The New Birth: Born of Water & the Spirit

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Let's get started. Let's look at the message of what Jesus gives to this very religious man,
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Nicodemus. John chapter 3. John chapter 3.
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And again, this Lord's Day morning we continue our series on the new birth.
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And today our focus will be on God's role in salvation.
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God's role in regeneration. The role of the sovereignty of God in salvation.
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The G3 conference was actually, that was their theme. The sovereignty of God. So in saying that, we look at John chapter 3 and I'd like to read.
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Let's begin at verse 1. And I'd like to stop at verse 12.
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And we'll pick up, Lord willing, on that next Lord's Day.
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Hear the word of the living God. There was a man of the
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Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God.
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For no one can do these things, these signs, miracles, that you do unless God is with him.
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Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
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Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?
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Jesus answered, Most assuredly I say to you, Unless one is born of water and the
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Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
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That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the
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Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again.
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The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.
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So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said to him,
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How can these things be? How can these things be? Jesus answered and said to him,
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Are you a teacher of Israel and do not know these things? Most assuredly
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I say to you, We speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and you do not receive our witness.
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If I have told you of earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
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Let's stop right there and let's bow our hearts in prayer together as we seek our
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Lord in this time of worship as we hear his word. Our Father and our great
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God, we thank you for your holy word. And Lord, we know only by your word, and your word alone through the
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Spirit has the power, the awesome power of life given creation.
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And let me say and add to that prayer, only your word has the power of eternal life regeneration by your
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Spirit. So Lord, we know that creation has come about by your word, and we know that regeneration, recreation comes by your word.
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Nothing else. And your word, Father, we thank you. It goes forth from your mouth, and you promise that it shall not return unto you void, but it shall accomplish, it shall accomplish that which pleases you, and it shall prosper in the thing whereinto you have sent it.
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So Lord, now we pray, sanctify us by your truth, for your word is truth.
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And we ask this for your honor and your glory, in the name that's above all names,
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Jesus Christ, amen and amen. Well, as we have seen in this fourth gospel, it also gives such focus on the deity of Jesus Christ, that Jesus is
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God incarnate. The second person of the Trinity has come among us.
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He's Emmanuel, God with us. In Jesus, in Jesus alone. And the deity of Jesus Christ, as you well know, through the gospel of John, gives emphasis on new beginnings.
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New beginnings. Isn't this wonderful? In chapter 1, we have seen that Jesus Christ is the eternal word.
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We've seen that through verses 1 to 5. And then, in verses 6 to 13, speaks of Jesus being the true light.
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As we was listening to Brother Stephen Lawson, he spoke on that today, that Jesus Christ is the true light that comes into the very dark world.
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A great light has appeared. Then in verses 14 to 17 in John, we have seen that Christ, in John chapter 1, that Christ is the word, and that word has become flesh.
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He has pitched His tent among us. He has come here. God Almighty, the one that created heaven and earth, has come to live among us.
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But He has a mission. He has a mission. His mission is to go to a cross and to die upon it for the redemption of His people.
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Then you go to chapter 2 of John, and we have seen in the past Lord's days, as we've studied from verse 1 to 12, we see that Jesus actually performed
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His very first miracle at the wedding in Canaan of Galilee, turning the water into wine.
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What did we notice there? What did we notice? That Jesus actually creates something from nothing.
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He is the creator. Only He can do this. And then in verse 11, it says this, that this is the beginning of signs
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Jesus did in Canaan of Galilee and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
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He manifested His glory. And then in chapter 2, in verse 13 to 22, we saw how the
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Lord Jesus comes to do the Father's business. He cleanses the temple.
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He, in Jerusalem, at the Passover feast, and many believed in His name, the
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Scripture says, when they saw the signs, the miracles, when He did this. And then in verse 24 and 25, as we've seen, in chapter 2, it says, but Jesus did not commit
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Himself to them because He knew all men, and He had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
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So basically, these verses, these actions in which
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Jesus performed is from new wine to a new temple, and then we see, now we see that only
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Jesus as God in flesh, speaking to Nicodemus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can give new life, a new birth.
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He gives all things new. This is what Jesus comes to do, and He has done this through His life, and His death, and His burial, and His resurrection, through the power of the cross, and what
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He has accomplished. Now, last Lord's Day, as we looked at this wonderful chapter, chapter 3, we met
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Nicodemus, a very religious man. He's a ruler of the Jews. He's a member of the Sanhedrin.
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He is of the highest religious rank that there is in Israel in that time.
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He's part, he's a member of the Sanhedrin, legal legislative, of a judicial body, so to speak, of the
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Jews at that time period. He's highly respected. Let's keep this in mind. He's what we would say a conservative theologian in our day.
