MAY 8 2022 | Believe S1E3 | Good News

Sea Change Church · MAY 8 2022 | Believe: Ep 3 - Good News
John 3:16-18
Automated transcript. Not reviewed for accuracy.

And I'm also part of a group of four women who plan the adventures event. So I'm still involved. You can be involved whether you're 90 or 20. And so I urge you to do that. Anyway, today's scripture reading is from John 3.16. It's also from John 3.16-18. So, for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already, because they do not believe in the name of God's one and only son. The word of the Lord. Well, my goodness, let me tell you the news. My head's been wet with the midnight dew. I've been down on the bended knee, talking to the man from Galilee. He spoke to me with a voice so sweet.

I thought I heard the shuffle of angels sweep. He called my name and my heart stood still. When he said, John, go do my will. Go tell that long-tongued liar. Right on. Let's go, right? Let's go. Well, we today are in the Gospel Series, episode three of the Gospel Series, and we come across the most probably, arguably, the most well-known conversation of all time.

It's definitely the most known verse of all time. And it's Jesus having a conversation with a Pharisee, a religious leader, someone who is looking for him but not sure where to look. And at the moment, he's focused on the wrong things. He's got his focus, Nicodemus, on wanting to defeat the Romans, on political power, on Pharisaical power, on religious authority, all these things.

And then he shows up and he encounters the Gospel in a way that actually changes his life. We're going to see the end of the story here, what happens to him at the very end. But he actually has a living encounter with Jesus, and that actually changes the way he processes life. He goes from living a physical understanding of what the Bible means, and we should do that, to a metaphysical understanding about his soul, about living according to the Spirit.

And one of the things I would encourage you, if you want to spend some time this week, to juxtapose John 3 with John 14 from the last... ...or the... ... ... it's become so common... God is the essence of the foundation of this passage. So love. So we see this verb come out and that everything that follows the subject and the verb is built upon those two, the subject and the verb.

God's love. And so this passage, as believers, when we talk about Jesus, when we talk about who he is, when we share Christ, we need to do so from the first place of knowing that he is not a God who condemns. Jesus even says this. Love. And so that's number one. Let's keep going. How technical this is. He loved what? He loved the world. But I thought the world, God was an enemy of the world.

I thought he hated the world. I thought he hated sin. Well, God does hate sin. But it says while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us in the book of Romans. And so we see that he loved what? The world. And because he loved the world, what did he do? He gave. There's another verb. From gave, his what? His one and only son. Technical, right? Only one son.

Only one Jesus. That whoever, whoever. Not some people. That whoever would believe, that once again is a verb. They have to respond to the love of God. People have often said God's love is unconditional. I have argued with that. There is a condition. You need to receive it. So God's love is not unconditional. God's love is everlasting and eternal. But it is conditional if you choose to receive it or to believe in what he did.

To believe in that love. What does that mean to you? We share the gospel of Jesus with other people when you're at the beach. When you're at one of those eight places that we all spend the majority of our life. I think we all have about eight places we spend the majority of our lives. It's at school. If you're in high school or college, well, it's your campus.

If you're shopping, if you shop for your own food, Trader Joe's or Vons or Whole Foods, wherever you go. You go to the same coffee house for the most part. You know the same people. There is a terra firma of your life. There is a geography that can become a spiritual geography for you. If you go there with the intention of bringing this verse, of harvesting this verse.

And bringing the kingdom of God to earth in the places that you live. We'll see where Nicodemus goes here in a moment. Because he starts going to places after he comes out of the shadows, right? We'll talk about that in just a moment. He was very intrepid. It takes him three years. But when he comes out, it begins to change the terra firma of his life.

The Bible has to change your life, where you live. There has to be, everywhere you go is an X, like on a treasure map. Whether it's at the local coffee house or church or the beach, there's an X. And when you go to that spot, you have X marks the spot of what? The place where you release actually the things that you believe, the kingdom of God on earth.

So we see that here. Let's talk about Nicodemus. First of all, who was Nicodemus? Well, first of all, he was wealthy. We know he was a really wealthy man. Next, he was politically powerful. He was one of the Sanhedrin, which was a group of Jewish believers who oversaw a shadow government within the Roman government. Now, if you know wherever they went, and they would adopt some of the rules.

