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Jesus' Solution for Our Lives and World

• By Glenn Kenadjian

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A Solution for What?

• Many things are not right in our world and lives
• We lack harmony and often dont have peace
• Why is this?

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A Biblical Diagnosis

• At heart, something is wrong in all of us
• We can do good things, but we also have corrupted
  desires and can do bad things (i.e., we have
  problems in our actions and hearts)
• We all contribute toward disharmony and pain in
  our world and in our own lives

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How do we respond to this problem?

• Dont worry about it, focus on other things

• Look for solutions

• Most common response
• Usually just focus on obtaining personal
  satisfaction
• But disharmony remains, and the satisfactions we
  find do not last

• Jesus claimed to have the solution
• Lets look at what he said in a conversation with
  a man named Nicodemus

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Nicodemus Meets Jesus

• John 3
• 1  Now there was a man of the Pharisees named
  Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2  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.

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About Nicodemus

• John 3
• 1  Now there was a man of the Pharisees named
  Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2  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.

• Pharisees were Jews--
• Highly educated and scholarly
• Careful in ethics
• Extremely Religious

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About Nicodemus

• John 3
• 1  Now there was a man of the Pharisees named
  Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2  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.

• An important leader
• High social status

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About Nicodemus

• John 3
• 1  Now there was a man of the Pharisees named
  Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2  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.

• Why do you think he came to Jesus at night?

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About Nicodemus

• John 3
• 1  Now there was a man of the Pharisees named
  Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2  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.

• Believed Jesus was a teacher come from God

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Jesus Teaching

• 3     Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to
  you, unless one is born again he cannot see the
  kingdom of God.

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Nicodemus Reaction

• 4     Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be
  born when he is old? Can he enter a second time
  into his mothers womb and be born?

• He asks a how question
• Startled
• Uncomprehending

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Jesus Repeats his Teaching

• 5     Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to
  you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
  he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

• Repeats his emphasis of Truly, Truly
• Repeats Unless . . . cannot . . .a necessary
  condition

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Side Note about the Kingdom of God

• It is where God reigns and all is in harmony with
  him (results in harmony with everyone and
  everything else too)
• It is experienced in full in heaven
• But it can be experienced to some degree now

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Jesus Elaborates

• 6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
  that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
  7  Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be
  born again. 8  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 is born of the Spirit.

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Jesus Elaborates

• 6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
  that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
  7  Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be
  born again. 8  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 is born of the Spirit.

• 1st birth Flesh to flesh (physical birth/life)

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Jesus Elaborates

• 6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
  that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
  7  Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be
  born again. 8  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 is born of the Spirit.

• 1st birth Flesh to flesh (physical birth/life)
• 2nd birth Spirit to spirit (spiritual birth/life)

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Jesus Elaborates

• 6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
  that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
  7  Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be
  born again. 8  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 is born of the Spirit.

• 1st birth Flesh to flesh (physical birth/life)
• 2nd birth Spirit to spirit (spiritual
  birth/life)
• The second birth comes from Gods Spirit

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Jesus Elaborates

• 6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
  that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
  7  Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be
  born again. 8  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 is born of the Spirit.

• 1st birth Flesh to flesh (physical birth/life)
• 2nd birth Spirit to spirit (spiritual
  birth/life)
• The second birth comes from Gods Spirit
• You cannot observe Gods Spirit directly or know
  where he will act next, but sometimes people can
  sense when he is working

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Jesus Elaborates

• 6   That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
  that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
  7  Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be
  born again. 8  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 is born of the Spirit.

• 1st birth Flesh to flesh (physical birth/life)
• 2nd birth Spirit to spirit (spiritual
  birth/life)
• The second birth comes from Gods Spirit
• You cannot observe Gods Spirit directly or know
  where he will act next, but sometimes people can
  sense when he is working
• Note Jesus makes it personal!

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Nicodemus' Second Question

• 9     Nicodemus said to him, How can these
  things be?

• He asks another how question
• Astonishment, but more than astonishment
• How can this come to be, i.e., occur?

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Jesus' Reply

• 10     Jesus answered him, Are you the teacher
  of Israel and yet you do not understand these
  things?

