We All Have a Story to Tell: Nicodemus: Yesterday a Pharisee, Today a Believer, 3/29/15

Mar 29     Title:  Transformation - Nicodemus      Jn 3            palm Sunday

                                Yesterday a Pharisee, today a believer

Jn 3:1-17                       see also for sermon jn 7:50 and 19:39

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]”

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c]must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^[d]

⁹ “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. ¹² I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heavenexcept the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.^[e] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^[f]15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”^[g]

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Part of what has been fun about this series are the testimonies of our members… paul and billie mcclain…….

Tell the palm Sunday story

In the palm Sunday account of Luke 19 the Pharisees complain to Jesus that his followers are praising him.  He tells them that if the disciples stop, the rocks and stones will cry out.

The rocks would talk for God.  They still do.  What does the grand canyon say to you

PS 19 The heavens declare the glory of God;  the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
² Day after day they pour forth speech;    night after night they reveal knowledge.
³ They have no speech, they use no words;  no sound is heard from them.
⁴ Yet their voice^[b] goes out into all the earth,  their words to the ends of the world

God’s first bible was creation

Back to the story

The Pharisees did not get it.  They were stuck in their rules. 

Stuck in their ways.    Are you stuck in your ways?

Most of the Pharisees helped plot to put Jesus to death

How would you respond to someone who challenged everything about your way of life and said repeatedly that you did not get it?

Would you want to hang with that person?

A Pharisee was –

·        Insisted that others follow the rules

·        Didn’t follow the rules themselves

·        Used their power to hurt others

·        Were filled with falsehood

·        Where more interested in nice clothes and looking right than being right.

Jesus told the story of the cup.  Clean on the outside, dirty on the inside

Mt 23:1-7 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ² “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴ They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. ⁵ “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries^[a]wide and the tassels on their garments long; ⁶ they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; ⁷ they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee

Nicodemus was different. He met Jesus, and visited him at night.

He did not want his buddies to make fun of him or think he was a traitor.

They had a great talk.  Aren’t you glad when you have someone that you can talk to really talk to?

Bob Fillmore, Karen schuler, mike scott, wendy Minshall,

What a blessing

Back to the story

They had a great talk………you must be born again.

Why we hate that phrase - - - But it is not a bad phrase………

Is there such a thing as a Christian that is not born again?

Just because some people make you feel funny about it, doesnt mean it is bad

To be born again is to be changed by the spirit

It does not mean you run around and make people feel guilty

It does not mean that you become a know it all

The work of the spirit comes in to change you

To make you sweeter

When we are born it is about us.  Babies cry, feed me, hold me, help me……..

Flesh gives birth to flesh.  Its about me

Many of us do that our entire lives

Spirit gives birth to spirit

When jesus gets ahold of us were born again, not to sit around & sing kumbaya

But to learn to live a new life.  A life outside of ourselves

Jesus told nicodemus Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^[f]15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him

The snake in the wilderness -  numbers 21

⁴ They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea,^[c] to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; ⁵ they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” ⁶ Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. ⁷ The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.⁸ 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.” ⁹ 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 lived

When our lives are about us, we become toxic and poisonous

Jesus teaches us to lift up our eyes, to get them off of ourselves and follow something greater

To love the lord our god, and love our neighbor as ourselves

To do unto others as we would have them do unto us

Nicodemus was changed.

While other Pharisees clung to hatred of Jesus, Nicodemus changed

This should remind us that anyone can change

Someone that you want to give up on, anyone can change

[a good spot for a story about someone who changed……]

Nicodemus is later found in jn 7 taking up for Jesus and jn 19 assisting other disciples in Jesus burial.

Never give up on anyone - - - PAUSE

Never give up on yourself.

How might god be working to change you

If you really listened to the voice of the spirit, what would you hear him saying to you about who you are?

Oh, jeff I’m sorry you are having a problem.  I didn’t know. Let me fix that.

Let me hold you and scratch your back

Or would the Spirit say, its not about you. Live outside of yourself.  Take up your cross.  Find the joy in difficulty.

Maybe you are here today and u r in trouble.  Dealing w some kind of sin

The Pharisees condemned. Jesus did not

Here is another example of Jesus ministry being completely mapped out as against the Pharisees.

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The work of the spirit is never condemning, just convicting.

Condemnation says, you are bad.  Too bad to change.

Its over for you.  Feel guilty.

Conviction, the work of the spirit says, hey, there are some things to work on, but I will help you. God is with you.  You are loved.  You can make it.

People had to make a choice when they met Jesus

Either it was going to be about them, or they were going to change

The Pharisees did not change. Nicodemus did

We too meet Jesus and have to ask ourselves. 

Are we those who stay the same, or are we those who change

Its holy week and the spirit invites us to change.

