John 3: 1-7
Our focus today is in the 7th verse…….”YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN.” It is a phrase we have heard throughout the Christian community time and time again. We sing about it—talk about it—Some even brag about it….I wonder sometimes if it’s a term too loosely used……I wonder if folks really understand what it means? Most people have a hard time explaining it and if you don’t understand it, it makes it kind of hard to witness to someone with confidence, if we are not too sure WE KNOW!
Now Folks will tell me, We don’t have to understand everything to experience something….That’s true….I don’t understand electricity but I still enjoy a lamp when I need to see at night Or my furnace to heat my house when it’s cold BUT It helps to know how it works if something breaks down…..It helps to understand what to do if it’s necessary, Amen?…Am I right? I will concede that there are some things that are not too critical…No need to understand them…
CPR) We all know that makes sense…… BUT nothing you will encounter in this world is more critical to life than what JESUS says in verse 7……”Ye must be born again”! BECAUSE whether you are born again or not determines where you are going to spend Eternity!!!! Heaven or hell….I think that’s important, Don’t you? SO what does “being born again” really mean? A simple explanation is “that one is brought into a new birth”——-a regeneration—–A doing over of the 1st birth……But Why? It sounds like the term would imply one was dead….In order to be born again! Right? Or that it must be done over….In other word if we are going to see the kingdom of GOD, We must be made over!!!!
I want us to take a close look this morning at these scriptures and see if we can get a better understanding… Okay? Because if where I’m going to spend eternity depends on my being done over—–Born again, Then I must BE BORN AGAIN……… So what we see here in the John 3 is a scenario being played out…….. The bible says there was a ruler of the Jews…..A man, by the name of Nicodemus…We know this man….He is one of the richest men in Jerusalem… …. He comes to JESUS at night..——-Probably because he didn’t want the others to see Him….BUT we find him wanting an audience with JESUS and he calls JESUS “Rabbi….A form of respect…A great teacher, and he says, I know YOU are a man of GOD…..A prophet…I know you are someone important BECAUSE no man can do the miracles you do “UNLESS GOD BE WITH HIM?
Ain’t that the truth? In other words, he had been watching JESUS….Been watching and following HIM.. ! Watching HIS actions…..AND from HIS actions, he was able to conclude that, HE, JESUS must be of GOD !!………
You ever watch people——how they watch you? The minute you say you are a Christian or born again, they begin to look at you…..watch your actions….How you talk….How you treat folks……..They may not know nothing about GOD!! They may have never read the word before!! But the bible says “you are a living epistle….You are known and read of all men”……
In other words, they may not read the bible, BUT they sure gonna read you! I love it when I see these people with stickers all over their cars—(Honk if you love JESUS)…You know… JESUS is my Co- Pilot…You cut in front of them and they’ll cuss you like a tank!!!! Got stickers all over their bible—–stickers on their briefcase….I’m in love with JESUS and got some of the nastiest attitudes you ever want to see..! I know a guy with a license plate that says “I got a friend in JESUS”I know this guy….JESUS is probably his only friend…..Nobody else wants to be his friend,,, He’s so mean…..Proverbs says “You got to be a friend to have one”.
Folks pick up on these messages….Folks watch you…They observe your actions—-the way you carry yourself……AND Nicodemus said to JESUS “I know you must be a man of GOD….I been watching YOU! I seen the things you done…….Now I want you to notice something here in verse 3 Nicodemus is kissing up — showering praise on JESUS Whatever….I want you to see that JESUS did not get caught up in wanting self praise… Glad somebody noticed….Don’t get credit for nothing I do….. HE didn’t say, well thanks Nick, I’M glad somebody appreciates ME…..A lot of people working in the kingdom get caught up in wanting to hear people praise us…… BUT I come to tell us this morning that when we get caught up in ourselves, GOD CAN’T use us!!! JESUS wasn’t caught up in the praises of Nicodemus….Instead HE was very abrupt…HE said, To tell you the truth old Nic, as good as all that sounds, I’VE got to tell you the truth…”YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN”.