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He's a highly respected teacher of the Hebrew scriptures, of the law, the
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Torah. And yet, Nicodemus is what you would say the cream of the crop of the
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Jewish Sanhedrin, so to speak. So, this, no doubt, is one of the most formidable
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Pharisees in the religious system of Israel in that time period. And as we said, Josephus said there was roughly about 6 ,000
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Pharisees in that time period. Now, keep in mind that Judaism was established by the
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Lord, Yahweh. Judaism is of the law, the law of God, God's standard, and it is
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God's holiness in which we see through the law. But the law cannot save.
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It's weak in that sense. So grace is far greater. And that's why the scripture says that the law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
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But at the time of the first century of Judaism, it went apostate.
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It went apostate. And we have a very similar situation in what is happening today as we live and see what is going on as a whole of the church, not necessarily by divisions and names and denominations, but the visible church.
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It's basically gone apostate and has strayed away from the gospel. And Judaism went apostate, and they have forgotten and forsaken
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God, and that the glory of God had departed from them. Echabod has been written on basically the structures and the doors of that time period of the synagogues.
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But yet now here we see the glory of God, and Jesus Christ has now come in fullness in His flesh.
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Think of that. He comes, He appears, and now here comes this very religious man,
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Nicodemus, comes to Jesus by night. Isn't that interesting? Maybe because we don't know necessarily why
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He came by night, but probably because to save embarrassment or maybe to have a personal intimate conversation with Jesus.
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We don't know exactly, but what matters is He came. He came.
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And isn't that what matters to us? Make sure you come to Jesus. Come to Jesus. Nicodemus comes.
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He's a very religious man. Actually, he's empty hearted. He's worrying.
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He's a worrying sinner. And the outline, I take from John MacArthur, it's a hard one to beat, but he actually speaks in verse 1 -4, we have the sinner's worry.
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In verses 5 -7, we have the Savior's way. And then in verse 8 -12, we have the
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Spirit's work. So we're going to be working our way through the Savior's way today and the
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Spirit's work mainly. But you know, it's interesting. Here is this high ranking Jewish ruler.
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He is a very religious man. He's a very religious official. And Jesus actually reads his heart, doesn't he?
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He answered him. And I think this is pretty interesting because if you notice in verse 3,
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Jesus answered and said to him, Nicodemus isn't asking a question, but the scripture says that Jesus answered him.
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Isn't that interesting? So what Jesus is doing is he's reading his heart.
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He's discerning his heart. Jesus knows exactly what he needs.
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Nicodemus is basically there and he desires something.
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He knows something is missing within him. He is a worrying sinner. Verse 3 is
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Jesus discerns his empty heart. He knows exactly what he needs. And then our
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Lord tells him what he needs. He says most assuredly, I say to you, truly, truly, amen, amen,
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I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
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He cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus, you must be born again.
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That's what you need. In order to see the kingdom. And Jesus later on says even to enter into the kingdom.
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And as Stephen Lawson so wonderfully put it this morning in our Sunday school session, he must see the kingdom of God and he must be by new birth.
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He's blind. He's blind. He's a blind man. And Jesus knew this.
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You must be born from above. You must be born again. This is the message our Lord Jesus gives to him.
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And by the way, this is the message for all of us. And this is the message for us to give to the world.
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We must tell them you must be born again. You must be born again. At first sight, the answer of our
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Lord Jesus does not seem to be connected to what Nicodemus has just said. For Nicodemus said to him,
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Rabbi, we, speaking of the Jews, we know that you are a teacher come from God and no one can, notice this, what he says, no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.
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It's interesting, isn't it? Notice Nicodemus is kind of focused on the miracles to do him.
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He sees him do these things and Jesus did do miracles. He did great miracles and many miracles there at the
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Feast of the Passover that's not even recorded. And John says if they were recorded, all the books could not contain it.
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Jesus did many miracles there but Jesus knew how to focus in on his heart and give him what he needs not what he wanted.
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And he also in that knew how to focus on a miracle greater than even the miracles he was doing and that was the miracle of regeneration.
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The greatest miracle of all in this life. Keep in mind also that Nicodemus and that group in the latter part basically he is in that group in verse 23 that many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did.
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Nicodemus is in that group and Jesus is basically saying to Nicodemus you've come to me for teaching.
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This is something we'll paraphrase. You've come to me to teaching Nick but there's what you really need is to be born from above.
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You need to be born again. And that is where we must always begin.
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Nicodemus you must be born from above. You must I like the way MacArthur puts this. Dump all your religion.
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You must start all over. Think of that.
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That's saying something. You must dump it all. Like Paul did. It's all rubbish.
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It's all manure. It stinks. And God is basically Jesus is basically telling
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Nicodemus your religion stinks to God. That's what he's saying. It stinks.
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Can you imagine that? There's only really one religion that God really is pleased with.
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It's only through Jesus Christ and that's pure religion. That's undefiled. That's the only time actually the word religion is used in the scriptures.
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It's that one time in James. But every other time that we speak of religion it's not relationship to Jesus Christ and God.
