Sermon From 09/28/2008
Click Above To Hear Sermon as Preached--
“THE APOSTLE
OF SMALL THINGS”
{John 1:40-42}
[1] The Apostle
we are looking at today is considered the Disciple of Small Things.
He is the least known of the four disciples in the first group listing. But he was the first of the disciples to be called.
He was the one who introduced his brother, Simon, to Jesus. [2] His name is Andrew. He was
left out many times when that core group of disciples were involved with Jesus. However, we know he was close to Jesus because
he was so often the means by which other people were personally introduced to the Master.
We
first hear of Andrew in John 1:40-42 --- Andrew,
Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his
brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). Then Andrew brought
Simon to meet Jesus.
Andrews eagerness
to follow Christ, combined with his zeal for introducing others to Him, typifies his character. Scripture doesn't tell us a lot about him. He stayed pretty much in the background. But we see no evidence that he
begrudged Peter's tendency to dominate. He did not seek to be the center of attention. He could be called the disciple of
small things. He didn't find
it important to be in the limelight. Andrew may be a better model for most church leaders than Peter, because most who enter
the ministry will labor in relative obscurity, like Andrew, as opposed to being renowned and prominent like Peter.
Andrew served faithfully as a disciple of John the Baptist, going to
serve Jesus at John's prompting. After first meeting Jesus, Peter and Andrew went back to fishing in Capernaum. It was probably
several months later when Jesus came to Galilee to minister that He called to service brothers Peter and Andrew as well as
brothers James and John.
[3] Andrew saw the value of a single human
soul. This is where each of us can take a great lesson from him. [4] His ministry
was one-on-one.
Notice that he brought his brother to Christ. Then later he brought a young man with the loaves of bread and fishes to Christ
as well. In John 12 we read of some Greeks who wanted to meet Jesus. They asked Philip but Philip took them to Andrew to fulfill
their request. Andrew was prepared to introduce anyone to Jesus that sought Him. [5] He understood
that Jesus would want to meet anyone who wanted to meet Him.
Throughout my years in the ministry I have noticed one thing of grave
importance. [6] You can have all the great mass meetings and gatherings you want, but it takes
one individual to bring a soul to Christ. It is that one-on-one relationship that
really allows an individual to finally make that big step in their lives. Oh, they will come forward at the altar call but
that is no guarantee they have accepted Christ. It is one other person who cares about them enough to let them see Jesus in
themselves and to answer their questions that will finally help them make that “born again” decision. The power of being an Andrew is summed up in this story:--
Few have ever heard of Edward Kimball. His name
is a footnote in the annals of church history. He was the Sunday school teacher who led D.L. Moody to Christ. He went one
afternoon to the Boston shoe store where the nineteen-year-old Moody was working, cornered him in the stockroom, and introduced
him to Christ.
Kimball was a soft-spoken man. He went to that
shoe shop frightened, trembling, and unsure of whether he had enough courage to confront this young man with the gospel. At
the time, Moody was crude and obviously illiterate, but the thought of speaking to him about Christ had Kimball trembling
in his boots. Kimball recalled the incident years later. Moody had begun to attend his Sunday school class. It was obvious
that Moody was totally untaught and ignorant about the Bible. Kimball said, “I decided to speak to Moody about Christ
and about his soul. I started down to Holton's shoe store. When I was nearly there I began to wonder whether I ought to go
just then during business hours. And I thought maybe my mission might embarrass the boy, that when I went away the other clerks
might ask who I was, and when they learned might taunt Moody and ask if I was trying to make a good boy out of him. While
I was pondering over it all I passed the store without noticing it. Then, when I found I had gone by the door I determined
to make a dash for it and have it over at once.”
Kimball found Moody working in the stockroom,
wrapping and shelving shoes. Kimball said he spoke with “limping words.” He later said, “I never could remember
just what I did say; something about Christ and His love; that was all.” He admitted it was a weak appeal. But
Moody then and there gave his heart to Christ. And we all know “the rest of the story.
[7] We may go in fear and trembling but we go in the power and might
of the Holy Spirit. God is the one who saves—not us. We are just His instrument to tell others about Him. He will deal
with the heart and use whatever we say for His glory.
