You Must Be Born Again | Sermon 10/23/2022

Apologia Utah

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:00

John chapter 3. The title of this sermon today church is

00:12

You must be born again You must be born again. We're going to be in verses 1 through 10 today of the gospel according to John chapter 3

00:24

And starting in that first verse here now the inerrant and infallible words of the living and true

00:30

God Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the

00:36

Jews This man came to Jesus by night and said to him rabbi We know that you have come from God as a teacher for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him

00:49

Jesus is in answered and said to him truly truly I say to you unless one is born again

00:54

He cannot see the kingdom of God Nicodemus said to him how can a man be born when he is old?

01:02

He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born. Can he? Jesus answered truly truly

01:08

I say to you unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the

01:18

Spirit is spirit Do not be amazed that I said to you you must be born again

01:24

The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it But do not know where it comes from and where it is going.

01:30

So is everyone who is born of the Spirit? Nicodemus said to him how can these things be?

01:37

Jesus answered and said to him. Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?

01:43

Thus ending the reading of God's holy inspired word. Let's pray quickly church Lord I would ask you please to Speak through me today

01:53

Lord to impart by your spirit Lord the application and true interpretation and knowledge of these passages here

02:06

Lord By the same spirit who illuminated and made these holy scriptures God, please

02:14

Do a work today among your people as you've done in me and as you're continuing to do And Lord, I would ask you to help me to speak in a way that is helpful and clear and let it always be true

02:24

I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. So I remember when

02:30

I was saved about ten years ago. I Would go with a group of young men

02:37

Down to Tempe, Arizona They were with a group that was called Jeremiah cry. I don't know too much about it

02:43

I'm sure some of you have heard of heard about it. It's a open -air preaching ministry

02:49

Jeremiah cry ministries and I would join them as a new believer on the streets in Tempe Arizona on Mill Avenue preaching the gospel

03:02

Now if you've lived in Arizona for any amount of time You would likely have heard of this street called

03:10

Mill Avenue It was only a few blocks away from Arizona State University and from the dormitories there it is a one -mile stretch of bars pubs

03:25

Strange shops sexual shops the cultic shops just all these crazy sort of things on this one -mile stretch and students at Arizona State University or people

03:39

Pretty much all over the valley would come On Friday Saturday nights or during the week and they would treat it as a rite of passage

03:48

To go to Mill Avenue and get drunk for the first time Okay Now a

03:55

Friday night on Mill Avenue is pretty crazy. It's chaotic. It's crawling with young people

04:02

And it's got crowds that can form people just everywhere You could see

04:08

Police presence there, of course Making sure things aren't getting out of hand and it can be very productive for the gospel

04:16

That's what we found. In fact, I remember I was so nervous I was street preaching for the first time and I was on like a little ladder and I was

04:25

Preaching John chapter 6 and it was just amazing because even a guy across the road in a bar with blaring music

04:33

He came right out and he came straight to me He said I I just heard everything that you said and I want to talk about that And so just kind of things like that would happen every once in a while People would hear the truth and they'd talk and sometimes they were inebriated sometimes they weren't but We would preach the gospel and I remember one time

04:56

I was not preaching but I was handing out tracts while someone else was going and I was handing out tracts and this older guy comes up and He's kind of stumbling and say sir.

05:09

Would you like a Let me give you a gospel track here. Do you know the gospel? And he goes no, thanks

05:17

I'm already born again I'm born again And as a new believer though,

05:23

I had not really heard that phrase before even though I've read John 3 at that point I said, what do you mean sir?

05:29

What do you mean by that? He said I don't need that junk I'm already born again. Give it to someone else and I just There's a little bit incredulous.

05:38

I didn't know how to respond to that. No, okay Now if you look up some statistics on Christianity in America You will find according to some studies

05:51

That it says only about 25 % of all Americans are evangelical Protestants Evangelical now

05:59

Protestant, of course is much larger in the u .s. That kind of classification because of course

06:07

Processing classification can include even things like Mormonism Jehovah's Witness things like that anything that represents a post

06:14

You know Reformation sort of time that's not Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic or something and so But evangelical says only 25 % at a lot of different polls and studies

06:29

We know it's interesting 25 % evangelical but get this

06:36

About 40 % some studies say 40 % of Americans think that they are born again

06:42

That they are born -again Christians Okay now in the late 70s presidential candidate

06:51

Jimmy Carter announced I'm born again people Wow then without even ceasing his publication

07:01

Pornographic magazine publisher of Hustler Larry Flynt proclaimed he was born again

07:08

But he kept going with his magazine Actor Tom Hanks recalled in an interview

07:15

That when he was in high school, he had a quote born -again experience He said he grew up being exposed to many different religions

07:23

Hanks then said the major religion I was exposed to in the first ten years of my life with because was

07:29

Catholicism Then my stepmother became a Mormon My aunt whom I lived with for a long time was a

07:35

Nazarene and in high school. All my friends were Jews in 1997

07:42

Actor Charlie Sheen came out and said I'm a born -again Christian. I'm a born -again believer using that phrase

07:51

Less than a year later Sheen was back to old ways He was in the year immediately following and the years proceeding that he was in and out of rehabilitation centers for drug and alcohol abuse and living a life of debauchery

08:10

And today it would appear that he doesn't follow any sort of religion if you look it up And if I were to continue though in this sort of list and I would give you famous people's

08:20

Names of who've claimed that they're born again. You would be shocked.

