You must be born again! Sermon by Pastor Jeff Shipley 6/19/22

We're going to be in John chapter 3 this morning and no it is not singularity

on verse 16.

Although that will be within our scripture text John chapter

3.

I looked it up this morning on the internet and this morning

69 or a hundred and seventy six million

Americans say that they are Christian 69 yet

of that 69 or rather I should say of that hundred and seventy six million

only 9

Pastor Josiah, wherever you are only 9 say that the

Bible is accurate and reliable.

176 million people Claim to be Christians now I want all

of you in this room to identify just for a second if these statistics

Pertain to you at any level you claim to be a Christian.

But yet you don't really know that the Bible is accurate true.

May I take it a step further just for a second.

176 million people say they're Christians.

9 of that Say the Bible only the Bible is accurate and true, but

now here's I believe even a smaller percentage.

And I don't know that's percentage for this but it is microscopically small.

Because of those 9 % who say the Bible is accurate and true.

Let me ask you this.

Do you live that out every day?

Here is why?

Here is why so many people in our text, it's the same thing that was

happening 2 ,000 years ago.

It's the same thing happened today read with me in John chapter 3 starting in verse

1.

Now there was a man of the Southern Baptist Church.

Same thing there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a

ruler of the Jews.

This man came to Jesus don't miss these next two words.

By night and said to him rabbi.

We know that you are a teacher come from God for no one can do these

signs.

That you do unless God was with him a little break here for a second.

Look up at me.

We have a Roman historian who quotes a Roman

citizen, I'm sorry senator who is saying that there is a man named

Christus from Galilee that does many mysterious works.

We have another man named Thallus who says the same thing another historian.

None of these people are Christians named Josephus that says that

Jesus was a Magnificent mage so there is historical evidence

and writings Outside the gospel of Jesus Christ that say that this man

Jesus did things That no one could explain here.

Nicodemus is validating that again.

He says we know you must be from God for no one can do what you do.

Unless you are from God.

First three Jesus answered him now doesn't Jesus response.

He comes to him and he hasn't really asked a question yet.

Jesus says truly I say unto you Unless one is born again He cannot see

the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus said to him and probably in a joking and mocked way.

How can a man be born when he is old?

Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?

Jesus answered truly truly I say unto you unless one is born of water and the Spirit He cannot

enter the kingdom of God.

That which is born of flesh is flesh.

And that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

And our text this morning verse 7 do not marvel that I said to you.

You must be born again.

What is born again?

It's colloquial in churches today.

I'm a born -again Christian.

I'm a born -again Christian.

I mean you hear it in the FCA members on Sunday afternoon on I'd like to give

thanks Steve Stephen Curry or Stephen Curry the basketball player dude.

Was that yeah, whatever.

I don't watch basketball.

I watch sports football, but He is a fine young man from what

I have read about him and seen of him he gives credence and

Validity to quote his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

That's great.

Tim Tebow kneels.

There's a whole bunch of people out there who claim Christianity.

Okay, including a guy once named Adolf Hitler now I'm not equating Stephen Curry or Tim

Tebow to Adolf Hitler.

But what I am saying claiming something and living something out are two different things.

What does it mean to be born again?

Well the word born again here and for you are many us in here who can't wrap your head around this.

I'm sorry to tell you that born again is akin to in the Greek and English

to the doctrine of Regeneration, let me say that again.

Regeneration you say pastor.

What does that word mean.

Titus chapter 3 verses 4 through 6 that a lesser pastor that we know just preached on.

It says this in verse 4, but when the goodness and loving -kindness of God our

Savior.

Don't miss that God our Savior Appeared he saved

us not by works of righteousness, which we had done but according to his own

mercy.

Now listen by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of

the Holy Spirit.

People if you're in this room today and you are truly a Child of

God it was not by works of righteousness.

Which you did but according to the regenerative mercy of Jesus Christ.

That you have been made alive again.

The Word of God tells us that we are dead in our sins and our trespasses.

Is dead man can make no choices.

So God in his mercy he Regenerates that dead soul.

Some of you sitting in this room are a trichotomy.

But one cylinder it and firing you men should get that one cylinder it and

firing.

In other words.

You have a mind you have a body but you're lagging around a dead soul.

