"Nic" at Night!

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So today on if not for little Nick at night action by the name of Jesus at night, but I've always loved the neck at night idea that a lot of us. We hear that what you need to share the gospel what it was, you know what what is exactly that mean and how do you make it as simple as you possibly can. What appears to be this phenomenally complex issue and so delving into Nick at night and how Jesus shared it is simply as it could be put out. You know something that is just beyond beautiful sums been on your heart lately right might yeah I mean I've I've heard her story actually about guy who would always wanted to see John Wesley breach and so one time he finally got a chance to go see John Wesley preaching, John Wesley preached on John chapter 3, you must be born again and he thought the guy thought it was so good that he went to go see John Wesley again a few months later, John Wesley preached on John chapter 3, you must be born again. So yes, I see one more time so he travels to this guide.

He sees the guy one more time and he sees John Wesley preached on John chapter 3, you must be born again until afterwards.

This guy goes up to John Wesley and he says what he says I take your preaching is great. He said, but I would ask you why are you always preaching that you must be born again and and John Wesley kinda looked at it with a twinkle in his eye. He says because you must be born again and friends there. There is no other way to get to heaven, other than by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and you were talking about a will or I think sometimes we want to talk to people about Jesus or whatever. Sometimes we may have a tough time articulating exactly what we will to say but like you said is exactly right. It's a very simple message when you go actually to John chapter 3, it's starting in verse eight it says the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but I cannot tell where it comes and where it goes.

So is everyone who is born of the spirit. Nicodemus answered and said, how can these things be. Jesus answered and said to him, are you the teacher of Israel and do not know these things, most assuredly, I say to you, we speak what we know and testify what we've seen and you do not receive our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you of heavenly things. No one has ascended to heaven he who came down from heaven.

That is the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life, and for a long time and I never really knew what he was talking about when he was talking about robbing Moses being lifted up on the state but what would the snake left it up by the word actually comes word actually comes comes from his numbers chapter 21 verses four through nine, and it says that they traveled from Mount who were along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom, but the people grew impatient all the way they spoke against God and against Moses and said, why have you brought us out of out of Egypt to die in the wilderness.

There is no bread there is no watery, deep, and we detest this miserable food then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them, and they bit the people and many Israelites died.

So to pause right there for second. We talked about this before, I think we look at griping and complaining is something that's way low on the totem pole of things that God hates. But as we see right here it's it's it it is better. It's it is something that's been going on ahead with that, the people came to Moses and they said that we have said when we spoke out against the Lord and against you.

Pray that the Lord cradled. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us. So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, make a snake and put it up on a pole.

Anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.

So much so Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake they lift.

So what you see is you see in the Old Testament Moses put up a snake. People who were dying. They look at the snake and they lift in the New Testament, Jesus is saying in John chapter 3 that just as when you look to look to that look to the snake and live now if you just look to Jesus, you have everlasting life. You just believe in Jesus so in the Old Testament is looking in the and in the New Testament it's believing and I don't know any other way that I can tell you you must believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you will. You will have everlasting life. But you know, like we were were saying before, is that you know what what if somebody Robbie would've said you know I I believe that you can look at the snake and live but you know I believe there's lots of things that I can look look at that grass over there and I'll ride. I could look the best I could live. There's lots of things that I could look at and I could live while they were looking at those other things, they would've died in some of you are listening or saying or saying yourself today. Why can look to booted be saved right you look to Mohammed to be safe. And Jesus is saying no you look to Jesus and you'll be saved. You know, and in other people I talked to so a lot of weight to be in my life. You know what of those people who are looking at the snake said yeah I know I not been bitten by the snake, but I still think I've got some time left. I will live my life to want to do what I want to do and then right at the very end but a diver look to the snake and lived. They would've died in the same way I I've talked to so many people over the years who said Mike I know I want to believe in Jesus someday. But I want to live my life the way that I want to live it and I want to do whatever I want to do right now and then at the very end of my life.

I look to Jesus and I'll be saved you. Tomorrow is not promised mean we we had, you know, my dad died suddenly of a we've known several people over the past year. You never know that your your guaranteed another day so today is the day of salvation, but Rob, you said you studied this in a month ago you said you came up with is there so much here. And actually, as I was just listening to your reader again God's just to live manager. It shows you thought you never seen before but in many times I studied it because I've always found it fascinating. But the thing that you showed up right. The second is your reading. It is the people that mass to be healed from a snake bite. Bostitch take the snakes away, which is the age-old question why God no kill level right on Friday asked Robinson Crusoe that question and it's something to ponder why God no kill devil well you know the very beginning when he was tempted, she was tempted by this same serpent, which in Hebrew the word for what tempted even the word for what's used here to bite these people. Same word and you might remember that Eve problems not unlike the Israelites there in the desert right. She thinks that God told not Ottoman must be some about his knowledge of good and evil that I need in God's not giving it to me and that allowed her to be deceived and so she was snake bit by the original serpent now. Unfortunately, the Israelites was bitten by the same snake and very much because the curse and so were you and I but because the curse when you think about what Satan got cursed with these gonna be on the belly all rest of his days, and he will eat Adamo okay so when you live in Hebrew says you can eat Adamo. That means dust.