Now, they had their overarching rules. But then they would let, if they conquered the Babylonians, have their little Babylonian religion and laws. And then they would kind of infiltrate it. But they would put some of their Roman religion into that. And they would build, like maybe they'd even build a temple for the Babylonians. And then they would add some of their gods.

And they would slowly start to take the culture over a little bit at a time. But they would allow them to kind of do what they wanted to do. And so this political Sanhedrin used to run all of Israel. Well, the Romans come in, and they let them continue to do this. This is why Herod is a Jew. This is in charge. The Romans had a lot less problems until they were conquered by the Bavarian horde later on, I think in the 6th century.

Maybe it might have been the 4th century. One of the centuries in the first thousand, they were conquered by the Bavarian horde. We see that he's powerful. Now, he's also politically connected, but he's terrified. Now, what's he terrified of? Well, he comes to Jesus. He's risking. You have to realize, he is risking so much to show. By the time he meets Nicodemus here, he's not in the year of popularity.

That was year one. The year of inauguration, and then there's a year of popularity. There's a year of persecution. So we see, as we'll see in just a moment, a purest question is, what are you seeking for? We'll see in a moment that he was seeking the wrong things. He wanted King David back. He wanted a political, he wanted a physical power. He wanted power.

He wanted to see all those things happen. But that isn't what Jesus offered him. One of the questions often is, is what Jesus is offering you? Or do you want more? Do you want the thing we want first, and then what Jesus offers next? And so there's three verses I'm going to show. And you'll see in your notes. One, it talks about seeking. He's a pure seeker.

He really wants to know. Political power. He really wants to know. Verse 10. Would work for you. Jeremiah 29, 13. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with what? All of your heart. That's conditional again. Not a little bit. I am so good at conditional seeking of God. I don't know about you. I am so good at like a B-plus level of God. Like I'm the master B-plus level of God.

That comes to seeking God. Do we really need to go for the AP course? Not really. You know what I mean? I just, pretty comfortable with that B-plus level of seeking. I'm still going to find God because he's gracious. I'm going to, if I... Anything we know and going after him. I think you're going to get all of God that you want and more. The question is, do we want enough?

The next one is proper... I love you. If you diligently seek me, will what? They'll find me. If you seek God, you'll find him. And then Matthew 7, 7. This is Jesus. Even unto you, you will find, and those who knock, and it will be opened to you. So let me read that again. Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.

So often we just want to bash that door down, right? We see Nicodemus coming to Jesus here with a bunch of questions. Let's check it out. Let's check it out. Come from God. And how is that belief going over in the synagogue? Which is why we are here at this hour. I have come to do more than speak words, Nicodemus. More miracles? Yes. But even more than that.

Do you remember when the children of Israel complained against God and against Moses in the wilderness of Paran? Yes. They wanted to return to Egypt, and they cursed the manna that God sent them. And then? They were bitten by serpents. And they were dying. But? But God made a way for them to be healed. Moses lifted the bronze serpent in the desert, and people only needed to look at it.

So will the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Our people are not dying from snake bites. They're dying from taxation and oppression. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I did not come to deliver the people from Rome. Then from what? From sin. From spiritual death. God loves the world in this way. That he gave his only Son.

That whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. So this has nothing to do with Rome. It's all about sin. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, Nicodemus. He sent him to save it through him. It's as simple as Moses' serpent on the pole. My favorite line. I'm sorry to disappoint you. I doubt he was that sorry to disappoint him.

If you as believers, first of all, what Jesus is offering, and this is the point of the sermon. And if we're going to actually share the gospel, we have to put teeth into this. Um, you can't give away what you don't have. You're the hope for sharing the gospel with those around you. You are the hope. Maybe a few other believers in your life. You are the hope.

We cannot give away what we don't have. And if we continue to have other interests, besides knowing God in an intimate way and being his child. And being loved and known for God. Eternal love, joy, peace. For, I've got to find a thing that makes me happy. I've got to find a purpose in life. I have to find a new partner. Or I have this thing that I have to have.

When I get that, then I can get the other stuff sorted. Because that is truly what is going to make me happy. It is completely upside down. And this is something Nicodemus finds out here in this passage. He realizes eventually that the Romans aren't going to be overtaken in his lifetime. He realizes that that doesn't even matter. Because he gets the main thing becomes the main thing.

