Class 3 from this series was used in GCT Episode 367.
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Thanks, brother James.
Good morning, everyone.
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Thanks, brother James.
Good morning, everyone.
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OK, so I’d like to start out
this morning sharing with you
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some of the scriptural
references and characters of the
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Bible that have helped people’s
faith to be built up.
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And I’ve been very pleased with
the ones that I’ve gotten so
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far.
So if you have some after today
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or today, later today, bring
them to me as well.
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So we actually started out with
Ruth the Moabitess.
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Ruth was able to see the truth
in her mother-in-law and chose
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the truth.
Actually we I was thinking we
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were going to end with Naomi,
but we had a few more.
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Naomi made the good choice to go
back even with all of the bad
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things that had happened to her.
Rahab just had an incredible
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faith.
The woman that anointed Jesus
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feet when others was saying
that, that she was wasting money
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that could have been given to
the poor Peter.
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And Peter’s my only duplicate
and I was surprised by that.
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In the list of people so far,
Peter is so real.
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He’s probably better than me and
yet people didn’t think of him
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that way.
He’s so complex, he’s so real,
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but then he walks on the water
and then he falls into the
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water.
So a great guy with Peter and
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the brother that told me about
Peter was wondering why I didn’t
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have a class on Peter.
So yeah, good point.
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Maybe if he gives me a little
bit more information, we could
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do that in the future.
Elijah in his failure, and I
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thought that was great.
He had some some things he had
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to learn.
Timothy because he was in a
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situation just like mine.
The brother told me Romans talks
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about being justified by faith.
We had Romans chapter 838 and
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39.
For I am persuaded that neither
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death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor
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things present, nor things to
come, nor height, nor depth, nor
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any other creature should be
able to separate us from the
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love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
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So very, very powerful verses
there, Joseph.
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He says over and over again.
The Scripture says over and over
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again that God was with him.
Psalm 11937 turn my eyes from
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looking at worthless things we
thought of we’re thinking there
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about the the gods of this
world, Gideon God’s incredible
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patience with Gideon and then
Peter for the second time, Peter
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always gets back up.
We had Psalm one verse one
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blessed is the man that walketh
not in the counsel of the
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ungodly, nor standeth in the way
of sinners, nor sitteth in the
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seat of the scornful.
They’re like a tree that’s
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planted by the rivers of water.
So again, just really, really
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powerful.
We had Joshua be strong and of
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good courage from a sister going
through some very difficult
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times.
And then we had job and the
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suffering of job from a brother
that’s also going through some
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some very difficult times and
looked at job for for strength
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in that.
So those are really good.
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I guess I got a couple more.
I thought that was the end.
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Genesis 15 One after these
things, the word of the Lord
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came unto Abraham in a vision,
saying, Fear not, Abram, I am
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thy shield and thy exceeding
great reward.
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And the brother here says that
he likes to substitute his own
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name in there and instead of
Abram.
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So that’s really good.
We had Jephthah’s daughter who
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gave a life of service and was
willing to submit to a vow that
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wasn’t even her own in her in
her humility.
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Joshua 9.
And that could just do the whole
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class.
I think on these right?
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Joshua one verse 9.
Have I not commanded you be
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strong and of good courage?
So that was a really good one as
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well.
So some great things that we
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have here.
Please keep them coming and
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we’ll we’ll share them with
others later on.
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So from yesterday, just a quick
a quick review of yesterday.
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We learned that if we want to
have a saving faith, that we
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must have the knowledge of the
Word of God if we want to have a
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saving faith.
I mean, there’s people that have
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belief, but it’s not a saving
belief unless it’s based on the
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Word of God.
We also learned that it’s
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possible for us to read the Word
and to not develop faith, to be
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in it, to be academic with it,
and for not to have an impact on
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us.
So today what we’re going to
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look at is we’re going to look
at the example of Nicodemus.
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And after Jesus left Capernaum,
sorry, he left Cana, he went to
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Capernaum, and then he goes up
to Jerusalem for the first time
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publicly, really in his ministry
to go to the feast of the
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Passover.
So the first Passover, his first
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real trip to Jerusalem in his
ministry.
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And he makes a really big
appearance at that place.
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And the title of this class, as
James mentioned, is Men Loved
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Darkness.
And it’s about really, when it
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comes down to it, the importance
of the belief that we have.
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We might think that it doesn’t
matter what we believe.
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And that’s a, that’s a very
common idea, but it very much
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matters what we believe.
And that’s what Jesus is going
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to, he’s going to work here with
Nicodemus to show him in chapter
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chapter 3.
So if you open your Bibles to
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chapter 2, there’s a little bit
of information in Chapter 2 that
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gets us started with the story
of Nicodemus.
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Picture the people all at the
Passover that this huge, huge
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festival commemorating Israel’s
deliverance from Egypt, their
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deliverance from the bondage to
sin.
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That’s important for what we’re
going to look at today.
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The Passover feast was also
known as the Feast of Unleavened
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Bread.
Also very important, the people
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would remove leaven from their
homes.
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So this is the beginning of the
year.
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They’re removing leaven from
their homes, and this is a great
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start to the year, kind of
giving them the need or making
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them understand the need to do
that for the whole year.
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And that was their focus.
And so people from all over
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Israel would come to Jerusalem.
And Josephus tells us that at
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these during the 1st century,
there might be as many as 3
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million people that would come
up to Jerusalem for the
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Passover.
Now, that seems like an
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incredibly large number, but
that’s what Josephus tells us
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about that.
So Jesus comes into the city for
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the feast and the first thing he
does, I found very surprising.
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The first thing he does is he
goes into the temple and he
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finds the people that are
selling oxen, sheep and doves
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and the money changers and he
makes a whip of small cords and
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he drives them out of the
temple.
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We’re told that he was consumed
with his zeal for God’s house,
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his his heat, his zeal, which is
his heat.
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He was so upset for the way that
the temple was being misused and
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he said don’t make my father’s
house a House of trade or a
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House of merchandise.
It was supposed to be instead a
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House of prayer for all nations.
Now I wonder what the people
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would have thought as Jesus did
that as he came up.
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Here’s this guy that they they
may have heard of from what he’d
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been doing already, and he comes
up and he drives out the money
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changers out of out of his
father’s house.
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I wonder what they would have
been thinking would they’ve been
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wondering why isn’t somebody
stopping him from doing that?
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I bet there would have been some
that were thinking, you know,
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it’s about time somebody did
that to those guys that are
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there in the temple.
And I think the people of
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Jerusalem, the people that were
there for the for the Passover
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would never have forgotten the
day that Jesus came and he
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cleansed the temple.
And they would have been asking
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who is he?
Why is he so upset?
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Is he a prophet?
Is he the prophet like Moses?
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Is he the Messiah?
And then we get this look into
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the mind of the Pharisees in
John 2 verse 18.
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And what are they thinking?
They say to Jesus, what sign can
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you give us for doing these
things?
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What makes you think that you
can drive us out of the temple?
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They would have thought, you
know, if he’s a prophet, if he’s
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if he’s the Messiah, he should
be able to give us some sort of
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a sign in verse 23 says he was
doing miracles.
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Look at verse 23 says when Jesus
was in Jerusalem at the Passover
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feast.
Many believe, so get your
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marking pencils out for that.
He believed in his name when
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they saw the signs that he was
doing so Jesus was doing signs.
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Imagine the spectacle.
So we’ve already had one
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spectacle of him in the temple.
Now imagine the second spectacle
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of Jesus starting to do
miracles.
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People had never seen miracles
before, right?
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If they’d read about them, but
they’ve never seen one.
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And Jesus is doing these
miracles in Jerusalem.
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And they would have been asking,
is this the Messiah?
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Is this, is this the Kingdom of
God that John the Baptist has
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been talking about?
And the news of Jesus would have
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would have raced through the
city of Jerusalem.
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And John tells us that because
of those miracles, many people
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believed in Jesus.
There’s no doubt that many
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people believed that the Messiah
had come.
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And now I think it would be
really cool to have been able to
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just stop right there.
Hundreds of thousands of people
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believed that the Messiah had
come.
