Being Born Again

Preached at Norwich 24th October 2004

Rebirth – Being born again

Another “God word!” Rebirth – it is a scriptural word of course:

Titus 3:4-6, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Introduction: This morning and also again next Sunday we are bring children to God seeking for His blessing upon these precious gifts from God! In doing so we rejoice with the parents, grandparent and families of the child!

It is always an exciting event and awe-inspiring miracle of God to see a child born! Especially when it is your child being born.

In the olden days … when fathers were not allowed into the birthing rooms they walked outside frantic and worried. Today the father is encouraged to be there with his wife to not only view but also be involved in the process of birth! Exciting for some – overwhelming for others!

It is this miracle of birth that Jesus speaks about in John chapter 3 – lets read it together and unpackage the meaning of the passage.

John 3: 1 – 21 read it

A. Nicodemus

This man Nicodemus is surprisingly like us. When faced with spiritual truth we some times need interaction and consequent revelation to truly understand it. Nicodemus was the same.

1. Nicodemus: This man was one of the "Sanhedrin," or great council of the Jewish nation. He is twice mentioned after this as being friendly to our Savior. His name is a purely Greek name and was used in those days by those of foreign extraction – so it is quite possible Nicodemus was not of Israeli nationality though of course he was a Jew by birth and religion.

Nicodemus was of the stricter sect of the Pharisees and was a ruler or member of the Sanhedrin; he is referred to in scripture as a master or doctor of the Law of Moses, he acted like a senator, a privy councilor he was a man of authority in Jerusalem.

2. Note he came by night – this was either a discrete or prudent meeting or he was afraid to be seen speaking with Jesus during the daylight hours. The time of his meeting though takes a back seat to the matters he wish to talk about.

Matthew Henry in his commentary says this, “He did not come to talk with Christ about politics and state-affairs (though he was a ruler), but about the concerns of his own soul and its salvation, and, without circumlocution, comes immediately to the business; he calls Christ Rabbi, which signifies a great man.” Nicodemus though he

1 Preached at Norwich 24th October 2004 was a great and learned man, a man of great education and erudite, he came to speak to Christ about the state of his soul. Eternal issues weighed heavily upon him.

None of us can escape the meditations of our eternity – each of us will at one point in our lives ask the questions about death, life, is there more, is this it? Many of us are confronted with the miraculous birth of a child and begin to think about destiny, dreams and visions, either for our new child or us. The questions of life and death will by design come into our conscious thought life. God created us in such a way.

Romans 1:19-20 What may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Inside every person is the faculty to know God and see God at work within our lives. No one is with a valid excuse.

3. Note the words of Nicodemus! His assertion concerning Christ: You are a teacher come from God; not educated or ordained by men, as other teachers, but supported with divine inspiration and divine authority. He that was to be the sovereign Ruler came first to be a teacher; for he would rule with reason, not with rigor, by the power of truth, not of the sword, by the power of the Spirit not through the harshness of the Law.

4. His assurance of it: We know, not only I, but also others; so he took it for granted, the thing being so plain and self-evident. The ground of this assurance: No man can do those miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

It was Saint John intention to show and reveal Jesus as Messiah through the writing of his gospel – and so this story is included to show that there were folks like Nicodemus – learned and respected leaders of the people who also had high regard in Jesus and believed he was indeed the Christ.

Nicodemus was a sensible and judicious man who had every opportunity to examine the claims of Jesus and he did so and still came out on the side of Jesus as the Christ – Nicodemus was an inquisitive man and a man of reason with the responsibility to examine carefully the claims of this Messiah figure. He was so fully satisfied he broke ranks with the others who were against Jesus and came to speak to him about his soul!

B. The discourse and teachings of Jesus. Being “born again”.

The discourse between the two turned slightly from dialogue to a sermon a teaching. Some of the comments recorded by John would have folks discussing it for hundreds of years. But it is obvious even to a casual reader here that Jesus is making a point about eternity and the life of one man Nicodemus – He goes on to apply this grand truth to us as we read it here in Norwich 24th October 2004.

2 Preached at Norwich 24th October 2004

The crux of Jesus message is the nature and vital necessity of regeneration or rebirth, it is the need of every person to come to a point in their life and experience where they are “born again”.

John 3:2-3 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no-one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

Jesus declares that a man cannot even see His kingdom unless he is born again – this experience we’ll look at in more details but listen to the actual imagery. Birth – but new birth – what does He mean by this?? What is the nature of this??