You're being led by your filthy carnal mind instead of a regenerated Spirit of the

Living God.

Some of you in this room you want to believe in Jesus.

You have a desire in your head.

But because you have never truly submitted you cannot truly understand the

regenerative power of the Holy Spirit of God.

Let me say this to you today.

You want me to tell you how awesome God's grace is.

He didn't just save you from your sins.

He chose you before the foundation of the world by his predestinated power

to be Regenerated in still with faith so you could pray that prayer to Jesus.

You see your salvation is so much more than walking down an aisle or getting baptized or

joining some silly church.

God loved you before the world even began before you even understood a

Concept of right and wrong.

God had chosen you by his grace to be Regenerated back to life and he

gave you the faith to believe.

It's funny how we all sit there as Baptists and say we have done nothing for our salvation.

Yet it's that same voice that talks about my faith my work my deeds my

goodness my righteousness.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to tell you that that jacked -up concept

is going to stress you out.

Oh man, how sweet it is for the believer who truly knows the doctrine of regeneration

as they fall back into a Beautiful soft bed relying on nothing but the

love grace and sovereignty of Almighty God.

Understand this today that being born again means to be

Regenerated.

You must be born again now in this relationship Nicodemus comes and

you will hear what I'm saying more when you contrast it with who Nicodemus was.

We know this he was a Pharisee we know he was a Pharisee and for those of you to understand

the Essenes and the esoteric groups and the Pharisees and Sadducee.

You don't need to.

Basically, this is what a Pharisee is.

He is an independent Right -wing Nationalistic

and I know that word today has a negative connotation.

I love America if that makes me a nationalist and that's what I'll be.

I consider myself a patriot.

But you can call me whatever you want.

My blood bleeds red white and blue.

Okay, the Pharisees started as a political group.

Think of the religious right of the 1980s you see in between Malachi of the

Old Testament and Matthew of the New Testament.

There were 400 years there and for 400 years the children of Israel were getting just beat up

all the time.

And finally this guy said, you know what?

You know what?

We need to get back right with God if we put prayers back in our schools.

If we put the Ten Commandments back in the courtroom.

If we put Jesus Christ and let high schoolers pray at football man, our country

will be revived.

Here's the problem with that guys.

You don't put Jesus anywhere.

You see I love this saying that we've come up with in church.

I'm gonna make Jesus Christ my lord.

He is not a Labrador puppy kids.

Guess what?

He already is Lord.

He doesn't need your permission or your acquiescing to his position.

You see it's not about you making him Lord.

It's about you surrendering to his Lordship.

169 million nine percent.

Some of you in this room just got it in a personal application.

You're so used to church sayings that you have forsaking the truth of

the Word of God.

And I know that this feels uncomfortable.

Because your mama wept at your baptism your pastor gave you a pink or blue Bible.

You are a great moral person.

But I say to you in all love you must be born again.

Nicodemus was that Pharisee?

He was also very successful.

Nicodemus we know was the third richest person in Jerusalem at that time.

The third richest person this dude had Monet.

Okay, so he was definitely Respectable he was definitely

Successful, but here's the third full that I have for you today.

Listen to this.

He was also Acceptable now pastor.

How do you know he was acceptable because he did this he came to Jesus at

night.

Well, why is that a big deal.

Because he didn't want people seeing him.

You see he was the senior pastor of the largest church there was at that time

and I use church.

Euphemistically he was the largest pastor.

He was the pastor of every Jew there was.

He was their pastor.

How would it look for the pastor going to ask the carpenter's son?

From nutbush about things of God.

He was acceptable.

But here's who he was acceptable to.

He was acceptable to the religious people or the culture of his time

rather than the God himself.

Ladies and gentlemen listen.

Some of you are already bored.

Some of your your some of your rear ends have grown legs because they're walking all over that chair.

Listen to me.

You are flirting with the damnation of hell.

Based upon your assumption of acceptability by this culture or a moral elite in this

world you may judge yourself based upon a Moral sense of

where you are in the religious right of the Southern Baptist Convention.

I Beg you please leave all that up behind because you must be born

again.

Look at this next verse.

Jesus said truly I say unto you unless one born of water verse 3 verse 5 and by the Spirit

He cannot enter the kingdom of God.

