If you would, turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Saint John chapter one. The book of Saint John chapter one.

We won’t be too long this evening. But we’re going to come from the Gospel of John. Amen? Where are my intercessors at tonight? Glory be to God.

Would you please stand for the reading of God’s Word?

1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2. The same was in the beginning with God.

3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

Now look at verse fourteen.

14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.

Let us pray.

Most holy and gracious heavenly Father, we thank You for who You are and for what You do. My Father, hide Your son behind the cross, that Your people would see You and not me. Dear Lord, as I decrease I ask that You would increase. Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. In Jesus’ Name.

And the people of God said amen. You may be seated in the house of God.

Look at verse one. It says,

1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

What Jesus taught and what He did are tied inseparably to who He is. John shows as fully... John shows Jesus as fully being human and fully being God. And although Jesus took upon Himself full humanity and lived as a man, He never ceased to be eternal God. Come on. Listen tome tonight.

He was always the Creator. He was always the Sustainer of all things. He was always the source of all life.

This is truth about Jesus. And this truth is the very foundation of truth. If we cannot or do not believe this basic truth, we will not have enough faith to enter into eternal life. Can I get an amen in the house of God?

If we don’t believe this simple and basic truth, we will not have enough faith even to reach our destiny, our destination, the plan that God has for our lives.

That is why John wrote this Gospel–to build faith and confidence in Jesus Christ, so that we may believe that He truly was and is the Son of Almighty God.

What does John mean by the Word? The Word was a term used by theologians and philosophers. Both Jews and Greeks alike.

In Hebrew the Scripture, the Word was an agent of creation, according to Psalm thirty-three and verse six. The source of God’s message to His people through the prophets according to Hosea chapter 1 and verse 2, and God’s law, His standard of holiness according to Psalm 119 verse 11...

In the Greek Philosophy, the Word was the principle reason that governed the world or thoughts still in the mind while in Hebrew thought. The Word was another expression for God.

John’s description shows clearly that he is speaking of Jesus. Especially when we look at our Bibles in verse fourteen.

14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.

But to the Jewish readers the Word was God. No, it wasn’t. That was blasphemous. To the Greek readers the Word became flesh. No, it wasn’t. That was even unthinkable. But to John the Baptist the Word was real. It was a revelation that the Word was the true Gospel, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Too many times in our messages now we don’t preach Jesus. But God is looking for men and women of God that will go back again and preach Jesus.

You see, you can’t get a lot of claps and amens when you just talking about Jesus. Come on. Talk to me tonight. But if you talk about your blessing and your prosperity, folks will be jumping all over the place. But you preach Jesus and Him crucified, and being raised from the dead on the third day with all power in His hands. A lot of times you can’t get much help.

In the book of John chapter three, verse one, there was a man of the Pharisees. And his name was Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin counsel. And the Sanhedrin counsel, they were the rulers at that particular time.

And he came to Jesus by night. That’s what the Bible says. In other words, he didn’t want his peers to know that he was going to see the Messiah, so to speak. Come on. Talk to me tonight.

The Pharisees were a group of religious leaders who Jesus and John spoke of many times, and criticized them because they were hypocrites. And most Pharisees were intensely jealous of Jesus because He undermined their authority and challenged their views.

But Nicodemus searching... You see, there is a people in these last days that are searching. And if I don’t know how to preach Jesus, they’ll never find Jesus. Come on. Talk to me. If I don’t know how to talk about the Messiah, if I don’t know how to speak about how the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, those that are searching will never find Jesus.

Because how can he preach except he be sent? And how can they hear except they have a preacher? We’re talking about the message of Jesus.

He’s the only one that can save us. He’s the only one that can heal us. He’s the only one that can deliver us. He’s the only one that can bless us. At the Name of Jesus every knee is going to bow. Every tongue is going to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Give Him some praise and honor in this house tonight.

The Gospel was meant to be preached with simplicity. You see, a lot of times we’re looking to get our intellect stimulated. He’s not trying to stimulate your intellect. He’s trying to stimulate your spirit man, that your spirit man may leap forth and realize that you have eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, amen, and amen. Give God a handclap of praise.

The Pharisees, they were jealous of Jesus. Because He challenged everything that they stood for. But Nicodemus was searching. And He believed that Jesus had some answers.

You see, there is a people that are out there that are searching for something. If you look on TV now all you can see is about a man talking about talking to the other side. And now they even got a psychic that can talk to animals. Folks are looking for something. Can they find it in the body of Christ?

Searching for something spiritual. But not only something spiritual, but something that is real, something that can tell them something that they need to know. And His Name is Jesus. Jesus.

You remember when you first got saved. You were all fire. They couldn’t sit you down if they wanted to. They used to send fans your way to try to fan you down. And when the preacher got up to preach, they had to carry you out. Because all they had to do was say, “Jesus,” and you were all over the place. You had found a Savior. And He was sweet to you. Jesus is His Name.

Jesus undermined their views. But Nicodemus was searching. He believed that Jesus had some answers. He was a learned teacher himself. But he came to be taught by the Messiah.

You see, I don’t care how much Word you think you know. You going to learn something from Jesus. You got to come to Him like you’re a fool. Come on. Talk to me. You got to come to Him like you the most stupidest dumbest person that was ever created.

You can’t come to Him with all of your philosophies about who you think He is, and all of your misconceptions about who you thought He was. You got to come to Him as though you don’t know Him.

And that’s what Nicodemus did. He came to Jesus by night, because he didn’t want his peers to know. See, Jesus wasn’t concerned mostly about that. You see, Jesus was concerned about the soul.

You see, a lot of times we’re so concerned about the insignificant things. Sometimes we’re so political about folks. Come on. Talk to me. About folks’ salvation. If you don’t do it like this, then you can’t really be... Come on. Talk to me tonight. You can’t really be saved. If you don’t speak in tongues, you can’t be saved. You can’t really have the Holy Ghost.

We’re so technical. We have got so much political views about salvation. But Jesus said if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.

He wasn’t concerned about the way he came or when he came. But He was concerned about the way he was going to leave. Nicodemus had heard so much about this Jesus that he had wanted to see about the rumors for himself.

There are rumors about this Jesus. But is anybody really living right? You see, the world’s saying, you know... They used to talk about the church, and how the church wasn’t this and how the church wasn’t that.

But now even the politicians are trying to get to God’s house. Come on. Talk to me. They know that God is real. Oh, come on. Talk to me with all of your heart tonight. They know that there’s a Savior somewhere.

But they’re looking to us to locate Him for them. There should be a light in us that leads them to the cross, that leads them down the trail of Golgotha, the place called the skull. There should be a light that’s shining on the grave (glory to God), that tomb where they laid Jesus. And when that light in you is shining bright enough, they’ll see that He ain’t there no more.

Nicodemus, he came to this Jesus one way. But by the time he left, he was a totally different way.

The book of John chapter seven, verse fifty and verse fifty-one. The Sanhedrin counsel, they were discussing about how they were going to get rid of this Jesus.

But Jesus had spoken to Nicodemus in such a way where it caused Nicodemus to believe that He was truly the Christ, the Son of the living God. And so while all the other council men were plotting, Nicodemus was speaking on Jesus’ behalf.

You see, if Jesus hits you the right way, you can’t help but to speak in His Name. I don’t care when they tell you to shut up. You just can’t shut up. You just can’t be still. You got to lift up holy hands. You got to let the world know that you got Jesus on the inside. And He’s moving on the outside. And He’s brought about a change in your life. Give God some praise tonight.

This Jesus made a difference (I feel the Glory) in Nicodemus’ life. One of the ones that seemed like they were out of touch with what was really going on in heaven, He made a difference in his life.

You see, God is going to bring people in your path that really seem like they’re out of touch with what’s really going on in heaven. But God is depending on you. You promised Him that you would go for Him. You promised Him you would speak for Him. You promised Him you would die for Him. But now it’s time to pay up.

Look at your neighbor and say, “I’m paying up.”

Jesus had spoke to him in such a way that when he went back to his peers, and he knew what they could have done to him, he defended Jesus.

When you see folks that are gun hoe about somebody, that are willing to defend them, that means that somehow you’ve made a difference in their life.

I was talking to a brother one day. Because we go to a place and we play basketball. But they get to cussing and carrying on. Sometimes they even want to get to fighting every now and then. Come on. Talk to me.

And I said to the brother, “What if a fight broke out, and you saw me in there, and I was getting my stroke on? I was in there tussling, and I was in there fighting.” I said, “What would you do?” Wouldn’t you say, “Golly, that’s pastor”?

