Born Anew

This is when we share our prayers. Are still doing some of the messages that fit into our series, that we were doing leading up to Easter Since we had a few weeks there where I wasn't here because of different stuff going on in our families lives today, we're going to look at the story of Nicodemus and when Nicodemus came to Jesus, Nicodemus is a Pharisee and he comes to see Jesus and kind of the odd thing right off. You'll notice in the story, is when he comes to see Jesus, he comes to see him at night. Probably because he wanted to keep it a secret that he was coming to see him. You know, he definitely wanted to meet Jesus in person and, you know, we're not sure as we begin the story. Cuz, you know, there were times Pharisees came to see Jesus but they often were coming to try to trick him or trap him in something that he said, so that they would have reason to take action against him. But we quickly see that? That's not. What's Happening Here. What we see is that, Nicodemus knows, and acknowledges. That Jesus is different from all the other teachers, his teaching is very distinctive and unique. In fact, he confesses to Jesus in John 3:2. No one could perform the signs. You are doing if God were not with him.

you know, that's a big statement for a Pharisee to make because they were trying to claim that the way that Jesus was doing these things was because the devil was giving him the power to do these things. But Nicodemus, clearly states. There's no way you could do these things, unless God was enabling you Jesus response to him in the very next verse John 33. It says no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

Now, Nicodemus, when he hears that statement made, he takes it in the literal sense. And and John 3:4 receives response. He says, how can someone be born when they are old? Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born. Nicodemus just didn't understand this. I mean think about it, you know, we have a lot of Mom's here, you know. Look at your Growing Child next to you. How many of you like the idea of giving birth to a child that size now Versus what they were. Matt, your mom has a really interesting look on her face.

You know, it's hard to understand and you know, Nicodemus, like I said, he's hearing this in the literal sense and he just didn't get it. He's like, okay, what are you talkin about, Jesus? You know, he didn't get it. That Jesus was talking about a rebirth. As far as the Holy Spirit, goes a internal rebirth, The Rebirth of your spirit. Jesus tries to explain a little bit more going on in verse 5 to say, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the spirit

You know, Jesus is giving a little bit more of a clue to what he means. Here, he's talking about baptism. And the church has historically, always connected the idea of being born again and baptism. You know, most people especially back in biblical times were baptized immediately after they confessed Christ as their savior.

you know, in baptism we have that symbolism of that we are buried with Christ and born anew Yeah haven't gone through Easter. We understand that a little more you know, Christ dying and then being born again and it. It's the same sort of thing that we are symbolizing that we're experiencing through our rebirth and baptism. I think sometimes you know baptism can become such a ritualistic routine thing that we forget the significance of it you forget that you know, baptism our life is completely renewed. And that is why it is one of the Holy sacraments because it is significant, that's a significant part of every believer's life. Cuz hopefully, after our baptism after we have died to our old self and been raised again, our new self in Christ. Hopefully, then we can focus more on what God wants for us in life. We can focus on how Christ dwells in Us and how he leads us through his holy spirit.

You know, the whole idea is after our rebirth. After we are born Anew, after our baptism that our life should gradually start to look more and more like that of Christ. As we continually follow him as every day, we die to our self and we focus on him.

you know, but even with that little bit more of explanation Nicodemus responds and verse 9. How can this be? You know, it's clear that he didn't understand what Christ meant by all this to us. That seems probably why couldn't he? Well, we have the Bible and two thousand years of church history and tradition that help explain it to us. He didn't have any of that, all these things were new Concepts to them and it was a radical change from what their theology had been for so long.

But, you know, he asked a good question.

How can it be that were born a new. And I'm not just talking about, you know, doctrinally, but how are we really in reality? Born Anew, you know, how can we experience that sort of renewal in our life?

You know what is a really great question?

And the whole thing hinges on the idea that once we are born, Anew, we receive a new heart from Christ. You're one of the first messages I did in this series, was talking about how God rewires our internal Hardware, the way we think, the way we function,

Ezekiel chapter. 36 verses 26 and 27 says. 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. And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Yeah, this is an Old Testament prophecy about God's upcoming new, covenant. Like I said, we know that that New Covenant is what was established when Christ died on the cross. He died on the cross for our sins. The ultimate sacrifice once and for all for the sins of man and it is because of that that we no longer have to fear, sin and death. We know that they have been conquered by Christ. We simply have to put our faith in him and Trust and continue to work to have that relationship with him. And it's through that process, that God gives us a new heart, a heart like his heart. So full of self-giving love to those around us. Full of joy. Peace.

And you know that brings up another important question. I think, you know, why does God love this God hating world? You don't you wonder about that sometimes you know, God created it all but all of it certainly doesn't return the favor back to him.

Well later and John 3:17 that's been our core verse throughout this entire study. God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save it through him.

You know, I think this is the something different, the something distinctive that Nicodemus saw in Jesus.

