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April 20, 2020 6:00 am
What does it mean to be you know if you have a personal relationship with God.
Can you ever be certain that your sins are forgiven for ever and ever. That's today stay with thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram, Living on the Edge features the Bible to almost daily discipleship program and a lot of people are familiar with the Bible. John 316 for God so loved the world's only begotten son whosoever believes in him should not die but have everlasting life. Super interesting. Jesus was talking proud in the temple. Thousands on site it was to a scriptural scholar in a one-on-one After Dark. We sometimes feel like we're in the dark desperately need someone knows more than we do patient and answer questions. That's exactly what Jesus was doing today Chip continues his series Jesus unfiltered ever wondered what God is really like chips in John chapter 3 where Jesus is having a conversation with the Paris he named Nicodemus what Jesus said you need to be born again.
So what's born again. The phrase means has dual meaning.
The word literally means born a second time and were also needs to be born from above, so it's to be born a second time from above.
What about you, but if you are really smart guy. It's been a long time since you were born in some radical teacher who does all these miracles, as you need to be born a second time. What's Nicodemus ago illogical. Right now, get and reenter my mother's womb. That's nothing I can work what you mean does Jesus change the conversation was to do. I tell you the truth unless your born of water and the spirit you cannot enter the kingdom of God.
So the question on the what's eating water and the spirit.
This is an honest guy asking honest question. The answer pretty simple. You women who had a baby when something breaks you know the baby is really common and it's when you're water breaks right and Jesus is saying what you need to be born of water. There's a physical birth, and justice. Nothing is alive. There's no power. There's no life until is a physical birth. You need a spiritual birth you need an encounter with God. You need regenerated Nicodemus it's not religion it's not good works is not all your knowledge. It's not what you know, just as a baby is born and things change in the umbilical cord and there and they can live in water. Guess what, they can live on air now. Just as there's a physical birth. You need a spiritual birth now in the context John the Baptist is in the scene is water does have one symbolic thing that I think we can say historically is thousands of people are going out into here this wild man and yet you can tell, God's working and the water met what repent. People were going to him to say my life is messed up. I'm not the kind of dad I'm not the kind of mom I do have greed I covered in my heart I do sleep around.
I do cheat I stuff that comes out of my mouth. I have unresolved anger issues all the stuff that we have multitudes were coming out of Johnson, you have to repent and the word is meta-you have a change of mind and they were coming to be baptized of sex, that old life and that old junk I want it washed away. I want to walk with God now and that was preparation so you prepared and realize now what you need is the spirit of God with the power to do that. And so Jesus is saying Nicodemus, the prostitute, the tax collectors. The people who see their need their going in there being dipped in water but guess what the religious rulers didn't go there. The Pharisees and their why that's like admitting you have made me were the rulers for the descendents of Abraham. We teach the word of God we fast we do all the stuff to go, be baptized would say I have needed my life is messed up. I covered in my heart I may be squeaky clean on the outside but I lust on the inside.
And so he saying to him, Nicodemus, you need a spiritual birth and part of the spiritual birth.
As you can repent and realize you have a need Nicodemus.
How can this be you know Jesus you know the illustration. Nicodemus you can't see the wind right right when the wind blows the what it coming.
If you go outside and you see a tree doing this. Can you say all I see the wind what equity can you say I know the wind is blowing because I see its effects is using a little play on words. The word in Greek foreland the word in Greek for spirit is Numa bog over that again the wording got it Numa Numa and so what it is saying to them is that when the spirit of God gives birth in your life you can't see it or understand how it all works is not your little formula is not your self effort is not your performance.
