YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN
This is going to be a simple message that comes from the book of John. It is a simple message that one needs to be born again if they want to go to heaven.
We are not to trust in men or buildings for they will not get us into heaven. It is a scary world we live in. Here are some thoughts that might concern you unless you are not in this world. We have all heard of the Muslim religion and how they have destroyed many. They are trying to do it with out having to go to war. Their plan is too simply go into a country and become so many that they can just take over the county. They are moving into France that one writer I read after says that by 2040 80% of the population will be Muslim and they will vote in a Muslim for president. The Muslims are also trying to control England. Next we have the nations of Europe coming together to create the ancient Roman Empire just as was predicted by Daniel. It is called the EU and with its union makes it the second most powerful political force in our world. They have their money called euro. Iran does not want us to pay for their oil with our dollars but in euro. One more thing is our dependence on oil from foreign nations that do not like us.
I am glad this morning that we have something more than this world to live for if we hope in this world only it is on sinking sand.
In the past few weeks we have spoken on the life of Jesus as He started His ministry at about the age of 30. John the Baptist baptized Him and heard God’s voice from heaven declaring He was His son. Jesus was driven into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil which he over came with the Word of God. Jesus called four men to follow Him. Jesus’ first social meeting was at a wedding in which He turned the water into wine. He also did many miracles while at His first Passover feast and told of the importance of making His Father’s house a place of prayer. Today He meets a man and gives to us the meaning of eternal life with God.
John 3:1-16
In this setting we see a man who is religious but lacking in wisdom of eternal life. Jesus uses this setting to give most proclaimed message of new birth.
1. We 1st seethe importance of the New Birth. He states “You must be born again,” not as a suggestion but as an experience to enter into heaven.
A. Man’s corrupt nature makes this necessary. Jer 17:9 “The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], And desperately wicked; who can know it?” Gen 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every intent of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually. EPH 4:18 “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. RM 8:7, 8 “For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.”
B. Without the New Birth Jesus says we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. JN 1:3, 5, 7:
Jesus replied, "I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God." Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”
A pastor told the true story of one of his church members, an attorney, who after meditating on several scriptures, decided to cancel the debts of all his clients that had owed him money for more than six months. He drafted a letter explaining his decision and its biblical basis and sent seventeen debt-canceling letters via certified mail. One by one, the letters began to return, unsigned and undelivered. Perhaps a couple people had moved away, though not likely. Sixteen of the seventeen letters came back to him because the clients refused to sign for and open the envelopes, fearing that this attorney was suing them for their debts. How profound! We owe a debt for our sin and God is willing to cancel it but too many people will not even open the letter that explains that.
2. The method of the new birth. JN 3:5 “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
A. The word for water here refers to baptism but not the going under of water.
1. This refers to a sign that the life is going to be changed.
2. Jesus was saying that the Holy Spirit must enter the life as sign of change.
B. It is the Holy Spirit that changes one’s life from darkness to light. He only can change a
heart that is totally against God to one that loves God.
3. The starting point of the New Birth. “He that believes.”
A. It is the plan that comes through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. JN 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
2. Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit.”
B. The power of faith comes through the saving power of Jesus Christ.
1. JN 3:15“That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” JN 3:18 "There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God.
2. 1 JN 5:1 “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.”
4. The end result of the New Birth. John 3:16 “but have eternal life.”
A. The Details of the New Birth. Its description is:
1. You become a new person. 2 COR 5:17 “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! EPH 2:10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
2. You have a spiritual resurrection. EPH 2:1 “Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. EPH 2:5-6 that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s special favor that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms, all because we are one with Christ Jesus.”
3. You are born of the Holy Spirit. JN 3:6 “Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.”
4. You have eternal Life. JN 10:28 “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. “ JN 17:2 “You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.” RM 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. JN 1:25 ‘And this is the promise that He has promised us, eternal life.” 1 JN 5:11 “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” 1 JN 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may [continue to] believe in the name of the Son of God.”
B. The results of the New Birth.
1. It brings one into an experience of everlasting life. JN 1:11-13 Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not accepted. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, this rebirth comes from God. 1 JN 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. 1 PT 2:2 ‘You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation.”
2. It makes us live a righteous life. 1 JN 2:29 “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
3. It gives us brotherly love. 1 JN 4:7-8 Dear friends let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God for God is love.
4. It gives us victory over the world and temptations. 1 JN 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, [even] our faith. 1 COR 10:13 “But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
5. It is the beginning of living a holy life. I PT 1:15, 16 “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, be holy; for I am holy. 1 JN 3:9 “Those who have been born into God’s family do not sin, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they have been born of God.” 1 JN 5:18 We know that those who have become part of God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot get his hands on them.
A famous preacher was asked once why do you preach so often from the text, “You must be born again?” he replied, “Because you must be born again.”
"A Pardon Is Not a Pardon unless it is Accepted"
There was a young man caught and found guilty of murder many decades ago, and sentenced to death. His mother and father loved him with all their hearts, and they appealed to everyone they met for leniency for their son. Without any results they finally appealed to the Governor of their state for a lesser sentence, but to everyone’s surprise the Governor granted this young man a full pardon. A pardon is a document that essentially erases a crime, making it as if it never happened. The pardon was sent to the prisoner, with instructions to release him from prison. When the Warden told the young man about the pardon, he became angry and said, "I’m guilty, I murdered another human being and I want to die." "But," the Warden replied, "I have your pardon in my hand!" No matter how the Warden pleaded, the prisoner kept demanding to die. Not knowing what to do, the Warden appealed to the Judge, to help him know what to do. The Judge said, "A pardon is not a pardon unless it is accepted!" So, the young man was executed. He had been completely forgiven for his sins against humanity, and for his other most grievous crimes. So why did he die? Because a pardon is not a pardon unless it is accepted! Jesus died in the place of every human being, who by their sins against God were deserving of the death penalty. Every human being who would ever live has been granted an unconditional pardon from God. But the catch is that you must WANT the pardon; you must see the need for the pardon and desire to have it! The pardon from God came when Jesus Christ, God’s son, died on the cross for your sins. To accept the pardon means that you must believe that Jesus did this for you (He did what you could not do) and to accept Him therefore as your Savior and ask Him to be Lord of your life. Remember, A PARDON IS NOT A PARDON UNLESS IT IS ACCEPTED.
Have you accepted this pardon?