08:27

You think I was lying about some of these people Wait, they actually claim that they're born -again believers.

08:35

Do they actually claim that and You would be shocked

08:41

But the question is what is being born -again What is a born -again

08:49

Christian? The Cambridge Dictionary defines born -again as this

08:56

Born again is used to refer to someone who has decided to accept a particular type of evangelical

09:03

Christianity especially after a deep spiritual experience someone who has decided

09:14

They initiated I guess they accepted something More than that.

09:22

It says that they had some sort of spiritual experience. What does that mean? That was the catalyst of being born again,

09:30

I guess But I would submit to you church that this glorious phrase has been robbed from the church

09:39

It's been robbed for decades of its true meaning it has lost in a sense its beauty and awesome nature how because they divorce it from Its origin they divorce it from John 3 and more than that They divorce born again from the one who makes people born again.

09:59

They divorce it from Jesus Christ the righteous That's the problem if you remove

10:06

Christ and The way he articulated born again, you lose the power behind it because what we will find is

10:16

Being born again is fully initiated fully performed and fully sustained by only one and that is

10:23

God Almighty So, let's see where this comes from truly

10:30

Verses 1 & 2 let me Remind us of some things though if you remember from last week

10:38

Jesus his disciples his mother and brothers all went to the Passover celebration in Jerusalem Jesus we saw found animals he found merchants and money changers conducting business in the temple courtyard and He drove them all out and he rebuked all of them

10:58

Cleansing the temple the first of two times now if you call

11:05

He was questioned and culturally shamed by the temple authorities in that process

11:12

But something was later than narrated to us by the Apostle John That revealed what happened the rest of the week of the

11:20

Feast of Unleavened Bread It said that many observed the signs that Jesus was performing and they had a belief

11:29

But we learned that it was shallow it was a shallow belief that belief was on the basis of his signs and not in him as the person

11:40

Jesus Christ He did it said that he did not entrust himself to them

11:45

We talked about the Greek that that meant he did not believe they're believing He knew

11:54

He knew he needed no one to testify to him concerning man it says that he knows what's in men's hearts and So this accountant

12:03

John 3 is immediately in the wake of all that the temple cleansing the the questioning of the

12:10

Jews and the Explanation that Jesus knew all men and that they are believing was shallow

12:19

Now we're on this Immediately verses 1 & 2 now there was a man of the

12:25

Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews This man came to Jesus by night and said to him rabbi

12:32

We know that you have come from God as a teacher for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him now there was a man and That's kind of the connection point.

12:45

We were just told about men who didn't have full belief and now a man has come his name is

12:53

Nicodemus and What a man to approach Jesus He is about to be completely stunned

13:01

It says that Nicodemus was a Pharisee and as I told you before Pharisees were very serious about their faith in God and That faith had its basis in the attempt at perfection of God's law

13:16

And it's been said that on the Sabbath that they would not carry more than a than a gulp of milk

13:22

Nothing larger than a gulp of milk in their mouth lest they be carrying something and working on the

13:28

Sabbath In the Gospels, we see that they wouldn't even save one of their own donkeys if it were to fall into a pit

13:39

They blast Jesus and rebuke him because Jesus healed the man with the withered hand on the

13:47

Sabbath These are Pharisees. I Feel like if you were to ask a

13:53

Pharisee for a minute of their time after 60 60 seconds, they'd be like time's up They're like one of those guys, you know, it's like, okay, we know you stick to the law the numbers

14:04

All the traditions of the elders that are extra biblical. They're they're outside of the Bible. They're on top of the

14:10

Bible those things were observed strictly by the Pharisees In the

14:17

Gospels, they are often the group most antagonistic to Jesus John calls

14:23

Nicodemus though an Arcanine ton Judean He was a member of the highest legal legislative and judicial body among the

14:33

Jews Nicodemus is part of the Sanhedrin And it was likely that Nicodemus came from a wealthy aristocratic family with great influence

14:44

This is Judea's top dog This is the guy who's taught the law.

14:49

This is the guy who has the connections He's got all the networkings and he's got the status and he's in a place of power

14:59

Throughout the fourth gospel. There will be allusions to the prologue in chapter 1 as there has been

15:06

But here we can consider this in John 1 17 It said though the law was given through Moses But grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

15:17

And so what you see here is a standoff today You have the law through Moses being represented and you have grace and truth being realized in Christ and they're going head -to -head today

15:29

It's an allusion to the prologue It says that this man came to Jesus by night he came by night

15:39

Now scholars have considered What Nicodemus' angle is here?

15:46

Many have argued that Nicodemus witnessed the temple cleansing and the signs

15:51

Jesus performed during the week and that he was a genuine seeker Those shallow believers we mentioned earlier he would be one of them

16:00

He's a semi faithful inquirer coming to Jesus under veil of night.

