Sheen, Noel: The Gospel From The Book Of John ~ John 3v1-4

John chapter three, but before we read it, I want to read a verse, first of all, from John twenty. No need to turn to it, just listen to what it says. And many other signs did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life through his name. In that passage, John tells us the reason he wrote his gospel is that he wants to convince people, people like you and me, that Jesus is really the Messiah, the Son of God, and he can give people eternal life. And that's why tonight I want us to look at some of the things John wrote in his gospel to see if we can learn about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and why he came into this world. And we're going to do this by looking at the lives of some people Jesus met while he was on earth. People who had various needs. Some had physical needs, others had spiritual needs, and the reason I want to talk about these people is because there's somebody, could be somebody here tonight who is in a similar spiritual situation. And so first I want to talk about a man named the ni- named Nicodemus. And we'll read from where you opened your Bible in John chapter three verse one. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus at night and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said unto him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? And we pray that God will add his blessing to the reading of the word of God tonight, in this passage and subsequent passages which we'll read. Now, here was a man, a leader in the Jewish nation, who was impressed with the miracles performed by the Lord Jesus Christ on one of his, of his visits to Jerusalem. His name is Nicodemus. And I imagine he would have been among the people we read about in the last three verses of chapter two, people who claimed to believe in Christ, but their faith wasn't for real. Their belief in Christ was only superficial, and they were carried away by the miracles they saw. You'll see that if you read that chapter. And that's what their faith was based on. That's why they only had a superficial faith. The miracles didn't make them see that they needed to have their sins forgiven. And so it says in verse twenty four of chapter two, Jesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all men. That means he knew what they were thinking, and as indeed he knows everyone here tonight. Yes, he knows you. He knows your name. He knows what you're thinking. He knows the plans you've made for your life. He knows what you think about him. He knows how genuine you are. He even knows if you're uncomfortable listening to me preach right now. There's not a thing he doesn't know. He even knows if you're a genuine Christian. And if you don't like me talking like this, well, that's how it was with the people of Jerusalem, for as we've seen, the Lord Jesus knew those who were genuine and those who weren't. Well, Nicodemus was one of those people who were impressed by the miracles. But what made him different? Well, he didn't just leave it there as the others did. He wanted more information, and he made the effort to get this information by getting to know Jesus personally, and that's why we read in verse two, Nicodemus came to Jesus and said, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these miracles that you are doing unless God is with him. And this is where the Lord Jesus took up the conversation by setting aside the miracles and getting to the heart of the matter by saying, except a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. That meant, of course, Nicodemus had to change his life. In fact, change his life so radically, the only way it could happen was to be born again. This meant, even though he was a religious man, a Pharisee, a good living person who was interested enough in spiritual things to seek out the Lord Jesus, he still needed to be born again. Imagine what a shock that was to Nicodemus. It even appears he took Jesus literally because he replied in verse four, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? And Nicodemus was right. We all know how impossible that would be. And incidentally, that's the answer you can give to people who believe in reincarnation. It's not possible to be born twice. The Bible says it is appointed unto men once to die. But there's even more to this question. Do you know what makes me think that? I believe deep down Nicodemus was an unhappy man. Otherwise, why would he have bothered to call on the Lord and wake him in the middle of the night? Perhaps what he really meant when he asked, how can a man be born when he is old, is that when a man or woman is set in their ways, how can you expect them to change? How can they change their lifestyle? Nicodemus was probably up against the age-old problem that faces any person who wants to change the way they live, but finds they can't, and that's why Jesus said in verse seven, you must be born again. Do you know why he said that? Because the change that takes place in a man or woman's life when they are born again is so great, the only way to describe it is you are born again. But this man Nicodemus had a problem. Because he was a Pharisee, he prided himself he'd been born a Jew, and like all Jews, he believed simply by being born a Jew, he would gain entrance into the kingdom of God. That was automatic. But the Lord Jesus put all this to one side and says, that's not good enough, Nicodemus, you have to be born again. Now, there could be somebody