I want you to know that Nicodemus was a learned man—–had all kind of degrees, But like so many of us, he didn’t understand what JESUS was talking about!!! Look at verse 4. HOW can I be born again when I’m old?— I can’t go back in my mothers womb………….But listen to me as silly as JESUS must have sounded, NICK wanted to know!!! He didn’t laugh at JESUS…..He knew JESUS was serious———Folks don’t laugh at you when you’re serious…… I admire Nicodemus….. …Even though he was among the elite in the religious community…..He was still willing to learn from JESUS……That’s why I tell folks, “When you stop having a teachable spirit, GOD can’t use you…I don’t care who you are…The pope—–The hope—or some dope……If you can’t be taught…….A little child can teach you…
I’m a Pastor. BUT I’m not crazy enough to think I got all the answers…I got enough sense to know that GOD can use anybody in here……And that’s what I keep praying for!! LORD, “Awaken that spirit in them…….GOD can use anybody…..Nicodemus knew he was a great man, but he said I know “I’m not so smart that I can’t learn….I want to know about this “Being born again”! Even though he was a smart man of the world, he was an ignorant man of the spirit—-! When JESUS said in verse 5, “Unless you are born of water and of spirit—-I admit that is confusing…—So we got to straighten this out, because this is where a lot of folks go astray…….Many think this is talking about being baptized of the water……
Listen to me! The water and the baptismal has nothing to do with your regeneration……In fact, For a lot of people it means nothing more than getting WET….People say, “That’s not what I been taught….I don’t care what you was taught……If it was the water of the baptismal, THEN JESUS rebuke of …..Nicodemus was unjust, since Christian baptism by immersion was not yet instituted until after HIS death and resurrection…(Romans 6)……
Water Baptism is essential to obedience, Praise GOD…….But if there was anywhere in the word of GOD that I could read….”Except a man be immersed in water, he cannot enter into the kingdom of GOD, then I would preach water baptism as essential to Salvation….But the Bible does not say that……..Well, Clear it up for us now JESUS……..Go on over to the 4th chapter of John verse 7
John 4:37…….It’s talking about a Samaritan woman at the well to draw water, And JESUS asks her for a drink…….This puzzles the woman because she knows that Jews have no dealings with Samaritans And she asked JESUS, “Why me? In verse 9 and JESUS answers her in verse 10, “If you knew the gift of GOD and WHO it is that asked you for a drink, You would have asked HIM “AND HE WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU LIVING WATER!!!! What are YOU talking about JESUS? Well, if you want this water (LIVING WATER), You have to come to me…..She didn’t have to figure it out and neither do we… How to get it.?….HE said if you want it, “Come to me AND I’LL give it to you…..So in order to for you to live, You MUST have this living water. Who is the living water? JESUS…Right…Am I right? You know I’m right….But HE’s not through…..Go on over to the 7th Chapter, same book—-The 37th verse…….
Look: 7:37…… In the last day, that great day of the feast, JESUS stood and….cried—that is HE said in a loud voice, If any man thirst, let him come unto ME and drink…Verse 38: He that believes in ME as the scripture has said, Out of his belly will FLOW rivers of living water!!! Clear it up for us JESUS…..Verse 39: “By this HE spoke of the SPIRIT which they that believe on HIM should receive, For the HOLY GHOST was not yet given BECAUSE JESUS was not yet glorified. Did you know that the HOLY SPIRIT and WATER are referred to as the same thing in the bible? Water is the figure of the WORD in Titus 3:5……A better translation back here in John is “The Spirit of man being cleansed AS by water.. (The HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD—The WORD OF GOD). JESUS IS THE LIVING WATER!!!
So who do we go to, to get this living water?
JESUS! ! ! HE said you have to come to ME……..What HE was saying to Nicodemus, is Our spiritual bodies NOT our fleshly bodies, MUST be fashioned and enlivened Anew.—–It is our spirits that were fashioned in the image of GOD and when man disobeyed GOD, his spirit died AND ceased to function in the image of GOD…… So The spiritual body must be remodeled…..Natural man must become a spiritual man……For the new nature is the only thing that fits man to be in the presence of GOD….And JESUS is telling us HOW it must be done….
In other words, if you want to live….You’re going to need this water—-going to need your spirit to be cleansed AS by Water! You got to be cleaned up…You got to be done over…..”YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN”..!!! So don’t get mixed up thinking because somebody baptized you in some water in the name of JESUS that everything is alright!……
Let me clear it up a little more for you Nick. Verse 6 of John 3: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh….That which is born of the spirit is spirit,…( BARRING NONE)….Don’t be perplexed, Don’t be surprised—because I say you must be born again….Unless you receive this water—unless you receive this SPIRIT….If you don’t have the power of the HOLY SPIRIT cleansing in you, All you’re doing is shadowboxing……..When you’re shouting and clapping and dancing and saying Amen…..All you doing is body exercise….
