Participants: Pr. Roger Duncan
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000360
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00:30 I want to welcome you to Faith Chapel today.
00:34 My name is Evangelist Roger Duncan 00:37 from the island of Trinidad and Tobago, 00:40 South Caribbean Conference. 00:42 My subject today is Night Visitor. 00:46 Let's pray. Father in heaven we thank you 00:49 for being here. We thank you for your word. 00:53 We thank you that you love us so much. 00:56 We ask you to do speak out of this book. 01:00 May you touch your people, may this not 01:03 just be on ordinary word, but the word 01:07 that would affect people profoundly 01:09 and for eternity in Jesus name, Amen. 01:14 I just want to turn to John the 2nd chapter, 01:18 reading from verse 23 to 25. The Bible speaks 01:25 and this is what it says, Now when he was 01:28 in Jerusalem at the passover at the 01:31 feast day, many believed in his name, 01:35 when they saw the miracles which he did. 01:40 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, 01:44 because he knew all men, And needed not that 01:50 any should testify of man: 01:52 for he knew what was in man. 01:56 I remember I was traveling in an 01:59 aeroplane over New York City, 02:03 and as we descended on the city I remember 02:07 looking out through my window looking 02:11 how beautiful is city looks at night, 02:14 the lights with different colors 02:17 and it was just a beautiful scene 02:19 and I remember wandering in my mind, 02:21 how beautiful runway lights look 02:25 on an airport as JFK. And as we descended 02:30 on that airport I remember as we were 02:32 about a thousand or so feet up, the pilot 02:36 in that plane jumped out of the plane 02:39 and the plane started to plummet down and down, 02:44 I remember peoples screaming and the fay 02:47 and hysteria, that was in that airplane 02:50 it just keep going down, down, down, 02:52 going to nose dive, eventually of course 02:55 the plane crashed the fact that I am standing 02:59 here to tell you the story is because 03:03 I survived but the thing is that's a 03:05 parable, but this is the point; the point is, 03:10 it is good to have runway lights 03:13 on the outside but I prefer if I have to 03:17 choose to have a pilot on the inside 03:21 because if a pilot is on the inside even though 03:25 there is no lights on the outside he could 03:27 still land the plane. Now there is a cancer 03:32 of the human heart that likes external things 03:36 better than internal strength and victory. 03:39 We like to look good on the outside rather 03:43 than have it on the inside because 03:46 when it's on the outside people could see it 03:48 and they could applause and they could 03:50 praise us. But when Jesus came on earth, 03:53 He emphasized having internal strength, 03:57 internal power, first cleaning the inside 04:02 of the cup then the outside. Jesus most 04:06 of his emphasis was on people getting 04:09 the heart right before they think about 04:12 outer things. He looked at the Pharisees 04:15 and he said you are like whited sepulchers. 04:17 You look good on the outside but then the 04:20 inside is dead man bones. So Jesus placed 04:25 the emphasis in his Ministry on the 04:27 inner man because when the inner man 04:30 is cleanest then the outer man could be 04:32 taking care of, but human being today 04:35 even in Christendom, people have a way 04:38 of emphasizing the external. You have 04:42 the truth, you clap your hands, 04:44 you do this, you do that or the other 04:47 on the outside and they sacrifice 04:49 the internal strength. Some people have 04:57 public success. I am a doctor, 04:58 I am lawyer, I am a successful 04:59 businessman, I am a successful Christian, 05:02 public success but have private failures 05:06 because there is no strength and as to this 05:08 cancer today I come to speak, there are 05:11 people for example for wedding, they will 05:13 spend tons of money on the wedding dress, 05:18 the wedding cake to have cards and 05:21 bridesmaid spend a lot of money on the 05:25 wedding ceremony, on the ring, expensive 05:28 diamond ring just to look good for people 05:31 to see. But when they do get marry we don't 05:34 spend 1/10th of that money to keep the 05:37 marriage because people are more 05:40 concerned on how they look on the 05:42 outside. You will quarrel with your 05:44 spouse all the way from the home to the 05:48 car, to the church but when you reach the 05:51 church somebody ask you how things are going? 05:54 You smile say it's alright because we 05:56 must look good for the people outside but 05:59 people are not mindful of the inner 06:02 mind and so Jesus emphasis that we 06:07 must place emphasis on the internal. 