Jesus and Nicodemus: Why Pride Keeps Us From Being Born Again

Speaker A 00:00:12 - 00:00:36 Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, Go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Welcome to Go Teach All Nations, bringing you Christ's teachings through Australian and International speakers. And here is today's presenter, Henk Viljoen. Speaker B 00:00:36 - 00:01:51 Today's sermon is the first installment of a miniseries. Now it becomes really awkward to explain how I determined that this is a series, because it's a series on the Pharisees, but not on, on all the Pharisees. It's on the Pharisees that are mentioned by name, that they are a Pharisee in the Gospel. You understand, it's a long thing to explain. So this is part 1. We're gonna talk about Nicodemus the Pharisee today. So as we get ready to start, maybe let's just close our eyes for a moment of prayer. Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that we can gather. And Lord Jesus, may the message of Nicodemus speak to our hearts today. Lord Jesus, where encouragement is needed, may it be in full supply offered. And Lord Jesus, where caution needs to be shared, may it be shared in a loving manner, in a way that touches hearts, and Lord, that just reminds everyone of the need to turn their eyes upon you, Lord. So bless us now as we journey through the Gospels and we take a closer look at Nicodemus. We ask in your name. Speaker C 00:01:51 - 00:01:54 Amen. Amen. Speaker B 00:01:54 - 00:02:33 Now we will today become acquainted with Nicodemus, both by direct reference. Now there's only 5 verses in the New Testament that mention the name Nicodemus, so maybe a sermonette is apt after all. It's only 5 verses that we've got to get through. But then unfortunately, we've got to study Nicodemus by contrast as well. There's another personality we're going to introduce And we're going to compare Nicodemus with this other personality. So let's first start with what is the name, the meaning of the name Nicodemus? What does this name Nicodemus mean? Well, Nicodemus is a compound name. Speaker C 00:02:34 - 00:02:38 It's a Greek name, and it joins Nike. Speaker B 00:02:39 - 00:02:48 You're all familiar with Nike? Nike means victory. So it joins victory with demos, which is, you know, we know it through democracy. So it means the people. Speaker C 00:02:48 - 00:02:48 Amen. Speaker B 00:02:49 - 00:02:53 So here, this name implies victorious among the people. Speaker C 00:02:53 - 00:02:54 Nicodemus is really— Speaker B 00:02:54 - 00:02:58 his parents said, this young man is gonna be victorious amongst the people. Speaker C 00:02:59 - 00:03:26 Does that sound like a nice name? Now the question may be, was Nicodemus victorious among the people? To answer this, please open your Bibles in the Gospel of John, chapter 3, and we're gonna read the first mention of Nicodemus. John 3:1. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. So Nicodemus was— what was he? Speaker B 00:03:26 - 00:03:28 He was a Pharisee. Speaker C 00:03:28 - 00:03:37 He was a Pharisee, which means he was highly educated in religion. And second, he was? A ruler of the Jews. Speaker B 00:03:37 - 00:03:37 A ruler of the Jews. Speaker C 00:03:38 - 00:03:45 Thus, not only victorious in the religious sense, but also victorious in the political sense. So was Nicodemus victorious among the people? Speaker B 00:03:45 - 00:03:47 Yes. Speaker C 00:03:47 - 00:03:49 Yes, yes, thank you. There was one confident answer. Speaker B 00:03:50 - 00:04:01 I appreciate it. I'll need a little bit of encouragement as we work through this sermon. So the question is, was Nicodemus spiritually victorious? Now for this, we need to read verse 2. Speaker C 00:04:02 - 00:04:26 The same came to Jesus by night. So here we have Nicodemus, victorious among the people, a leader, a ruler. But so cautious. He approaches Jesus in such a timid manner that this becomes an identifying mark. Even in our Scripture reading it said, Nicodemus, he who came to Jesus by— Speaker B 00:04:26 - 00:04:27 By night. Speaker C 00:04:27 - 00:04:36 How does such a cautious, timid approach correlate with someone who is victorious among the people? Speaker B 00:04:38 - 00:04:40 There is something wrong with Nicodemus. Speaker C 00:04:40 - 00:04:54 Let's read verse 2. The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Speaker B 00:04:54 - 00:05:00 So now Nicodemus— remember Nicodemus, victorious among the people, a rabbi— Speaker C 00:05:01 - 00:05:32 sorry, a Pharisee— he now thinks that he is being very generous. You