That's which is born of flesh and flesh that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

What I'm trying to say to you today.

Is this?

How many of you have ever been a drunk or addicted to a drug?

Yeah, well some of y 'all lying in here and holding your hand down real low because I know you get drunk.

Listen.

What some people try to do is this they try to reform their lifestyle.

Let me put it to you like this.

Have you ever gotten a new bed or a new dresser or something in your room?

Looked like a tornado had gone through it and you had to enjoy that piece.

You had to clean up your whole room and get everything organized, right?

I know a young man whose room looked like a war zone all the time

underneath his bed.

Underneath his bed we found Jimmy Hoffa's ring.

I mean it was nasty.

Well, he conned his girlfriend in to coming over and cleaning

up his room.

And when she did that I told my wife that's gonna be the woman he marries right there.

All right.

So she came over and cleaned it up and I remember him walking down the stairs and

this is what he said.

You can call me new leaf from now on because I turned over a new leaf.

I will never have anything shoved under my bed.

My bed will be clean.

My room will be clean everything will be perfect and I said to him

as long as she comes over every week to clean up your room.

I agree.

Guys, here's a reality.

I won't tell you who that is.

I Will always love you Rachel.

I will.

That's The HP I see by the way, I want you to understand something.

Guys, if you keep trying to turn over a new leaf in your life.

Whether it be pornography or whatever it is you struggle with if you try to reform yourself.

You're going to fail.

Trust me from personal experience.

You're going to fail.

You know me pipes.

I've cracked and thrown in the garbage can.

Bunches.

I have thrown an eight ball away in a moment of absolutely Believing

and knowing that I was never going to do it again.

Yet then I went and jacked somebody in the head to get more money to go buy some more because that Reformation only

lasted until the cravings came back.

That's not a Christian.

Some of you in this room.

And this is going to be hard for some of you to hear.

But you want to reform your spiritual life by doing devotions every day.

To you that's the height of spiritual acquiescing.

Listen to me first of all number one nowhere in Scripture does it tell you to read the Bible every day?

So quit using that as a mark of holiness.

Because what's going to happen is you're going to fall into religion.

Okay, second of all quit beating yourself up over it.

You've listened to too many preachers in too many denominations rather than the Holy Spirit of the Living God.

God doesn't want you to read the Bible every day.

He wants you to memorize it and live it out.

Okay, and it would be so much better for you to live out a small portion then ignore it all by simply

reading it.

Please stop trying to do that stuff quit trying in your own power to reform your life.

Let God first regenerate you and make you alive so that you can know what it is to have power

over sin.

Second thing understanding this.

You need to be born again.

You must be born again.

It is regeneration.

But how does it happen?

Let me read to you again verse 5 and tell you what it is.

Not before I tell you what it is verse 5 chapter 3 truly truly I say unto you unless one is

born of the water and spirit.

He cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Anybody that's not a Christian today.

Here's what I'm going to tell you I want you to come over here and I

in the power Bestowed upon me by the Holy Spirit of God.

Yeah, I will take this holy water.

Hold on.

Somebody stole my Honda.

I will take this water right here and I will but based I skull in

this water Paul we're gonna need to drain this.

Okay base this and You will be saved because it's gonna be of your spirit

and the water.

That's what it just said verse 5.

You must be born of the water and the spirit.

What theologically for those of you that have actually listened?

What is the doctrine again?

Y 'all tire me all over.

Someone besides my wife or an MIT student or a pastor.

What is a doctrine a Teaching but it's more than just a teaching.

It's a True, that's that's very important.

That's very important.

Okay, it's a truth that is found from Genesis to Revelation.

Okay Grace is a doctrine.

Genesis chapter 6 verse 8.

It's the first time grace is used and it's still being used all the way through Revelation 22.

That means God really wants you to understand what grace is.

So here we go again.

What is grace?

What is it?

What is it?

Some of you heathen rednecks ago would I say before dinner?

No, what is doctrinally?

What is grace?

When I heard a redneck what?

Grace is not being given.

That's actually mercy, but that's close.

That's close.

Who said that?

Moses Moses that that water in there is going.

This right the word car ease

means unmerited favor.

Y 'all believe in unmerited favor, right?

