A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! At one time or another, every Christian feels the need to have some sort of sign or evidence that God is truly in his or her life. For some Christians, this happens during times of great loneliness or hardship. In the midst of his struggle, a suffering Christian will deeply desire some sort of assurance, some indication from God, that everything is going to turn out okay. “Lord, just give me a sign!” Other Christians desire a sign from God when they are agonizing over a major decision in life, such as whether to change jobs; whether to marry this girl or that one. “If God would give me some small indication that He is guiding me in all of this, my difficult dilemma would not seem quite so daunting.” Still other Christians will look at their ongoing struggle with sin and desp...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him’” (John 3:14-17). Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ It is called a caduceus and is the image first responders use in almost every city in America. You will often see it on the side of emergency vehicles, inside elevators, and perhaps on medical jewelry around people’s wrists. It is the snake (or snakes) wrapped around a pole. One thing is certain: when we see this image, we know help is on the way. This ubiquitous symbol tells everyone who sees it that the rescue they need is right where they will be. From the beginning of the wild...

"Interview between Jesus and Nicodemus" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 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.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 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?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.   Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who...

"Moses and the Brazen Serpent" by Luca Giordano Click here to listen to this sermon. [Jesus said:] “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Many parents will tell you that the only thing worse than traveling a long distance with small children is traveling a long distance ten years later when they’re all teenagers. They can tell time now, so it is generally no longer a constant question of “How much longer until we get there?” but complaint after complaint. “Put something good on the radio.” “You’re going too slow.” “I’m bored.” “I’m hungry.” “Why do I have to always sit in the middle?” “It’s too hot!” “It’s too cold!” “I don’t have any bars [any wireless reception] here!” Now, take that picture and multiply it by thousands; then imagine the trip going on for months, years, even decades. ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. One of the best known verses in the Bible. But not so many know the sentence that precedes it. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). This short, somewhat obscure reference takes us back to an event in the life of God’s people, the Israelites, as they journeyed in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. Understanding that story will help us better understand who Jesus is and what He has come to do for us. So what happened? Throughout the 40 years of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness God took care of them. He gave them bread from heaven to eat and water to drink. God had graciously provided for their every need, yet they became impatient. And the people spoke against God and Mo...

"Nicodemus Visiting Jesus" by Henry Ossawa Tanner Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). John 3:16. The Gospel-in-a nutshell. You have seen it plastered on billboards, tagged on buildings, spray painted on railroad cars, printed on eye black strips, and held up in the endzone of a nationally televised football game. This verse has become a public fixture of Christian efforts to evangelize the world. By putting this verse out there, people hope others will read the Bible, encounter Jesus, and believe God sent His Son into the world to save them. This is good. Anything that puts people into contact with God’s Word is a good thing because the Spirit works through the Word. But today, we come and encounter this Word in church. Here, it is not plastered on a billb...