Sermon Central
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Understanding Being Born Again Series
Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on Oct 13, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: Part 2 in the series of getting to the basics. What it means for a Christian when He/She claims to be Born Again.
10/4/2009
B.A.S.I.C Part II
Understanding being “Born Again”
John 3:1-8 Read and pray
Last week we began a series of becoming a servant in Christ. (BASIC)
We centered our attention on the person of Jesus Christ.
How some people do lip service but really have no relationship with Christ.
We looked also at the heart and the mind. How both needed to be renewed by Jesus Christ.
We dispelled the belief that all will be going to heaven but only those who have taken Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Today I want to look at “Being Born Again”. It is a phrase used by most protestant churches, but really I do not think that most understand it imprecation. Words like saved, come to Christ, being born again, and the Nazarene’s use regeneration have little meaning to those that don’ t understand them.
The text tells us about a pharisee named Nicodemus. One who comes to Jesus at night and began by respect of calling Jesus a teacher who has come from God.
Jesus cuts right through all the small talk and says to Nicodemus “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again”. You have to understand that this cut Nicodemus to the heart, because they believed all Jews because of being close to God was to make heaven. By just being a Jew, it was their ticket to God.
We have all heard Pearly Gates jokes about so and so meeting St. Peter and how and why they should make heaven. By nature, we want to merit God’s favor. What do we have to do to get to heaven?
Nicodemus was from the religious left. He was a seeker. He was a religious man who knew the law. But he did not understand or realize that there is a difference between religion and a personal relationship.
He came at night as to not lose face with his peers.
He was seeker, but his heart and mind was not in it.
He was intrigued with Jesus miracles. He lost focus.
He was an admirer, but not a believer.
Being born again is a common term, most associate it with pentecostal or Charismatic churches. Those that preach the fullness of the Spirit. I want you to see that it is a Scriptural term and applies to any church or denomination that believes there is to be a rebirth in someone ’s life to be saved or spared from the judgment of God on sin.
Being born again is a supernatural event. It is spiritual new birth. A supernatural transformation. Nicodemus was thinking physical, Jesus tells us it is spiritual. That is why I don’t preach religion, I preach relationship with Jesus. No women here would like to give birth to a 200 pound baby. Like the 19 pound Indonesian baby last week. Salvation is not being religious, it is being redeemed.
There is three truths here that you cannot miss.
It is not human effort
It is a personal relationship
It is supernatural
There are people all over the world that cannot answer the question “If you were to die right now, would you make heaven”?
They believe it is about the justice scale and how it tips
They do not look at Jesus , they look what they have done.
A physical birth is when 2 people have relationship with physical contact and a child is a result. A spiritual birth is initiated by God. God draws you to himself and makes what Jesus did for you real in your life.
It is the understanding of the death and resurrection of a savior, it is the transforming power of God that causes you to believe that He was resurrected and that God did that for you also so that you would not perish but have everlasting or eternal life.
There are some hindrances for us becoming born again.
Pride- were religious and we are told it is not about what you do but what Jesus has done.
Ignorance- Like Nicodemus, we think about the physical and God says it is spiritual, it is much deeper than what your mortal mind can totally comprehend.
Some are able to grab it and some don’t. Some struggle with it and some just accept it and grow.
Misunderstanding- Not knowing God’s Word, not willing to study God’s Word and you live your life on ½ truths. Which is the devil’s playground. It is why so many doctrines and problems plague Christians from uniting in the common cause to exalt Jesus.
Tradition- I have always done it this way. It is not working , but I hate change. Nicodemus was a ruler, leader, but he himself did not understand God’s truths about the importance of relationship. Everything taught was dogmatic and critical not personal and relational.