So now help me out because I'm a high school dropout.

Okay, so explain this to me if grace is Unmerited in other words, I

can't do anything to earn it.

But I have to get baptized by action.

How is it then grace that I'm saved?

God get who said that oh My god.

Yes.

God gives grace freely.

Redundant as that is maybe we need to hear it.

God gives grace freely if Baptism is a

prerequisite of salvation.

Then where does grace happen?

Here's what a lot of people say on verse 5 right here.

What Jesus is saying is let me read it to you truly truly.

I say unto you unless one is Baptized with water and the Spirit

he cannot enter the kingdom of God that violates the doctrine of grace that

violates an Understanding that it is unmerited, but also watch this.

Intellectually academically and harmonetically it doesn't make sense read verse 6 with me if you

will.

We just read verse 5 that which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of spirit is spirit.

So the water is flesh now.

I'm gonna tell y 'all something that happened to me.

It was 1990 something.

My wife was pregnant.

You were pregnant in the 90s be quiet.

She was spitting out kids like a pez dispenser man.

Every time I turned around she was pregnant but in this one particular case in 1994, she was pregnant again

and She was like the great round one.

I mean, you know Gwen was like out to here.

You know, I you set my coffee cup on her stomach when we were in bed.

I mean, it was just like an end table.

She was huge, right?

So I get up to go to work and she said to me I'm not feeling

Just right now.

My wife's pretty tough old broad.

Okay, when she said to me, I'm not feeling right.

I went I think I'm gonna stay home.

She said oh, it's no big deal.

I Got this.

Let's not be deal.

I said, okay.

Well, I'm gonna stay here.

Anyways 20 minutes later as she was sitting in my recliner.

Her water broke.

Now for those for those of you who don't

know That is more than the clear crystalline water of a

purified water bottle.

She then.

Because she decided to have a home birth I had to walk her into the bedroom and I slept

closest to the door.

So get to which side of the bed I put her on.

And guess where she gave birth.

She run my recliner and my side of the bed all I had was a couch that was it.

Consider it old woman.

Listen.

It was it was hurtful.

I had to deliver my son 10 -pound baby boy.

Oh I was like come out of there and he's splattered on the wall.

No, listen.

Listen, you see her water broke.

What Jesus is returning to is he's saying this if you're a human being and you were

born of the flesh.

Born of water.

That's great.

But that don't mean Jack because you have to also be born of the Spirit.

It's not adding to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus didn't make an oops there.

He's simply saying and harmonetically keep reading whenever you get to a difficult passage.

It'll explain it to you.

He's simply saying the water is you have to be born of the flesh and the Spirit is anybody not getting that.

Okay good Artie.

You're a redneck civil employee.

Do you understand?

All right, great.

Then everybody gets it.

So here's the deal.

Jesus is saying How does this happen?

He's saying that it's both flesh and Spirit then he gives this analogy keep reading with me if you

will.

Chapter 3 verse 14 Jesus said this and as Moses lifted up the serpent in

the wilderness.

So must the Son of Man be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Now watch this watch this that is referring to something that's recorded.

Oh.

Let's see.

Which way are y 'all that is something that was recorded all the way back here in the Old Testament.

In numbers the children of Israel had just gotten delivered.

They were out in the wilderness, right?

They're out in the wilderness walking around and they are a bunch of whiny crying complaining.

Millennials.

Okay, they're just they're triggered by everything.

They need safe spaces.

Okay, and they're walking out and they're going.

Oh my god, it's hot out here and they're complaining to God.

They're sitting there telling Moses Moses.

You need to go talk to God and tell him that this is not working.

We're glad that we're no longer slaves.

Thank you for our freedom.

Oh my gosh.

We've been sacrificing stuff for you all day.

But where we're at it's not good enough.

Maybe See if human nature can identify with this.

Maybe it would just be better If we went back and just be were slaves at least we could get three squares a

day.

So God sat there and said okay, and he literally rained bread

down from heaven.

Literal literally.

When they said that's not good enough.

We need meats quails.

Showed up and they would just fly over the camp of Israel by the tens of thousands and then they would just have

Heartattacks and they would fall and die Right there at their feet.

They didn't even have to go shooting.

