Sermon Tone Analysis

· You must be born Again

o How can I be born again when I am old

(ie how can I change on my own I know I’m sinful)

· The wind blows where it wills

o

o You can’t predict the direction

o But you can see/feel the obvious effects

· The Snake in the wilderness

o Payment for sin

o Received apart from works

· Believe in him vv.

15-16

I am excited for this opportunity we have to gather again.

I am sad that this will be our last session.

Do not forget we will still have a Q and A.

Before we get into the text I just want to tell you how encouraging it is to be here with you all and see you all.

I love watching the interaction with the staff and all the great conversations that have started.

I am praying that they continue.

So far this week we have been talking about salvation.

It has been amazing.

Tonight we are going to look at two more aspects of salvation that are utterly shocking and essential for you guys to hear.

With that I will pray and then we will dive into our text

Pray:

Open up , verses 1-16

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him."

Jesus answered him,"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 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?"

Jesus answered,"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.

So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him,"Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?

Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.

If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Tonight we will be looking at God’s work in salvation through regeneration which is when God makes you new or reborn from the inside out, and we will be looking at man’s responsibility in conversion which is the act of turning from sin and putting your faith in Christ.

Now who cares?

Why does being born again matter?

Well Jesus cared, and this is made evident in one man, a man named Nicodemus.

But before we talk him, lets talk about a little background.

Right before Nicodemus we see Jesus starting his ministry.

He calls the first disciples, then we see Jesus doing miracles.

And starting to show the truth.

And here we get to an amazing passage, one of my personal favorites.

And this bring us to our passage today in and also back to Nicodemus.

Now who was Nicodemus?

We see here that he was a Pharisee.

The Pharisees were the elite religious group of the day.

They were ritualistic and rule followers to the most extreme extent.

They would be similar to the catholic priest of today.

He was also a ruler, as a member of the Sanhedrin he was a part of the ruling council.

This made a very rich and powerful man.

In verse 10 we also see he was the teacher of Israel.

This man was the theologian or theologians.

Yet this man, one of the most religious, powerful and smartest men of his day, still came to Jesus.

Read verse 2 “This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

He affirms to Jesus that he knew that these were mighty works.

These mighty works included water into wine or healing men with diseases, cleansing the temple, and more.

Nicodemus is thinking how can these miracles not come from God somehow?

Now verse 2 says that he also came by night.

This shows that there was a risk to him coming, he was coming at the risk of the Pharisees (who hated Jesus) and the member of the Sanhedrin finding out.

He came to talk to Jesus in private.

He also came knowing that all the work he had done in his to assure he was going to heaven was assured at all.

He comes searching.

Just as many of us do.

He comes to Jesus thinking I am the top teacher, yet I am empty and confused.

He comes searching about this man.

So he is here in this place seeking from Jesus.

And what he receive astounds him.

Verse 3, "Jesus answered him,"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Point 1 you must be born again

Now I would encourage you guys to really focus in when Jesus says truly, truly, because what will follow is an amazing truth.

This amazing truth is an answer, this is answer Jesus gives him.

You must be born again to enter the kingdom of God.

To be born again is a common term in Christian culture.

But to Nicodemus this would have been confusing.

It is like me asking you ‘how did you contribute to your birth, your physical birth?’

Nothing, right

It is the same thing with your spiritual birth.

You do not do anything.

Verse 4 says "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?"

His response is completely valid saying that it is impossible for a man to be born again.

Nicodemus is questioning Jesus.

He doesn’t understand.

But this is exactly what Jesus is trying to get across.

There is no good work, spiritual act or anything else that can get you to heaven.

How can a man save himself?

He can’t.

Lets read on "Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

Jesus is referencing back to the Old Testament in Ezekial 36 saying that I will wash you and give a new heart, a new spirit I will put within you.

This is a passage that points us towards an idea of regeneration.

Remember, regeneration is the spiritual act of God to impart spiritual life in us.

Or to keep with theme being born again.

We have already heard about God calling us, but here this is the work God does within us to turn us from being dead to alive.

We were dead and are now alive in him.