Sermon
Understanding Spiritual Things
July 8-9, 2000
Pastor Donald Sheley

Fifty years ago when I started my ministry I picked up a book by Donald J. Miller. The title of the book was 'Tongue Of Fire', and it was written for preachers and the subject was preaching. I read in that book something that has always been in the back of my mind every time I stand before a congregation. Donald Miller, the great theologian, asked the question, What is preaching? The gospel, he says, is an act of God and its preaching therefore must be an act, a function of the great act. To preach the gospel then is not merely to say words, but to affect a deed. To preach is not merely to stand in the pulpit and speak no matter how eloquently and how effectively, or even to set forth a theology no matter how clearly it is stated nor how worthy the theology. To preach is to become a part of a dynamic event wherein the living redeeming God reproduces His act of redemption in a living encounter with men through the preacher. True preaching is an extension of the incarnation into the contemporary moment, the transfiguring of the cross, and the resurrection from ancient facts of a remote past into living realities of the present. A sermon is an act wherein the crucified risen Lord personally confronts men, either to save them, or to judge them. Thus, to introduce men to God so that He and they have dealings with each other is an event of abiding eternal value, no matter how crude or simple the preacher be.

On the other hand, merely to talk about God without His being present is spiritually worthless no matter how eloquent and enjoyable the speech. And this is the one that really dug deep into my conscience: No man has ever really preached until the two sided encounter between him and his congregation has given way to a three sided encounter where God Himself becomes one of the living parties to the event. Ideal preaching would go even one step further where the presence of God becomes so real that the preacher himself drops almost entirely out of the consciousness of the worshipers, so that even as the preacher speaks they and God seem to be left alone. That's my challenge, and ah what an awesome challenge it is.

I want you to turn in your Bibles to the lesson for today. It's John chapter 3, and as you're turning there please remember tomorrow night we're going to celebrate a memorial for one of our great, faithful ushers, Oliver Muir. I want you to be here tomorrow night to celebrate with us. He's gone on to glory and he's ushering in heaven this morning. If you're using the pew Bible it's page 715, if you'd like to use that today. In your Bible it's John chapter 3, and here's our lesson.

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 and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again. That is, unless one is born anew or unless one is born from above. That's a sovereign act of God wherein He extends His grace and mercy to us. Unless one is born from above, he cannot see. That is, understand, comprehend, be a part of, or participate in. That's a big word. 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, "Most assuredly, 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 the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and 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, "Most assuredly, 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 the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to Him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? "Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Let's take our notes. For the last number of weeks, I think we're in the eighth or ninth week now in this chapter, we're seeking to understand what I believe is most likely the most important conversation ever recorded in human history. We have recognized the imperative necessity of being born again, and we have learned that word 'again' means being born anew, from above, a divine action taken by almighty God who sovereignly touches our lives with faith and with grace and with forgiveness. It starts with God. We went to verse 5 and we learned that controversial passage where it says we are born by water and the Spirit, we have concluded as we read through the various verses of Scripture that Jesus is speaking of water as the Word.

Peter says we are born again not with corruptible seed, but incorruptible by the Word of God. And so we concluded Jesus is saying, Nicodemus, if you'll just listen to these words which I speak which are divine, and you let the Holy Spirit of God take them and plant them in your heart, you'll be a new person. Conversion is a sovereign act of God, and we found something very, very interesting, and that is that in that 1 Peter 1:23 passage where he says we are born again not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the Word of God which abided forever. We learned that when we go back into the ancient text of the Latin Vulgate, which is an old, old text, the word for seed is semen. And what Peter does is he likens divine conception to human conception as if he is saying that God by the act of faith puts it within us, the ovum of faith. God gives us that gift, that capacity to believe. Then the seed, the Word of God, is dropped within that ovum of faith and immediately (snaps fingers) divine conception takes place. That's what Peter said. We are born again by incorruptible seed.

Nicodemus stands there and says, Jesus, I don't understand, how can these things be? And now I'm on page 2 of our notes. He is saying, Jesus, I'm baffled. I can't get it. What are You talking about? And I'm suggesting that it's true that Nicodemus was an educated man and doubtless one of exemplary moral character, but something more than education and morality are needed to understand the things of God. God has spoken plainly, and in simple terms, yet notwithstanding, the natural man, the sinner, unaided, has no capacity to receive what God has recorded in His Holy Word.