They'd pick them up and eat them.

So now they had bread and meat.

They didn't have enough water.

Come flowing out of a rock God said just keep on following me.

I'll provide all your needs.

Finally.

They got to a point where they said we're done.

We've walked all this way.

I don't know where we're going.

The food is here is Terrible and we want

something else and God said I have had Enough

and he sent the Word of God says fiery serpents.

No, don't think about you know snakes with wings and fire coming.

They were like probably copperhead type.

They weren't copperheads, but you know, they were bronze looking Metallic looking snakes slithering around they'd

bite him and people started dying to death so Moses Goes to God and go

God.

These are your people.

Your people and God told Moses this here's what I want you to do.

I want you to take the image of that snake.

And stick it on a pole.

And I want you to lift it up.

And then this is what he said.

Any Israelite that's bitten by a snake?

Here's what they got to do.

They got to run around the pole seven times.

Then they got to scale up the pole.

They got to touch that snake ring that bell.

Come on down.

They're saved.

Is that what he said?

Now, but it was a lot funnier seeing me do that, right?

Now he said the snakes on top of the pole if anyone's bitten.

This is the only thing they have to do is look at it and they'll be saved.

Now I've had people ask me why a snake?

Why not a lamb or something you forget the whole propitiation thing again, didn't you?

You see when Jesus was lifted on the cross.

He wasn't wearing a nice little white Diaper, he didn't have a few little like razor burn

scratches on him.

The the crown of thorns wasn't tilted in kind of this rakish James Dean look

it was So horrible that you couldn't even recognize it as a human being

and I say it He was a bloody stump.

But the agony suffered was not at the beating of man.

The agony he suffered was the wrath of God.

You see he died he was the object of scorn and ridicule.

You see that which happened 4 ,000 years ago even in the midst of sin God's still

teaching a lesson.

So that 4 ,000 years later Jesus can sit with this Scholarly preacher and go

dude.

Do you not get it?

How long have you been a pastor and you still don't understand?

Listen to the words coming out of my mouth.

Everything in the Old Testament is talking about me.

In John 5 he literally says that in two more chapters.

He literally goes everything Moses wrote about guess who it was about me.

It's all about me.

And if you don't believe Moses's words, you're never gonna believe mine.

Jesus sat there and said I am the one who's about to be lifted up and if you

will simply look.

How would it says you must be born again, how can we do it no matter how good Nicodemus

was.

He's still falling short.

I tell you today and it's the most blessed thing in the world to receive the grace of God is by

faith and faith alone.

All you've got to do is look you say well pastor.

I prayed that prayer.

It didn't say pray the prayer.

It said look well pastor.

Where do I look to.

I can't see God.

Yes, one of the reasons he doesn't manifest himself because there would be an absence of the need for faith.

You see it's got to be faith.

Faith is according to Hebrews the substance of things not seen yet still believe.

Pastor, I don't understand because you're not regenerated.

You're not truly a Christian.

No, no matter what your morals tell you you have never ever been born again.

Are you that person that every time you saw Billy Graham on TV, and he said bow your heads with me right now.

And pray this prayer.

Sorry this half of the rooms never even probably heard of Billy Graham, but you know what I'm talking about.

Ask Jesus to come into your heart right now.

Why do pastors always talk like that when they start doing the prayer?

They start whispering a little bit.

They elongate vowels suck.

Why do they do that.

Because it's an emotional plea to an emotional heart that's broken trying to be

Reformed rather than someone who wants to give up everything and no matter if they have to die five

seconds later.

It is well with their soul because they are going to submit to the lordship and sovereignty of Jesus Christ.

And that can only happen by faith.

Last point.

Read with me if you will.

He sits there, and he keeps talking and in verse 16 He says this for God so loved the world that he

gave his only begotten son that whomsoever.

Except black folks can't have blacks.

You know I'm saying whomsoever well I mean, that's what our churches say today.

Black churches don't allow white folk.

White church don't allow black folk heck on the deed to this church.

It says Ain't no black folk allowed up in here.

Take white trash rednecks all day long, but no black folk.

Whomsoever does that mean people who don't smoke cuss or drink or does it mean whomsoever?

You mean those women that have had abortions?

Yeah, y 'all are welcome to.

