Hey, yeah, my name is Chris. Thanks Drew. I get the opportunity to speak this morning to preach this morning
I'm so very humbled to be in front of all of you and in front of a lot of dads
Man, there are a few things that bring more joy to my heart than seeing fathers interacting
with their kids and and yesterday I got to see it a lot
We had a resonate church barbecue some of you guys were there it was great seeing you and and man
It is such a joy and very humbling for me to be here and getting to talk with you this morning
Man, if I'm gonna be honest with you, I didn't sleep very well last night and get a whole lot of sleep
First reason probably because this is my first time getting a preach in front of resonate
The second reason I think is the bigger reasons because of what I get to speak about this morning
I think that the implications of what we're about to talk about are big enough that we would walk out of this room and like
Drew was talking about we're in this sermon series called never the same
I think I think what we're gonna talk about this morning is big enough that we would walk out of this room differently
That it's possible that our entire life would change after this morning
And so this is a big a big deal and because of that I lost sleep, but it's great seeing you guys this morning. Come on
Man, I want to I want to talk to you this morning about a verse that is quite possibly known as the most famous
Verse in scripture this verse is written on department store bags. We got a picture. Yeah, you guys seen that verse before this verse
Is written on signs that are held up at sporting events
Why don't know this verse is written on signs that are that are held by guys who are streaking and running from a guy
Who's tasering them?
No idea what that picture is probably photoshopped. Why does he have that no idea, but this is this is the most
commonly referred to verse in scripture and I think if you were to take a poll of the world
Whether they believe in God or not, I think if you were to take a poll and say what is the most famous verse
What is the one Bible verse that you know? Many people would say John 3 16
And so I want to talk about it today
But not in not in the not in the same way that we've probably heard it talked about not a standalone verse
They would look at it in the context of the story from which it came and so man never the same
We're looking at people who encounter Christ in scripture. Honestly people who Christ encounters in scripture
So today we're gonna look at John chapter 3
with Jesus meets with a man named Nicodemus and as we're studying Nicodemus as a staff this week
We've affectionately called him Nicky D. So I get I get to talk this morning about Jesus and Nicky D
But man first I want to pray for us as we get into this text so heavenly father, man
I'm so I'm so humbled and so gracious that I get to stand in front of Resonate Church and and preach the words of life
God I pray that that you would speak Lord that we would walk away as different people and I pray these things the name of Jesus, amen
Amen, okay. I came to WSU as a student a few years ago
But before I came to WSU I was a student at a community college in Bellevue, Washington called Bellevue Community College go Bulldogs
All right, anybody never works. No no Bulldogs in the crowd ever
Dang it, okay
Student at Bellevue Community College. I hear this rumor about WSU and I'm like man, I go go check it out
This rumor about not just WSU, but college life in general
It was it was summed up in two words something that happens to you when you step onto a college campus your first time away from your parents
You know what it is freshman 15 you guys heard about this?
Freshman 15 if you're not a college student in the room freshman 15 is the notion that you come to school for the first time
Move out of your house move in with your friends or fraternity or whatever it is and you will gain 15 pounds in the first year
That you're on a college campus. Okay, it's it's a rumor. I heard the rumor
I said man, that sounds like a challenge to me. So I was like man, I can eat a lot
I'm in fairly I was in fairly good shape and I said I need to go to WSU to explore that
I need to go see if that is true. And so I said man, throw the major away. Who cares I'm majoring. I'm going to conquer freshman 15
And I get to WSU a man. I moved into a fraternity house
They had a chef who cooked two meals a day for five days a week and left leftovers and I was like man
This is looking good for me. I'm gonna get a lot of food talking me loaf. I'm talking tater tots
I'm talking possum you name it right her name was Brenda. She's a saint. You guys know Brenda. She's awesome
Some of you guys heard about Brenda
So I get there and and it's not long in my life my first year at WSU that freshman 15 turns into freshman 20
freshman 20 into freshman 25
Freshman 25 turns into freshman 30 and it's not long before
182 pound Chris Rowden goes home for spring break as
212 pound Chris Rowden. No joke. I wish I was lying to you. Here's how I knew right every time I go home for a break
Or for anything my mom and my grandma the first thing they do when they see me is they go Chris
You're not eating very much. Do you need money? Do you wish we need to re-up on RDA and I'm like mom?
No, I'm eating. I'm doing all right, but I came home for spring break and my mom my grandma were like, you look pretty healthy Chris. Oh
I was like that means I need to I need to start working out 24-hour fitness again
Something needs to change in my life. My younger brother's like bro. You need to lay off the tater tot casserole. It's so good though
So I had this freshman 15 notion explained to me
before I came to college and I get here and I experienced it for the first time and
Here's what we see in a lot of these stories
That come from scripture and honestly just as people who come to college. I was one of these people
I wanted truth. Okay. I came to college. I was like man, whatever it takes. I'm gonna take the classes
I want truth and I think we search for this in two ways the first way is corporately we search for corporate truth
What's right for everybody and then privately? What is right for me?