It's not your religion. There's power there being a fact you will love you'll care Adobe change will Nicodemus hears any ghosting. I'm still not quite get is now Jesus is going to give him something that was very helpful for him at least a little confusing for us is that okay look just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so the Son of Man must be lifted up so that whoever believes in him can have eternal life. I want you to turn the numbers chapter 21 is the story about the serpent is pretty simple. It's only about four versus and again I didn't. I never open the Bible till I was like 18 and so numbers is like where's that Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, it's the fourth book of the Bible. Okay the story is the children of Israel. They come to the Red Sea, God is miraculously delivered. There's a cloud by day of fire by night, when it moves they move. There's roughly 2 million maybe 2.5 million people along with their animals. It's very organizers the tent of meeting in the North, South, East and West. The different tribes are all organized and they are just after all, the miracle miracle miracle they just get a very bad attitude and they rebel and so you pick up the story and numbers chapter 21 beginning at verse for the day, the children of Israel traveled from Mount horror along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom, but the people grew impatient on the way and they spoke against God and against Moses, and said why you brought us out from Egypt to die in the desert. There is no bread there is no water, which we detest this miserable food manner than the Lord sent venomous snakes among them, and they bit the people and many Israelites died. Sin always has consequences. God is forgiving is merciful. When I sin when you sent always consequences the people came to Moses and said we send we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray the Lord little take away the snakes from us so Moses prayed for the people and as he prayed, God said, here's the solution and candidly on the type to me. It's really odd.
I think this is a really odd solution. Now knowing God's plan and how so many things are prefigured in the Old Testament to help us understand the new, but this is the solution. This 2 million people in rebellion, there's a bunch of snakes. A lot of them have been bitten there's no antidote. It takes a while to die from a snake bite and God says to Moses make a snake and put it up on a pole and anyone who is bitten can look at it and live so Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on the pole and then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake. He lived. Let me give you the parallels God commanded Moses to put the snake on a pole, it symbolized God is going to save his people that are dying. The cure was of faith. They didn't do anything.
They just believe that if you look and if you did look at it you would be healed. It was lifted up on a standard and standard would be a pole and and then they would make the snake and then there be a cross to hold it so be literally like the pre-figure of a cross and every single person's destiny would be dictated by whether they believed in the statement and went and looked or not the sort of an obscure Old Testament story.
But now, imagine yourself with this brilliant intellect, knowing all the Old Testament and he says, just as Moses lifted this bronze snake and people came and just looked and they were healed so Jesus, the Son of Man must be lifted up, and he gets crucified.
So whoever would look to him shouldn't perish but have eternal life translation Nicodemus being born from above can never happen by good works or religiosity you must believe that my death on the cross will pay or cover for the sin of all people of all time. If you believe and trust in that you will have life.
If you reject that offer.
You will die and so Nicodemus that we learned later. He becomes a secret disciple. He was little fearful and he doesn't go public until after the resurrection, but he gets. He really understands that his religion is good works and I'm good enough that I'm better than most people. And I think as long as your sincere, everyone's okay all that stuff that stillborn around today and then finally we hear John the Baptist endorsement that makes this radical statement that says whoever believes in the son of God has present tense eternal life as you turn to the back page.
Let me summarize because we still haven't really touched on. So what does it mean to believe mean it's the theme if you went through a little bit later in your little Gospel of John, or you can take your Bible and every time the word believer face circle circle circle circle circle circle, saut� some you learn is that belief happens by the spirit of God and Jesus actually is completely astounded that this smart, wise religious guy doesn't get it. And if you will just on the side in your notes right down Ezekiel 36 verses 25 to 27 I will take you there right now.
But God had promised that when the Messiah comes in this new covenant occurs. He says I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean and I'll remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh, and I will take my spirit and I will put my spirit inside of you and those of you that have my spirit will from the inside out.
Have a desire to obey my laws and decrees. No words. That's the new covenant.
That's what the Messiah is going to do.
That's what was promised.
But just like us, you know, when you get locked into units was to read the Bible. Psalm should be look that a moral person that I'm better than most people.
And you know it's a multicultural, pluralistic society, in whom I so say what's right or what's really wrong.
So I'll try these were the really good person and I'll try and be sort of spiritual and I guess I'll be okay because in Jesus cuts through all that mean. I mean if if if being good could ever get you right with God.