16:06

So the Jews wouldn't see him We do see in later chapters

16:11

Nicodemus kind of defends Jesus Against the

16:16

Jews Saying that he needs to be rightly Judged according to the law not having conspiracies made against him to entrap him

16:27

But then we see a completely total a total transition take place and especially chapter 19 of the gospel

16:33

According to John which we'll get to in a year, right? John chapter 19, we'll see that after Jesus has been crucified

16:43

Nicodemus spends tons of money. I mean tons of money and he gets he gets aloes and he gets frankincense or is it myrrh myrrh and aloe

16:55

I believe is what so to basically prepare Jesus's body and It demonstrates that he is faith in Jesus at that point.

17:04

So something changes for Nicodemus But we're not there yet Is he a seeker or is he something else?

17:18

Some other scholars have argued that He witnessed that all that Jesus did and was sent

17:24

Officially by the Sanhedrin or at least a group of Pharisees to challenge Jesus Nicodemus if anyone can stump this guy you can sort of thing you see at night

17:40

It's been recorded That lively debates took place in the evening at night between rabbis of different schools of thought

17:51

Is is Nicodemus trying to Investigate and win an argument with Jesus or is he looking earnestly for answers to questions he has

18:02

I'm not sure it might be even a little bit of both Okay, we don't know

18:08

Maybe he was officially sent But the Pharisees don't realize that he's actually considering if this man is the

18:17

Messiah Maybe he was sent by the Sanhedrin, but he's coming To look like he's questioning him.

18:24

But in his mind, he's possibly thinking maybe this is the Messiah We're not completely sure

18:32

He does say Do you see that? rabbi

18:38

We know that you have come from God as a teacher he says we as if he's a spokesperson of others

18:48

But this is a big deal He is an older Ruler of the Jews with more experience under his belt and he comes to a young rabbi named

18:56

Jesus and he addresses him with respect from what we can tell We know that you have come from God as a teacher for no one can do these signs that you can do

19:08

Unless God is with him This of course wasn't a confession that Jesus is the eternally existing

19:16

Logos, but God was with Jesus in a supernatural way. That's what Nicodemus is saying

19:21

Kind of like a Moses or Elijah. He's recognizing that Jesus can do supernatural things

19:28

But he doesn't say that Jesus is the Prophet or the Messiah he says he's a teacher from God But again considering Nicodemus is high status this is a big deal

19:45

But this is far from a profession of faith. Not yet If he's genuine

19:51

He's being respectful if he's investigating on behalf of the Pharisees looking to challenge

19:57

Jesus after the shaming of the temple cleansing Because that didn't work

20:05

Then this is simply niceties that men do When men of status are around each other they flatter one another they make niceties.

20:14

We are not a hundred percent But something happens He's not even able to bring up his inquiry he gets stopped short of his question.

20:27

He doesn't even say a word Jesus knows all men he knows exactly why

20:34

Nicodemus is there and He either in this moment answers his questions or brings something completely new to the table that Nicodemus wasn't expecting

20:43

But if you look down verses 3 through 5 We'll see what happens Nicodemus hasn't said a word.

20:50

He's literally walked up to Jesus verses 3 through 5 Jesus answered and Said to him truly truly

20:59

I say to you Unless one is born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God Nicodemus said to him how can a man be born when he is old?

21:08

He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born can he Jesus answered truly truly

21:14

I say to you unless one is born of water in the spirit. He cannot enter the kingdom of God By the way on that last verse verse 5

21:25

Where it says one is born of water and the spirit That article the isn't there it literally says in the

21:33

Greek Born of water and spirit and that'll make more sense in a little bit. Okay but the authoritative

21:42

Revelatory formula is used by Jesus. I preached on this recently. Amen.

21:48

Amen Truly truly I say to you listen For what

21:54

I am about to say to you is truth You and all men need what

22:00

I am about to say essentially Unless one is gonna say a nothing.

22:07

We're in verse 5. I'm sorry verse 3 Verse 3 unless one is gonna say a nothing.

22:13

He cannot see the kingdom of God This word a nothing Actually has a double meaning okay that this is very important a nothing has a double meaning it says here in our translation it says again

22:28

Truly truly I say to you unless one is born a nothing it says again But in the double meaning it also means born from above from above So one must be born again and born from above To see the kingdom of God This stays right in the theme from the prologue until now

22:55

We saw the logos was there as the creator not anything that was made was made apart from him he was the one through whom the light and the life came and He's here to recreate

23:08

I've been preaching that over and over again every week. He's here to recreate He's going to take the old things of men

23:16

And he's going to make them into heavenly things Generation has already occurred but regeneration

23:26

Must now occur among men to see the kingdom of God This teacher of the

23:32

Jews has been teaching others for decades on how one can see the kingdom of God But all that he has taught

23:38

Which is perfect obedience to the law and precepts of God are shown to not be the ticket of entry

23:45

So many are looking for he's been teaching this with authority and with confidence

23:52

My young proselytes my young disciples. Do you want to know how to enter the kingdom of God come listen to me?

23:58

He's been saying this and teaching this Nicodemus most of his life but he's

24:05

Found to be wrong here you must be born again in Jesus's day

24:12

Jews expected to get into the kingdom simply based on blood What Jesus says is the opposite of what they expected?