What is right globally is another way to say that what is right personally for me?
So I want to know the laws of physics. I want to know the laws of thermodynamics. Some of you guys don't care about that
I want to know the laws of society
Corporately and then I also want to know the personal things that are gonna run with my life. I want to know
Who's my social group? I want to know what job I'm gonna work after I graduate
I want to know who's the person I'm gonna spend my life with after I graduate right? We come to college to find these things and
Jesus
All throughout scripture is the one who says I'm willing to give you the truth
Now if you're searching for truth
I'm willing to give you the truth and he does this in three ways and the first way that he does this is he
He meets people where they are a lot of times in scripture will say this person came to Jesus
The truth is Jesus came to this person right Jesus. God comes down from heaven to earth to meet this person where they are
And the second thing that Jesus does he speaks their language
So he knows what they're going through and he talks to them as if he knows them for their entire life
He speaks their language and the third thing that Jesus does is he delivers the good news that they need
So so he meets people where they are he speaks their language and then he delivers the good news that they need
And that's exactly what we see with Jesus's encounter with Nicodemus
So if you would please turn with me in your Bible to John chapter 3 if you don't have a Bible man
That's that's completely. Okay. There's a resonate app that has the Bible app on it
Are you kidding me? You can download that or we're actually gonna throw the scripture up on the screen for you too
If you don't have a copy of the scripture, but as you turn to John chapter 3
I want to give some backstory about Nicky D. Okay, can I tell you about his life?
Nicodemus living this story takes place in a city called Jerusalem
Jerusalem was the hub of the Middle Eastern world at the time. Okay, it was bustling hundreds of
Thousands of people lived in Jerusalem and the majority of them were Jewish
majority of them were Jewish by descent Jewish by religion and the hub of
The hub of the Middle Eastern world that is the hub of Jerusalem were the synagogues and the temples
Okay, so we see Nicodemus here in scripture and the first thing that we see in chapter 3 verse 1 is that Nicodemus is a
Ruler of the Jews now this means that he oversees
Thousands tens of thousands potentially hundreds of thousands of people
Some scholars will say that his his fame was comparable to that of a US Senate member man. This guy is
Intense this guy is legit. Okay, if he was a college student at WSU
He would be taken masters and PhD classes. In fact, if he was in Pullman, he would probably a PhD professor
Okay, this is Nicodemus. Okay, and here we see Nicodemus this guy whose job it was to be a religious leader
He in order to get to his stature in his state
He had to memorize the first five books of the Bible in their entirety verbatim
Okay, this guy had it down. I don't know why you it's difficult for me to even name those first five books
I've learned a song when I was younger. I have to sing it every time. It's real awkward when I'm in public
Nicodemus has these things down, okay
And his job is to rule people religiously and he's looked up to
Nicodemus the PhD professor comes to Jesus the carpenter
And here's what he says
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews. There it is
this man came to Jesus by night and
Set hold up. He came to Jesus by night and you guys ever sneak out of your house at nighttime
No, I'll raise your hand because your dad's right next to you
The first year that I was in college
I did a lot of sneaking out from my room down to the refrigerator and I did it at nighttime
Because I didn't want people to see me. Okay. I'm talking Milo if I'm talking tater times. I'm talking positive
You know I'm talking about right. I did that at nighttime because I didn't want people to see me
I was afraid of what people would think
Nicodemus the teacher the professor comes to Jesus at nighttime. Okay, or are we seeing this?
Rabbi this is verse 2 rabbi that means teacher. So the teacher called Jesus a teacher, right?
Rabbi we know that you're a teacher come from God for no one can do these things that you do unless God is with him and
Jesus answered him truly truly. I say to you unless one is born again. He cannot answer the kingdom of God
Why did Jesus answer him when he didn't ask a question?
rude
Nicodemus said to him
How can a man be born when he is old? How can he enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?
Jesus answered him truly truly. I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit
He cannot enter the kingdom of God that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit
Do not marvel that I said to you you must be born again
The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes
So it is with everyone is born of the spirit whatever that means
Nicodemus says to him. How can these things be Jesus answered him? Are you the teacher of Israel?
Aren't you a leader? Aren't you the ruler of the Jews?
Truly truly
Are you teacher Israel and yet you do not understand these things truly truly?
I say to you we speak of what we know we bear witness to what we have seen but you do not receive our testimony
And if I've told you earthly things and you do not believe then how can I tell you of heavenly things?
No one is ascended into heaven except for he who descended from heaven the Son of man
And he lifted up and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness
So must the Son of man be lifted up that whoever believes in him would have eternal life. Here it is. You guys ready?
