Reading: John chapter 3 verses 1-9.
Ill:
The Power of Bible Words:
• In 1924 Adolf Hitler started writing his book Mein Kampf,
• Which means "My Struggle."
• Some people ignored the book, and some laughed at it,
• But for every word in Mein Kampf, 125 people died in World War II.
Ill:
Never underestimate the power of words:
• A judge speaks, and a man is condemned or set free.
• A physician speaks, and a person has surgery or he goes home from the hospital.
• A government official speaks, and millions of dollars can be spent or withheld.
• A preacher speaks and an individual can move from spiritual death to life!
Ill:
• In our own personal lives we know the power of words;
• Words that can bless us and build us up and words that can cut us and knock us down.
We should never underestimate the power of words.
• And as Christians it is very important for us to know the meaning of Bible words.
• We need to understand these words and how they apply to our lives.
• Words such as justification, sanctification, propitiation, imputation and mediation;
• These words make up the technical vocabulary of the Christian life & are very important.
Ill:
• They are like jewels waiting to be discovered;
• And if we take time to dig them up and polish & hone them;
• We can enjoy their immense beauty and their theological value!
The first word we are going to look at in this series is Regeneration:
• The English word "regeneration" simply means;
• ‘New birth, renewal or restoration’.
Ill:
• Those of you who use the King James Version of the Bible:
• May or may not be surprised to know that the word is used only twice;
• In Titus we read about a personal regeneration:
• In Matthew we read about a universal regeneration.
(a). Personal regeneration (Titus chapter 3
verse 5 (C.E.V.):
“He saved us because
of his mercy,
and not because
of any good things
that we have done.
God washed us by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
He gave us new birth
and a fresh beginning”.
What we have in this verse is a beautiful illustration of the gospel:
• (1). “He saved us”.
• A reminder that salvation was God’s idea and plan not ours.
• While we were still sinners and could not care about God;
• He cared about us and sent a saviour into the world!
• (2). “Because of his mercy”.
• God’s motive for saving us was his merciful character and nature.
• He saved us because he loved us!
• (3). “And not because of any good things we had done”.
• All we had to offer God was our sin!
• In the New Testament God commends unbelievers like Cornelius (Acts chapter 10);
• Noting their good lives and generous giving.
• But that is never enough to save them;
• If they were to lean on that then their righteousness becomes like filthy rags.
• (4). “God washed us by the power of the Holy Spirit”.
• Conversion is a work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of an individual person.
• The expression “Washing” here literally means “bathed all over”.
• What we could never do – wipe the slate clean – the Holy Spirit has done for us!
• (5). “He gave us new birth and a fresh beginning”.
• Salvation is not a new set of beliefs but a new life!
• It really is being born all over again;
• Starting life afresh.
Ill:
• London businessman Lindsay Clegg told the story of a warehouse property he was selling.
• The building had been empty for months and needed repairs.
• Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows,
• And strewn trash around the interior.
• As he showed a prospective buyer the property,
• Clegg took pains to say that he would replace the broken windows,
• Bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the garbage.
• The buyer said to him:
“Forget about the repairs, when I buy this place, I’m going to build something completely different. I don’t want the building; I want the site”.
Compared with the renovation God has in mind:
• Our efforts to improve our own lives;
• Are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse slated for the demolition wrecking ball.
• When we become God’s, the old life is over, he wants to make ‘all things new’.
• All he wants is the site and the permission to build.
(b). Universal regeneration (Matthew chapter
19 verse 28).
“Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel”.
The context in which this verse lives is when:
• The rich young ruler approaches Jesus and wants ‘eternal life’;
• Jesus tells him to go sell all that he has and he will have life.
• But disappointingly we read;
• “He went away said for he had great wealth!”
Jesus then told the disciples (verses 23-24):
“I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
This statement of Jesus shocked the disciples:
• The reason they were astonished was because of their understanding of God.
• The Jews believed that wealth was a mark of God’s favour & blessing.
• ill: A casual reading of the book of Job in the Old Testament;
• Reveals this kind of thinking.
At the time of Jesus the thinking was:
• Rich people are blessed of God and therefore near to God and near to heaven.