• First, Jesus says you should already know about
  this.
• Implies this teaching was in the Old Testament

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Likely Old Testament Reference

• Ezekiel 3625-28
• I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall
  be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from
  all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will
  give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put
  within you. And I will remove the heart of stone
  from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

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Likely Old Testament Reference

• Ezekiel 3625-28
• I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall
  be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from
  all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will
  give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put
  within you. And I will remove the heart of stone
  from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

• God is promising
• He will cleanse people from their uncleannesses
  (what makes people unacceptable to God)

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Likely Old Testament Reference

• Ezekiel 3625-28
• I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall
  be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from
  all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will
  give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put
  within you. And I will remove the heart of stone
  from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

• God is promising
• He will cleanse people from their uncleannesses
• He will put a new spirit within them (i.e.,
  Spirit gives birth to spirit)

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Likely Old Testament Reference

• Ezekiel 3625-28
• I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall
  be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from
  all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will
  give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put
  within you. And I will remove the heart of stone
  from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

• God is promising
• He will cleanse people from their uncleannesses
• He will put a new spirit within them
• He will give people a new heartnot stony /
  insensitive, but responsive

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Jesus' Reply (continued)

• 11  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what
  we know, and bear witness to what we have seen,
  but you do not receive our testimony. 12  If I
  have told you earthly things and you do not
  believe, how can you believe if I tell you
  heavenly things? 13  No one has ascended into
  heaven except he who descended from heaven, the
  Son of Man.

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Jesus' Reply (continued)

• 11  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what
  we know, and bear witness to what we have seen,
  but you do not receive our testimony. 12  If I
  have told you earthly things and you do not
  believe, how can you believe if I tell you
  heavenly things? 13  No one has ascended into
  heaven except he who descended from heaven, the
  Son of Man.

• Next, Jesus says he knows what he is talking
  about. (How does he know about heavenly matters?)

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Jesus' Reply (continued)

• 11  Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what
  we know, and bear witness to what we have seen,
  but you do not receive our testimony. 12  If I
  have told you earthly things and you do not
  believe, how can you believe if I tell you
  heavenly things? 13  No one has ascended into
  heaven except he who descended from heaven, the
  Son of Man.

• Next, Jesus says he knows what he is talking
  about
• He says he knows about heavenly matters because
  he came from heaven

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Jesus' Reply (continued still)

• 14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
  wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
  15  that whoever believes in him may have eternal
  life.

• Finally Jesus answers the question, How can this
  be / occur?

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Jesus' Reply (continued still)

• 14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
  wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
  15  that whoever believes in him may have eternal
  life.

• Finally Jesus answers the question, How can this
  be / occur?
• He starts with a story from the Old Testament

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Story of Moses' Lifting the Serpent

• Numbers 21  
• 4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the
  Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the
  people became impatient on the way. 5  And the
  people spoke against God and against Moses, Why
  have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the
  wilderness? For there is no food and no water,
  and we loathe this worthless food.

• The Israelite people had been freed from slavery
  in Egypt by God and had witnessed many miracles.
  (God chose them to be his witnesses to the world)

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Story of Moses' Lifting the Serpent

• Numbers 21  
• 4 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the
  Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the
  people became impatient on the way. 5  And the
  people spoke against God and against Moses, Why
  have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the
  wilderness? For there is no food and no water,
  and we loathe this worthless food.

• The Israelite people had been freed from slavery
  in Egypt by God and had witnessed many miracles.
• After all God had done for them, how did they
  respond?

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• 6  Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the
  people, and they bit the people, so that many
  people of Israel died.

• God judged and punished them

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• 7  And the people came to Moses and said, We
  have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord
  and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take
  away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for
  the people.

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• 7  And the people came to Moses and said, We
  have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord
  and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take
  away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for
  the people.

• The people acknowledged their sin
• They asked Moses to pray to God for them to take
  away the serpents.

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• 8  And the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery
  serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is
  bitten, when he sees it, shall live. 9  So Moses
  made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And
  if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the
  bronze serpent and live.

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• 8  And the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery
  serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is
  bitten, when he sees it, shall live. 9  So Moses
  made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And
  if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the
  bronze serpent and live.