know, because he, Nicodemus the Pharisee, he bestows upon Jesus the title of Rabbi, teacher. And not only does he grant Jesus this title of Rabbi, but no, no, no, he also acknowledges the miracles that Jesus has been performing. So Jesus must feel very flattered that this important man Nicodemus is calling him Rabbi. Speaker B 00:05:32 - 00:05:33 Amen. Speaker C 00:05:34 - 00:06:55 But verse three tells us, 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." Jesus did not waste time feeling flattered nor insulted. Jesus was only concerned with Nicodemus' salvation. Now Nicodemus' careful and cautious approach betrayed where he was spiritually. Jesus was not here for flattery nor offense. Jesus came to save souls. And Ellen White in Counsels on Sabbath School Work clarifies that Christ was saying to Nicodemus in these words: It is not learning that you need so much as inward renovation. You need not to have your curiosity satisfied so much as to have A new heart. Nicodemus, he was socially and politically victorious amongst these people, but sadly he had not obtained the victory over self. And he sensed the presence and power of God through the miracles and the testimony of Jesus. But Nicodemus, listen now, Nicodemus was too concerned about what others would say and think of him. Speaker B 00:06:57 - 00:07:01 And here Nicodemus then seemingly asks a ridiculous question in verse 4. Speaker C 00:07:01 - 00:07:48 He says, 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? Now we do not know whether Nicodemus was practicing the rabbinic reasoning technique where an absurd interpretation of the teacher's words are returned back to him for the teacher to reject. And in this way, the true interpretation is more clearly established. But maybe if we grant Nicodemus that, we're being too generous. Maybe Nicodemus just did not want to understand. Regardless of what Nicodemus's problem was, Jesus knew. Speaker B 00:07:49 - 00:07:52 that Nicodemus needed a new birth. Speaker C 00:07:53 - 00:08:01 Yes, Nicodemus may have been socially and politically victorious among the people, but Nicodemus was spiritually a coward. Speaker B 00:08:02 - 00:08:07 He was fearful and afraid of what others would think. We read further. Speaker C 00:08:07 - 00:08:25 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I say unto thee, Ye must be born again. Speaker B 00:08:26 - 00:08:36 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Speaker C 00:08:36 - 00:08:45 So Jesus here is now clearly rejecting the absurd interpretation. It's got nothing to do with your mother and birth. Speaker B 00:08:45 - 00:08:48 It's got to do with being born of the Spirit. Speaker C 00:08:49 - 00:08:57 The mention of water is important. It implies baptism, which is the public celebration of the inner rebirth. Speaker B 00:08:57 - 00:09:10 And Nicodemus now sensed that he was spiritually inadequate. Nicodemus now sensed that he needed the Spirit. Speaker C 00:09:10 - 00:09:16 Nicodemus now sensed that he needed to publicly admit his need of a new birth. Speaker B 00:09:16 - 00:09:46 And Nicodemus couldn't get what he needed because Nicodemus couldn't afford to humble himself to publicly admit his need. And Nicodemus Like the coward he is, chose to not understand. We'll have to read a bit here, 9 to 15. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, how can these things be? Speaker C 00:09:47 - 00:09:59 Jesus answered and said, are you a master in Israel, and you know not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak what we do know, and testify what we have seen, and ye receive not our witness. Speaker B 00:09:59 - 00:10:05 If I have told you earthly things, And ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? Speaker C 00:10:06 - 00:10:14 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man, which is in heaven. Speaker B 00:10:14 - 00:10:29 And now verse 14 and 15. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Speaker C 00:10:30 - 00:10:51 Jesus unmasks the true state of Nicodemus. He is a Pharisee and a leader, but yet he does not comprehend basic spiritual truth. Self-sufficiency, brothers and sisters, self-sufficiency will always blind us from basic spiritual truth. Speaker B 00:10:54 - 00:10:55 Anyone out there paying attention? Speaker C 00:10:57 - 00:10:58 Amen. Speaker B 00:10:58 - 00:11:20 Is this a lot of hot air, or is this a sermon? Are you perhaps recognizing that at times you too struggle with a Nicodemus state? Maybe you too are socially and politically victorious, but lacking spiritual rebirth, lacking basic scriptural insight. Speaker C 00:11:21 - 00:11:24 Lacking the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Speaker B 00:11:27 - 00:11:31 So let's move on to John chapter 7. Speaker C 00:11:31 - 00:11:52 For here we read positive signs of progress occurring within Nicodemus. For here the Pharisees are trying to capture Jesus in an unjust manner, without justification. And in John chapter 7, verses 50 to 52, We see positive signs in Nicodemus. Nicodemus said unto them— Speaker B 00:11:52 - 00:11:56 and here again he's identified as the one who came to Jesus by night. Speaker C 00:11:56 - 00:12:02 But he says unto them, does our law judge any man before it hear him and know what he does? Speaker B 00:12:04 - 00:12:07 They answered and said unto him, art you also out of Galilee? Speaker C 00:12:08 - 00:12:14 Search and look, for out of Galilee arises no prophet. So what do we see here? Nicodemus now— Speaker B 00:12:15 - 00:12:35 Nicodemus now is at least willing to speak against injustice, but he is not yet ready to speak in support of Jesus. So we will continue with Nicodemus, but we'll park him there for now. Speaker C 00:12:35 - 00:12:39 You're now familiar with Nicodemus, you know his challenges. Speaker B 00:12:40 - 00:12:58 But now we want to introduce someone else, because we're going to contrast this other Bible character with our friend Nicodemus. So please page your Bibles, open it at Luke chapter 8. We're going to read in Luke chapter 8, verse 2. Speaker C 00:12:58 - 00:13:07 We're going to read of a number of women healed by Jesus, but specifically we're going to read about Mary Magdalene, out of whom were cast Seven devils. Speaker B 00:13:09 - 00:13:24 Mary Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils. When you hear that about a woman, do you think she must be victorious among her people? No. No, Mary was not victorious among her people. Speaker C 00:13:24 - 00:13:37 Mary was a defeated and a desperate soul. Her sinful deeds had broken her down spiritually to the point of an extreme, a complete state of possession by. 7 devils. Speaker B 00:13:40 - 00:13:46 Mary was completely possessed. Mary was definitely not victorious. Speaker C 00:13:47 - 00:14:25 Now, why am I dragging Mary into this discussion with Nicodemus? We will see how they are joined together by profound symbolism. Today's message is a spiritual lesson communicated through this profound symbolism. But first, we need Luke to tell us more about Mary. And So Luke continues her story in chapter 10. Page over to chapter 10, verses 38 to 42. Now it came to pass, as they went, that Jesus entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary. Speaker B 00:14:29 - 00:14:35 And where was Mary? She sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. Speaker C 00:14:35 - 00:14:47 Martha was cumbered about with much serving, and she came to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she come help me. Speaker B 00:14:48 - 00:15:19 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful. And Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. So here we notice something about Mary. Mary, when it comes to Jesus, Mary does not care what other people think. Are you seeing this? Speaker C 00:15:19 - 00:15:24 Mary has found Jesus, and she will sit at His feet. Speaker B 00:15:25 - 00:15:33 She does not care. She does not care what society thinks is prudent for a woman, what society expects of a woman to be dutiful and serving. Speaker C 00:15:33 - 00:15:42 Mary was not going to allow any of these expectations and judgments to rob her of precious time with Jesus. Speaker B 00:15:42 - 00:15:57 Now we'll, we'll build up this contrast between Nicodemus and Mary some more. We go to John chapter 12. Who is with me in John chapter 12? We're going to read verses 3 to 7. Speaker C 00:15:57 - 00:16:23 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and she anointed the feet of Jesus, and she wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. And then said one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor? Speaker B 00:16:23 - 00:16:26 Then said Jesus, let her alone. Speaker C 00:16:28 - 00:16:48 Against the day of my burying hath she kept this. Brothers and sisters, Mary, Mary, Mary had been born again. Jesus saved Mary, and Mary did not care what people thought about her. Speaker B 00:16:48 - 00:16:58 She had found Jesus. Mary would sit at Jesus' feet because it was more important to spend time with him than anything else. Speaker C 00:16:58 - 00:17:10 Mary anointed Jesus with costly ointment, not