06:11 You cannot have kingdom behavior 06:15 without first having the heart of the king. 06:19 The priority is not just obeying the rules 06:23 but having the heart of the ruler. 06:26 You must have the internal change before 06:29 you can think about external things. 06:32 And so I also remember I was doing 06:35 an ultrasound on a woman. 06:38 She was about 4 months pregnant. 06:42 She had missed the period. 06:43 She had had the morning sickness, 06:45 here ankle swollen. She had all the signs, 06:49 her tummy was big. It was scratching 06:51 her because as your tummy grows when 06:54 you are pregnant your skin begins to itch. 06:57 She had all of those things but as I was 07:00 doing the ultrasound I was not seeing any 07:03 fetus. I was not seeing any baby. 07:06 Eventually call the radiologist and when 07:09 the radiologist looked at the woman's 07:12 tummy realized that there was no baby there. 07:16 And so in spite of this fact that she 07:18 had all the signs of pregnancy, 07:21 the swelled stomach, the missing of the 07:24 period all these things she had no baby. 07:27 So she had the external works but no 07:31 inner chart, and so how crushing it was 07:34 to tell this mother that you know what you 07:37 are really not pregnant and so one 07:40 of the points I want to make right here it is 07:43 possible to go to church, have your 07:45 Bible, read the text, preach the sermon, 07:49 sing the songs and yet there is no real Jesus 07:53 in the inner man. I have looked over 07:55 crossing them over the age and I've 07:57 discovered that people have a lot of the 08:00 externals, the entrappings that goes 08:02 along to church. But they don't have 08:06 that you know Jesus. If Jesus lived in our 08:09 hearts the way in which you want to, 08:12 we will just spread this Gospel with 08:13 lightening speed and leave this earth. 08:17 And so in my text Jesus will many 08:20 miracles and the people believed 08:23 because they saw miracles. Some people will 08:27 only believe in you when they see miracles. 08:30 But you have to do what God 08:32 has led on your heart, operate in your gift, 08:36 even though people don't believe on you 08:39 because Jesus said, that he knew what 08:42 was in man so he didn't give Himself to man. 08:46 Jesus was not elated by the applause of 08:49 man, neither was he rejected by their frown. 08:54 He was fixed. He knew his mission. 08:57 He knew who he was, and in spite of 08:59 people's opinion He still did what God 09:02 had laid in his heart. Because you see 09:05 today people will say to you Hosanna bless 09:09 to see that comes in the name of the Lord, 09:11 and they will praise you. But tomorrow the 09:14 same people from the same mouth will cry, 09:17 crucify. So that Jesus didn't way off to the 09:22 opinions of man. He state firm and I want 09:24 to suggest us whatever gift God has 09:27 bless you with, whatever God has 09:29 placed inside of you, don't let people's 09:32 opinion of you, move you; you have 09:35 to operate on the opinion the Jesus has placed 09:39 upon you. Because Jesus will call you a 09:42 mighty man of valor like he did Gideon 09:45 even though you maybe trembling in a 09:47 trust and flow. Jesus sees in potential so 09:51 he will call you great even when you think 09:54 you are nobody. So you have to go 09:57 on what Jesus says you. So in my particular 10:00 text, Jesus says, that he knows what is in 10:04 the heart of man. When he begins to 10:07 exhibit and to show us what is in man's heart, 10:11 and he uses in John chapter 3, to explain 10:16 to us what is in John's heart. 10:19 And so he says in our heart, he says, 10:22 there was a man and it uses a Greek work 10:26 anthropos in another words she is not using 10:29 a "Aner" which mean an individual man. 10:32 He is using anthropos and so he is using 10:34 mankind. Jesus is using Nicodemus as 10:39 an example of mankind. And this Nicodemus 10:43 he came to Jesus by night. Some people will 10:48 only come to Jesus at certain times and so 10:51 as Christians as people who believe 10:54 in God we must be welcoming to people 10:57 who will come at night. Now it's very easy to 11:01 use the letter of the book to say if you 11:04 don't confess Jesus before man then he 11:08 will not confess you. But because of God is 11:11 a God who condescends to meet man where 11:15 they are, He met Nicodemus where he was. 11:19 Nicodemus was shamed to come in the 11:20 day so he came by night but Jesus still 11:24 speak to him I found God for his love that 11:28 he such a good God that he meets us where we are. 11:35 And so I thank God for that. 11:36 I bless the soul that He meets us where we are. 11:41 He tells us come as you are, 11:43 but not stay where we are. So God welcomes us 11:48 into his kingdom where we are, what 11:50 we eat, what we dress but once we come to 11:52 Him, He begins to walk in our hearts so 11:55 that we can change progressively. 