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They believed that Israel was
about to be restored.
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But verse 24 and 25 say
something that’s really unusual,
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really makes us think, and I
think that’s that’s what John is
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trying to do here.
Verse 24 it says, but Jesus on
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his part did not entrust that
word and trust, interestingly
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enough, is the same word for
believe that we’ve been looking
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at.
So Jesus on his part did not
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believe himself to them, so he
didn’t entrust himself to them.
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Literally, the word there is the
word believe, and it’s a play on
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words.
They believed in him, but he did
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not believe in them.
They were not the kind of people
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that Jesus could put his trust
in.
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Now that’s an interesting
addition to our study of belief,
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isn’t it?
Sometimes people that believe in
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Jesus are of no use to him.
Then John I think explains this
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somewhat for us.
He says because he knew all
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people.
And verse 25 says and he needed
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no one to bear witness about man
for he himself knew what was in
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man.
All right, what’s John saying
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here?
A lot of people believe that
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Jesus had come from God, that he
was the Messiah and they’d taken
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and, and had Jesus at this point
in time taken the throne, they
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would have been happy to follow
him, probably by the millions.
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But we know that when later on,
when Jesus does take the throne,
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what happens?
Sorry, later on when Jesus
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doesn’t take the throne, what
happens?
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He instead goes to the cross and
their belief in him is is is
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long gone.
So as chapter 2 ends, we’re,
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we’re left wondering what John
is actually telling us here
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about belief.
But at the end of chapter 2,
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then if you look at that last
verse, it ends by telling us
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that Jesus knew what was in man.
And then chapter 3 begins with
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now there was a man.
John is saying, look, I, I, I’ve
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left something here for you
that’s going to make you wonder.
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I’m now going to explain to you
that point.
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I’m going to explain to you what
I was trying to say to you, and
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I’m going to do it in this man,
Nicodemus.
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I’m going to show you exactly
what I had in mind.
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And Nicodemus is a man which is
just like the people of
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Jerusalem.
He’s a man which believed in
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Jesus because he saw the
miracles and he’s also a man
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that Jesus did not believe in.
As we’re going to see as we read
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through this now we know
Nicodemus and we know in the end
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that this is this is really just
the beginning of a wonderful
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story of a man that has great
faith, but that’s not where he’s
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at in John chapter 3.
So John chapter 3, verse one.
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And there was a man of the
Pharisees named Nicodemus, a
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ruler of the Jews.
So he’s a, he’s a teacher in
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Israel.
He’s a ruler.
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It’s literally chief ruler, the
member of the Sanhedrin, and
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he’s one of the chief teachers.
We find out later on he knows
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his Bible in that way.
He’s like Nathaniel.
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So we would expect if he comes
to Jesus, that he has a
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conversation with Jesus, that
his faith would be ready to go.
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Just just with a few mentions,
just like Nathaniel’s was just a
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couple of statements that it
should just just click for him.
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But that’s not where Nicodemus
is.
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Nicodemus famously comes to
Jesus, we’re told at night and
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he says to Jesus in verse 2,
Rabbi, we know that you’re a
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teacher, come from God for no
one could do these signs that
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you do unless God is with him.
So like we said, he’s just like
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the crowds at the Passover.
He believes.
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Now what do you think this
teacher of Israel would have
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been thinking about Jesus?
What do you think he’s thinking
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as he comes at night to Jesus?
I think he’s open to the idea
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that Jesus was the Messiah.
Maybe he’d come to find out what
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Jesus plan was, maybe to see how
he and the Pharisees could be a
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part of that plan.
What was Nicodemus expecting
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from the Messiah?
We get a clue if we get out to
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verse 13 and verse 14.
We get a clue where Jesus uses a
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title for himself, implying that
this is what the conversation is
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about with Nicodemus.
He uses the title for himself.
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That’s very familiar to the
Jews.
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00:14:11,200 –> 00:14:14,320
And he calls himself the Son of
Man.
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And of all the names that Jesus
uses for himself, the Son of Man
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is the name, the title that he
uses the most.
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00:14:22,160 –> 00:14:26,640
And in verse 14, he tells
Nicodemus that the Son of Man
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must be lifted up.
So our question is, we’re going
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to try to research and look at
you.
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00:14:32,280 –> 00:14:37,880
What did the term the Son of Man
mean to Nicodemus?
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00:14:38,880 –> 00:14:41,240
There’s a couple of helpful
prophecies that probably come to
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your mind.
Let’s go first to Psalm 8.
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So Psalm 8 is about the work of
Christ and the Saints.
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It’s written by David after he
killed Goliath, and it’s about
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the victory ultimately of Christ
and the victory of the Saints.
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Psalm 8 verse 4 says, what is
man?
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That thou art mindful of him and
the Son of man that thou
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visitest him.
Now Rotherham there says that
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thou should set him in charge.
So this is talking about the Son
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of man being set in charge by
God.
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He says for thou has made him a
little lower than the angels and
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we recognize that as a quote
from Hebrews 2.
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So he’s he’s this is clearly a
reference to Christ.
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And then he continues in verse
verse 5.
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He says, what is man that thou
are mindful of him for thou has
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made him a little lower than the
angels.
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See here.
And then he says, And as crowned
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him with glory and honor, Thou
made us him to have dominion
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over the works of thy hands.
And what do we think of when we
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think of dominion?
We think about man having
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dominion.
We think about Genesis chapter
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00:15:55,240 –> 00:15:57,800
1.
I think Genesis 1 and verse 26.
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00:15:58,080 –> 00:16:03,040
So Genesis 1 and 26 talks about
the dominion that God intended
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for man to have over His
creation.
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00:16:06,040 –> 00:16:09,040
So he says thou made us him to
have dominion over the works of
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thy hands.
Thou has put all things under
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his feet.
Well Genesis one verse 26 also
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00:16:16,160 –> 00:16:19,360
talks about man being created in
the image of God.
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00:16:20,200 –> 00:16:23,800
The image here in, in Genesis
one, verse 26, I should say,
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00:16:24,280 –> 00:16:28,560
talks about Jesus or man being
given the ability to develop
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00:16:28,560 –> 00:16:32,440
godly thinking and a godly
character and ability that the
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00:16:32,440 –> 00:16:36,400
other creatures didn’t have.
However, we know Adam and Eve
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00:16:36,400 –> 00:16:40,760
didn’t didn’t live up to that.
So verse 8 talks about all
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00:16:40,760 –> 00:16:44,480
things being put under his feet.
The Son of man was going to rule
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over creation.
So that’s interesting.
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That would have been on the mind
of, of, of Nicodemus as he
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00:16:49,880 –> 00:16:53,040
thinks about the son of man,
who’s also the the Messiah.
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00:16:53,680 –> 00:16:56,040
Let’s also go to another one.
You’ll be very familiar with
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00:16:56,040 –> 00:17:00,560
Daniel Chapter 7.
Now Daniel Chapter 7, we know as
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00:17:00,560 –> 00:17:04,640
a very important prophecy of the
of the world empires that we’re
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going to come after Babylon.
We know the lion represents
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00:17:08,359 –> 00:17:12,480
Babylon, the bear Medo, Persia,
the leopard, Greece.
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00:17:13,040 –> 00:17:15,079
And then the 4th beast
represents Rome.
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00:17:15,920 –> 00:17:18,200
So that’s the context of Daniel
Chapter 7.
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00:17:18,680 –> 00:17:21,920
And Daniel 7 is where the Son of
man is mentioned.
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00:17:22,480 –> 00:17:26,280
And verse 13, Daniel 7, verse
13, I think it’s, it’s probably
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00:17:26,280 –> 00:17:28,359
a verse that would have been a
bit confusing to them.
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00:17:28,720 –> 00:17:32,440
It’s pretty clear to us.
Daniel 713 says I saw in the
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00:17:32,440 –> 00:17:37,440
night visions and behold, one
like the Son of man came with
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00:17:37,440 –> 00:17:40,320
the clouds of heaven.
It came to the ancient of days
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00:17:40,680 –> 00:17:42,960
and they brought him near before
him.
