What does it mean to be born again? For a long time I missed what Jesus actually says about this idea, tune in to see if you’ve missed it or not. Jump in with us in Sections 24 of the Gospel Harmonies @ https://www.harmonychurch.cc/tracking-jesus-timeline/. IT’S EASY TO GIVE at Harmony, text any amount to (859) 459-0316 to get started (or give online @ my.harmonychurch.cc/give ).
OPENING ILLUSTRATION:
So, over Christmas break, I was standing in the kitchen with my nephew who was asking me what I do as a pastor- lol. He was like, “I know you preach and stuff, but, like, do you work the rest of the week?” I’ve always thought if people think I really only work one hour a week, why don’t I? Lol.
I told him my week is full of meetings, leadership decisions, one on one coaching, staff meetings and more. Plus, I have to write a 10-page persuasive research paper that has to be engaging enough for you to want to give me 30 minutes of your time and then I have to present the paper every week. It’s a weird job.
But then he asked me a good question, he asked me if I ever struggle with what to say or preach. That’s a good question because I happened to be working on this sermon at that exact time and I was struggling with how to preach it.
See, this morning, I’m going to tell you about Jesus meeting with Nicodemus and Jesus saying “you need to be born again” and while that seems like the easiest thing in the world to preach, I’ve preached on it a million times and it felt hard for me to figure out how to approach it.
But as I talked it through with him it hit me that there was something I hadn’t preached on before…
Can I show you?
Check this out, we’ll be in John 3
John 3:1-8
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Nic comes to Jesus and from the outset, he’s showing us that he has respect for Jesus – nic was a part of the Jewish ruling council.
He’s seen Jesus work miracles – He will actually defend Jesus to the Sanhedrin and after Jesus dies, Nic will be one of the people who help bury him. I think he is legitimately seeking Jesus
Nic is worried about being seen with Jesus – it’s why he comes at night, under the cloak of dark
some of you get that, right, you are interested in spiritual things, but you’ve been resistant to spiritual things for a long time and you can’t have anyone see you being interested
-I love that Jesus just accepts him and starts to talk to Him…
Listen to Jesus’ response to nic….
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.[a]”
I love that Jesus doesn’t really care about Nic’s compliments – he cuts straight to the heart of the matter.
Jesus always cuts to the heart of the matter.
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Lol, when I was describing this to my nephew – he thought it was funny when I put this part of the story in the context
Nic is saying, “ew, there’s no way someone could climb back into their mom and be born again, that’s just ridiculous…”
Nic doesn’t get it – He thinks Jesus is talking about a physical reality and Jesus is talking about a spiritual reality.
ILLUSTRATION:
Have you ever tried to help your kids with the new math they teach them? My kids will do 15 plus 15 and by the end of it they’ve written up some algebraic calculation “well, if x=5, then the quotient of the remainder of the dividend…” and I’m like, “what? the answer is 30, it’s 30… it’s just 15 plus 15…
What Jesus is teaching Nicodemus is totally foreign to Him.
b
Nicodemus had no category for “born again”
b
I want you to notice why it is that Jesus is saying you must be born again.
b
“No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
This is what I had never preached on before.
I had always linked being born again to salvation – which it is, I believe. But the reason Jesus gives for it is for you to see/enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
listen
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’
ILLUSTRATION:
When you were a little kid, did you ever make up a secret knock to get into your room? if you didn’t enter with the knock, you couldn’t come in…
Jesus is saying that entrance into the Kingdom of God is a matter of a different kind of birth than what Nicodemus had ever known – it was a matter of being born of water and the spirit
Nicodemus and the early Christians would have understood Jesus’ reference to being born of water as a reference to baptism.
b
Baptism – was the place of starting over – dying to your old life and being raised to new life in Jesus
For the Jewish person, Mikva (baptism) was how a person converted to Judaism – and it was said to so thoroughly change a person that they came out the other side of the water able to marry a sibling if they wanted because they were completely new.
b
Jesus ties this act with an act of the Spirit moving – not just what the person does.
b
but that God Himself works something in the person.
Reminds me of
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Can I ask you a question?
Did you just come to Jesus to be saved when what He wanted was for you to enter His Kingdom?
b
Why would Jesus want you to be “saved” and then just go back to who you were before?
b
He saved you so you could serve in the Kingdom!
Listen to how Jesus talks about these people who have been born of the Spirit…
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Those who are born of water and the Spirit are living for a Kingdom other than their own.
-they will use their talents in a way that’s unexpected
-they will use their time in a way that’s unexpected
-they will use their treasure in a way that’s unexpected
b
Because they are fully submitted to the King in the Kingdom.
b
So what about you?
CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: When we used to live in Kansas, we were about 2.5 hrs from Branson where Silver Dollar City is – it’s similar, so I’ve heard to Dollywood. We used to go there several times a year. One of the things that we loved about Silver Dollar City was right after you get inside the gates, there is this place with cinnamon rolls the size of your face. They’re amazing! So much frosting and deliciousness in them. I thought, can you imagine someone going to silver dollar city and getting to the cinnamon roll stand and being like, “I’ve made it! this is what I’ve always dreamed of!” and they stop there? They don’t go in and see all the rides and all the amazing food and shows and fun. They miss the entire thing. When you come out they’re still there at the cinnamon roll stand and you’re like, “why didn’t you go in?” and they say, “this is all we wanted…”
Some of you came to Jesus to be “born again” and you came just for salvation – just to escape hell, which is great, but it wasn’t the point. escaping hell is a by-product of knowing the King. He came so you could see the Kingdom, so you could enter the Kingdom – being a part of a Kingdom necessitates you following the directive of the King. You have stopped short of actually experiencing everything He wants for you.
What if you went all the way in? What if you sought Him with all your heart? For some of you that means taking a step into baptism and really following him in water and the spirit. For some of you, it means going back to your first love. Some of you need to join a connect group and get around other Christians who deeply love Jesus. The only thing you shouldn’t do is stay where you are.
When it comes to following Jesus, you are either moving closer to Him or further away, there is no standing still.
so get into the Jet stream of Jesus and let Him move you…
