Encounter with a Religious Man

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Good morning Chapel family! Good to be with you all today. Last Sunday, after preaching at the 10:30 service, I was so excited about the message, and what God is doing at The Chapel, and as I walked off the platform, Pastor Ted was waiting for me, with a look of concern on his face. I knew something was wrong. He led me into a side room and told me the devastating news: Sal Dolfi had died. Sudden heart attack—just never woke up. And I was stunned. He was 44 years old. Left behind his wife Marlene and their 6-year-old son, Joey. He was such an amazing, loving person. And he was my friend. So it’s been quite a week. But I have to say, in the midst of all that pain, there is this hopefulness because of the message that this church is all about. We preach a resurrected Savior, and Sal knew that Savior personally; he led countless people to faith; so we grieve, but man, we grieve with hope. I also have to say to the Chapel family: thank you. The love that you’ve shown to this family over this past week has been beautiful—so please keep it up—they’re going to need it. Would you join me in praying for Sal’s family?

PRAY

Well, welcome to Common Ground 2021! For the next six weeks, the entire Chapel family will be on the same page, learning and growing together. And the theme for this year’s Common Ground is Encounters with Jesus.

How does positive change happen in our lives? And I don’t mean surface change—like you start going to the gym, or cutting down on Krispy Kremes. Those are good. But I’m talking about deep change. A few years ago, David Brooks wrote a column in the New York Times where he compared two kinds of virtues: “Résumé Virtues” and “Eulogy Virtues.” Résumé virtues are things that look good on your résumé—education, job experience, etc. Eulogy virtues are the things that people would say about you at your funeral. And in the column, he says that so much of our culture, and so much of our education, focuses on résumé virtues. So over time, there’s this gap between who you are, and the person you really want to be. I think it’s an important observation. So at Sal’s funeral on Friday, you know how much people talked about his education and all his sales awards? They didn’t. They talked about the way he loved his wife, and sacrificed for his friends, and coached his son’s soccer team, and made everyone around him feel special. The stuff that truly counts.

So in a culture that puts so much emphasis on surface things, how do we rise above that, and become the people that we really want to be? That’s what this series is all about.

When you read through the four Gospels, there’s an interesting pattern that emerges. Matthew, Mark, and Luke record a lot of times when Jesus spoke to large crowds. But in John, there’s much more focus on the conversations that Jesus had with individual people. Which reminds us that Jesus didn’t limit his ministry to the big, spotlight events. He never seemed to be too busy to sit down and talk with a regular person. I love that about Jesus. He engaged people in conversation; he quickly got beyond the surface and saw their deepest needs; and then he would invite them to follow him. And for so many people, that encounter with Jesus became the key to finally becoming the people they were meant to be.

So over the next six weeks, we’re going to look at six of those encounters, with six different kinds of people. See if any of these sound like people you know: An encounter with a religious man. An encounter with a lonely woman. An encounter with a hopeless man. And encounter with a moral failure. An encounter with a grieving family. And an encounter with a powerful man. So we’ll look at each of those encounters, and we’ll see how that moment became a pivot point in each of those lives.

I really believe you’re going to see yourself in some of these encounters, and you’re going to hear the voice of Jesus, speaking freshly to you. I hope and pray you’ll listen. I also think you’re going to see some people you know in some of these encounters, and because you love them, you’re going to do whatever you can to help that friend or that family member encounter Jesus for themselves. Because here’s the thing: this life is incredibly fragile. We literally have no guarantee of tomorrow. Which means this day counts. This moment is precious. So if we hear the voice of Jesus encountering us, let’s have the wisdom to lean in and listen.

So: today, we’re going to look at An Encounter with a Religious Man. Some people seem to have life all figured out, don’t they? They appear confident, and secure, and they just seem to have a spiritual peace about them. So today we’re going to meet a guy like that. And we’re going to see that sometimes the most religious people, who appear to have it all together, actually don’t. John chapter 3, beginning in verse 1. I invite you now to hear the Word of God…

1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 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.”

