Week 13 Day 1

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 13 Day 1

Introduction…Searching for truth is a waste of time for some and for others it is merely a past time. But for others it is a desperate and necessary activity that grips them until they find it. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, he states that the most basic need of humanity is physiological, that we tend to focus on meeting safety needs first.  The next level of need is social, where we look for love and belongingness. After achieving these levels we pursue esteem and only after these needs are sensed as met, one reaches the apex of self-actualization where we are free and driven to search out matters of truth. The Bible in Proverbs 25:2 says it is the honor of a king or free man to search out a matter. The famous French philosopher Pascal said, ‘nothing gives rest but the sincere search for truth.’

Read John 3:1-6 “There was a man who was one of the Pharisees who was called Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do the signs which you do unless God is with him’. Jesus answered, ‘this is the truth I tell you, unless a man is reborn from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said, ‘how can a man be born when he is old? Surely he cannot enter into his mother’s womb a second time and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘this is the truth I tell you, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born from the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’”

Bible Study

• Nicodemus was a wealthy ruler of the Sanhedrin, the top 70 in Israel and a Pharisee, the separated one, meaning he was one of the elite in Israel that vowed to precisely follow the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible.
  • These devout people defined every word and followed every precept explicitly and with tenacity.
  • They thought of themselves as superior people and were judgmental of others
  • Jesus presented a problem to them since what He said and did was powerful and right, however it conflicted with their life mission, position and tradition.
• Nicodemus was searching and needed answers from Jesus. Don’t we as well?
• Jesus points out that the signs and wonders He did were not the important issue, what mattered was the inner life, new birth in a person that would change him.
• Jesus declares being born anew or from above is a radical and life changing event. Being born anew and rebirth is a common theme in the New Testament.
  • 1 Peter 1:3 speaks of being born anew by God’s great mercy. Then in 1 Peter 1:22-3 it is being born anew not of perishable seed, but imperishable
  • See James 1:18 and Titus 3:5 we are recreated and regenerated
  • Romans 6:1-11 tells us we die with Christ and then rise to life anew
  • 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 reveals we are babes in Christ
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17 & Galatians 6:15 states we are new creations in Christ.
• In Matthew 18:3 the same great truth is put more simply and vividly, “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
• What seems impossible to man, to be born again, is possible with God. See Luke 18:26-7 “who then can be saved? And Jesus answered, the things which are impossible with man are possible with God.”

Application

• The Pharisees often in their quest for the impossible life of perfection, they looked critically at the life and judged the errors of other people.
• But God is full of mercy. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “woe to you…for you pay tithes of mint …and have omitted the weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faith.”
• Johann Von Goethe, the German novelist said, “it is easier to perceive error than to find truth, for the former lies on the surface and is easily seen, while the latter lies in the depth where few are willing to search for it.”

Tags: Take 10

Week 13 Day 2

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 13 Day 2

Introduction…the Kingdom of God is a place, a society where God’s will is done. As children of God we willingly accept His will as our own and live in that place where His Kingdom comes and His will is done in and through us on earth as it is in heaven.

Read John 3:7-13 “Don’t be surprised I said to you that you must be reborn from above. The wind blows where it will and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know from where it came and where it goes. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered,  how can these things happen? Jesus answered, are you the man whom everyone regards as the teacher of Israel and you do not understand these things? This is the truth I tell you, we speak what we know and we bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our witness. If I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe me, how will you believe me if I speak to you about heavenly things. No one has gone up to heaven except he who came down from heaven, I mean the Son of Man who is in heaven.”