If you think about what we read in the Bible, a lot of the teaching of the Pharisees was the exact opposite, it was to condemn people for what they were doing. It was to judge them for how they were living.

you know, and it was because of that that they were struggling with these new teachings that Jesus was bringing. The problem was Jesus was trying to point out to them that it wasn't new teachings, it was just the right teaching that they had misunderstood some of the scriptures and what they meant, and he was showing them the right way to be living.

If you think about it, the god that Jesus modeled was a loving caring, God wanted to save and rescue his people you know to go out and find that lost sheep were the Pharisees. On the other hand, had been modeling, an Angry God who demanded that you follow his rules or get out. So much different thing that they were bringing.

So I have no doubt that as a teacher Jesus gave off a totally different vibe than what the people were used to. And I think John does a wonderful job in his Gospel of expressing that the difference in Jesus as a teacher. You know, showing us that Jesus was indeed the opposite of what all the Pharisees had been.

Jesus demonstrated a God that was totally different than the picture that the people had seen of God up until this point.

God does not condemn the world but came to save the world through Jesus.

I think to us as Christians who have all the scriptures to read and to study, that sounds like kind of a weird concept. Why was that so hard for these people to grasp? It said that was not what they had been taught up to this point. It's a huge shift in their theology.

Yeah, they were basically told they had to keep doing all these sacrifices or they would be judged. That was the only way.

But Jesus tells them know, there's another way. It's about love. It's about forgiveness, not judging each other.

If you go back to the original Greek, the Greek word that's used for Save means to heal to restore or to make hole. Saint John 3:17 there, where it says Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but to save the world, it means that he came to heal the world, he came to restore the world, he came to make it whole You know, when the fall occurred in the Garden of Eden. All that fell apart. Everything was no longer what it was intended to be.

Mankind had fallen, send hit enter the world and got it been working since that point to set it, right? And he sent his son to finally do that.

But sometimes it's a hard concept for us to realize that Jesus comes to save us today. In this life, Jesus comes to heal us, Jesus comes to restore us and to make us right with him. Once again, If we really think about it, that is exactly the kind of Salvation that everyone in the world needs right now. You know, our world needs to be healed in so many ways, it needs to be restored to what it used to be. It needs to be whole again. And this is exactly why Jesus came. It's exactly why he was willing to endure, what he did on the cross. Why he was willing to Have to descend to hell to defeat sin and death once and for all he was willing to do all of those things. Because he knew that's what was necessary to restore us. And that is what made him so unique as a teacher that's what made him. So distinctive and those same thing should be what makes us unique and distinctive to others who know us and meet us.

As we get ready to take communion today, I want you to be asking yourself some questions. You know, do I need to be born anew? Your if not, what would that look like? Why am I waiting?

You know, think about the idea, you know, how have you been? Baptized if not. Would you like to be? If you don't know, come talk to me.

But I also think we need to think about. How do we see God? Do we see God as angry and condemning or loving and saving? Cuz we need to make sure we have the right view of who God is. if you don't feel like you can answer those questions, hopefully over the next few weeks, as we continue on with some of this will answer some of those but A big part of it is in the whole title of this overall, Series has been talking about letting go.

And a lot of times what is holding us back from taking a step? We need to in our relationship with God is that we are holding on to our sin and shame. Not realizing that those things have been defeated by the cross once and for all

and you know, as I Was preparing for this message I thought you know, okay, what does it have to do with Mother's Day?

You know, I think it has a lot to do with it because not only are we all born from a mother which I'm glad to hear. You have a mother brat. I was worried. but, You know, our mothers so often have such a significant impact on Who We R Who We turn out to be. So often mothers are the ones who get that first opportunity to share about Jesus with us or at least start to plant some of those seeds as they might read books to us or sing songs are so many different ways that they influence us.

So, as we come to take communion today, that's something else I want us to be thinking about and examining our hearts and thinking, where would we be? Without the influence for mother. And maybe for some of us we may have not been born into a family with an ideal mother but most likely for all of us. If we're sitting here in church today, there is a spiritual mother that help guide us on that path. Maybe when others couldn't or wouldn't And we can be just as thankful for that mother as well. so, the little bit I will call you to come up and Take communion and, you know, the great thing about the way we practice communion is that our communion is open to everyone. All we ask is that you have a relationship with Jesus Christ that you know who he is. If you do, we invite you to share in communion as we reflect again, just like, you know, baptism is just like Christ death and being born again. When we celebrate communion were symbolizing. A lot of that, same reality just as Christ's blood was shed for us, you know, where is emitting that? That is the only way. We're watch clean. It's because of what he did on the cross. The only way that we are made whole again is because of what he did.

So, it's important for us. When we take communion that we acknowledge that Make knowledge that, you know, we can do our best every day of our life to try to live the best life possible. But we're going to fall short.

and the only way that we can get back on that right track Is with God's help.

So as we come and receive the communion elements this morning, just think of how Christ. Has enabled you to be born anew. so Julie, if I could invite you to come up here with me,

Please come and join us for communion.