Blessed To Be A Blessing

January 26, 2014

Morning Worship

Text: John 3:1-21

Subject: Faithfulness

Title: Blessed to be a Blessing Part 3

If you were with us last Sunday morning and evening you’ll remember that we were talking about how God wants to bless us. Proverbs 28:20, A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

The key to receiving God’s blessings is to be faithful in the things that He has already given you. Those who are faithful in their finances and all the things of this world will be entrusted with greater things in the kingdom. Than means that if you will use the worldly things you have accumulated to enhance the kingdom you can expect the Lord to replenish and even give more abundantly so you can continue to do more.

Luke 16:10-12 helps us to understand that a little better, 10“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

OK, are you with me so far? Now lets look at one more passage quickly before we get into our study today. 2 Corinthians 9:8, 10-11, 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Can you see how God wants to establish a pattern in your life for blessings? There is a law of risk and reward that is established in these verses that the church needs to get hold of.

John 3:1-21 tells us the story of Nicodemus who went to Jesus to spend time and find out some things. Now the verse in the passage that everyone remembers is verse 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.

Today we want to look at this passage and show you more of how the Lord expects faithfulness on your part in order to receive blessings that will grow the kingdom.

I believe this is God's Word…

I believe it is for me…

I accept it as mine…

And I appropriate it to my life today…

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

1. Nicodemus went at night because Jesus was pretty busy during the day… also it was an opportune time to talk to Jesus when none of his colleagues would see him. This kind of tells us that Nicodemus was serious about getting to know Jesus a little better.

2. a teacher who has come from God… Acts 2:22, 22“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. Was God with Jesus? Now some will say, “Jesus is God.” That’s true but Jesus laid aside His deity and came to earth as a man empowered by the Holy Spirit – the third person of the trinity.

I love the way that Jesus answers him… He doesn’t even wait for a question, but gives the right answer before it is asked. “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” The Law of risk and reward – when one is “born again” – literally conceived from above - then he can see the kingdom of God…

We think of this as getting saved and then having the assurance of heaven. But I say that you don’t have to wait for eternity to see the kingdom. The word translated as “see” also is translated “be aware of”. Doesn’t that sound like God wants us to know kingdom things right here and right now?

4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” I believe this is a sincere question on Nicodemus’ part. It shows a true lack of understanding of even Old Testament Scriptures… the Pharisees focused on a teachers interpretation of the Law and held those teachings as equal to the Law instead of reading and finding out for themselves.