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son whoever believes in him should not perish but have
Eternal life for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world
But in order that the world might be saved through him
Nicodemus comes to Jesus and he goes mama tell you what I think about you Jesus
Here's who I think that you are. Okay, Jesus goes. Hey, that's not how this conversation is gonna go
Okay, I know you you you came to me with an agenda
You came to me with something that you wanted to tell me and you didn't even ask me a question
You said this is who you think that I am and I'm gonna tell you Nicodemus
I'm willing to interrupt that thought right now. Okay, I think about this as I read this
I'm a pretty heavy sleeper. Okay, let's be honest with you guys if someone boom kicks in my door
Walks up to me in the middle of the night start shaking me
I'm gonna wake up in a frenzy when I open. I'm gonna go bro. Is someone's life in danger?
Why are you disturbing me? Why are you interrupting me from my sleep?
Is there something more important going on than what I am doing right now?
And I think the only time it's okay to be interrupted by somebody is when there's eminent danger when there's a state of
Emergency and Jesus in John chapter 3 goes bro
You're getting it all wrong and your life is in a state of emergency. I'm willing to interrupt not just your speech
Right now. I'm willing to interrupt your life
Nicodemus, I'm willing to interrupt you here
And he goes on
Jesus goes man truly truly I say to you unless one is born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God
Nicodemus is like, I don't know if you know who I am
I'm a scholar. I have a doctor. Have you seen the plaques behind me? Like have you seen those things?
I had it going on. Let me school you on anatomy. Homeless Jesus, uneducated Jesus. You can't go back into your mom
That just does not happen. Like you don't have to take an anatomy class to know that. Nicodemus goes
That's not how it works. Surely you're not telling me to do that and
Jesus once again goes if you want to talk about God, I need to talk to you about being born
Again, those words have a weird connotation nowadays and I want to break down what it needs to be born again
But let me ask why does Jesus talk to Nicodemus who doesn't bring up anything about being born?
Nothing about life. Why does Jesus talk to Nicodemus about being born again?
Let's let's substitute ourselves in a Nicodemus's place. Okay, we're a pretty intelligent group very good-looking group
I might add I can see you from the front
Let's substitute ourselves in the place of Nicodemus, okay?
He's a scholar the majority of us are either
Working towards our degree or have our degree. Okay, and if you went to high school
You're already smarter than the majority of the population of the world. Okay, so let's let's say let's let's put ourselves in the place of Nicodemus
Why does he feel why does Jesus feel the need to come to an educated man and talk about new birth?
Why is he talking about?
childhood
With Nicodemus squeaky duck
Why?
And I think to answer that question we need to go elsewhere in scripture you guys down. Let's go to Ephesians chapter 2
Verse 3 verse 1. Let's go verse 1. It's a good verse
Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 as you get there we have it up on the screen, but this is a letter from
From Paul you guys heard of Paul wrote 13 books to the New Testament
He he's writing a letter to a church in Ephesus, okay?
And he's writing to a group of people who believe in Jesus believe in God, okay?
Here's what he says and verse 1 and you were dead in your trespasses in sin in which you once walked following the course of this world
Following the prince of the power of the air and the spirit that is now working the sons of disobedience among whom
We all once will lived in the passions of our flesh carrying out the desires of the body and the mind and we were by nature
children of wrath
like the rest of mankind
Dang that's rough
There's something about new birth and if we're gonna talk about being born again, we have to understand something about wrath
Here's here's the part where some of you nudge your neighbor you go man
I hate coming to churches every time there's a dude up there talking about the wrath of God
Here's here's the time we're like man
I don't want to come to service anymore because the wrath of God
I want loving God and I want to talk about wrath and I would I would say this to answer that man
Let me address that the wrath of God is a terrifying
Incredible awful not like terrible, but like full of awe thing
It's insane, but what couples the wrath of God is the greatest story that's ever been heard by human ears
The greatest story is called the gospel. Okay in order to understand the good news
We must understand the bad news and it starts with the wrath of God. So if you would
Stay in your chairs for the next 25 minutes instead of instead of leaving if you thought you were you were on the track to
Leave when you heard about the wrath of God if you would I would like to share with you the greatest story ever told ever told
You guys ready for this?
