What have you experienced?

Intro (3)

The nature of Christian experience

In our passage, Peter promises that there will be experiences that a Christian will have when they convert to Christianity.

Rebirth

A New Heart

Power

Rebirth (8)

1st experience is rebirth

Why would I want to be born again?!

ILL: John 3, Nicodemus, “How can I be born again” — Jesus explains it is a spiritual rebirth that results in a new lift. — just like a birth is a new life

1 Peter 1:23–25 (CEB)

Do this [love each other] because you have been given new birth—not from the type of seed that decays but from seed that doesn’t. This seed is God’s life-giving and enduring word.

Thus,

All human life on the earth is like grass,

and all human glory

is like a flower in a field.

The grass dries up and its flower falls off,

but the Lord’s word endures forever.

This is the word that was proclaimed to you as good news.

The seed that perishes is the seed of humanity.

humans participate in detestable things

detestable things are not eternal things

thus humans decay — humans are born of perishable things

The seed that does not perish is the word of God — it lasts forever

the Word of God is the good news of Jesus

cf. Grace from before (elaborate) — don’t refer back, but explain

We believe something metaphysical changes in us (John 3:3)

John 3:3 (CEB)

Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew, it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.”

Born again vs. born anew

New Heart (8)

2nd experience is a New Heart

Do you think you even need a new heart?

Most people think they are good people and the good outweighs the bad.

Jesus said that to break one part of the law is to be guilty of the whole law.

1 Peter 1:23 (CEB)

Do this [love one another] because you have been given new birth…

Rebirth gives way to love or a newness of heart.

The Apostle Paul:

2 Corinthians 5:16–17 (CEB)

So then, from this point on we won’t recognize people by human standards. Even though we used to know Christ by human standards, that isn’t how we know him now. So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!

Humans standards

We first heard about Jesus according to human judgments

ILL: Jesus heals and feeds, etc. before calling people into the Kingdom

“New Creation” The CSB renders, ‘the new creation’ vs. others, ‘a new creation’ because Paul is thinking about a future reality when all things are made new, (cf. Revelation 21:1-5)

On a spiritual level, we can have this NOW, even though we wait for the physical reality.

Because we have a new heart, we adopt new values and principles.

(We don’t come to Christ because Jesus believes the same things we already do; we come in humility, repenting of selfish/sinful thinking).

We no longer see people as we did before we were Christians: utility

We see people as the beloved creation of God

We see them for who they can be in God’s Kingdom

Not for what they can do for us

Power (8)

3rd Experience is Power

Everyone wants power (power to control, power to persevere, power to succeed, etc.)

ILL: Fitness, diets, continuing education — all ways to ‘better yourself’

We believe we CAN live a new life—we can get better.

1 Peter 1:23 (CEB)

…You have been given new birth—not from the type of seed that decays but from seed that doesn’t. This seed is God’s life-giving and enduring word.

There is life in God’s word to deliver you from decay.

The decay of the human body/life should point us to an ultimate/eternal solution with Jesus.

I realize we don’t always want, just, eternal solutions, but we WANT CHANGE NOW—we want power now.

Here’s where it is—the power is in God’s Word:

Proverbs 2:10–12b (CEB)

Wisdom will enter your mind,

and knowledge will fill you with delight.

Discretion will guard you;

understanding will protect you.

Wisdom will rescue you from the evil [bad] path,

When we say we want the power to change ourselves, what we’re ultimately saying is, “I want to feel better, I want to act better, I want to make better decisions.”

The Wisdom and knowledge that we receive from God’s Word brings

awareness (enter your mind)

delight (not so much happiness as satisfaction)

defense (much of the pain we experience is because we are too quick to speak and act)

protection (foot-in-mouth syndrome)

The Word of God will give you power to change.

EXH: (3)

PAUSE BEFORE PRAYER FOCUS: