Live Like Jesus
Life: Be Articulate

Sunday March 3rd, 2019 - Pastor Wungreiso Valui

John 3:1-17

INTRODUCTION

The focus of the fifth sermon in the series Live Like Jesus is to invite others to a new life. Be articulate. Be an articulate ambassador and advocate for Christ. Share the Good News as though God was appealing and pleading through you. Pray and make supplication on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. At this stage your neighbor will want to know your story. Now it is your turn to tell your story. Articulate your story intelligently. Turn your story into God's story. Let them know how Jesus gave you a new life. Invite people to an abundant life. Let others marvel at the mysteries and supernatural and leave the outcome and result to God.

WHY

When you clearly and confidently articulate how Jesus gave you new life, your story is contagious and Jesus is compelling.

SETTING

In this sermon we will closely follow Jesus to study - in John 3:1-17 - how He interacted with the Nicodemus, a prominent Sanhedrin. I will layer the event in John 3 with an encounter I had with a Chinese-born American engineer. Jesus listened to Nicodemus and said that he needed a regeneration, a birth from above by the Holy Spirit.

CONTEXT

Jesus had provoked the religious rulers. They were after His life because He assumed the Messianic authority over the temple. The rulers scorned and scoffed at Jesus. The obscure Galilean peasant and carpenter was getting noticed by people. Jesus - the obscure Galilean carpenter who turned the water into wine - was in the public eye.

ARTICULATE YOUR CONDITION

"There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, 'Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.'" John 3:1-2

Recognition Of Your Spiritual Condition Is A Necessity For Regeneration
No one is exempted from the necessity for regeneration. Regeneration applies to the entire human race.
No amount of knowledge or academic degrees will enable you to enter the kingdom of heaven.
No one can do this sign

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" John 3:3

ARTICULATE YOUR CONVICTION

Conviction Is A Necessity For Regeneration
Regeneration, a birth from above by the Holy Spirit will enable you to enter the kingdom of God.
You must be born again

ARTICULATE YOUR CONFESSION

"Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?' Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.'" John 3:4-7

Repentance To God Is A Necessity For Regeneration
Believe In Jesus And Not On Your Own Merit
That which is born of the Spirit is spirit

ARTICULATE YOUR CONVERSION

"Nicodemus answered and said to Him, 'How can these things be?' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.'" John 3:9-14

Reconciliation Is A Necessity For Regeneration
The single most important witness for regeneration in the history of humankind is that Jesus died for your salvation
Even so the Son Of Man be lifted up

ARTICULATE YOUR COMMITMENT

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:15-17

Believing In The Son Of God Is A Necessity For Regeneration
Believing in Jesus as the only Son Of God will give you eternal life
Whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life

CONCLUSION

Articulate how Jesus gave new life as though God was appealing and pleading through you to transform lives.