1. A reminder to consider others Please:  Turn off your cell phone or set to vibrate only  Use the nursery or cry room if your child is fussy  Get up during the preaching only if absolutely necessary (please sit in back if you must leave early)

2. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

3. Jesus, The Very Thought Of Thee #89 Jesus, the very thought of Thee With sweetness fills my breast; Jesus, the very thought of Thee With sweetness fills my breast; Bernard of Clairvaux –Trans. Edward Caswall / John B. Dykes © Public Domain – CCLI License No. 378119

4. But sweeter far Thy face to see And in Thy presence rest. But sweeter far Thy face to see And in Thy presence rest.

5. No voice can sing, No heart can frame, Nor can the memory find No voice can sing, No heart can frame, Nor can the memory find

6. A sweeter sound than Thy blest name, O Savior of mankind. A sweeter sound than Thy blest name, O Savior of mankind.

7. O hope of every contrite heart, O joy of all the meek, To those who fall, how kind Thou art! How good to those who seek! O hope of every contrite heart, O joy of all the meek, To those who fall, how kind Thou art! How good to those who seek!

8. But what to those who find? Ah, this No tongue or pen can show; The love of Jesus, what it is None but His loved ones know. But what to those who find? Ah, this No tongue or pen can show; The love of Jesus, what it is None but His loved ones know.

9. Jesus, our only joy be Thou, As Thou our prize wilt be; Jesus, be Thou our glory now And through eternity. Jesus, our only joy be Thou, As Thou our prize wilt be; Jesus, be Thou our glory now And through eternity.

10. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

11. A reminder to consider others Please:  Turn off your cell phone or set to vibrate only  Use the nursery or cry room if your child is fussy  Get up during the preaching only if absolutely necessary (please sit in back if you must leave early)

12. Born Again John 3:1-15 “Born again” is used by secular society as a synonym for renewal, recycling or replacement Webster defines “Born Again” as an adjective “of one taking a new, different, and more religious course,”

13. Born Again John 3:1-15 In John 3, Jesus demand for Nicodemus to be born again was radical and humanly impossible Jesus had cleansed the Temple and was still in Jerusalem for the Feast and was performing miracles

14. The Coming of Nicodemus John 3:1-2 He came to Jesus at night - probably to avoid being seen “Rabbi” (teacher) is a term of great respect, especially coming from a Judean Pharisee for a Galilean Nicodemus believed Jesus must have come from God as a teacher because of His miracles

15. The Necessity of the New Birth John 3:3-8 He had not even asked a question before Jesus addresses the central issue - How to enter the kingdom of God Nicodemus was a religious leader & teacher, yet not qualified to enter God’s kingdom

16. The Necessity of the New Birth John 3:3-8 A common Jewish simile of being as a new born was used to described new phases of life Jesus made a direct statement demanding a new birth before seeing God’s kingdom and did not use a simile

17. The Necessity of the New Birth John 3:3-8 Nicodemus recognizes this is a radical statement and responds with questions expressing the impossibility Verses 5-8, Jesus explains the mashal (veiled, but pointed statement)

18. The Necessity of the New Birth John 3:5-8 Born of water is most commonly understood to refer to physical birth The near context of John 1 and the historical context of John’s ministry suggest this is baptism of repentance Several Jewish rites used water to ceremonial cleanse from sin (Lev. 11:32; 14:8,9; 15:13, 17:15, etc.)

19. The Necessity of the New Birth John 3:5-8 Psalm 51:2, Ezekiel 36:25-27, etc. expressed the desire to have a heart cleansed from sin John’s baptism of repentance was a ceremonial expression of a professed change of heart and mind John 1:26,31 - water baptism was a shadow of the reality of the needed baptism by the Holy Spirit

20. The Necessity of the New Birth John 3:5-8 Christian baptism is a public identification with Christ - but it does not save - you must be born of the Spirit The same word, πνεu:μα / pneuma, is used for “Spirit” and “wind” - man cannot control either All systems of works based righteousness to save from sin fail - Psalm 14:1-3; Isaiah 64:6

21. How to Be Born Again John 3:9-15 John 3:9 - Nicodemus wants to know how a person can be born of the Spirit John 3:10 - Jesus rebukes Nicodemus for being a teacher of the law and not understanding John 3:11 - Jesus rebukes Nicodemus and the Pharisees for not receiving the witness of John & Jesus

22. How to Be Born Again John 3:9-15 John 3:12 - Jesus warns that if he did not believe the earthly things he would not believe the heavenly John 3:13 - Jesus identifies Himself as the Son of Man that reveals what is from heaven John 3:14-15 - Jesus answers his question with an earthly illustration and revelation from heaven

23. How to Be Born Again John 3:9-15 Numbers 21:4-9 – The Israelites experienced many miracles from God, yet still grumbled against Him The fiery serpents got their attention, and they repented and cried out for God’s mercy

24. How to Be Born Again John 3:9-15 God provided a means of healing that required them to demonstrate their faith - look on the bronze serpent The bronze serpent was the type, the Son of Man would be the fulfillment Mere intellectual assent or profession of faith cannot save - such faiths are dead (James 2:14-26)

25. How to Be Born Again John 3:9-15 Saving faith must be in the person and work of the Jesus Christ, and such faith acts according to its belief Those bitten would die unless they believed God and obeyed His command to look on the bronze serpent

26. How to Be Born Again John 3:9-15 Unless you believe God and obey His command to look on Jesus lifted up, you will die in your sins You cannot control the work of regeneration by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2), yet the offer is to all

27. How to Be Born Again John 3:9-15 What will you do with the offer?

28. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

29. Change My Heart, Oh God # 654 Change my heart, oh God, Make it ever true; Change my heart, oh God May I be like you. Change my heart, oh God, Make it ever true; Change my heart, oh God May I be like you. Eddie Espinosa © 1982 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services) ARR UBP ICS CCLI #378119

30. Change my heart, oh God, Make it ever true; Change my heart, oh God May I be like you. Change my heart, oh God, Make it ever true; Change my heart, oh God May I be like you.

31. You are the Potter, I am the clay; Mold me and make me, This is what I pray: You are the Potter, I am the clay; Mold me and make me, This is what I pray:

32. Change my heart, oh God, Make it ever true; Change my heart, oh God May I be like you. Change my heart, oh God, Make it ever true; Change my heart, oh God May I be like you.

33. You are the Potter, I am the clay; Mold me and make me, This is what I pray: You are the Potter, I am the clay; Mold me and make me, This is what I pray:

34. Change my heart, oh God, Make it ever true; Change my heart, oh God May I be like you. Change my heart, oh God, Make it ever true; Change my heart, oh God May I be like you.

35. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