Read: John 3:1-21
1.About goodness. (v. 3)
“None is righteous, no, not one.” —Romans 3:10
“No one is good–except God alone.” —Luke 18:19
The only source of goodness is God. This means that I can only receive goodness from outside of myself.
2.About salvation. (v. 14)
If the source of goodness is the Spirt, how am I able to access this goodness? That was the origin of the phrase that Jesus told Nicodemus—the idea of being “born again.”
How do I have an encounter with the Spirit?
Verse 14: “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.”
3.About the Kingdom.
In verse 3: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
And again in verse 5: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
This means that those of us who have been rescued by the grace of God are those who care deeply about the brokenness of the world and look for ways to bring the Kingdom and its brilliance into the world. This is the heart of “Making Houston more like Heaven by helping Houstonians become more like Jesus.” As we discover the gospel of Jesus, we want to build the Kingdom.
Why do we mentor at-risk kids in local schools? The Kingdom.
Why do we help our neighbors after Harvey? The Kingdom.
Why do we give of our own resources to help the poor? The Kingdom.
Why do we continue to use church resources to do ministry while we are also attempting to rebuild? The Kingdom.
Why do we talk about wanting to break down walls of racial tension? The Kingdom.
Why do we support ministries that build towards adoption and fostering? The Kingdom.
Why do we encourage you to forgive those who have hurt you? The Kingdom.
Why do we give time and resources to loving our Muslim neighbors? The Kingdom.
Why do we have a free counseling center for anyone in the church or community who needs it? The Kingdom.
Why do we do Divorce Care and Grief Share? The Kingdom.
Why do we send teams to the other side of the world to love orphans and proclaim the gospel? The Kingdom.
Why do we encourage every member of HNW to engage their domain with the gospel? The Kingdom.