Born Again
Notes
Transcript
Have you ever had a moment or a season that you wish you could… do over?
There’s a familiar phrase out there that says “hindsight is 20/20” meaning once you get through a situation, you can look back and see where you might make some adjustments.
But I’m not talking about a subtle change here and maybe adjusting a few words there… I am talking about a total do over.
Maybe emotions got in the way of making the right decisions.
Maybe you got caught up in a moment and didn’t consider what it might lead to.
Maybe you were rebelling, going against the flow out of frustration or anger.
Maybe you didn’t have all the information and you acted prematurely.
Maybe you were pressured or pushed into making some bad decisions.
Maybe you were operating on impulse and later had enormous regret.
Whatever the “maybe” might be, you wish you could do it over again.
Life doesn’t typically offer too many redo situations and unfortunately, no one has a flying Delorean that can take us back in time to fix the wrongdoings of our past.
The reality of a complete and total redo is… unfortunately a physical impossibility. We might be given a second chance… but the first attempt and failure still lingers over our heads.
It’s safe to say that everyone in this room has made their fair share of mistakes. It’s Biblical to say that even beyond mistakes.... all of us have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. I’m sure all of us can name things, situations, or seasons that we would like to do over if we could… but we can’t.
And this sin thing presents us with a very real and serious problem… the wages of sin or the earned result of our sin… is death.
Welcome to church and aren’t you glad for that encouraging word today?
Yes… it is true that sin’s inescapable consequence is death. And yes it is true that it is impossible for us to turn back the clock and to redo moments that resulted in sin. So what chance do any of us have if the wrong doings of our past will forever condemn our future?
Well, there is one option… and it is something you and I cannot do on our own. It’s more than a redo… it’s more than a second chance… it is the opportunity to BE BORN AGAIN. And it is something that can only come through knowing Jesus.
A pharisee by the name of Nicodemus starts up a conversation with Jesus during the night because he notices something different about Jesus.
2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
There are a few things we need to take notice of.
One, Nicodemus recognizes Jesus as someone who was sent by God. This is no ordinary guy!
Two, the evidence Him being sent is observable through the “signs” Jesus was doing. These were not natural happenings, they were supernatural by nature which means...
Three, God must be with him! God
The “signs” Nicodemus was referring to things that were impossible for any person to do. ONLY GOD COULD DO THESE THINGS - which means Nicodemus had an understanding of what Jesus said in Matthew 19:26
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
How many things are possible with God? ALL things!
So in response… Jesus drops an impossible statement.
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
Nicodemus recognizes that the signs Jesus has been doing are impossible UNLESS God is with Him. As this is the case, so it is impossible for anyone to see the kingdom of God UNLESS he or she is born again!
And where does Nicodemus’ mind go? He thinks Jesus is talking about doing things over… he thinks Jesus is talking about a redo!
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus isn’t talking about a redo where a person is physically born again. Jesus is talking about something far greater… In His greater love, God has given us the opportunity for regeneration!
What is regeneration? Regeneration is spiritual birth and renewal. Regeneration is the spiritual change brought about in a person’s life BY AN ACT OF GOD (for which ALL things are possible). In regeneration a person’s sinful nature is change and he or she is able to respond to God in faith.
The literal meaning of regeneration is “born again.”
This is not a redo… it is a second birth. This is not a physical rebirth, but it is being born of the Spirit.
God, through His Son Jesus, offers us something far greater than a redo… He offers us a reset… a renewal… something more than being recycled, God has given us the chance to be inwardly recreated.
Regeneration doesn’t say, “hey, you got this wrong the first time, let’s try that again.” Regeneration says, “hey, let’s transform your internal sinful nature so you can start living your life by faith.”
Regeneration is far greater than a second chance… it is a renewed and redeemed reality now founded on the Word and guided by the Spirit. It is the avenue by which we are given access to the kingdom of God… and it can only be found through Jesus Christ.
This morning, I want us to see God’s greater love through the regenerative work of our Savior. I want us to realize just how awesome God’s love is for us and just how important it is for us to be born again.
And… I want us to see the impact that this new spiritual reality can make on our lives! God offers the world something amazing… something far greater than a redo...
Reborn… Not Redo
Reborn… Not Redo
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus… missed it. In his response to Jesus, Nicodemus was struggling to capture the idea of regeneration… of being born again.
The answer Jesus gives him makes it clear that this is not a matter or re-entering the womb… it was about gaining entrance into the kingdom of God.
And… even if it was somehow possible to start life all over again, the problem that denied our entrance into God’s kingdom… remained. The world is immersed in sin.
If somehow we were all given the chance to do it all over again… I hate to say this but… we would all end up in the same place - IN NEED OF A SAVIOR.
The classic movie “Groundhog Day” follows a guy who relives the same day over and over again. He wakes up the the same song on the alarm clock, he goes through the same motions, he interacts with the same people, but he has the opportunity to retry the day until… he gets it right.
The problem with reality is… sin is a part of the reality of this world. And this has been true since the fall of man.
