Sunday 7th March 2021

On the church’s Facebook page we start live-streaming at 10:30am,

using the link below you can join us on Zoom any time from 10:15am

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86444276040?pwd=WFpoTVMxWXVkWlowYkRtM0NQNHZhUT09

Use these lyrics to lead you into thanking God for giving us a Saviour:

My Jesus, my Saviour, Lord there is none like you.

All of my days I want to praise the wonders of your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter, tower of refuge and strength

let every breath, all that I am never cease to worship you.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing

power and majesty, praise to the King.

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of your name.

I sing for joy at the work of your hands. Forever I'll love you,

forever I'll stand. Nothing compares to the promise I have in you

(Darlene Zschech © 1993 Hillsongs Australia)

Jesus met all sorts of people, all-ages, men, women and children. No matter who came to Jesus, he was always able to show them how God’s story could transform their story. This morning, I want us to look at an event where someone wanted to meet Jesus, but was embarrassed to be seen talking with him. Jesus would have recognised that this was the situation when the man comes to him at night, when they are both alone. Jesus doesn’t take offence, instead he gave the man his full attention and tried to help him to understand God’s story and how it could affect the man’s story.

From what we know about this man, we can assume that people around him saw him as having a ‘successful life’, ‘a pillar of society’ also a religious leader, so we perhaps see the reason why he was embarrassed to be seen asking Jesus to explain God’s story to him. The conversation in quite lengthy spread over 20 verses we are only going to read the first 8 verses.

Read: John 3: 1-8

So, we have Nicodemus, someone who felt that his life wasn’t as complete or as perfect as other people thought it was. He felt the need to come and talk with Jesus. Having found the courage to come to Jesus, look at how he starts the conversation (v.2). Have you ever been in a situation where you know you want to find out something but you’re not sure how to phrase the question you want to ask? Jesus recognises the trouble Nicodemus is having trying to explain what he wants to know and so Jesus takes the initiative and tells him what he needs to hear. This is really good news for us, as we too can expect Jesus to answer our questions even when we are not sure what we want to ask.

Jesus told Nicodemus all sorts of important things which helped him see how God’s Story could make a difference on his own story. Towards the end of this conversation Jesus gives us a wonderful summary of God’s story and shows how was can know its impacts on our own story.

Read John 3: 16 & 17

So, I started by mentioning that Jesus had conversations with all sorts of different people and in the verses we just read, we see how God’s story impacts every person’s own story. God loves the whole world, so that includes each of us and those who live across the road from us. It tells us that God loves those who think life is just perfect and God loves those who know that their life is far from perfect.

If someone says to us, that they love us, doesn’t that mean we ought to say something back to them? If the reply we make is ‘sorry I don’t feel the same about you’ then usually the two of you drift apart because it is both embarrassing and painful to continue to see the person, but even if we have said this to God a number of times, or simply ignored his declaration of love, he doesn’t go away, but continues to says to us - I love you.

When people love each other, they often give each other gifts - something to remind them that they are loved. God has given us a reminder of how much he loves us, he has given us Jesus. This perfect gift enables us to see what God is like. Through Jesus’ life we can see God’s kindness, wisdom, power and love. Those well-known words from Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus tell us that to know God’s story in our own story all we need to do is ‘believe.’ Believe God’s story which tells us that through Jesus’ death on a cross we are forgiven of the wrong we have done and given a fresh new life’s story, with God at the centre of it.

Use the words of this hymn to lead you into conversation with Jesus about how to make the prayer on page 41 of your LiveLent booklet become a reality in your life.

As we gaze on Your kingly brightness so our faces display Your likeness,

ever changing from glory to glory: mirrored here,

may our lives tell Your story shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father's glory;

Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river, flow, Flood the nations with grace and mercy;

Send forth Your word, Lord, and let there be light!

(Graham Kendrick © 1987 ThankYou Music)

Page last updated: Tuesday 9th March 2021 10:46 AM
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