11:58 So Nicodemus came by night. 12:01 But Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jew. 12:05 Nicodemus was a Christian. Nicodemus was a preacher. 12:10 Nicodemus understood the Bible. 12:12 He knew Greek and Hebrew, he could 12:14 exquisite the text, he was a teacher of the Law. 12:19 Even though Nicodemus regime 12:22 that he was a scholar, par excellent, he was 12:25 a great man of God. He was a member of 12:28 the Sanhedrin. He was top in his profession. 12:33 He was a great man, yet Jesus said to 12:37 Nicodemus that you must be born again. 12:42 Now here is the point. Just imagine this great 12:46 man of God, this Christian man 12:49 because he was a Pharisee, he paid 12:51 thieve, he kept the Sabbath, he believed 12:55 the truth, he didn't eat unclean meat, in fact, 12:58 Nicodemus fasted about 3 times a week, 13:02 he washed his hands when he was going to 13:05 eat, he did all that yet Jesus looked at this 13:09 man, and said, you must be born again. 13:14 Is it possible that I could attend your 13:17 service, I could have a higher office, 13:20 I could be a cardinal, I could be a vice 13:22 president of a large institution, I am a 13:25 pastor of a church, I am an elder, I teach 13:28 the lessons, I preach the message, 13:31 I sing the song, I have all these strappings of 13:34 a Christian and yet the finger could be 13:38 pointed at me saying you must be born again. 13:43 Nicodemus was amazed that because 13:45 as far as he is concerned I am a 13:47 great man of God. I teach the theology 13:50 class, I am a teacher of the law, I know the 13:53 law, you can't be talking to me, yes, 13:56 Jesus was talking to him. It tells me therefore, 14:01 my brothers and sisters, my viewer and 14:03 audience that is possible that I could 14:05 have all these things, I could have my Bible, 14:09 I could read it every day, I could go to 14:11 church and do all these things and yet 14:15 I don't have a born again experience. 14:18 It is very important to make sure in spite of 14:22 your church life, or in spite of whatever that 14:25 you have an experience with God 14:28 that is individualistic that is pulsating 14:31 that is a life you have that connection with 14:34 God because church of itself religious 14:38 activities of itself cannot save you. 14:41 There are too many people who are busy 14:44 in the work of the Lord and they don't 14:47 have the Lord of the work in their heart, 14:50 and so Nicodemus was that kind of man, 14:53 and so Jesus said to him in verse 3. 14:57 Jesus answered and said unto him, 14:59 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except 15:02 a man be born again, he cannot 15:05 see the kingdom of God. Now see in this context 15:10 mean he cannot participate in the 15:12 kingdom, kingdom, he cannot participate 15:15 in the kingdom. You see when you 15:17 are born again you're like an ambassador in 15:21 the kingdom of God and an ambassador is 15:24 a powerful position. One of the things 15:25 about ambassadors, ambassadors cannot 15:29 give their own opinion. You could only speak 15:32 the opinion of your kingdom. 15:34 And so once you are an ambassador all you 15:37 have to get is the information from your 15:40 kingdom that is why the Christian life in 15:43 this context is easy. You don't have to 15:45 manufacture your opinions, because you 15:47 belong to a kingdom and I belong to a 15:50 kingdom that tells me that the Ten 15:52 Commandments, it's still applicable to thee. 15:55 So even though people must say it's 15:57 not I'm under born for my government to say 16:01 that it's still applicable, as an 16:03 ambassador, when you an ambassador 16:06 you don't have to fear because you have the 16:09 army of your kingdom behind you. 16:12 If anybody touch you, they will have to deal 16:16 with your kingdom and so God wants us 16:19 to have kingdom living. Do you know that the 16:22 United States Embassy in Haiti, 16:25 even though Haiti is poor, that United 16:29 states Embassy of itself is not a poor 16:33 place, is not a building that is run 16:35 down, is not a bad building. 