True Faith: Beyond Superficial Interest in Christ

 

Summary

Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a master in Israel, presents a remarkable case of openness and humility in the face of Jesus Christ's teachings and miracles. Unlike many of his peers, Nicodemus was not prejudiced against Jesus. He recognized Jesus as a teacher sent from God, acknowledging the divine nature of His miracles. Despite his status and knowledge, Nicodemus was humble enough to seek Jesus out, risking his reputation among the Pharisees. This openness, however, was not enough to make him a Christian or a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Jesus, in His interaction with Nicodemus, emphasized the need for a fundamental transformation—a rebirth—indicating that intellectual acknowledgment and admiration are insufficient for true faith.

This leads to a deeper exploration of what constitutes false belief. Many are attracted to Jesus' personality and miracles, yet remain outside the Kingdom because their interest is superficial. They admire Jesus as a historical figure or a moral teacher but are not committed to His teachings. They are fascinated by the phenomena and miracles but are not humbled or transformed by His words. This superficial belief is characterized by a lack of interest in Jesus' teachings and a reliance on personal understanding rather than a humble acceptance of divine truth.

The critical question is not whether we are interested in Jesus, but whether He is interested in us. True faith involves a personal relationship with Christ, where He actively engages with and transforms our lives. If Jesus is interested in us, He will disturb and lead us, drawing us away from worldly distractions and towards a deeper spiritual life. This divine interest is evidenced by a sense of being drawn and led by Him, a presence that disturbs and elevates our thoughts, leading us to a higher understanding and commitment.

Key Takeaways:

- Nicodemus exemplifies the openness and humility needed to approach Jesus, yet his story illustrates that intellectual acknowledgment and admiration are not enough for true faith. True belief requires a fundamental transformation, a rebirth that goes beyond mere interest in Jesus' miracles and teachings. [21:19]

- False belief is characterized by a superficial interest in Jesus' personality and miracles without a commitment to His teachings. Many admire Jesus as a historical figure or moral teacher but remain outside the Kingdom because they are not transformed by His words. [22:36]

- True faith involves a personal relationship with Christ, where He actively engages with and transforms our lives. The critical question is not whether we are interested in Jesus, but whether He is interested in us. [33:04]

- If Jesus is interested in us, He will disturb and lead us, drawing us away from worldly distractions and towards a deeper spiritual life. This divine interest is evidenced by a sense of being drawn and led by Him, a presence that disturbs and elevates our thoughts. [39:02]

- The presence of Christ in our lives is marked by a continuous drawing and leading towards a higher understanding and commitment. This presence disturbs us with elevated thoughts, leading us away from worldly distractions and towards a deeper spiritual life. [39:33]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [17:25] - Nicodemus: A Remarkable Case
- [18:44] - Recognition of Jesus' Divinity
- [19:43] - Nicodemus' Risk and Humility
- [21:19] - The Necessity of Rebirth
- [22:36] - Characteristics of False Belief
- [24:05] - Attraction to Personality
- [25:34] - Fascination with Phenomena
- [28:14] - Lack of Interest in Teaching
- [30:25] - The Unhumbled Heart
- [32:27] - Uselessness of False Belief
- [33:04] - Is Jesus Interested in You?
- [36:12] - Signs of Divine Interest
- [39:02] - Being Drawn and Led by Christ
- [39:33] - Presence that Disturbs and Elevates

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- John 3:1-21 (The story of Nicodemus and Jesus)
- Matthew 7:21-23 (True and false disciples)
- James 2:19 (Faith without works)

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Observation Questions:

1. What was Nicodemus' position and how did it influence his approach to Jesus? [17:25]
2. How did Nicodemus' recognition of Jesus' miracles differ from the general attitude of the Pharisees? [18:26]
3. What was Jesus' response to Nicodemus' acknowledgment of His miracles, and what did He emphasize instead? [21:05]
4. According to the sermon, what are the characteristics of false belief as seen in Nicodemus and others? [22:19]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. Why might Jesus have emphasized the need for rebirth to Nicodemus, despite his openness and recognition of Jesus' divine nature? [21:19]
2. How does the sermon describe the difference between being interested in Jesus and Jesus being interested in us? [33:04]
3. What does it mean for Jesus to "disturb" and "lead" us, and how is this a sign of His interest in us? [39:02]
4. How does the sermon illustrate the insufficiency of intellectual acknowledgment of Jesus without transformation? [21:19]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own faith journey. Have you ever found yourself more interested in Jesus' miracles or personality than His teachings? How can you shift your focus to a deeper understanding of His words? [22:36]
2. Consider a time when you felt "disturbed" or "led" by Jesus. How did this experience draw you closer to Him, and how can you remain open to His guidance in your daily life? [39:02]
3. In what ways might you be relying on your own understanding rather than seeking a humble acceptance of divine truth? How can you cultivate a more childlike faith? [21:05]
4. How can you ensure that your interest in Jesus is not superficial? What steps can you take to deepen your personal relationship with Him? [33:04]
5. Identify any worldly distractions that might be hindering your spiritual growth. What practical steps can you take this week to minimize these distractions and focus on your relationship with Christ? [39:33]
6. Reflect on the question, "Is Jesus interested in you?" How can you seek evidence of His interest in your life, and how might this change your approach to faith? [33:04]
7. How can you encourage others in your community to move beyond a superficial belief in Jesus and towards a transformative relationship with Him? What role can you play in this process? [22:36]

Devotional

Day 1: Openness and Humility in Seeking Truth
Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a master in Israel, exemplifies the openness and humility needed to approach Jesus. Despite his status and knowledge, he was willing to risk his reputation to seek out Jesus, recognizing Him as a teacher sent from God. This openness, however, was not enough to make him a Christian or a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Jesus emphasized the need for a fundamental transformation—a rebirth—indicating that intellectual acknowledgment and admiration are insufficient for true faith. Nicodemus' story illustrates that true belief requires a transformation that goes beyond mere interest in Jesus' miracles and teachings. [21:19]

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to move beyond mere admiration of Jesus to a deeper transformation? How can you seek this transformation today?


