Spiritual Birth
Audio Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: John 1-12: Come, See, Live!
John 3:1-21 (ESV)
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “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.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
Sermon Outline
In love God does a spiritual work in us that enables us to see and live.
1. Culpability
v19-20 “this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness… lest his works be exposed”
v18 “whoever does not believe is condemned already”
v3 “he cannot see…” [v5 “he cannot enter”]
2. Inability
v12-13 “if I have told you earthly things…how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”
v3 “unless one is born again”, v6 “that which is born of Spirit is spirit”
v8 “the wind… So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit”
3. Possibility
v17 “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him”
v14 “as Moses lifted up the serpent… so must… whoever believes… may have eternal life”
v16 “God so loved the world that he gave…”
v21 “whoever does what is true comes… clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God”
Prayer of Confession
Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, we have sinned against you and against our neighbors, in thought, word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may serve you in newness of life, to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
How does the imagery of darkness in John’s gospel convey a sense of what our troubled world is like? Reflect on ways we and our world are broken, and how darkness is a lens by which these realities can be understood.
If Jesus comes as “light”, why would we stay away from him (rather than being drawn)? What do we fear? What do we dislike? What offends us?
Why does Jesus say we must be born again, or born “from above”? What does that mean?
What has Jesus been sent to save us from?
How does looking to Jesus on the cross bring us salvation? What are we supposed to see, understand or believe?
How do you know if God’s Spirit is at work in you?
What are the advantages of walking in the light? How does truth and integrity make life better?