16:38 It has all the facilities. In fact anything the 16:41 ambassador and it's crew needs, they can 16:44 get it from their kingdom. Once you're born 16:47 again even though you are in a poor 16:49 place which represents earth your kingdom is 16:53 rich, and so you turn to your kingdom for 16:58 help and so you have a vibrant prayer life, 17:02 a life that once you need something you 17:04 call to your kingdom and you will kingdom 17:07 will supply it. The reason why so 17:09 many people are starving spiritually 17:13 and have an empty experience because 17:15 they are not truly born again, yes you went 17:18 down in the water; yes you have the 17:20 trappings, but look at Nicodemus. Jesus told 17:23 him, except a man be born again he cannot 17:28 enter, he cannot participate in 17:31 kingdom living. An embassy or an 17:34 ambassador is as rich as his kingdom, 17:38 not way he is. In other words even though 17:41 I'm on earth, I'm in the world, but I'm not 17:46 off the world, I'm in this country as an 17:50 ambassador but I'm not off this country, 17:53 I'm as rich as the country I'm from, 17:56 not the country I'm residing now. 17:59 And so as ambassadors in the 18:01 kingdom of God, we are just to here as 18:04 so journals, but rarely we belong to a 18:07 kingdom that is rich. When you understand 18:10 that you belong to this kingdom you will 18:13 walk a certain way, you will talk a certain 18:16 way, you will eat a certain way. 18:18 It will effect your entire life, but 18:21 Nicodemus even though he was 18:23 intellectual, even though he preached 18:25 the sermon, even though he paid his 18:27 tithe cummin, of mint and anise and fasted, 18:31 he did not have a born again experience. 18:35 It is of this issue that burns my heart 18:39 everywhere I go because I see people have 18:42 things of God, without having God 18:45 himself and I urge you to question 18:48 yourself, am I just going to church? 18:50 Am I just reading my Bible? Am I just believe in this? 18:54 But I'm not really having a rich, vibrant 18:57 born again experience. Now Jesus went onto 19:02 say: Nicodemus saith unto him, how can a 19:05 man be born again when he is old? 19:07 can he enter the second time into his 19:10 mother's womb, and Jesus answered, 19:13 and said unto him, I say unto you, 19:16 Except a man be born of water and of the 19:20 Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom. 19:23 Now, I want you to look at verse 7. 19:26 Verse 7 says: "Marvel not that I said unto 19:30 thee, ye must be born again". 19:34 Now Nicodemus is surprise and the 19:36 reason why Nicodemus is surprise 19:40 because he is a Christian, because he 19:44 believes, because he pays his tithes. 19:47 Because he does all these religious things, 19:51 he marvels and so Jesus said don't 19:53 marvel, don't be surprise it's possible 19:56 to have all these things and yet be not 20:00 born again. Now, what bothers me 20:02 about the text is that Jesus says, 20:06 Ye must be born again. Now Ye in this 20:09 text is a plural poor noun. In other words Jesus 20:13 was saying you all. Now watch this 20:17 Nicodemus belonged to the Sanhedrin. 20:20 He belonged to the council of elders. 20:23 He belonged to these men that ruled 20:25 the organization. Now Jesus is saying 20:29 not only you Nicodemus needs to 20:32 be born of again, he's using the plural poor 20:35 noun, he's saying you all, all of you that 20:39 belong to the Sanhedrin need a born 20:43 again experience. Now that is mind 20:45 blowing because they're the rulers. 20:48 They're one in-charge. They're the one that 20:51 teaches the law. They're the one that 20:53 gets up on the Sabbath Day and read 20:56 the scrolls. They're the one that is 20:58 responsible for teaching the church. 21:01 And in this context Jesus is looking of 21:04 this man eyeball to eyeball and saying to 21:07 him you all must be born again. 21:11 It tells me something as a man of God, 21:14 whatever organization I belong to there is no 21:17 safety in just belonging to whatever 21:20 my post is, whatever my educational status 21:24 in life, whatever money I have in the 21:26 bank it is not the determinant factor. 21:29 The determinant factor is that I must 21:32 have a born again experience with Jesus 21:35 that is continual and continuous and that 21:38 I pray and fast and stay in a 21:41 relationship with Jesus. That is so vibrant that 21:44 I keep growing and growing and moving 21:47 in on and on until the perfect day and the 21:51 reason why I keep emphasis in this 21:53 particular point because everywhere 21:56 I go. I see people emphasis in their 21:59 external hence the reason why the 22:01 Apostle Paul as if exacerbated he said 22:04 that we maybe strengthen with might 22:07 in the inner man. He uses the Greek 22:10 word that it says Endotome; he uses 22:13 the word for impressive strength, 22:15 inner strength because Paul understood 22:18 if you have inner strength in the inner 22:21 man it was flow on the outside. 