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00:17:43,480 –> 00:17:47,600
And we recognize this, I think
as the as a being fulfilled in
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00:17:47,600 –> 00:17:51,120
Acts chapter 1 when Christ
ascended up into the clouds and
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00:17:51,120 –> 00:17:54,080
ultimately went to the right
hand of God and he’s taken into
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00:17:54,080 –> 00:17:58,880
the presence of God.
So Jesus is is brought near to
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00:17:58,880 –> 00:18:00,960
the ancient of days is what
that’s telling us.
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00:18:01,480 –> 00:18:07,720
So what does he say next?
He says, and there was given him
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00:18:08,120 –> 00:18:14,120
dominion and glory and a Kingdom
that all people and nations and
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00:18:14,120 –> 00:18:18,400
languages should serve him.
So if you’re a Jew and you’re
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00:18:18,400 –> 00:18:21,840
waiting for the Messiah to come
and you recognize that the
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00:18:21,840 –> 00:18:25,720
Messiah has this name, the Son
of Man, that’s a name that was
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00:18:25,800 –> 00:18:29,240
that was recognized by them.
You’re thinking this is going to
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00:18:29,240 –> 00:18:32,200
be great.
The Jews are the ones that are
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00:18:32,200 –> 00:18:36,680
going to be set to be in control
of God’s creation and all
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00:18:36,680 –> 00:18:41,880
people, all nations are going to
serve this Messiah and they’re
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00:18:41,880 –> 00:18:44,960
going to serve the Jews along
with it.
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00:18:45,600 –> 00:18:48,520
His dominion, it says it’s an
everlasting dominion which shall
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00:18:48,520 –> 00:18:51,840
not pass away in his Kingdom,
that which should not be
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00:18:51,840 –> 00:18:55,400
destroyed.
And then verse 26 and 27, I
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00:18:55,400 –> 00:18:58,400
think the Jews would have found
as their their favorite part.
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00:18:58,400 –> 00:18:59,960
That’s the best part of this
prophecy.
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00:19:00,320 –> 00:19:02,680
It says, but the judgments shall
sit.
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00:19:02,880 –> 00:19:05,800
And and this is talking about
the judgment against the 4th
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00:19:05,800 –> 00:19:07,600
beast.
And who was the 4th beast
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00:19:07,600 –> 00:19:10,120
against who was the 4th beast
again?
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00:19:11,200 –> 00:19:13,600
Rome, right.
So they’re sitting there under
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00:19:13,600 –> 00:19:16,560
the control of Rome.
Rome is, is, is their master.
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00:19:16,920 –> 00:19:18,680
Rome is the empire that’s ruling
over them.
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00:19:18,680 –> 00:19:21,840
And they’re thinking our Messiah
is going to come, and our
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00:19:21,840 –> 00:19:24,200
Messiah is going to get rid of
Rome.
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00:19:24,520 –> 00:19:25,960
And so they’re thinking, guess
what?
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00:19:26,080 –> 00:19:28,640
This is happening.
The judgments shall sit.
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00:19:28,880 –> 00:19:30,560
They shall take away his
dominion.
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00:19:30,560 –> 00:19:33,440
Rome’s going to be gone to
consume and to destroy it to the
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00:19:33,480 –> 00:19:35,600
end.
And the Kingdom and the dominion
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00:19:35,600 –> 00:19:38,320
and the greatness of the Kingdom
under the whole heaven shall be
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00:19:38,320 –> 00:19:41,760
given to the people of the
Saints of the Most High, whose
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00:19:41,760 –> 00:19:44,880
Kingdom is an everlasting
Kingdom, and all dominions shall
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00:19:44,880 –> 00:19:49,040
serve and obey him.
Now I think we get a taste now
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00:19:49,360 –> 00:19:52,960
of the excitement that people
would have been starting to feel
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00:19:52,960 –> 00:19:57,160
at that Passover as Jesus
performs these miracles, as
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00:19:57,160 –> 00:20:00,640
Jesus goes into the temple and,
and, and makes a statement in
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00:20:00,640 –> 00:20:04,440
the temple about these things.
So they’re looking for the
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00:20:04,440 –> 00:20:08,360
Messiah to come to defeat Rome,
to get Rome out of the picture
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00:20:08,560 –> 00:20:10,760
and to make Israel great again.
Here’s a.
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00:20:10,840 –> 00:20:13,480
Here’s a.
A list that I put together kind
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00:20:13,480 –> 00:20:16,480
of giving us an idea, I think we
don’t know.
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00:20:16,720 –> 00:20:20,080
I think of what Nicodemus would
have been expecting and what the
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00:20:20,080 –> 00:20:23,400
Jews would have been expecting
for the restoration of Israel.
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00:20:23,760 –> 00:20:26,640
So the Jews expect expectation
for the restoration of the
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00:20:26,640 –> 00:20:28,520
Kingdom.
They they would have expected
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00:20:28,520 –> 00:20:32,040
the Messiah would come and we’d
be a powerful world leader.
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00:20:32,560 –> 00:20:35,920
They would expect Rome, the 4th
beast, to be destroyed.
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00:20:36,360 –> 00:20:40,840
They would expect the Messiah
would restore Israel and possess
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00:20:40,840 –> 00:20:43,280
the promised land from the Nile
to the Euphrates.
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00:20:43,680 –> 00:20:48,440
They would expect the Messiah to
rule the nations with the Jews
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00:20:48,440 –> 00:20:52,240
at his side.
And Nicodemus and I think the
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00:20:52,240 –> 00:20:55,040
Jews that were aware of these
prophecies probably can almost
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00:20:55,040 –> 00:20:59,040
taste it at this point in time.
So I’ve changed the title a
355
00:20:59,040 –> 00:21:02,240
little bit.
The things concerning the
356
00:21:02,240 –> 00:21:05,440
Kingdom of God, and you might
recognize that title, The Things
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00:21:05,720 –> 00:21:08,760
concerning the Kingdom of God.
I think it’s helpful for us to
358
00:21:08,760 –> 00:21:11,720
think about Nathaniel.
I’m sorry, Nicodemus, those are
359
00:21:12,040 –> 00:21:13,520
going to get me probably again
and again.
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00:21:13,720 –> 00:21:17,520
But it’s helpful for us to think
here about Nicodemus,
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00:21:17,640 –> 00:21:20,680
understanding of the things
concerning the Kingdom of God,
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00:21:21,080 –> 00:21:24,280
and to think about the
importance that that term has
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00:21:24,280 –> 00:21:26,960
for us in how we define the
gospel.
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00:21:27,280 –> 00:21:30,200
We define it as the things
concerning the Kingdom of God
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00:21:30,480 –> 00:21:36,080
and the name of Jesus Christ.
And Nicodemus has that idea in
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00:21:36,080 –> 00:21:38,520
mind, the things concerning the
Kingdom of God and is, I think,
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00:21:38,520 –> 00:21:41,080
a pretty good idea of what
that’s going to be like.
368
00:21:41,680 –> 00:21:44,240
So with that in mind, then let’s
go back to John three and three
369
00:21:45,320 –> 00:21:47,480
and let’s see how this this
works as we go.
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00:21:50,800 –> 00:21:54,640
So Nicodemus comes to Jesus and
he says, we know that you’re a
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00:21:54,640 –> 00:21:59,520
teacher that has come from God,
and he’s probably thinking, we
372
00:21:59,520 –> 00:22:03,080
want to work with you in setting
up the Kingdom and all the stuff
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00:22:03,080 –> 00:22:05,280
that’s on the screen right now.
We want to be a part of all of
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00:22:05,280 –> 00:22:07,080
that because that looks great to
us.
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00:22:07,560 –> 00:22:11,600
And Jesus says to Nicodemus,
truly, truly, I say to you,
376
00:22:12,760 –> 00:22:15,960
unless one is born again, he
cannot see the Kingdom of God.
377
00:22:17,200 –> 00:22:24,200
Jesus says, actually, Nicodemus,
you’re not fit to be a part of
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00:22:24,200 –> 00:22:29,400
God’s Kingdom.
You don’t have belief.
379
00:22:32,000 –> 00:22:37,360
Jesus says the problem is you
haven’t been born again.