24:22

There is a kingdom coming it is here and now and it is into the future

24:27

Here in now and into the future. It is an everlasting kingdom

24:34

In that kingdom there will be a king in the line of David and he will reign forever He will not cease to be on the throne.

24:42

He will never be removed from it and His reign won't last only a lifetime his reign will last in eternity

24:51

One might say well if the kingdom is now Won't those not born again see the kingdom right now won't they see it

25:04

And They can see it in some ways, but they can't see it in many ways Okay Unbelievers cannot see the kingdom of God on earth for what it is in their eyes

25:15

What they see is a threat to their way of life This harkens back to actually

25:21

John 151 remember Jacob's ladder He says you will see angels ascending and descending upon the

25:29

Son of Man. You will see the heavens opened up Only through Jesus will you see the heavens

25:35

Only through Jesus will you see God you must be born again though to see that kingdom

25:43

John Calvin comments on this verse saying this I thought this this was an astute observation

25:52

John Calvin says by the phrase born again is Expressed not the correction of one part

25:59

But the renovation of the whole nature hence it follows that there is nothing in us that is not sinful for if Reformation is necessary in the whole and in each part corruption must have spread throughout

26:12

That is to say church One thing about you cannot be changed

26:18

Okay, you just can't fix this only You can't just fix that you can't fix this part or just this part

26:27

What Jesus is saying is you need complete renovation you are sinful throughout and Removing one part of you won't remove that sin.

26:37

You need to be fully changed You can't simply do certain things in the natural body and expect to be a part of a supernatural kingdom

26:46

All of you all of me needs new birth So with all of me

26:52

Nicodemus is talents with all his skills and teaching knowledge of the law his virtue and Observance of God's commandments.

27:00

He is still not able to enter the kingdom of God simply by those merits. Yes, even

27:06

Nicodemus Who's done all those things cannot enter the kingdom of God based off of those things?

27:14

He needs something else even he needs something else Nicodemus says how can a man be born when he is old?

27:23

He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born Kenny So the question is is this man genuinely confused or is he trying to respond in a hyper literal way as Maybe some sort of debate tactic or a sarcastic sort of way again

27:41

That kind of goes between is he a seeker or is he some sort of scent inquirer?

27:48

Either way no matter which one it is. I think it's clear. He doesn't understand

27:53

Ganesh. They are nothing He needs new birth and birth from above Now how is such a transformation possible how can

28:05

I simply start over he can't I can't you can't Listen my friends you cannot start your life over You cannot start it over you cannot go back into your mother's womb whatever you have done in this life, you will give an accounting for and Either you or Jesus is going to pay for what you've done

28:30

The debt payment is either our life given for all eternity or it's

28:35

Jesus's life Eternal life given on one day. It's one or the other You must be born again

28:46

There's obviously a future element to what Jesus is saying being born again will only be granted after his death burial and Resurrection, but the call has been given 2 ,000 years ago and It's been printed

29:01

For the last 500 according to our best tracking those words You must be born again have been printed over 5 billion times and probably said and spoken more than even that It's all throughout this world.

29:15

You must be born again Jesus answers again though in verse 5 if you see that Truly truly

29:24

I say to you Unless one is born of water in the spirit. He cannot enter into the kingdom of God so believe it or not

29:35

These verses in John 3 have been hard for people to interpret for many centuries You're like I can see that it was difficult for me as well

29:47

Christians have argued the correct meaning of these particular verses Okay, and there are at least four schools of thought and I just want to mention them to you

29:57

Then I'm going to as I always do give you what I believe is the most biblical and faithful to the text so here's the first First some have argued

30:09

We're primarily talking about in verse 5 when it says unless one is born of water and the spirit

30:16

He cannot enter in the kingdom of God and that really the most disputed part has been what does the water mean?

30:23

Okay, keep that in mind. Here's the first one first one some

30:33

Have argued that John the Apostle added water to the original manuscript To the original account so as to give reference to the

30:42

Christian ordinance of baptism however, there is no evidence of that and it doesn't fit the context and Baptism would have absolutely no relevance to Nicodemus in the moment and you got to think you'll read this and We as Christians as baptized believers

31:03

We often read baptism into water and spirit It's just a natural thing because we have come after the fact we have we have come after the

31:13

Holy Spirit has been given We were baptized and so we often read baptism baptism into that But if water is baptism, how is it not mentioned in John's gospel again?

31:26

You don't see a phrase like you must follow me. You must be born again and and be baptized.

31:31

He doesn't say Something like that to be to see the kingdom of God This would also seem like baptismal regeneration is a valid idea, but that would disregard the gospel of grace

31:46

If Jesus were to say you must be baptized and You must be cleansed by the

31:54

Spirit You must be born again and you must be baptized to enter the kingdom of God that is adding a work to the gospel

32:00

You must be this to see the kingdom of God so it just doesn't work

32:06

Okay The second interpretation is similar. Some have argued that what

32:12

Jesus meant by this is John's baptism of water and Jesus is baptism of spirit

32:19

Okay that a baptism of repentance is needed for spiritual birth

32:27

But if this is what Jesus Meant why does Nicodemus have such an incredulous response?

32:34

Because he was one who knew about John. He knew about John's baptism. So why is he so surprised?

