritual Words and the Natural Man A. Nicodemus doesn t get it 1. Flesh is all about earning 2. Spirit is all about grace B. The Great Exchange 1. God gave Jesus 2. I lay down my old life and exchange it for Jesus LIFE! C. Spiritual Birth 1. A work of God, not of man 2. Comes through travail, repentance, and faith; not through simply praying a prayer D. Judgment 1. Comes on those who hide their sin 2. Hiding my sin keeps me from seeing the Kingdom and the King 3

Life Group Questions for October 14, 2012 Good News Series Message = Born Again Elementary John 3:1-21 Table Talk Ice Breaker: Tell about a funny mistake or misunderstanding you ve had in your past. Read John 3 1. Tell what you observe about this passage. 2. What do you think Jesus means in verse 5 that we must be born of water and of the Spirit? (Some churches teach that water is a reference to baptism. Others believe it is a reference to just being born [the water breaks when we are born]. A clue is found in verse 6). 3. Tell in your own words what you think verse 8 means. Day 1 - Read this week's passage, John 3:1-21. Why would it be hard to die for a real "bad" person, someone who sins against you? (You might consider them as your enemy, not worthy.) How did God show His love for us? (He sent His only begotten Son to die in our place, even though we were sinning against Him.) Day 2 - What does it mean to be "born again"? Read verses 16-18 again. What does it really mean to believe? Day 3 - So far, we learned that no matter how hard we try, we will never be good enough to get to Heaven on our own. Yet, it is a free gift. Have you ever taken the time to accept this free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ? If not, why wait? Talk with your parents about this, and ask them to pray with you to accept this gift of Jesus into your heart and into your life! If you take this step of faith, be sure to share this most exciting news with someone! 4. Have someone read John 3: 14-15 and Numbers 21: 5-8. Why do you think Jesus compared Himself to a snake on a pole? Does this picture of Jesus concern you or excite you? Please explain. 5. Read John 3: 17-20 again. What reason does Jesus give to explain people s rejection of Him? 6. Describe eternal life in your own words. Then tell how you have experienced, or not experienced, eternal life. 7. Can you think of any Bible verses that tell us how we can KNOW that we are born again? 8. Pray for one another. 4 17

Table Talk Preschool & Nursery: Day 1: Read John 3:1-21 Start out talking about giving and receiving gifts. Discuss the best gift they have ever given to someone. If you handed out thank you notes or gifts recently, discuss how the person reacted to your gift of kindness. Talk about a very special gift that you have received and why it was so special to you. In the story, we learn that God sent EVERYONE a very special gift...jesus! Jesus came to earth to be with us, to teach us, to save us, and to give us a way to know him personally. God must love us so much to give us His one and only son. Day 2: Talk about how God loves us ALL very much! Discuss how you can see God s love. For example, through our friends, our family, and all the many blessings we have. Talk about how God not only gives us people and things to enjoy, but that He showed us His most powerful love of all by sending Jesus so that we can receive eternal life through Him. Share again about some of Jesus miracles we have talked about recently. Jesus is so amazing! Memory Verse: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16 Day 3: Share about how amazing it is that God loves us! Talk about ways we can share God s love with others. Pray a prayer of thanks to God for sending His son Jesus. Activity: Before doing this activity with the kids first prepare by finding a battery-operated toy and remove the batteries. Now, take the toy, show the kids, and ask them how it works. They will immediately notice that it does not work quite right. Ask what it might need to make it work. Give silly suggestions like a dollar bill, or a picture, or dog food. Finally take the suggestion and use the batteries. Ah, now that is what the toy needed...batteries! The toy works great now. Give a little demonstration. Tell the kids, that is how it is with us. We can try all kinds of different things to satisfy us, but none of them really work. We could try money, toys, pets, or a lot of other stuff, but none of them can satisfy us as God can. When we ask God into our lives and ask Him to take control, our lives have real meaning and purpose. So how about we not fill our lives with junk, and instead fill our lives with God! Personal Devotion Pages The following pages are designed to help you enjoy a regular time alone with God. We have divided up the curriculum to help us grow wherever we are at in our relationship with God and in our knowledge of His Kingdom. LEVELS: Since we are a Colorado church, we use skiing imagery to communicate the different levels of intensity and time involved in relating to God. BEGINNER: If you are new in your relationship with God, we encourage you to try the exercises under this symbol: INTERMEDIATE: If you have walked with God for some time and would like a little more challenge and more time involvement, try the exercises under this symbol: ADVANCED: These exercises are for people who have walked with God for some time and display maturity in their relationship with Him. These exercises provide a practical way to encounter God and His truth on a regular basis. There are no rules here. Please don t hurry through the process. Slow meditation and memorization seems to soak in better than cramming. Enjoy! 16 5

Day One 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Read and meditate on John 3. 3. In the space below, write down what God says to you through the passage in John. Memorize 3: 16-17. Memorize John 3: 16-18. Memorize John 3: 14-20. Day Five God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it. There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God. Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished. ~John 3:17-20, NLT These obscure verses are like the desert on the other side of a mountain range. The mountain range is John 3: 16. Most of us know it and quote it, but the rains of our attention stop right there when reading the passage. The beautiful words after that memorable statement get very little attention. The Messiah, Jesus, came to save the world, not condemn it. We who chose to hide our sin rather than confess and forsake it are judged already. Acknowledgement of our sinful condition before God is the doorway to redemption and grace, but few of us are willing to take that narrow gate. This unwillingness to look honestly at ourselves precludes us from looking honestly and openly at God. It precludes us from being open to Jesus, God s intercessor between Himself and us. Take time today to give God permission to search your heart and reveal to you the sins that you hide from Him. Humble yourself under His loving hand and He will exalt you. 6 15