380
00:22:38,560 –> 00:22:43,200
Now, Nicodemus, I think, would
have been familiar with baptism.
381
00:22:44,160 –> 00:22:47,160
He would be familiar with, of
course, John the Baptist going
382
00:22:47,160 –> 00:22:50,240
out and baptizing it and the
popularity of John the Baptist
383
00:22:50,240 –> 00:22:53,360
doing that.
But to the Pharisees, baptism
384
00:22:53,720 –> 00:22:56,800
was for Gentiles.
They were the ones that needed
385
00:22:56,800 –> 00:23:01,840
to be baptized because they were
not God’s chosen people like the
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00:23:01,840 –> 00:23:06,000
Jews were, and so they needed to
be reborn as Jews.
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00:23:06,000 –> 00:23:07,480
They needed to become
proselytes.
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00:23:08,280 –> 00:23:12,120
And to the Pharisees, it would
have made sense that John the
389
00:23:12,120 –> 00:23:16,280
Baptist was baptizing the
sinners of Israel because they
390
00:23:16,280 –> 00:23:18,920
definitely needed to start their
lives again.
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00:23:19,080 –> 00:23:21,680
Those people are sinners.
That’s why they need to be
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00:23:21,680 –> 00:23:25,160
baptized.
But the Pharisees looked at
393
00:23:25,160 –> 00:23:28,560
themselves and they said, you
know, we’ve already been born
394
00:23:28,560 –> 00:23:30,960
into the to the right nation.
We’re already the seed of
395
00:23:30,960 –> 00:23:34,120
Abraham.
We’re not Gentiles and we’re
396
00:23:34,120 –> 00:23:36,840
righteous.
We’re not sinners.
397
00:23:37,520 –> 00:23:40,040
And so the Pharisees had not
been baptized.
398
00:23:40,600 –> 00:23:43,800
Luke actually tells us that the
Pharisees rejected John the
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00:23:43,800 –> 00:23:46,760
Baptist and that they refused to
be baptized.
400
00:23:47,160 –> 00:23:49,760
That’s Luke Chapter 7, verse 29
and 30.
401
00:23:50,040 –> 00:23:53,360
It says the Pharisees and the
lawyers rejected the purpose of
402
00:23:53,360 –> 00:23:57,280
God for themselves not having
been baptized by John.
403
00:23:58,480 –> 00:24:01,400
So it’s fair to say that
Nicodemus would have been taken
404
00:24:01,400 –> 00:24:03,760
back, I think by the words of
Jesus.
405
00:24:04,440 –> 00:24:07,280
So in verse 4, we have
Nicodemus’s reply and I think
406
00:24:07,280 –> 00:24:09,040
there’s, there’s some sarcasm
there.
407
00:24:09,200 –> 00:24:12,920
There’s some, some he’s not
happy with the answer that Jesus
408
00:24:12,920 –> 00:24:14,480
has given him, what Jesus has
said.
409
00:24:14,680 –> 00:24:18,240
And there’s some definitely some
ignorance in Nicodemus’s reply.
410
00:24:18,920 –> 00:24:21,480
So Nicodemus says, how can a man
be born when he’s old?
411
00:24:22,160 –> 00:24:25,200
Can you enter a second time in
his mother’s womb and be born?
412
00:24:26,040 –> 00:24:27,440
He just doesn’t know what to
say.
413
00:24:28,600 –> 00:24:30,440
It’s like he’s saying Jesus to
Jesus.
414
00:24:30,440 –> 00:24:33,080
Are you insulting me?
Do you expect me to be born
415
00:24:33,080 –> 00:24:34,760
again?
Maybe.
416
00:24:34,840 –> 00:24:36,920
Maybe I’m thinking I’m, I’m not
a Gentile.
417
00:24:37,200 –> 00:24:39,760
I’m not like those sinners that
are going out to John the
418
00:24:39,760 –> 00:24:42,560
Baptist.
So in verse 5, what does Jesus
419
00:24:42,560 –> 00:24:45,000
do?
He says, OK, I’m going to
420
00:24:45,000 –> 00:24:48,040
explain it to you.
He says truly, truly.
421
00:24:48,040 –> 00:24:52,200
So this is important.
Unless one is born of water and
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00:24:52,200 –> 00:24:55,080
the Spirit, he cannot enter the
Kingdom of God.
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00:24:56,040 –> 00:24:59,840
He says born of water and that’s
that’s clearly talking about
424
00:24:59,840 –> 00:25:01,960
baptism.
Nicodemus, I think, would have
425
00:25:01,960 –> 00:25:04,840
understood that that’s what he
was talking about, the fact that
426
00:25:04,840 –> 00:25:08,200
they had not gone out to be
baptized and that Jesus was was
427
00:25:08,200 –> 00:25:11,320
commenting on that.
But what did Jesus mean by being
428
00:25:11,320 –> 00:25:15,800
born of the Spirit?
Nicodemus wasn’t familiar with
429
00:25:15,800 –> 00:25:21,280
that term, but what does it mean
to be born of the spirit?
430
00:25:21,280 –> 00:25:23,760
Because that’s a really
important, really important
431
00:25:23,760 –> 00:25:28,720
question.
But being born of the spirit is
432
00:25:28,840 –> 00:25:34,040
ultimately the process that
leads to immortality, the
433
00:25:34,040 –> 00:25:37,080
process that leads us to having
a spirit body.
434
00:25:37,960 –> 00:25:41,920
And being immortal is an
important part, is a critical
435
00:25:41,920 –> 00:25:46,480
part of being born into God’s
family and being a part of God’s
436
00:25:46,480 –> 00:25:50,520
family because God our Father
himself is immortal.
437
00:25:50,800 –> 00:25:53,840
So I want to spend just a minute
on that process and just to see
438
00:25:53,840 –> 00:25:56,440
what what Nicodemus was missing
in his thinking.
439
00:25:59,200 –> 00:26:02,120
Born of the Spirit.
So this is the part now that
440
00:26:02,120 –> 00:26:04,600
I’ve titled as and the name of
Jesus Christ.
441
00:26:05,120 –> 00:26:06,920
I’ve taken a bit of a liberty
there.
442
00:26:07,160 –> 00:26:09,520
And I think you’ll recognize
these as probably the questions
443
00:26:09,520 –> 00:26:11,840
that you’re asked that are asked
to a person that’s being
444
00:26:11,840 –> 00:26:14,360
baptized, right?
Many ecclesias would do that.
445
00:26:15,040 –> 00:26:17,280
You’ll recognize these as being
part of the statement of faith,
446
00:26:17,280 –> 00:26:19,680
the things concerning the
Kingdom of God and the name of
447
00:26:19,680 –> 00:26:22,200
Jesus Christ.
So the things concerning the
448
00:26:22,200 –> 00:26:25,360
Kingdom of God were things that
Nicodemus, I think, believed,
449
00:26:26,400 –> 00:26:30,160
and the name of Jesus Christ
roughly here are the things that
450
00:26:30,240 –> 00:26:34,360
Jesus, sorry, Nicodemus, doesn’t
understand about God’s plan, but
451
00:26:34,360 –> 00:26:36,520
these are things that he wants
him to understand.
452
00:26:37,080 –> 00:26:40,480
So let’s go back then to the
start.
453
00:26:40,520 –> 00:26:43,800
So let’s see God’s plan then
for, for the name of Jesus
454
00:26:43,800 –> 00:26:49,000
Christ is to fill the earth with
righteous immortal people,
455
00:26:49,640 –> 00:26:53,120
people that are born of the
spirit, not just not just
456
00:26:53,120 –> 00:26:56,920
mentally born of the spirit, but
ultimately given immortality is
457
00:26:56,920 –> 00:26:59,480
the idea here.
And it says, before we will be
458
00:26:59,480 –> 00:27:03,600
given immortal bodies or spirit
bodies, we must replace human
459
00:27:03,600 –> 00:27:11,120
thinking with godly thinking.
Developing spiritual thinking
460
00:27:11,440 –> 00:27:16,640
requires the transformation of
our minds by the gradual
461
00:27:16,640 –> 00:27:21,400
assimilation of divine ideas.