Here's the big question like how good do you really need to be how good is good enough but if God demands absolute perfection no matter good gets there that holy he's that pure and so we need to ask the final question, what does it mean to believe so that you have eternal life on the back. I've summarized her teaching so you can go back and ponder it and maybe you share it with a friend.
What does John chapter 3 mean to you and me right now, or to the application. I would really ask. I have no idea where you're at your journey, but I would ask you right now before I go on that one. However you talk to God. However, you whisper in your mind, say, oh God, if there's something here that you want me to understand that I don't we you please open my mind and open my heart. Number one being good and moral does not merit or earn eternal life as radical as it gets.
I live in a day you live in a day. If your sincere. It doesn't matter what you believe I can sincerely believe diesel work in my car.
It doesn't sincerity is never the test. I'm a good person. Based on what but whose measurement but who standard is always relative. Second, spiritual life demands a spiritual birth, babies don't come into the world until they come out of the womb and then breathe life and they move and they cry there's life is a physical birth demands like physical life of physical birth. You have to have an encounter with God that is a spiritual birth from the inside out.
That's what Nicodemus didn't have and he was more moral.
All guaranteed than anybody in this room and more religious than anybody in this room, and that's why I think Jesus chosen. Third, God loves you and wants to give you eternal life is a free gift you sometimes is your worshiping sort of a bottle comes your mind and mineral kind explode and then we like wow and I just look at all the people in this room I thought God's us. We think, I mean he loves us and I bet it was more I mean a God so loved the world, and that's what gets to be.
I know I what I do to people I love. I love trees you know what I like to be with Teresa I can buy stuff to resupply to drink coffee to Teresa Felling to go on walks with 3 to 5 kids I love them like the column I like to pick simply like to get together probably to go on vacation. I have friends that I love. I want to hang out with them. The more stuff I have that I can help.
I love them and I thought that's what got like Thomas to the religion we get involved in religion is down deep. We don't believe loves us. We think he's hard to please.
We think he's down on us.
We feel guilty. We think his job is that you of anything is fine or good or exciting is probably against that Jesus started at a wedding so we can okay love you what the all-knowing, all-powerful, omniscient, eternal, absolutely pure and holy. Being that created all that there is and will be what if he has a personal affection for you and his desires for you to receive his son for the payment of your sin, to allow his spirit to come live inside of you that he wants to give you a better marriage that he wants to give you direction for your life that he wants to meet your needs.
Now the pathway will often not be what you think it will require faith and you have to own your stuff. What if. Who else could you trust. Oh yeah, you could trust you are in my life.
I know it's best for me. No one can tell me what to do. See, people do not come into the light.
If our deeds are dark.
We don't recognize we need help. I just want to tell you, not someday, not some way. Not if you do this not if you start doing that not you come to church regularly, by the luck he wants to give you eternal life seek when that happens you want to be with other Christians you want to read his word honey. I can imagine saying I love trees with all my heart.
We get married. I sent you and I like California. She says I like West Virginia great you live there live here where she is. I want to be with her.
If you don't want to be with Jesus. If you have no desire to love people. If you have no desire for his word to say when you and God examine yourself if I prayed a prayer or do I have eternal life. For eternal life begins the moment you receive Christ as your Savior and Lord, to today's the day of salvation moments from now moments from now. It's not something that can happen after you die, you can have the encounter. Jesus wanted for Nicodemus you can be washed in the water. Admit. Oh God, I'm not perfect, actually messed up in some areas and I need you and I receive the life of Christ in his death on the cross as sole payment for my sin.
I'm asking you to come in my life and be my Savior and the Lord in the CEO to the Scripture says like new born babies long for the pure milk of God's word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. Babies need love and encouragement in life is hard. Early birth family. Number five, we must receive Christ by faith to begin that lifelong journey, meet some of you sums boiling inside one.