22:24 And so this is the emphasis of Jesus 22:26 anywhere you go Jesus most chasing 22:30 your marks, who are people who attend 22:34 church religious Pharisees who teach 22:37 the law, who teach all of these, pay their 22:40 tithes, has most caring remarks was to them 22:43 and the reason is that it's possible to get 22:46 comfortable with religious activities 22:50 and miss out on a born again experience. 22:53 So, Jesus says marvel not that I say 22:57 unto thee you must be born again and 23:00 of course in the chapter he go on to 23:03 explain the working of the Holy Spirit. 23:08 But then Nicodemus saith unto him in 23:09 verse 9: Nicodemus answered and said 23:12 unto him, how can these things be? 23:15 How could I do it? How, how, how, 23:19 verse 10 says: Jesus answered and said 23:22 unto him, Art thou a master, he use a 23:27 definite article art thou a master in 23:31 Israel. Jesus is pinning him down 23:33 now. Jesus is saying Nicodemus you are a 23:36 leader, you are your pastor, you are a vice 23:40 president in a huge conference, you are a 23:42 head man and I'm saying to you that, 23:46 thou art a master of Israel, you have a 23:49 high post Nicodemus. And knowest not 23:53 these things? Here is the point. 23:56 Jesus is saying to this man that you a great 23:59 man of God, and you don't know, now the 24:02 Greek word that is not just intellectual knowledge. 24:07 Nicodemus had that knowledge, but Jesus 24:10 is saying you don't know from experience 24:14 what is it to be born again? 24:16 And Jesus was trying to get Nicodemus to 24:19 this point to see that religious activities 24:22 alone will not do it. It will not save him. 24:26 He needs to be born again, he needs to 24:28 have the king inside, he needs to have the 24:31 pilot inside not just light outside. 24:34 Now it's wonderful to have lights outside. 24:40 But it's better to have the lights on the 24:43 outside and the pilot on the inside but if 24:47 you have to sacrifice one for another, 24:51 it is better to have Jesus in the inside. 24:55 Because when Jesus is in the inside he can 24:58 land your place. And so Jesus says 25:02 to Nicodemus you're a master of the Jew, 25:05 you're ambassador in Israel and you alone 25:07 know from experience these things. 25:11 Nicodemus needed to know that he needs a 25:14 true encounter with Jesus, but upon 25:17 reading the scriptures, upon reading the 25:19 Bible you discover that that hard talk to 25:23 Nicodemus gotten his heart. And he followed 25:26 Jesus teaching and he followed Jesus 25:29 ministry and even though he came by 25:31 night and he hid in the darkness of the night, 25:37 yet the light of the glorious gospel of 25:40 Jesus Christ got in his heart and eventually 25:43 when Jesus was in the cross both Nicodemus 25:46 and Joseph of Arimathea went and 25:49 beg the body of Jesus. And so we see from 25:52 the story Nicodemus eventually got the 25:56 message change his life and he was 25:58 transform and had a born again experience. 26:01 And the book of Acts tells us that when 26:04 Peter preached, and they begin to preach 26:06 the gospel a lot of scribes and Pharisees 26:09 came in and they were changed. 26:11 I'm suggesting to us in view our land. 26:14 We need examine ourselves, we need to 26:17 examine our hearts, we need to see where 26:20 are we placing our emphasis? 26:23 Are we just trying to look good into 26:24 outside, wear a nice suite, have a nice 26:27 face, have a lot of money? But no Jesus inside no 26:32 Jesus says to us whatever your 26:34 position is, whatever your status in life is. 26:37 Wherever you are yes you may have a big 26:40 post, good education, Masters Degrees, 26:43 Ph.D. all these things on the outside are 26:47 wonderful but you know what? 26:49 Do you know what I've come to say to 26:50 you that you need to be born again? 26:54 Those of you who are looking, you need to 26:58 be born again. The message comes 27:01 home and Jesus is speaking to your 27:04 heart, are you just religious? 27:07 Are you just a whited sepulcher? 27:09 Do you have all these things in the outside? 27:12 But Jesus is changing your face today and 27:15 saying you must be born again, you need 27:21 a rich, vibrant, pulsating a live 27:26 relationship with your God. 27:28 It is Jesus in the heart. It is Jesus in the 27:32 vessels that makes you smile of the 27:34 stone, it is Jesus in your heart that could 27:38 make you take criticism and don't 27:40 answer back. It is Jesus in the heart 27:44 that could make you lose things and still 27:46 stand up with Jesus. It is this Jesus that 27:49 I recommend to you today, 27:52 Jesus who loves you and I want you to 27:54 keep sweet in Jesus. God bless you. |
Revised 2014-12-17