Born of the Holy Spirit
December 21, 2008
Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction
A All over America, many churches have a life-size nativity scene in front of their building.
1 Several figures, life-size (Mary, Joseph, angel, shepherds, etc....and of course baby Jesus).
a In recent years, a common prank has been to steal baby Jesus from the manger ($200 to thousands for wooden statues).
b To thwart would-be cradle-robbers this year, some churches have begun putting GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking devices into their “baby Jesus.”
aa These devices let the church track their stolen statues.
bb Can you imagine the pastor knocking on some kid’s door & demanding, “You need to give Jesus back...now.”
2 The real Jesus does not need to be stolen , kidnapped.
a He’ll come and live in anybody’s heart who invites Him to come in.
b But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name...John 1:12 (NASB)
aa Received: not find, earn, discover, locate
bb Received (lambano): can also mean “to take”
I God has offered us Himself through His Son, Jesus. (John 3.16; Romans 6.23)
A The prophet Isaiah prophesied “14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel .
Isaiah 7:14 (NASB)
1 The virgin birth is a red flag that Jesus is Messiah.
a John 1.1, 14
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
b Yet, it is an incredible truth & mystery that we must simply take on God’s Word
aa 16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory. 1 Tim 3:16 (Italics mine, NASB)
bb The mystery is how/why God would leave His throne & step into our world.
cc The Word became flesh, but not just flesh. Blood capable of spilling and Bones capable of breaking. Infinite putting on the finite.
dd Taking off His royal robe and taking on a blue collar; leaving the right hand of the throne & down grading to business class.
2 Denying the fact that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary is as the disciple John says (1 John 4.2; 2 John 7) is from the spirit of antichrist.
B Matthew 1.18-25
1 It’s impossible for us to image/understand the profound mystery of how a Holy Savior/ Blemishless Messiah could be conceived by the Holy Spirt and born of Mary, who was herself in need of a Savior.
a The word conceive (Gk. Gennao) means “beget”, “begotten,” “born.”
b The Holy Spirit was the reason Jesus became real to Mary.
aa She needed a Savior, Messiah, Redeemer. How do I know? She said so in Luke 1.46!!!
bb Mary was not sinless, without blemish, stain, flaw, error, without fault.
cc The Holy Spirit brought Jesus into her life! In her belly was the water of life/living water!
2 God, at the moment we get saved, sends His Holy Spirit and He becomes real inside of us. (cf. John 3.3, 5-8; 1 John 2.29; 4.7)
a The Scriptures affirm that God conceives someone inside of us!
aa Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3 (NASB)
bb Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, ’You must be born again .’ 8 "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:5-8 (NASB)
cc If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. 1 John 2:29 (NASB)
bb Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (NASB)
b The same Holy Spirit that brought God’s favor to Mary, brings favor to us; put Jesus in Mary’s belly put’s Him our belly!
aa He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) John 7:38-39 (KJV)
bb The Holy Spirit that conceived new life in Mary, also conceives new life in us!
C Mary wasn’t sinless, flawless, immaculate . . . but Jesus inside her was!
1 I do not believe in an immaculate Mary, but I do believe in an immaculate Jesus, Son of God, born without sin!
a God put himself inside of a frail, flawed, sinful woman and she found favor/blessing from Him.
b The very fact that Mary was imperfect/sinful multiplies the glory and magnifies what God does in us when we get saved.
2 Christian, when you get saved by the grace of God through the blood of His Son, and the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you . . . you do not suddenly become “perfect” in every way.
a No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed (gk. spermah) abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: 1 John 3:9-10 (NASB)
b Does this mean we are incapable of sinning? We are more than capable of sinning in the flesh!
aa The Spirit conceives in our soul, spiritual seed.
bb After we are saved, OUR SOUL DOES NOT/CAN NOT SIN. (cf. 1 John 3.9)
cc We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. 1 John 5:18 (NASB)
3 Just as Mary was flawed and yet carried the sinless Savior of the world, Christian, as flawed as we may be . . . we too carry the sinless Savior of the world in us!
Invitation:
A Lost person, today God wants to conceive something in you, birth something in you.
1 Not a something, but a someone.
a Jesus, Immanuel, Joshua, etc.
b He’s calling you right now and you may not get another opp. to say “yes.”
2 Christian, perhaps you’ve beating yourself up for a while because of some personal failures.
a Conviction of Sin vs. Confusion over Salvation (Satan is the author of confusion)
b God wants to gift you the gift of freedom this morning.
aa What He as birthed in you is liberation from the power, guilt, & penalty of sin.
bb Pray to release & receive forgiveness & power
Notice to Sermon Central Users:
My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