Bible Study

• There is a casual search that really is not intent on finding anything of value and then there is a diligent search where passion and determination meet.  When that happens there will be results.
  • Nicodemus was not willing to let down his status and religious practices for the truth.
  • Here is the truth, the very Son of God standing in front of him and speaking. If Nicodemus truly looked for truth at any cost, he would have believed this was the Christ/Messiah and be ready to accept God’s truth.
  • Jeremiah 29: 13-14 speaks of the truth that if we search for God with our hearts we will find Him
  • Romans 10:6-8 teaches that we do not have to go beyond human constraints to find God. He is within easy reach of us.
• Jesus accurately challenges Nicodemus’ lame search by saying how can a teacher of God, not know the subject matter.
  • Teaching about a new birth from God was spoken of by Ezekiel, the prophet of God, who Nicodemus studied as an expert in Scripture.
  • Ezekiel 18:31 says, “Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me and get yourselves a new heart and new spirit! Why will you die, oh Israel?”
  • Ezekiel 36:26 says, “A new heart I will give you and a new spirit I will put within in.”
• Romans 1:18-32 tells us that God reveals himself to all mankind, to all people of all times. If they push the truth away from them from God, they will live in their lying beliefs and die in them. God will give them over to what they desire and stop drawing them.
  • When God reveals himself to us, and He does to all of us, we must be ready and willing to say ‘yes’ come into my life.
  • A life as a disciple of Jesus Christ is a life of continual openness to Him to lead us into all truth, abundant life and eternal life.
  • We are saved by faith. We will never on this earth understand all about life and God, but we must believe in Him to be forgiven, saved and enjoy life with Him.
  • Romans 11:33-4 says, “oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”

Application

• When the Lord comes to or speaks to us to change us, recreate us, renew us…do we say yes, I want all of you, or do we think and say not now, I am OK, I want to stay as I am?
• Or do we say, come Holy Spirit, I need you. Work and move in me. Have your good pleasure in my life. Perfect all that concerns me. I present my body as a living sacrifice unto you.

Tags: Take 10

Week 13 Day 3

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 13 Day 3

Introduction…There is an account in the Old Testament (Numbers 21:4-9) where the people of Israel murmured against God’s plan of freeing them from slavery and Moses their leader. God warned them against this rebellion and sent serpents as punishment to wake them up. God instructed Moses to make a brass serpent in the middle of the camp and whoever would look upon it would be healed. It was God who would heal them.

Read John 3:14-15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

Bible Study

• The Gospel of John uses that Old Testament story of the serpents and God’s deliverance to paint the picture of what God was doing for us.
  • As people looked at the serpent that was lifted up and their thoughts turned to God as they looked for His touch of healing, God would provide
  • Even so as Jesus must be lifted up upon the Cross as our Savior from sin and lifted up into glory as our Mediator to the Father.
  • As people look to God for salvation and believe God’s provision, they will find eternal life and healing.
• For each of us, as with Jesus, the Cross leads to the Crown.
  • Acts 5:29-31 “…we ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, who you killed and hanged upon a Cross. God has exalted him at his right hand to be a Prince and Savior to give repentance and forgiveness of sins.”
  • Philippians 2:8-9 “And being found in fashion as a man, Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to death of the Cross. Wherefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name.”
• John 3:15, “Whosoever believes in him…” has significant and deep meaning.
  • It means believing that God loves, cares and wants to provide forgiveness for us and relationship with us.
  • It means believing Jesus is the Son of God, knows and expresses in person that love and provision of God.
  • It means believing the life and words of Jesus show us the way to live. To be disciples of Jesus we must die to self, embrace God and obey as He did.
• John 3:15, “may have eternal life”
  • Eternal life is the very life of God himself.
  • Eternal life gives us peace with God. God is not our judge but our Father
  • Eternal life gives us peace with people. If we have been forgiven, we must be forgiving. We see people as God sees them.
  • Eternal life gives us peace with life knowing that God our Father works all things out for our good.
  • Eternal life gives us peace with ourselves as we face life, temptation, and our own weaknesses with Christ living us. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

Application

• The deepest peace on earth is only a shadow of the peace and life to come when we are with God in heaven. That blessed hope fuels us through the ups and downs of life knowing even in death that in God’s eyes…‘precious is death of His saints’, as it says in Psalms 116:15 and ‘rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord’ as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 is our eventual and ultimate goal in life.

Tags: Take 10

Week 13 Day 4

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 13 Day 4

Introduction…Sometimes we have the tendency to become cynical, closed-minded, or disinterested with life.  When we concentrate on what we already know rather than searching for more of life and more of God, the giver of life, we can become bored.  The more we know of God and His world, the more we stimulate wonder. The more we look for wonder, the more wonder we see of God and His world. When was the last time you stood in amazement at God’s world and wonder at His work of love?