There are few today who, like Andrew, really understand the value of
befriending just one person and bringing him or her to Christ. Andrew knew that you didn't need to play lead-guitar in order
to play in the band. As far as we know, Andrew never preached to multitudes or founded any churches. He never wrote an epistle.
He isn't even mentioned in the Book of Acts or any of the epistles.
From tradition we learn that Andrew took the gospel North. Eusebius,
the ancient church historian, tells us that Andrew went as far north as Scythia. That's why Andrew is the patron saint of
Russia. He was ultimately crucified in southern Greece, near Athens. He was lashed to his cross instead of nailed, in order
to prolong the suffering. Tradition says his cross was an x-shaped cross. This cross was placed in the ground by putting the
base and one arm of the cross in the ground. That is why the Saint Andrew cross looks as it does on the DOC emblems. By most
accounts he hung on that cross for two days, exhorting passersby to turn to Christ for salvation.
[8] Andrew's legacy is the example he left
to show us that in effective ministry it's often the little things that count. I
believe his legacy is summed up in this Scripture---
1 Corinthians 1:27-31 --- God chose things the world considers
foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.
God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world
considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God has united you with Christ Jesus. For
our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from
sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”
As we come together
at the table of the Lord let us ponder the Andrew lifestyle as we set our minds upon Jesus and His sacrifice for us. Let us
consider also how we, individually, can give our lives to His service.
===============================================================
Do you find it difficult to tell someone about Christ?
Do you get all tied up in knots, sweaty, and tongue tied when you try to do it? If so, you're normal. But watch as the Lord
opens doors for you to be a witness for Christ. When He opens the door He will give you what you need to say or do. Unlike
the little engine that said “I think I can—I think I can—I think I can,” you can say “I know
I can—I know I can—I know I can.” because the Holy Spirit will give you the power and the way to be that
witness He wants you to be. Need help finding that strength. Let me help. Give me a call, write me a letter, or email me at
joehoward@brightok.net.
Pastor Joe
===============================================================
Sermon from 09/21/2008
“THE
MAN WITH THE FOOT-SHAPED MOUTH”
{Luke 22:31-32}
[1]
There are four lists of the names of the Twelve Apostles in the New Testament and each begins with the same name—Peter. He thus stands out as the leader and spokesman for all twelve. I think that is evidenced in our
opening Scripture, Luke 22:31-32 --- “Simon, Simon, Satan has
asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when
you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” Jesus was speaking
here of when Peter would be empowered by the Holy Spirit and give himself over 100% to the cause of Christ.
It is also interesting to note the Twelve are arranged
in three groups of four. Group one always starts with Peter and includes Andrew, James, and John. [2]
Also of interest is the fact that Judas' name always appears last in the complete listing, along with
a remark identifying him as the traitor.
The Apostles all had vastly differing personalities.
Peter was eager, aggressive, bold, and outspoken—with a habit of revving his mouth while his brain was in neutral. Our
example and encourager today is Peter. In our list of apostles named in Luke 6 we see Jesus referring to him as “Simon,
also named Peter.” Simon's full name at birth was Simon Bar-Jonah, or son of Jonah. Jesus named him Peter. [3]
Peter was a sort of nickname. It means “Rock.” You sometimes hear him called “Cephas.” This is the Aramaic word for Rock.
Peter and his brother Andrew were from a small village
called Bethsaida on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. They had, however, moved to a larger town nearby called Capernaum.
Jesus was to later make His home there as well. Peter had a wife and we know from Scripture that he took his wife on his apostolic
mission.
[4]
We see in Peter's life three key elements that go into the making of a true leader. (1) The right raw
material; (2) The right life experiences; and (3) The right
character qualities.
First let's look at The Right Raw
Material-- There is an age-old question about whether leaders are born or made. Peter is a strong argument for the belief
that leaders are born with certain gifts, but must also be properly shaped and made into a true leader. [5] Some of the inborn
leadership qualities of Peter include Inquisitiveness. Peter asks more questions than all the other apostles
combined. You can read through the gospels and see where Peter asks question after question of the Lord.