Nicodemus is confused. What do you mean?? Entering into my mother’s womb again? Even though Nicodemus was a man of great intellect, an awesome teacher of the Law and a respected scholar – he was distracted by the simplicity of what Jesus was saying. His spiritual senses were not tuned into what Jesus was saying. He couldn’t receive it because it was spiritual in nature and Nicodemus was a man of the world.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10, “However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"-- 10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.”

God reveals truth through revelation – truth is by nature spiritual and is made known to us by an act of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 10:21, “At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.”

God tells us that His truth is easy to understand and encourages us to come to Him as little children.

Ephesians 4:18, “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.”

Paul teaches that men are darkened in their understanding because of a hardening of heart. Paul goes on to explain that Satan himself has also blinded the eyes of those who perish.

But Jesus is clear about what He is teaching.

John 3:3 "I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

John 3:5 "I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

John 3:6 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

John 3:7 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'

Jesus teaches about the nature of this new birth – it is by the Holy Spirit. Natural birth gives life – spiritual birth gives eternal life! Jesus also teaches a new birth is absolutely essential, a requirement a prerequisite, Jesus says, “You must be born again.”

One of the most powerful scripture that explains this spiritual phenomenon is found in

Titus 3:4-6 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,

Paul speaks about a new life – he teaches about regeneration, a rebirth – Paul is showing us what it means to be born again.

Peter goes on to say, 1 Peter 1:3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

Now the power God exerted through the resurrection of Christ is the same power that gives us new life and affects a spiritual rebirth for us. Through this power and energy of God we are now able to not only see the Kingdom of God but to enter into the kingdom of God.

Into a living hope – Jesus teaches he came to give life more abundantly to those who believe – it’s all there for us – a living hope. This living hope ushers us into an experience of relationship with God and that we can now know the creator of the entire universe.

Paul again says, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

We become a new creation – a people born of God

1 John 3:9 9 No-one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

God’s seed abides within us – the DNA of God in the life of the one who believes in Jesus as Christ.

C. How does one experience this rebirth?

John 3:14-15 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Jesus was clearly speaking of his death and resurrection here. The story he alluded to is a story found in Numbers 21: 4 – 9. Moses took a bronze serpent and nailed it to a pole and when a snake bit some one they would look up at the pole and live. 2 Kings 18:4 says it became an idol and was called Nehushtan.

In the same way Jesus foretold the means of His death and also the life that would flow out of His death to those who would simply look up at the cross – Jesus says they would live!

In the same way if Jesus is lifted up he will draw all men unto Himself. In the same way men will receive eternal life – the life of God would come into them – the power exerted in raising Christ from the dead would affect a dynamic and miraculous change in side the person.

The person who dares to believe will be quickened from within by the power Holy Spirit. A miracle with power that parallels an earthquake, or a tsunami wave, the blast of an atomic explosion will take place inside of you.

Paul the Apostle puts it this way, in Romans 8:11, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”

How do I do this? Tell me how! Jesus tells us how in the next verse of His sermon;

John 3:15-16, “everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life!

Jesus describes the force of eternal life in you He calls it being born again – the common experience of birth is used to try and explain the power of a spiritual new birth affect by God’s Holy Spirit on the life of the person who simply believes in Jesus!

Believe meaning to – trust in, have faith in, stick to, rely upon for eternal life! We are no longer reliant upon our good deeds or bad deeds to experience God’s salvation.

We believe in and trust in the work that Jesus did for us on the cross 2000 years ago! What He did then on Calvary has the same power today to those who believe. His blood can cancel the power of sin in your life, His blood can wash away your sin, and

His forgiveness can give you a fresh start today! His power can break the power of the evil one and give you freedom you have never before experienced!

God is the only one who can forgive you of your sins. Paul teaches in Ephesians 1:7 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace

Paul was so convinced about the power of God and this message that he wrote:

Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”

1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

Conclusion: The power of God for salvation! The same power God used to raise Jesus from the dead. This same power will quicken you if you believe, God’s DNA will live in you – the Spirit of God will reside within you!

This miracle the Bible calls salvation – Jesus called it being born again. It is the message we crazy Christians preach all over the world.

The power of this message has launched missionaries from our country to go to hundreds of tribes, tongues and peoples to give the opportunity to hear for themselves and respond.

This morning you have the opportunity to also respond to this message!

You may sense a need to realign your life with the life of Christ – to deal freshly with the issues of Lordship – you may need to recommit your life to Christ because you’ve gone astray – you’ve moved away from God – now is your opportunity.

The Bible says, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, “As God's fellow-workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2 For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.”

Today is the day of salvation – today is the day to receive your miracle – today is the day to receive the grace and favor of God upon your life.