A New Beginning: The Power of Being Born Again (2)

INTRODUCTION

Bible Passage: John 3:1–6

You Must Be Born Again

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”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 and be born?”5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.6 That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.

I would like to say how blessed I am to be here this afternoon and the pure joy and reverent fear that I have taken into preparing this sermon.

God word is Holy and it must be treat so.

He truly is the mighty God and redeemer and this scripture we have just read today is absolute proof of the wonders of His name and all that He does in our life.

To start with today, I will give us a brief overview of the circumstances and what was going on at this time.

This is so that we can get the context and ask the basic questions of who, when and why.

I always prefer to ask these at the start of a text so that we can fully grasp what was going on and to stop us from misinterpreting the text.

Sadly, many of Jesus words have been changed and used to mis represent His actual teacher to give people a different understanding because we live in a time of not offending anyone.

Who: The scripture is Nicodemus and Jesus speaking together

It begins with Nicodemus approaching Jesus to speak to Him.

This may seem like a minimal thing to overlook, but when we look at WHO Nicodemus is, it changes everything about this encounter.

He was a Pharisee, which for those of you who do not know, they were a Jewish religious leader of their time.

These werent just somebody off the street, these were highly well respected and regarded people.

For him to be approaching Jesus to begin with is in itself something not normally heard of.

When and why did Nicodemus approach Jesus:

At night time

Again this is something that can be often overlooked and skimmed across as having no real value, but that simply is not true.

The fact Nicodemus did this is a sign of one of two options.

It was a regular thing for Pharisee to stay out late debating each other and help one another study - so Nicodemus could have easily been on the way home.

Or the second thought, that is most popular among scholars is that he was afraid of what the other pharisee and leaders of the time would have thought.

Lets remember, Jesus was a man who came from a carpenter background, who was being followed by fishermn. Nicodemus was a scholar and leader of his time, he was frequently studying scripture, he knew what the word said, he was no fool.

He had heard about Jesus ministry - in the verses just before this we read that Jesus was performing miracles and doing many different things, so the chances are Nicodemus may have not only heard about Jesus, but may have seen them.

These few points alone set the stage if you like to give us the introduction of what was going on at this time, but it also highlights something to us now in this generation.

Would you approach someone of lower status in secret, or would you approach them in public.

What we do know is that whatever Nicodemus motives were - whether good or bad - scripture never actually tells us - is that Nicodemus is in fact a follower of Christ by the end of Christ life .

Nicodemus is only ever mentioned in John gospel - but the witness of what he did is very impactful.

He defends Jesus to the Sanhedrin in chapter 7 - which shows us what he thought of Jesus after this we are going to expound today as he goes from a man of secrecy to a man of boldness for Christ.

Something every believer must be.

He again shows that baldness in chapter 19 by being the man to ask if he can get Jesus body and place it in the tomb.

Just so that we can get a full picture of the context of this, on all three occasions Nicodemus couyld have easily been killed.

This is why this message is so important and it is not something that we can take lightly.

With that brief introduction to the text given, let us dive into my three main points today - and for those taking notes they are:

1: SEEKER OF THE NEW BIRTH (v1-2)

2: URGENCY OF THE NEW BIRTH (v3-4)

3. JOY OF THE NEW BIRTH (5-6)

I will breaking each of the six verses up into two for each point - some parts I have already mentioned in my initial introduction but we will speak more in depth on these points.

1: SEEKER OF THE NEW BIRTH (v1-2)

2: URGENCY OF THE NEW BIRTH (v3-4)

3. JOY OF THE NEW BIRTH (5-6)

Lets dive in and start by taking about our first point.

1. SEEKER OF NEW BIRTH (1-2)

We live in a society today that are seekers.

Whether that is seeking the latest fashion trend on social media.

Seeking the truth of the news

Seeking our next romantic partner, and could they be the one

We all know that we are seeking something.

As I touched on in my introduction, Nicodemus went out seeking Jesus.

This doesnt mean Nicodemus went out looking for Jesus to transform him then and there.

No, Nicodemus went out and asked Jesus a question, as only a pharisee would do, to try and trip Jesus up.

Nicodemus could have gone there wanting Jesus to fail, so that his counscious would be clear and he could tell himself at least he asked the question!

How many times in life, do you come away from an experience or conversation and think why didnt I ask the question!

We have to give Nicodemus some points for the fact he has put himself in the firing line to begin with and opened himself up to be vulnerable.

