2022 H2O Series: Living Water
Sermon 6: Mirage
John 3:1-16 - Victory Fellowship
February 20, 2022 – Rev. Roderick Grabski
H2O SERIES: Living Water. Invitation. Polluted. Source. Pure. Drowning. Mirage.
Sometimes our life (the way we live), our knowledge or education, and our independence can give us a certain sense of security. The danger of this is when we allow those things to take the place of faith in God. Our sense of security can be false – nothing more than a mirage. You see, what we don’t know really can harm us.
* Max Lucado – the plague in 1665 (from Come Thirsty)
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4. Mirage
The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3 ranges from logical to practical to theological, and what Jesus has to say to Nicodemus in this conversation is great for us to overhear as well. Jesus talks Nicodemus through some of the most difficult and most amazing things about the gospel, and in the process Jesus tells him, and us, how important it is to realize what Jesus is better than:
Jesus is better than: Life (John 3:1-8)
-Nicodemus is complimentary of Jesus, saying that God is obviously with Him. Then Jesus tells Nicodemus that the kingdom of God—what Jesus has been proclaiming—can only be seen if someone is born again.
-Nicodemus knows that this is impossible, but Jesus insists, claiming that there is a different kind of rebirth—being baptized and filled with the Spirit.
-Jesus is saying that following Him is worth starting completely over, being born again. He is better than life itself, and He is worth starting a brand new life.
Jesus is better than: Knowledge (John 3:9-15)
-Nicodemus doesn’t understand. Jesus knows that Nicodemus is a Pharisee—a smart, learned theologian—and He makes it clear that even though Nicodemus knows a lot, has the right initials behind his name, grew up studying the Law, it’s not good enough.
-No amount of learning, studying, or time in church can make up for what Jesus gives freely. No mentor, book, service project, or ability can make up for what Jesus gives freely.
-It doesn’t matter what your credentials are. If you aren’t willing to accept that Jesus is more important, better than, everything this world can provide, you, like Nicodemus, just don’t understand the gospel.
Jesus is better than: Independence (John 3:16)
-We tend to believe that the purpose of life is to be independent. It makes sense: we want kids to grow into adults, we want adults to be able to provide for themselves, we don’t want to need anything. We want to be independent.
-But Jesus says that He is better than that. John 3:16 says that Jesus can save us from sin and eternal punishment, but we must believe in Him. We have to depend on Him.
-We can’t do it by ourselves, we can’t learn enough, we can’t pad our resume, we can’t come up with a better plan. We have to depend on Jesus, and that is better than trying to figure it out on our own.
Do we have a mirage of False security - our life (the way we live), our knowledge or education, or our independence?
Jesus has a better way.
PRAYER
SONG: Red Letters
John 3:1-16 NLT
3:1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” 9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
