Realizing Something is Missing
John 3:1-7
There ia a way out. The first we hear about the new birth in scripture is recorded in John chapter three. This is a conversion between Jesus and a Jewish leader named Nicodemus. We have photographed in this chapter the conversation of Jesus and Nicodemus. In doing some background review on Nicodemus we were able to find out that Nicodemus was a scolar of religion and tradition.
He had spent much of his lifetime in the ancient scrolls. His vast knowledge had helped him to become a ruler in a nation of religious people. Nicomedus was a member of the Sandhedrin the highest religious council in the land. This group of seventy men who among other things were the highest authority on scripture. Their interpretation of traditions and the law of Moses was considered infallible.
But Nicodemus realized something was missing from his life. He saw that Jesus had a closeness to God that he did not possess.
I remember when I was young and my mother loved to bake cakes, most of the time her cakes would be perfect, but sometimes they didn’t turn out quite right and when she would take them out of the oven, she would look at them and say, something is missing.
That’s the way Nicodemus felt he knew that things wasn’t quite right he knew that something was missing.
He knew that Jesus had an awesome spiritual power which did not exist in his life. Nicodemus wanted this closeness to God. He wanted that spiritual power, so he came to Jesus by night seeking the answer. He wanted to learn, he came seeking the answer to his question.
Nicodemus gave the highest priority to learning. He felt that if there was anything good to come from God to man it must be received by the intellect and reasoning abilities. Realizing something is missing.
Now Nicpdemus assumed that he could have the same close walk with God that he noticed in Jesus if only a few questions could be answered. He sought a tangible answer that could be written down and put into practice, such as a law or principle of life. something he could do to get himself into a closer relationship with God.
He did not get the answer he expected. He came to learn---but Jesus told him he must experience something. In this spiritual life there is no true understanding at all outside of experience. Nicodemus was searching for answers to questions about God. Jesus told him He must be born again. Realizing something is missing.
The prodigal son had to go all the way to the pig pen, as long as things were going good, he was okay, but when he looked up and had hit rock bottom, no money in his pocket, no friend to call on, no food except the same food the swine had to eat, he looked up and realized something was missing, the father’s house.
Now Jesus emphasized the ’must’ this is one of his divine imperatives. In order to get to heaven it isn’t absolutely necessary that you be baptized, yet if you have really found Christ as your savior, nothing will keep you out of the baptismal waters. Still it is not your baptism that saves you. In order to get to heaven, it isn’t absolutely necessary for you to be a church member, but if you have been saved nothing can keep you out of the church.
We can only know God through the witness of his nature. Learning about God does not bring this enlightenment, only through a spiritual rebirth can we become partakers of God’s nature.
Jesus said,’ except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God’. Now we may see many wonderful things in this world. you may see the great redwood trees of California, some of them so large that a car can be driven through their trunks, but you’ll never see the tree of life in heaven unless you have been born again.
You may see the great rivers of the world as they make their way toward the sea, but you’ll never see the river of life that flows by the throne of God unless you have been born again.
You may see the great cities of the world in all their glory, but you’ll never see the Holy City of the New Jerusalem unless you’ll been born again. You make see the great countries of the world in all their spendor, but you’ll never see the land that is fairer than day unless you’ll been born again.
You make live in the finest of houses that money can buy, but you’ll never see the Father’s house of many mansions unless you’ll been born again. You make receive degrees from the greatest colleges and universities, but you’ll never see heaven unless you have God’s B.A. degree, from God’s University.
2 Peter 1:3 says, that we have all things that pertain unto life and Godliness through the knowledge of Him. The key is the word of knowledge. It does not mean to know about but it means to be fully acquainted with and also recognize. It carries the meaning of life through revelation. Spiritual life comes by realizing with the heart who he is and knowing Him in the light of this revelation. It is not a product of the reasoning power. It cannot happen through positive thinking, it is not a fruit of religion, it is a gift of God.
One day Jesus asked His disciples,’Whom do men say that I am? They answered that Thou art John the Baptist: Elias, Jeremias or some of the prophets. This is what men said about Jesus. After hearing what men said about His identity, Jesus asked His disciples, Whom do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art The Christ the Son of The Living God.
And Jesus said unto Him, Blessed art thou Simon Barjona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee. But my Father which is in Heaven.The men said who they thought Jesus was, but God instantly refuted this gross error by revealing to Peter the true identy of Jesus. He is the Christ the Son of The Living God. But what does that have to do with being born again? Everything, absolutely everything. you see in 1John 5:1 it says, ’ whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. It does not say whosoever believes in Jesus is born of God. Many believe in Jesus who are not born of God.. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.
Acts 16:31 , tells us that if we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved. Christianity is not being a Baptist, a Catholic, or a Methodist. It’s not cooking Church Suppers and conducting rummage sales, Christianity is Christ.
You can be an excellent Church man, yet not be a Christian. You can be faithful to the best of your ability to the teaching of Jesus, yet not be Christian. Many people who profess to be Christians and claim to follow the teaching of Jesus seem to forget that you must be born again. This is also the teaching of Jesus.
Acts 3:19 is also a teaching of Jesus, directed toward all men. Being born again is becoming a partaker of Gods spirit. In rebirth we actually become partakers of his nature. There is no way to become a Partaker of his nature except through the new birth.
We can put on choir robes, or clergyman garments, we can practice all manner of religious laws, but wee remain human. These external practices will not make us partakers of his divine nature. We must be born again anew by the spirit of Christ to be Christiand.
Realizing Something is Missing
Jesus said ,’That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of spirit is spirit. We must be born again