What might he be saying to me?  To you?

Are we going to stay the same, or will we listen to him?

The Real Jesus: Teaching and Confronting, 2/1/15

Sermon 2-1-15 real jesus – teaching and confronting

Matthew 6:1-6

6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

sundays sermon

the series the real jesus

jesus:  teaching and confronting

this passage today is from the sermon on the mount. 

Jesus teaching in front of the people and the Pharisees.

in this passage we find jesus both confronting the practices of the pharisees and teaching the people a better way.

some theologians believe that jesus' entire ministry should be understood in the light of jesus vs the pharisees.  the pharisees were always present and he taught a better way.

Where ever two or three are gathered mt 18

The story of the Pharisee and the publican lk 18

The story of the good Samaritan luke 10

Rich young ruler mark 10

Zacchaeus luke 19

Message today is

Confronting them:

don't put on a spiritual show.  Don’t blow the trumpet

don't attract attention to yourself so to make yourself important

[those who say don’t know, those who know, don’t say]

teaching

a spiritual life comes from the innermost places

spirituality is honest and clean

you don’t need to be noticed.  Doing the right thing is its own reward

it begins with you and god

do what is real and do not pretend

Comfort the afflicted.  Afflict the comfortable

Values on our staff – joy authenticity and excellence

Conforting Jesus vs teaching Jesus. 

are there pharisees in the world today?

am i ever one of them?

are there things that jesus would confront me about?

These are mine……….

1.  being worried over how things are going at work

2.  being worried over kids so much that i am ruining my own life

3.  living out of my head instead of out of my heart

4. Worrying about the future

Then I realize that to some degree the things that jesus would teach me, are the things that he is confronting me about.

what are things that i feel that jesus is trying to teach me?

What would jesus be trying to teach this pastor?  This human? 

1.   Take better care of my old carcass

I won’t be around here for ever

2.   Loving wife and children

Investing in them

Love is not getting what you want from them

a.   What does your fiancé love about you?

b.   What do you love about her?

Love is not giving them what you want them to have

Love is giving them what they want – helping them be fulfilled

Daughter- a gift card to charming charlies

Son – a gift card to ponchos

Love is selfless

3.   keeping my mouth shut - be quiet.  listen more

my dad used to say, son you talk to much…..

there is an acronym that uses the letters in the word THINK to form five questions to be asked before opening our mouths

“THINK before you speak” and ask yourself the following questions:

T – Is it true?  Do you know for sure that what you are about to say is completely true? Or is it gossip or hearsay?

H – Is it helpful?  Are your comments helpful? Do they add to the discussion? Do your words move the discussion along in a helpful direction? Do they add to a possible solution of a problem?

I – Is it inspiring? Are your words inspiring? Do your words encourage and build up or do they tear down? Do your words “spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”

N – Is it necessary? Are the words you are about to speak really necessary to the discussion? This question alone should certainly increase our listening to speaking ratio.

K – Is it kind? Are your words kind? No doubt at times our words need to be tough and confrontational, but ask what is the ultimate motive of your words. Are you speaking the truth in love? (Eph. 4:15)

“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” – Abraham Lincoln

God is talking about talking less so from now on the sermons will b 10 mins

4.   wanting less stuff – wanting less outcomes

we only want the good stuff to happen to us. We are going to miss or hate half of life.  Cause half of it is difficult

when do you have enough

someone came back from Nicaragua and was worried that his spouse would be upset that he made a land commitment.

She said, oh, no, not upset at all.  In fact, somehow, we are going to buy one of the houses

When do we have enough

Our trip to subway $8 each, nice lunch or give the $16

Wanting less

Want is the source of all ill

Do you see the lilies of the field?

Do you see the birds of the air?

They don’t worry about such things

5.   paradigm – mine.  I'm not always right.  Glasses on, glasses off.

What if our ideas of the Christian faith are in left field

Someone asked me about altar calls……

That’s about them.  What about me?

Which of my ideas are nuts?  Just plain wrong?

These are the things that God talks to me about.

conclusion

what about you?

what would jesus confront you about?

what would jesus be teaching you?

go to your prayer closet and have the talk with him

lets pray

Opening the Door to Hope: Palm Sunday, Luke 19:28-41, 04/13/14

xSermon 4-13-14      palm Sunday     Lk 19:28-41

²⁸ After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹ As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ³⁰ “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

³² Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. ³³ As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

³⁴ They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

³⁵ They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. ³⁶ As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

³⁷ When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

³⁸ “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

³⁹ Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

⁴⁰ “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

⁴¹ As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it…

Its palm Sunday. 

Later this week, Maundy Thursday/good Friday invite

Next sunday easter.  Ride the shuttle.  Skip 1010

Its palm Sunday - Lets tell the story.

