ABANDONED At BIRTH-II—John 3:1-21
Concessions For New Birth
Attention:
Once the congregation gets settled, have them stand again.
Call attention to the fact that their laps disappears when they stand. And that when they stand they must rely on other means to ‘hold’ what their lap once did.
State: “Once you stand up, everything your lap holds must be ‘abandoned’ to other means.”
Likewise, when you are saved/born again/born from above, you must abandon everything ‘you’ hold, in order to hold what God wants you to hold & to hold it in the manner of His choosing. Allow God to give you other loves & holdings.
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 things abandoned at new birth.
‘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.
We have already found that
Those born from above, Abandon...
1. POSITION(:1-2)
2—Those born from above, Abandon...
LIMITING WISDOM(:3-6)
Explanation: (:3-7)
:3—“Jesus answered & said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.””
Jesus answers Nic’s statement regarding their perception of His having “come from God.”
Jesus tells Nic with absolute authority, that without being “born” from above, a person has no power of perception(to perceive/look upon/know/experience) regarding “the kingdom of God.”
Thus the perceptions of the Pharisees(siding with Nic) have all been made by human reasonings. They can see & touch what they consider to be “the kingdom of God in the buildings, the nation, the civic religion of the Jews. They can thereby not rightly understand the very things of God of which they claim to have a grasp.
Similarly is the church’s influence among Americans.
And like certain Muslim sects, associate all Americans as Christians.
There must be a point in one’s life where he/she comes to grips with their sinful nature, surrenders it to God, & thus gains insight to previously unperceived things of spiritual import.
As Charles Stanley would say, it is the difference between ‘Presence vs. Principle.’
As the term “see”[eidw] is not the perfect tense, Jesus uses it in the sense of physical perception by the eye. Thereby it is impossible for the physical to comprehend that which is beyond its capabilities(the realm of the Spirit).
“Most assuredly/Verily verily/Truly truly/I tell you the truth”(See :5, 11)—amhn amhn—1) Firm—1a) metaph. Faithful; 2) Verily, amen—2a) At the beginning of a discourse - Surely, truly, of a truth, 2b) At the end - so it is, so be it, may it be fulfilled. It was a custom, which passed over from the synagogues to the Christian assemblies, that when he who had read or discoursed, had offered up solemn prayer to God, the others responded Amen, & thus made the substance of what was uttered their own. It was transliterated directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament....The word is directly related -- in fact, almost identical -- to the Hebrew word for "believe"(amam), or faithful. Thus, it came to mean "sure" or "truly", an expression of absolute trust & confidence.(HMM).
“Unless”—ean(if) mh(not)—1) If not, unless, whoever ... not. Strong—If not, i.e. Unless. “Born”(See :4, 7)—gennaw—Strong—To procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively, to regenerate:-- Bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring.
“Again”—anwyen—Adverb—1) From above, from a higher place—1a) Of things which come from heaven or God; 2) From the first, from the beginning, from the very first; 3) Anew, over again. Strong—From above; by analogy--From the first; by implication--Anew. Used 13X.
From—anw—Adverb—1) Up, upwards, above, on high; 2) Of the quarters of the heaven, northward; 3) Of countries, inland, up from the coast; 4) Of time, formerlyStrong—Upward or on the top.
“Cannot”—dunamai—1) To be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability & resources, or of a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom; 2) To be able to do something; 3) To be capable, strong & powerful. Strong—To be able or possible.
“See”(See :8—“Tell”)—eidw—2nd Aorist Active Infinitive(of oraw)—Strong—a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses. properly--To see(literally or figuratively); by implication(in the perfect only)—To know.
—As this is not the perfect tense, Jesus uses it in the sense of physical perception by the eye.
“Kingdom”—basileia—properly--Royalty, i.e. abstractly--Rule, or concretely--A realm(literally or figuratively). Strong—From above; by analogy--From the first; by implication--Anew.
:4—“Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb & be born?””
Nic’s response to Jesus’ impossibility was based on just what Jesus had stated...that his vision was naturally(experience) based rather than supernaturally(spiritually) based.
