Spiritual Encounter

John 3:1-17

Spiritual Encounter

- “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”

- Born-again Christians are not exactly what I wanna be

- heartfelt Mormonism - love mircales: Glenn Beck crying for job, statehood revelation requirements

- legalistic Baptists: Turn your life over to Jesus and you are instantly healed from all your addictions

- sexually rigid born-agains: opposing LBGT relationships today is like opposing interracial relationships back then

- born-again versus still-asleep

- spiritual hype versus spiritual soberness

- both have an excitement to share their faith

- enthusiastic, not profound versus disciplined, not lazy

- nutritious - not blood sugar skyrocketing and dropping dead

- bread and butter church

- one-time euphoria or a life-long commitment?

- one-night stand or a reliable relationship?

- cleaning your house and feeling good about the fresh smell or do it over and over again?

- Golf: initial excitement or continuing practice?

- Spiritual Discipline!

Nicodemus’ question

- Pharisee

- well educated, spiritually sober or still-asleep if you will

- Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?”

- Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit."

- Water is just a sign, real baptism happens by the spirit in hope

Spiritual Movement

- Jesus continues on the Spirit "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

- We are not to be an institution but a movement

- One Christian Turn a Month!

- Jesus refers back to Moses who lifted up the serpent in the wilderness

- Our God is a healing God

- Healing Church like Moses

Trinity Sunday

- The cost of our Health is enormous for our God “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."

- something to kill for: ideals

- someone to die for: children

- God is ready to die for his only son

- truly one with the spirit

- relationship within Trinity: spiritual encounter, hard to grasp, hard to wrap your arms around

- analog relationships within the church: love and sacrifice

- outreach - God had to relate and so do we

- You can extend God’s love to those in need of a visit, that is why we are starting a Stephen’s Ministry

- You can extend God’s love to your neighborhood through an intentional prayer walk/drive

- We are here to be a movement rather than an institution. We are here to extend the love that is among God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to our valley. I urge each and every one of you to do at least one Christian turn a month. Not regular church work or a boyscout’s good turn but true love and sacrifice on behalf of the church in the name of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We are to be a bread and butter church and have the responsibility to feed the spiritually hungry in our valley. May God move us. Amen.