And so the question is, what are you seeking? What do you want? And he's offering love in this passage. And he's offering life. I think as we share the gospel, as that X. So think of the X right now. Where you go. Look at your cubicle. When you get there this week. I want you to picture that in your head right now. Wherever the places you go. Might be volleyball today down at the beach.

There's an X there. When you get there, you are offering something. When you show up. You are offering something. And when you get there, are you offering life? Because Jesus is offering life. And Jesus is offering love for God. Remember the technical passage. For God, so what? Love the world. Are you offering those things? Or are we, myself included, so focused on all the things we don't have.

And all the things that we want. That we don't have time to get in touch with a God who loves you. Who says that you are my beloved. I think we need to reframe the gospel. I think we need to reframe it away from God is just trying to save you from hell. Or save people from hell. Or change the political narrative in our country. To reframing it back to what it is.

Good news. In your notes it says this. In the Greek New Testament. The gospel is a translation of the Greek noun eugelion. It occurs 76 times. It means good news. It means good news. And the verb eugenizo occurring 54 times. Meaning to bring or announce good news. What are you announcing? What are you announcing? What are you announcing? What are you announcing on your face?

What are you announcing with the way that you speak to people? Do your words bring life? And let me just say again. You can't give what you don't have. And so the question is. What are you seeking? Because what I found. And the reason people come to Jesus. Is because the things they realize. That the things that they have been seeking. Have left them thirsty.

Have left them wanting more. I went personally for everything I could try to get in the world. And it left me wanting. And so you come to Jesus for a different reason. But there is a conditional statement. If you want to believe. And if you want to follow him. So the first thing. There's two things. And then we're done today. The first is walking in this love.

How do we get to that? I said you can't get to what you have. This world is desperate for love. It is absolutely desperate. In 2000 there was a virus. It was one of the first viruses. That came on computers. In the early 2000s. And maybe you remember it. Here's a picture of it right here. It was called the I love you virus. The I love you virus. No one knew what it was.

But it was so contagious. Within one day. It infected 10 million computers. Within 10 days. It infected 60 million computers. And it was spreading like wildfire. It was created by a 22 year old man in the Philippines. Who wanted to get some passwords. So he could have internet access. Because he couldn't get on the internet. You had to pay or something like that.

And so he wanted free access. He created this. There was study after study. After this virus went out. Of why it was so attractive. Why did so many people click. Now it was early days. I don't get fooled like I used to. I don't know how often you click something these days. I don't get fooled. I got a VPN. I've got all the swords. And you know the switch blades to keep them away.

But in the year 2000. This swept through. What did a 22 year old Filipino man. Living in a slum. Know about the western mind. Because it was the westerners. Who were the ones that were affected by this. For the most part. In 2000 there wasn't a lot of internet. In Nairobi. There wasn't a lot of mobile. We didn't even have the mobile phone then. Why did it spread.

What did he know. He knew that even 20 years ago. People were looking for love. And so the first question then is. Is how do we step into that. I would say this. That the starting place of the gospel. Is the father's love. You have to get in touch with God's love. You have to fight tooth and nail. With your soul. Your mind. And all of your beliefs in your heart.

To have the starting place in your life. Knowing that God loves you. That God loves me. Not from I've disappointed God. And I've got to work my way back. But actually change something in your psyche. This is what counseling does. For other issues in life. Actually change something in your psyche. Believe in faith. That you are loved by God. God is not waiting for the perfect you.

That one day you will form. So that he can love you. He loves you now. And all of your authentic self now. Even no matter what you're doing. Are you in touch with that. You can't give away what you don't have. Do you look in the mirror and say. Oh I wish I was different. To be satisfied. I was thinking about a few of them. Van life. Right. Like if you just had that sick.

You know. Mercedes van. And then you could be on the road. As a travel blogger. Right. And you could be a travel influencer. Like that's. Or a farm. Imagine if you had a farm. Oh. Doesn't everybody want to farm right now? Like. We want to farm right? The animals. Like. No. We got away from farming for a reason. Like. I think it's hilarious. Like now they charge you to pick your strawberries.

Like we didn't want to do that. Now it's like I paid $12 to go pick my own strawberries. No. There's so many things. That we want. Right. The question is. What do you want? And is God's love enough? One of the things I struggle with. With our. Our. Christian. Book selling industry. And some of the songs I hear is. They basically sell you that. This idea that.

