“It’s Time to Lose Your Religion”
Scripture Reference: John 3:1-10
Preached at Mount Zion Baptist Church on July 18, 2021
Delivered by John Daniel Johnson
www.mountzionfamily.com
Introduction
Question—
Aren’t you glad Jesus loves sinners?
Illustration
The preacher’s Sunday sermon was on the Sin of Unforgivness. Toward the end of the service, He asked his congregation, “how many of you have forgiven their enemies”? Only a few raised their hands. The preacher sad, “We’re not leaving to until we all learn that unforgiveness is a sin and we need to forgive each other. The preacher kept right on preaching past noon.
He stopped again and ask, “how many of you are ready to forgive your enemies?” About 80% of the church raised their hands. He preacher replied, “that’s not everyone.” So he kept on preaching about the sin of not forgiving our enemies. Ten minutes till one, he stopped service again and asked, “how many of you now are ready to forgive your enemies?” Every hand in the whole sanctuary was raised…except one.
It was the hand of a dear, elderly 95-year old woman. The preacher addressed her directly. He said, “Ms. Flossie, are you really not willing to forgive your enemies?”
She replied, “I don’t have any enemies; therefore I have not need to forgive them.” The preacher called Ms. Flossie up the front of the church. Once she arrived up front, the preacher asked, “What is your secret to not have any enemies.” She replied, “You’ve got to outlive them all.”
Illustration
Billy had to drive to a business trip in Tennessee and got accidently took a wrong turn and ended up way up in the mountains. He saw a little boy playing in his front yard with his puppy, and he stopped to ask him for directions. The man asked, “Sonny, do you know where the nearest town is at?” The kid said, “No sir, I don’t.” Then the man said, “Well do you know where the nearest store is at?” The little boy said, “No.” And the man said, “Well where does this road goes?” The little boy said, “I don’t know.” Somewhat frustrated but with chuckle the man said “Well, you don’t know much of anything do you?” The little boy smiled back and said, “Well, I know I ain’t lost.”
Application
This week we’re talk about a man who was lost. He was religious. He was a leader in the synagogue. If he were alive today, he’d have been in the choir. He would have been the most dedicated member. His wife would have been active throughout the entire church. He was the one who was always called on to pray for the congregation because of the beauty of his words. He would have been the one that would have been considered by the congregation as the man who as the most faithful. However, when he met Jesus, he realized that that all his religious acts were not enough to gain him entrance into Heaven. If there is one thing this man can teach us today is that it is “Time to Lose Your Religion.”
Quick Outline
1. The Man
2. The Moon
3. The Mixup
4. The Messiah
5. The Message
Scripture
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.” 4 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?”5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 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.” 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?
(John 3:1-10)
Sermon Outline
The Man
Nicodemus was a Pharisee. These were very religious people. In fact, the Pharisees were part of the hottest church in town. Anybody who wanted to be seen as pure and righteous wanted to be part of their synagogue. In fact, they were so dedicated to being pure and righteous, that they were often called the “pious” ones!
Their name (Pharisee) came from the Hebrew word “Purash” – meaning “to separate,” and they separated themselves from anything and anyone who was impure. They refused to have anything to do with any kind of sinner especially tax collectors, prostitutes, and Gentiles.
He was also (verse 1): “a ruler of the Jews.” That refers to the Sanhedrin, the 70 men who governed the Jews under the ultimate authority of the Roman Empire. They had “wide-ranging powers in civil, criminal, and religious matters.” As an example, they could both arrest and conduct trials.
In the days of the New Testament there were three levels of teacher in the Jewish community, the ?â?âm, the sôpçr and the ?azzân. These levels were obtained not on the basis of academics but on the basis of morality in the person’s life. Nicodemus is thought to be of the highest order because of his title ruler of the Jews. Therefore he must have been a very moral man.
The Moon
Now, notice, Nicodemus comes … at night. He’s still a Pharisee and if he was seen with Jesus in public, it could ruin him. And so he seeks Jesus out at night when he can quietly ask questions.
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.
(John 19:38-39)
He was ashamed to be seen with Jesus.
For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and the holy angels.
(Luke 9:26)
The Mixup
But, Jesus doesn’t let him ask HIS questions. Jesus cuts right to the heart of the matter by declaring: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
What is Jesus telling Nicodemus? He’s saying to him – it’s time for a change. You’ve grown up thinking your religion is right… but it’s not!!! It’s time to be born again.
Nicodemus seems a bit confused at this point. He says “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” John 3:4
Now, that’s an odd question for Nicodemus to ask, because “being born again” shouldn’t have been that hard for him to understand. Jews used that kind of phrase all the time when Gentiles converted to Judaism.
ILLUS: According to the Encyclopedia Judaica early Jewish rabbis declared that “A proselyte (a gentile converting to Judaism) terminates all former family ties upon conversion and ‘is considered a newly born child’” (volume 13, page 1184, article "Proselytes").
Essentially, He’s saying “Nicodemus… you got to change your religion!” What you’ve always believed is WRONG!!!
That makes me uncomfortable. The idea that someone’s religion or church might be wrong seems so judgmental. And yet… it is nonetheless true.
For example, just what was wrong with Nicodemus’ religion? Well, I can think of a couple of problems they had. First, they made their own rules! They had gotten into the habit of NOT appealing directly to Scripture. Instead they appealed to their own rule book; they had their own set of directions on how to obey God; they didn’t think God was explicit enough in His commands… and so they decided to help Him out! Just as an example of how they were thinking: they literally had a list of 1521 rules and regulations on how not to break the Sabbath. None of those rules and regs were in the Mosaic Law, but that didn’t stop them from using their creative imagination
This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
9 And in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
(Matthew 15:8-9)
They don’t think the Bible is sufficient for teaching God’s thinking. Only their rules and regs can do that. They have seemed to have neglected II Timothy 3:16-17 which says “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Scripture is ALL YOU NEED! It’s sufficient for teaching and correcting and training in righteousness. It’s ALL YOU NEED to be complete and fully equipped to serve God. You do NOT need men to make up additional rules and doctrines! It ends up making your worship vain, empty and worthless!
The Messiah
Christ replies, “Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?”
The Message
Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
(John 3:7)
For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances.
(Ezekiel 36:24-27)
