Nicodemus was very religious. And this was a major obstacle preventing him from receiving the teaching and understanding the message of Jesus.
Here’s a wonderful contrast between RELIGION and THE GOSPEL by Tim Keller:
RELIGION: I obey, therefore I’m accepted.
THE GOSPEL: I’m accepted, therefore I obey.
RELIGION: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.
THE GOSPEL: Motivation is based on grateful joy.
RELIGION: I obey God in order to get things from God.
THE GOSPEL: I obey God to get to God, to delight and resemble him.
RELIGION: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or myself, since I believe, like Job’s friends that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.
THE GOSPEL: When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his fatherly love within my trial.
RELIGION: When I am criticized, I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a “good person.” Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs.
THE GOSPEL: When I am criticized, I can take it. I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a “good person.” My identity is not built on my record or my performance, but on God’s love for me in Christ.
RELIGION: My prayer life consists largely of petition and only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of my environment.
THE GOSPEL: My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with God.
RELIGION: My self-view swings between two poles: If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel insecure, inadequate, and not confident. I feel like a failure.
THE GOSPEL: My self-view is not based on a view of myself as a moral achiever. In Christ I am “simul iustus et peccator”—simultaneously sinful and yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time, neither swaggering nor sniveling.
RELIGION: My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to “the other.”
THE GOSPEL: My identity and self-worth are centered on the one who died for his enemies and who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace, so I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. It is only by grace that I am what I am. I have no inner need to win arguments.
RELIGION: Since I look to my own pedigree or performance for my spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols. It may be my talents, my moral record, my personal discipline, my social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them so they serve as my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance, regardless of what I say I believe about God.
THE GOSPEL: I have many good things in my life: family, work, spiritual disciplines, etc. But none of these good things is an ultimate end for me. None of them is something I absolutely have to have, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despondency such things can inflict on me when they are threatened and lost.
After a full two years since Keri and I began this church planting journey with God, we celebrated the official launch, or Grand Opening, of MainStreet Covenant Church this Sunday at The Gillespie Center. What a joyful, energetic, Spirit-filled celebration it was. We had 180 people attend, and had to use the overflow parking lot our first Sunday! :)
Our worship team was incredible. Friendly greeters, ushers, and coffee crew made visitors feel at home. Our awesome Kids Ministry and Nursery volunteers sent kids home with smiles. I shared a message about the rich spiritual history in Mound including the dynamic ministry at Skogsbergh’s Point in the late 1800s. I shared the story of my “Macedonian Call” to be a servant in Mound that goes back 7 years, the Revolution ministry that planted the seeds that are now helping birth MainStreet. We had a Generations Prayer with Veronica, Keri and Ruby praying for past, present and future. Hearts were stirred. A few tears were shed. The Spirit of God was present. Praise God!
Thanks to all who are a part of this journey — prayer partners, financial supporters, mission friends and volunteers. Here’s a photo that captures our Sunday worship experience at the MainStreet. Keep your prayers coming, and come join us for worship sometime in Mound!
I wrote and shared this reflection on January 8, 2012, at our MainStreet Commissioning Service at Excelsior Covenant Church one week prior to the Grand Opening of MainStreet Covenant Church in Mound, Minnesota. -JB
That night Paul had a dream: A Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come together. We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news to the Europeans. (Acts 16:6-10 Message)
Erik August Skogsbergh (1850-1939)
I want to share a reflection on two images weaved into three different ministries at three different times. I hope this reflection will inspire the people involved with starting MainStreet Covenant Church in Mound, Minnesota, as we embark on this next phase of the journey. The images are (1) the Macedonian call to cross over the waters with the gospel, and (2) the vessel or boat necessary to cross the waters with the good news.
The Macedonia Call
The year was AD 51. The Apostle Paul, seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance in where to go next, had a dream one night. In the dream he saw a man from Macedonia standing on the far shore inviting him to cross over the waters and bring the gospel message to them. He obeyed the Spirit’s call, boarded a ship of some kind with his companions, crossed over the waters, and fruitful ministry resulted.
The Swedish Moody
The year was 1884. A Spirit-filled Swedish immigrant preacher from Sweden, very short in stature and weighing in at an unimpressive 117 pounds, nevertheless had a very big presence and the anointing of God when he stood up to preach. Everywhere he went to preach, crowds would come by the thousands and revival would often break out. His name was Eric August Skogsbergh, and he was widely known as “The Swedish Moody” as his ministry closely mirrored that of his famous friend and revivalist preacher Dwight L. Moody. Skogsbergh was one of the early pioneer leaders of the Covenant Church, who had
The Swedish Tabernacle (First Covenant, Minneapolis)
now come to Minneapolis to build the large Swedish Tabernacle Church now known as First Covenant Church. Stories abound of the electricity surrounding Skogsbergh’s ministry in Minneapolis. Once while he was preaching, the crowds were packed so tightly into the tabernacle, that the balcony began to give way and sunk down a whole 2 inches, so that the doors underneath were jammed shut. Such was the weightiness of this bold preacher’s message that stirred so many souls to New Birth in Christ.