Parade

Donkey

Palm branches

Welcome

Disciples

Pharisees

Jesus

This is a story of two teams.

The team that is against jesus and the team that is for him

The team that is threatened by him and the team that is exalting him

The team that sees what is wrong and the team that sees what is right

Shawn is quoting yoda today:  Yoda to Luke: “Beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join you in a fight.”

How do you see the world?

This is more than a glass half full half empty question

I know a theologian who believes that the entire notion of sin, the entire sense of our relation ship with God revolves around this question.

Let me explain

Imagine the world prior to the fall.  Prior to the apple.

Adam & eve, men & women, simply loved life and enjoyed being with God.

They were alive in their natural state.

Trusting,  praising, enjoying, seeing the good.

Living the life for which we were created.

We were not created to be dominated  by fear and worry. God wants more than that for us…

The first humans had a clean heart with God.  All was well.

Then sin entered.

Its about me.  I want what I want.  Its not going my way.  Were kicked out of the garden.  We want to go back.  We cant.  Life becomes a series of difficulties.  Genesis 3:19

By the sweat of your brow  you will eat your food
until you return to the ground    since from it you were taken;
for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Threatened by every moment of pain, we build cocoons of self worth around a heart that is out of kilter

We can continue to live this way.

Its about me.  Spend your entire life fighting to get it your way.

We can even employ god on this self centered journey

God I want this.  God I want that.

God I am mad at you because you wont give me this or that thing

This is where the Pharisees lived.   Team one

A system that looked good on the outside but inside their hearts were dark

Jesus told them they were whited seplechurs clean on the outside, nasty on the inside

They were threatened by Jesus

We react from our insecurities

We live out of fear, not out of love.

They were not open to any message other than their own

They resisted change.  They felt insulted by Jesus

Even if it came from God, they were not listening

They knew how the world worked and nothing was going to change that

No wonder they were annoyed when the disciples praised a shaggy rabbi from Nazareth that drank wine and ran with sinners.

They were self centered, fearful, insecure and angry.

They wanted him dead.

Then there is the life of the disciple.

Team two

They have tried their own way, and it did not work.

They are tired of exalting themselves

Something inside of them tells them that there is another way.

There is a better way.

The gospel is like this…..it comes to us and hits us in a good spot.

We know its real

They hear the message of Jesus.  God loves you.  You are forgiven.  The kingdom is here.

Get on board.  Become a person of love

They see it.  They want it.  They go for it.

They receive jesus.  They become his follower.

They find the life for which they were created.

No wonder they line the road when he comes into Jerusalem

On palm Sunday there are two teams.

In our world today there are the praisers, and the groussers

Which of these two teams do you want to be on?

Some Christians choose to believe in jesus, but then spend the rest of their life filled with doubt and fear

Last week we talked about the suffering of Jesus. Difficult sermon

He did not go thru all of that so that we could live in fear.

He promises those who believe in him the abundant life.

That is a life that is based in joy, not despair.  Hope not fear. Trust not worry.

By the way, worry leaves when trust arrives.

What do people do that see the good.

Well first of all, they see the good.  They are awake to life.

They see the sky, not the clouds.

They don’t walk by flowers without taking notice

That translates to people.  They become those who look at people, even broken people and see the good

Consequently they become brokers of praise

In the midst of a world that some think is going to pot, they become those who are telling everyone that all is well.

Lynn shiffreen, everything will be alright in the end.  If everything is not all right, then its not the end.

People that see the good tell others that every thing is ok.

They are calm in the midst of a storm.  Or they lose it for ten minutes, then right their own ship and get back on message.

They may feel the negative messages in the world, but they refuse to be dominated by them

Their prayer lives are usually not about things that they want, but focus on turning their lives over to god

Not my will, thine be done.

People that see the good are leaders.  They get it, but that’s not enough for them.  They want to help others get it.  So they speak what they see into every chance that they get.  Their life isn’t just a fairytale existence, blindly seeing the good, they are also engaged in ending negativity.  They take the time to encourage everyone that they possibly can to join them in this outlook on life.

Such people may not be counselors, but they r instrumental in healing marriages

They may not be certified teachers, but they teach.

They may not be pastors, but they are speaking the words of God.

And into a world where so many are done with God and done with the church, the speak praise.

Its palm Sunday.  Which team do you want to be on?

My friend Sherri Swanson is facing a difficult issue in her life.  She is in Princeton today talking about it.  And talking about how one must choose to see the good, even in difficult times.  She shared this poem sent by a friend

In Happy Moments-Praise God     In Difficult Moments-Seek God

In Quiet Moments-Worship God   In Painful Moments-Trust God

In Every Moment-Thank God

 

There are two teams in this life.  Lets choose to be among the praisers.

Lets pray