You mean those folks that has blasphemed God.

Yes, the call is to you too.

Isaiah says in Isaiah 43 God said look unto me and be ye

saved all.

The ends of the earth for I am God and there's no other by the way numbers look Isaiah look Jesus

look see the consistency and that's also called a.

Someone say doctrine for the love of God.

Right y 'all so busy reading Bible stories.

You never learned how to understand doctrine.

Listen.

How do you do it believe now?

What does it look like?

When you actually are saved here's a litmus test for some of you.

Even some of you've been going to church for 42 years, and you've got your letter in a Baptist Church.

Hallelujah.

You're good to go.

You're a great moral person.

You hate fags so right away.

God loves you now you gossip.

You gossip you hate other people or dislike other people because they're different from the culture

you grew up in.

Guess what you're as damned to hell as the biggest heretic.

Crack -smoking whore on Jackson Avenue or stripper down to Purple Diamond.

You see here's your problem.

You must be born again.

How do I know pastor?

Well, let's look and see what this looks like.

Some of you are like Nicodemus when the Holy Spirit of God convicts you.

Maybe even this morning.

You hold on tighter to the chair look up the screen and sing the song.

You're still there at night.

You don't have a problem on the inside going Jesus.

I need you, but you're gonna come at night.

You're gonna come to a place in Jesus where your Sacrifice to follow Christ is meted

out by the acceptance of not losing your friends.

And may I say this so boldly the sin that you love more than God.

I Say you're gonna rationalize it.

I Can still do this.

God will forgive me.

Yeah, he will once you're regenerated and born again.

The problem is with that mindset.

You ain't regenerated.

So here's Nicodemus.

He comes to Jesus at night, but now let's follow Nicodemus.

Historically just a little bit further read with me here from John chapter 7 flip over but

just a few pages.

John chapter 7 starting in verse 45 here we are and

The Sanhedrin that that body think of Congress that body.

Did Nicodemus was in charge over they all got together Republicans and Democrats and

all agreed on one thing.

Jesus has got to go.

He got to go.

He's threatening our power.

He's threatening our money.

He got to go so they sent the temple police out.

In that weird in a free democratic country every government agency has their own police department.

Those silly Jews.

Oh.

Y 'all thought I was talking about America.

I was first 45.

The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees and said to them the cops have come on back.

They went try to find Jesus grabbed a couple of doughnuts and they came back and they said this.

Why didn't y 'all bring him here?

Verse 46 the cops answers said.

And no one has ever spoke like this, man.

The Pharisees answered them and said have you also been deceived?

Have you any of the authorities of Pharisees believed in him?

Here's what they're saying in an arrogant way you Minimum -wage

civil servants.

You have been deceived to you're scared to bring him in because what he's saying is affecting you.

You know something inside of you is bearing truth to what that man is saying.

But here's what the prideful people say.

You're so stupid.

Let me ask you this have any of us who know anything everything.

Do us who know how to memorize scripture and can speak to you in Greek and great doctrinal words.

Do we believe.

Well, no, if we don't believe then why should you believe?

Right.

Some of y 'all are smiling at me like well, yeah that day is no bearing.

Some of you actually believe that everyone in this room evolved from a

monkey and.

The reason you believe it is not because you've researched it or tried to figure it out yourself.

It's because a bunch of doctors and scientists have told you so.

Let me bring that a little bit closer.

Some of you in this room believe that men can have babies.

They asked Columbia Ivy League

students on Video go look it up.

Can men have babies?

100 of the students in pre -med pre -law said

yes.

Here's how I didn't understand it.

Here's how if a man Identifies as a woman.

Then he is a woman.

Watch this.

If a woman Identifies as a man and gets pregnant by default a man is

having a baby.

And the y 'all laughing this is real.

We've entered into a world Jesus said this would happen.

Professing themselves to be wise man became fools.

We're living in a world Where the predominant?

overwhelming percentage of this Generation has so

rebelled against the Word of God That they have convinced science and

culture To say that men can become women and women can become men.

It's hilarious in this video that same camera crew goes to the streets of

Harlem and they ask The people of Harlem what they

think.

It's hilarious.

It's a great contrast on how powerful culture and indoctrinate.

I'm sorry.