32:41

This too would make baptism a requirement to enter the kingdom of heaven and to be saved So the third interpretation and one of the most common interpretations is this

32:53

That water and the Spirit are speaking of two different births two births

33:01

One is referring to a man needing natural birth and that man also needing spiritual birth the water would then point to the amniotic water that breaks before childbirth and We are people who have natural generation that needs spiritual regeneration

33:23

But we're gonna see some issues with this one as well. But first off One of the issues that I have seen that's just the easiest for me to find is in my research

33:35

There are no other biblical references to being born born of water to mean natural birth so one of the things

33:45

I do when I'm Studying scripture and I'm preparing for the sermon is I look to see if this is replicated in scripture

33:51

And I don't see this at all replicated in scripture that water is meant to be natural birth.

33:57

Okay Carson Says that there by the way are no ancient sources

34:05

No ancient literature during this time that would picture natural birth as from water either

34:12

So we have no account of this in the Bible or outside during this time. Okay?

34:19

So that leads me to the interpretation that I think along with others is the most biblical and faithful to the text

34:27

The fact is verse 3 and verse 5 are parallels their restatements

34:35

The second one in verse 5 has a restatement with expansion. Okay, let me get to that Born again

34:45

Which remember that word anothen born again also means born from above Would be the same as born

34:53

From water and spirit born again equals born of water and spirit

35:00

Those are two blocks that are of the same thing Why?

35:07

Because Jesus used that word Anothen as I said is two meanings in one

35:14

Born again and born from above we need to look at water and spirit as two meanings in one as well

35:22

The Greek says Ganesh a heck who to toss chi pneumatis that literally means born of water and spirit and What I want to highlight in saying that Greek word is the ek ek which is of in verse 5 that preposition

35:46

That preposition ek right there truly truly I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit that word is

35:56

Coordinating water and spirit together It is making them into one block to be used in a singular fashion

36:04

That is how the original language would use that preposition. It doesn't say of unless one is born of water and of Spirit it is bringing them together as one thing

36:19

Okay The creation account was so strong in the prologue remember that Jesus was there as the eternal

36:28

Son of God Creating in Genesis 1 Jesus was there at the beginning creating and now think back to what it says in Genesis.

36:36

This is amazing remember water and spirit Genesis 1 says the

36:42

Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters This is talking about recreation creation happened the

36:53

Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters in Genesis 1 and the whole Point of the prologue until now is that Jesus is coming to create again and so once again, you see the combination of water and spirit in the action of Recreating a people new

37:12

Okay, that is all on purpose The Spirit in the

37:18

Old Testament is used in conjunction with life often as well The Spirit is to be poured out and bring blessing righteousness and regeneration even that phrase

37:33

For the Spirit to be quote poured out is an image associated with water and that is

37:39

There are dozens and dozens of passages in the Old Testament scriptures that said the

37:44

Spirit will be poured out poured out just like water

37:52

God says in Joel chapter 2. I will come about after this Is the promise of the

37:58

New Covenant I will come about after this and I will pour out my spirit on all flesh

38:03

Isaiah 44 says this for I will pour out water on The thirsty land and streams of the dry ground.

38:11

I will pour out my spirit on your offspring and my blessing on your descendants and One of the references that most speaks to this truth

38:22

Church is Ezekiel 36 If you want to turn there you can I'll just say it briefly though Ezekiel 36

38:31

It says this in verses 25 to 27 God Says then

38:36

I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols

38:44

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit Within you and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh

38:52

I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will be careful to observe my ordinances

39:01

That is speaking directly To the promise of being born again in my opinion.

39:09

I Believe that the water Signifies the cleansing of the natural man the cleansing that he receives by way of the

39:17

Holy Spirit That is what the water means It is the cleansing of the natural man from sin that the

39:24

Holy Spirit performs upon a man or a woman. I Think Ezekiel really spoke to this actually if you look at that Ezekiel 36 as we just said you have the water you have the cleansing.

39:36

I will sprinkle clean water on you I'll give you a new heart I will put my spirit within you and cause you to obey my statutes

39:42

But then Ezekiel 37 the very next chapter speaks of a resurrection it says that the the valley of dry bones will come alive again a

39:53

Resurrection will come and then if you move on from there Ezekiel 40 through 48 speaks of the rebuilding of a temple

40:01

Which is which is of course critical in John chapter 4 our very very next chapter where Jesus speaks about temple worship and then even to the

40:12

Temple cleansing where Jesus comes and says he's the new temple and eventually he's going to make us into the temple of God the church

40:21

So you have all this imagery from Ezekiel resurrection language

40:28

Not to mention to tie It ties to the living water verses later

40:35

Living waters. I will give you living water springing up to eternal life. Those are not that's not a physical thing.

40:41

That's not physical birth Living waters. There is a spiritual cleansing. I will give you living waters

40:48

We'll see eventually forgiveness of sin as The lame man a promise for forgiveness of sin as the lame man washes in the pool of Siloam in chapter 9

40:59

We'll see the washing of the disciples feet with water pointing to the future cleansing of their souls of their whole selves

41:08

Okay And so we just look at the text Just look at that text

41:14

Jesus is saying This you must have something that you don't previously possess you must

41:24

Be born again, you must be born of water and spirit unless one is born of water and spirit

41:33

Why would Jesus say you must be born from your mother and you must be born spiritually to enter the kingdom of God?