Here's how it starts
God okay g.o.d
Perfect ruler over the kingdom that is greater than any other kingdom ruler of the universe God
Himself lives in a perfect place called the heavens heavenly places heaven creates
Man perfect in his image. Okay, and puts man in a perfect place called
Eden we heard the story Adam and Eve right
God
Everything good gives everything good to Adam and Eve. Okay, and he says be fruitful multiply do your thing anything you want
It's yours. There's one thing. There's a tree. Just stay away from it. Okay. Trust me. I'm all-knowing
I created everything trust me stay away from this tree. Please Adam and Eve like yo, thanks God deuces
I'm gonna grab an apple from this tree, and I'm gonna partake. I'm gonna eat this thing
Physically what they do is take a bite out of an apple
Functionally what they do is draw weapons against the king
Functionally what they do is they have rebelled against the king. Okay, they say thank you God for everything that you've done for me
But here's where we disobey here's what we stray past and what happens in that moment something answers into human history called sin
You probably heard of its sin
What happens with sin is we were no longer the friends and allies of God when we draw swords
Against the Creator we become enemies of the Creator. Okay, and because God
perfect all-loving
gracious never
deserving of
Rebellion because that God has wrong done against him
He now looks at the enemy of the kingdom and he says I can't deal with that. That's not gonna fly
Not in my house
God goes I love you. I love what I have created
I've put you here because you are I want you to experience this a relationship with me
But when you rebel I cannot let that go on
unaddress
And so on Adam and Eve lies the wrath of God because they have become enemies of God because they have rebelled
Against God. Are we tracking with this? We see where we're going with this
Here's the funky thing Adam and Eve have a bloodline. Okay, and the bloodline runs all the way down to me and
You and so what we inherit from Adam and Eve is this this genetic thing this DNA
The bloodline of people that have rebelled
Against God and I think of this in my own life man. There are I can't name how many times
I have recognized that God is doing something good for me and I'll straight draw my sword at him and I go man
I thank you, but this is not how it's going down. I'm going my own way and because of that
Paul talks in Ephesians 2 3 and says your children of wrath
He goes humanity like all mankind is children of
Wrath
That's a scary word and the wrath of God is a scary thing
Let me explain something maybe we go man
I don't know if I fall into this into this category child of children of wrath
I don't know about this if uh man if you don't like resonate this morning, right?
And you meet me outside and you go man Chris. I don't like what you said boom
You smack me on the face
Oz are the way that I I mean I might throw a punch my parents are here, so probably not but
Not a big deal. I'm 23. I could take it. Okay, I could take a punch. I think
If if on your way out of Pullman you get pulled over by a cop
And that cop goes man you were speeding would you would you walk out of the car and you go man?
I don't want to take this anymore smack and you smack him on the face
A little different consequence right probably gonna put your handcuffs throw you on the hood of his car
I'll leave you in the back, and you're saying the night in Pullman again tonight at the jail house
okay
If you have the the grand opportunity at some point in your life to go to Washington DC
And you walk into the White House, and you get the opportunity to shake hands with President Barack Obama
And you whisper into your mouth like what you're doing smack you smack barrio smack him across the face
Oz are the secret service will be on you. Okay, CIA is on you there
I mean they're on you real quick and what you're being tried for is much more than one night in jail
What you're being tried for is more much more than than punch in the college kid or the grease in college grad
What you're in jail for is treason, and they would probably say attempt to assassinate the president
Okay, and we're talking much more than one night day. We're talking about many many nights and
Investigations about what you've been doing in your life. Why did you smack barrio? They want to know that
Anybody watch key appeal? Yeah, cool. Not the only one
Now imagine this
The the god of the universe
Extends his hand to you. Everything I have is yours
Smack him
Consequences are a little different
Right, it's not simply that we have wronged somebody. It's whom have we wronged
What what is what is his?
Where is he is he the president's is he the king is he the creator of everything man in my life?
I go I think I smack the creator of everything. I think I have wrath coming to me rightfully
I think I deserve I think I deserve that. That's that's the wrath of God. Are we tracking with that?
Can I tell you the good news?
Man, I want to tell you the good news. It was hard for me to sleep last night because I get to tell you the good news this morning God
God in his greatness and his love goes man. I'm not just all loving, but I'm a perfect judge
There's something inside of us that goes when somebody innocent has been wronged
We want to see the person who wronged them come to justice. It's in our blood man. We want that we look on TV
Somebody's done something wrong man justice. God goes. Here's the deal, bro. You've wronged me. I'm a perfect judge
So I'm not gonna let justice slide. I have to deal with it
I have to deal with it, but here's how I'm gonna deal with it, okay?
I'm perfect and you deserve my wrath, but here's what's gonna happen
I love you too much to let you live in my wrath for the rest of your life. I love you too much for that
So here's what I'm gonna do. I myself I'm going to go into human history or put on skin, right?
Put on skin
Jesus okay puts on skin walks in between God
Who's the wrath giver and humanity who deserves the wrath and goes man?