Living water has to flow out of your body AND when you speak in the midst of the devil, You can take authority over him and his demons………When the water (the Spirit) begins to flow from your belly…..from your heart……..from your mind….from your body……Listen to me! You can’t be born again and keep it to yourself……It’s gonna affect folks around you!……
What happens when water begins to flow? Folks call it a flood…..And a flood makes folks move out….It makes folks move to HIGHER ground!!!! And when the LIVING WATER flows, Somebody gotta move!!!!
You must be BORN AGAIN! Why? What happened? How did we get into this situation? Why can’t I say I’m alright? I come from a good family—–I got a good background——good manners……….I’m not talking about a good family—good background—-good manners….Good person……I’M talking about the Spirit of the LIVING! We must be BORN AGAIN… WHY? Because the word says “Your spirit is dead without JESUS……What do you mean “I’m dead? Go over to Romans 5 verse 12…….
Look what it says: just one verse: Wherefore, as by ONE man, sin entered into the world AND death by sin; And so death passed upon ALL men, for ALL have sinned. Because of one man! BECAUSE of Adam’s disobedience.
Some people say, “Because Adam ate that apple? Nowhere in the bible does it talk about an apple…..In fact It doesn’t say WHAT they ate. What I want you to see is : It is not because of what they ate…..It was because of their DISOBEDIENCE…GOD told them not to and they did! And it’s because of their disobedience, they fell from grace and began to die!!!
Because of Adam we come into this world messed up!!!
Come with me….You what the bible teaches us from the book of Psalms. The 51st Psalm will help clear it up for us…For here we have David asking GOD to forgive him for killing that soldier after he slept with his wife…and he was bent down on his face asking GOD to do something for him and he began to give an excuse—-why he did what he did……Verse 5—Behold I was shapened in iniquity AND in sin did my mother conceive me. In other words he was saying “GOD, I couldn’t help myself—-I was born messed up… I was conceived that way!! What was he talking about?
Do you know that everyone here was conceived out of the lust of the flesh (Eph: 2: 2,3). Do you know you were born because of a sex drive. DON”T GET UPSET, because GOD has given all creatures a sex drive…. That was HIS way for us to reproduce….. HE said “Go and replenish the earth. And it’s because of the flesh—-desire—lust, that a man and a woman lay down with one another and conceive a baby in the flesh…. Bible says the flesh is no good-it’s bad….SO we show up here in sin.
When you come here in the hospital, they don’t give you an application, saying “Check the Block, whether you want to be a Christian or a sinner. You don’t have a choice….You show up here MESSED UP!! You don’t have to teach a baby how to be bad…. They show up with it in their hearts— in their spirit—-Because your spirit is dead in your sin. We can’t help it. We need to get help… Ezek: 18: 20 Soul that sins dies—-Rom: 3:23 Wages of sin is death.. James 1:15—Sin brings forth death.. Body is alive—spirit is dead… Sin and death go together…. And since we are born in sin, we are born dead…. And since by our 1st birth we are born in iniquity, we must undergo a new birth…IN JESUS !!!!
People say “I don’t understand… When did we die? The day we died was the day Adam took hold of that tree of Knowledge of good and evil over in Gen: 2:17 WHEN GOD SAID “BUT THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT…….FOR IN THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST THEREOF, THOU SHALL SURELY DIE!!! The day that you do what I told you not to do—You’re going to die. Now you know how that works? SPIRITUALLY!!!! As soon as there was disobedience to GOD, They died SPIRITUALLY…… And physically they began to die slowly BECAUSE of sin AND since Adam was head of the human race AND in HIM was sin, ALL that were born after him were born in sin. The head of the stream was poisoned and therefore the whole stream was poisoned…..
John 3:
Now if we agree that we come into this world with a nature bent toward sin, we need an operation to BE BORN AGAIN….There are elements about this being born again we need to understand AND that’s where I’m going to pick up this week…..
When JESUS said in verse 5, “Unless you are born of water and of spirit—-I admit that is confusing…—So we got to straighten this out, because this is where a lot of folks go astray…….Many think this is talking about being baptized of the water……I don’t you to misunderstand what I’m saying. I said JESUS was not talking about water baptism as we practice it.. Baptism is essential to Obedience. That is why we do it. And if we do it in repentance and proper understanding, it is symbolic of the inward cleansing of the HOLY SPIRIT,,,,,,
We then went over to the 4th chapter of John and saw JESUS referring to HIMSELF as Living water. He goes on to say if you want this living water, “You must come to ME.. To Who? JESUS..! So in order to for you to live, You MUST have this living water.
