BORN 2X
[INTRODUCTION]
Is it true that when you’re young you like everybody to remember your birthday? But when you get older, you’re hoping everyone forgets it!
[Statistics]
• (World atlas) September is the most common birthday month while September 9 is the most popular birthday.
• The least popular birthdays are on the 24th and 25th of December, 1st of January, and 4th of July.
[Birthday Celebration Origin]
• Early Christians viewed birthday celebrations as pagan in nature (See Appendix)
• By Medieval times, people celebrated the birthdays of saints, then later shifted to celebrating individual adult’s birthday
• Only until in the 19th centuries, children’s birthdays were widely celebrated as important milestones from childhood to adulthood.
Therefore, all of us have a birthday!
But according to the Bible, everyone needs to have at least two birthdays.
Therefore, to have 2 birthdays, everyone needs to be BORN 2X or in a more familiar term, Born Again.
--------------- THE NEED TO BE BORN AGAIN ---------------
To understand the need to be born again, we need to go back to the creation narrative
- God created the world, then he created Adam and Eve in his image, and put them in the Garden of Eden.
- God forbids Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but they sin against God by disobeying this one simple instruction.
- Therefore, God kicked them out as sin and death were infused in them
- As the progenitors (ancestors) of humans on Earth, every human is born sinners
- All of us are dead spiritually. The Apostle Paul confirms this in
Ephesians 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
We are so dead! Everyone is born physically and automatically dead spiritually.
[Real Talk – Character flaws]
The song – “Gusto kong bumait pero hindi ko magawa” ("I want to be good, but I cant") is accurate to some extent.
We all have “character flaws” such as pride, greed, self-centredness, bitterness, lust, infidelity, and more.
That is why it is common for a Christian to intentionally miss worship services on account of pleasure, work, and even family activity and church ministry. Not that these are wrong, but when these are done intentionally to with no sense of remorse, I encourage you to have a self-check.
Another example is when you know that you or your marriage needs help, but because you pride is more important to you, you choose to endure rather than seeking help.
(Share more example if needed)
--------------- GOD’S SOLUTION ---------------
So, we are all dead, God’s solution is to recreate/reset men.
• He chose people like Abraham and his descendants, and eventually the Israelites.
• God gave them laws to live up to God’s standards and allowed them to sacrifice animals as temporary compensation for their sins while waiting for the seed.
• As a permanent sacrificed he sent Jesus,
o Jesus died for the sins of all humanity, to mark the end of old creation
o Jesus resurrected to mark the beginning of a new creation.
Romans 5:19 (Summarizes this) For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
--------------- BORN AGAIN DEFINED ---------------
In general, just think of the term “BORN AGAIN” as a crucial, non-negotiable part of God’s strategy to restore and save humankind from sins and return to him
[My Experience]
When I was growing up in the city of Manila, when my friends would ask me about my faith, I will answer “I am a born again Christian” softly. Funny, but this is true. Because I didn’t know what it means to be “born again”
For me, “Born Again” is just
- A movement ("born-again Christian" and the "born-again movement")
- A member of the movement, who seems always happy, praying and singing loudly, shouting, “Amen”, “Hallelujah!” and “Praise You!”
What I realized is that the term “Born Again” is not invented by men or Christian groups. The term “born again”, which is a central theme in Christianity, is a term spoken by Jesus Christ.
Actually, it is Jesus’ directive that every true Christian must be “Born Again”
[CONTEXT]
--------------- NICODEMUS ---------------
The word born again first appeared in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus.
John 3:1-2 1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Prior to this conversation, Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival performing miracles. Many people saw the miracles and believed in his name. Apparently, Nicodemus witnessed it as well. And so, at night, he (strangely) approached Jesus.
[Who is Nicodemus?]
Why did I say strangely? It’s because Nicodemus is a highly educated, respectable, religious, leader of the Jews.
He is a member of the Pharisees, a Jewish group that strictly follows laws and traditions.
o Pharisees are Jesus’ archival
o In Christian tradition, Pharisee is a term to describe religious hypocrisy and self-righteousness
? The general stereotype is that Pharisees are obsessed with being ultra-holy by strictly following the laws and traditions.
? They are more concern about the appearance. The way they act and behave, especially when they are in public.
? They love to be given status and to be acknowledged – attributing too much to them and taking the glory which belongs to God.
? Their conviction doesn’t match their life
But Nicodemus seems different. It can be observed from a careful reading of his conversation with Jesus that he is possibly sincere, courteous, and humble,
There is nothing on record against Nicodemus. He lived a good and upright life. At one point during Jesus’ trial, he even defended Jesus (One needs to be heard, before judging). When Jesus died, he helped give Jesus a proper burial. In Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches, Nicodemus is recognized as a saint.