Read John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Bible Study

• “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you? – Majestic in holiness, fearful in praises, working wonders?”(Exodus 15:11 NET Bible)
• Amazing love is what God is all about. The wonder of all wonders is His great love for us.
  • “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise…but is patient toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
• The initiative in all salvation is with God, not us. It all started with God. It is He that looks for and finds us. It is God that sees and meets our need of forgiveness and reconciliation with Him.
  • “We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
• God acts in great love, shows mercy and sends His Son for our sake and due to our great need…forgiveness for sin and reconciliation with God.
• God loves the world, everyone, good/bad, the lovely and unlovely, male/female, rich/poor, young/old from every nation, kindred and language.
  • St. Augustine said, “God loves each one of us as if there was only one of  us to love.”
  • The Great Wonder of this World is God’s love for us, sinful mankind.
• The Great Promise of God is:
  • If and when we believe in Jesus, God’s Son that was sent into this world for us, to take away our sin, we will be forgiven and inherit eternal life.

Application

• Wonder has two great adversaries: entertainment and acquisition.  Entertainment satisfies our longing to live outside ourselves.  The fantasy of TV, for example, is often just interesting enough to keep us watching and just not quite bad enough to make us turn it off.  We anesthetize ourselves.  We dull our spirits and lose our sense of awe and wonder.
• Acquisition gives us artificial satisfaction through ownership of things.  Our hunger for more and more deadens our thirst for deeper and deeper.  Our energy and excitement get used up in the process. Acquisition fuels our pride and starves our wonder.
• When God’s people sacrifice the urgency for awe, appreciation and wonder for God, they fall into “leanness of soul” and dullness of spirit.  Each morning is an opportunity for mind-opening excitement, gratitude and life in Christ.
• Fred Smith said, “The universe of wonderment is never exhausted.  Flee mediocrity and chase wonder.”

Tags: Take 10

Week 13 Day 5

The Daily Take 10

The Gospel of John

Week 13 Day 5

Introduction…There are guard rails on the right and left side of the road when there are ditches on both sides of the road. So it is with God’s love and judgment. Two guardrails that can keep us on the straight and narrow road that leads to life, God and eternity with our Creator.

Read John 3:17-21 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe already stands condemned. And the reason of this condemnation…the light came into the world and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their deeds were evil. Everyone whose deeds are depraved hates the light and does not come to the light, but his deeds stand convicted. But he who puts the truth into action comes to the light that his deeds may be made planin for all to see because they are done in God.”

Bible Study

• How can God so love the world and yet certainly judge the world? How can both be true?
• The experience God planned for us…creation, life, and relationship can be thwarted, rejected, despised and avoided by us. That is God’s love that provides all we need, but it is also his love that gives us the freedom to want to live with or without Him.
• A beautiful, healthy and strong fish could look beyond the clear waters of the stream and decide to want to live on the grassy banks on the side of the stream. Choosing to live the way this fish wants to live, outside of God’s plan of love and provision that fish can jump out of the water and onto dry land. Immediately there will be gulps of air instead of water and soon the fish will die while living outside God’s intended plan for it.
• A person may be taken to a magnificent symphony, or to view a masterpiece of art, or read a classic best seller of a book, but the person’s reaction to reject these as worthless, foolish or a waste of time is in fact a judgment upon that person.
• To accept Jesus as our beautiful Savior puts us on the road to salvation.
• To reject Jesus, whom God sent to us in love, judges us and condemns us by our own admission.
• A Greek Athenian man of genius said of Socrates, “Socrates, I hate you, because every time I meet you, you let me see what I am.”
• By a person’s reaction to Jesus Christ, the person stands revealed with their soul laid bare. If accepting God’s love, there is hope. If rejecting, that person has condemned themselves already. Jesus, who was sent in love has become to that person his judgment.

Application

• Note the beautiful words to the song below…

“The Love of God”

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill

And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky

Refrain:
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Tags: Take 10