here tonight like Nicodemus. I don't mean a Jew. I mean someone who thinks because they've been born into a so-called Christian country and been given a Christian name, that they're a Christian. Just as you become a Muslim when you're born into a Muslim country, so you become a Christian when you're born into a so-called Christian country. But it doesn't work like that. You see, no one automatically becomes a Christian. Which means if you haven't been born again, you're still in your sins and disqualified from entering God's kingdom. That may come as a shock to you. So that's why tonight I suggest you examine your spiritual condition before God and ask yourself, if I was to die or be killed tonight, where would my soul be five minutes after I die? And let me remind you, your opinion doesn't count here. I'm sorry to be so blunt. But it's not you who decides where you will spend eternity. Your future in eternity will be decided by someone other than yourself. It will be decided by God. Which is why God sent his son into the world. So you can be spared the horrendous possibility of spending eternity with the devil in the lake of fire. Now that's hellfire preaching, I know, and some people don't like that, but it's biblical preaching, and I would be failing in my duty if I didn't present these facts to you. Now over, please, to chapter four, where we meet the second person I want to talk about, the woman of Samaria. John chapter four verse four: And he, that's Jesus, must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being weary with his journey, sat on the well, and it was about the sixth hour. Then came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, give me a drink, for his disciples were gone into the city to buy meat. Then said the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that you, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If ye- thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that says to thee, give me to drink, you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water. The woman said unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From whence then hast thou that living water? Verse thirteen: Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. And we will leave the reading there. We've just been talking about a man with a spiritual problem. He was disqualified from entering the kingdom of God. But the Lord provided him with the answer to his problem. And here in John four, we read about a woman who, in many respects, was no different to Nicodemus, except in her social standing and lifestyle. But like Nicodemus, this woman couldn't free her mind from the ordinary things of life. And again, this is like so many people in the world, life after death never enters their mind. They don't think about it. The Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus in John three thirteen, if I have told you earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? You see, Nicodemus couldn't understand what it meant to be born again. Neither could this woman. Look at the Lord's words to her in verse ten. If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water. This woman didn't understand that Jesus was speaking to her about eternal life. And that's why he had to bring her to a point in their conversation where she would understand what he was talking about. And of course, the only way he could do this was to make her aware that she was a sinner, which is why in verse sixteen he said, go call your husband and come back. You see, the Lord had to force her into a position where she would admit who she was before he could deal any further with her. But even then, she tried to avoid it by saying, I have no husband. Which is exactly what the Lord Jesus wanted her to say. So he said, you're right when you say you have no husband. The fact is you've had five husbands, and the man you're living with now is not your husband. And when Jesus said that, she knew immediately she was in the presence of someone who knew everything about her. So what did she do? Well, she did what most people do when they're forced into the same situation. She began talking about religion. The woman said to him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship. Do you see what I mean? Desperately, she tried to avoid facing up to the sins in her life and began making any excuse she could to avoid facing up to the real issue. That's why she talked about the dispute between the Jews and the Samaritans over where the temple should be built. But the Lord didn't allow her to dwell on this because it was irrelevant. And he went on to explain the important thing was not where the temple was located, but how a person worshipped God. Then, because she saw the conversation was leading to things she wasn't sure about, she tried to terminate it by saying she would wait for the b- wait for the Messiah, because when he came, he would explain everything. All the time she was trying to avoid personal responsibility for her actions, just like people do today. Have you met people like that? They blame everything and everyone for their situation before accepting any blame themselves. Eventually, of course, the conversation had a happy ending, as did the Lord's conversation with Nicodemus, because both people saw that they had a spiritual need that could only be satisfied in the Lord Jesus Christ, and both were born again. This woman of Samaria who wanted all the fun from life she could get, this girl who was prepared to do anything