[6] Another inborn quality we see
in Peter is Initiative. Drive—ambition—energy. He made things happen. He often charged right in
where angels fear to tread. He was often fanatical, but it is easier to tone down a fanatic than to resurrect a corpse.
[7] The 3rd element of
inborn leadership qualities we see in Peter is Involvement. He was always in the middle of the action. A good
example is when the Lord came to
the disciples one night walking on
the water. Peter probably thought, “There's the Lord. I'm here; I've got to go where the action is.” Only after
he left the boat and walked some distance did Peter think about the danger and start to sink. People look at this incident
and criticize Peter's lack of faith.
But we need to give him credit for having faith to leave the boat in the first place.
Although Peter denied Christ, keep
in mind that he and one other disciple were the only ones who followed Jesus to the high priest's house to see what would
become of Jesus. Long after the other disciples had forsaken Christ, Peter was virtually alone in a position where the temptation
of denial could snare him. When almost everyone else bailed out, he tried to stay as close to his Lord as he could get.
The Right Life Experiences--
This is the next element of making the true leader like we see in Peter. He learned a lot through hard experience. Just after
Jesus commended him for his great confession in Matthew 16:16 (“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”),
Peter suffered the harshest rebuke ever recorded of a disciple in the New Testament. Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind
me, Satan.” Through this rebuke, Peter learned that he was vulnerable to Satan.
The Right Character Qualities--
This is the last of those elements going into making the true leader found in Peter. [8] Character produces respect—Respect
produces trust—Trust motivates followers. Our current moral decline in this country can
be attributed to leaders without the right character qualities. In spiritual leadership, the great goal and objective
is to bring people to Christlikeness. That is why the leader himself must manifest Christlike character. J.R. Miller wrote,
“The only thing that walks back from the tomb with the mourners and refuses to be buried is the character of a man.
What a man is survives him. It can never be buried.” But what is far more important is the impact we have while we are
here. A leader deserves submission only when he submits to the Lord and to those in authority over him. Jesus showed that
in Matthew 17 when He paid the tax rather than set a bad example before the people.
Peter
clearly learned the lesson of submission as we see when he wrote in 1 Peter 2:13-16
--- Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance
of foolish men--
as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as servants of God. Peter's lesson learned was that you are free in one sense, but don't use your freedom as a covering for evil.
[9] Other things of importance we see Peter
learning in life's lessons are restraint, humility, love, compassion,
and courage. He learned what Jesus meant when He said, “If anyone desires to be first, he
shall be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) Jesus' example was a consummate act of loving, lowly service. We
too must learn this.
Was Peter perfect? Of course not! He certainly
made his share of goofs. He was always opening mouth—inserting foot. But he continued to grow right up to the end of
his dedicated, committed life to the Lord.
As Peter's life came to a close he watched his
wife, Concordia, being led to her death. Clement says that Peter called her by name, crying out to her, “Concordia.
Remember the Lord.” When it was Peter's turn to die, he pleaded to be crucified upside down because he wasn't worthy
to die as his Lord had died. Thus he was nailed to a cross, head-downward.
Peter's life could be summed up in the final
words of his second epistle: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
(2nd Peter 3:18) That is exactly what Simon Peter did, and that is why he became
Rock—the great leader of the early church.
May we see and follow his example left for us
in following Christ.
May we see, too, his commitment and love for
the Lord as he ate with Him on that last night, taking of the bread and cup in that very first Communion Supper. Let us rededicate
our lives and commitment to Jesus as we remember, taking of the elements of Communion.
===============================================================
A lot of us like to compare ourselves to Peter
because he was a major “goof-up” when it comes to following Jesus. But let us not forget that after the Holy Spirit
came, after Peter received this power from on high, he was a changed man. He became a marvelous leader of the Apostles and
was a dynamic witness for Jesus Christ. If we really want to compare ourselves to Peter then let us also look at the Peter
that formed after Pentecost. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to have control of our lives and help us grow in His Word and become
the kind of witness for Christ that will lead others to Him, not only by word but in deed as well. Need help living that way?
I know it's not easy. I'd love to help in whatever way I can. Give me a call, drop me a line, or email me at joehoward@brightok.net. May God's blessings be yours every moment of every day.