But it is the way in which Nicodemus approaches Jesus that is completely different.

As I said earlier, the pharisee always believed they were right and they could debarte and argue anyone into submission to their train of thought.

They believed their status with the Jewish culture, so confidence was not something they were short of, but in this case there is a huge thing that is shown.

Nicodemus doesnt say oi you heretic!

He says Rabbi, which is Hebrew for my master or my teacher.

In a culture where a man status is seen in how they are valued by others, for Nicodemus to show this level of respect to Jesus is something we do not read often in the scriptures at all.

But his next sentence is even more telling, Nicodemus says we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.

Lets take a minute to unpack this further.

Firstly, he has acknowledged that Jesus has come from God.

But he stops short of saying anything else at this point.

Unlike Peter who is the first disciple to call Jesus the Christ, the Messiah who has come to save humanity.

Matthew 16:16 (LSB) "And Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'"

But Nicodemus does say that no one can do the things Jesus is doing unless God is with Him.

We must remember that Nicodemus friends, colleagues and family were all accusing Jesus of been from Satan and casting out demons in his name.

Matthew 12:24 (LSB) “But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘This man does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.’”

So again, as we build this picture in our minds of what was going on at this time, let us remember that Jesus ministry was very divisive - as it is today.

Peter was calling Jesus Lord and Nicodemus was just about acknowledging Him as a teacher who was of God, not Satan.

But much like us in our time, we have questions, and the world is like a giant pop up advert - got problems? Here a suggestion to fix it. Got marriage issues - here a suggestion.

The world constantly gives us suggestions - while at the same time constantly changing its mind.

The Bible never changes.

We can go to it with any question and really ask the hardest questions we all face in life and there is an answer, some are easier than others, but just as Nicodemus came with a heart to ask genuine sincere questions, so can you and me.

Sadly, due to the fall from Adam, we are all sinners, we all need saving from something, but the difference between Jesus and the world is that Jesus will give peace to those who seek Him.

Jesus will never abandon you - no matter what you do.

He has the answer to everything because He knows everything.

Jesus said seek and the door will be opened unto you.

When we seek Christ truly with our heart - we will always find Him.

Not because of anything special we do.

You will never seek God on your own will - it is impossible.

Submit yourself and seek Him and you will find Him, just as Nicodemus is doing right now in this text, which leads us into our second point today.

2. LIFE FROM NEW BIRTH (3-4)

This is where it starts to become very exciting.

Nicodemus the seeker, is about to get the true definition why Jesus has come from God - although Nicodemus doesnt quite realise it just yet.

Nicodemus didnt ask this question directly, but Jesus knows all mans thoughts, as we read in the verses just before chapter 3 starts in:

John 2:24–25 (LSB) “But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He had no need that anyone bear witness concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”

So he decided to answer Nicodemus in the best way possible.

Tell him the answer directly while also pointing out the hipocrisy of the pharisee and their belief.

Firstly Jesus starts His sentence with a repitiotion of words.

In the Greek to repeat a word, is the equivalent to us slamming our hand down on the table and shouting OI! LISTEN UP!

It would have had the same impact for those of this culture and time and something that the listener needed to pay close attention too.

Jesus then uses language that would have been familiar to hear, but made absolutely no sense whatsoever from a world persective.

We live in this time now, look at our society. There are so many experts on so many things that all the experts disagree on it all, but rather than saying I disagree, lets find the common ground, they continue using posh language to make everyone think they are more superior.

When in reality all that they are saying is recycled jargon that has no effect on changing anything.

We have lost the art of calling a spade a spade.

Keep it simple - call it what it is.

However, Nicodemus was in a time where you could be articulate and claim to be many different things, all wghile appearing holy and righteous - yet really being hipocrites.

They would critcise Jesus disciples for walking too far on the sabbath - but then bend the rules by stopping at a family members house on the way to re start it - they thought that they couldf cheat God and somehow trick him.

Just like people do today - we have people saying that they care for the environment and that the nobodies of the world should be doing more - all the while racking up thousands of miles to fly all over the world to have these conferences.

I think we can all agree that it is hipocritical - yet the pharisee do them same thing!

How times have not changed one bit sadly.

The pharisee of Jesus time where the exact same, they would say long eloquant things that made the everyday person go wow, they must be clever, but the reality was, they were the biggest hipocrites around.