Day Five 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Meditate on John 3: 14-20. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what He is teaching through this passage. 3. Take time to pray for people you love who do not know Jesus. Write three of their names in this space and ask the Lord to bring them to Himself. Day One After dark one evening, a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to speak with Jesus. Teacher, he said, we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with you. ~John 3:1, 2, NLT Nicodemus has come to Jesus with two conflicting emotions. He has come at night because of fear that he might be seen approaching and conversing with the outlaw rabbi. He has also come with humility. He acknowledges that Jesus has come from God to teach the Jews. Jesus does not reproach him or send him away. He welcomes him, but answers his questions before they are even asked. Jesus lack of subtlety and His preemptive, head-on statement knocks Nicodemus off balance. Jesus answers Nicodemus unspoken question with, I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3, NLT). What? No Good Evening, or How ya doin? No small talk or even a kind greeting. Jesus goes right for the answer that Nicodemus subconsciously needs to hear. 4. Finish your Bible memorization today. The answer is like a sucker punch to a religious man. Religious folk, at heart, think they can earn this life that God promises. Jesus promises Nicodemus this line of thinking will get Him nowhere with the King of the Universe. When Jesus says, I assure you, or in other translations, Truly, truly, He is saying something steadfast, immovable, and eternally true. I MUST BE BORN AGAIN in order to see the Kingdom of God. 14 7

Day Two 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Read John 3 again slowly. 3. Write down in this space what God is saying to you through this passage that you might have missed last time. 4. Write down in the space provided when you think you were born again and transformed. Take time to thank God for saving you. 5. Continue memorizing and meditating on the scriptures for this week. Day Four As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. ~John 3:14, 15, NAS Jesus reminds Nicodemus of an Old Testament picture that painted a beautiful picture of the coming Messiah. The story aptly foreshadows a suffering servant who would exchange His righteousness for our sin. The story goes like this: and they (the people of Israel) began to murmur against God and Moses. Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness? they complained. There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this wretched manna! So the LORD sent poisonous snakes among them, and many of them were bitten and died. Then the people came to Moses and cried out, We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take away the snakes. So Moses prayed for the people. Then the LORD told him, Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to the top of a pole. Those who are bitten will live if they simply look at it! (Numbers 21:5-8.) As Jesus speaks to this man who seeks to earn his way to God, He reminds him that the Messiah would open the door to redemption by becoming sin for the people. What a horrible picture! The Messiah is compared to the very animal used to symbolize Satan! Jesus, thank You so much for exchanging Your righteousness for my sin. Thank You for giving me eternal life at absolutely no cost of my own, but at such a cost to You! 8 13

Day Four 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Meditate on John 3: 14-15. Take time to thank Jesus that He exchanged His righteousness for your sin. Think about your sins from this week and thank Him that they were hung on the cross with Jesus. Now take time to thank Him for His righteousness He gives through faith. 3. Meditate on Galatians 3: 1-14. 4. Continue meditating on and memorizing the scripture for this week. Day Two In His commentary on John s Gospel, William Barclay helps us understand the inner turmoil that Nicodemus is going through as he takes the risky chance of talking to Jesus at night. Barclay tells us this: In his heart (Nicodemus ) there was a great unsatisfied longing. It is as if he said with infinite, wistful yearning: You talk about being born anew; you talk about this radical, fundamental change which is so necessary. I know that it is necessary; but in my experience it is impossible. There is nothing I would like more; but you might as well tell me, a full grown man, to enter into my mother s womb and be born all over again. It is not the desirability of this change that Nicodemus questioned; that he knew only too well; it is the possibility. Nicodemus is up against the eternal problem, the problem of the man who wants to be changed and who cannot change himself. Being born again is a thing that only God can do. A baby has very little to do with its own birth, so a person cannot be born again without the work of the Holy Spirit. John tells us, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12, 13, NAS, emphasis mine). This born again metaphor is radical. It implies a profound inner transformation. One cannot guess if he is born again. Someone who is truly born again KNOWS it deep inside. Until I am truly born again of the Spirit of God, my knower doesn t have confidence. Once I m truly transformed, my knower knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am His forever. 12 9

Day Three 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Meditate on II Corinthians 5: 17-21. Write in this space what God says to you through this passage. 3. Meditate on Ephesians 2: 1-10. Write in this space what you learn from the passage. 4. Continue meditating on and memorizing the scripture for this week. Day Three Do not be amazed that I said to you, You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus said to Him, How can these things be? ~John 3:7-9, NAS As a religious man, Nicodemus struggles to understand Jesus message of his own need to be born again. He has strived to gain God s acceptance his whole life, now Jesus says his own righteousness is not enough. Try as he might, Nicodemus cannot muster enough righteousness to enter the Kingdom. Jesus assures him that he must be born again. Not long after Jesus resurrection, the church began to slide into self righteousness again. The books of Galatians and Colossians both deal with an enemy who has slipped into the churches, teaching a righteousness by works, not by faith. These enemies continued to hound the church of the Mediterranean until the fourth century, when the church completely abandoned the born again message and instead turned to a grace (which is not really grace) that is dispensed through the church to those who jumped through certain hoops. Today, those of us born into many denominations are not taught the need for the total transformation of the inner man. Instead, there is an infant baptism, which deceitfully communicates entrance into the kingdom. Then when children hit puberty, they are confirmed into the church. Confirmation classes focus on correct theology and correct thinking, but have little to do with inner transformation. When these children have friends who ask them if they are born again, they respond like Nicodemus, How can these things be? God, as I push into Your presence today, I ask that if I ve never truly been born again, that You would transform me from the inside out! 10 11