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If you notice religion is focused so much on what man can accomplish, what man can do to get to God but Christianity is the only religion you can say that comes to man.
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It's not what man has accomplished. It's what God has accomplished. It's what God has done and it's what
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God has done through Jesus Christ. Isn't that the gospel? It's not what you have done or what
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I have done or what we have accomplished. And like Jonathan Edwards says the only thing that you and I have contributed to our salvation is the sin that has provided it.
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That's it. Well, Nicodemus says you gotta start all over.
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I'm sorry, Jesus said to Nicodemus you must start all over. You must start all over otherwise you cannot see or enter into the kingdom of God.
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Notice Jesus answered a question in Nicodemus' heart that he did not even ask.
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He reads his discerns, his heart, I love that and he goes to the very core that's the word of the living
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God and here was the word in flesh and he tells him this powerful revelation you must be born from above.
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Well, think of it. I like the way Edwards says it. He basically said well most people that is unregenerate if they say they want
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God but they really don't want God but they want the benefits of God but if you were to go to heaven, heaven would be a boring place to you because you're not regenerated.
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It's a holy place for holy people because we serve a holy God and everything about God is holy, holy, holy.
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And we're going to live with God throughout all eternity forever and that's why in the new birth that our nature must be changed.
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Man's nature must be changed and this is what Jesus is getting to Nicodemus. You must have a new nature.
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Nicodemus what you need is a spiritual transformation not a reformation. Nicodemus what you need is regeneration that is produced only by the spirit of the living
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God that comes and breathes upon a dead man and raises him to life. It's not something you do
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Nicodemus it's something that God has done. We have verse 1 through 3 that's basically we see the sinner that's worrying.
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He's a worrying sinner because he's a religious man now
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Nicodemus is again very religious isn't he? He's probably the most religious respected leader of the
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Jews in Israel at that time period and we cannot deny that but he's a worrying, he's still a lost sinner.
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He's a sinner. Religious but a sinner? Yes. He fears
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God's wrath and all Nicodemus like Luther later on in history all he could see was the frown of God.
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All he could see was the judgment of God upon his soul.
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And that's why I think that Nicodemus comes to the Lord on a private conversation he wants a private conversation he has no assurance of his salvation whatsoever
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Jesus discerns his heart and he says you must be born again you must be born from above and without that you cannot see or enter into the kingdom of God and what
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Jesus is talking about in God's kingdom? He's talking about the realm of salvation. He's talking about that realm in which all that God has the riches and the supplies that are found in God through Jesus Christ that comes through God's mercy through Jesus now we come to the second point that's the worrying sinner the worrying sinner then we come to the
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Savior's way in which we have looked at and you see that he says to him most assuredly
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I say to you unless one is born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God in verse 5 that's the
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Savior's way the work of the spirit of God for salvation is being born again from above the theologians put it's not synergistic in which sanctification is by the way it's monergistic basically those two words sounds complicated but it's what theologians say synergistic is in a sense being man -centered in what we do but monergistic means
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God -centeredness not of man's will but of God's will
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God's power God's might and it's the Lord's power and God's might that produces the new birth we cannot have again we cannot contribute anything to the new birth there's so many books out there that basically tries to explain by very you know
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I would say well intended writers in the evangelical churches how to be born again and they give you step 1, 2, 3, and 4 how to's but really if you go to the word of God there's no how to's about it it is what
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God has done and what God has done alone and that's it now let's look at the questions
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Nicodemus asked Jesus look at verse 4 Nicodemus said to him how can a man be born when he is old?