41:43

You must be born from your mother to enter the kingdom of God doesn't fit here. It has to be something else

41:49

It's not natural birth for water Water and spirit is something you need because you have yet to receive them

41:59

Nicodemus You have yet to receive Water and spirit, but you must have them to be born again

42:08

And not only can you not see this kingdom unless you're born of water and spirit, but you can't enter it either

42:13

You see that he says see then enter What is proposed by Jesus is a radical transformation

42:24

And nothing less Does this sound impossible to you?

42:31

Good it should It's impossible for you and I to manufacture this and that's how

42:38

Nicodemus felt This is only possible with God. It is that is 100 %

42:45

Jesus's point This is a new birth It's from above and from a cleansing of divine water and spirit

42:55

This radical new birth can only take place by the sovereign election of the

43:01

Father the forgiveness of sins and removal of guilt performed by the Son and the Regeneration of the

43:06

Holy Spirit in other words being born again is a trinitarian act

43:12

And it's not that dictionary definition described earlier. It's not a decision you make

43:19

It's not some sort of decision Okay It's not something that you just start and stop.

43:27

I'm born again. No, I'm not born again. I'm born again That's not how it happens

43:34

When God makes you born again, there's no going back. It's supernatural

43:41

Even you can't undo an act of God you can't undo what

43:46

God has done and rotten you you can't Do that If we can't create an act of God if we can't manufacture it

43:55

Then we certainly can't undo one and do you see this goes once again back to John 1 12 and verse 13

44:04

This won't be by blood This won't be by flesh and this won't be by the will of man this will be of God of God and by God he alone will make us children of God and let us enter the kingdom of God That was

44:23

John 1 12 and verse 13 He will make us children of God.

44:28

He will make us born again into those children If Nicodemus or anyone could have done this themselves then

44:37

Christ didn't need to come Nor would we need to be born anew if we could do this ourselves

44:44

But that's not the case We must have this new birth and only

44:49

God can perform it Because the natural man is spiritually dead. That's what the

44:55

Bible says He needs God to perform a resurrection for him.

45:01

We are all as if we are Lazarus in a tomb Dead unable to come forward and only by Jesus's power.

45:10

Can he make us alive again? That's the image We were spiritually dead we need a new heart we need a new spirit and God performs it and That means by the way, every time a sinner repents and turns to Christ that God did it

45:30

All the angels rejoice at that person's choice No He doesn't reach they don't rejoice at the choice when a sinner repents and turns to Christ They don't look at their they don't look down so to speak at the sinner who repented they turn their eyes to the one on The throne and said you did it again you

45:49

Oh Lord you saved again It is you who did this all the glory be to you for this person who has turned

46:00

Jesus continues on He expands on what he just said look at verses 6 through 8

46:07

That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit

46:14

Do not be amazed that I said to you you must be born again The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it

46:20

But do not know where it comes from comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the

46:25

Spirit? So in verse 6 Jesus says that which is born of the flesh is flesh.

46:32

He is finally in a way answering Nicodemus's confusion in verse 4 about being born a second time in his mother's womb

46:42

This is not flesh in the same way by the way that Paul makes it out to be Which is the very negative way of Sark's which is flesh

46:50

This is once again flesh being used in kind of the natural man sort of way, you know, not spiritual just natural flesh

47:00

That is how we ought to take it But it's like creation in a way

47:06

All things were made after their own kind after this kind and this kind so flesh begets flesh

47:14

Spirit begets spirit it comes forth from each one and they can't mix

47:23

They can't mix in that way They come after their own kind all whom are of the flesh can only bring forth that which is flesh

47:33

Think about it even even the most amazing things that the prophets did like Elijah they did it

47:40

Not by their own nature not by the flesh, but they did it only by the Spirit of God and Some of us keep trying to do this sort of thing even in our own walks with Christ We want to fix something in our lives or we want more self -control

47:59

Or we want to stop sinning in one area of life And we often try to solve it with the things of the natural man the flesh

48:09

If only I make the better schedule if only I have the better Accountability partner if only

48:14

I read the better book if only I follow the better program If only I do this if I if only

48:19

I do that then I'll stop sinning in this area We keep adding the natural man. Those things aren't bad.

48:25

They're good, but they cannot be Separate from what God has told us to do

48:32

Because when you do these things you're going to get fleshly results when you do these things only

48:38

We need we need God To help us deal with the jealousy with the gossip

48:49

With the lack of self -control with the anger We need the Spirit to assist us and that's why prayer is more necessary than you think

49:00

Your best tactic in battling your sin Will always be to ask

49:05

God to act by way of the Holy Spirit You have all these programs we have all these books

49:13

But we are not getting on our knees and going God I can't stop doing this unless your spirit helps me to stop doing it by the

49:21

Empowerment of the Holy Spirit is the only way I will stop doing this thing or that thing

49:29

We need to be praying more that that's what it points to Ask your God to bring forth his spirit to help you to fix these things

49:40

That's your biggest tactic run to that first then add all the other things.