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
Only one person has walked this earth that did not sin… His name is Jesus.
The rest of us… well… we aren’t Jesus.
With sin in the world, death became inescapable and… Heaven became unreachable. Entrance into the kingdom of God became… impossible.
With sin in this world, there is no chance of us getting this right. Do over after do over will result in the same outcome.
But God chose not to leave us stuck in this reality. Look again at what Romans 5:15-17 has to say:
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
Romans 6:23 tells us plainly
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
That gift of eternal life came from one man and covers the sins of all mankind!
Christ died… not so that we can redo… it is so we can be REBORN! Reborn of the Spirit… not of the flesh.
And this new life in the Spirit is going to look and sound much different than our old life in the flesh. Jesus highlights this in His answer as he talks about the wind.
The wind Jesus speaks of is something that is unseen.
We know wind and its effects very well here in Kansas!
We hear it in the trees we see it in motion in the branches and feel it as we drive on the highways. We chase our trash cans down the street and retrieve our grill covers from our neighbors. We tie down our trampolines and secure our patio chairs and tables.
We can’t see the wind… but we know when it is present.
The same can be said of someone who is living a life in the Spirit of God.
His Spirit cannot be physically seen by the eye, however, His activity can be observed in life, behavior, and attitudes of those who have been born again.
This activity or evidence is known as the fruit of the Spirit. Those born of the Spirit will display this fruit. Instead of displaying the old ways… something new emerges. Those who are born again:
Will not use their spiritual freedom to indulge the flesh.
They will serve one another in love.
They will not gratify the desires of the flesh
They will love, be joyful, know peace, display forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:13-26
Instead of sin and death reigning over your mortal body… FORGIVENESS AND LIFE BECOME YOUR NEW REALITY! In His greater love, God made a way for the old not to be redone… He made the way for us to be renewed! We can be born again!
And that way IS Jesus. That way IS placing our faith in Christ and BELIEVING in Him!
And our life… our words… our behaviors… our habits… our likes and dislikes… our attitudes… our walk… and our talk… will all give evidence of this change as being born again effects every single part of our being!
It doesn;t just impact what we do on a Sunday Morning from 10-noon. It doesn’t just impact our way of life when we come to our worship services. Our regeneration in Christ Jesus should be observable in ALL that we are! The world may not know where this new life is coming from, but they can see it just the same! The old you… is not on a redo… the old you is gone… BEHOLD the new has come because of Jesus in your life!
Jesus came to do what we couldn’t do on our own. He delivered to the world something that was out of our reach. Which brings me to our closing point.
Possible… not Impossible
Possible… not Impossible
The idea of a person redoing life until they lived a sinless life is as impossible as impossible as it is for that person to enter a second time into their mother’s womb.
So how do we overcome the impossible scenario of a sinner gaining entrance into the Kingdom of God? We simply believe in the One God sent to us… to save us.
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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
All of this is POSSIBLE because of God’s greater love. All of this is possible because of God’s plan to make a way for forgiveness and salvation.
Jesus didn’t come so that we would redo until we get it right… He came that we might REPENT and receive His righteousness.
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Being born again has nothing to do with you… receiving the washing of regeneration has nothing to do with you… experiencing the renewing of the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with you! This has everything to do with what Jesus came to do FOR you.
He paid the price. He gave His life. He took on your sin. He died the death meant for us. He did ALL OF THIS so that we can be born again!
And if the benefits of this new reality aren’t clear enough, I want to list a few things that Scripture says comes with regeneration.
Regeneration brings spiritual cleansing - John 3:5; Titus 3:5
Regeneration brings the indwelling of God’ Spirit - Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 1:22
Regeneration brings the transformation into a “new creation in Christ - 2 Corinthians 5:17
Regeneration brings the adoption as God’s spiritual child - John 1:12-12; Romans 8:16; Galatians 3:26, 4:4-6
Regeneration brings the Holy Spirit’s guidance and understanding of spiritual things - John 16:13-15; 1 Corinthians 2:9-16; 1 John 2:27
Regeneration brings the ability to live right by God’s standards and to develop His character traits - Galatians 5:16-23; 1 John 2:29, 5:1-2
Regeneration brings victory over sin - 1 John 3:9, 5:4, 18
Regeneration brings an eternal inheritance with Christ Jesus our Lord - Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:7; 1 Peter 1:3-4
All of this that once was impossible… has now become possible because of Jesus! All of this is a result of God’s greater love for you and me!
Jesus gave His life… that you might have NEW life… not a redo life… but a TRANSFORMED AND REDEEMED LIFE.
And to receive it… all you have to do is believe… call on His name for salvation and… believe.
So I ask today… do you wish to be born again? Are you ready to walk away from sin and come alive in Jesus?
PRAYER - Salvation
Secondly, I want to remember and thank God for price Jesus paid for our spiritual regeneration. Our being born again came at great cost… but Jesus paid it all.
We needed a Savior… we needed hope. We faced an impossibility and God came through.
SERVE COMMUNION
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.