Well, it's man-made from odd, as you know, if you get the Adam thing coming out of it and you can see that all my goodness were dust and Satan like a ring line is been out there devouring these people, but they need to see that they don't need the snake taken away from them. They need to see that God is not holding our God can turn from they need. This made it only of the snake payment take away. They need to see that God's bigger in the snake that they need to see some way better right and and that all that manageability people for centuries will wonder what drama that's good stuff. We'll get what God told me I don't get the email I can complain about it if I wanted to. So when Jesus is his doing that.

What I found the other day. Richard just blew me away so I can never have realized that when Jesus is making this reference in John chapter 3, he setting up John 316. Like most he setting it up so that you see that all my goodness he literally is the snake that bit.

I mean I was bit I was bit sore you are at birth that I've been continuing to fall victim to these temptations of God holding out on me and my bad attitude. The rest of my life at and when I do that I am literally right causing the death of Christ because he had to die so that I could be free of that snakebite. And again, even God, and take the snake out of Robbie's life, but he did give me the ultimate solution to it, which is my strength and it seems like I got a B in the desert and I got a B grumbling just like the Israelites, I can point my finger at him on want but I realize I'm exactly those people.

But it's at those places where I am snake bit and I will take a look at that's an realize that I have sent like they went to Moses as I want to turn from that and if I look at it and see how horrible it is that Jesus had to die for me in order to pay for this.

Then I begin to see that all my God is God not only not holding out on me. He is he who loved me so much.

He's willing to die for me and and that is the gospel and you know I've met a lot of people rub your years who said Mike you know I'd love to trust in Jesus and stuff like that but I've I've just done too much and God's not going to forgive me of all the stuff that I've done but you and they think that they've I guess that they've gone too far on it and I don't think that they really understand grace.

Matter fact in Luke 18 verse nine were my favorite passages in the Bible it says to some who are confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else. Jesus told this parable. Two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and pray God. I thank you that I am not like other people, robbers, evildoers, adulterers really like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give 1/10 of all that I get, but the tax collector stood at a distance he would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said God have mercy on me a sinner I tell you that this man rather than the other went home justified before God for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. If you know 21 reading that passage out of ever thought about this before but the fact that you're saying. I don't think God could ever forgive me or I've done too much about ahead of 50% of the people out there because a lot of the people that we talked to Robbie that they'll say what I have a good person and that was the first guy, you know, he prayed a more eloquent prayer. It sounded better. I mean, he was put this other guy down.

He was saying all good person and Jesus is like know that I didn't say directly with the guy who was saying God have mercy on me a sinner.

So if you think you've done too much for you you you say man I've really messed up a lot. It almost sounds like you're halfway there because you realize that your need of a Savior. The second part is this is that there's nothing that we could do to earn God's grace.

It says in Ephesians 2 verses eight through nine, it says, for it is by grace that you have been saved through faith and this is not from yourselves is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. It's interesting, I wrote, I read verse 10 as well because that work were here to do good work. That's not water saved were saved by grace and I want to go another verse for your second Corinthians 5 verse 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of you know what I've heard you say before Robbie all the other religions of the world they spell salvation is DO if I do this if I do that if I do this do the other do the other than maybe at the end of my life.

I gotta cutaway my works and if I do enough good it I don't do enough bad.

I got to get a debit but with Christianity with Jesus, D.

O and E done. Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow Christian business men's committee has a video series that they did on lifestyle evangelism called living proof.

It was absolutely amazing at times I watch it because I've taught so many times but in that there's a group of Christians and they go to Bible study. But there's one lady that was the wife of actually the main character and she sort G first right and so when they go calling on people that are like I can't talk to them their sinners and are they were going to a borrower I can't go into a barter sinners in there. What if I ever seen, and there were these people all my friends at church would show me yet and this goes on throughout the whole series. It you know this lady you know she doesn't want to be seen with these people.

She does want to be associated with these people know she does essentially you know is self-righteous. You can't miss it.

And they do a good job of illustrating it at the end of the series. When finally the guy that they've been witnessing to inner she has sort of a spat with him over his behavior and then ships you know she goes into a deep depression wakes up the next morning and tells her husband.

I just realize that it wasn't Jerry that needed to be saved, it was me because I thought I'd never done anything that needed to be forgiven at an that she was really trusting our salvation on what a great person. She was even though she knew the gospel. She said I didn't think I'd ever done anything.

I've never forgotten outline. I never thought I've done anything that needed for giving and like oh my goodness. The thing that you see in this particular snakebite scenario of the bad attitude like God is holding out on me. God didn't give me what these other people got all this is such a slap in God's face. Unbelievable. Because here is your creator here is your father is orchestrated your entire life.

Some of it. In my case in deep desert places because I desperately needed to lose the attitude yes to everything there.

There is no way robbers lose in the attitude and Kelly's flat on his back and auto another story real quick when I lost the dealership lost all my money going to how it happened but I was fairly wealthy had a beautiful house kissing private schools all the stuff and then one day I'm totally broke and not only by been going broke for low. Times I could.

