COME & SEE

John 3: From Religion to Rebirth

January 11, 2025

---

 

John 3:1-10 (NIV) Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

 

• can’t produce .

 

Romans 3:20 (NIV) Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law…

• is not the same as .

 

1 Corinthians 8:1 (NIV) Knowledge puffs up while love builds up.

• can’t replace .

 

Matthew 23:27–28 (NIV) Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

• still requires .

 

James 2:19 (NIV) You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

• can’t replace .

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here

 

John 3:11-18 (NIV)Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

1. Stop trying to what God says must be .

 

Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV) I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you…

2. Move from to .

 

Galatians 3:3 (NIV) After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?

3. Shift from to .

 

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…

4. Receive lift as a , not a .

 

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

5. Step into .

 

John 3:19–21 (NIV) This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

 

Jesus didn’t come to make .
He came to make .