• Poor people are not blessed of God and therefore not near to God and not near to heaven.
• Jesus turned that idea completely on its head;
• By saying it was so hard for a rich person to enter heaven;
• The disciples who heard that panicked;
• After all they had given up everything to follow Jesus.
• They were now poor;
• If the rich can’t get to heaven what chance has a poor man?
• The teaching of Jesus;
• Is once again the very opposite of all that they had ever been taught.
Verse 26:
26”Jesus looked at them and said,
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
• It is impossible for any human being to be saved!
• But not for God who is able to save completely those who come to him!
Verse 28:
• Jesus does not dismiss Peter’s legitimate if not selfish query:
• He does not rebuke him but encourages him.
• He was aware that he and the other disciples had left everything to follow him.
• And so in reply Jesus tells Peter that he and the other disciples will get their reward.
• It will come in the ‘regeneration’ or ‘restored’ or the ‘renewed’ universe.
• We read about these events in passages like Isaiah 65&66, 2 Peter 3 & Revelation 21.
• Jesus makes it very clear that this promise to his disciples;
• Will be fulfilled when he sits on his throne as he establishes his kingdom.
• Old governments and old systems will be redundant;
• Everyone will experience regeneration, newness as Christ shall reign.
Note: So in the King James Version of the Bible:
• Only twice is the word ‘regeneration’ found.
• Although the idea of new life is obviously mentioned elsewhere.
• The classic passage being John chapter 3;
• Where the word "born" is used eight times in the first nine verses.
Four things about this new birth:
(a). The reality of the new birth (vs 1&3):
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus,
a member of the Jewish ruling council”.
“Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth,
no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
The first thing to note is that this new birth is a reality:
• It is not just an emotional or psychological experience;
• It is as real an experience as ones own physical birth.
Ill:
• At the time Jesus walked on planet earth;
• Everybody had some answers to the problems of life.
• The Romans said the way to solve life's problems is through law,
• And you back up that law with military force and might.
• The Greeks said, "No, the way to solve problems is with wisdom/education.
• People need schools, understanding and philosophy."
• The Jewish people said, "No, the answer is religion.
• But you need sacrifices, a priesthood, the temple."
• Jesus came and his message was so different;
• He said the heart of the problem is the problem of the human heart.
Ill:
• The end of chapter 2 (chapter break is not there in the original text)
• Concludes these very telling and insightful words:
“But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man”.
• Chapter 3 verse 1:
• “Now there came a MAN of the Pharisees”
• Nicodemus may have been the best of men; religious, moral, upright etc
• But he was still only a man, therefore he had a sinful nature and a sinful heart!
e.g.
• Law (which the Romans depended on) could never change his heart;
• Wisdom/education (which the Greeks depended on) could never change the heart;
• Religion (which the Jews depended on) could never change the heart,
• But regeneration (which Jesus taught and made possible) could and did!
The gospel of Jesus Christ is not just good information:
• It is a message of transformation;
• It is a message that is real – it works!
Ill:
• This book and two thousand years of history;
• Would prove that the new birth is a reality.
• ill: We are here today because we too encountered the living Christ;
• We too were born again when we placed our faith in him!
(B). Simplicity of the New Birth (vs 5&6):
“Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit”.
Jesus used birth as a simple illustration of what happens when a person is converted:
• I say it was simple; unfortunately even though Nicodemus was a great teacher of Israel,
• He misunderstood, he failed to grasp, to understand what Jesus was talking about.
• Jesus was talking about something spiritual,
• But Nicodemus interpreted this as something physical.
• Misunderstanding the spiritual for the physical;
• Is a common trait in John’s gospel.
Ill:
• Chapter 4 the woman at the well mistook ‘living water’ (spiritual);
• For physical water (ill: mocked Jesus because he had no bucket to draw some).
• ill: Chapter 6 Jesus was talking about eating the Bread of Life,
• Feeding on His flesh and His blood.
• The Jews misunderstood and were offended by this teaching of cannibalism!
• Again they misunderstood the symbolic (spiritual) for the material.