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listen to these questions he gives two questions right off the cuff how can a man be born when he's old and then he says how can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born two questions he gives
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Jesus and both of these questions were really grounded in the impossibility the inability of man and may
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I add the unbelief of man this is a blind man asking a question to the
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Savior who is the true light of the world Nicodemus did not understand what
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Jesus was talking about when Jesus introduced to him that revelation of the new birth that you must be born from above at this point he could not believe he had no ability to believe in the new birth he was coming in unbelief the new birth was a necessary requirement to see and enter the kingdom of God but Nicodemus knew that there was an impossibility but he comes in unblind unbelief and isn't that the way we are before we are supernaturally conceived in the sense of into the kingdom of God he was amazed and Jesus said don't marvel at this he was amazed by even the very thought of it but again his response is marked by blind unbelief and as brother
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Lawson said this morning again blind unbelief is basically the rebellion against God his rebellion and we are born with this folks we are born because of the original sin and the sin nature that we have and here he is he's thinking fleshly he's thinking carnal he's thinking how can this happen how can a man be born when he's old can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born
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Nicodemus plainly illustrates to us what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 go with me very quickly there and we'll see this look at 1
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Corinthians 2 this is a very important scripture that goes right along to everything that the way
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Nicodemus is basically asking Jesus and responding to Jesus 1
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Corinthians chapter 2 look at verse 13 and 14 the Apostle Paul says this these things we also speak not in words which man's wisdom teaches but but which the
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Holy Spirit teaches the Holy Spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual discerning things that are spiritual with spiritual spiritual things must be spiritually discerned verse 14 but the natural man what does it say does not does not or cannot receive the things of the
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Spirit of God and then he even says this for they are foolishness to him see this is what
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Nicodemus is doing this is almost foolishness to think how can I go back into my mother's womb foolishness to him and then
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Paul says nor can he know them he doesn't know them they are foolishness to him and because he is of the natural man that's why when you and I give the gospel to people that are blind in their sins dead in their sins everything that we're speaking to them is absolutely foolishness foolishness craziness what are you talking about being being born again but we know we know
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Paul said this amen hey I got one amen yes these things we also speak who's the we the believers not in words which man's wisdom teaches it's not man's wisdom but which the
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Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth the Spirit of Holiness the Spirit of Light the Spirit of Truth that gives and opens people's blinded eyes amen amen well
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Nicodemus is a perfect example of this isn't he and this is the very reason why he could not understand the words of Jesus concerning you must be born again you must be born from above this is very critical because none of us or no one can even see or enter into the kingdom of God unless he is born from above through the power of the
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Holy Spirit he must be regenerated must have new life and Nicodemus is that perfect example the natural man does not understand he doesn't know because the natural man does not have the
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Spirit of God abiding within him the natural man does not receive or welcomes the things of the
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Spirit of God and that's basically God's view on that well back to John chapter 3 now
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Jesus is going to teach Nicodemus now when you just love to bend a fly on the wall just to hear this right this wonderful conversation
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Nicodemus here comes the great teacher himself Jesus he comes to teach a man what it means to be born of water and the
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Spirit this is very critical folks what actually is truly being said here is being born of God being born of the
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Spirit being born born notice he speaks of birth and as everyone knows today is my birthday
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I'm not going to tell you my age but anyway your birth your first birth is of pretty much significance you're here right and you and I had nothing to do with our first birth and Jesus gives this analogy on purpose
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Jesus is basically telling Nicodemus so you have nothing to do with your second birth and by the way let me add to that our first birth is important because we have to be here in existence to receive the second birth so you must be first born but you must be twice born and actually the second birth is far greater than the first birth
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I know we have birthday celebrations and children love it and cakes and candles and you know as you get older you don't too much care much about that I just kind of look at I'm getting closer and closer to heaven
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I'm ready to go and depart and be with the Lord but I know that the Lord has me here for a purpose and time
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I'm in a betwixt kind of like what Paul says but my inner man is great has a greater desire to go see
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God and be with the Lord and you all know what I'm talking about when you age a little bit more
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Sister Lillian is definitely saying amen and amen over there God's given her such longevity of life and isn't that so true
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Sister Lillian the older you get the more you just are waiting to see the face of Jesus and depart from this world oh my but isn't our second birth far greater and of importance than our first birth and this is what
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Jesus is basically teaching Nicodemus Jesus answered said to him most assuredly amen amen truly truly
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I say to you verily verily I say to you unless one is born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God you can't see it you can't enter into it you must be born from above it must be something that God does all of God I love what
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Pastor John MacArthur comments on this and I got this from his commentary quote he doesn't say to him speaking to Nicodemus well you're a good man you're a very religious man just kind of do this and do that and say this little prayer no he says
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Nicodemus you're at ground zero you're at zero zero and you're oh yeah you're high up on the religious stratosphere but with God you're at ground zero and you need to be born from above and that is a work end quote
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I love that that's what he's telling Nicodemus Nicodemus you're at ground zero to man in this world you may be way up the ladder but with God no sir you're at ground zero well how does
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Nicodemus he says and he asks how does this new birth happen he almost puts it in terms of it's impossibility isn't it we can't do anything to contribute to my birth except the only thing we contribute is our sin but verse 5