That that kind of quotes from
462
00:27:21,480 –> 00:27:26,000
from John Carter’s book on this
on, on the Gospel of John, which
463
00:27:26,000 –> 00:27:27,560
we’ll look at a quote from there
in just a minute.
464
00:27:28,000 –> 00:27:32,880
So Jesus is using this term of
of born because it’s a process
465
00:27:33,080 –> 00:27:38,320
like the development of a child.
It takes time in the Word of
466
00:27:38,320 –> 00:27:41,040
God.
It takes the trials of life.
467
00:27:41,320 –> 00:27:43,600
It takes God’s influence in our
lives.
468
00:27:43,960 –> 00:27:46,480
And this change takes place in
us.
469
00:27:46,720 –> 00:27:50,760
This birth process takes place
in us, but it will only happen
470
00:27:50,760 –> 00:27:53,080
if we’re changed by, of course,
the Word of God.
471
00:27:53,640 –> 00:27:56,600
And at the return of Christ,
those that have developed minds
472
00:27:56,600 –> 00:28:01,360
of the Spirit walk after the
Spirit will be given immortal
473
00:28:01,440 –> 00:28:04,560
bodies.
And so then our last one, only
474
00:28:04,560 –> 00:28:08,200
people born of the Spirit will
rule the world with Christ.
475
00:28:08,200 –> 00:28:12,480
And that was that was what Jesus
was saying to Nicodemus.
476
00:28:13,320 –> 00:28:15,560
Now there’s a lot of verses that
we could go to.
477
00:28:15,720 –> 00:28:18,760
There’s actually a very large
number of that we could go to
478
00:28:19,040 –> 00:28:21,200
that give us this idea of being
born of the Spirit.
479
00:28:21,680 –> 00:28:24,840
But I like Galatians 5 because
we all know Galatians 5 and the
480
00:28:24,840 –> 00:28:27,680
fruit of the Spirit because it
describes the mind of the
481
00:28:27,680 –> 00:28:29,840
Spirit.
And our, I mean, our camp is, is
482
00:28:29,840 –> 00:28:31,120
perfect for this.
Now, isn’t it?
483
00:28:31,280 –> 00:28:34,520
This idea of developing the mind
of Christ, It’s the mind of the
484
00:28:34,520 –> 00:28:36,600
Spirit.
It’s, it’s the thinking and the
485
00:28:36,600 –> 00:28:39,560
character and the ideas of our
heavenly Father and developing
486
00:28:39,560 –> 00:28:42,760
those.
So Galatians 5 talks about the
487
00:28:42,760 –> 00:28:45,840
fruit of the Spirit.
And I like this because we can
488
00:28:45,840 –> 00:28:49,360
look at these words and we can
look at our lives and say, how
489
00:28:49,360 –> 00:28:51,440
are we doing?
We can almost measure our
490
00:28:51,440 –> 00:28:56,000
development in spiritual things,
in this spiritual being born of
491
00:28:56,000 –> 00:28:57,640
the spirit and see how we’re
doing.
492
00:28:58,080 –> 00:29:02,040
So if we’re born of the spirit,
we’ll be developing love, we’ll
493
00:29:02,040 –> 00:29:04,440
be developing a self sacrificing
love.
494
00:29:04,840 –> 00:29:08,720
We’ll be developing joy, a sense
of happiness and purpose,
495
00:29:09,160 –> 00:29:12,880
recognizing what God has done
for us, and peace and patience
496
00:29:12,880 –> 00:29:16,320
and kindness and goodness.
And there’s a great one, right?
497
00:29:16,320 –> 00:29:19,520
Faith and gentleness and
self-control.
498
00:29:19,960 –> 00:29:21,840
And he says against these,
there’s no law.
499
00:29:21,920 –> 00:29:25,880
He says basically there’s no law
that you could keep that’s going
500
00:29:25,880 –> 00:29:28,600
to get you to a place where
these things are being developed
501
00:29:28,600 –> 00:29:30,880
in you.
It comes not from keeping the
502
00:29:30,880 –> 00:29:33,920
law, but it comes from a higher
level of thinking.
503
00:29:34,280 –> 00:29:36,280
OK, so here’s the quote that
from John Carter.
504
00:29:36,800 –> 00:29:41,280
He says the doctrine of Christ
is one that purifies and
505
00:29:41,280 –> 00:29:46,440
sanctifies when its principles
are heartily espoused and the
506
00:29:46,440 –> 00:29:51,600
mind is renewed by the gradual
assimilation of divine ideas
507
00:29:52,480 –> 00:29:55,400
leading to a transformation of
the individual.
508
00:29:55,400 –> 00:29:59,240
So we’re going through this
process, the continual long
509
00:29:59,240 –> 00:30:01,280
process at it.
The older you get, the more you
510
00:30:01,280 –> 00:30:04,880
recognize that this process has
been taking place in us.
511
00:30:05,960 –> 00:30:10,080
The old man is put off, the new
man is put on, and the character
512
00:30:10,080 –> 00:30:13,880
so formed is prepared for an
abiding place in the Kingdom of
513
00:30:13,880 –> 00:30:16,840
God.
I guess that’s a great
514
00:30:16,840 –> 00:30:19,600
definition of what the being
born of the Spirit is all about.
515
00:30:20,080 –> 00:30:23,480
So I’m going to put together on
the screen here just some steps
516
00:30:23,480 –> 00:30:27,520
that lead to to the Kingdom.
And this is way, way, way
517
00:30:27,520 –> 00:30:30,200
abbreviated.
So don’t think that this is a
518
00:30:31,240 –> 00:30:34,520
comprehensive list of these.
So the first one in the steps of
519
00:30:35,040 –> 00:30:40,960
of our path to the Kingdom,
those who embrace God’s way and
520
00:30:40,960 –> 00:30:44,840
fight sin in their lives will be
given immortality because they
521
00:30:44,840 –> 00:30:49,200
have been born fully of the
spirit which which is being
522
00:30:49,200 –> 00:30:53,120
given immortality.
The next one, they’ll be part of
523
00:30:53,120 –> 00:30:56,440
Christ’s family and they’ll rule
with him.
524
00:30:58,360 –> 00:31:00,720
Then the Messiah will come to
Israel.
525
00:31:00,720 –> 00:31:04,240
So now bring in Nicodemus.
This is where Nicodemus starts
526
00:31:04,240 –> 00:31:07,040
to know the first principles
here that we’re looking at.
527
00:31:07,520 –> 00:31:10,840
And then what he understands and
what he’s looking for is Rome,
528
00:31:11,320 –> 00:31:15,840
the 4th beast will be destroyed.
He and his people will restore
529
00:31:15,840 –> 00:31:20,000
Israel, possessing the land
promised from the Nile to the
530
00:31:20,000 –> 00:31:22,400
Euphrates.
And so he’s looking for all of
531
00:31:22,400 –> 00:31:25,480
this, all of this.
But the problem with Nicodemus
532
00:31:26,040 –> 00:31:30,720
is that all that he can see,
really, when he looks at this
533
00:31:30,720 –> 00:31:34,040
and the steps leading to the
Kingdom is the Messiah comes.
534
00:31:34,480 –> 00:31:37,440
Rome’s destroyed and Israel’s
restored.
535
00:31:38,320 –> 00:31:44,120
He’s missing that first section
there of God’s plan and purpose
536
00:31:44,120 –> 00:31:47,840
for the bringing of the Kingdom.
Another way of putting this, if
537
00:31:47,840 –> 00:31:51,600
you think about the message that
John the Baptist had, the
538
00:31:51,600 –> 00:31:54,200
proclamation of John the Baptist
was what?
539
00:31:54,200 –> 00:31:57,200
When he came, the proclamation
of Jesus was exactly the same
540
00:31:57,200 –> 00:32:02,000
when his ministry began, right?
Repent for the Kingdom of heaven
541
00:32:02,040 –> 00:32:06,120
is at hand.
Now when Nicodemus and the
542
00:32:06,120 –> 00:32:09,560
Pharisees saw that, they didn’t
see repent for the Kingdom of
543
00:32:09,560 –> 00:32:13,480
heaven is at hand.
