Elements City Church
Believe - wk8 (John 3:1-21) *ONLINE ONLY*
We are taking an extended dive into the gospel of John. In this gospel we witness the hands-on Jesus in all his splendor and radiance. John writes as one who is very close to Jesus and he goes to great length to record a full picture of the person and powerful work of Jesus: a human Christ to redeem us, a divine Christ to reveal God’s nature, and a powerful, Spirit-filled Christ to help us live godly lives. We want to lean into this incredible portrait of Christ painted in the gospel of John! We want to grow to know Jesus better, grow in the life He gives and grow in the life-mission He invites us into. John writes so that we would BELIEVE. *(see John 20:30-31)
Locations & Times
Elements City Church
1825 N Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85712, USA
Saturday 5:00 PM
Thanks for joining us...
As we continue to navigate this Covid-19 situation - we're doing all we can to keep your family safe AND continue to connect as God's church. We need one another. Practice social distancing, but avoid social isolating. So join us online Sunday's at 5pm. Also sign up to be of help to folks that need it -- or let us know if you need some help by visiting our website...
http://elementscitychurch.orgNow remember: this series in gospel of John gives an amazing look at Jesus!
RECAP:
John gives a profound portrait of Jesus as the divine Son who came to earth to reveal God the Father and to bring eternal life to all who believe in him. *(also see John 20:30-31)
RECAP:
John gives a profound portrait of Jesus as the divine Son who came to earth to reveal God the Father and to bring eternal life to all who believe in him. *(also see John 20:30-31)
Nicodemus was a good man. He was deeply religious; he kept the commandments; he was well-educated and a leader in his community.
But he sees something in Jesus that is missing from his own life. He knows that Jesus has come from God, because of the things that Jesus has been doing.
The signs Nicodemus speaks of are the miracles Jesus had performed. And I submit it was not just the power behind those miracles that caught Nicodemus’ attention. It was the compassion, the kindness, and the beauty of those actions, as well.
But he sees something in Jesus that is missing from his own life. He knows that Jesus has come from God, because of the things that Jesus has been doing.
The signs Nicodemus speaks of are the miracles Jesus had performed. And I submit it was not just the power behind those miracles that caught Nicodemus’ attention. It was the compassion, the kindness, and the beauty of those actions, as well.
The WAY Jesus lives, the way he interacts, what he has to say and the WAY he says it has created a spiritual curiosity in Nicodemus.
Q) for us: Are we living in such a way that causing others to want to lean in for a closer look, a deeper understanding of why you are the way you are? What makes you tick?…what this Jesus stuff you model is all about?
Friends: Our actions speak louder than words.
Our posts, tweets, our non-verbal’s, our reactions they speak LOUDLY
– are they creating curiosity in others around you where they want to lean in? Or are they turning off those around you – where they want to steer clear?
Q) for us: Are we living in such a way that causing others to want to lean in for a closer look, a deeper understanding of why you are the way you are? What makes you tick?…what this Jesus stuff you model is all about?
Friends: Our actions speak louder than words.
Our posts, tweets, our non-verbal’s, our reactions they speak LOUDLY
– are they creating curiosity in others around you where they want to lean in? Or are they turning off those around you – where they want to steer clear?
We are to let our lives speak yes, but eventually, as people lean in, we must actually use our words to speak about the gospel, the hope of God and bring clarity about Jesus.
1 Peter 3:15
"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."
1 Peter 3:15
"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."
John 3:13-15
13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
All who looked at the bronze snake Moses raised up were saved. Here Jesus says the same will be true about the Son of Man. (see Numbers 21).
John 3:16 announces the good news of the Bible in 26 words.
You can “tweet” the entire verse word-for-word without abbreviations.
John 3:16
“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.”
You can “tweet” the entire verse word-for-word without abbreviations.
John 3:16
“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.”
The most important demonstration of God’s love for sinners is Jesus. Giving Jesus to the world was an act of radical, relentless and ridiculous love!
God did the unthinkable. This gift of Jesus is the greatest evidence of his love for me. It is the greatest evidence of his love for you.
God did the unthinkable. This gift of Jesus is the greatest evidence of his love for me. It is the greatest evidence of his love for you.
“At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”
-Romans 5:6–8
That’s what God did for you.
-Romans 5:6–8
That’s what God did for you.
You can sum up John 3:16 like this:
God loved, so God gave
If you believe, you can receive (experience life with God)
God loved, so God gave
If you believe, you can receive (experience life with God)
John 3:17-19
17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.
17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.
At some point this conversation came to an end, and Jesus let Nicodemus walk away. But that wasn’t the end of the story.
Nicodemus showed up again in the middle of John’s gospel, arguing with the Pharisees to give Jesus a fair hearing. And he showed up again at the end of the gospel, (John 19:39) taking Jesus’ body down from the cross and preparing it for burial.
It took a while for the things Jesus said and did to sink in, but eventually, it seems, Nicodemus believed the Good News, put his faith in Jesus and was born again. Q) HAVE YOU?
Romans 10:9 ‘if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Nicodemus showed up again in the middle of John’s gospel, arguing with the Pharisees to give Jesus a fair hearing. And he showed up again at the end of the gospel, (John 19:39) taking Jesus’ body down from the cross and preparing it for burial.
It took a while for the things Jesus said and did to sink in, but eventually, it seems, Nicodemus believed the Good News, put his faith in Jesus and was born again. Q) HAVE YOU?
Romans 10:9 ‘if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Thanks for partnering with us...
Elements family: thank you for being a part of enabling us to BE the Church in our city especially in this moment. Your gifts help fuel the mission and capacity to share His love with all we can. You can give here, online or via our app.
http://elem.cc/giveAgain - if you need help or wanna help - visit www.elementscitychurch.org and let us know. We love you - you can also let us know of specific prayer requests via our app (prayer request tab). You can also listen to playlist of songs we sing via the playlist in the app. We're here FOR YOU and God is too! We'll see you back online NEXT SUNDAY AT 5PM!