Pastor Joe
===============================================================
Sermon
from 09/14/2008.
“THEY
WERE AGGRAMATOI IDIOTAI”
{Luke 6:12-16}
Some
men whose labor was of the utmost importance to the entire world were considered Aggramatoi Idiotai by many. We will discover
what those Greek words mean as we move on. Let's read our Scripture to find out who they were. Luke 6:12-16
--- Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in
prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother;
James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.
These were common, ordinary people just like us. They were perfectly
ordinary in every way. They were all too prone to mistakes, misstatements, wrong attitudes, lapses of faith, and bitter failure—no
one more than the leader of the group, Peter. Even Jesus remarked that they were slow learners and somewhat spiritually dense.
As He walked with the two on the road to Emmaus He said (Luke 24:25) (MSG) "So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can't you simply believe all that the prophets said?”
Yet with all their faults and character flaws—as
remarkably ordinary as they were—these men carried on a ministry after Jesus' ascension that left a tremendous impact
on the world. [1] The propagation of the gospel and the founding of the church
hinged entirely on twelve men whose most outstanding characteristic was their ordinariness.
[2] By the time Jesus
called His inner circle of 12, His earthly ministry was half over.
He had little more than 18months to whip this motley crew into shape.
Beginning with the very first
converts at Pentecost, all true believers looked to the apostles' leadership. As the church grew, its faithfulness to the
truth was described in these terms: (Acts 2:42)
--- All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing
in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. [3] These men are, in a true sense,
the very foundation of the Christian church, “Jesus
Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Eph.
2:20).
Our Scripture today begins with “And
it came to pass in those days.” We might wonder, “What days?” It is referring back to the previous
verses where we see the hostility against Christ escalating. Jesus knew that it was now time to begin preparing someone to
carry on the ministry. He didn't choose a rabbi—a scribe— a Pharisee—a Sadducee—a priest. Not one
of the men He chose came from the religious establishment. They were just very, very common men. [4]
The Twelve were like the rest of us; they were selected from the unworthy and the unqualified.
[5] The apostles are
certainly worthy of being regarded as heroes of the faith. Their names will adorn the twelve gates of
the New Jerusalem. We need to get to know them as real people, but at the same time let's not underestimate the importance
of their office.
[6] Their influence on
lives down through history is owing to one thing only—the power of the message
they preached. They were dynamic in their ministry.
Even though Paul wrote this after
the apostles had all begun their ministry, I believe that He was writing what they all understood-- 1
Corinthians 1:26-31 -----
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise
according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of
the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised
God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption--
that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." [7] God's favorite instruments are
nobodies, and the disciples knew better than to
claim any glory for themselves. They gave it all to God.
Why 12 disciples? Why not 8 or
15? The number 12 was filled with symbolic importance. In this case, there were 12 tribes in Israel. Israel was now apostate.
The Judaism of Jesus' time represented a corrupted faith. [8] Israel had abandoned divine grace
in favor of works-religion. Christ was in effect
appointing new leadership for the new covenant. [9] The disciples represented the new leaders of
the true Israel of God—consisting of people who believed the gospel in faith. The Twelve symbolized
judgment against the 12 tribes of Israel. Jesus made this clear. While talking to these disciples He said; Luke
22:29-30-- And just
as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. And you will
sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
As Jesus prepares them for the task ahead, these men are no longer just
disciples. They are apostles, an office of importance. Jesus had many disciples and he also had many that left him when things
got too tough. He gave them the power that He had—the power to heal and do miracles. The New Testament indicates that
only the apostles and those who were closely associated with them had the power to do miracles. That is why 2nd
Corinthians 12:12 speaks of such miracles as “the signs of an apostle.”
[10] In the midst of their training we see
five things that made their learning process so difficult. {1}-They lacked spiritual understanding. But
Jesus just kept on teaching and they kept on learning. {2}-They lacked humility. Jesus overcame that
one by being an example of humility. He humbled Himself even unto death on the cross. {3}-They lacked faith.