3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

4 “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!”

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 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.”

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 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. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. This is the Word of the Lord.

Nicodemus was one of those guys who people looked up to. Not only was he a religious expert—a Pharisee—he was also on the Jewish ruling council, which meant he had a position of authority in the

community. So most people would look at Nicodemus and say, “There’s a guy who’s got his spiritual act together. If you have questions about life, go talk to Nick.”

And for most of his life, Nicodemus probably thought that he did have the answers. But in recent days, something was bothering him. He had heard the teaching of this traveling rabbi named Jesus, and there was something about his teaching that made Nicodemus feel like he was missing something. So he decided to go and try to meet Jesus in person. So under the cover of night, he approaches Jesus. And he begins very respectfully: “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.” He’s probably leading up to some kind of a question, but Jesus doesn’t even let him get there. In his classic style, Jesus cuts through the small talk, and goes right to the heart of the issue. Verse 3: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Somehow Jesus knew that, despite all his religion, Nicodemus was outside of the kingdom of God.

What does that mean? Well, when Jesus went public with his ministry, his first recorded words are, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." So from the very start, the message of Jesus was all about the kingdom of heaven, or the “kingdom of God”—those two terms mean the same thing. So Jesus was inviting people to a life where you’re connected to this higher reality, called “the kingdom of God.” He says, “It’s at hand—it’s within reach.” It’s kind of like Wi-Fi: you realize that there’s a WiFi signal running through this room right now, right? You can’t see it, but it’s here—it’s all around us. So the kingdom of WiFi is at hand. The Kingdom of God is kind of like that: it means being connected to a realm that’s invisible, but it’s very real. And it brings us power to become the people we were meant to be. And most importantly, being in this kingdom means we personally know the King who rules this kingdom, whose name is Jesus. That’s the message that Jesus preached.

So Nicodemus the Pharisee knew a lot of facts about God, but he had never entered the kingdom of God. And Jesus knew it. So for the rest of this conversation, Jesus basically invites Nicodemus to enter the kingdom.

So with that long introduction out of the way, let’s talk about three things: The Requirement of the Kingdom, The Door to the Kingdom, and The Heart of the King. The requirement of the kingdom, the door to the kingdom, and the heart of the king.

So, first: The Requirement of the Kingdom. Jesus says you won’t see the kingdom of God unless you are…what does he say? “born again.” That’s become such a religious cliché, hasn’t it? What did Jesus mean by that?

I’ve had the amazing experience of standing in a delivery room four times. And every time I’ve seen a baby enter into this world, it is utterly breathtaking. I mean, literally—it takes my breath away for a moment, and I get a little dizzy. Not because I’m grossed out—I’m fine with blood and that kind of stuff! But simply because I am so taken by the awesomeness of what’s happening! There’s a human coming out of my wife. And this little person is crossing this huge threshold, and for the first time he’s seeing things! And his lungs take their first breath of air! And I realize it’s the same person who’s been developing in there for nine months, but everything in his life is radically changed! What an incredible thing. (Maybe I can convince my wife to have one more baby!) Don’t tell her I said that. Seriously.

So here’s what Jesus is saying: “Nicodemus, in order to enter my kingdom, that’s the kind of change you need to go through. Just like a baby crosses over from the womb into the world, and everything is different, you need to cross a threshold that you have not crossed yet.”

And Nicodemus is confused. Verse 4: “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!” I think Nicodemus is tracking with Jesus better than we might think. This is a smart guy, and he understands symbolic language! Here’s what I think he’s saying: “Jesus, I’m a grown man! Not only that, I’m an educated man and a religious man. I made up my mind a long time ago what I believe about God and life. I’ve built my whole identity on those beliefs. And now you’re telling me I need to start from scratch? You might as well tell me I need to crawl back inside my mother’s womb and get born all over again! How could I ever make that kind of radical re-start?!”

You know what I’ve noticed? That’s the question a lot of people ask when they’re confronted with Christ. Especially older people—mature people—people who are set in their ways and established in their lifestyle. “How could I ever shift gears at this point in my life and start all over again spiritually? How can someone be born when they’re old?”

Verse 5: 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. What does that mean? Well, two chapters earlier, in John 1, people were flocking to John the Baptist, to be baptized by him. Why? Because they were repenting. John told them that someone greater than him was coming. And John’s role was to get people ready to meet Jesus. So getting baptized by John the Baptist meant you were repenting, which means “to turn around.” You’re turning from your sin, and you’re turning toward God. So Jesus says, “You can’t enter the kingdom of God unless you’re born of water”—unless you repent—turn from your sin, and turn toward God.

But also, you have to be born of the Spirit. What does that mean? It means you can’t pull this off by yourself. Something supernatural has to happen. In fact, look what he says next—verse 6: Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You can almost hear Jesus saying, “Nicodemus, everything you’ve been trying so far is flesh. You’ve been studying religion, and trying to be good, but that’s all human effort! The fact that you were born a Jew is a ‘flesh’ thing. It’s all in the natural world—it’s all horizontal. And you need something vertical to come and change you.

Interesting thing about the word “Spirit” in the Greek language. It’s the word pneuma, and it’s the exact same word that means “wind.” Isn’t that fascinating? The same word can be translated either “spirit” or “wind.” So watch what Jesus does—verse 7: 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 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.” Here’s what he’s saying: If you want to enter into God’s kingdom, it’s not something you can achieve on your own. It’s not a matter of joining a particular church or learning new information or going through a ritual. There’s a supernatural thing that happens when God’s Spirit blows into your life and begins to stir your heart.

And it seems to me that the wind of the Holy Spirit was blowing in the heart of Nicodemus, and it was making him restless. That’s why he came to see Jesus in the first place! He needed to find out more. Maybe that’s where you are. You’re restless. Because you know there’s something missing. There’s something stirring in your heart, and you’re intrigued by Jesus, but you’re not sure how to put it all together. That’s exactly where Nicodemus was.

So the requirement of the kingdom is this radical, spiritual re-start that Jesus calls being “born again.”

Not surprisingly, Nicodemus is still confused. So in verse 9, he says, “How can this be?” Exactly how does this happen, that someone experiences this re-birth? And that leads to point number 2: The

Door to the Kingdom. So to answer Nicodemus’s question, Jesus first brings up a story from the history of Israel. When the Israelites were in the wilderness, there was a terrible plague of poisonous snakes, and the way God rescued them was to have the leaders make a bronze snake and raise it up on a pole, and whoever looked up at this snake was healed from the effects of the snake bites. Really strange story, but it was making the point that the people were powerless to rescue themselves, so they had to trust in what God provided. As a Pharisee, Nicodemus would have known that story well.

What he didn’t know was that that event—like so many things in the Old Testament—was pointing to a greater event. So Jesus says, Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up. Every time the Bible talks about Jesus being “lifted up,” it always means one thing—you know what it is? His death on the cross. So just as God healed the Israelites’ snake bites by raising up that pole in the desert, God heals our ultimate snake bite—the curse of sin, and how it poisons our souls—by raising up Jesus on the cross. Which might seem very random, but here’s the point: on the cross, Jesus took all of the effects of sin, and all of God’s judgment for sin on himself. So the only way to enter the kingdom of God is to look up at the cross—at the sacrifice he made—and accept it by faith.

And I think that was hard for Nicodemus to stomach. Because he was a Pharisee. And Pharisees worked really hard at being good. And Jesus is basically saying, “It’s not about being good; it’s about believing in the only One who is.”

See, the message of religion is always, “Do, do, do!” And no matter how much you do, you should probably feel a little guilty you haven’t done enough. That was the message of the Pharisees! Do, do, do! Only genuine Christianity says, “Done.” There’s nothing you can do to earn it! Just look up at the cross and believe! That’s humbling. And that’s why it’s so hard for religious people to enter the kingdom of God.