[Nicodemus’ approach]
Nicodemus’ (the not so typical Pharisee) came to Jesus at night (perhaps to avoid being seen and be associated with Jesus) This approach is similar to the way a powerful political figure meeting an opposing colleague for dinner to see whether the person may be “won over” to the other side. He probably wanted to see whether Jesus was willing to be part of “their team”. He was practicing diplomacy.
--------------- NO ONE CAN SEE ---------------
In any case, Jesus turned the tables and destroyed Nicodemus’ agenda.
He seems saying – “Don’t waste your time trying to win me over. You got it wrongly.”
A quick lesson that we can learn at this point is that, – The will of God must supersede our agenda. Regardless how noble and sincere your agenda in life is, no matter how good you are as a person (like Nicodemus), it won’t bring you back to light.
Nicodemus came at night signifies darkness. The one in darkness will remain there unless he comes out of it like a new-born baby.
John 3:3 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
Apart from the new birth, a person remains in the dark and cannot see. He or she is blind to spiritual truth.
--------------- THE KINGDOM OF GOD NOT A PLACE ---------------
Let’s say a kingdom is a place like Disneyland (or Enchanted Kingdom), or your favourite theme park. If you don’t have a ticket, you can’t go inside the theme park, but you can have a glimpse outside, or by flying a drone, or just by using google map.
But the kingdom of God is not a place per se. Thus, we need a renewed spirit to see it.
The kingdom of God is the authority and supremacy of God, both in the here and now, and in his future heavenly reign.
- Matthew 6:33 says, seek his Kingdom first. It simply means make it a priority to be ruled by God.
- Matthew 6:9-13 The Lord’s prayer says, “Let thy kingdom come, let thy will be done.” It is a prayer that says “God, rule in my life.”
--------------- TO BE BORN AGAIN, IS TO BE RULED BY GOD ---------------
That said, to be “Born Again” is to be ruled by God.
This is just one of the first few steps, as one believes, repents, and accepts Jesus in his life.
When God is the ruler of your life, he will,
- Give you a new heart and a new spirit”
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
You will have the ability to love others
- Create a new you.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
If you struggle with your identity because of your past, influence of the society, or due to other reasons. You can’t just say – I was born this way because you can be born again. God can create a new you, the real you.
- Allow you to “pass from death into life”
John 5:24 Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
You are exempt to eternal condemnation
--------------- NICODEMUS DOES NOT FULLY GET IT ---------------
Obviously, Nicodemus, even he is a scholar among the Jews, still doesn’t fully get it
When he saw the miracles, he believed that Jesus come from God. The part that he missed out is to ask God to rule his life, instead of him trying to control Jesus.
He was like, “I believe in Jesus, so what’s next?” He was trying to understand. He asked
John 3:4 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
In his reasoning, he was thinking of a physical birth.
Perhaps you have heard an angry adult telling a brat child – “Why don’t you return to your mother’s womb!”
Nicodemus was thinking that Jesus can perform magic, turn a grown-up man to a foetus and then put the foetus back to a women’s womb. Then the man will have 2 birthdays!
[Side story - Two Birthdays]
[The Baby who was born twice]
In 2016, A mother named Margaret Boemer, who was 4 months pregnant went for a routine ultrasound. Doctors found a tumour growing from her baby’s tailbone which caused the baby to become ill each day and slowly failing her heart. Some doctors advised to terminate the pregnancy. But physicians at Texas Children’s foetal Centre offered foetal surgery. At approx. 6 months of pregnancy, the mother underwent emergency foetal surgery. In five hours of surgery 90% of the tumour has been removed. It had almost grown larger than the baby. The baby is placed back inside the womb and stitched her mother’s tummy.
12 weeks later, LynLee Hope was born for the second time. At 8 days old, the rest of her tumour was removed before going home.
[Abortion]
Though obviously this is not what Jesus meant, I just thought of sharing this true story to segue to a very delicate issue of abortion; This story tells us that abortion will never be the best option. God has the final say, who will live and who will not. (God’s will supersedes) In cases where abortion seems the most logical option, relentlessly seek God for miracle and wisdom.
--------------- SEE AND ENTER ---------------
With or without technologies, Nicodemus’ question is still valid. He asked, “How can someone be born when they are old?”, Jesus answered in,
John 3:5-6 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
This seems a repetition of verse 3, but if we read carefully, they are different.
John 3:3 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
John 3:5 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
V3 says “No one can see the Kingdom”, V5 says “No one can enter the Kingdom”.
Jesus Christ used these two statements in the conversation, on purpose and in correct order. Jesus’ invitation is to not just to see, but to enter the kingdom of God as well.
[Water and Spirit]
To enter God’s kingdom, one needs to be born of water and spirit.
This concept is also central to Christianity. Like being a born again (committing to be ruled by God through Jesus), this is part of the few first steps of being a true follower of Christ.