Ministry on Lake Minnetonka
In the 1890s, Skogsbergh heard his own Macedonian call of sorts coming from across another body of water. It was the glory days of Lake Minnetonka, when people from the city would take the train out and board steamboats and fairies to cross the waters to summer cottages, hotels and resorts in this vacation wonderland. Skogsbergh purchased a plot of land on a beautiful wooded point on West Arm Bay near Mound, where he built a summer home that still stands there today. Continue Reading
What a great group of people – or church! – God has knit together “for such a time as this.” Next week we launch into weekly worship in Mound. Like watching Peter Bjorn develop in phases, MainStreet started sitting up on our own many months back, and this fall we began to crawl. Now, this coming Sunday, January 15, we will rise to our feet and walk — and before you can blink we’ll be running full speed toward the goals and mission God has placed before us in the Westonka area!
We’re exploring one of my favorite “Christ Encounters” in the Gospels — Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. Here’s how the clandestine story begins:
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:1-3)
One of the most shocking aspects of this exchange is that Nicodemus is a very religious, devout man. He is called “a Pharisee”, a member of the ruling counsel (Sanhedrin), and “a teacher of Israel.” The Pharisees were the most remarkable, scrupulously religious adherents to the Jewish Scriptures. Pharisees were, in the words of Barclay, “those who had separated themselves from all ordinary life in order to keep every detail of the law of the scribes” (123). His entire life’s purpose revolved around honoring God, understanding the Scriptures, and observing the appropriate religious customs and rituals. He was very religious.
But he will soon find out in his exchange with Jesus that religion isn’t enough. Nicodemus was still in the dark. This is the main significance behind the author’s telling us that Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. The darkness of night symbolizes the darkness in Nicodemus’s unregenerate mind and soul.
It’s often been said that “religion is man’s attempt to reach up to God” by good deeds and religious observances; and Christianity is the story of “God mercifully reaching down with the offer of salvation in Christ.” Nicodemus is busy with many religious tasks and obligations. Had he lived today, he would have perfect church attendance, possibly be the chair of the church counsel, living a morally upright life as a responsible citizen with a good standing among his neighbors and friends.
But he is still spiritually dead. As Barclay puts it: “Nicodemus was a puzzled man, a man with many honors and yet still lacking in his life. He came to Jesus for a talk so that somehow in the darkness of night he might find light” (124). All of us, religious or not, must make this same passage from spiritual darkness into the light of a New Life in Christ. Have you come into the light? Have you been born again from above?
Oh, LORD, breath your Holy Spirit upon all the religious people in our churches who have yet to be born again from above. Rescue us from our tendencies to try to be religious enough to please you, and help us to receive your gift of New Birth as we surrender our lives to you. Amen.
Let’s begin this New Year by getting back to one of the most basic and foundational spiritual truths: New Birth! Let’s spend sometime in the shoes of Nicodemus, a devout, religious man who was still lacking something.
Let’s imagine, just for fun, that Nicodemus went to Jesus late on New Year’s eve. He had spent the evening with friends doing the first century equivalent to eating nachos and watching Dick Clark at Times Square. Prior to the party, however, Nic had been doing some soul searching. He couldn’t get out of his mind the miracles and powerful message he had been witnessing of this popular preacher from Nazareth named Jesus. What did it all mean?
He was feeling a void in his soul – a subtle restlessness that all his religious knowledge and devotion just couldn’t seem to help. New Year’s Eve often causes one to reflect on the past year and inspire new hopes and aspirations for the coming year. A new beginning. A fresh start. A chance to get over the hill, kick the bad habit, find what’s missing, right what’s wrong, turn a new leaf, and live with more purpose and joy. All of these things were stirring in his soul as he left the party just after the giant stone ball dropped in Jerusalem (just go with it!). A storm of emotions bordering on despair and an irresistible curiosity to get to the bottom of this Jesus figure, led him to do the unthinkable.
In the middle of the night, Nic walked to the place where Jesus was staying, and knocked on the door. Nic was risking reputation among his fellow religious leaders who considered Jesus a false prophet and blasphemer, as well as risking upsetting the famous rabbi by disturbing him at this late hour of night.
Knock. Knock. Knock. The sound echoed into the abandoned village streets. Knock. Knock. Knock. “Will he answer?” wondered Nic. “If he does, what kind of reception will I receive?” All was dark for the moment. Stay tuned.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. -JESUS