Jesus kept doing miracles and wonderful works. Most of His miracles were deliberately done “in presence of His disciples”
so that their faith could be strengthened (John 20:30). {4} They lacked commitment. Even their leader,
Peter, ended up denying Jesus. We see that Jesus prayed that they would remain ultimately faithful—and they did. And
{5}-They lacked power. This problem was overcome on the day of Pentecost when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit
to indwell and empower them.
This was a handful of men who really didn't have a whole lot going for
them in the beginning. But Jesus changed all that. What did the general population as well as
the leaders of Israel think of them” We find an answer to that
in Acts 4:13 as Peter and John stood before the Sanhedrin-- Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and
John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with
Jesus. The Greek text says people perceived that they were [11] “aggramatoi idiotai”.
This, translated, actually reads “illiterate ignoramuses.” The Sanhedrin were saying that they perceived
that Peter and John were illiterate ignoramuses but they realized that they had been with Jesus by the boldness and authority
with which they spoke.
These men, as simple and ordinary as they were in the beginning, are
still changing the world today. We will be taking a look at each one individually and learning from them how we, too, can
change the world—one soul by one soul. May we gain strength and encouragement from them as we learn.
===============================================================
It should be our goal as Christians to be living a determined, dedicated
life for Jesus Christ. He should be before all things in our life. To be the kind of person that can be effective in leading
people to Christ we must not only be part of a church but we must also be active in that church. Once or twice a year doesn't
cut it. How long would your marriage last if you just put in an appearance to the family once or twice a year or just one
or two times a month? I can assure you it wouldn't last very long and your family, as well as everyone else, would know that
you are not committed or dedicated to that relationship. Are you committed to Christ? Needs to be a 24/7 relationship, not
just occasional. Having a hard time doing that? Call me, write me, or email me at joehoward@brightok.net. You can do it! We can do anything we really set our mind to. Follow along in this series and, with the Lord's help,
seeing the lives of these dedicated Apostles will encourage you do try harder.
God Bless,
Pastor
Joe
===============================================================
Sermon from 09/07/2008
“CAN YOU SEE THE WIND BLOW?”
{John 3:1-21}
John 3:1--- There
was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Nicodemus was a member of the Pharisees
and a leader of the Sanhedrin. He came to Jesus at night, after all had settled down for the evening. Maybe he came alone
but maybe he had two or three of his students with him or possibly a couple fellow Sanhedrins who thought like he did. Whatever
the case might be, He came seeking answers.
As Nicodemus approached the door he
could hear voices inside—laughter, maybe. Working up the courage he knocked on the door. A short, stout man opened the
door and Nicodemus found words reluctant to come.
“May I be of service to you,
sir?” asked the man at the door. Nicodemus replied, “Is He here?” “He?”
chuckled the little man. “I believe I know who you are referring to. Yes, He's here. Please come in.”
As Nicodemus
entered the small room he noticed the Man sitting at the table with others seated or standing around the room. The Man smiled
at him and gestured for him to come and take a seat at the table. Nicodemus spoke first: [John 3:2] "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these
signs that You do unless God is with him." The two were making eye contact. He could see something
strange in the eyes of Jesus. His eyes seemed to reflect a peace and joy that Nicodemus was not familiar with. Jesus had a
loving and understanding smile on His face. He could see beyond Nicodemus' words—into the depth of his heart. That's
why He responded the way He did—[John 3:3] "Listen very closely to what I say to you, Nicodemus, for this is of utmost importance. Unless one is born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus was thrown for a loop. He and Jesus don't
seem to be on the same track right now. [John 3:4] "How can a man be born
when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
Some of the disciples chuckled at Nicodemus' response.
But they didn't chuckle much. They too were a little puzzled about where Jesus was going with this. They listened intently
as Jesus responded—[John 3:5-8] (NKJV) "Again, Nicodemus, listen closely.
This is very, very important to understand. Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you,
'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from
and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Jesus was enlightening Nicodemus, as
well as the disciples, to the fact that being born a direct descendant of Abraham, as Nicodemus was, will not get you into
the Kingdom of God. It takes a second birth—being born of the Spirit of God—to accomplish that. He tells them
it is a mystery that can be explained by the wind. First of all, it takes place according to the will of God. It is
not a power which man holds in his own control. Secondly, the new birth is invisible like the wind.