All of the wrath that you were gonna give to these people put it on me. I will pay the penalty
Whatever punishment you're gonna give to these people man. Put it on me. Please God. I will go to the cross
Jesus goes God whatever wrath you were gonna throw on to Chris Routon. Let me take it. I want to take it and
In doing so here's what happens. Okay on the cross Jesus goes man all of your sin give it to me
I will pay the penalty for the wrath in exchange
In exchange modern Luther calls us the great exchange in exchange. I will give Chris all of my perfection
I live the perfect life. It's on him now. Okay
One day when Chris meets God, this is what's gonna happen the exchange is gonna go something like this God is gonna go Chris
I'm not asking you. Are you good? I'm not asking you. Did you live a good life? I'm not asking you
How many people did you I'm asking you are you perfect remember? I'm God. I'm perfect. I live in heaven
It's perfect. I can't bring imperfect in the heaven because heaven looks a lot like earth then
I can't bring imperfect in the heaven. It looks a lot like earth Chris. Were you perfect? And I go, no, actually
I was a child of wrath remember when I remember when I smacked you God
I know you didn't forget about that
But here's what happened when Jesus on the cross died
He gave me all of his perfection and now I wear it like he put on skin. I put on his
Perfection and so one day I come into your presence and God yeah, you're perfect
But now God Jesus gave me his perfection so I can stand with you forever and that's the good news of the gospel the
Good news of the gospel is that I was a child of wrath Jesus dies
It makes me a child of God. We go from child of wrath to child of God
We still tracking with that good news of the gospel. We used to be a child of wrath now
We're a child of God and it happens through new birth. Here's what Jesus is saying man
You know a lot about me Nicodemus. You've you've heard things about me. Here's what I need to tell you
I'm not just talking about new habits. I'm talking about you need to be born one more time. It's got to happen again
New birth it's a crazy crazy concept to us
And Jesus says man simply knowing about me is not enough
Simply stating who you think I am
It is not going to cut it. That's not doing it for me
November 11th
2011 any any diehard Coug fans know this date greatest day in cougar history
What happens new era for cougar football, right?
Whoo air about offense Mike Leach comes hook him not hook him swing your sword. That's what I'm gonna say
Rock school
Texas Texas Tech
Mike Leach comes in and he's hired as the new head coach of the WSU football team and the previous coach losing record for many
Many years and and here's how Leach comes in. Okay, I'm sure he's got a sword
He comes in with a posse of people
Okay, he brings new offensive coordinator new defensive coordinator new special teams coach right and here's what he doesn't do
He doesn't bring those people with him and go now. I'm just gonna integrate you into the old coaching staff
He doesn't say that all the old starters been your job. You're secure. Don't worry about it
We've lost a lot, but but it's cool Leach goes
I'm bringing a new staff and everybody else out fired old habits fired old conditioning drills
Fired old defensive coordinator out of there. We're not running the same offense anymore
We're running a new defense now
And if you were a starter your job is not secure you're gonna have to earn that back and we saw we saw actual
Players who were starting the previous year like like legit NFL recruits who end up not playing for Leach next year
Because he said your job is not secure. I'm bringing all of the new with me. Okay, nothing old remains
And what happens with new birth man is is that we see that God gives us all new as
Long as there's a remnant of the old life. It is not new as
As long as a remnant of the old life remains
There is nothing new and you can't say that there's a brand new
Football team and a brand new coach if you bring two coaches with you, right?
And in the same way we as believers oftentimes go man, I'm getting new life now
But I'm gonna keep some of the old habits around
Like can you imagine if somebody on WSU staff or an athletic director goes?
Yeah, Leach man bring everybody who you want man you take over but um, but there's a couple couple staff members who name and they
Can stay they're cool. Yeah, they've been kind of helpful man. They know that they lose
I mean they're member the old but but they're pretty cool. We can let him stay
No, he brings new life. He brings everything new 2nd Corinthians 517 says says God
When when you are a new creation in Christ, you are a new creation in Christ
Like it's all things are new the old has passed away. It's not there anymore
We got we got a new content here and Jesus on the cross doesn't just offer forgiveness for our sins man
He says I don't just want to give you forgiveness. I want to give you new life. I want to give you new life
Man some of us are like I'm two months into semester at WSU man. I wish I had a new life. I
Can't tell you how many people I talked to on campus that are asking man. Why'd you come to WSU?
Now I want to get away. I
Get away from what?
Yeah, I just want to start back over. I want a new life. I
Don't want the old things to define me anymore. I don't want those things anymore
Man, I think some of us parents like man, I'm 19 years into parenting. I wish I could start back over
That's a that's a hard thing and it's impossible to do Chris. How are you telling me to start back over?
How does it happen?
Like you can't just start back over with the relationship
And so not only do we see Jesus go man new birth you want new birth man. You need new life
So if the question is man, here's here's what Jesus has given you new birth this opportunity
How do you how do you obtain that how does that actually get internalized into you
What if the answer was written on a forever 21 bag?
What if the answer was was before your nose the whole time let's go back to uh to John chapter 3 verse 16
Here it is. You ready for God so loved the world
That he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish
But have eternal life Jesus like bro. I'm not just asking you to to take a new life
I'm not just taking asking you to take a mullion on your on your your current life here
I want to give you a new life here, but I want to give you a new eternal life
I'm not just talking about day-to-day how you walk right now talk about where you will spend forever
That's what Jesus is saying. He's like man new birth if you want to talk about new birth
Let's talk about new life, but if you want to talk about new life, man, let's first talk about new belief
He goes if you want all these things it goes new belief first and then new birth
And then new life and things start to change
Things start to change with new life
I want to I want to give an example of this uh
What this belief means what is what does belief mean? That's an ambiguous term and I believe
Nicodemus is like man. I here's who people say you are. I guess I believe
Imagine this and I'm so I'm I'm really sorry if this hits close to home
Uh imagine imagine you are diagnosed with a terminal illness and uh
And I come up to you and I say man, there's there's one doctor
In the world who can fix this and he lives in Bellevue all good things come from Bellevue gobo docs
I imagine I say the doctor lives in Bellevue
Um, and so you and you hop on your car with your family and you go over to that doctor man and and you make an appointment
And you and you you get in front of him and he's ready for surgery
And you hop up on that table
And you lay down
And and then I'm gonna ask you man. Do you believe in him?
