August 2, 2009

BORN AGAIN

 Text:  John 3:3-5

Proposition:  What does born-again mean?

Why use the term born again?  When a baby is born everything is new to the baby.  The baby is no longer in the darkness of the womb.  The baby is no longer comfortable in the womb.  Everyone is excited about the birth.  The child grows in knowledge. 

When a man is born again everything is new.  He is no longer in darkness.  He is no longer comfortable in a world of sin.  The man grows in knowledge.  Nicodemous had a hard time understanding born again.  His problem was a lack of faith, John 3:15 and 16.  Jesus did not always speak plainly, Matthew 13:10-17.  Many people have trouble understanding John 3:3-5 because they are like Nicodemous they do not want to believe it.  They believe in Jesus name, but that is all.  John 2:23-25, Nicodemous was one who believed he saw Jesus miracles, but he didn’t want to admit he needed to change his life.  He didn’t want to admit he needed to be born again.  He was a ruler of the Jews!  He was a teacher of Israel!  He was an educated man!  He knew everything there was to know about the law.  He couldn’t believe he needed to make any changes.  He didn’t believe he needed to be born again.

I.    Born of the water

II.   Born of The Spirit

III.   Born of the water and the Spirit

I.     Born of water.  (What does born again mean?)

A.   Baptism was nothing new to the Jews.  John baptized Jews.  Jews baptized proselytes.  They used the expression “born again,” to denote the change from Gentilism to Judaism (Barnes).

1.     Nicodemous could not understand why he, being a Jew, would need to be born again.

2.     He knew of John’s Baptism Luke 7:29 and 30.  He was one of the Pharisees.  Whether or not he was baptized by John we do not know.  We do know the people John baptized repented and changed their lives.  John’s baptism was from God and was necessary for forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4), but the Pharisees rejected John’s baptism, Mark 11:30.

B.    Peter told the people on the day of Pentecost to repent and be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

1.     Acts 2:38

2.     Acts 8:36-39

3.     Titus 3:5

a.      Baptism or born of water as shown in this verse is not a deed we have done.  IT IS DONE TO US.

b.     WE ARE REGENERATED AND RENEWED.

c.     REGENERATE – to be reborn to give new life or vigor to (Websters)

d.     Renewed by the Holy Spirit.

e.      We are saved by baptism.  By the washing of Regeneration.

f.       Some call us Baptismal Regenerationalists because we believe we are regenerated at baptism.  Without being regenerated or born again you are not a Christian.

II.     Born of Spirit

A.   If we don’t have the Spirit of Christ we are none of His.

1.     Romans 8:5-13

2.     We need to have the Spirit of God change us.

a.      A mind set on the Spirit has life and peace

b.     A mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God and CANNOT understand the things of God.

c.     Nicodemous had his mind set on the flesh.  He could not understand being born again.

B.    We need to have a change in our heart.

1.     God’s Spirit worked in the O.T.

a.      I Samuel 10:6-9

b.     God changed Saul’s heart.  He was timid and scared, but he eventually became a mighty warrior.

c.     Psalms 51:10, God’s Spirit worked on David.

d.     God’s Spirit works in us today.

e.      We may not understand everything about how the Spirit works. We don’t understand everything about much of anything.

f.       John 3:8, We don’t understand all the things of the Holy Spirit we just know it works.

1)     Ecclesiastes 11:5

2)     We may not understand how electricity works, but we know it does work.

3)     We may not understand everything about the birth of a child, but we believe it.

4)     The Holy Spirit works in us even if we don’t understand exactly how it works.

III.    Born of Water and Spirit

A.   The two together.  Not just born of water.  Not just born of Spirit.

B.    Everyone will agree that just being born of water by itself will not save you.

1.     Born of water only = not entering kingdom of God

2.     Born of Spirit only = not entering kingdom of God.  Some may say if God’s Spirit is in you, you must be saved, but you cannot be born of the Spirit if you are not born of water.  You are like Nicodemous.  You don’t want to believe you must be born again.

C.   Many people say they are bearing fruit.  They are wonderful people.  They must be born again, but they have never been born of water.

1.     We can have a change without being born again.

a.      Alcoholics get cured (changed)

b.     Drug addicts get cured (changed)

c.     Jehovah witnesses change

d.     Mormon’s get a burning in their bosom.

2.     What is the difference?  A true Christian wants to please God.  He wants to follow.  He has counted the cost.

3.     Matthew 7:15-23,God is the judge of the fruit.  We can also know if people are born again by their fruit.

a.      These people had what looked like good fruit, but it wasn’t.

b.     They performed miracles, prophesied, cast out demons. But they didn’t do the will of the Father.  Jesus will say, “Depart from me you who practice lawlessness.”

c.     Being born of the water and the Spirit is a part of the will of the father.

Conclusion

We must be born again.  In order to be born again we must be born of the water and the Spirit.  When we are baptized we are born of the water.  At the same time we are born of the Spirit.  We become a new creature, II Corinthians 5:17.  The change may not be all at once, but it is the beginning.  The Holy Spirit continues to change us the rest of our life.  You cannot be born of the Spirit without being born of the water.  You can be baptized and not be born of the Spirit, but it will do you no good.  If we want to be born again we must be born of the water and the Spirit.