caring that other people would consider it wasteful, because Jesus deserved her best. Speaker B 00:17:10 - 00:17:16 Mary wiped Jesus' feet with her hair. Speaker C 00:17:17 - 00:17:29 Mary totally humbled herself. She did not care what others would think. Mary gave her all. Mary surrendered it all. Mary was born again in Jesus Christ. Speaker B 00:17:30 - 00:17:55 These are just more, more amen. There should be more amen out there. Amen. So it was a struggle to get that amen. Because, you know, too often, too often, too many of us say, yes, yes, obviously, obviously this woman Mary didn't care. Speaker C 00:17:56 - 00:17:59 Obviously. Have you heard this woman's story? Speaker B 00:17:59 - 00:18:01 No. Speaker C 00:18:01 - 00:18:52 Scandalous! This woman persisted in terrible sin to the point of complete demon possession. Obviously she did not care. You know, it is so easy to humble yourself, to surrender your reputation when you threw it away already. Wash his feet with tears? Of course. She embarrassed herself completely. But do you Do you expect an upstanding, virtuous, victorious person like me— do you expect me to humble myself at the feet of Jesus? Speaker B 00:18:52 - 00:18:59 Do you want me to wash his feet with my tears? Speaker C 00:19:01 - 00:19:05 Shall I wipe his feet with my hair? Who do you think I am? Speaker B 00:19:08 - 00:20:16 Me? Be born again? How is that even possible? Now some of you may still remember good old Nicodemus, and you may start to see why I'm contrasting Nicodemus and Mary. But we now page to the final reference to Nicodemus, which is found in John chapter 19, verse 39 and 40. Yes, it's our scripture reading for today. Thank you, Annabelle. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes about a hundred-pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus and wound it in linen cloths. With the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Nicodemus came to bury Jesus. Again, there should have been a where's the amen? Speaker C 00:20:17 - 00:20:30 Nicodemus came. He came to bury Jesus. Something had changed, Nicodemus. Something had changed within. Nicodemus. Ellen White tells us in Acts of the Apostles— Speaker B 00:20:30 - 00:20:33 oh, it's a long read, just bear with me. Speaker C 00:20:33 - 00:21:08 At this time of peril, Nicodemus came forward in fearless avowal of his faith in the crucified Savior. As he had witnessed Christ's wonderful works, the conviction had fastened itself upon his mind that Jesus was the Sent of God. Too proud to openly acknowledge himself in sympathy with the Galilean teacher, he had sought a secret interview. In this interview, Jesus unfolded to him the plan of salvation and his mission to the world, yet Nicodemus hesitated. Speaker B 00:21:09 - 00:21:10 He hid the truth in his heart. Speaker C 00:21:10 - 00:21:26 And for 3 years, there was little apparent fruit. But while Nicodemus had not publicly acknowledged Christ, He had, in the Sanhedrin Council, repeatedly thwarted the schemes of the priests to destroy him. Speaker B 00:21:26 - 00:21:52 When at last, when at last Christ had been lifted up on the cross, Nicodemus remembered those words that Jesus had spoken to him in the night, in the interview on the Mount of Olives, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. And he saw in Jesus the world's Redeemer. Speaker C 00:21:54 - 00:22:02 And now, now when the Jews were trying to destroy the infant church, Nicodemus came forward in its defense. No longer— Speaker B 00:22:02 - 00:22:02 listen to this— Speaker C 00:22:03 - 00:22:12 no longer cautious and questioning, he encouraged the faith of the disciples. He used his wealth in helping to sustain the church at Jerusalem. Speaker B 00:22:12 - 00:22:13 Amen. Speaker C 00:22:13 - 00:22:15 and in advancing the work of the gospel. Speaker B 00:22:18 - 00:22:35 Those who in other days had paid him reverence now scorned and persecuted him. And Nicodemus became poor in the world's goods, yet he faltered not in the defense of his faith. Speaker C 00:22:35 - 00:22:37 Amen. Speaker B 00:22:38 - 00:22:44 Nicodemus Was a new man. Nicodemus was a reborn man. Speaker C 00:22:45 - 00:22:52 Nicodemus found his faith when he forgot himself. Finally, Nicodemus is truly victorious among the people! Speaker B 00:22:52 - 00:22:55 But he is a different kind of victorious. Speaker C 00:22:56 - 00:23:04 He is not socially and politically victorious. No, Nicodemus is spiritually victorious. Nicodemus is victorious over his own self. Speaker B 00:23:06 - 00:24:02 Now why do I insist that