You believe that doctor?
I'm not asking you if you believe that he exists
You're on his table bro. Like you're there. I'm asking you do you believe
That when he comes to you
Believe that when he cuts you open and removes the cancer
From you that that is going to fix you
That's the belief that i'm talking about that's the belief that jesus is talking about he's not talking about man
Do you believe that I exist? He's not saying eternal life. Believe that jesus exists man history records that jesus exists
We're smart people man. Let's go to some history books
The jesus of nazareth is recorded as alive and he's not saying man. Believe that I exist
He's saying do you believe that I fix the problem of child of wrath?
Do you believe that that with new birth the old bloodline that you had in your veins coming through adam gets exchanged for your daddy's new bloodline?
Like did you believe that now it's the the father god the father's blood that runs through your veins?
Do you believe that in me that happens? Do you believe that?
That's what jesus is asking
And I think that that word belief is hard to uh, it's hard to grasp. It's hard. Um, there's another word
That that was used uh centuries ago. It's probably still used. I don't have a very big vocabulary
But uh, but it's this word avail avail you guys heard this word before avail and it's where we get the word available
Okay avail means to lend yourself to something
So if I if I avail myself to letting my beard grow
Then essentially what is happening is I'm allowing my beard to grow
It's happening. I'm not doing anything to to plot against the beard growth. It's gonna happen. Okay?
Especially in november it's gonna happen
No shame
The word avail is to let it happen to you
So jesus is like man. Here's belief
Don't just believe that I exist you believe in the fact that I can I can cure
And then avail yourself to me and some of us are like man. I've believed in jesus
But there's no life change and I'm still I'm still chillin with the old coaching staff. We're running the same plays
And jesus is like, man, have you availed yourself to it? Do you do you want me to change this?
Is this something that you progressive that you want to continue to happen?
D. A. Carson says it this way in john 316
God's love in sending the lord jesus
Is to be admired not because it is extended to such a big thing as the world but to such a bad thing as the world
Not to so many people
But as to such a wicked people
In john 316 we see the extent of god's love and the manner in which he delivers his love
The extent of god's love. He's so loved the world the manner which he delivers his love. He sent his
Son the jesus looks at nicotine. He goes bro. He's so much more than that
Jesus looks at nicodemus. He goes bro. Here good news. You can stop searching for the truth
You have found the truth. I am the truth. He goes the quest for the answers nicodemus over you can stop
I am the answer
He goes nicodemus. You can stop looking to acquire new knowledge because I came to earth so you could have new life
He goes nicodemus, uh, I need you to understand that it's not about what you know
It's about who you know. It's not about your uh, your explanation. It's about your experience
And jesus goes man. I came so that you could know god
The creator the king god
So here's why I think jesus talks about this to nicodemus and I think this is why he talks about it to
To people who are educated because because acquiring new knowledge creates a self-reliance
If I go home and I read my old differential equations textbook
And I memorized that thing boom. I closed that textbook. I never have to look at it again
Never I'm self-reliant now
Jesus goes information. That's not going to cut it. You know what rubber ducky does?
This causes a fatherly reliance being a child
Causes a reliance on the father
new information self-reliance
childish
Childlike
New birth savior reliance
You're now reliant on your father for all good things and man. Here's the good news
Uh, fathers celebrate new life
Fathers love new life and they celebrate it. We have a lot of new fathers in our church. Any of you guys, uh, follow josh martin on instagram
anybody
Okay, if you don't
Spoiler alert. There's no pictures of josh on his instagram. He's got a 11th month old named harper. She is adorable
He's got a website
She's got thousands of pictures taken of her. She's got a hashtag
harper glory
He delights in his new born daughter
Do we believe that god delights in us?
Do you believe that god delights in you like a father?