They saw the Kingdom of heaven
544
00:32:13,480 –> 00:32:15,560
is at hand, right?
That’s what they saw.
545
00:32:16,000 –> 00:32:19,200
They completely forgot about the
repent part because they didn’t
546
00:32:19,200 –> 00:32:22,200
understand the process of being
born of the Spirit.
547
00:32:22,680 –> 00:32:24,840
They didn’t recognize that that
was necessary.
548
00:32:26,000 –> 00:32:28,760
So let’s go back then to John.
John chapter 3, verse 6.
549
00:32:30,520 –> 00:32:34,080
Jesus says that which is born of
the flesh is flesh.
550
00:32:35,120 –> 00:32:39,520
Fleshly dying parents have
children that are fleshly dying
551
00:32:39,520 –> 00:32:42,160
people.
That’s not what the kingdom’s
552
00:32:42,160 –> 00:32:44,800
going to be made-up of.
He says you don’t know, you
553
00:32:44,800 –> 00:32:47,000
don’t understand.
He says, and that which is born
554
00:32:47,000 –> 00:32:51,160
of the spirit is spirit.
Being born of the spirit yields
555
00:32:51,160 –> 00:32:54,880
people that are like God, people
that are spiritually minded,
556
00:32:55,160 –> 00:32:57,560
people that could be made
immortal and God will make
557
00:32:57,560 –> 00:33:00,000
immortal.
That’s what the Kingdom is going
558
00:33:00,000 –> 00:33:03,280
to be made-up of.
And so he continues in verse 7,
559
00:33:03,280 –> 00:33:07,280
he says, don’t marvel that I
said you must be born again.
560
00:33:08,200 –> 00:33:11,920
Nicodemus was was marveling.
He was saying, I no way, I
561
00:33:11,920 –> 00:33:13,920
can’t, I don’t believe this.
I don’t understand this.
562
00:33:14,440 –> 00:33:16,760
He knew his Bible really, really
well.
563
00:33:17,200 –> 00:33:20,440
He was a teacher in Israel.
He probably thought Jesus could
564
00:33:20,440 –> 00:33:26,240
be the Messiah.
But was it possible that he and
565
00:33:26,240 –> 00:33:29,920
the other Pharisees did not
understand what God was doing?
566
00:33:31,120 –> 00:33:38,000
Was there religion wrong?
In verse 8, Jesus explains that
567
00:33:38,080 –> 00:33:40,600
the Spirit of God works like the
wind.
568
00:33:41,280 –> 00:33:43,320
We can’t see it.
We don’t know where it comes
569
00:33:43,320 –> 00:33:44,960
from.
We don’t know where it’s going.
570
00:33:45,400 –> 00:33:48,440
The Spirit is invisible.
It’s powerful.
571
00:33:49,000 –> 00:33:51,040
It had brought the Word to
mankind.
572
00:33:51,040 –> 00:33:53,400
That was John, one that we
looked at on the first class.
573
00:33:53,800 –> 00:33:55,560
It brought about the birth of
Jesus.
574
00:33:55,840 –> 00:33:58,280
It was at work in the miracles
that Jesus was doing.
575
00:33:58,440 –> 00:34:00,400
It was at work in the words that
he spoke.
576
00:34:00,840 –> 00:34:04,880
It was working to bring people
to immortality, to build God’s
577
00:34:04,880 –> 00:34:08,560
family.
In verse 9, Nicodemus says to
578
00:34:08,560 –> 00:34:13,520
him, how can these things be?
He’s bewildered.
579
00:34:14,440 –> 00:34:18,360
He didn’t really understand what
Jesus was saying, but he should
580
00:34:18,360 –> 00:34:21,040
have known these things.
Look what Jesus says in verse
581
00:34:21,040 –> 00:34:23,320
10.
He says, are you a teacher of
582
00:34:23,320 –> 00:34:26,159
Israel and you don’t understand
these things?
583
00:34:26,960 –> 00:34:31,880
How could the guy in charge of
preparing the people for the
584
00:34:31,880 –> 00:34:35,639
Kingdom not understand the need
to be born of the Spirit?
585
00:34:37,239 –> 00:34:41,920
And the question we have to ask
is how did the crux, how did the
586
00:34:41,920 –> 00:34:47,280
key concept of salvation get
dropped out of the religion of
587
00:34:47,280 –> 00:34:50,040
Israel?
And how do they miss the need to
588
00:34:50,040 –> 00:34:54,639
be born of the Spirit?
And the answer is, is that the
589
00:34:54,639 –> 00:34:59,840
religious system in Israel had
changed the gospel.
590
00:35:01,720 –> 00:35:07,240
And it changed the gospel
because men loved darkness.
591
00:35:08,960 –> 00:35:12,880
We love to do what we want to
do.
592
00:35:12,880 –> 00:35:18,360
And so it was a natural thing to
happen for God’s commands, God’s
593
00:35:18,440 –> 00:35:21,120
word, to be changed by the
traditions of men.
594
00:35:21,600 –> 00:35:26,640
And so little by little, the
religion of Israel lost sight of
595
00:35:26,640 –> 00:35:29,120
the need to be born of the
Spirit.
596
00:35:29,720 –> 00:35:31,880
Now they still had a really good
vision of what the Son of Man
597
00:35:31,880 –> 00:35:34,920
was going to do, right?
But they’d lost sight of the
598
00:35:34,920 –> 00:35:38,440
need to be born of the Spirit.
Let’s go back to John.
599
00:35:38,440 –> 00:35:42,280
One, this helps us, I think, to
understand even more fully what
600
00:35:42,280 –> 00:35:46,440
we read about in John chapter 1
verses 1112 and 13.
601
00:35:49,200 –> 00:35:52,880
Here’s John and he’s telling us
about God’s word coming to
602
00:35:52,880 –> 00:35:57,040
Israel.
He says he and remember that was
603
00:35:57,240 –> 00:35:59,760
God’s God coming through his
word.
604
00:36:00,160 –> 00:36:05,840
He came to his own and his
people did not receive him, but
605
00:36:05,840 –> 00:36:10,440
to all who did receive him.
So all that did except God’s
606
00:36:10,440 –> 00:36:15,160
word who believed in his name.
So all those that accepted his
607
00:36:15,160 –> 00:36:20,240
word and who embraced God’s plan
to have a family, He gave them
608
00:36:20,240 –> 00:36:23,720
the right to become the children
of God.
609
00:36:24,880 –> 00:36:30,160
He made it possible for those
people to be his children, for
610
00:36:30,160 –> 00:36:34,480
them to be immortal.
He says verse 13, who were born
611
00:36:34,480 –> 00:36:38,800
not of blood, nor the will of
the flesh, nor the will of man,
612
00:36:38,800 –> 00:36:44,920
but they were born of God.
They were born again, not of the
613
00:36:44,920 –> 00:36:47,800
flesh.
They were people that were born
614
00:36:47,840 –> 00:36:50,040
of the Spirit.
That’s the same concept that
615
00:36:50,040 –> 00:36:53,120
that Nicodemus didn’t
understand, but Jesus is trying
616
00:36:53,120 –> 00:36:56,480
to get him to understand.
Now come with me to Galatians
617
00:36:56,480 –> 00:36:59,560
chapter 5 S again, the words of
Paul here.
618
00:37:01,240 –> 00:37:03,720
And I probably in this case,
I’ve highlighted part of it, but
619
00:37:03,720 –> 00:37:05,400
I probably should have
highlighted the whole verse
620
00:37:05,400 –> 00:37:07,200
here.
But then that would be kind of
621
00:37:07,200 –> 00:37:10,720
counterproductive, right?
But this verse shows us it comes
622
00:37:10,720 –> 00:37:13,040
after the the fruit of the
spirit that we’ve already looked
623
00:37:13,040 –> 00:37:15,000
at and it helps us to
understand.
624
00:37:15,000 –> 00:37:20,120
So he says verse 24, and those
who belong to Christ Jesus have
625
00:37:20,120 –> 00:37:25,560
crucified the flesh with its
passions and its desires.