You can't see it taking place, but you can see the results
of it in a person's life. You can see the results of the wind in the blowing of the leaves or the waving of the flags. There
is evidence.
So Nicodemus, more confused than when he first came
in, replied—[John 3:9]"How can these things be?" His
mind was still thinking natural, physical birth rather than spiritual.
Jesus stands, slowly walks around the room, looking at
Nicodemus—then at the disciples one by one. Still with a heart of love for them all He speaks to Nicodemus—
[John 3:10-21] "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 have
seen, and you do not receive Our witness. {In other words, “What I am teaching is infallible and it seems
that no one wants to believe the truth.”} If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will
you believe if I tell you heavenly things? What were the earthly things to which the Lord referred?
He was speaking of His earthly kingdom. Nicodemus, with his knowledge of the Old Testament, knew that one day the Messiah
would come and set up a literal kingdom here on earth with Jerusalem as His capital. What Nicodemus failed to understand was
that in order to enter this kingdom, there must be a new birth.
What then were the heavenly things
to which the Lord referred? {They are the truths which are explained in the remainder of His talk with Nicodemus—the
wonderful way by which a person receives this new birth.} Jesus goes on— No one has ascended to heaven
but 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 whoever believes in Him should not perish but
have eternal life. Numbers 21:4-9 will clarify for you what He is saying. Nicodemus would be very familiar with
this. When that day came when he would see Jesus hanging on the cross, he would finally get the full message of what Jesus
is saying here. I believe Jesus brought this up to illustrate how the new birth takes place. Men and women have been bitten
by the viper of sin and are condemned to eternal death. As the children of Israel looked to the cross holding that brass serpent
for salvation, so we today can look to the empty cross of Christ in faith and receive eternal life. Jesus continued with words
familiar to all of us today— For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes
in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but
that the world through Him might be saved. Here, Jesus emphasizes the way this new birth is brought about—by
His sacrifice on the cross; the final sacrifice for sin. He now goes on to further clarify what comes
about by the new birth and the lack of, as well— He who believes in Him is not condemned; but
he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And
this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil.
For everyone practicing evil hates the light
and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds
may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." Jesus concludes His sermon by clarifying why He came. As
long as men are in the dark they will continue to practice wickedness. In other words, Jesus has come that there might be
a revealing of the hearts of men. You will find in most places where people are practicing wickedness it is dark. Darkness
covers their sins, or so they think. Jesus has come to lay a straight stick next to a crooked one. Once the straight stick
lay down next to the other, you can clearly see that the other is crooked. The light shines and reveals how dark the darkness
really is.
Jesus ended His sermon here and I believe Nicodemus probably
thanked Him for His time and quietly left the room, his mind racing to understand all that he had just heard.
We know that a change was taking place in
Nicodemus. One time later, when the Pharisees were arguing about Jesus, condemning Him and His actions, Nicodemus boldly responded—[John 7:51] "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows
what he is doing?" Most likely he was still being haunted by his meeting with Jesus.
We know also that Nicodemus finally got the message.
We find him taking a very bold part in the burial of Jesus—[John 19:38-39] Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked
Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. With
him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night.
He had finally understood the new
birth and had acquired it for himself through Jesus Christ. Tradition has it that he was baptized by Peter and John, suffered
persecution from hostile Jews, lost his membership in the Sanhedrin, and was forced to leave Jerusalem because of his Christian
faith.
What have we given up to follow Christ?
===============================================================
The Bible is very clear about
following Jesus. We are told that we will suffer persecution when we stand for Christ—not that we might, but that we
will. Are we willing to take what little persecution might come our way if we live like Christ rather than the
world? Or are we afraid of what others might think? Jesus wasn't afraid to stand up for us, so I believe our answer is found
in Him. To be a Christian means to trust in Him completely and live our lives exemplifying all that He has taught in His Word.
We can do it, but we must rely on His Holy Spirit to help us. Need help? Need answers? I'd like to help. Call me, write me,
or email me at joehoward@brightok.net.
Pastor
Joe
===============================================================