That he loves you and he's got your face on his instagram
That would have got an instagram. He probably have our faces on it
Because he delights in us. It's a funny thought, but I think it's true. I don't think he actually has instagram, but
But he delights in us man, and here's the other thing
There's there's a fatherly inheritance that happens when new birth comes
Man at some point we will all pass away. This is it's just the truth. We will all pass away and and our fathers
Leave us inheritance. Some of you guys are like, man, I don't I don't have a lot to leave
Let me dad's are like, man. I wasn't left a lot
But can I tell you that that with belief in christ you get an inheritance from a new father
You get an eternal inheritance. You get something that is
unshakable
It's irrevocable. It is the inheritance of the king
Okay, you're of a prince
princely inheritance
Okay, so man, I would I would say this fathers. Let's let's push our kids to the gospel
Let's let's push our kids to the inheritance that's not corrupted
That that is not years and years and it will it will flee from our hands something that is eternal
I think I think that's an inheritance that our father delights in us to give and I think god delights to give that
So how does this leave us never the same
Talk a lot about people who encounter christ and they leave and they're never the same
never the same
Comes from from truth heard
plus truth believed plus truth obeyed
Truth heard plus truth believed plus truth obeyed leaves you never the same
Let's let's take a look at paul's life
Paul okay, we talked about him a couple weeks ago
Paul
Here's the truth on the road to Damascus
Believes the truth somewhere in the next three days and then for the rest of his life obeys the truth by making disciples
and planning churches and sharing the gospel with people, right?
Peter
Peter here's the truth Jesus says come follow me
Here's the truth at some point where he's following Jesus. He understands and believes the truth. And what does he do? Disobeys the truth, right?
Denies Jesus then repents and then believes the truth and for the rest of his life
He plants churches makes disciples and shares the gospel with people
Nicodemus let's take Nicodemus Nicodemus
Here's the truth in John chapter 3 and can I tell you that Nicodemus doesn't the story does not end here for him
Nicodemus shows back up in John chapter 7 and and he's in front of some of the other Jewish ruling council
Okay, and he's
They're talking about arresting Jesus. They're talking about indicting Jesus and Nicodemus pops his hand up real nonchalant like
And he goes man, let's let's just let's not do this right now. Let's let's hold off a little bit
Okay, it's a it's a soft defense, but he defends Jesus and and at that time Jesus doesn't get arrested
Nicodemus shows back up and Jesus shows back up and Jesus shows back up and Jesus shows back up
And John chapter 19
And and at this time he shows up at the crucifixion of Jesus and the burial of Jesus
And Jesus is brought off the cross and you know who shows up to bury him Nicodemus
You're talking about John 3 Nicodemus. You're talking about anatomy Nicodemus
Yeah
At some point in his life
He believes and in John chapter 19 his obedience to the truth is shown and here's how it's shown
Jesus who I've said this before he was he was homeless
He was not educated in the synagogues and in the temples
This man his friends left him at that point Nicodemus shows up and he brings with him
Things that would have been ritualistic to to bury people with in that day
Weird allows they bury people with allows as weird spices and he brings linens to wrap Jesus's body in
when he's being buried
And here's how we know that Nicodemus has obeyed the truth
When he wraps Jesus, he doesn't bring what would be a typical wrapping for a homeless carpenter
He brings 75 pounds of linens to bury Jesus
75 pounds of linens to bury somebody is is the proper burial for a king of that day
Okay Nicodemus brings with him what he goes man. This is obedience for me Jesus
I studied you in the first five books of the bible
Even though your name was not there. I understand scripture is about you
And now you have died and I'm going to wrap you in a proper kingly burial because I believe the truth
And here I am now obeying the truth man. You're the king
You are god. You are the king. You're 75 pounds of linen
And here you go Jesus
Man Paul did it Peter did it
Nikki D did it
What about you?
Where you at on this timeline?
Where you out in the spectrum?
If you if if you don't believe in in Jesus today, and you don't believe in God and man
Man, you're struggling with this you're wrestling with this man. I want to let you know. It's okay. That is okay
But but I want to tell you that today you have heard the truth
The truth has been heard today
And if there's one thing you walk out of resonate church going now, I hope it is it is that you
You see the church as something that is okay with telling the truth
Man, I'm okay. I'm okay with that. It's great truth. Sometimes the truth sucks
This is great truth. We're saved
There's an opportunity for that that that is the truth guys
and so
Where are we man on this timeline if you're if you're a believer man, here's what this means for you
But we can't keep coming to Jesus at night time
And I'm not talking about start coming to the 11 a.m. Service instead of the 6 p.m. Service
I'm talking like like coming to Jesus at night is man when you go man
I'm bought in on sunday morning friday and saturday night. You would never know
I don't want to talk about that
That's coming to Jesus at night
Here's here's also what this means for us as a believer. Do you realize that this this uh
This cycle is kick started by believers
It's kick started by believers
Truth obeyed means that you are willing to tell people the truth
At some point and if you believe in Jesus the way you heard truth was that somebody told you about it
Somebody believed it and obeyed it and because of that they told you about it
So this cycle stops if we as believers do not obey the truth
And
How do you stay never the same
How do we stay never the same it's to remind yourself of your new birth and your new life
How do you stay never the same and we go back and remind ourselves of this
If if uh, if you're wrestling with this this morning, you're like man, I don't know if I believe in in all this that's being said
I'll end with one last story
Three weeks ago. I was in Portland, Portland, Oregon. It's weird. Portland's weird. I love it, but
I was I was there for a conference and uh
and we were driving through the city and I'm like man, I think I'm pretty hungry and um
Let's stop and get some food truck food
So we stopped by the food trucks in Portland and and I see the signs as Egyptian euros and I'm like
Freshman 15 all over again, right?
