05 Feb You Belong Here | Part 4 “What Nicodemus Knows” | All Locations

Announcements:

IMPORTANT***** Please add

Go to your email, add no-reply@churchcenter.com to your contacts (PLEASE ASK ME IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND) THANKS!

no-reply@churchcenter.com to your email contacts so that you do not miss an email from Planning Center and have your members add it as well.  This will ensure you do not miss a member request or any emails that come from the Planning Center site.

ALL LOCATIONS

LIFE GROUP LEADER MEETING: MARCH 21 from 6-8:30.  Please register yourself, your apprentice and your children.  Food and child care provided.  NE AND APOLLO BEACH WILL ZOOM IN TOGETHER.

LIFE GROUP LEADER MEETING REG FOR NEW ENGLAND

LIEFE GROUP LEADER MEETING REG FOR APOLLO BEACH

All announcements and the Waters Event Calendar can be found at:  waterschurch.org/events

Alpha: New ministry – conversation style Small Group called Alpha that Mehdi and April will be leading.It is for seekers, those on the fence about faith, or disenfranchised from faith.It is to reach lost people. Join the conversation today @ waterschurch.org/alpha

All announcements and the Waters Event Calendar can be found at:  waterschurch.org/events

Alpha: New ministry – conversation style Small Group called Alpha that Mehdi and April will be leading.It is for seekers, those on the fence about faith, or disenfranchised from faith.It is to reach lost people.  Join the conversation today @ waterschurch.org/alpha

Location Text Alerts:

*********************

Key Verse: John 3

You Belong Here – Part 4

What Nicodemus Now Knows

John 3:1 (ESV) 

John 2:23–25 (ESV)

Jesus loves conversations. He is God the Son and He loves to talk with you. Most of John’s gospel is one on one conversations with people. He is a communicative God. When God speaks He challenges us to the core of who we are.

IceBreaker Question: Do you like the bad news to be told to you quickly or slowly over time? (in reference to Pastor Tim’s joke)

 Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a ruler and the teacher of Israel., but when standing before God he was just a man. He thought he was religious and right with God, but he quickly realized the “bad news” that challenged him to the core, that you could be religious and still not be right with God.

 What Nicodemus KNEW:

1. You can be RELIGIOUS and not RIGHT with God.

John 3:2 – 6 (ESV)

John 1:12–13 (ESV)

 Q: Have you intentionally pursued your relationship with God through prayer and scripture?

Q: What core issues has God challenged you about yourself while in conversations with Him during prayer? 

What did you have to do or bring to your first birth? Nothing. What do you have to bring to your 2nd birth? Nothing! What you bring to God to get saved is your sin, and He brings His grace.

Q: Before you were saved, what religious things did you put faith in that made you believe you were right with God?

 What Nicodemus NEEDED to know:

2. SALVATION is something that happens TO YOU not FROM YOU.

We don’t get saved. God saves us! You are not the subject of your salvation story.  You are saved by and for God; for His glory and praise.

John 3:7-8 (ESV)

RELIGION is MAN-centered. SALVATION is GOD-centered. 

Religion leads to anxiety, salvation leads to peace. Religion produces arrogance, salvation produces gratitude.

Q: How has accepting the gift of salvation relieved any preconceived notions about God? Has it released any anxiety and given you peace?

 What Nicodemus SHOULD have KNOWN:

3. Only GOD can make LIFE come from DEATH, LIGHT come from DARKNESS, and ORDER comes from CHAOS.

John 3:9 -10 (ESV) Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”

Ezekiel 36:25–27 (ESV)

Exodus 14:21 (ESV)

Genesis 8:1 (ESV)

Genesis 1:1–2 (ESV)

Genesis 1:9 (ESV) 

1 Peter 1:23 (ESV)

In these scriptures, God’s word shows us pictures/illustrations of how God saves us. Water is a symbol of becoming a brand new person, and how God makes us right with Him. God speaks, and waters separate and the Spirit comes in.

What happened to Nicodemus?

John 7:45–48 (ESV)

John 7:50-51 (ESV)

John 19:38 (ESV)

John 19:39 (ESV)

Nicodemus came to Christ and confessed Him as savior publicly.  He was baptized by John and Peter.  Lost his status, kicked out of the city, and beaten to death.

What Nicodemus Now Knows:

He’s in HEAVEN NOT because of HIS RELIGION, but because he RECEIVED and BELIEVED the SAVIOR.

 Challenge: Live your life with a mission this week to tell others about how religion doesn’t make us right with God but receiving and believing in Jesus does. Challenge yourself to share the gospel of Jesus this week.