Series:  John 3:16

Text: John 3:1-2

1, There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2, The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

Introduction:

Who Said it and When?

Four score and seven years ago our forefathers…  (Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg)

This day shall live in infamy…  (Franklin Roosevelt, after Dec. 7 Pearl Harbor attack)

Ask not what your contrary can do for you, but what you can do for your coutry…  (JFK, 1960)

I have a dream…  (Martin Luther King, Washington D.C)

For God so love the world…

    1.      The Greatest Conversation

    a.       Nicodemus the Man

John 3:1-2a

1, There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2, The same came to Jesus by night,…

John 3:9-10

9, Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10, Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

    2.      Except A Man Be Born Again

    a.       Must be born again

John 3:3-4

3, Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4, Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

    b.      Once Born Twice Dead, Twice Born Once Dead

John 3:5-6

5, Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6, That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

(water = physical birth, spirit = spiritual birth)

    c.       Don’t be shocked

John 3:7

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

    d.      To be saved is as real as the wind, you can feel it, you can know

John 3:8

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

    3.      Will You Believe?

John 3:11-12

11, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

12, If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

    a.       Lifted up

John 3:14-15

14, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15, That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

    b.      Must believe

John 3:16

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

    c.       How not to be condemned

John 3:17

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

    d.      Fact: without Jesus we are condemned

John 3:18

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

    e.       Condemned because of our sin

John 3:19-20

19, And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20, For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

    4.      Closing

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.