New Birth

Introduction

You ever have one of these conversations with someone where you can tell they are trying to entrap you...

you know, get you to say something that you they are trying to get you to say..

A number of years back there was a man who was bringing his daughter to our church...

told me that in a legal agreement during his divorce he agreed to not take his daughter to a “born again church.”

Well, her mother caught wind of her coming to our church, so she started to listen to my preaching. It didn’t take her long to find my preaching rubbed up against her worldview...

So she didn't’ like that she was going to our church and started to ask for all the material that spoke about what kind of church we were...

Then one day in the office I got the most interesting call...

The voice on the other side of the phone asked this VERY specific question: Hi, I am looking for a new church, would you say your church is a born-again church?”

I said “I’m sorry what do you mean when you ask if we are born-again church?”

She said “Born-again…you know…born-again…How you would normally use the word”

I replied “do you want ot sit down and have a conversation about what it means to be born again?”

But is our church type “born-again” i’m not sure if I follow

After a short time I could tell the lawyer-oh i mean the church seeker

Got frustrated with me and hung up the phone...

Months later they fought about coming to our church in court…and he won...

But here’s the thing…I’m no lawyer…BUT he had a very weak case...

Because she had all the evidence on her side...

If she just took some time to see what Jesus meant to be born again...

She could look around and the lives of those around her would have been evidence.....

She actually came to a testimony night where people shared their stories of what God had done in their lives...

Those who shared...

Of their broken beginnings of drug or alcohol abuse...

Or those who were born into a religious family...

They shared how they still needed to experience a new kind of birth…

Like the first one…

It brings life, brings experiences, brings identity, and brings a family...

But unlike the first one...

Was…uniquely…different...

Though the symbolism may have some parallels with their physical birth...

This birth…was in every way…NEW...

Transition

Even with how new it was…and how evident it was in the people...

She just…missed it...

But I don’t mean to be so hard on her...

Because she’s certainly not the first person to have ever seen this kind of transformation, this kind of new birth...

and miss it...

and not see it clearly for what it is

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Transition To Text

it was actually over 2,000 years ago we have this event recorded for us in the Gospel of John...

One where a religious leader…a Pharisee....a member of the sanhedrin, a group who was in charge of Jewish affairs in Roman Palestine…who would meet to decide on legal matters

Came to Jesus…under the cover of darkness..

There’s more to this than just the setting...

But this man of religious significance came to seek out Jesus....

And where hear this conversation...

even this deeply religious man...

seems to miss it...

Turn with me to John 3:1-15 on page

Notice the whole basis for his approaching of Jesus...

You must be from God...

(vs. 2) “No one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him”

He came with a focus on the signs...

While Jesus wants to speak of the evidence in another way...

The evidence of a new birth… the evidence of what happens when you are not born of natural means but of supernatural ones...

So Jesus makes the first point here:

(in vs. 3)

This word “again”, can be either from Again…like translated here...

Or it can mean: “from above”...

What I believe may be going on in this whole conversation…is that Jesus was saying “born from above” and Nicodemus heard “born again”

So Nicodemus was stuck here…on earth...

While Jesus was inviting him to a new kind of birth that was not from here...

Not in the same way as he once was born...

But one that was

From above

New Birth Is From Above

This New Birth Jesus describes is not something that is done in an earthly way....

It is not something you find by trying to change some of the behaviors you are doing...

Because he is saying “you can’t SEE the kingdom of heaven” unelss you are “born from above”

Far too many people see the foundation of what Christianity is, is some sort of behavior modification...

Now behaviors change, yes, but this new birth Jesus invites all people to...

Is not about behavior modification…It’s so much more...

think of it like this:

What if you had a ford Focus...

It’s a nice car…maybe you love it…but you always wanted a Tesla

If you go on Amazon…you can find a tesla badge for like $8.99 (free shipping with prime)

If you go to your ford focus and you slap on a tesla badge...

It doesn’t suddenly make this thing a tesla...

It takes so much more than just an emblem change to do the work to change your ford to a tesla...

Oh but what if I change over the seats, doors, windows, etc. to be like a tesla...

But it still won’t be…the heart and soul of a tesla…is so much different than a focus...

There’s no way to change a ford focus into a tesla

But...

Theres’ a way to trade it in...

And when you trade it in..

You hand over the keys...

Transition Back

So Jesus was speaking of this radical new kind of birth…one that was not like the one before but one that would be from above...

Yet, Nicodemus, was missing it completely...

How could one be born when he is old?

Someone can’t go back to be born again...

So Jesus goes another round with him...

And he makes this statement:

Born of Water and the Spirit… (vs 5)

This phrase is debated over what exactly he is referring to here in the water:

One idea, which I held for a long time, is to say this “water” must be the physical birth...

The water breaking

The problem with this is, this is our modern reading backward. This is not how birth was ever spoken about in Jewish literature.

There are some other ideas others have considered in what jesus is saying here..

Water being the Holy Spirit

I don’t think there’s ar eal good reason for this...

And also why say spirit twice in 2 ways?

Unless someone is born of the spirit and the spirit...

Finally is the view that I hold...

That this water points us forward to Christian baptism

That this water is the response

Which would more fully developed and declared at pentecost, at the birth of the church...

But here we have the picture of baptism that the water poitns beyond the water...

1 Peter 3:21 NIV

and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

The waters of the flood in Noah’s day...

is symbolized in baptism… whcih now saves us...

Not hte removal of dirt../

Its not ABOUT the water…but it includes the water...

But it’s about the clear conscience toward God

It’s about the calling on his name...

Its about what Romans 6 says of dying to ourselves:

Romans 6:3–4 (NIV)

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

All this was pictured, with the waters that would cleanse tied to the spirit that woudl be given...

Look what ezekiel 36 says:

Ezekiel 36:25–27 (NIV)

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.

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.

I say all this to say...

this is the picture of us trading in the car...

New Birth Calls Us To Die In Order To Live

We trade in the old car and we get a new identity...

We trade in our old life…to get a new life...

We trade in the old ways of trying to relate with God through our works…and we get a new identity

We trade in the old ways of trying to find community…and we get a new family...

We die to our old selves in order to be born anew...

Just like paul says:

Galatians 2:20 NIV

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Transition

VS 7

New Birth Is Seen In His Influence On You

The Chronological Life of Christ (Jn 3:3–8)

The important question for a Kingdom citizen is not, “Do you possess the Holy Spirit?” but “Does the Holy Spirit possess you

We do not conjuer up the Holy Spirit

If we play enough music

If we can

This is likely why Paul uses the image of “fruit” to describe not what it means to please God…But what it means to have the Holy Spirit’s influence in your life...

Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

This is why sitting in silence with God..

is the greatest way to see his active influence over you in your life.

Because God does what he wants...

the Holy Spirit is the Spirit..

He does what he wants...

Transition

vs. 9: How?

HIs response is not gentle…borderline mocks nicodemus...

---he will be lifted up..and we need to look at him

such rebirth is a spiritual act which is played out through earthly symbols

Jesus is like the snake of Moses (Num 21:8–9). Because of Israel’s constant grumbling, God lost his patience and began to destroy them with vipers. The result was fairly predictable—instant repentance. But it was not that easy. Healing came from looking at the bronze snake that Moses made and hoisted on top of a pole. In like manner, Jesus would be hoisted up (on the cross).38 And all who look to him (in faith), will be saved from their snake bite (the punishment of sin).

New Birth Is Found In The Work Of Jesus

John 3:16 NIV

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