He said, “No.” He said, “First I’d jump in there with you. And I’d beat them down with you. And then I’ll ask you, ‘What happened, pastor?’”

You see, when somebody really with you... You better talk to me tonight.

That’s what happened with Peter. Peter was so gun hoe about this Jesus. He said to that soldier, “How dare you lay a hand on my Jesus?”

This is a kind of change that the Word of God made in Nicodemus’ life. He didn’t care about his status any more. He didn’t care about his position. Come on. Look at your neighbor and say, “Position.” He didn’t care about that little bitty old opposition no more. He didn’t care about the persecution that he was going to receive from his peers.

And it even came down to when Jesus hung on the tree that Nicodemus was with a man named Joseph, and went to ask for Jesus’ body, so that it could have a proper burial.

You see, when Jesus touches your life right, you will put your life on the line for Him. Come on. Talk to me. Because your life is not your own any more. You been bought with a price. And in order to save your life, you’ll lose it. But if you’re always trying to save it, God help you.

Let them crucify you. He said rejoice and be exceeding glad. For persecuted the what? Prophets which were before you. He said, “The world hate you. Know that they hated me.”

You see, if the world love you, you got a problem. You better check that salvation you got and see if it be authentic.

He had changed him in such a way that he didn’t care about himself any more. And this is a true part of growth. When you get to the place in your walk with God that you just don’t care no more, your growth has been steady. That is a sign of real growth. The more of you that you’re able to give up, though they slap you, reject you, the more you allow it to happen. It’s a true sign of your growth.

But if you are constantly trying to protect yourself... Listen to this. Then your growth has been stagnated. Yes, you may have received salvation. Yes, God may have moved in your life. But if you have not gone past that yet, then your growth is at a place of stagnation.

If I can’t come up to you and say, “Wait a minute. What did you say?” and you can continue to be humble and continue to try to speak to me with the oracles of God, then your growth is stagnated. If I shove you and your hand comes back to shove me, then your growth is stagnated. If I give you an evil look and you give me back an evil, dirty look, your growth has been stagnated.

This was a real sign that he really knew the Messiah, and that he believed.

Where are we tonight with this Jesus? Are we just full of...(tongues.) Do you hear what I’m saying? And we ain’t living nothing?

Jesus is real. We are Christians. He is Christ, the Anointed One and His Anointing. We are little anointed ones. And that’s who the world should see.

So I don’t know where you are in your walk right now, but your love may be tested on every side. But show forth the love of God anyhow. Let Jesus be real.

I’m preaching Jesus tonight because He is the very foundation upon which the Gospel is laid. And sometimes we got to go back to Bethel. And Bethel is the beginning. Sometimes we got to talk about this Jesus, because folks still need to be delivered and set free all over again.

And He is the only one. By His Name there can deliverance set us free. I’m so glad about it. I love Jesus. There ain’t no if, ands, buts, or supposes about it. I love Jesus.

A pastor got mad at me one time because he thought I didn’t love him. I said, “I love you.”

He said, “No, you don’t. You just love Jesus.” He was right. I love my Jesus now. Don’t trip.

I love Jesus. Because He first loved me. He said, “With loving kindness I drew you.” He said, “Because you come to Me,” He said, “I won’t cast you out.” He said, “I’ll be with you until the end of the world. He said, “My Name is Emmanuel, God with you.” I know it’s with us, but I’m saying God with you and me.

He never leave us nor forsake us.

Now somebody is searching for answers. And whatever question they ask you, you can answer it with Jesus. Oh, yes. There’s not a question that that Name cannot answer.

He’s omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient. Yes, He is. He knows all. He’s everywhere. That’s why I love Him so much. He knows my down-sitting and my uprising.

The psalmist said, “If I descend into hell,” he said, “You’re even there. That’s amazing to me. Do you hear what I’m saying tonight?

Sometimes we got to go back and study Jesus all over again.

The Bible said when He healed the sick, the Bible said He was moved with compassion. That’s what He’s called us to. There’s no lost cause. There’s no helpless case, when Jesus is preached right, and when the Holy Spirit has a chance to do His job and convict.

So forget about all that deep stuff for a minute. Forget about trying to lay hands and see in the Spirit. I’m preaching Jesus and Him crucified. Being raised from the dead. I’m so glad about it.

Give Him a handclap of praise tonight.