As soon as. That God wants you to find your purpose here on earth. That your purpose. And by that they mean the thing. The restaurant you want to open. And I say this all the time. All these things. Your song will be sung. Your dance will be danced. You'll have that perfect life created. And when you finally get that. One. You'll know that God loves you.

Because you got everything you wanted. And number two. You will. You will have everything. That Jesus offered you for free. On the cross. You will finally have joy. You will finally have peace. I have met. And I met one this week. I sat with somebody. At El Pescador this week. They got to the top of the mountain. At the very top of the mountain. In their field.

And they got there. And they said. What next? And they're actually downsizing. Because they said. You know what? It did not fulfill me. And I actually. I won't use the word. They said. I actually became. A bit of a jerk. And they said. You know. It actually just started to destroy. My life. What are you seeking for? People are looking. For love. And so the first one is that.

Jesus says. For God so loved the world. Do you feel loved? And then the final thing is this. They're looking for life. Love is. Life is experienced. In the following. Go to verse 16. In verse 16. It says. For God. So loved the world. That he gave his one and only son. That whom. Shall ever. That whoever believes in him. Shall not perish. But have eternal life.

Think when we share the gospel. One of the things we have to start with. Is changing the understanding. That God saved us. From something. As opposed to being saved. Unto something. You see. When we start with. God sent his son. That you won't go to hell. You're starting with. A negative reason. For being saved. That isn't the foundation. Of the verse. Otherwise.

John 3.16. Would technically. Systematically. Say something different. It would say. Because God didn't want you. To go to hell. He. Did this. No. It starts. With God's love. And so. When we share. With people. One of the things. I think. That has been a big mistake. Especially in the 18th. With Jonathan Edwards. And it was really powerful. But sermons like. Sinners in the hand of an angry God.

You. You know. What I would say. Should be. It. Should be. The. The way that that sermon. Should be today. Is. It would be. Sinners in the hands. Of a loving God. Perhaps. You see. God is not just a salvific lifeguard. You're being saved unto something. When I shared this with Tim. Who spoke last week. From Scotland. He said. I never thought about that before.

Because otherwise. If we're just saved. From hell. Not unto something. What does God do when you get to heaven? Well I saved you. I've done my work here. We'll just put you on a shelf in heaven. No. You're not being saved for that reason. You're being saved so that God can spend eternity with you. And love you. And care for you. And walk in joy. And for eternity.

Share new truth. After new truth. After new truth. Because we will still be finite. We'll have eternal life. But you will be able to learn in heaven. We're not going to become God when we get to heaven. Which means when you get there. You're going to be overwhelmed. He's going to be. He'll say something like this. Let me show you what joy looks like for a million years.

Now there's no time in heaven. But just imagine. And colors will happen. And pictures will happen. And feelings will happen. And you'll be blown away for a million years. But you won't even feel the time pass. And you'll be like. Whoa. Slow down. Overwhelmed with the presence and power of God. That's what heaven is. And this idea that heaven gets boring.

It'll never get boring. Because there's always another level. See there's two things that the gospel promises. One. Love. And number two. Life. Life. God is saving you unto life. He granted. He does save you from sin. He does save you from an eternity that is separated from God. But he doesn't do it for the purpose of saving you. Of being with you. He's saving you from something.

But he's saving you unto something. The only other analogy I can have is if your child was in the surf. And you went out to rescue them. The reason you go out to rescue them is why? So that they can be rescued? No. No. You rescue them so that they can live. You rescue them so you can spend eternity with them. Otherwise you would rescue them and set them aside and walk away.

No. You want to spend time with them. And so let me just finish with this. You cannot give away what you don't have. And what you are seeking for. If you seek with all of your heart. Christ says that you will find it. Those are Jesus' words. That you will find it. What are you looking for? And are you looking for the right thing? We see that Nicodemus at the end here found the right thing.

A year later or two years later. Whatever it is. We come back to Nicodemus. In John 19. In the death of Jesus. And the burial of Jesus. Jesus is hanging on the cross. And usually family members would come. Or thieves would come. And they would come and take the body. And you know. Or they would go to the tomb. And sometimes they would have to put the person away.