What HE was saying to Nicodemus, is Our spiritual bodies, NOT our fleshly bodies, MUST be fashioned and enlivened anew..—– It is our spirits that were fashioned in the image of GOD and when man disobeyed GOD, his spirit died AND ceased to function in the image of GOD…… So the spiritual body must be remodeled….. Natural man must become a spiritual man……For the new nature is the only thing that fits man to be in the presence of GOD….And JESUS is telling us HOW it must be done….
You must be BORN AGAIN! Why? What happened? How did we get into this situation? Why can’t I say I’m alright? Because the word says “Your spirit is dead without JESUS……What do you mean “I’m dead?
We went over to Romans 5 verse 12…….
Look what it says: just one verse: Wherefore, as by ONE man, sin entered into the world AND death by sin; And so death passed upon ALL men, for ALL have sinned. Because of one man! BECAUSE of Adam’s disobedience
People say “I don’t understand… When did we die? The day we died was the day Adam took hold of that tree of Knowledge of good and evil over in Gen: 2:17
WHEN GOD SAID “BUT THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL, THOU SHALT NOT EAT OF IT…….FOR IN THE DAY THAT THOU EATEST THEREOF, THOU SHALL SURELY DIE!!! The day that you do what I told you not to do—You’re going to die. Now you know how that works? SPIRITUALLY!!!!
As soon as there was disobedience to GOD, They died SPIRITUALLY…… And physically they began to die slowly BECAUSE of sin AND since Adam was head of the human race AND in HIM was sin, ALL that were born after him were born in sin. The head of the stream was poisoned and therefore the whole stream was poisoned…..
Now if we agree that we come into this world with a nature bent toward sin, we need an operation to BE BORN AGAIN….There are elements about this being born again we need to understand
Hebrews 4:
To understand how to be born again, we must first understand ourselves. You are not just a man and a woman. We are threefold… We are made up of a spirit— a soul— and a body. Some people say the spirit and the soul are the same thing. I don’t think so.
Turn to Hebrews 4, just one verse, verse 12. Paul tells us about the spirit and the soul. Look what he says, “For the word of GOD is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart…..
Now look at those words—Soul—spirit—- Separate entities!!! Is that right?
How could the two be divided from each other if they are in fact the same thing. the verse which says that the Word of God divides the soul from the spirit. The point is very simple: in man there is the realm of the soul which is natural, a soul is the organ of his self-consciousness. The soul is the seat of the human personality. The ingredients which make us human beings belong to the soul. The intellect, thought, ideals, love, emotion, understanding, decision, choice, and other like qualities are all associated with the soul and the realm of the spirit is that which can receive, appropriate, and understand the things of God. These two realms must be clearly divided asunder so that man can know the difference between the realm of the soul and the realm of the spirit. It is the living Word of God penetrating his being which makes such a division and which separates these realms from one another.
The Human Spirit
According to the revelation of the Bible and the experience of believers, the human spirit can be said to have three main functions. These three functions are conscience (Rom. 9:1; 8:16), intuition (Mark 2:8), and communion (John 4:24). The conscience is the part of the spirit which distinguishes right from wrong and is not influenced by knowledge stored in the mind; it is rather a spontaneous direct judgment. The intuition is the “knowing”part of the spirit. All true knowledge originates not in the mind, but in the spirit. The revelations of God and the movements of the Holy Spirit are known to the believer through his intuition.
A believer must, therefore, take care to heed these two aspects of his spirit: the speaking of his conscience and the teaching of his intuition.
Communion is the third function of the spirit, and is related to the worship of God. The soul is not competent to worship God. According to John 4:24, “God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
Soul and spirit here can only be the two parts of the immaterial nature of man!!! Clearly distinguishable one from another—- Soul is that lower sensitive instinctive, emotional part of us — that which feels…… Spirit is the intelligent and moral part, that which knows right from wrong.
The third part of us is the body( House we live in), AND GOD’S word , the living WATER will line up our souls with our spirits AND return it to the image of GOD!!! (That’s called REDEEMED) Through being BORN AGAIN!!! So you see we have a soul separated from a spirit and we have a body separated from the soul and the spirit….. We are threefold and for us to be BORN AGAIN, Paul says “All three have to be dealt with!… And He brings that all in over in 1st Thess: … A distinction between all three.. turn to 1st Thess: Chapter 5 verse 23: “AND THE VERY GOD OF PEACE SANCTIFY YOU WHOLLY WHOLLY:
And I pray GOD your WHOLE Spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST….. ALL must be dealt with in order for us to be BORN AGAIN. They all must be dealt with..!!