But in the interest of time, and as I believe that these topics require a full sermon to discuss. I will just give you an overview of what Jesus meant about being born of water and spirit.
[Born of Water]
To be born of water means to be baptized in the name of the father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. A total dipping of a person who proclaim of his new birth, into water (for a few seconds) and be raised out of it to publicly proclaim one’s new faith and the commitment to share in Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection.
Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
No more God’s secret agent!
[Born of Spirit]
In this new kingdom there are principles and many things that can only be understood and experienced in spirit, and through the help of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, one must be filled by the Holy Spirit through baptism.
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The Holy Spirit is a promise of Jesus for those who are born again. One should ask for it, as God is just waiting to dwell in every person.
--------------- SHORT STORY ---------------
As mentioned, these are just first few steps, but the good news is that if you allow Jesus to rule over you, he will journey with you all the way.
Speaking of journey, a Story is told about Albert Einstein, travelling on a train. The conductor came down the aisle punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in all his pockets, and in his briefcase, in the seat beside him, but he couldn’t find it. The conductor said, “Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. I am sure you bought a ticket, so don’t worry about it.” The conductor, continue down the aisle and when he turned, he saw Einstein down on his hands and knees still looking for his ticket. The conductor rushed back and said, “Dr. Einstein, don’t worry. We know who you are, no problem, you don’t need a ticket.”
Einstein looked at him and said, “Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I am going.”
--------------- CONCLUSION ---------------
If this world is our train, and this life is a journey – “Do you really know where you are going?” When it’s time to get off the train, do we know where we are going to?
All of us don’t get to choose how we start in life. Some of us, our starting point may be an unpleasant, every day is a struggle to survive. Some of us we started life in a very difficult situation. To some, sins take a heavy toll in your life.
Nevertheless, there is someone who can change how we journey in life and the direction we are heading to.
Isn’t God amazing how he come up with this grand idea of being born again? So that through Jesus, we can begin a new life, a new exciting journey with him, a journey that in the end will bring us to our Father in heaven.
Being born again is not only the beginning of new life, but it also holds the key, and it is the doorway towards the Kingdom of God.
[Epilogue]
It is possible that when Nicodemus went home, he probably thought deeply upon all that he had heard. No one knows if he understood what Jesus meant to be born again.
To all of you, I encourage you to wait no more. Ponder upon the things that you have heard now before it is too late. Ask yourself, where are you right now in this journey towards going back to God?
Are you stuck somewhere? Who controls your life? Is Jesus the ruler of your life?
[Call for Action – Believers]
For some of you, you consider yourself a “Born Again”, but you know in your heart that your relationship with Jesus has become stationary.
Let me throw something to think about – the Bible says that if you are truly born of God, you will be able to live a life that is free of sin, it will be impossible for you to sin.
If this doesn’t seem matching to how you live your life, talk to God now.
Is your heart looking back instead of looking forward to what God has in store for you?
Take a moment and pray.
[Call for Action – New Believers]
For another group of people.
Jesus made a very clear statement: Everyone must be born again.
Whether you are living a good and upright life, (holds a prominent role, well educated, etc.) you still must be born again.
Bad people need to be born again as well as good people!
Don’t let this moment slip without giving yourself a chance to believe, ask forgiveness, and accept Jesus as the ruler of your life.
You may have
- heard about Jesus from a family and community you came from.
- studied in a school where Jesus is taught.
- a Bible and read about Jesus.
- heard the things that I said, and you know where I am leading you at this point.
But if you are honest to yourself, you know that never in your life, you have invited Jesus to come into your life and have the full control.
Let me encourage you one more time, be born again, Receive Jesus in your life.
[Prayer]
Dear Jesus
I confess that I am a sinner. And I want to thank you for dying on the cross for my sins.
Right now, I invite you to come into my life. Be my Lord, Be my Saviour.
Help me to become the kind of person I was created to be.
I pray all this, in Jesus’ name.
Amen
[Close]
If you prayed this prayer with me, believe that you have been born again and Jesus will journey with you.
I encourage you to begin this new journey by regularly praying and reading the Bible.
Welcome to the family of God!
May God bless us.
*** END ***
APPENDIX
[Birthday is of pagan origin]
Speaking of birthday, it is true that Birthday originated from pagan culture.
You have to view birthday celebrations as “way of life”. And way of life should not be categorized as good or bad on the merit of its origin.
The pagans had celebration dedicated to pagan gods before God commanded Israel to celebrate festivals like the Passover, (where Nicodemus saw Jesus performing miracles).
Gift-giving is pagan way of life, and salvation is given to us as a gift.
The point is that not because something originated in a such culture it is automatically forbidden. It should not prevent us from celebrating something provided that our celebration reflects right belief and moral values.