Now last Sunday we paused for a moment to consider this phrase, free will. We who come from evangelical circles we have heard that phrase used over and over again. That every man has a free will, he can choose, and we ride on that issue because we don't want to accept the fact of divine election or predestination. But let me remind you, man does have a free will, but his will is distorted and his will is filled with an enmity and a hatred towards God, and any decision he wills to make he will only make it against God. He doesn't have the ability to make a spiritual decision. No sinner does. He's got free will, but that free will will only be in the context of a limitation where he is filled with hatred and enmity against God. That's why it's so important to know that God takes the initiative, He takes that will and by that gift of faith and by conviction and by His grace He begins to prepare the will so that we now can open our hearts and choose Him.

But I think in the text of Scripture Paul deals with this whole issue of the inability of a sinner to understand spiritual things. And this is really the problem with Nicodemus, he said, man I don't understand. I can't get it. It's not coming through. And so I've recorded for us here in our notes a passage from 1 Corinthians 2:7-16, and I've taken it out of the Amplified text. And I explain this frequently because it's so imperative that you understand about my resource. The Amplified Bible is a translation where the words are expanded into their original meaning. Let me explain. If we were Hebrew people and we spoke the Hebrew language, we would have a very limited vocabulary. There are approximately only 10,000 words that a Hebrew uses in expressing himself verbally. It's a very limited, very precise, very limited language. Now we as Americans or English-speaking people we have a vocabulary of about 30,000 words that we use. It's easier for us to explain something because our words have a little more flexibility than the Hebrew. But, if we were Greek-speaking people the average Greek vocabulary is 200,000 words. Now the reason I bring that out to you is because in the Greek language there is also a preciseness.

Let me explain. We say I love you. I love my car. I love my friends. I love my wife. Now I use only one word in the English, but if I'm speaking Greek, if I'm talking about a friend I use the word phileo. That's where the word Philadelphia comes from. In other words, love now has a very precise, it relates to a friendship of phileo love. If I speak of a love for my children or someone so very dear that I would do everything in my power to show my love, then I am speaking about agape love. You see it's a word that expressly tells what kind of love I'm trying to talk about. In our language we have a limit with one word. So in the Amplified text it takes the original Greek word and expands it so you have a preciseness of the meaning. So that's what I'm reading today. Would you like to read along with me? 1 Corinthians 2:7-16 - "But rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden [from the human understanding] and now revealed to us by God - [that wisdom] which God devised and decreed before the ages for our glorification [to lift us into the glory of His presence]. None of the rulers of this age or world perceived and recognized and understood this, for if they had, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed].

Yet to us, speaking as Christians, God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God (the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny). For what person perceives (knows and understands) what passes through a man's thoughts, except the man's own spirit within him? Just so no one discerns (comes to know and comprehend) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, (given to us) that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts (of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly) bestowed on us by God. And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who posses the Holy Spirit].

But the natural, non-spiritual, that the sinner man, he does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned or understood and estimated and appreciated. But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquiries into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get insight into them]. It's simply saying that the spiritual man is way out in front of the natural man because he understands spiritual things. That's something... look at the next verse. Who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

And what Paul is just simply saying is, I don't know what my brother is thinking. He knows his own thoughts. We don't know the thoughts of God. It's the Holy Spirit who comes to live within us that helps us to understand God's thoughts. Verse 14, natural men do not have the capacity to discern. That's what he's saying. Nicodemus is standing there and saying, I don't understand. I can't comprehend. The Bible tells us the reason why he can't, he's a non spiritual man. Well let me take a sideline just for a moment. Did you notice that last verse, But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart? Let me make an observation for you. You know so many people wrestle with this whole idea of knowing the will of God. I don't know why they do that. I hear people constantly say, Oh, I'd like to know the will of God. Well if the Bible says that when we become Christians we were given the mind of Christ, then shouldn't it follow that if I'm living close to Christ and filling my heart with His Word, my thoughts will always be His thoughts and His will will always be the thoughts that go through my mind. So if a person really genuinely wants to know the will of God, just draw close to Christ and to His Word, fill your mind and heart with His Word and fall in love with Him, and you'll have the mind of Christ, and you'll do what pleases Him. Doesn't that make it simple to find the will of God?