So the requirement of the kingdom is being born again—this radical new start that’s only possible through the Holy Spirit, and the door to the kingdom is believing in the cross of Christ. And that’s where the encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus ends. But John, the Gospel writer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, adds a little explanation. And that brings us to our last point…

The Heart of the King. Here’s how John sums up the encounter that just happened—look at verses 16 and 17: 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. If you’ve been around church for a while, you’ve probably heard John 3:16 more times than you can count! Right? Because it’s such a great summary of the offer of salvation. But as we close today, I just want to focus on one thing, and that’s why I’m showing it with verse 17.

These verses give us a beautiful glimpse into God’s heart. I don’t know what your impression of God has been. But Jesus says that God’s primary attitude toward the world—toward people—toward you—is love. That’s what drives Him. That’s what motivates Him. That doesn’t mean he’s a big softy! He’s the creator of the universe; he’s the holy judge that we will answer to someday. But the center of his heart is Love. And I think most of the time, we don’t feel that reality nearly enough.

Donald Miller wrote a book called Searching for God Knows What. And he talks about a friend of his who was kind, and brilliant, and gifted, and addicted to alcohol. And because of his alcoholism, his marriage was falling apart. They had taken his kids away from him. And they were afraid he was suicidal. So Miller—the author of this book—flew out to visit his friend, and the two of them sat out on the back deck, and talked for hours. And Miller wrote, “I didn’t think he was gonna make it. I

worried about him as I boarded my flight back to Portland, and my friend checked himself into a rehab facility.”

Two months later he flew out to see his friend again. And his friend picked him up at the airport, and he seemed different. He’d gone several weeks without a drink; he just seemed stable and strong. And he said there was one single incident that was giving him the strength to continue. His father had flown into town to go to a recovery meeting with him. And in the meeting, the guy had to confess all his issues and his weaknesses. When he finished, he said his father stood up and addressed this group of addicts. And he said, “I have never loved my son as much as I do at this moment. I love him. I want all of you to know I love him.”

And this alcoholic man said that at that moment, for the first time in his life, he was able to believe that God loved him too. And maybe he could make it after all.

Listen: God loves you! Do you get that?

I can remember talking to a friend here at the Chapel. When he was in his early 30s, his wife abandoned him, and his world just fell apart. And I remember asking him, “How did you make it through that time?” And he said there was an older man at the Chapel, and every time he talked to this guy, the first thing this guy always said is, “Bill, do you realize how much God loves you?” And at first, my friend would just say, “Yeah, I know God loves me. Everybody knows that.” And this older man would say, “No. God loves you!”

And my friend said, “After a while, it sunk in. And those words became like oxygen to me. God’s love became so real. And I realized I needed that more than anything else in the world.”

God loves you! Do you feel the force of that? His driving motive is not to judge! It’s not to condemn! It’s to love. That’s why he became a man and hung on the cross. That’s why he offers you this supernatural re-birth. That’s why He wants you to be part of His kingdom—on this earth, and on into eternity. It’s because he loves you!

So that night, Nicodemus the Pharisee encountered the love of Jesus. And the wind of the Spirit was stirring his heart, but the passage never says how he responded. It leaves us guessing. But I’ll tell you something interesting: toward the end of John’s Gospel—chapter 19—Jesus has been crucified, and a man named Joseph of Arimathea asks permission of Pontius Pilate to take the body off the cross and get it ready for burial. And Joseph is accompanied by one other man. You know who it is? Nicodemus. The same Nicodemus! Somewhere between that night conversation with Jesus and the death of Jesus, it looks to me like Nicodemus opened up his heart and believed, and he entered the Kingdom of God.

How about you? I wonder if the wind of God’s spirit is stirring in your heart today? If so, maybe it’s time to look up at the cross and believe.