They showered themselves with praise and adoration and to be seen in places of esteem with all the men

While the fisher man would go out to sea, and come back a broken man and be told he wasnt a man of God - even if His heart was that of truly seeking God.

Jesus said you must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God.

While I was writing this preach out, I have tried to imagine the puzzling look that must have been across Nicodemus face, what do you mean born again?!

But there was also potentially a look of really, this man everyone is speaking of as a wonderful teacher and doing all these signs, and ive addressed Him accordingly as a Rabbi and gone against my fellow peers and His response is that?

My friends are right, he cant be this suppose man of God.

Lets just be really brutally honest with ourselves, we would all do the same thing.

We would all be like Nicodemus

Thinking to ourselves, I keep all the laws and commands, because I stick strictly to what it says - as we said before re writing rules and commands to help them stick to within the laws not seeing theuir hipocrisy.

Which instantly shows their hearts were wrong as no man can be without sin.

Nicodemus and his friends talked about God all day long, they defended it, they had numerous people saying how incredible they were and right all the time, they rarely faced opposition and when they did, they had answer for it.

Just like us now, we live in a generation of we want the answer, get it instantly - some even dont check the answer they just assume its right, look at AI fantastic tool that could so easily be used for wrong reasons.

Lets really break this down.

You must be born again.

What does it mean to be born again?

The answer is very simple.

It is that of a spiritual birth. Not a physical one.

All people are born in life.

But not ALL people are born again.

You see to have a spiritual re birth is not some mystic emotional feeling or one that makes you feel good inside.

It is one where you totally surrendour yourself to God in full submission - where you actually believe and acknowledge that Jesus is the one true redeemer of all humanity.

Jesus isnt there on a limb hoping you might accept Him.

Jesus doesnt spend hours with Nicodemus in the historical records of this section of scripture proving anything.

It is that basic - you must be born again - and to be born again means to believe in Me and Who I am

Dont worry about what others say - dont pay attention to the world

Fix your heart and mind and soul on Me and what I have done

Jesus is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end

You arent born again as a slightly better version 2.0

No you are a new creation

You live to serve His Kingdom

You will fail - just as Nicodemus will have done multiple times in His life - but you can be assured of one thing

Christ died for your sins and Nicodemus sins just as much as the next believer.

You have real life in the new birth

A true peace that cannot be shaken - no matter what the world throws at us in life we must stand strong to our faith

But as Nicodemus points in verse 4 how can one be born again.

It cannot be done twice.

To be born again means to have the Holy Spirit the third person of the trinity live within us.

The Holy Spirit is the one assurance the believer has over everything.

Some things change instantly within a believer other things will take time.

Just look at Nicodemus as i said earlier he goes from a man trained in Jewish law and religion to being speechless at Jesus words about spiritual re birth.

This is also sadly something that is often mis represented by humanity.

People try and say that Jesus is one of the ways - but not the only way.

How sad and heartbreaking this is to read this text and see this context so vividly and still not think Jesus is the only way.

Have you ever noticed that every single religion in the world always has Jesus involved in some way or another?

They often realise that in order to be taken seriously, they need to shoe horn Jesus in.

Not only is that wrong but it is truly heartbreaking the amount of people that believe in a time of rubbing crystals and talking to demons and other such entities and yet somehow they think that Jesus is on their side because they believe in God.

Even demons believe in God.

Dont worry Im not going down a path of talking about that, but you hopefully understand my concern and point.

We prioritise feeling and emotion and the world for Christ and what He did on the cross - all with terms.

Francois recently preached on the transactional relationship with God.

Anyone truly born again cannot ever see their relationship like that.

A Christian will always fail - but we come to the foot of the cross knowing that without been born again - we bring nothing to that table.

It is Christ interceding for us and the Holy Spirit working within us daily, hourly by the minute and the second.

It was the exact same for Nicodemus, the circumstances that lead him to the moment of approaching Jesus whether out of a genuine heart of arrogance or a heart of fear from man - what matters is that he approached Jesus and as we see with the later testimony of what he did for Jesus later on in the book shows that the Holy Spirit was truly working in him giving him new life from being born again.

That is what counts, how we finish the race - not how we start it.

We can have a knowledge of God just as Nicodemus and all the other religious leaders of the time did,

But not actual KNOW GOD!

To know God and what He gave for us is something no person can ever recover from once you are born again.