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Jesus gives the answer to Nicodemus doesn't he and don't you always love how the Lord gives the answer
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I mean a lot of times he'll give a question to the question but this time with Nicodemus he tells him boldly what the answer is verse 5
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Jesus answered most assuredly most assured truly truly I say to you and Jesus is correcting
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Nicodemus' theology by the way that's what he's doing he's correcting them I say to you unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God now this is critical let me say this there's a lot of controversy today over the interpretation of what
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Jesus means by this phrase born of water and the spirit this could be a whole sermon folks this could be an entire series but because of the time
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I'm just going to give a short version very quickly of what some of the interpretations of this okay so please stay with me number one one of the interpretations is this
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Jesus was referring to water baptism and water baptism is essential for salvation there's many people that teach this the church of Christ is right down the road here teaches that you must be water baptized to enter into the kingdom of God but that becomes work salvation because if water baptism could save me
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H2O that means I'm adding to what Jesus has done already on the cross right so in other words there are interpretations that oh you must be water baptized to enter into the kingdom of God and let me say this water baptism is certainly a part of our obedience to Christ as a believer and our witness for Jesus to the world that is a there is a part for water baptism but but it is not essential for salvation let me say that again it is not essential for salvation if that was the case then none of the
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Old Testament saints were ever saved and then then even the thief on the cross was not saved so because he could not get to water right he's hanging on a cross but Jesus gives him the word today you will be with me in paradise because he acknowledged he was
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Lord and he acknowledged he was a sinner that was the work of a sovereign God upon that thief on the cross another interpretation would be would not really apply to Nicodemus but there's people that commentators say this water baptism or water
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I should say H2O is part of the human birth as a woman as she has a baby the water breaks the water breaks so that must be referring to somehow the human birth here but let me say this that could not be the interpretation because Nicodemus would know nothing about water breaking would he as a
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Jewish theologian of that day so it's not talking about unless you're born physically or spiritually so Jesus is not referring to physical birth then used in contrasting the phrase of the spirit to referring to the spiritual birth much more can be said of this by the way but let's move along when
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Jesus is basically saying to Nicodemus unless you're born of water and of the spirit you cannot enter into the kingdom of God let me tell you what
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I believe he's saying here according to the word of God Nicodemus should have known this because he was a teacher of the
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Old Testament prophets and law what he was talking about he should have known and Jesus actually lovingly rebukes him for this you're a teacher of Israel and you don't know these things and I think in a sense why
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Nicodemus how Nicodemus responded to Jesus he's insulting
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Jesus in a sense and Jesus really pours on the church to him how can these things be?
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verse 10 how can these things be? Jesus answered and said to him you're the teacher of Israel and do not know these things what?
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you should know them you graduated from Jewish seminary uh cemetery school you should know what things is
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Jesus referring to? well what he's referring to is from the Old Testament prophets
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Nicodemus yes you're the expert you should know but you don't you don't know because salvation is not a matter of something you do it's a matter of what
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God has done and what God is doing this great truth is found by the way in the teaching of the prophets turn with me very quickly to a few let's go through some of them let's look at Ezekiel chapter 11 now hold your finger at Ezekiel because the word of God teaches this and this is what
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Nicodemus and what Jesus is saying to Nicodemus you should have known this Nicodemus chapter 11 look at verse 17 through 20 17 through 20 he says this therefore say thus says the
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Lord God I will gather you from the peoples assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered and I will give you the land of Israel and they will go there and they will take away all the detestable things and all of its abominations from there and notice verse 19 then
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I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them and take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh that they may walk in my statutes and keep my judgments and do them and that they shall be my people and I will be their
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God and as for those whose hearts follow the desire for the detestable things and their abominations
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I will recompense their deeds on their own heads says the Lord God I think that's enough said there of what he's talking about he's talking about a heart creation new creation
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God says I will give them one heart and I, notice how many times I will,
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God does this I will put a new spirit within them, something new and I will take that stony heart, that heart what he's speaking of is a hard heart folks, the hardness of hearts and he said
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I'll take it out of you out of your flesh and I'll give you a heart out of flesh I'll give you a heart that's broken and contrite that trembles at my word, a heart that loves me, a heart that has affection to love me, that's what he's saying isn't that wonderful ok, jump with me very quickly to Ezekiel 36 a few chapters up here now we see the promise of the new covenant
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Ezekiel 36 look at verse 22 to 28 promise of the new covenant and incredibly important portion of scripture again, hear the word of God hear the word of God let's start with verse 22 he says therefore say to the house of Israel thus says the
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Lord God I do not do this for your sake O house of Israel it's all about God isn't it it's not about them it's about God I don't do this for your sake notice what he says, but for my holy name's sake
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God's name, God's holy name which you have profaned among the nations wherein you sinned you profaned it but I'm going to do this for my holy name's sake and I will sanctify my great name which has been profaned among the nations which you have profaned in their midst and the nations shall know that I am the
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Lord says the Lord God when I am hallowed in you before their eyes you know your sanctification after new birth means something folks it expresses the glory of God to a lost and dying world verse 24
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I will take you from among the nations listen to this, it's like God just takes them, he does the work and gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land then
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I will sprinkle clean water on you there it is this is what Jesus is talking about folks