626
00:37:26,760 –> 00:37:29,840
It’s the same message, isn’t it?
If we want to be a part of
627
00:37:29,840 –> 00:37:34,200
Christ’s family, we have to
crucify the flesh and we have to
628
00:37:34,200 –> 00:37:40,000
be born again.
That means the death of the old
629
00:37:40,000 –> 00:37:45,520
person and the development of a
new person, a development of the
630
00:37:45,520 –> 00:37:48,840
mind of Christ in US.
All right, so let’s go back to
631
00:37:48,840 –> 00:37:50,720
John 3.
Now with this with this in mind,
632
00:37:50,720 –> 00:37:53,600
let’s see what Nicodemus has to
say to Jesus about this.
633
00:37:53,600 –> 00:38:00,200
He says, and as MO sorry, Jesus
says to Nicodemus, he says, and
634
00:38:00,200 –> 00:38:04,120
as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness.
635
00:38:04,600 –> 00:38:07,880
And what’s that a reference to?
It’s a reference to the children
636
00:38:07,880 –> 00:38:10,200
of Israel in the wilderness that
were being bitten by by the
637
00:38:10,200 –> 00:38:12,920
snakes, by the serpents.
And the people in the wilderness
638
00:38:13,680 –> 00:38:16,720
were were to learn from this,
that the serpent represented the
639
00:38:16,720 –> 00:38:21,880
power of sin and that all
mankind had been bitten by sin
640
00:38:22,200 –> 00:38:24,560
and that all of mankind is dying
from that.
641
00:38:25,120 –> 00:38:30,000
And the only way to combat that
bite of the serpent was for it
642
00:38:30,000 –> 00:38:33,960
to be put on the cross for for
the flesh, the thinking of the
643
00:38:33,960 –> 00:38:39,080
flesh to be put on the cross.
And so he says that’s exactly
644
00:38:39,080 –> 00:38:41,480
what has to happen to the Son of
Man.
645
00:38:42,080 –> 00:38:44,080
He’s got to be lifted up on the
cross too.
646
00:38:44,720 –> 00:38:46,800
Now you can understand why
Nicodemus has a problem with
647
00:38:46,800 –> 00:38:49,040
that.
He’s thinking, Son of man, this
648
00:38:49,040 –> 00:38:51,520
is the guy that’s going to come
and he’s going to destroy Rome
649
00:38:51,640 –> 00:38:53,760
and he’s going to deliver us and
he’s going to make Israel,
650
00:38:54,520 –> 00:38:57,440
restore Israel to to what God
had promised it would be like.
651
00:38:57,840 –> 00:39:01,040
And, and he’s being told here,
no, the Son of Man has to be put
652
00:39:01,040 –> 00:39:04,760
on the cross.
The ruler of mankind who’s going
653
00:39:04,760 –> 00:39:08,360
to defeat the 4th beast has got
to be put on the cross first.
654
00:39:09,240 –> 00:39:14,640
Now Paul tells us that the world
thinks that’s crazy, that it’s
655
00:39:14,640 –> 00:39:16,440
king.
Israel’s king would be put on
656
00:39:16,440 –> 00:39:20,400
the cross, the cross, the Savior
on the cross.
657
00:39:20,800 –> 00:39:24,960
Paul says that a crucified king
was a stumbling block to the
658
00:39:24,960 –> 00:39:29,000
Jews and to the Greeks.
It was foolishness because they
659
00:39:29,000 –> 00:39:32,360
didn’t understand that if we
want to be in the Kingdom of
660
00:39:32,360 –> 00:39:35,480
God, we must be fighting sin in
our lives.
661
00:39:35,640 –> 00:39:38,560
Sin must be what we’re trying to
defeat.
662
00:39:39,480 –> 00:39:43,680
So verse 14, John 314, again, as
Moses lifted up the serpent in
663
00:39:43,680 –> 00:39:47,520
the wilderness, so must the Son
of Man be lifted up, verse 15,
664
00:39:47,520 –> 00:39:51,640
that whosoever believes in him
may have eternal life.
665
00:39:52,240 –> 00:39:56,920
Whoever sees how Jesus puts sin
on the cross, how he fought it
666
00:39:57,360 –> 00:40:01,880
and beat it, and whoever says,
yeah, I need to do the same
667
00:40:01,880 –> 00:40:04,200
thing.
I need to put to death the
668
00:40:04,200 –> 00:40:08,040
fleshly person that I am.
I need to put that on the cross.
669
00:40:08,520 –> 00:40:10,000
I need to become a different
person.
670
00:40:10,680 –> 00:40:12,400
Whoever believes that that’s
right.
671
00:40:13,320 –> 00:40:16,600
He says they may have eternal
life.
672
00:40:17,560 –> 00:40:19,640
It’s so powerful, isn’t it, when
we think about this, this
673
00:40:19,640 –> 00:40:24,240
conversation with Nicodemus and
then possibly the the most well
674
00:40:24,240 –> 00:40:26,040
known verse in the whole world,
verse 16.
675
00:40:26,200 –> 00:40:30,160
For God so loved the world that
he gave his only son.
676
00:40:30,840 –> 00:40:34,760
God was so intent on us
understanding the need to be
677
00:40:34,760 –> 00:40:38,360
born again, so intent on showing
this us this process.
678
00:40:38,880 –> 00:40:42,760
It was so important that He gave
his only Son in order to make
679
00:40:42,760 –> 00:40:45,840
that happen, that whosoever
believes in him should not
680
00:40:45,840 –> 00:40:50,800
perish but have eternal life.
Belief in the cross, in the
681
00:40:50,800 –> 00:40:54,160
process of being born in this of
the Spirit brings life.
682
00:40:55,440 –> 00:40:57,640
So in verse 17, Jesus then
answers some more of the
683
00:40:57,640 –> 00:41:02,160
thoughts of Nicodemus.
He says, for God did not send
684
00:41:02,160 –> 00:41:05,080
his Son into the world to
condemn the world.
685
00:41:06,200 –> 00:41:09,120
Nicodemus believed that the
Messiah would come and that he
686
00:41:09,120 –> 00:41:12,240
would condemn the Gentiles and
the Jews.
687
00:41:12,240 –> 00:41:14,840
The righteous Jews would be set
up to rule over the world.
688
00:41:15,640 –> 00:41:19,760
But that wasn’t it at all.
He came that the world might be
689
00:41:19,760 –> 00:41:25,280
saved through him.
The Gentiles included not just
690
00:41:25,280 –> 00:41:30,320
the Jews, but the Gentiles.
So thinking back then to the end
691
00:41:30,320 –> 00:41:34,600
of John 2, when Jesus made his
first a public, public
692
00:41:34,600 –> 00:41:38,360
appearance in Jerusalem,
millions of people knew that
693
00:41:38,360 –> 00:41:42,360
Jesus had done those miracles.
They were amazed at those
694
00:41:42,360 –> 00:41:44,200
miracles.
They believed those miracles.
695
00:41:45,200 –> 00:41:48,040
But they didn’t understand the
gospel.
696
00:41:48,720 –> 00:41:50,920
They didn’t understand the
things concerning the Kingdom of
697
00:41:50,920 –> 00:41:54,440
God in the name of Jesus Christ.
The religion of the Jews had
698
00:41:54,440 –> 00:42:00,760
lost sight of the need for
people to be born again, and so
699
00:42:00,760 –> 00:42:04,840
they were of no use to Jesus.
He didn’t believe in them.
700
00:42:04,840 –> 00:42:10,280
And Nicodemus, the teacher in
Israel was also no use to Jesus.
701
00:42:11,200 –> 00:42:12,920
He couldn’t believe in him
either.
702
00:42:14,280 –> 00:42:18,200
John 3 verse 19 says, and this
is the judgement, this is the
703
00:42:18,200 –> 00:42:21,400
conclusion.
Light has come into the world,
704
00:42:21,400 –> 00:42:27,120
and people love the darkness
rather than the light because
705
00:42:27,120 –> 00:42:31,960
their works were evil.
