Moving From Religion To Relationship Series

Title: Moving from Religion to Relationship

Theme: To show the importance of a person not just having a religion but a relationship with God

Text: John 3:1-19

Introduction

I told you we were beginning an 8-week series on Authentic Christianity. We began by talking about the 10 virgins 5 who were wise and 5 who were foolish. We established a couple of principles that are easily understood from scripture. 1. The Lord is coming back, this is a common understanding of the fundamentals of the Christian faith. 2. Those who are ready will meet him and those who are not will not. 3. We must not allow ourselves to sleep, although it seems that much of the church around us is sleeping. 4. There is a large comparison of our relationship with God and marriage.

This Sunday we are going to continue the thought of Authentic Christianity. If you would turn in your Bibles to John 3:1. I will read John 3:1-3

Joh 3:1-3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. (2) 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." (3) Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Joh 3:1-21 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

Luk 11:37-54 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. (38) When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. (39) Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. (40) "Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? (41) "But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you. (42) "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. (43) "Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. (44) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them." (45) Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also." (46) And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. (47) "Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. (48) "In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. (49) "Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' (50) "that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, (51) "from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. (52) "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered." (53) And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, (54) lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.

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

See - 1) to see 1a) to perceive with the eyes 1b) to perceive by any of the senses

1c) to perceive, notice, discern, discover

1e) to experience any state or condition

2) to know 2a) to know of anything 2b) to know, i.e. get knowledge of, understand, perceive 2b1) of any fact