to have a good time, came to the point where she realized satisfaction could only be found in Jesus Christ. But you say, what is all this to do with me? A great deal. You see, the spiritual problems these two people had are not a great deal different to that of most people tonight. Sure, the time and place has changed, the circumstances in which we live has changed, but the problems are the same. Like Nicodemus, some people are religious and live exemplary lives. But their problem is they are trusting these things to get them to heaven. While others, like this woman from Samaria, are living for themselves. They believe if it feels good, do it. It doesn't matter about the consequences. They'll worry about that later, and all they want is to have a good time and avoid the real issue by telling themselves that one day everything will be all right. Are you like that? Are you? You would be surprised how many younger people believe that. Younger people brought up in Christian homes talk like that. They think like that. Maybe they won't admit it, but that's how they think. Now, chapter five verse one where we meet another man who met Jesus. And this man is paralyzed. Let's read what it says. After this, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now, there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water. Whosoever then first, after the troubling of the water, stepped in was made whole of whatever disease he had. And a certain man was there which had an infirmity thirty eight years. When Jesus saw him lie and knew that he'd been there a long time, he said unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the pool, but while I'm coming, another steps down before me. Jesus said unto him, Rise, take up thy bed and walk. Now here was another incident that occurred while Jesus was in Jerusalem. It occurred when he found his way to a well-known pool called Bethesda. The reason the pool was so well known was because every year there was a disturbance in the water caused by an angel which gave the water healing. How this worked, I don't know, but what happened when the water was disturbed, the first person to enter the pool was healed. And there was this man who had been there for thirty eight years because he was crippled. Why had he been there so long? He found it impossible to be first into the pool as there was no one to help him. He couldn't help himself. So he had resigned himself to remaining a cripple for the rest of his life. Then Jesus came. And he looked at this crippled man, and his heart went out to him, and he asked him if he wanted to be healed. A reasonable question. You see, the man had waited to be healed for thirty eight years, and it may well have been that hope in him had died. It may well have been that he had given up all hope of ever being cured. But I think the Lord asked the question for another reason. You see, for anyone to receive what the Lord Jesus Christ offers, they must first be willing to receive it. If deep down inside of you, you, you're really content to stay as you are, even the Lord Jesus can't do anything for you. Did you know that? You can be helped, but only if you're willing to be helped. You see, we're responsible beings. God made us that way. We have a will of our own. We have the capacity to make decisions. God will never force you against your will. Yes, he provides salvation, but we must be willing to accept that salvation, and should any of us go into eternity without Christ, it's because we've made that decision ourselves. There must always be a response from people if they want to become Christians. But there's another lesson we learned from this man, and that is his inability to help himself. And that reminds us of our inability to help ourselves when it comes to becoming a Christian. Do you see what I'm getting at? We can try to be good. We can take up religion. You can attend church. You can even pray. All good things in themselves, but not one of them will qualify us to be reconciled to God. Does that surprise you? It may. Because incredibly, that's how most people think. I don't know anything more difficult to get over to the average man or woman. It seems to be something they can't grasp. But look at verse eight. Jesus said to him, Rise, take up your bed and walk. Here was the Lord commanding this man to attempt the impossible. Get up, he said, pick up your bed and walk. Now, this man may well have said for thirty eight years his bed had been carrying him, and that there wasn't much sense in telling him to carry it. That could well have went through his mind, but he responded to what Jesus told him. He did his part. And you, if you want to be reconciled to God tonight, you must do your part. Now, chapter eight, please. And just to refresh your memory, we've talked about three people who met Jesus. A religious man, a good time girl, and a cripple. Now we meet a woman accused of adultery. In fact, she had been caught in the act. Let me read the passage to you, John chapter eight verse one. Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives, and early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him, and he sat down and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery, and when they had set her in the midst, they say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned, but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him that they might be able to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, unto them, he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are thine accusers? Has no man condemned thee? She said, no man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more. Now here was a situation clearly contrived to embarrass the Lord. You see, the Jewish leaders were angry about the influence he had over the people, and in, in him they perceived a threat to their own positions, and they thought by bringing this woman to him for his verdict, he wouldn't know what to say. The woman had been caught in adultery, and the Pharisees reminded Jesus that, uh, the law in the Old Testament, Deuteronomy chapter twenty two, stated that a woman in this situation should be stoned to death, and they hoped they were putting Jesus in a dilemma. They weren't interested in finding out God's will in the situation. They weren't genuine, they weren't for real. Otherwise, they would also have brought the man, for it takes two to commit adultery. They were simply trying to trap Jesus and get something on him. You just think for a moment about the situation they were trying to put him in. If he didn't condemn the woman to death, he would be accused before the Sanhedrin of disobeying the law of Moses. If he did condemn her to death, they would accuse him before the Romans, who were the only people who had the authority to carry out the death sentence. But Jesus saw through them, and turning the whole situation around, he refused to give a legal judgment and instead challenged the Pharisees to judge themselves on the matter. You see, it wasn't for Jesus to condemn this woman. He hadn't been a witness to what had happened, so what he did was bring this woman to see her sin as she had never seen it before. Now, what lesson can we learn from this? Obviously, the woman was an entirely different kind of person to Nicodemus. She even came from a different socioeconomic background. Nor was she religious like Nicodemus. In fact, she had no moral standards. She was guilty of adultery, but Jesus forgave her. Not that he condoned what she did because he told her not to sin anymore, but he forgave her. And that tells us Jesus will forgive any sinner who comes to him. It tells us no person is too bad to come. Jesus said, anyone who comes to me, I will not send them away. Do you want to come to the Lord Jesus Christ tonight and be born again? Is there anybody here seriously concerned about becoming a Christian? Is there? Oh yes, you've heard gospel preaching time and time and time again. But let me ask you again, are you seriously concerned about becoming a Christian tonight? Well, if you are, let's strike a practical note. You're genuine about becoming a Christian, you want to be born again, and after I've finished preaching, you want to ask me some questions. Well, imagine we're sitting together and we're talking, and you want to know how to become a Christian. The first thing I would do is open my Bible at John one verse twelve, which says, as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God. To those who believe in his name. And what I would do is point out the three verbs in that verse, the words believe, receive, and become. And I would tell you that to become a Christian, there is something to be believed, there is someone to be received, and when that happens, you become a Christian. That's what I would tell you. I would show you that from John one verse twelve. Believe, receive, become. And I would illustrate it by bringing it down to an everyday situation most of us, older ones anyhow, know a little about, and that is marriage. And I would point out just believing in somebody, no matter how intense those feelings may be, doesn't make you married. To marry somebody, you have to make a commitment. You must say I do, and receive that person into your life. That's how to establish a relationship. And just as when you get married, it means you give up your independence. The same happens when you receive Christ. You belong to him, and he belongs to you. So to use again the words of John one twelve, you first have to believe. It's then that you can receive, and it's then that you become a child of God. But suppose you have another. It's still not clear to you. You still want to know how to actually receive Christ into your life and be born again. Well, then I would turn you to Revelation chapter three verse ten where Jesus compares your life to a home. He says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with me. Do you see how delightfully simple it is? Imagine you're in your home, and the Lord Jesus knocks at the door. How would he get inside? You would have to open the door, and if he were welcome, you would invite him in. And that's how you become a Christian. The Lord Jesus Christ is knocking at the door of your life tonight. He's not going to gate crash his way in. He's not going to force his way, but he will come in if he is invited. Well, are you prepared to invite him into your life, or are you going to leave him outside as you've been doing all these years, leaving him outside. And maybe even tell him to go away. Wow. If you don't receive him, that's what you're doing, telling him to go away. Are you doing that tonight? If you do that, it means you are rejecting the Son of God who gave his life for you on the cross, and you will go to a lost eternity. Is that what you want? Is that what you want to do? Think carefully before you answer. Yes or no? Yes, I'm speaking to you. Yes or no? Do you want to tell Jesus Christ to go away tonight? Or do you want to receive him?