49:46

Okay? so The Spirit brings forth that which is spirit it says

49:54

By the way, what that doesn't mean is that the Spirit makes people spiritual people

50:00

The Spirit doesn't make us spiritual, okay the

50:06

Spirit Bringing forth that which is spirit is to say a whole new thing is made.

50:13

We're not just made Spiritual we're made completely new what comes forth forth from the

50:19

Spirit is spirit He gives us a whole new nature We are no longer children of wrath, but children of God And so the kind of birth you and I need is not

50:33

With our mothers and fathers again. It is from our Heavenly Father My last comment on verse 6 is that although there is a contrast between flesh and spirit

50:45

Do you get how John has shown us how this can be remedied who can bridge the gap between flesh and spirit

50:57

Here's flesh and here's spirit. How can that be remedied? Jesus Spirit made flesh

51:05

He is the bridge between flesh and spirit He's the only one that can make people who are natural who are fleshly come forth and be of the

51:15

Spirit That is the whole point of what's happening here He can make fleshly man into spirit changed children the incarnation the coming of Christ is the solution

51:29

Part of the solution. That's why he's here But then Jesus tells

51:34

Nicodemus in verse 7 not to marvel or be astonished It's not hypothetical now, do you see that do not be amazed that I said to you you must be born again

51:48

It's not hypothetical anymore Nicodemus now has the duty to respond

51:58

He's got to have some sort of change take place to enter the kingdom of God and the Greek word by the way for you

52:04

And verse 7 is actually in the plural It means everyone it means you and me

52:11

Everyone in the whole world everyone who's been created must be born again They must be born of the water and spirit, but then if you look at verse 8 here's something a bit more parabolic

52:23

It's a little It's it's a little hard to interpret Verse 8 says the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it

52:32

But do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit Jesus tells

52:40

Nicodemus why? Jesus tells Nicodemus why he should not be surprised about this new birth

52:49

But what exactly is Jesus saying here? the thing is the wind and the spirit share an

52:56

Unseen and mysterious quality. That's what he's trying to relate here in this analogy

53:03

The power is there though The result of them working are their wind or spirit

53:11

I Don't know when the spirit Will do something next

53:17

I don't know what he will do next just as much as I don't know when the wind Will change that's what it means one commentator says this concerning this verse

53:29

The point is that the wind can neither be controlled nor understood by human beings But that does not mean that we can't detect the winds effects

53:37

We hear it sound we watch the swaying grasses We see the clouds scutting by we hide in fear before the worst windstorms.

53:46

So it is with the spirit That's Jesus point We can neither control him nor understand him.

53:54

But that does that does not mean we cannot witness his effects Where the spirit works the effects are unmistakable and undeniable

54:06

That's the point of verse 8. This is a mysterious thing You Yourself are a mystery to the world

54:18

You're a mystery to the world something Supernatural has happened to your natural self the

54:28

Holy Spirit and dwells you but not others The power of sin has been broken in you while others are still enslaved to it we are different in the most amazing and peculiar way

54:41

And only God could have done that only God could have and lastly this also shows us in verse 8

54:52

That those who are born again The effects of the spirit in the life of a person will be visible

54:59

The wind blows and you see the effects you see the the flowers moving you see the tree swing

55:05

When the wind works you see its effects. The point is when the spirit works in your life, we will see the effects

55:13

It'll bear fruit People will be befuddled How can this be?

55:19

How can this person be so changed? How is she different? We knew her before what happened

55:27

You've maybe even heard that in your own life you're so different now your old friends will say

55:34

But ultimately being born again changes you Changes how you act changes what you look like it will be outwardly seen and For the man that I gave that gospel track to who seemed to not care or know about God But said he was born again.

55:53

I didn't see the effects of the wind I didn't see the effects of the spirit in his life

56:00

Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I'm wrong. I hope he's saved But there's going to be an outward manifestation

56:08

But going to our final verses verses 9 and 10 There's finally a response from the man

56:18

Nicodemus finally speaks. He says how can these things be? How can these things be?

56:27

Jesus answered and said to him are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? And I'm certain there have been very few moments in the life of Nicodemus When he's been so desperate in his questions

56:44

He's almost speechless The representative of the Jews has lost his words before the representative of God No doubt

56:55

Nicodemus as a teacher of Israel has taught many people how to enter the kingdom of God Following God's commands his right dedication to God performing the necessary sacrifices, etc, etc.

57:08

But no That's not enough now Not anymore. It's possible.

57:16

He has picked up the analogies and symbolism from the Old Testament with water and spirit. It's possible

57:23

But he may be like I get it But how do these things happen? And we're going full circle now in verse 10

57:32

Are you are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? how did this section of Scripture start

57:39

Nicodemus started by acknowledging that Jesus is a rabbi and a

57:45

Tadaskalos a teacher a rabbi and a teacher from God and by God and now we see

57:52

Jesus saying are you aren't you a teacher of Israel? John's made it clear to us

57:59

Nicodemus is high status. And once again, we see the role reversals The humbled is exalted.

58:07

I'm sorry the Humbled is exalted and the exalted is humbled, right?