Education is in America today.

Because all the college Cambridge or Columbia students were like well, of course.

Yes, what do you mean?

Of course they can.

And then they go ask a couple of brothers on the side of the street.

Hey, man.

Can a man have a baby and go look the video up?

It's hilarious.

And the guy went what?

Man, that's stupid.

And then ask this black lady, hey, can a man be a woman.

She goes he ain't got no uterus.

Guys You

Must come to a place Where you have to have faith in God not the acceptance of

this world.

I know some of you are getting bored.

I know some of you are.

I see it in your eyes.

And if you wouldn't mind if you were believer just pray with me for the heathens that are in here that are not saved that Need to hear this word.

Can you just walk along with me for about five more minutes before you go eat your steak?

Okay.

Be still.

Please pray.

Stop being a cultural Christian and actually care about the soul that's sitting on the same row as you

arrogant heathen.

Watch this.

Verse 48 have the any of the authorities of the Pharisees believed in him.

Verse 49.

But the crowd that does not know the law is accursed.

Y 'all aren't as smart as us go arresting verse 50.

Nicodemus now notice the parentheses there.

Nicodemus the one who had gone to him at night.

The one who had gone before who was one of them said to them now watch this who was

one of them.

Who said to them?

You know what a regenerator spirits gonna give you it's gonna give you a little bit of confidence.

People have said to me over the years pastor.

You're too cocky.

No you insecure little worm.

It's not them too cocky.

It's something that you loathe because your insecurity wants to manifest the same confidence

in Jesus Christ that I have.

But here's what Christians do instead of sacrificing our own pride and being torn down.

So God will lift us up.

What do Christians do we tear each other down if we can all be on my same level of

suck.

Then we're good to go.

If we can all be cowards, then I'm gonna be in a common place.

And.

And you men.

By the way, happy Father's Day you men Did act like your wives and children?

Then instead of leading with authority and love and grace and sacrifice and service character and

honor.

Discipline things that make us men men.

You argue like a five -year -old.

Well, I just whatever.

If you're a man and a leader and the words whatever come out of your mouth you just failed as a man.

Cuz there's never the answer of whatever.

I Guarantee you you didn't go up to Norman Schwarzkopf and go.

Hey, the Iraqis are attacking this way.

We want to attack this way and Norman Schwarzkopf's playing Mario Brothers like whatever.

Whatever.

Don't bother me be a leader.

God.

I'm preaching like 80 sermons in this one, aren't I?

They're bonus last thing listen last thing.

Nicodemus when he was Regenerated the things he believed in and the

courage that he lacked to come to Jesus at night.

It started to fade away a little bit.

He wasn't just not interested not telling dirty jokes at work.

He was interested in standing up a little bit for Jesus.

Watch this last verse.

This really is the last one.

Look at your sheets.

Watch this John chapter 19.

Go forward.

12 chapters.

John chapter 19.

Jesus has died you know what real faith looked like that three days

in between Jesus's death and his resurrection the People whose lives were changed in those three days.

Those were the Navy SEAL Green Beret Special Forces Christians.

Watch what I mean.

When Thomas saw Jesus resurrected and Jesus didn't show up in a dream or an apparition.

But after he was dead Thomas was sitting there and he goes sup Thomas.

Thomas like oh He probably wasn't that gay -sounding, but you know, he was saying something

like that.

And he looked at Thomas.

He said I stick your hand in them nail prints boy.

Now, do you believe what did Thomas say?

My lord and my.

One little Jesus in the manger the dude hanging on the cross.

He was God in the Lord something to submit to right.

Here's Nicodemus.

He didn't get to see Jesus rector act resurrected when he made his stand in John chapter 19.

He did this.

It says there in that passage.

That Joseph of Arimathea who was a rich dude who also was a disciple of Jesus.

Although privately you can see that in Scripture because he was scared both of them decided

It's time to take a stand.

It's gonna cost us.

It's gonna cost us and it did by the way, but that's a sermon for another time.

And here's something else Christian.

You know why there's a church.

Because it's gonna cost you and guys I'm here to tell you I'm a coward.

So are you but man when you get a bunch of cowards together called Christians all sudden man was like

You get a little bold, right?

You start getting a little bit stronger.