Food truck food and uh, and so I'm ordering my euro and as I'm ordering my euro I look across the street and somebody's walking
Towards my side of the street
And as he's walking he's kind of coming from afar and I'm looking I'm like man. I think I know this guy
I'm not really sure where I know him from
he keeps walking and uh
And we make eye contact from across the street as he's now walking onto my block and uh, and we make eye contact
And I know that he knows that I recognize him. I know it
Okay, there's something in his face that goes this guy knows who I am
Okay, and I'm I'm looking I'm like who is this guy. He's familiar to me
Okay, I grew up in a house where I listened to soul music. I listened r&b. I watched comedy central
And uh, and there was a television show on comedy central called chapelle show anybody watch chapelle show before
Don't don't don't watch it. It's dirty. It's it's pretty funny, but it's dirty. Okay. Don't go home. Is that yo
Pastor said go watch chapelle show. No
I'm like, that's dave chapelle
Dave chapelle downtown portland walking towards me
This might be him
I I can quote you his his comedy lines. I can quote you his sketches
I know the movies that he was in one of my favorite actors
Dave chapelle is walking to come eat food truck food with me
That's all being my euro and he comes to uh to to a stand that's like two next to me
I mean, I'm talking like 30 feet like from here to that tower right there and uh, and he's sitting down and he's looking at me
Like you're gonna come over here talking. He's like you're gonna come come hang out and the whole time. I'm skeptical
I'm like, bro. I don't know. I asked my friend Josiah. I was like Josiah. Is this is that Dave chapelle?
If anybody knows chapelle is Dave. It's Josiah. He's uh
He knows Dave chapelle so
I'm like, is that Dave
And Josiah now, that's not Dave chapelle and I'm like, yeah, man, you know, he's he's taller than I thought he would be
He's wearing glasses
Packed on a few pounds like he spent his first year at wsu
Is that Dave
I'm like, nah, that's not Dave. I walk away
As I walk away to my other friends who were with me go up and and and start talking to him and shake his hand
dab him up and uh
And
And he's like smiling and he's like talking to interacting with them
They asked for a picture. He doesn't give a picture. I mean he's
Anyways, it turns out he's on tour in in Seattle and and he's stopping through Portland on the way
And uh, and I walk away
And I'm kicking myself for the rest of the ride from Portland to Pullman because I knew this guy
I knew he just looked a little different than I thought
And I never got to meet the dude who I watched for years and years growing up and my friends met him
I could quote to you his lines
But I didn't know him
I never got to meet him
And
If we're wrestling with this man, can I just tell you Jesus walked on your blog?
And the dude is looking at you like I know, you know, it's me
I know you see me here. You're gonna come over. We can talk. I'll take a picture put on my instagram
Are you are you to come are you coming to this?
Can we meet I've walked over to you. You have heard the truth man. It's it's belief and obedience
And uh, man, I don't want us to look at Jesus and go
Now he's he's a little more truthful than I thought he would be
He's he's a little more hard on sin than I thought he would be
He's a little more loving than I thought he would be
I don't think that's him man. I don't think that's the truth
I hope that we don't leave taught auditorium going I can quote John 3 3 16, but I don't know that dude
I hope that we don't leave in that state
So I mean, I want I want us to be encouraged and I want us to be challenged. I'm gonna invite the man back up
Um, and as they come up, man, I want us to be encouraged and be challenged by the life of nicodemus
And we see we see obedience nicodemus's life, but man, I also want us
Um
Can I just be honest with you guys, uh
John John 3 16 is not about nicodemus. It's about Jesus
John 3 not about nicodemus is about Jesus
The book of John. It's not about John. It's about Jesus
The bible is not about the nation of israel. It's about Jesus
I mean our lives are the reason for our creation. It's not about us guys
It's about Jesus
It's about Jesus
Man, I want to I want to pray for us to that end
I know we would see our lives as something to be to be leveraged that we would leave
This place and go man, that's changing something. I hope we never
See tim tebow's eye black again
Just in general. I hope we never see that again
But but I hope we never see John 3 16 on his eye black and think of it the same way that we did
I hope and I pray um that we would see and belief is something that that is necessary
I think that that you were brought to taught auditorium this morning to hear that
And so heavenly father, uh, man, I ask
Man, I ask intently you god
um, but there would be
The people here who feel you speaking to them
Uh, if that feel that voice in their heart. Oh man, I think he's talking to me man
I pray holy spirit that that would be a reality
Um that that coming to you at night would not be something that we as a church are okay with
I ask that uh that our experience with you would be something that changes
I'm the direction of our life
And we would make decisions god for new birth and new life
And it'll start with new belief
And god, I ask these things in the name of Jesus your son amen