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I will sprinkle clean water on you not dirty water but clean water you shall be clean and I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols oh don't you love it,
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God does this verse 26 I will give you a new heart and a new spirit within you and I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgments and do them and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers and you shall be my people and I will be your
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God I will deliver you from all your uncleanness and I will call from the green and multiply and bring no famine upon you that's the promises of the new covenant that God does this work notice in verse 26
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I will I will verse 27 God says I will and finally you will
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I will wash you that's the water that's the water and the spirit the cleansing from sin the cleansing from your filthiness he cleans us up he makes us a new again all over we're not the same person when the new birth comes a new heart this is not obscure to the old testament even the prophet of Jeremiah go to Jeremiah chapter 31 some of y 'all are very familiar with these verses but I think they're very critical aren't they they are absolutely critical but notice in Jeremiah 31 he speaks about the promise of the new covenant as well as the prophet
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Ezekiel does God spoke his words through these prophets folks they were
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God breathed this is the old testament Nicodemus should have known this he should have been studying these old testament prophets verse 31 behold the days are coming says the
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Lord and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt my covenant which they broke though I was a husband to them says the
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Lord he was married to Israel they rebelled but yet God comes in his love and kindness and his mercy he delivers them listen to this but this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the
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Lord I will put my law in their minds write it on their hearts
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I will be their God and they shall be my people and no more shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother saying know the
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Lord for they shall all know me from the least to them and to the greatest of them says the Lord and for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin
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I will remember no more aren't you glad that God when he cleans you up he washes away your sin whiter than snow and he does not remember your sin no more and David even says it's cast into the sea of forgetfulness it's gone washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ washed away by the precious blood of Christ that's the promise of the new covenant well it's glorious God I love these verses that just says again and again and again
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God says I will I will God does it
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God does it I have to remind myself of this all the time of the gospel and preach it to myself everyday thank you
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Lord it's something that you have done through Jesus it's not what I have done not the labor of my hands can fulfill thy laws commands demands and I cling to him and I say
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Jesus thank you you've done it all you've paid it all hallelujah what a savior verse 34
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I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember against them no more Jesus is speaking to the
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Nicodemus this powerful truth of the new birth that the new birth is not something man does but it's something that God has done totally completely and holy isn't it wonderful isn't our
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God good and gracious and merciful and he's holy he does this out of his delight and his sheer goodness for his namesake keep that in mind he tells
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Israel that it's not because of you it's because of me my holy name wonderful so wonderful well
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Nicodemus should have known this apostate Judaism had thought that religion was to be achieved on the outside I gotta do something for my salvation
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I gotta do this and do that no God says I've done it I'm the creator and I'm the recreator and God says
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I'm going to wash you from your sins and put my spirit within you that you could be born of water and the spirit that's actually what
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Jesus is referring to folks the water of cleansing the washing of the word
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Paul says in Ephesians 5 26 right after he admonishes them and encourages the people of Ephesus husbands love your wives even as Christ has loved the church and has given himself for it and then he says this in Ephesians 5 26 that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing by the word see that he sanctifies us that means he that is a cleansing by the way but more than that sanctification means
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I will set you apart from the world and then I'm going to cleanse you,
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I'm going to clean you up I like what Raven here he said one of the greatest things God can do is take an unholy man out of an unholy world, make him holy and put him back into an unholy world and keep him holy isn't that wonderful and that's what
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God can do not only he has done the work but he keeps us holy and he keeps us by his powerful hand until the very end verse 27 why does he do this?
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why does he wash her and sanctify and cleanse her his bride, his church as a husband does for his wife in verse 27 he says here's a purpose that he might present her to himself a what?
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a glorious church glorious not having spot not having wrinkle or any such thing but that she should be holy without blemish there's never going to be a dirty bride and Jesus is not going to have a dirty bride folks going back to John chapter 3 look at verse 6
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Jesus gives a second line of reasoning of the miracle of the new birth verse 6 that which is born of the flesh is flesh that which is born of the spirit is spirit this is great,
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Nicodemus should have known again he should have known Paul says it, Romans chapter 8 you can go there but let me quote it to you
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Romans chapter 8 verses 5 -8 Paul says for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh but those who live according to the spirit the things of the spirit for to be carnally that means fleshly minded is death but the spiritual mind is life to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal, the fleshly mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God nor indeed can be and what does he say?
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so then those who are in the flesh cannot please God the flesh cannot provide redemption the flesh the arm of flesh is weak because the law was weak it can only condemn but what the power of the spirit of God has done through Jesus Christ and through the
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Trinity is absolutely powerful and it provides the new birth, gives life it gives peace
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Nicodemus should have known this well in essence
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Jesus is saying to Nicodemus flesh gives birth to flesh flesh gives birth meaning flesh makes more flesh it cannot make spirit
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Jesus says this in Matthew 26 41 about when he was going to the garden of Gethsemane to pray and he tells his disciples watch and pray lest you enter into temptation and what does he say?
