In this concluding message on Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, we examine John 3:17–21 and the purpose of Christ's first coming. Jesus explains that He did not come to condemn the world, for the world already stands condemned. Instead, He came so that sinners might be saved through Him.

This sermon explores the distinction between belief and unbelief, why fallen humanity loves darkness rather than light, and how genuine faith is demonstrated by coming into the light rather than fleeing from it. The passage concludes with a pastoral exhortation for believers to continue walking in the light as the evidence of God's transforming work.

Scripture References:

John 3:17–21 • John 1 • Romans 1:18–32 • Revelation 4 • 1 John 1:7

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Review of John 3:16

10:05 Christ Came to Save, Not to Condemn

20:30 The World Already Stands Condemned

33:02 Why Men Love Darkness Rather Than Light

49:40 The Believing Ones Walk in the Light

1:05:18 Remaining in the Light

1:17:52 Closing Application and Prayer

Heritage Baptist Church

Preacher: Jeff Sulman

Date: July 5, 2026

John 3:16 is one of the most familiar verses in Scripture, yet its familiarity often causes its meaning to be overlooked. In this message, we examine John 3:16 within its biblical context by continuing Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus.

This sermon explores what it truly means to believe in Christ, the significance of the phrase "God so loved the world," and how John's use of the word "world" fits within the broader teaching of Scripture. Rather than relying on common assumptions, this study seeks to understand the verse according to its context and the flow of John's Gospel.

Scripture References:

John 3:16 • John 3:1–15 • John 4 • John 6 • John 8:31 • Romans 5:18 • Deuteronomy 7 • Deuteronomy 10 • Ezekiel 16 • Ephesians 1

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Why John 3:16 Is Often Misunderstood

08:37 What Does It Mean to Believe?

22:54 A Faith That Perseveres

36:02 "For God So Loved the World"

46:50 Understanding God's Love

1:00:48 What Does "the World" Mean?

1:16:18 The Universal Call of the Gospel

Heritage Baptist Church

Preacher: Jeff Sulman

Date: June 28, 2026

Continuing our study through the Gospel of John, we return to Jesus' nighttime conversation with Nicodemus. After explaining the necessity of the new birth, Jesus shifts the discussion to a deeper issue—not merely Nicodemus' lack of understanding, but his failure to believe.

In this sermon, we examine why Jesus alone has the authority to speak of the kingdom of God, what it means that He descended from heaven, His identification as the Son of Man from Daniel 7, and why He compares His coming crucifixion to the bronze serpent lifted up by Moses in the wilderness.

This message highlights that eternal life is found not through earthly expectations or religious knowledge, but through faith in the One who was lifted up for sinners.

Heritage Baptist Church

Preacher: Jeff Sulman

Date: June 14, 2026

Scripture References:

John 3:11–15 • Daniel 7:13–14 • Numbers 21:4–9 • John 8:28 • John 12:32–34 • Isaiah 52:13

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Review of Nicodemus

08:42 Jesus' Authority Comes from Heaven

18:48 Earthly Things and Heavenly Things

29:03 The Son of Man in Daniel's Vision

39:46 The Bronze Serpent and the Cross

49:55 Looking to Christ for Eternal Life

57:12 Closing Exhortation and Prayer

Many people know Jesus' words, "You must be born again," but what did they actually mean? Why did Jesus expect Nicodemus—a respected teacher of Israel—to already understand them?

In this sermon from John 3, we continue Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus by tracing the doctrine of the new birth throughout the Old Testament. From Deuteronomy to Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Revelation, Scripture reveals that entrance into God's kingdom has never been based on physical descent or external religion, but on the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

This message explores:

Why Jesus rebuked Nicodemus

What it means to be born of water and the Spirit

The promise of a circumcised heart

The Valley of Dry Bones

The river of life flowing from God's presence

The New Covenant fulfilled in Christ

Ultimately, this sermon reminds us that God's kingdom is entered only through His gracious work of regeneration, accomplished through Christ and applied by the Holy Spirit.

Scripture References:

John 3:1–10 • Deuteronomy 30 • Isaiah 44 • Ezekiel 36–37 • Ezekiel 47 • Jeremiah 31 • Hebrews 11 • Revelation 22 • Romans 2 • 1 Corinthians 15

If this sermon encouraged you, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone seeking to understand the gospel more deeply.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Jesus and Nicodemus

02:45 Why Jesus Immediately Spoke About the Kingdom

08:20 "You Must Be Born Again"

13:15 The New Birth Promised in the Old Testament

24:15 Water and the Spirit Explained

37:20 The River of Life and God's Kingdom

45:50 The New Covenant Fulfilled in Christ

52:15 Communion: Christ's Blood and the Better Covenant

#John3 #BornAgain #ReformedTheology #ExpositoryPreaching #Gospel #NewCovenant #SoliDeoGloria

Nicodemus was respected, moral, educated, and deeply religious.

Yet Jesus told him:

“You must be born again.”

In this exposition of John 3:1–8, we examine one of the most important conversations in all of Scripture. Jesus confronts Nicodemus with the reality that external religion, knowledge, status, and works cannot bring anyone into the Kingdom of God.

This sermon explores:

• The difference between true faith and superficial belief
• Why Jesus distrusted sign-based faith
• The meaning of the new birth
• The spiritual nature of God’s Kingdom
• Why flesh cannot produce spiritual life
• The sovereign work of the Holy Spirit in salvation

📖 Text: John 2:23–25 & John 3:1–8

If this sermon encouraged you, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who needs to hear the gospel.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction & Prayer Request

01:33 Reading John 2:23–3:8

04:07 Three Responses to Jesus

09:00 Superficial Faith vs Saving Faith

15:00 Nicodemus Comes by Night

19:35 “You Must Be Born Again”

28:05 The Kingdom of God Misunderstood

36:10 Nicodemus Responds in Unbelief

42:50 Born of Water and Spirit

50:30 Flesh Gives Birth to Flesh

57:35 The Wind and the Spirit

01:04:50 Religion Cannot Produce New Life

01:12:10 The Hope of the Gospel

01:16:50 Closing Prayer

#John3 #BornAgain #ReformedBaptist #ExpositoryPreaching #GospelOfJohn #ReformedTheology #ChristianSermon #JesusChrist #BibleTeaching #Calvinism #Sermon

00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates

01:55 Transition to Psalm 131

04:56 Understanding Humility Before God

12:11 The Importance of Trusting in God

19:46 Recognizing Our Limits and Contentment

24:57 Hope in God and Its Implications

34:50 The Role of Christ in Our Humility

12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days. 13 Now the Jewish Feast of Passover was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14 He found in the temple courts those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables. 15 So he made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple courts, with the sheep and the oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will devour me.”

18 So then the Jewish leaders responded, “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” 19 Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 Then the Jewish leaders said to him, “This temple has been under construction for 46 years, and are you going to raise it up in three days?” 21 But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 So after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the saying that Jesus had spoken.

2 Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.” 4 Jesus replied, “Woman, why are you saying this to me? My time has not yet come.” 5 His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”

6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, each holding 20 or 30 gallons. 7 Jesus told the servants, “Fill the water jars with water.” So they filled them up to the very top. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward,” and they did. 9 When the head steward tasted the water that had been turned to wine, not knowing where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper wine when the guests are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!” 11 Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

43 On the next day Jesus wanted to set out for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 (Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.) 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and see.”

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel!” 50 Jesus said to him, “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 He continued, “I tell all of you the solemn truth—you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

35 Again the next day John was standing there with two of his disciples. 36 Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When John’s two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?” So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 Jesus answered, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is translated Christ). 42 Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).