Keep the Change!
“How to Change for Good”
John 3
David Henderson, Pastor/teacher
There are just certain things we ALL KNOW in life.
* you don’t tug on superman’s cape
* you don’t spit into the wind
* you don’t pull the mask off the old lone ranger
* AND YOU DON’T MESS AROUND WITH JIM
I want to suggest to you this morning that all of us, including myself, don’t always know as much as we think we do. And sometimes we miss the obvious. Here in John 3 Jesus shows us something that is not only true, it is essential for all of us. In fact it is so essential that if you miss it you will miss everything. If you don’t get this one thing right you will never go anywhere spiritually in life.
This is something Jesus said we must do, not a maybe, not if we feel like it, not a possibility...we must do it especially if we want to change for good. I want us to look this morning at the record of a conversation between 2 people (1) a man who was very powerful, very wealthy and very influential....his name was Nicodemus. The other was a carpenters’s son from Nazareth. His name was Jesus.
Nicodemus was a man who was well known by people; he had a strong reputation in the community, he was deeply religious but on the inside he was incredibly empty. He had heard ABOUT the truth but he had not experienced the truth. So on this dark night he comes to Jesus. Now if you are asking what does this conversation have to do with me today let me tell you it has absolutely everything to do with all of us. You see this is not merely a conversation between 2 men...it is a conversation between man and God.
Now Nicodemus was intelligent, he was cultured and he was a very moral individual. He was as close to being a good person as anyone could be. But still there was something missing in his life. You see despite the fact that he was famous, despite the fact that he was wealthy, despite the fact that he was a leader, he was unhappy...he was not satisfied with his life. If we are honest we have all been there. But here is a conversation that can change all of that. Right here we see 3 encounters that chan change us forever.
The first one is FACE TO FACE. John 3:1-10. Jesus says you must be born again. This is the ultimate change. This is starting over...this is a fresh start. All of us love the idea of a new beginning. So let me ask you this morning..have yo ever been born again? Look at Nicodemus. Jesus saw in Nicodemus a man who was hungry for the truth. Hungry because something was missing.
We read in v. 1 that Nicodemus was a PHARISEE. The Pharisees always majored on minors. They were much more concerned with the outside than with the inside. In history the Pharisees were a select group, never numbering more than 6000. Each of then had taken a vow in the presence of 3 witnesses that he would devote every moment of his life to obeying the 10 commandments. They took the law very seriously. Not only was Nicodemus associated with this group, he was actually part of the Sanhedrin. He was one of their leaders. They wrote laws. They conducted trials. The Sanhedrin would be the equivalent to the Supreme court today. We could say thet Nicodemus was the man. Jesus said to him you are the teacher. You are Israel’s teacher which means he may have been the most well known teacher in that area. But it was not the fact that he was wealthy, well known, educated or moral that brought him to Jesus...it was the fact that he was empty.
V. 2. This man came to Jesus BY NIGHT. Perhaps because he was afraid to be seen, perhaps because he was afraid to be seen, perhaps we was afraid of the criticism of others or of what they might think-after all he was the guy who had it all together. Listen it is no mistake that the Bible compare us to SHEEP. Because they are not very bright. I read this week..true story that happened in Turkey. That’s Instanbul. :) A large herd of sheep were grazing-they had been left alone while the shepherds were getting some breakfast. One of them went to the edge of a cliff and jumped to his death. The shepherds were stunned at this and they watched as 1500 sheep, the entire herd...each one jumped off the cliff. In the end 450 died....the ones who survived, lived because they landed on the others and their fall was cushioned. They estimated the loss at $100,000. Isaiah said all of us have strayed away like sheep..we have left God’s path to follow our own. You see we will line up for the latest fad, the latest trend and we do what everyone else does. And why? Because we are like sheep!
If you don’t already know there comes a time for all of us when we must begin to think for ourselves. In everything there must be a BEGINNING. We must begin to think for ourselves. Nicodemus steps forward and he comes with great respect for Jesus. Look at verse 2. Nicodemus had great respect for the teachings of Jesus. He must have thought that coming to Jesus could change something in his life. But Jesus says something here that is radical. We only see this phrase 3 times in the Bible and two of them are right here in this passage. Here it is ...You must be born again! Now we know that Nicodemus was getting along in years. He was already old. So he says, “how can a man be born when he is old?”
You know when you get older people get more set in their ways. If you ever go to Disney you see it very clearly.
* When you are young, you want to go on the fastest, biggest ride in the park. When you are older, you only question is where are we gonna eat?
* When you are young you run from one ride to the next. When you are older, you look for the nearest bench to sit down. There are certain signs of getting older. Here are a few.
* You know you are getting older when: you sit down in a rocking chair and you can’t get it started. You know you’re getting older when you mind makes commitments your body can’t keep.
* You know you’re getting older when you sink your teeth into a juicy steak and they stay there.
* You’ve owned clothes so long that they come back into style....twice.
* You know you’re getting older when you sing along with elevator music.
Now what did Jesus mean by being born again? You and I need a complete change. Our beliefs are not enough, keeping the law is not enough...the Bible says unless we are born again we cannot enter the kingdom of God. V. 3.
2nd encounter. MIND TO MIND. V. 4 Nicodemus says OK I believe you now, but how do I do it? How can a man my age change this much? How many times have tried to change yourself...you know it’s the new year...I’m gonna get in shape...lose weight....watch less TV..read the Bible daily. We try new clothes, get a new haircut, a new job, maybe even a new place to live. But it doesn’t work. Because all of these things only fix the outside.
Now I don’t know if a warm breeze blew at this exact moment but right then Jesus says, v. 8......
How many times do we say “if I can’t see it I won’t believe it!” We don’t really mean that. Because it would be like standing in the middle of a hurricane, trees being uprooted, homes being destroyed and we say if I don’t see the wind I don’t believe in it. We don’t see it but we do see the effects! Jesus was dealing with the mind, the way we think and reason. He was showing us the evidence.
3rd encounter. HEART TO HEART. V. 9-10
I suspect that there are many of us here today who know a whole lot about religion but don’t know much about Jesus/grace. And that’s where Nicodemus was. Jesus says let me tell you how to change for good. Now for just a few minutes, not for a day but for a lifetime!
Verses 14-16. His religion does not prepare us for what we really need. You see religion is man reaching up to God. Being born again means God reaches down to us. It’s a gift. We can’t earn it, we can’t buy it. Six quick things we all need to know.
1. Realize we are sinners. No more excuses.
2. Recognize that Jesus died for you.
3. Repent of our sin.
4. Receive Jesus.
5. Make it public. Let people know.
6. Finally do it now!
When you are opening a gift how do you do it? Women, carefully, don’t want to tear the ribbon and bow...will use it again. Men, just get it open. Listen God has a gift for you today..just open it..whether you open it fast or you open it slow, just do it today. We have every reason to believe that Nicodemus was changed for good.
During the trial of Jesus it was Nicodemus who spoke up and said that the trial was unfair. Then it was Nicodemus who brought gifts to anoint the body of Jesus and helped place him in the tomb. You can receive this free gift today also and be born again!