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The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak those men the greatest time in history and here was the
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Christ the anointed God in the flesh battling it out in the garden of Gethsemane and they all fell asleep
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Jesus poured forth in sweat and blood prostrate before his father knowing that he's about to become sin and he goes a little further aren't you glad he went a little further the flesh is weak the spirit is willing human frailty flesh is weak, the flesh will fail you but can
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I say a little bit more here about what is meaning in the interpretation of flesh flesh cannot be made into spirit but to be born again must happen by the spirit of God Jesus says do not marvel don't be surprised that I said to you you must be born again and then basically even if Nicodemus let me say this could in some way have entered back into his mother's womb if that could be possible it's impossible but let's just say if he could and be born a second time that would not have corrected the evil nature within him because he had
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Adam's sinful nature Jesus did not possess that because he was the incarnate
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God the expression that which is born of the flesh, the flesh means that children born of human parents are born in sin we heard it again this morning from brother
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Lawson and are hopeless and helpless as far as saving themselves is concerned no one can save themselves nor can anyone be saved by human heritage, by being born of a
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Christian family even though the children can be taught all the things of God, but each and every one of them must be born again, that's what
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Jesus is telling, so the flesh is weak the flesh is sinful as well not only is it frail, it's sinful the arm of flesh will fail us every time folks, and we better make sure as a church that we are leaning on God's arms and not the arm of flesh amen that's why the flesh is weak it has a sinful nature and what
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Jesus is saying in the fact that sinful nature must be changed that, it's like taking a lion that loves to eat a lamb that's his nature isn't it, that lamb to that lion is like a nice piece of juicy lamb chops and that lion goes after him and tears him apart we know how
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Jesus changes all that and we see in Isaiah that one day when even the animal kingdom will be changed over when
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Jesus is accomplished and everything is accomplished in his great grand scheme of redemption the curse will be completely reversed and then that lion will look at that lamb and say you're my buddy
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I'm not going to eat you now and tear you apart that's what the new birth does it takes out an old heart of flesh a stony heart and puts an old heart a stone and puts a heart of flesh in isn't it wonderful well second
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Corinthians 5 .17 says that therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, old things have passed away behold all things have become new first Corinthians 2 .12
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now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit who is from God that we might know the things which have been freely given to us by God, notice that freely given to us by God, God has freely given it to us through his son the first verb refers to the innate knowledge of truth, the second refers to the personal intimate experiential knowledge of God and intimacy, we can never have discovered the riches and mysteries of God's glorious benefits of Christ's death by ourselves and in of ourselves there's nothing, we're not smart and even smartness doesn't save us that's what
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Paul says, the wisdom of men are nothing foolishness it's
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God's wisdom it's God's salvation, it's God's grace it's God's mercy through the new birth and we can know them personally and intimately through Jesus Christ James 1 17 to 18 every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights and listen to this, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning with God verse 18 of his own will,
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God's will of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures,
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Peter says 1 Peter 1 23 -25 having been born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible through the word of God which lives and abides forever because all flesh listen to this, the flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of grass and the grass withers and the flower falls away but the word of the
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Lord endures forever, you know I believe God through creation, every time I see grass it makes me think, it's a reminder to us it comes, it fades, it comes up green in the summer time but during the season, the winter time comes, what happens to the grass?
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It fades away it becomes brown and it's no more how quickly those seasons go by it's like God is telling us everything in creation it comes and it goes but God's word abides forever it's already settled in heaven put your faith in God's word, verse 8 of John 3 really gives us that excellent application to what everything
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Jesus is saying here how one is born of the spirit of God is still a mysterious thing but remember it's the work of the
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Holy Spirit of God that brings someone into the kingdom and seeing it enter into the kingdom of God look at what verse 8 says, the wind blows where it wishes you hear the sound of it but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes, so is everyone who is born of the spirit as he so often did, our
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Lord Jesus Christ used nature to illustrate a spiritual truth he reminds
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Nicodemus that the wind blows, the wind you can't see the wind, it goes it blows where it wishes you can't control it nor can you control the spirit of God he's sovereign, you can't control the wind, can any man on this earth control the wind can they control the hurricanes no, they can't they can try but they can't it's ridiculous that's how powerful
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God is, the new birth is very much like the wind folks first of all it takes place according to God's will it takes place according to God's will it's not a power which man holds, it's not a power man can control it's completely outside of the man's free will and outside of man's ability you can't do it that's why
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John 1 .13 says who were born not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man but of God Romans 9 .16
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so then it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs but of God who shows mercy it's
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God and God alone and that's why all glory goes to God not the puny men it's not going to an altar call it's not saying a sinner's prayer it's the work of the
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Holy Spirit of God that brings a person to see and know
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God and enter in and gives them the ability to come into the kingdom of God John 6 .37
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Jesus said this all that the Father gives me will come to me Jesus said this and no one no one and the one,
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I'm sorry, the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out salvation is by God's will and selection of those who come to him salvation is of the
