Bible Reading:
Joh 3:1-3
(1) There was a man of the Pharisees, named
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
(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.
(3) 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.
Introduction:
An old story tells of a
tourist who paused
for a rest in a small
town in the mountains.
He went over to an old
man sitting on a
bench in front of the
general store and
asked, "Friend, can
you tell me something
this town is noted
for?"
"Well," the
old timer answered. "I don't
rightly know 'cept that
it's the starting
point to the
world."
"Excuse me?"
said the newcomer.
"Yep," the old
man continued. "You can
start here and go
anywhere you want!"
That is what a new year
is like. We can start here and go anywhere we want this year. We
can make up our mind and improve our lives. We can throw out the old
useless things (be careful husband) and we can determine to grow and change.
Lots of people make fun
of and ridicule New Year’s resolutions, but New Year's Resolutions are
goals. Goals are something you need to go to the grocery story, to
graduate high school, to buy a home, or to retire.
So where do you want to
go in 2015?
What do you want to
accomplish?
I hope you have set some
personal goals and I hope you have thought about some financial goals and I
hope that you have thought about some family goals but my main focus this
morning is where do you want to go with God?
Will December 2015 find
you closer to Jesus or farther away?
If Jesus comes this
year, will you be eagerly awaiting His return or bitterly regretting the fact
that you didn't get ready?
***There is a brother that
wore a t-shirt the other day. It had a picture of a man getting ready to
lie down on the couch. The caption said "I have so many things that
I need to get done today that I think I will just lie down and take a
nap."
Well we have all felt
that at times.
We make plans and goals
and lists of things that need to get done and if we are not careful we become
overwhelmed with the tasks that loom over us like a giant mountain of boulders
about to topple upon us.
If we get overwhelmed at
work and don’t do the task, we may miss the promotion or get fired.
If we don't do the
things we need to do at school you may flunk the test or fail the grade.
If we don't do the
things that we need at our homes we may be embarrassed if an unexpected guest
visits.
But if we don't get
ready to meet God, we may lose our eternity!
This is not something
that we can afford to do.
We must get ready...but
where do we begin.
Where do we Start?
The bible gives us a
great starting point "In the beginning God....!!!!"
There is a God in
heaven!
There is a creator who
cares about us.
The Maker knows best!
We have been created
with a God consciousness.
A certain something that
tells us in our heart that there is a God.
This is part of what
draws us to God, His (prevenient grace) pulling us, attracting us, making us
aware we need Him.
Our part is to respond,
to come to Him.
He makes us thirsty, we
must drink.
He makes us hungry, we
must eat.
He opens our eyes and
makes us aware that there is something more than this natural realm, there is a
spiritual realm, there is a God who created us, and our part is to seek
that God, to pursue Him.
This is the story of
Nicodemus.
Although we have only a
handful of verses about this man, we can discover much from his position.
He was a leader, a
Pharisee, he obviously had a desire for God.
He had given a great
part of his life to studying the scriptures and endeavoring to live them.
When He came in contact
with Jesus it was from afar.
He was one of those that
saw the miracles.
That wondered in his
heart, how can He do those things? and who is this man?
Something began to pull
him to Jesus.
What about you?
We also have been
created with a desire to know God.
We sometimes have
relegated this longing for God to a search for beauty.
A looking for meaning.
We may call it: trying
to find yourself.
The truth is God is
trying to get you to look to Him!
We see a child being
born, we experience the transcendent beauty of nature and we say,
there is something more. There is a God in heaven, a creator!
Too often we stop there.
We subdue that inner
longing for more, with fleshly pleasures that satisfy for a moment, but leave
us just as empty later. Some never learn.
All their lives they
fill their emptiness by emptying bottles.
They answer their
spiritual loneliness by trying to never be alone
Tthey answer their
soul's hunger for God by feeding their fleshly lusts.
You know there is a God!
You know He is calling
you!
You know you need to
change!
Start!
Nicodemus did.
It wasn't in the broad
daylight,
It wasn't with great
theological wisdom
But He started.
Nicodemus said it this
way…"We know that thou art a teacher come from God for no man can do these
miracles except that God be with him. Nicodemus recognized that God was
with Jesus, what he didn't yet know was that Jesus WAS God!
Nicodemus Started!
He knew Jesus had
something that He didn't have.
He overcame the pressure
of his peers
He recognized that
religion could be rewarding, but it wasn't freeing!
He knew that a knowledge
of God was wonderful but not the same as knowing God.
Jesus told him.
You have got to start
over.
You must be born again!
This sounded good to him,
but how do I do this?
Nicodemus had invested his
entire life into religion. He had memorized the scriptures, attended the
synagogue, obeyed the law and now Jesus was telling him you have to start
over. What you have done, and what you
are doing, isn’t going to get you to where you want to go.
(Joh 3:3)
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.
Nicodemus, it is not
just a change of actions that you need, you need a change of heart!
It is the same with us!
Paul showed us how to
become new when he said:
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.
The answer then, is to
start over, in Jesus. Surrender your life to Him.
Ron Hutchfield shares a
story of a lady that had visited Europe and as she sat next to him on the
airplane, she excitedly began sharing what she had seen. She talked about the beauty of the cathedrals
there and one thing she had learned, was that underneath the cross atop these
cathedrals, the architects and builders had built in a gold ball. In that ball
was a copy of the plans for the cathedral - safely hidden away in case
something ever happened to that magnificent structure ... so folks would know
how to rebuild it.
Of course, it isn't just
buildings that need rebuilding, it's people, too! You may have been hit by some
pretty damaging blows recently - maybe you've been virtually
"totaled" by what's happened. But where do you start to rebuild?
It is at the feet of
Jesus! That's where the rebuilding of a life begins. In fact, let me suggest
that you look for answers where they kept the rebuilding plans for those old
cathedrals - beneath the cross.
Conclusion:
"Start Over"
When you've made your plans and they've gone awry
When you've tried your best and there's no more try
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why, start over.
When you've told your friends what you plan to do
When you've trusted them and they didn't come through
And now you're all alone and it's up to you, start over.
When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone
When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong
And now your grandchildren have come along, start over.
When you've prayed to God so you'll know His will
When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still
When you want to stop cause you've had your fill, start over.
When you think you're finished and want to quit
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit
When you've tried and tried to get out of it, start over.
When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you're feeling blue
God gives a January just for you, start over.
When you've made your plans and they've gone awry
When you've tried your best and there's no more try
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why, start over.
When you've told your friends what you plan to do
When you've trusted them and they didn't come through
And now you're all alone and it's up to you, start over.
When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone
When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong
And now your grandchildren have come along, start over.
When you've prayed to God so you'll know His will
When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still
When you want to stop cause you've had your fill, start over.
When you think you're finished and want to quit
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit
When you've tried and tried to get out of it, start over.
When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you're feeling blue
God gives a January just for you, start over.
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