We must 1st deal with the spirit because the spirit is that part of us that deals with GOD, BECAUSE you are a spirit…. You see, I never really see any of you in here…. All I see is the house you live in. I’ve never seen you—you.. Oh I’ve seen your earthly body BUT you are a spirit… The spirit of man is what GOD is dealing with AND you can’t deal with GOD unless you deal with HIM through the spirit of man…! Go back to John 4: Very important verses 22-24
Ye worship ye know not what: We know what we worship : For salvation is of the Jews… But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the FATHER in spirit and in truth; for the FATHER seeketh such to worship HIM…
Look at verse 24: GOD is a SPIRIT; and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in spirit and in truth…! There it is! GOD is a SPIRIT… In other words GOD is not like an animal—–Not a picture on a wall—- not a statue… HE says “You can’t put ME on a canvas….. You can’t bind ME up….. I’M a SPIRIT !!!!
Oh He came down and took a body of flesh because HE had to bleed because without the shedding of HIS blood, there is no remission of sins…
HE doesn’t want our flesh in front of HIM… HE wants our Spirit… Our Spirit is the real us and HE wants to work on us… 1st Cor: 15:50 Flesh and blood can’t inherit the KINGDOM OF GOD… AND since GOD is SPIRIT, They that worship HIM must worship HIM in Spirit and truth,.. AMEN! ?
Now, lets talk about your soul… 1st your Spirit.. Now your soul.. Your soul is your heart— your intimate self—your emotions the way you feel.. when you see heart in the bible, it’s talking about your thought pattern ( Mind) the seat of your intellect… It’s talking about the way you relate to others—- All those funky nasty things you do. They come out of your heart…. They come out of your mind BECAUSE you prove it…
Your soul is the way you make decisions—-the way you come up with things… You say Uh –Uh, it’s my body… No it’s not. Your body is where you live— It’s your tabernacle…. It’s not you…You see, “Your body is going to die and your Spirit is going back to GOD who made you.
The Spirit of man will never die, because GOD will never die and you were made in HIS image and HE is going to make the final decision on where you are going to spend eternity!!!! And that decision is based on your relationship to JESUS CHRIST… You are never going to die in the Spirit… You will go on and on and on.
But Your body dies. Because your body deals with the physical realm…. Your body gets sick—Your body gets tired—gets sleepy… Your body gets worn down.
Even JESUS had to rest— sit down— sleep, BECAUSE the body gets tired!! And since your spirit is dead and the flesh has taken over, it’s the flesh that tells the mind to think evil thoughts, do evil things AND UNLESS your mind be changed, you are going to continue in sin…..! Well What am I to do?
Paul says in Romans 12: “I beseech ye therefore brethren by the mercies of GOD that you present your bodies as living sacrifices, HOLY and ACCEPTABLE unto GOD which is your reasonable service AND be NOT conformed to this world, BUT be ye transformed…. HOW? By the renewing of your mind…
YOU must make up your mind to say, “I’m tired of being tired” I’m sick of being sick.” I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired…..I’m tired of doing the same old things… I want GOD to come in and clean me, baptize me with the Spirit, purge me AND MAKE ME WHOLE!!!
What He is saying is, Present your bodies as a living sacrifice and lean NOT on the things of this world, BUT be changed by the renewing of your mind… You got to think right before you do right!… You got to think Holy before you can be Holy..! You got to think good before you can do good… Oh PURGE ME… Clean me up—-Make ME LORD WHAT YOU WANT ME TO BE…. GIVE ME A NEW WAY OF THINKING SO I CAN LIVE ON!!! LINE my BODY, MIND, and SPIRIT with YOU LORD. I MUST BE BORN AGAIN!!!!
I know I’m bad, BUT I want to be—–I have to be—I must be “BORN AGAIN.” Give me a MIND transplant… Let this mind that is in JESUS CHRIST be also in me… Let this mind that be in JESUS be in you AND your Spirit will come ALIVE unto GOD and your flesh will die ( The things of the flesh). You will treat people right… Your Spirit will tell your feet “Don’t go down to the bar—Go to Church….
Your Spirit will tell your hands “Stop stealing AND Praise GOD.” Your Spirit will keep your mouth from running folks down… You WILL love your neighbors…. You will love your enemies. But You’ve GOT to be—You HAVE to be— You MUST be “BORN AGAIN”. Your mind must be RIGHT— Your thoughts must be right. There are no other options. You must be BORN FROM ABOVE to be BORN AGAIN. Amen!!
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