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TRANSFORMED LIVES. “You Must Be Born Again” John 3:1-7. TRANSFORMED LIVES. Superficial believers , all outward, empty inside. Secure only by the ‘signs’ he witnessed Seasoned life and lifelong believer in the Talmud. TRANSFORMED LIVES.
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TRANSFORMED LIVES “You Must Be Born Again” John 3:1-7
TRANSFORMED LIVES • Superficial believers, all outward, empty inside. • Secure only by the ‘signs’ he witnessed • Seasoned life and lifelong believer in the Talmud
TRANSFORMED LIVES • THE MAN: Nicodemus ("victor over the people") • Matthew 23:23 23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. • Matthew 6:1-5 1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. • Approach to Jesus • Acknowledgement of Jesus:
TRANSFORMED LIVES 2. THE METHOD: • “Born Again” – Born from above; Born a second time; Born from the Spirit; • See the Kingdom of God • Explanation – “born of water (physically) and the Spirit (spiritually) [vs.6] Explains (v.5) • Entrance into the Kingdom of God
TRANSFORMED LIVES 3. THE MARVEL: • “Signs” captured Nicodemas’ attention; Jesus’ words captured his heart. • “Truly, Truly” – only found in John’s Gospel; (Affirms veracity and significance of what follows) • “God is with Him” is the Marvel. • ‘The Kingdom of God’ – • God ruling over the affairs of people throughout the creation, (no more Rome; no more Rules) • God ruling over the human heart;
TRANSFORMED LIVES 4. THE MUST: • The Must is about RELEASE: Release what you are holding on to and striving for; • The Must is about RECEIVING: Receiving Jesus’ Kingdom into your heart by faith. (Trust)
Application • Philippians 3:8-9 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which isfrom the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; • My efforts: “Loss, none of my own righteousness,” • Christ’s Efforts: “Excellent knowledge; gain Christ, by faith”