Now Nicodemus says, how, how can these things be? And he's just simply saying I'm a non spiritual man and I don't understand. Now look at the comeback of Jesus. In our text in verse 10 Jesus said, Nicodemus! He may not have said it like that, but at least he got his attention. (Congregation laughs) Are you the teacher. He didn't say a teacher, and in the original the word the implies that old Nicodemus had a prominent place of spiritual authority in that Jewish nation. Are you the teacher, and you don't understand what you're teaching? Down in our notes on page 3, and I'm way over there now, clear down almost to the bottom one-third, I suggest to you that the verse could read: "And you, that widely recognized and very prominent teacher of the highly favored people of Israel, do you actually mean to say that you are ignorant with respect to the things you teach?" Nicodemus, you're teaching stuff you don't even know. What are you teaching?

In our notes I say, let me please make an observation. Even a religious teacher may be ignorant of divine truth. What a solemn warning is this for us to put no confidence in man. Here, Nicodemus, was a member of the Sanhedrin, trained in the highest theological school of the day, and yet having no discernment of spiritual things. The fact that a preacher has graduated with honors from some theological center is no proof that he is a man taught of the Holy Spirit, and there is a world of difference. No dependence can be placed on human learning. The only safe course is to emulate the Bereans. That was the people where Paul went to the little town of Berea and preached to them, and before they would believe anything he said they would compare it with the Old Testament text. They always compared what he said, and if it agreed then they believed, but if it didn't it was rejected. So I'm suggesting that everything we read in religious magazines and books, and everything we hear from the pulpit and the platform, we put them to the test of the Word of God, rejecting everything which is not taught in the Holy Oracles.

Now here's what Jesus is saying, Nicodemus, do you mean to tell me that you are the teacher and you don't know your subject? But he saying something further, do you realize Nicodemus, the sacred assignment of being a teacher of people? Old James says in his writings, he says, my brethren let not many of you become teachers because knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. James says that the man who assumes the responsibility of being a teacher is going to be judged far more stricter in that judgment day before almighty God. So it's a very, very solemn position to fill. Dr. Barclay in his great commentary on that verse, this is what he says, there are two dangerous which every teacher must avoid. In virtue of his office he will either be teaching those who are young in years or those who are children in the faith. He must therefore all his life struggle to avoid two things. Number 1, he must have every care that he is teaching the truth and not his own opinions or even his own prejudices. It is fatally easy for a teacher to distort the truth and to teach not God's version, but his own.

Let me stop to make an observation. As I observe the philosophy of teaching that takes place in evangelical pulpits, in the last 25 years there has been a predominant move to teach or preach either topical or thematic sermons. Now a topical sermon is where the preacher selects his topic, let's say it's anger, whatever it might be, and then he goes throughout the Scriptures and he collects all the verses that are going to support his six point sermon. And he has all the license in the world to throw into that sermon any of his personal opinions. I fear that. Now thematic preaching is where they select a theme and for a time preach to a theme, but again, it's the collection of materials and verses that support whatever that man may hold on that particular theme. Now I'm not saying those aren't good sermons. No, there really speeches they're not sermons. That's why I think it's so imperative that we take the Word of God and we just go verse by verse, chapter by chapter in an expository fashion, because now we learn what God has to say not what man has to say. And you should never come to this church to hear what Sheley has got to say. You come here to hear what God has to say, and God have mercy upon me if I don't tell you what He said! And that can only come by staying close to the Word of God. So the Dr. Barclay says one great fear that a teacher/preacher has to look out for is don't preach your own thoughts, opinions or prejudice because it's not fair to the people who listen.

And then he goes on to say, he must have every care that he does not contradict his teaching by his life, continually as it were, not do as I do, but do as I say. He must never get into the position when his scholars and students cannot hear what he says for listening to what he is. What I'm saying is, if he doesn't live it, you shouldn't listen because he has nothing to say. His life must prove what he preaches. And can I tell you folks, I sometimes shudder when I hear of men who have risen to high heights of public acceptance in the religious world and then fall into shame and sin. And sometimes I put myself in the position of standing there at the bar of God and a thousand walk by and point their finger and say, you preacher, you didn't practice what you preached.