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Lord not of works lest any man should boast it's all of grace next is not only is salvation
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God's will it's actually not in man's power the new birth is invisible you cannot see it taking place you could see the results, you could see the effects of it but like the wind you cannot see it taking place when a person has been saved and born again by the
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Spirit of God a transformation takes place but there's evidence that that person has been changed the evil things which he formerly loved he now hates the things of God which he formerly despised the things now are the very things he loves just as no one can fully understand the wind so the new birth is a powerful miraculous work of the
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Spirit of God which man is not able to even comprehend well there's so much more that could be said about this but I'd like to close to Ezekiel chapter 37, go with me to Ezekiel chapter 37 and give this word to us because this is so critical folks please listen very closely to what is being said in Ezekiel chapter 37
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I want to go through this very quickly because my time is gone but Ezekiel is taken from by the hand of the
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Lord and he takes him to a valley of dry bones notice what it says in Ezekiel 37, the hand of the
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Lord came upon me and brought me into in the Spirit of the Lord brought me out in the
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Spirit of the Lord and sent me down in the midst of the valley that was full of bones, now think of this rotten decaying bones in a huge valley then he caused me to pass by them all around and behold there were very many in the open valley and indeed they were very dry doesn't that remind you of the world we're in bones dry listen to this and he said to me son of man
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God gives a question isn't it wonderful God knows everything but he's giving this prophet a question son of man can these bones live listen to his answer folks this is one of the greatest answers
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I think given so I answered oh Lord God you know you know isn't that wonderful God you know you know he realized he didn't know
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God knew again he said to me prophesy to these bones there it is prophesy preach to these bones and say to them oh dry bones hear the word of the
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Lord hear the word of the Lord thus says the Lord God to these bones surely
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I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall live and I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you and cover you with my skin and put breath in you and you shall live and you shall know that I am the
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Lord so I prophesied as I was commanded and as I prophesied there was a noise and a sudden rattling and the bones came together bone to bone indeed
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I looked and the sinews and the flesh came upon them and the skin covered them over and there was no breath in them and also he said to me prophesy to the breath prophesy son of man and say to the breath thus says the
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Lord God come from the four winds of breath and breathe on these slain that they may live so I prophesied as he commanded and breath came into them and they lived and stood upon their feet an exceedingly great army there's the church folks the real church it's powerful isn't it verse 11 then he said to me son of man these bones are the whole house of Israel and they indeed say our bones are dry our hope is lost and we ourselves are cut off and then he goes on basically to say prophesy prophesy prophesy verse 14
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I will put my spirit in you and you shall live and I will place you in your own land and you shall know that I the
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Lord has spoken and shall perform it says the Lord see you get the picture God takes dead dry bones and he does a recreation that no one else can do and this is what
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God does in the new birth well commentator Yates says this a wonderful application to this with weirdness realism dramatic force the prophet presents the the heartening news that Israel may hope to live a revival is possible even dry bones without sinew and flesh and blood can live the coming of God's spirit brings life and the same thrilling truth is still needed in a world that has dry bones everywhere what we need is to have the
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Holy Spirit come come with his quickening power that a genuine revival may sweep the earth end quote we need a divine intervention of God folks and that's what it takes for people to come into the kingdom of God Spurgeon said this this and with this
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I close since we can't control the spirit it should lead us to be very tender and jealous in our conduct towards the
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Holy Ghost so that we do not grieve him and cause him to depart from us he goes on to say if we were asked to read a dying man who did not know the gospel we should probably select this chapter
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John 3 as the most suitable one for such an occasion and what is good for the dying men is good for us all that is what we are and how soon we may be actually at the gates of death none of us can tell end quote we must remember as Pink says salvation is a supernatural thing it changes the heart it renews the will it transforms the life so that it is evident to all around that a miracle of grace has been wrought and yet God commands us to repent and believe the gospel that's conversion after regeneration but when the new birth takes place you will know because he changes your nature transformation takes place praise his name let's pray our
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Father and our God we can hear these great truths but it is your
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Holy Spirit that must drive them to our hearts we can know it in our heads but we must have a heart that is transformed by your power a heart operation must take place taken out of a stony heart and a heart of flesh is replaced and a heart of flesh in which you write your laws and calls us to walk in your judgments and statutes
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Lord how wonderful is this so merciful so gracious and kind are you we're so humbled of the mystery and the beauty of the new birth by your spirit and it's something that only you give and give alone through the sacrificial death and the atonement of Jesus Christ and as Jesus your son said
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Lord to Nicodemus as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up on the cross account that revelation we see
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Nicodemus didn't fully understand it Lord but now you have allowed us to see it and not a one of us can be into the kingdom of God unless it's by a supernatural new birth through your spirit we thank you for it
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Lord help us Lord to come humbly at the foot of the cross and bow in faith to look up to the one who gives eternal life not by our works but by his works not by our perfection but by his perfection not of works of righteousness we have done but by his works of righteousness and that's the only works that has pleased you
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Lord we can count on that because your word has promised it thank you father for the gift of your holy spirit that shed abroad in our hearts by your spirit gives us the love to love people that love of God that shed abroad in us brings light and life through your name we praise you we thank you for the creation of a new heart a new life eternal life and I pray