Nic wanted Jesus to further explain what He had just stated. Nic made it plain that he considered Jesus’ statement asinine/absurd. He rightly reasons that no one can be born once he has reached old age but his reasoning arises from set physical processes. Nic poses a “how” question in order to show Jesus the ridiculous nature of His statement.
Nic, rather than allowing the explanation, narrows his inquiry to a ‘yes, no’ answer. He punctuates the absurdity with a description of re-entering the womb to be born, asking Jesus if this could happen. Surely Nic either thinks he is dealing with a madman, or he is sincerely trying to grasp Jesus’ meaning. Nic’s response of verse :9 & Jesus’ response of verse :10 seems to imply that Nic is steeped in His traditional belief, that he cannot allow himself to think outside the box.
1Cor. 2:9-16—“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
“Born”2X(See :3)—gennaw—Strong—To procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively--To regenerate.
“Enter”(See :5)—eisercomai— Strong—To enter(literally or figuratively).
“Womb”—koilia—1) The whole belly, the entire cavity—1a) The upper [i.e. stomach] & the lower belly are distinguished; 2) The lower belly, the lower region, the receptacle of the excrement; 3) The gullet—3a) To be given up to the pleasures of the palate, to gluttony; 4) The womb, the place where the fetus is conceived & nourished until birth—4a) Of the uterus of animals; 5) The innermost part of a man, the soul, heart as the seat of thought, feeling, choice. Strong—from koilov(“hollow”); A cavity, i.e. especially--The abdomen; by implication--The matrix; figuratively--The heart.
:5—“Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water & the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Jesus assures Nic that re-birth is indeed His meaning but the re-birth must be of the Spirit(of God). A person must be born of both “water & the Spirit.” Without such dual birth no one will “enter” the kingdom of God. Likewise, it is implied, such a dual birth ensures that the kingdom of God will be entered.
“Water” birth is stated first & can refer to either or both of two things:
1)Natural physical birth(in-utero water environment)
2)Ritual cleansing/Ritual Baptism(merely getting wet)
Either of these requires something more in order to be fulfilling. Either must be followed by a supernatural, personal new birth from above brought about by the Spirit of God & thus is not naturally occurring.
Jesus reiterates & expands on His first statement to say that unless one is born both physically(water) & spiritually(the Spirit) he cannot be part of God’s Kingdom. This is because when someone has physical birth one remains a physical being as part of his nature & after one is born spiritually, he remains a spiritual being as part of his nature. (This speaks strongly to ‘eternal security’).
The two natures are completely separate at physical birth. Not until the spiritual birth takes place are the two merged. Man’s spiritual nature is such that it is designed to be melded with the physical.
Jesus uses Nic’s own word “enter”(:4) highlighting that the focus of His meaning is upon entering heaven rather than the physical womb.
On “water” & “Spirit”:
Ezek. 36:24-28—““For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, & bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, & you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness & from all your idols. I will give you a new heart & put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh & give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you & cause you to walk in My statutes, & you will keep My judgments & do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, & I will be your God.”
Mat. 3:11—““I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit & fire.”
It is implied here that if it is impossible to “see” the kingdom then, as a consequence, it would likewise be impossible to “enter”(:5) the kingdom as well.
Mat. 5:20—“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes & Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
“Water”—udatov—Strong—Water(as if rainy) literally or figuratively.
“Spirit”(See :8—“Wind”)—pneuma—Strong—A current of air, i.e. Breath(blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively--A spirit, i.e. (human)--The rational soul, by implication--Vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or superhuman--An angel, demon, or divine--God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit.
:6—“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, & that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
Jesus further explains His statement by framing it in terms of flesh versus spirit. Citizens of heaven, all of them, must be born of the Spirit of God as well as being born of the flesh. This is because the fleshly birth is just that—flesh with no spiritual underpinning. All flesh must obviously undergo physical birth but in order to be part of God’s heavenly community requires that you be born again of the Spirit, for the simple reason that flesh is flesh & spirit is spirit & the two are mutually exclusive & not interchangeable. However both can be effected by the other.
“Flesh”—sarx—Strong—Flesh(as stripped of the skin), i.e. strictly--The meat of an animal(as food), or by extension--The body(as opposed to the soul [or spirit], or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred), or by implication--Human nature(with its frailties [physically or morally] & passions), or specifically--A human being(as such).