I'm losing my house and I have to find a rental house and I gotta pay the deposit for Duke Power and I'm in my 50s at this point in time.

This is not a high place in Robbie's career and pretty easy place to say no God really and so I started throwing newspapers because I needed to get the money together in order to be able to pay the Duke Power Papas so we can get power on in the house that we were renting.

After going around and you had to get up at like three in the morning is happened to be in the winter and I was running up and down these apartments in the ice throwing papers always run across you try to get music on. Gotta be out by 5 o'clock so running man. I slip and totally busted mean my pants belong under residences. I was freezing I was I was all cut up and laying in the middle of the street.

I looked up to God, I'll never forget it. I feel it, the Israelites in the desert had nothing on me because I looked up at Sid really is this really where it's all cut on my face in the freezing weather and the Holy Spirit says yes and it wasn't long after that was Valentines and I just found a way to pay newspapers on these old ladies doors they had diesel hangers but the previous guy would throw the papers of the door so I thought were those poor ladies I don't have to bend over to get the paper so I hung the paper on the little door thing while they all left me a tip. All these ladies and they left me beautiful notes and they said along the lines of your the best paperboy I've ever had. Of course it never seen me considering the rep of time, but I realize that man I can do one thing I cannot run the dealership. Obviously I know done this, that, but I control papers really good and I thought about a place where I found myself on the ground looking up at God. Sam really is is when my wife come to come to, to the point of actually in humility going know God gave me something here that it really is a treasure that I'll never forget, and I didn't get it. You know I got somewhere in the Caribbean. I got a lot of ice covered street you know throwing newspapers, you know it's funny when when God was giving the people really everything that they need numbers 21. They were complaining against hope when things got really bad for you. Seems almost counterintuitive. Sometimes a mean, but you know what what what you're talking about looking up to God about more chapter 2 verse 17 Jesus says, on hearing this, Jesus said to them, it is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners, but always heard that not said, well, God is your to call the people who were sinners.

The bad people. Whatever. But in Romans 323 it says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and what I realize now more and more is that all of us are the sinners who were sick in Mark 217. It's that only some of us realize it in the once you realize it or smart enough to cry out to Jesus to realize that they death to realize that we desperately need him and that if were too proud of her in for living the why that were good people that that no one seeks after God. No one seeks but that that being said, I mean that you know once you realize all of this makes me want to tell people in any way I can know whether it's the radio or this or that, in speaking of the story haven't told the story of the earth.tell the story, so I first started doing this radio show was little over a year ago I was.

I started doing this I was doing the radio show and I had come up with the strategy Robbie Rao was there and all this money in the stock market of the so III ended up ended up at trading options. This is not in the get really good at it and then cove it comes around last February or March and I just lost cuckoo and the unit with his people will say with the stock market can come back when you have options. There's an expiration on his option so once the money is gone, it's gone and I remember having the thought and the thought came to myself will blank you could just stop doing the radio that would save you a little bit of money and I said no I'm not to do that and so you know you and I were talking of that that the radio show. If not for God's doing really well and am grateful for that. But I felt the Lord speak to me the other weekend and he said Mike he said so you lost a bunch of money last year, he said, but the ministry radio show is doing really well. He said, would you rather it be the other way around. Would you rather have made a bunch of money and the ministry floundered in and and and nobody's getting to hear the good news each week. We mean you and I never knew that this would happen will be started this site uses like what what my quick. That would be you want to have a radio show what he wanted to be about how don't know but but that's yeah I mean is just it's an amazing thing and there's a relationship that Jesus taught about Blessed are the poor in spirit.

I for theirs is the kingdom of an in the Hebrew language newsletter called again on a letter called a doll ago that Gimbel is the rich person who is chasing after the poor person which is the doll.

It is David's name install at five dollars.

Blessed are the poor in spirit right because the only way you can get is if you have a need right if you don't think you need anything you're not asking for and so David was constantly since he was doll involved knowledge about us but I don't know if you've ever thought about this.

So the rich person is chasing after the purpose person to give them all but the way the Jews teach this, which is beautiful is that the poor person taking that is even blessing the rich person more because now there can get 10 times as much blessing because that personal receipt so when you asked the question, is it better to give or to receive. I meant to say the it's better to receive because if I take the arms that you're giving me I'm giving you a blessing of 10 times whatever it wants. It's beyond quick and so but now is think about the ultimate gift. It was God, and it blesses him 10 times more for you to receive what he did for your sin than anything I in other words, he's your father you want to spend eternity you can bless him. Unbelievably, but in order to do that you have to be able to receive this particular gift got think you need got to thinking. It is the gift of eternal life in the state again.

John chapter 3 verse 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life, and in your own sure if you have eternal life never given your life.

Pray with us right now. Dear Lord, I know the center you say all have sinned and come short of the glory of God in one of the Lord. I I receive you as my Savior. I believe in you. I repent. I turned for my sins and I looked to the cross and I'm leaving you for eternal life. Thank you Jesus.

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