They preferred not to know
706
00:42:33,040 –> 00:42:36,560
because they wanted to keep
doing what they were doing, and
707
00:42:36,560 –> 00:42:41,200
they wanted to keep serving sin.
And so the religion of Israel
708
00:42:41,200 –> 00:42:47,120
had eroded the gospel of God to
such an extent that it could no
709
00:42:47,120 –> 00:42:50,240
longer save the people.
They’d substituted the
710
00:42:50,240 –> 00:42:53,960
traditions of man for the word
of God and as a result, that
711
00:42:53,960 –> 00:42:56,960
couldn’t save.
And even though Nicodemus was a
712
00:42:56,960 –> 00:43:00,800
teacher in Israel and he clearly
believed that Jesus had come
713
00:43:00,800 –> 00:43:06,400
from God, he was not fit for the
Kingdom and he was not fit
714
00:43:06,400 –> 00:43:10,360
because the gospel he preached
was not the true gospel.
715
00:43:11,480 –> 00:43:14,640
Now I think we can learn a lot
from that, especially today in
716
00:43:14,640 –> 00:43:17,440
in the world that we live in
today, the challenges that we
717
00:43:17,440 –> 00:43:19,680
face today.
I’ve tried to sum up here on a
718
00:43:19,800 –> 00:43:24,240
on the screen.
Human thinking seduces us into
719
00:43:24,240 –> 00:43:29,840
letting human thinking stay even
when we know we need to be,
720
00:43:29,840 –> 00:43:33,240
replacing human thinking to
thinking the flesh with godly
721
00:43:33,240 –> 00:43:36,040
thinking.
We love darkness so much that
722
00:43:36,040 –> 00:43:38,120
it’s really hard for us to do
it.
723
00:43:39,400 –> 00:43:43,240
And what happens is modern
culture has a way of
724
00:43:43,240 –> 00:43:49,320
legitimizing sin and making the
fight against sin seem barbaric.
725
00:43:49,680 –> 00:43:52,360
Like why would you try to fight
against those things?
726
00:43:52,640 –> 00:43:55,960
Why would you go against that?
And So what we find is, is that
727
00:43:55,960 –> 00:43:59,360
many groups, many religions will
adapt to the culture.
728
00:44:00,120 –> 00:44:04,920
They’ll allow for changes in the
culture in their gospel, and
729
00:44:04,920 –> 00:44:08,520
they’ll move the line on what it
means to be godly.
730
00:44:09,360 –> 00:44:11,920
We might think of of some of the
the sins that we know will keep
731
00:44:11,920 –> 00:44:15,120
people from the Kingdom
fornication, the erosion of the
732
00:44:15,120 –> 00:44:17,440
family unit, greed, dishonesty.
We can.
733
00:44:17,440 –> 00:44:20,840
We can read about these.
These are practices that are so
734
00:44:20,840 –> 00:44:26,120
common in our culture that
religion hesitates to confront
735
00:44:26,120 –> 00:44:30,640
them.
And so modern religion often
736
00:44:30,640 –> 00:44:35,120
follows modern culture,
constantly eroding the
737
00:44:35,120 –> 00:44:36,520
importance of the fighting of
sin.
738
00:44:36,680 –> 00:44:38,000
That’s what had happened in
Israel.
739
00:44:38,600 –> 00:44:42,920
Many religions have adapted to
accept the works of the flesh,
740
00:44:43,400 –> 00:44:46,760
changing their doctrines.
So here are some of the ideas
741
00:44:46,760 –> 00:44:49,200
that I, I could think of.
And I, I think that this list
742
00:44:49,200 –> 00:44:51,640
probably is much, much, much
bigger than this.
743
00:44:51,880 –> 00:44:54,760
But here are some of the ideas
that go completely counter to
744
00:44:54,760 –> 00:44:56,280
the idea of being born of the
Spirit.
745
00:44:57,160 –> 00:45:00,200
OK, the first one, the
substitution of Christ, that
746
00:45:00,280 –> 00:45:03,040
somehow Christ has already paid
the price for sin.
747
00:45:03,400 –> 00:45:08,120
It’s all been done for us, that
there’s no need for us to
748
00:45:08,120 –> 00:45:11,440
develop the mind of the Spirit.
That’s a common teaching.
749
00:45:11,440 –> 00:45:14,840
Most I think would believe this,
that Christ died for us and it’s
750
00:45:14,840 –> 00:45:17,640
all done.
No need for us to develop the
751
00:45:17,640 –> 00:45:20,040
mind of the spirit.
But that takes us into the same
752
00:45:20,560 –> 00:45:23,880
same position as Nicodemus was
in looking just at the Kingdom.
753
00:45:24,040 –> 00:45:26,840
Look at the reward and not at
the the part that we have to do.
754
00:45:27,520 –> 00:45:31,440
We think about maybe the devil.
The devil gives the idea that we
755
00:45:31,440 –> 00:45:32,840
don’t need to change our
thinking.
756
00:45:33,120 –> 00:45:36,160
We just need to get rid of the
devil because it’s the devil’s
757
00:45:36,160 –> 00:45:37,760
fault.
We’re good.
758
00:45:37,760 –> 00:45:40,480
It’s it’s just the devil that’s
the one that’s causing sin.
759
00:45:41,920 –> 00:45:45,200
What about once saved, always
saved right?
760
00:45:45,200 –> 00:45:48,240
You’re good no matter what.
You really don’t need to change.
761
00:45:48,240 –> 00:45:51,200
Just just accept Jesus.
That’s all you need to do.
762
00:45:51,640 –> 00:45:53,920
You don’t need to go through the
process of being born of the
763
00:45:53,920 –> 00:45:58,240
spirit and and maybe the most
popular 1 today is you doesn’t
764
00:45:58,240 –> 00:46:01,160
matter what you it doesn’t
matter what you believe God will
765
00:46:01,160 –> 00:46:05,440
accept everyone into his family
and that’s completely counter
766
00:46:06,120 –> 00:46:09,760
where’s the battle against sin
in that there isn’t 1.
767
00:46:10,080 –> 00:46:12,120
Where’s the, the being born of
the spirit in that there it’s
768
00:46:12,120 –> 00:46:15,000
not there.
As I said, I think that if you
769
00:46:15,040 –> 00:46:18,080
if you went through the the,
the, the doctrines that are a
770
00:46:18,080 –> 00:46:21,440
problem that challenge God,
you’ll find that it’s it’s to
771
00:46:21,440 –> 00:46:25,520
accommodate the flesh very, very
frequently wrong doctrines are
772
00:46:25,520 –> 00:46:30,720
are based on the, the desire to
accommodate our fleshly desires.
773
00:46:31,400 –> 00:46:35,720
And so Nicodemus had to learn
that he had to learn that Jesus
774
00:46:36,080 –> 00:46:38,640
had to be lifted up on the
cross.
775
00:46:39,760 –> 00:46:42,480
He had to learn that flesh had
to be put to death.
776
00:46:45,480 –> 00:46:48,280
And you know what?
He learned it.
777
00:46:49,840 –> 00:46:54,320
He learned it when Christ said
that the Son of Man have to be
778
00:46:54,320 –> 00:46:59,520
lifted up, Nicodemus thought
that that was crazy.
779
00:47:00,680 –> 00:47:07,760
But in John 19, when Jesus was
on the cross, dead on the cross,
780
00:47:09,080 –> 00:47:12,560
Nicodemus is there.
He’s there with Joseph of
781
00:47:12,560 –> 00:47:17,800
Arimathea, and he’s there
lifting Jesus off the cross.
782
00:47:19,160 –> 00:47:24,560
And finally, Nicodemus knew what
it meant to be born of the
783
00:47:24,560 –> 00:47:27,640
Spirit.
And so today we have really just
784
00:47:27,960 –> 00:47:32,840
just one lesson, one key lesson.
And that key lesson is, unless
785
00:47:32,840 –> 00:47:35,520
we’re born of the Spirit, that’s
all the water and of the Spirit,
786
00:47:36,400 –> 00:47:40,200
we cannot enter into the Kingdom
of God.
787
00:47:41,200 –> 00:47:41,520
Thank you.
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