Not A Fan: Nick At Night Series

Not a Fan Series – Message #2 - LWCC09232012

Nick at Night: From Fan to Follower

September 23, 2012

Review:

- We Discussed the Children’s Game: Follow the Leader

- We Discussed the command: “Go, clean your room.”

- We Considered some of Jesus’ COMMANDS

- We Looked at the Verse: Luke 9.23

Luke 9:23-27

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

• FOLLOWING IS A CHOICE

• FOLLOWING IS A COMMITMENT

• FOLLOWING IS A COURSE

Today we will consider…the progress of changes in the life and relationship of a Jesus Fan on the way to becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Christ.

--It’s D.T.R. time With Jesus (Define the Relationship)--

Nicodemus: Moving from Being a Fan to being a Follower

John 3: A Fan in Secret - Seeking Jesus at Night

John 3:1-2 (HCSB)

1 There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Him at night…

• Notice He Comes At Night – A Secret-Agent Believer

o WHY DID HE COME AT NIGHT?

 He’s close, but he doesn’t want to seem too close

 He might be wondering, what if people see?

 He might be concerned that following Jesus would interfere with his life.

• Consider the story of Jesus cleaning the closet out

• One Reason I love the book of John is the encounters people have with Jesus

• Meeting Jesus changed the lives of those who encounter Him.

• My own encounters with Jesus leave me and my relationship with Him changed

John 7: A Fan in Transition – Stand Up for Jesus

John 7:50-52 (HCSB)

50 Nicodemus—the one who came to Him previously, being one of them—said to them, 51 “Our law doesn’t judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?”

52 “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you?” they replied. “Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” [

 Standing up for someone takes courage and character

 It also involves a connection to the person on SOME level

o Perhaps just a surface level as another human

o Perhaps on a deeper level as a colleague or neighbor

o Perhaps even deeper as a friend

o Perhaps really deep as a family member

 Nicodemus STANDS UP for Jesus…The DTR is Changing

o Suddenly the choice to follow Jesus may be interfering in life

John 19: A Follower in Devotion – The Cost

John 19:38-42 (HCSB)

38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus—but secretly because of his fear of the Jews—asked Pilate that he might remove Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission, so he came and took His body away.

39 Nicodemus (who had previously come to Him at night) also came, bringing a mixture of about 75 POUNDS OF MYRRH AND ALOES. 40 Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the aromatic spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews. 41 There was a garden in the place where He was crucified. A new tomb was in the garden; no one had yet been placed in it. 42 They place Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation and since the tomb was nearby.

 A Fan might be willing to pay some price, but limite

 A Completely Committed Follower doesn’t measure the cost

o 75 POUNDS of ointment and spices was a costly investment

o Consider:

 Matthew 26:6-7 (HCSB)

6 While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, a man who had a serious skin disease, 7 a woman approached Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. She poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table.

 John 12:3 (HCSB)

3 Then Mary took a pound of fragrant oil—pure and expensive nard—anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

o The tomb was an Expensive Gift

 Matthew 27.60 tells us this tomb was actually Joseph’s new tomb he had just had dug from the rock.

 STANDING UP

• Joseph and Nicodemus were secret believers, but after seeing the horrible treatment of Jesus, they decided that it had gone far enough and they were going to stand up, show their loyalty, and take care of Jesus' body for burial. Today, many treat the Bible and Jesus with similar horrible treatment. Now is the time for believers to step forward. Now is the time to come forward and testify to what God has done for you. Now is the time to join "that courageous and faithful band who are not afraid to stand up and be counted!" — Life Application Bible Commentary