Abandoned At Birth-1

ABANDONED AT BIRTH-I—John 3:1-21

OR...

Concessions For New Birth

Attention:

Grandma arrived at their door with a big smile & open arms!

Little Jimmy was so happy to see his grandmother that he ran up & gave her a big hug.

"I'm so happy to see you, grandma!

Now daddy will have to do that trick he's been promising to do!"

His grandmother was curious. "What trick is that, sweetie?"

The little guy smiled at her, "I heard daddy tell mommy that he would climb the walls if you came to visit us again!"

Like Jimmy’s Daddy, Some of us are in desperate need of not being recognized!... in desperate need of a New Life/Birth!...

...He needed to give up/concede the way he talked about his mother-in-law!

Need:

In God’s scheme of life for mankind, New Birth—being born again— is the only means of...growing close to God, finding power in prayer, being faithful in service, finding God’s purpose in life, becoming dedicated to His direction.

Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus yielded the essentials of being born again.

Being born again is essential to God’s plan.

What is essential to achieve new birth?

What is essential to be born again?

6 Concessions we all must make to achieve a new birth.

6 Concessions we all must make to be born again/from above.

‘Concede’—“To admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it.”—“To surrender or yield(something that one possesses)”

‘Concession’—“A thing that is granted, especially in response to demands.”—Something surrendered or given up

Alternate titles:

A concession essential for new birth is to Abandon...

To be Born Again, we must Abandon...

To be Born From Above, we must Abandon...

1—Those born from above, Abandon...

POSITION(:1-2)

Explanation: (:1-2) Successful

:1—“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.”

John tells us that there existed a certain man—who was of a sect of Judaism known as the “Pharisees.” Nicodemus was his name. Nicodemus was of some influence as he was “a ruler of the Jews.” His influence was one of spiritual import as well as civic, seeing as the Sanhedrin(rulers) spiritual matters encouraged, formed & enforced civic policy. Judiciary, Legislative & Executive body.

Nicodemus was “a ruler of the Jews” who held to the Pharisaic tradition. He came to Jesus representing the sect of the Pharisees.

“Pharisees”—Farisaiov— ‘A sect that seems to have started after the Jewish exile. In addition to OT books the Pharisees recognized in oral tradition a standard of belief & life. They sought for distinction & praise by outward observance of external rites & by outward forms of piety, & such as ceremonial washings, fastings, prayers, & alms giving; &, comparatively negligent of genuine piety, they prided themselves on their fancied good works. They held strenuously to a belief in the existence of good & evil angels, & to the expectation of a Messiah; & they cherished the hope that the dead, after a preliminary experience either of reward or of penalty in Hades, would be recalled to life by him, & be requited each according to his individual deeds. In opposition to the usurped dominion of the Herods & the rule of the Romans, they stoutly upheld the theocracy & their country's cause, & possessed great influence with the common people....They were bitter enemies of Jesus & his cause; & were in turn severely rebuked by Him for their avarice, ambition, hollow reliance on outward works, & affection of piety in order to gain popularity.’—Thayer

*Concerning Pharisees—cf.-Mat. 23:2-3; 4-12; 13-17; 23-28; 33.

Mat. 23:2-17, 23-28, 33—[Jesus was]“saying: “The scribes & the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe & do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, & do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, & lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad & enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, & to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ “But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, & you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted. But woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, & for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land & sea to win one proselyte, & when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ “Fools & blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?”.....“Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint & anise & cummin, & have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice & mercy & faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat & swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup & dish, but inside they are full of extortion & self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup & dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones & all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy & lawlessness.”.....““Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?”