And to take Jesus down off the cross. You would have to be saying that you were a. Sometimes a friend of Jesus. And so. We wonder sometimes. Who took Jesus off the cross. There was two people. One was Joseph of Arimathea. Who gave Jesus his tomb. His very rich. And the other person that took him off the cross. Was Nicodemus. If you did not know that. And when they showed up.

They showed up with enough incense. And frankincense and myrrh. To show that the person that they were taking off the cross. Was a king. They showed up to the cross. Basically with a sign that says. Jesus was king. You see. He had come out of the shadows. He had started seeking the right things. And he had found him. Let me read. Later. Joseph of Arimathea.

Asked Pilate. For the body of Jesus. Wow. Asked Pilate directly. For the body of Jesus. Now Joseph. Was a disciple of Jesus. But secretly. There we are again. Because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate's permission. He came and took the body away. He was accompanied by. Nicodemus. The man who had earlier visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes.

About 75 pounds. Taking Jesus' body. The two of them wrapped it. With spices and strips of linen. This was in accordance with the Jewish burial custom. At the place where Jesus was crucified. There was a garden. And in the garden. A new tomb. In which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of preparation. Since the tomb was nearby. They laid Jesus there.

I got to say. There's a couple things. We're not going to win. The world for Christ. By sharing something. That Christ is not offering. And the only way we can share it. Is if we actually start going for the right things. Is God's love. And all. Enough for you. Even if you don't get all the things you want. Is it enough. That's what Jesus is offering. And.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God. And it says what. All these things will be added unto you. If we're going to change the world. We have got to get our priorities right. We have to understand the gospel first. Because we cannot share a gospel of van life. And all the things that God wants to give you. And he's saving you from sin. Because you're a sinner.

When it's really about this. That God wants to give you a purpose of knowing him. Of caring for you. And knowing you for eternity. It is life in eternity. And so the question for some of you. Is do you want to come out of the dark? Are you. Maybe you're seeking the wrong thing. So that's the first question. And then the second thing is. Do you want to come out of the dark?

Two practical takeaways. And I'll bless you. One. Are you living from a place of belovedness? This week. Sit with a cup of coffee. If you want a spiritual exercise. And ask yourself. Am I living from a place of belovedness? Or am I being driven by something else? I want to say. When you are being driven by love. It is a way different feeling. When you're being driven by.

Your dad never told you. You were good enough. Or whatever the reasons are. You will know it. One brings peace. One brings death. Are you. Are you. Temporary life. Are the things that you were about. Feeding you. From a stream of. Temporary. Getting this thing in the moment. I got to have this. Are you being fed from a stream of eternal life? God wants to give you life.

He wants to give you love. He says. And it's not a virus. I love you. Let's stand. Let's stand. We want to pray for you today. If you need to be prayed for. We have a team. They'll have prayer tags on. We pray for healing. Really exciting. Good news. My mom had. Once again. She had cancer before. So she had two tumors. And it was cancer a year and a half ago.

Those tumors came back. But she was cancer free this week. So that was good. So we prayed for her up at the front. So yeah. And those tumors just went right back down. So it was the weirdest thing. And we had two people that came forward. We talked about last Sunday. That had some numbness in their hands and their feet. And we had Tim. One of the guys that preached.

The numbness went away in his hands. So that was cool. We're just going to keep on praying. We'll see what God does. But if you want prayer. Come forward after. If you want to know about our church. Go to the next steps table. If you want a fantastic cup of coffee. And some free donuts. Go to the cafe. Those are the three options we have. That's all we got for you.

Extend your hands if you would. And I want to bless you today. Lord Jesus. True people God. God. Was seeking the right things. Right now in your own heart. If you want to just trade those things in you've been seeking. Maybe there's something seeking. Just trade it in. And say God I want your love. I want eternal life. Just trade it in now at the altar.

So Lord we bless them God. We bless your people with eternal life. With love. With the places where that terra firma of their life. That X is on their life God. That they will show up with a new intention. Giving away God. Everything that they have. That you have given them from your heart. That you will source love and hope. That those that are struggling God.

With depression. With fear. With loneliness. Of all those things God. If they seek you. They will find you. It's not easy. It doesn't come right away all the time. Sometimes it does. We bless them now God. With you. And your presence. May the Holy Spirit fall. In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.