58:13

That's what's happening here And ultimately what Nicodemus just lost in this dialogue was the title of teacher of Israel He's no longer fit

58:25

Because he doesn't even know these things he doesn't know how to enter the kingdom of God And if he doesn't know how could he be fit to teach the people of God?

58:36

on How to enter the kingdom of God? He's got to change himself The teacher has become the student with Nicodemus So church the theme of recreation continues on in the gospel according to John the eternal

58:54

Son of God created before he Creates now again and We must see the contrast that John has purposefully been trying to show us

59:05

Nicodemus is a man Jesus is the monogamous they us Nick Nicodemus came came by night

59:13

But Jesus is from the light and he is the light of all men Jesus is from above and Nicodemus is from below Jesus is the true teacher and rabbi and Nicodemus is the failed teacher of Israel.

59:33

That's the contrast and so we must be born again We must be born of water and spirit to enter the kingdom of God there is no other way

59:46

There is no side gate Jesus calls himself later in John the door and the way he is the door the gate.

59:54

He is the way there is no other And now people say though all the time

01:00:01

Well, I can find a way to please God myself. I could do it myself. I could do that.

01:00:09

I could be a good person I Could do all of that But even scripture speaks to that Romans 8 says

01:00:16

The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God for it does not subject itself to the law of God For is not even able to do so and here it is and those

01:00:27

Who are in the flesh cannot please God? Those who are in the flesh cannot please

01:00:32

God and that's right We need radical transformation wrought by God through Jesus Christ Only then will our works be pleasing to a holy

01:00:44

God Paul tells us in the letter to the

01:00:50

Corinthians Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation the old things passed away behold the new things have come

01:00:59

Being born again is not just a religious experience or a spiritual experience, okay

01:01:06

The old things are dead that's what it means the old man the old woman is dead new things have come

01:01:15

And the one who is born again repents from sin and repents again and repents again and repents every day

01:01:23

They run to the one who changed them and save them and who will in turn preserve them And as I finish

01:01:31

I want to just give you a quick story I Remember in seminary as I went to specific classes

01:01:40

I You know we're creatures of habit, I think I see most of you sitting in typically the seats you always sit in That's what we do and so in seminary.

01:01:53

I would go to my desk where I typically sat and there would be Eddie I Was in my early 20s

01:02:00

Eddie was in his mid 40s possibly middle -aged man, and we would always sit next to each other

01:02:06

I Would go out of my way, and he would go out of his way to to be desk mates to sit next to one another and so I Was very fond of Eddie and I went

01:02:20

That school year seeing that he was a good man of God He was a great man of God only of course by what

01:02:26

God did not by what Eddie did But it struck me one day that I had never asked

01:02:31

Eddie. I said Eddie by the way How did you get saved? You know what did the

01:02:36

Lord do in your life? And so Eddie we're at a break We're at like a lunchtime break, and we're sitting at our desk waiting for the professor to start again

01:02:45

And Eddie tells me what happened in his life And he tells me Wade When I was just a few younger years younger than you 19 or so I forget what he said he said

01:02:59

I grabbed a gun and I went to a convenience store, and I robbed the convenience store, and I took that gun

01:03:09

By the way at this time I'm already shocked at what he's telling me He said I robbed a convenience store, and he says

01:03:14

I took that gun and I killed the young clerk. I murdered him I killed a man and I was just I Didn't know

01:03:25

I couldn't believe it Said well, how are you even here? And he said that's the thing that's the amazing thing is

01:03:35

Despite what he had done He spent

01:03:42

At least I believe two decades in prison he went to prison for many many years

01:03:48

He told me and When the trials would come up For whatever reason there there wasn't enough evidence even though he

01:03:58

He gave his testimony. He said he murdered the man There was some issues in the actual trial and so the judge had to throw it out completely

01:04:07

It was unbelievable He was set free He was declared not guilty by a judge

01:04:19

He was miraculously released from prison for good But in prison here's the thing

01:04:24

He heard the gospel of Jesus Christ He heard the gospel in prison, and he got saved and not guilty

01:04:33

Was pronounced by the eternal judge upon Eddie's life And he was a changed man

01:04:41

He was someone who is undoubtedly born again and Eddie After this

01:04:48

Would go back to prison But now not as an inmate Eddie went back to prison through his church doing prison ministry to bring the gospel to inmates in Arizona It's just amazing

01:05:00

It's amazing and he even though he was late in his he was in his mid -40s

01:05:06

He he got a wife and he has children and he's a changed man He murdered a man

01:05:13

But the Lord made him born again And that's what our Savior does Amen, that's what our

01:05:20

Savior does Let's pray Heavenly Father Lord, please bless the message that went out today

01:05:28

Lord I pray God that it was true that it was faithful to your word and God that it honored you

01:05:37

Lord I pray God today you would encourage your people who are born again

01:05:43

That they would see the glory of what it truly means to be born again that they've been made completely new

01:05:52

They didn't see it with their own eyes because the flesh has nothing to do with it It was something that the

01:05:58

Spirit did It's something that you did Lord. You gave us new natures. You gave us new hearts and you put your spirit within us and you

01:06:06

Sprinkled us with clean water. You poured out your spirit on us And you made us new

01:06:14

We thank you for creating again Lord Jesus for recreating for making us new