ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Disney Invasion: December 19th – 21st. Please sign up A.S.A.P. Cost is $215 if you turned in early deposit. If no early deposit it is $245.
Christmas Party: This coming Sunday we are having a Christmas party for the youth at 6pm.
Last night was our final message for the series attached. If you remember last week we talked about how we all attach ourselves to things in life in search for an identity. The world will try everything it can to get us to attach ourselves to something other than God. Answering the question “Who am I?” is one of life’s biggest struggles. In order to answer this we must attach ourselves to the One who knows us—Jesus. Once we do this we find that we are God’s sons and daughters, and because of this we are his beloved. This truth is what we must attach ourselves to because this is who we are.
Becoming this, though, is going to take risk. There is going to be a cost. Life how we planned it may not turn out as we expected it to. There are going to be things that we like that we are going to have to lay down or detach from in order to attach to God and experience an intimate relationship with Him, whether it is our reputation, a sport, a grade, or popularity. Because of the things we must give up many of us are scared to love Jesus passionately. This fear leads to a functional relationship with God. For example, “I’ll go to church and say a prayer and in exchange I’ll go to heaven when I die.” We can stay in a functional relationship and never be attached to Jesus.
Anything worth having is going to cost something. If you think about it, is there really a cost to attaching yourself to Jesus (think about what you get in return)? Yes! There is absolutely a cost. It will be the biggest risk you’ll ever take but the return on the investment is substantially greater than the amount of risk.
John 3:1-10 gives an example of a man named Nicodemus that questioned whether it was worth it or not to take the risk. Nicodemus was a high official who knew all 618 Jewish laws. In other words, he knew religion like the back of his hand. One night Nic came to Jesus and told Jesus, “I know you are from because no man could do the miracles you do apart from God.” Jesus in return responded, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” Nic was completely confused about what born again meant. Jesus addresses Nic’s question and explains that no one can enter God’s kingdom unless he is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus was still confused and walked away.
Why did Nicodemus not get it? Was it because he didn’t understand what Jesus was saying? No, the reason he did not get it was because Jesus’ words sounded too risky to him. This God Jesus was talking about was too adventurous and untamed. The God Nic was used to was safe. He was a god boxed in by religion and laws. To have this relationship that Jesus was talking about meant he would have to surrender all. It would cost him his life. He no longer could just go to Bible class to be a Christian. He no longer could just go to church with parents and be safe. He would now have to be a Christ follower. He would now have to pursue Him and lay down his desires for God’s desires.
Who wants to attach to Jesus? We all do! The problem is not that we don’t want to. The problem is we don’t want to unattach from other things. We have the mentality that we’ll just serve God and…”
In the end what happened to Nicodemus? In John 19:25-42 Nicodemus comes back on the scene as a new man. After Jesus died on the cross Joseph, accompanied by Nicodemus took Jesus’ body and wrapped it. Here Nicodemus was, a Pharisee that had a reputation as one of the most knowledgeable men of his day, laying down his reputation to help take care of Jesus’ body. He was now attached to Jesus. Though he knew he had would be detaching from his reputation he had worked so hard for, he knew that it was well worth it. He now understood what it meant to intimately know God.
Are you willing to take the risk? It will cost all you have? He is not tame. He will rip your life apart to give you one better than you could ever imagine.