:7—“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”
This concept of re-birth is so plain that Nic should have no cause to “marvel,” be taken aback, or wonder at this truth. Evidently Jesus has set forth this statement as to Nic’s mindset regarding the truth. He is indeed unable to accept it & is pondering its meaning & reality.
Nic must allow God to knock down the walls of tradition & spiritual education to fully grasp God’s truth. He has been taught ‘a way’ all his life—& he is quite possibly “old”(see :4), & has never fronted the concept of re-birth. Rather Nic’s life has been trained to suppose that following God’s rules is the means of pleasing God. It is the age-old Jewish & ‘works religion’ problem of sacrifice for the sake of sacrifice without the heart engaged.
1Sam. 15:22—“Then Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings & sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”
Micah 6:6-8—“With what shall I come before the LORD, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”
“Marvel”—yaumazw—1) To wonder, wonder at, marvel; 2) To be wondered at, to be had in admiration. Strong—by implication--To admire.
“Born”(See :3, 4)—gennaw—Strong—To procreate(properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother); figuratively--To regenerate.
“Again”(See :3, 4)—anwyen—1) From above, from a higher place—1a) Of things which come from heaven or God; 2) From the first, from the beginning, from the very first; 3) Anew, over again.
Argumentation:
**1Cor. 1:18-31—“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”[Job 5:12] Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, & Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block & to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews & Greeks, Christ the power of God & the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, & the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, & God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; & the base things of the world & the things which are despised God has chosen, & the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--& righteousness & sanctification & redemption-- that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”
Job 5:12-14—“He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot carry out their plans. He catches the wise in their own craftiness, And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them. They meet with darkness in the daytime, And grope at noontime as in the night.”
**Rom. 3:19-26—“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, & all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law & the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all & on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just & the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
**Titus 3:4-7—“But when the kindness & the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration & renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
**Rom. 7:14—8:1—“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, & bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
**Rom. 8:2-13—“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin & death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life & peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
**2Cor. 5:17—“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
**1Jn. 5:1-2—“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, & everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God & keep His commandments.”
**Mat. 20:25-26—“But Jesus called them[the twelve disciples] to Himself & said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, & those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.”
**Eph 2:1-9—“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses & sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh & of the mind, & were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
**1Pet. 1:3-5—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible & undefiled & that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Refusal to take God’s wisdom on board is foolhardy!:
**Prov. 1:20-33—Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words: “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called & you refused, I have stretched out my hand & no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress & anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD, They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them; But whoever listens to me[wisdom] will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.”
1Pet. 5:1-4—“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder & a witness of the sufferings of Christ, & also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; & when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
Illustration:
Tim McGraw’s song—‘Live Like You Were Dying’/It bemoans the struggles of a man who discovers he has a terminal disease/Touts the importance of recognizing & prioritizing the important things in one’s life...
“And he said someday I hope you get the chance, To live like you were dyin.’ Like tomorrow was a gift & you've got eternity, To think about what you do with it”
That sounds great & spiritual & loving & appreciative/BUT none of those things matter in the absence of recognizing God!/An unfulfilled life attempts to find fulfillment in the very highest power of the flesh...BUT Still fails miserably & leaves you UN-Fulfilled/Abandon LIMITING WISDOM
Some of the more popular books on the market for pastors are books about leadership & church growth/From reading some of them, a person could easily come to the conclusion that a church is like a football-basketball-hockey-soccer team & the pastor is the coach/Yes there are similarities...BUT/Because both can be out-of-sorts with each other pastors leave ‘losing’ churches & churches swap out ‘losing’ pastors like professional teams change players & coaches!/LIMITING WISDOM
Application:
?Did you Abandon LIMITING WISDOM at birth?
?What did you Abandon at birth?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Disappearance of your lap. Allow God to give you other loves & holdings.
Action:
Those born from above, Abandon...
2. LIMITING WISDOM(:3-7)
1. POSITION(:1-2)
Pt. 2 only! Presented 09/11/2016am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave SE(Ave A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Pts. 1-3 Presented 01/02/2011am(no evening services) to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