Day 2: The Danger of Superficial Belief
False belief is characterized by a superficial interest in Jesus' personality and miracles without a commitment to His teachings. Many admire Jesus as a historical figure or moral teacher but remain outside the Kingdom because they are not transformed by His words. This superficial belief is marked by a lack of interest in Jesus' teachings and a reliance on personal understanding rather than a humble acceptance of divine truth. It is crucial to move beyond fascination with phenomena and develop a genuine commitment to His teachings. [22:36]

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions." (2 Timothy 4:3, ESV)

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you find yourself more fascinated by the miracles and personality of Jesus than committed to His teachings? How can you deepen your commitment today?


Day 3: The Importance of a Personal Relationship with Christ
True faith involves a personal relationship with Christ, where He actively engages with and transforms our lives. The critical question is not whether we are interested in Jesus, but whether He is interested in us. This relationship is marked by His active presence in our lives, drawing us away from worldly distractions and towards a deeper spiritual life. It is through this divine interest that we experience transformation and growth in our faith. [33:04]

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." (John 15:4, ESV)

Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper personal relationship with Christ today? What steps can you take to ensure that you are abiding in Him?


Day 4: Signs of Divine Interest
If Jesus is interested in us, He will disturb and lead us, drawing us away from worldly distractions and towards a deeper spiritual life. This divine interest is evidenced by a sense of being drawn and led by Him, a presence that disturbs and elevates our thoughts. It is through this presence that we are led to a higher understanding and commitment, moving beyond superficial belief to a genuine transformation. [39:02]

"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." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)

Reflection: Can you identify moments in your life where you have felt disturbed or led by Christ? How can you respond to His leading today?


Day 5: The Continuous Presence of Christ
The presence of Christ in our lives is marked by a continuous drawing and leading towards a higher understanding and commitment. This presence disturbs us with elevated thoughts, leading us away from worldly distractions and towards a deeper spiritual life. It is through this continuous presence that we experience transformation and growth in our faith, moving beyond superficial belief to a genuine commitment to His teachings. [39:33]

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2, ESV)

Reflection: How can you set your mind on things above today? What practical steps can you take to ensure that you are continuously drawn and led by Christ?

Quotes


Here is a man who is a master in his Israel he's a great teacher he is an expert in the law he was a Pharisee and authority and yet you notice that in spite of that and unlike the majority of his colleagues and his fellow Pharisees he is not prejudiced against the Lord Jesus Christ. [00:17:14]

Having again watched our Lord and his miracles he recognized that he must be a teacher sent from God for when he went to our Lord that's what he said to him we know that thou art a teacher sent come from God for no man can do these Miracles that thou doest except God be with him. [00:18:32]

He takes the trouble to investigate further by going by night to seek this interview with the Lord Jesus Christ and of course there is no question whatsoever that in doing that Nicodemus was taking a great risk he knew the attitude and the position of the majority of the Pharisees his colleagues. [00:19:50]

In other words it is possible to be in this position of Nicodemus and still not to be a Christian not to be a citizen of the kingdom of God never rarely to have entered into the kingdom itself now then I say here is something that is surely staggering and frightening. [00:21:13]

The first thing is that they only had a general interest in the Lord Jesus Christ a general interest what do I mean by a general interest well here it is obviously they were interested in and attracted by his person and by his personality you see you can be interested in the Lord Jesus Christ as a person and yet not be a Christian. [00:22:28]

There are many people in the world who are great admirers of the Lord Jesus Christ but they're not Christians that doesn't make us Christians there are people who stand back as it were and look at him and say isn't he the greatest personality that the world has ever seen. [00:23:33]

They were interested in the phenomena we are told and you notice how explicit the scripture is many believed in his name when they saw the Miracles which he did now here again is a very great characteristic of this mentality and this kind of person they're always interested in phenomena. [00:25:19]

There is a type of person who's interested in the Lord Jesus Christ who isn't interested in his teaching at all they say I'm not interested in all your talk about the cross and his death upon the cross I'm not interested in your doctrines and in your theology I'm interested in this great person. [00:29:28]

They were quite evidently not humbled you see these are the people who trust to their own understanding it's shown very perfectly in Nicodemus who when our Lord does begin to teach him argues with him pulls him up and says what you mean can a man be born when he's old. [00:30:28]

The first thing that you and I have got to understand about this kingdom of God is this it is primarily not a question of what we do but of what he does or if you like it I'll even put it like this what really matters is not so much whether we are interested in him as whether he is interested in us. [00:33:10]

If he is not interested in you he will leave you to yourself and Jesus Christ will only appear in your life when you choose to look at him I mean by that that if he is not interested in you well he leave you severely alone and he give you to yourself. [00:36:08]

When he's interested in us we always have a sense of being drawn by him and of being led by him you see isn't a remarkable thing the thing I wasn't thinking about it at the time but you know I just felt something was happening to me I was being drawn I was being led. [00:38:39]

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Transcript
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