James says if you're going to teach you better watch how you live and made it be only the Word of God. Now let me take that a step further. If you're going to teach it's my deep conviction you only teach what you know, you don't spend time on what you don't know. From time to time I have lovely people who come up to me and say, Pastor, why don't you preach on a certain subject? I simply say, I don't understand it. Somebody came up to me the other day and said, Pastor, you never preached on the millennium. No, I've been preaching 50 years, my first sermon was Christmas Sunday 1950, thousands of sermons and I've never preached a sermon on the millennium. You say, why? I don't understand it. I can tell you what every book says. I can voice and lip what any preacher has to say, but it's not something that's clear in my own spirit and clear in my own heart. I don't think it's going to make any difference whether I believe in the millennium or not, we'll be in heaven. If it's going to be millennium, I'll have some fun. (Congregation laughs) and if there's no millennium, I won't be disappointed. (Pastor laughs)

Do you see my point? I'm suggesting that there has to be an honesty in teaching, when you come to certain areas, I just don't know. Someone said to me the other day, Pastor why don't you ever preach on eternal security? Or why don't you preach on election? Why don't you preached on predestination? The reason why I don't is because I would confuse you just as much as I am confused. And honestly I've read almost every book. I have a personal library of 16,000 volumes and I read every day, and there are just some things that haven't clicked. And so I'm going to be as honest with you as I can, I think we're going to be in heaven whether you believe in the millennium or not. You're going to be in heaven whether you believe in eternal security or not, or election. And I'll tell you this, when we get to heaven you can ask me any question you want (Congregation laughs) and I'll tell you. But I believe in teaching the Word of God there has to be God's Word not my opinions. It has to be a life that lives what it preaches, and it has to be honest.

Now there's the sacred dimension to this whole matter of teaching, and I'm really dwelling on this because Jesus said, Nicodemus, are you the teacher and you don't know what you're talking about? Every time I stand here before you and I started my sermon with the challenge of what is preaching, as a teacher teaching hundreds and hundreds and hundreds every weekend, I sense something very solemn about every meeting we have. To me this service is a moment in time where people stand at the crossroads making spiritual decisions. I look across the congregation hour after hour and I realize there are people here who are searching for God, searching for truth. They're at the crossroads and they're trying to figure out which way to go, and it's my solemn obligation to stand there and point the way to heaven. And if I fail, God have mercy. Would it not be a tragedy for me to, and I think of this, to stand at that judgment bar while somebody walked by and said; Sheley, I was in your church and you never told me how to get to heaven. That would be a tragic moment, and as a teacher/preacher I stand here service after service realizing there are people making spiritual decisions.

Some years ago a little lady sat right here where Emma is sitting. I watched her eyes. She was distressed. I poured out my heart and I tried as best as I could to explain God's love and God's mercy. I don't know what happened. Tuesday after this service she jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge. You don't think that hurts me? And I said maybe I was the last one to give directions to heaven. I've had a man sitting over here for years in one of the services. Every time we'd get acquainted he always came and gave me a great big hug. I preached to him. I thought I had shown him the way. The few weeks ago he took his own life. What I'm trying to tell you folks, this is a very solemn responsibility for a teacher. You stand before people and they're wrestling with deep spiritual decisions, and made it be that the teacher/preacher makes the way to heaven very clear. Nicodemus, do you mean you're in charge of the spiritual destinies of people and you don't even know how to tell them to get to heaven? That's what Jesus is saying. Nicodemus you're not qualified to handle the most priceless commodity in the world, the souls of men.

I think if I was Nicodemus I'd have bowed my head and walked away. It's an interesting conversation, isn't it? Jesus is very confrontive. My time is gone and I'm not finished preaching you can see. (From congregation-keep going) No, I can't do that because you'll miss your dinner. (Congregation laughs) Let's leave the conversation there, shall we? We'll pick it up next time because when you get to verse 12 Jesus says something very interesting to Nicodemus. He says, Nicodemus, you're not even doing the things that affect your life here on earth. Why should I reveal to you the great spiritual truths of heaven? What He's simply saying is, Nicodemus, if you're not doing what you know, why should I waste time telling you anything more? Conversation over. You know there's a great spiritual lesson. There are many people who sit paddling the water, dead in the water spiritually, because God has revealed to us things here on earth that we should do that relate to our relationship to man and our relationship to Him, and we come to a point of stubbornness and disobedience and we stop there. Do you know what God says? Mr. Nicodemus, if you're not going to do what you already know, why should I tell you any more? There's no reason to continue the conversation. Let's talk about it next time, shall we?

Lord Jesus, what a fascinating conversation. What it must have felt like for Nicodemus to stand there and You revealed to him his total disqualification for such a sacred task. And I guess dear God I preached this sermon to myself today because I fill that role with these people as their teacher/pastor. May it always be that I preach Your Word not my opinions. And Jesus, may it be that I make it to the finish line without a sin that disqualifies me from the race. Please help me. And may it be that every time people sit in this sanctuary they are confronted with divine truth and You so that we make spiritual decisions that will count for eternity. This is my prayer and I pray it in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And everybody said, amen. God bless you.