• God did not take away the serpents
• Instead he gave a remedy for the fatal
  consequences of their punishment.
• As people followed Gods remedy, they were saved

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Jesus' Reply (continued still)

• 14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
  wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
  15  that whoever believes in him may have eternal
  life.

• How we can have eternal life is like what
  happened in this story.
• (Eternal life is everlasting life in Gods
  kingdom. To enter, we must be born again.)

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Exploring the Analogy

• People in Moses Day

• People in Our Day

• Had sinned, and were facing impending death
• God provided a cure for their punishment-he had
  Moses lift up a statue

• Have sinned, and facing impending eternal death
• God provided a cure for our punishment-he had the
  Son of Man lifted up

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Exploring the Analogy

• People in Moses Day

• People in Our Day

• Whoever looked to Gods provision was healed by
  God and lived

• Whoever looks to Gods provision gets a new birth
  from God into eternal life

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Jesus' Reply (continued still)

• 14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
  wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
  15  that whoever believes in him may have eternal
  life.

• Jesus says this happens through believing in him
• Not just believe that
• Believe in trust your whole life with

The French tightrope walker Blondin asked a crowd
if they believed he could carry a man on a rope
over Niagra Falls. They said YES! Then he
asked, Who will volunteer? This is believe
in.
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Concluding Remarks

• 16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his
  only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
  perish but have eternal life. 17  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.

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Concluding Remarks

• 16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his
  only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
  perish but have eternal life. 17  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.

• Gods motivelove

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Concluding Remarks

• 16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his
  only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
  perish but have eternal life. 17  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.

• Gods motivelove
• Gods provisiongave his only son

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Concluding Remarks

• 16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his
  only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
  perish but have eternal life. 17  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.

• Gods motivelove
• Gods provisiongave his only son
• Gods reasonthat whoever believes in him should
  not perish but have eternal life

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Concluding Remarks

• 16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his
  only Son, that whoever believes in him should not
  perish but have eternal life. 17  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.

• Gods motivelove
• Gods provisiongave his only son
• Gods reasonthat whoever believes in him should
  not perish but have eternal life
• Gods ultimate endthe world may be saved

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Overall Summary
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Jesus' Solution for Our Lives World

• What Is It?
• A New Birth for a New Life
• Not an improvement of our old nature but an
  implantation of a new spiritual nature/life from
  God

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Jesus' Solution for Our Lives World

• Who Needs Jesus Solution?
• According to Jesus, Everyone
• Even the most moral and intellectual and religious

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Jesus' Solution for Our Lives World

• Why Do We Need It?
• To Enter Gods Kingdom / Have Eternal Life
• We have all done wrong and our natures are
  corrupted
• This results in 1) Gods condemnation and 2)
  alienation / disharmony with God, with others
  and in ourselves
• The new spiritual birth results in 1)
  reconciliation with God and 2) real personal
  transformation as this new spiritual life in
  Gods kingdom is cultivated
• This is Gods way to save people and the world

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Jesus' Solution for Our Lives World

• How Do We Experience Jesus Solution?
• By Believing in Jesus
• Involves recognizing your need
• Involves believing that Jesus is Gods provision
  for your need
• Involves entrusting your whole life with Jesus
  (willingly submitting yourself to Gods kingdom)

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Jesus' Solution for Our Lives World

• When Does It Happen?
• New life begins when you respond to the Spirits
  initiative and trust in Jesus
• Gods spirit blows where he wishes
• You sense yourself being attracted to Jesus
• You respond with trusting yourself with Jesus
• The new birth happens then, but it is just the
  start
• Fuller transformation happens with time and
  ongoing trust in God
• Changes show new life is present

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Responses

• Dont Believe It Now

• Believe It Now

• Is there some attraction though?
• If no, thanks for listening.
• If yes, look into it more. Maybe God is drawing
  you.

• Have you already put your trust in Jesus?
• If yes, keep growing in your relationship.
• If no, talk with someone about doing this.

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Discussion Questions

• Do you agree something is wrong in all of uswe
  have corrupted desires and do wrong? If so, how
  big a problem do you think this is?
• What questions do you have about Jesus solution
  for our lives and world?
• If you dont mind sharing, what response do you
  have to Jesus solution?