And if you are wounded or you are a little bit scared other brothers and sisters come up and go it's okay.

It's okay.

It's okay some of them come up to you and oh I Do need

to quit drinking.

I Can't be on the lake and still worship Jesus.

Because it says gather yourselves together right that's called obedience, right?

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus became friends and

became partners in Serving God before Jesus was resurrected again.

That's real courage.

That's real faith.

Think of the guy on the cross Jesus remember me when you get to heaven Jesus is over there dying

next to him dude.

That's real faith, man.

You know the Jesus that stood up out of the grave and walked out and the stones rolled away.

The Roman soldiers are run away and he shows up and walks through walls and goes up now, man.

Yeah, I need to believe there, right?

Man, he hadn't rose again yet.

Nicodemus does this he brings?

75 pounds of Spices now, I know that doesn't make sense to us

today.

But that is probably about $200 ,000.

In other words, you know what he did he emptied Everything he had and brought

it now.

He was believing in Jesus.

Believing in his words.

Jesus says hey, man, I'm gonna be right back.

Give me three days.

Hang on.

I Want enough for Nicodemus?

Here's the last thing just Tell him to stop saying that.

Watch this.

You see when you start to follow Jesus the things that used to matter to you.

Don't matter no more.

You see when you were Regenerated that what you put your hope and faith in that what you relied on

your little insecurities and your little whoopies that you have.

Whether it be your your drinking your vaping your codependent relationship, whatever it is.

They just don't matter anymore, man.

They just don't.

And you'll give up everything.

You're brainwashed.

Guys, I brainwashed all five of my kids try it.

It's great stuff.

You won't have to be going to juvenile hall.

It's really a cool thing for a Friday night.

You won't be smoking weed in a Kroger parking lot after work.

No names mentioned.

I'm not even gonna look that way guys.

If you're truly regenerated.

Your speech is going to change what you believe and trust in is going to change

your security blankets are going to change and Your actions are going to

change.

Just as How many souls have slipped into the abyss of hell by

walking Emotionally down an aisle to that song and praying a stupid prayer.

That's not found in the gospel.

And Relying on that moment to be saved.

Let me ask you this Christian.

Especially you Christians have been a Christian a long time and you are a mature Christian.

When's the last time you repented?

Well in 1983 I was come to the Lord cool.

When's it's 2022 man.

Okay, for those of you that don't know that's 40 years.

Biblically, that's a generation.

You mean you tell me you have not repented in a generation.

Here's what an old man in this church told me one time.

He's dead by the way and probably in hell, but this is what he said to me.

He used to sit right around here.

No relation.

Well, maybe to you but Sat right over there and he just said to me

pastor I love you preaching but you preach so long and then we have to sit through that

invitation and it's like every time We're about to close up someone gets up and comes forward to get saved.

And I just looked at him.

I almost just said his name.

I just looked at him.

I go.

Are you serious?

He goes, yeah, man, and I said this why don't you just leave then?

This is what he said.

I don't want people to think bad of me.

It's okay that God knows.

It's okay that I'm in my heart.

Hating my time being wasted because people are hearing the word and coming down here and getting saved.

But I just don't want anybody else to know about it.

Does that sound like a regenerated believer?

No now good news is he tithed

he'd been baptized.

He'd been a member of a Baptist Church.

He was a Republican and he was white which means right away you're

saved.

White power, right?

Guys some of you believe in crap that is going to send you to hell for the rest of your

life.

Here here's here's this.

The gospel of first John says this if you claim to know the truth yet you hate your

brother.

You're a liar.

You're a liar liar.

Well, but I would say liar, but I asked Jesus liar, but I've been to Phoebe at liar

liar.

You're a liar.

If you want he claims to know the truth yet continues to walk in darkness.

You've been struggling with sin for 40 years or 20 years and your struggle is this is

how you fight sin.

You know what a struggle looks like go look up one of his fights on YouTube.

That's a struggle.

Does that what it looks like you fighting against your sin.

Some of you guys in here are struggling with homosexuality and pornography and your struggle is I only look at it once a day

That's not a struggle.

You are not a Christian.

You have not been regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit of the Living

God who can part seize and People from the dead but is somehow

powerless in your submission to his authority.