Okay tell me how here's how Jesus came and came to his own and those who are zone rejected him. But as many as received him, he gave the right of the authority to become children of God, as many as believed on his name. So what's it mean to receive Christ Jesus will come back to church and talk to them in Revelation chapter 3 and I member the first time I heard this I never open the Bible, I never heard of Jesus I never heard of personal relationship and there's a room about like this with six or 800 athletes and a man said. Jesus said this, behold, I stand at the door of your heart and knock. If anyone hears my voice and will open the door, I will come in and live with you and literally it's ancient Eastern picture and eat with you. Another words you're mine working to life together and in the thing about this door is there's no handle. There's no handle on the outside, he can't open it for you and the eternal God of the universe as if you will open the door of your heart and turn from your sin and invite Christ and believe on him, the spirit of the living God will come permanently to live in you, seal you with the spirit give you spiritual gifts director life make you a part of the family and transform you little by little by little by little the two, three and four years from now people will be astounded.
Why are you so kind, why you so other center now what happened to that addiction you had while you used me like a workaholic crazy person what happened to you because Christ will live his life out through you. Finally, you can receive Christ today by placing your trust in his death and resurrection as the sole basis for forgiveness of your sins to become a member of God's family today may be the clearest and most powerful time that the spirit of the living God will ever bring you to a point where you understand what you need to do and believe me, it's a wrestling match and there's implications.
I get all that been there done that, on behalf of God, I implore you, if you are not 100% sure that you have eternal life that is with our head. Now you and your own words, tell God I want I turn from my sin, ask you to come into my life. I accept your forgiveness. I'd like right now that I gave those in the room that heard this message for the first time and I will tell you that many in that room had their entire lives and eternity changed. They were born from above. They were forgiven.
In the spirit of God entered their life. If you would like to be born again if you would like have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ right now wherever you're at it from your heart. Express it in your own words or follow along as I pray. Dear God, I confess today that I fall short of being perfect that I have sinned. I know I've done things wrong and today I take you up on your offer that Jesus died upon the cross to pay for my sin that he rose from the dead to prove it is true, and I ask you right now. Forgive me I'm sorry for what I've done.
I want to be your son. I want to be your daughter. Lord God, thank you. Right now for forgetting my sins and coming into my life. Help me now to follow you with all my heart. In Jesus name to ride in your car or you're out on a run where you find yourself alone and you have prayed that they be out loud.
Or maybe in your heart of hearts, the God of the universe is promise call upon me, and you will be saved. Christ paid the penalty for your sin once to have a personal relationship with you when encouraging now that if you know a Christian that you have a relationship with text him or call him right now.
Tell them what you did.
You're not exactly sure who to call or what to do, get on our website@livingontheedge.org and we have some information.
Therefore, brand-new Christians will help you in your journey. If you prayed with Chip. I hope you'll take a minute and call us at 1-888-333-6003. We love to talk with you and get a free resource in your hands that'll help you understand what you just did and where to go from here if you'd rather go to your website. LivingontheEdge.org we'll find that same resource on the new believers tab. We just want to help you get started on your new journey of faith. Hey, just a quick word to those of you that pray for and support this ministry financially. I will tell you that hundreds if not thousands of people prayed with me minutes ago and their eternity has been changed by the grace of God I want to tell you that when you pray for and give to Living on the Edge God reaches into the lives of people that are hurting and that need him and he loves them and forgives them. Thank you so much for your partnership and if you like to be a part go to the website. We love to have you join the team if you'd like to become part of our team helping Christians live like Christians today would be a great day to start. Whether it's a one-time gift or a regular monthly donation to have a stake in helping others come to know Christ and learn the following is an investment you'll never regret the support what's happening through the ministry of Living on the Edge. Please call us at 1-888-333-6003, or if you prefer the convenience of giving online.
Just visit us@livingontheedge.org and click on the donate button right there on our homepage for Chip and the team of Living on the Edge. Thank you in advance for your generosity. Following her next broadcaster continues a series Jesus on filter so we surely glanced until them for all of us here.
This is the same. Thanks for listening to this vision of living on the