In John chapter 3 when Jesus spoke about birth:
• Nicodemus took him literally.
• So Jesus explains to him in verses 5,6:
• “Unless he is born of water [physical birth] and the Spirit [spiritual birth].
• Flesh gives birth to flesh [physical birth], But the Spirit gives birth to spirit”.
• Jesus is telling Nicodemus,
• “Not to major on the physical and the material - because he is talking in spiritual terms."
Ill:
• No baby is born of his own effort. No baby can conceive himself.
• In the same way no human being can regenerate themselves – work of God!
Quote: John chapter 1 verse 13:
12”Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God”.
Notice
• That although this illustration is simple to understand;
• There is still much mystery that is involved (verse 8):
“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Ill:
• Even today with weather satellites 22,000 miles above the earth,
• The experts still cannot predict exactly which way the wind will blow.
• There is a mystery to it!
Notice:
• That Jesus is not comparing the wind to the Holy Spirit,
• Although that is a valid illustration.
• He is actually comparing the believer to the wind:
• "So is EVERYONE that is born of the Spirit."
• Just as there is much mystery to physical birth;
• So there is much mystery to spiritual birth.
• And yet at the same time just think of how simple it is:
• Even a child can trust and be born again.
(C). Dignity of the New Birth
Ill:
• Just as physical characteristics are hereditary;
• e.g. So many people tell me Arlo looks just like me.
• I normally reply (tongue in cheek); “Yes, he is a good looking kid!”
• That normally silences folks because they don’t want to make out he is not by having a go at me
• Not only are physical characteristics hereditary;
• But so are our character traits:
• Whether we like to admit it or not;
• Each person here has both the physical & behaviour traits of their parents;
• What is true physically is also true spiritually!
• Remember the word translated "born again" in John chapter 3;
• Can also be translated "born from above."
• Every Christian is born a child of the King,
• The New Testament make sit very clear that we are the children of God.
Ill:
John chapter 1 verse 12:
12”Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God”.
The dignity of the new birth is an amazing thing.
• We are the children of God-the God who created the universe.
• We are in His family, therefore we share His nature.
• Ill: We may not be all-knowing (omniscient), but we can be kind.
• Ill: We may not be all-powerful (omnipotent) but we can be trustworthy.
• Ill: We may not be and everywhere (omnipresent) but we can be loving.
• We are in His family,
• Therefore we share His nature.
(D). Urgency of the New Birth (vs 7b).
• Verse 7b:
• ‘You must be born again.’
• This was not a suggestion that Jesus made;
• Instead it is a commandment.
• It is not an idea that we can toy with;
• It is absolutely urgent-we must be born again.
Quote: The great evangelist of the 17th century George Whitfield:
• Was on one occasion asked; “Why he was always preaching about being ‘Born again’?”
• Whitfield replied: “Madam, because you MUST be born again!”
• Whitfield realised regeneration was not an optional extra;
• It was a necessity! Without it there is no salvation!
Ill:
• Bishop Taylor Smith
• Who was preaching on this passage in one of the cathedrals in England;
• In his address he started interacting with the congregation;
• “You sir must be born again.”
• “And you madam must be born again”
• He then said; “Why even the Dean of the cathedral must be born again!”
• Now the Dean of this cathedral was at that time not ‘born again’;
• But those words pricked away at his heart and mind all through the rest of the service.
• He kept saying to himself;
• “I’m in Church, I’m a clerical man, I’m ordained, I’m a man of letters etc, etc”
• Then he realised that that was not enough;
• That day Bishop Taylor Smith had the joy of leading him to faith in Jesus Christ!
THIS EVENING WE ARE AT THE LORD’S TABLE:
• There is only one qualification if you want to participate in;
• The ‘breaking of bread’ and ‘drinking of the wine’.
• That is ‘regeneration’, to have been ‘born again’,
• To be a ‘committed Christian’, a ‘follower of Jesus Christ’.
It is a time to examine our hearts:
• Not just to look back to our own conversion;
• But to look back over the last week and see how are we doing.
• Our we allowing the Holy Spirit to continue to shape our lives;
• Making us more like Jesus!