Nicodemus is tied to Mary? Nicodemus and Mary. For John chapter 12, verse 3 says that Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and she anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment. And verse 7, Jesus said, let her alone. Against the day of my burying hath she kept this. And we have to contrast Mary with Nicodemus in John chapter 19, verse 39, where it says that Nicodemus came, he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about 100 pounds, and they took the body of Jesus, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Mary, Mary anoints Jesus with a pound, of spikenard while Jesus is still alive. Speaker C 00:24:04 - 00:24:12 Nicodemus anoints Jesus with 100 pounds after Jesus had died. Speaker B 00:24:14 - 00:24:18 They anoint Jesus. Both of them anoint Jesus. Speaker C 00:24:18 - 00:24:57 That is such good news. They give the utmost they can. Both anointings are very expensive, but Nicodemus can give 100 times more because he has so much more wealth. And that also is a spiritual symbol. You see, if you have a bad reputation, if you have a bad history, if you have a terrible past, you seem to have less, less to sacrifice when surrendering all to Jesus. You know, people who have already lost the respect of society, they have no status, Such people find it easier to humbly come to Jesus Christ. Speaker B 00:24:57 - 00:25:34 But those like me, and maybe like many of you, who are so careful to preserve their reputation, who hide their pride, they may find that their personal opinion of their own selves is so high that they consider it too expensive to humble themselves before Jesus Christ. And brothers and sisters, there are many like Mary. There are many like Mary. Jesus loves, loves those like Mary, and Jesus will save them. Speaker C 00:25:35 - 00:25:48 And the likelihood is that when such people like Mary, when they convert, they fully surrender and humbly submit to Jesus. They prostrate themselves before him. They surrender all. Speaker B 00:25:48 - 00:26:12 But here's where I might get chased out today, but it is unfortunate that the Christian church— listen now, I'm talking to you— maybe more specifically this denomination. Are you with me? Speaker A 00:26:13 - 00:26:13 Amen. Speaker B 00:26:13 - 00:29:05 Most likely this very congregation— don't know if you're ready— has more like Nicodemus. Those who take themselves and their own reputations and opinion of others way too seriously. And for such foolishness, they might be eternally lost. Usually I, I throw in a personal testimony here. I've done it a few times. It always cuts me to the heart. But the Nicodemus condition, the Nicodemus condition. You know, when I was in high school, I was aside from my elder brother. I was the only Adventist. in that school. I was in boarding school. Now, my mom doesn't need to know everything, but, you know, I would not associate with the best of society in boarding school, in a technical school. So my friends would smoke, they'd drink, they'd even smoke marijuana. You know, that's the only only society I had around me at the time. Now, as an Adventist, I kept the Sabbath. I wasn't going around cussing like they did. I didn't go out drinking. It's pretty easy to feel like a Nicodemus in that environment, isn't it? And then, you know, praise the Lord that, you know, in some schools you're still allowed to have assembly. invite a speaker to come and share a Christian message. So even though this was a government school, that's what happened one day. For assembly, they invited a man who came there to share his life's testimony, and he had been a bit of a merry, to be honest. Now the problem with the merry testimonies is that tends to be 90% of the testimony. You know, he's telling us about the drugs and the girls and the booze, and then, did I tell you about the girls? And then, you know, he's kind of reminding us about the girls, and that's 90% of the time, and then I found Jesus and now I'm saved. All right? So I don't have that testimony. That's not why we're here today. But what happened that day is he had shared his testimony. He had shared that he had found Jesus, and he invited my fellow students to receive Jesus as well. And here we're in a government school. I know the kids. They're smoking, they're drinking, they're partying. Speaker C 00:29:08 - 00:29:20 But they get up. They get up. They walk to the front. Here they are, marijuana smokers, coming to the front. Speaker B 00:29:20 - 00:29:20 Amen. Speaker C 00:29:21 - 00:29:35 saying, I want to receive Jesus. Now that's not