That can give us nothing but joy.

Which now leads me into my third point today:

3. JOY IN NEW BIRTH (5-6)

In the 1689 London Baptist Confession it says of man:

“The highest purpose of every human being is to glorify God — to know Him, to love Him, and to live in joyful obedience to Him. We were created to find our greatest happiness in giving Him honour, worship, and praise forever.”

How true this is for Nicomedums in his time, but also in ours today.

But the only way we can truly live a joyful life that gives honour worship and praise is by being born again.

Jesus stressed this point in verse 5 and 6 were he says:

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.6 That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.

Again using the repitiotion language it stresses to Nicodemus the need to klisten to what the Jesus is saying to him.

Trusting in your own walk , your own rules both of your own mind and them of man will not save you.

To be born again means to be born of the spirit by which God emdwells within us.

But it is also important to highlight that Jesus wants us to be baptised in water also.

To be baptised is an outward express of our inward transformation.

The reason why we do this is to show to the world we are not ashamed of our faith in the true Gospel.

The chief end of man is to give glory to God, there is no better way to give glory to God in a physical sense than showing your inward change to the outside world.

Nicodemus knew what this meant - he had acted casual towards Jesus and been told again with urgency you must be born again.

Jesus never chabnges His words of emphasis to Nicodemus.

To truly be changed and have the spirit within us means to truly have the fruits of the spirit which are:

Galatians 5:22–23 (LSB) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Just as the Christian must not do now - there was no difference from the time of Nicodemus to us now.

The spirit is working constantly within us daily - a baptism in water is not something a believer does multiple times - we dont need to do - we have shown an outward sign of faith in Jesus - He has died for our sin once for all - it never needs to be repeated again

And it definately doesnt need us to do anything.

As I said, Jesus was very clear you must be born again - he doesnt finish off the sentence with multiple times or once a year or once a week.

Christ life, death and resurrection on this earth was a one time thing, and the next time He returns it will be the end of all things as we know it

The sad question is, as we look around is the church ready?

4. Application for the church

How does this text apply to the church?

Well to begin with, we have to ask, is the church healthy and what do we mean by this?

We look at denominations now in the UK and they have no idea what the true gospel is.

A country that omce had the puritans and had some of the most Godly men outside of the early church from within this country to now seeing a country on the verge of total rejection of God word - if not already has some would argue

The honest truth is that the church is not healthy.

It needs to be born again.

We need to stop trying to please the masses to make the church relevant.

The Bible tells us clearly that we are a people set apart.

1 Peter 2:9 (LSB) “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

We are called into His marvelous light as the church.

What possible thing could this world ever offer us in exchange for the riches of God kingdom?

The answer is nothing!

When you pray, please pray for the church, this one in particular that it would fight for the faith.

We live in a time of internet church.

This like so many thimngs can be used for a fantastic tool for thiose who cant get out of the house or those who love to listen back to a recent sermon, but sadly it can be used for the wrong motives and wrong heart.

The churvh must be united in the sharing of the Gospel in all its truth, not just a small sample or deleting a section to make someone feel better about their sin.

5. Application for us

And for us as individuals, what does it mean for us?

Well much like the church we must ask ourselves a hard question, am I born again?

The greatest tool we can ever equip ourselves with is the word of God.

That little book will give you everything you will ever need

Not sure how to pray? Read the Bible

Want to sing in worship, but have a terrible voice? Read the Bible.

Struggle with sin? Read the Bible.

If we truly want to know the ultimate question like Nicodemus and say , so what? Why should I care.

Then know this, Jesus died for your sins completely.

It wasnt fair on Him - but out of love and obedience He died on that cross and defeated death for you.

Not because of you - but in spite of you.

You can apply this text to yourself by asking the question, am I truly born again, or just going throygh the motion of life like Nicodemus was, clearly seeking something, but longing to know what for?

I can promise you now a life with Christ, will NEVER be a wasted life!

6. Conclusion

In conclusion to this passage.

We can save that the true message of the Gospel is urgent.

It cannot wait.

We have a new life being born again. You are 2.0 . You are a brand new creation. One that will never die because Christ is eternal.

A life that will be full of joy, hope and one that is truly transformed.

Once you are in God hand, He will never let go of you. No matter how many times you fall.

God will always be more and a life of true repentance and grace to worship the one true God will always mean more and give you so much more meaning and purpose than you could ever wish for!

Amen!