the bit that brings me to tears, people. I was sitting there knowing the Holy Spirit was speaking to me. Speaker B 00:29:36 - 00:30:24 I didn't get up. I didn't get up. Brothers and sisters, the Nicodemus condition. It was alive in me. I knew it back then in high school. Ellen White writes in The Desire of Ages, page 560. She says that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus offered not their gift of love to Jesus in his life. With bitter tears They brought their costly spices for his cold, unconscious form. The women who bore the spices to the tomb found their errand in vain, for he had risen. Speaker C 00:30:24 - 00:31:05 But Mary, pouring out her love upon the Savior while he was alive and conscious of her devotion— Mary was anointing Jesus for the burial. And as Jesus went down into the darkness of his great trial, He carried with Him the memory of that deed, an earnest sacrifice of the love that would be His from His redeemed ones forever. Now, the mention, the mention of Mary anointing Jesus before His death, and Nicodemus anointing Jesus after His death is significant. Why do I say it's significant? Speaker B 00:31:06 - 00:31:10 Because it reminds us of our own mortality, brothers and sisters. Speaker C 00:31:10 - 00:31:28 Nicodemus was procrastinating, procrastinating while the Holy Spirit was pleading with his heart. And for Nicodemus, there was time after Jesus' death, but had it been Nicodemus who died first, would there have been time? Speaker B 00:31:28 - 00:32:04 Brothers and sisters, don't procrastinate. Commit to Jesus while you still have time, and there's no better time than now. Why don't you commit to Jesus right now? Jesus said in Matthew 21:28-32, but what think ye? A certain man had 2 sons. He came to the first and he said, son, go work in my vineyard. And he answered and said, I will not. But afterward he repented and went. This is Mary. This is Mary. Speaker C 00:32:04 - 00:32:08 And he came to the second, and he said likewise. And he answered, and he said, I go, sir. Speaker B 00:32:09 - 00:32:15 And he went not. This was Nicodemus. This was Nicodemus. Speaker C 00:32:15 - 00:32:19 Whither of the twain did the will of his father? Speaker B 00:32:20 - 00:33:07 They said unto him, the first. And Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you? For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. Do we now see why the harlots, like Mary, go into the kingdom ahead of those like Nicodemus. Do we see it? They're good church members. They're good teachers. They're good deacons. Speaker C 00:33:08 - 00:33:13 They're good elders. I'm gonna say it, they're good pastors. Speaker B 00:33:13 - 00:34:02 Too proud. to humble self and be born again. Are there any of you out there who perhaps feel like Nicodemus? Victorious in every sense, in every sphere, yet procrastinating away salvation and eternity. Now, what is the solution? to the Nicodemus state. It's the same solution Jesus offered Nicodemus. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Speaker C 00:34:02 - 00:34:13 Meditate on that cross. Allow that cross to change you, because the sight Of Jesus on that cross is what changed Nicodemus. Speaker B 00:34:14 - 00:34:59 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Fall on your knees at Jesus' feet and anoint his feet with your tears of repentance, and so you shall have victory. How many want to stand today to commit? or recommit to a new birth in Jesus Christ? How many want to stand? It's happening today. It's happening. Nicodemus came to church today. Dear Lord Jesus, I just pray that today's message may land where it's needed. Speaker C 00:35:01 - 00:35:01 Amen. Speaker B 00:35:01 - 00:35:55 May fall on fertile soil, may encourage full repentance and a new birth through your Spirit. And if there is anyone out there who not— has not yet made the decision for baptism, that they will realize the path to that new birth is through the water and through the Spirit, and that they will make that decision for you, O Lord. Not for what others expect of them, not for what others will think of them, but only you, Lord Jesus. May we as your people surrender self, sacrifice self, die to self, to be born anew in you, O Lord. I pray in your name. Speaker C 00:36:03 - 00:36:06 Amen. Speaker A 00:36:06 - 00:36:22 This message was made available by the Dora Creek Seventh-day Adventist Church. For more resources like this, For more information on this, visit dorocreek.church. Speaker C 00:36:22 - 00:36:40 This program has been brought to you by 3ABN Australia Radio.