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August 14, 2022 6:00 am
You know Nicodemus it's always been my opinion that one of the many options that will take you on the road because all roads lead to God would be that you get born again, not at all you must do this. This is essential your born-again you could Skip weekend division.
Good night, debuted in the cable network Nickelodeon back in 1985 and was originally conceived as the first ever oldies. The idea was to take classic shows like the Donna Reed show Dennis the Menace and the Dick Van Dyke show on TV all over so that not only those who may actually remember that whatever choose to see them again.
Also such classics. The older generation well today was Skip weekend division Skip Heitzig talked about an entirely different Nick at night, one that retains the same idea of taking something old and making it really. But first, here's what we have for you this month and connectwithskip.com forms.com recently published an article with 20 tips for how to completely change your life, and one year. Sounds complicated. The Bible tells a different story about how to change your life. Repent and return to God reminds us we need to always insert God and to every situation here.
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Get your CD collection today. Call 819 to 1884. Get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer today in John chapter 3 sobriety Bibles find that spot what's going Skip Heitzig for more. This study born-again is that mean that first of all push aside all of the cultural baggage that comes with that term that we collected the last 20 or 30 years. I remember the first time that phrase fell on these years that sounded so fresh pregnant with possibility born-again like a whole new life like a whole new chance like a second chance, but it has become clich� as it in our culture.
It is seen today is a another Protestant sect you got breasts returning to the baptistery.
I Think you got this.
That group got that other group all and then you have the born-again group.
I've heard people say that to me is I'm sharing with them at all. All I get it. You're one of those born-again Christians as if there's any other kind of Christian, there is only one kind of Christian and that is a born-again Christian, for Jesus says you'll never make it to happen unless your born-again. It is absolutely an essential prerequisite. The Greek construction of the two words born-again is good and they say I'm no fan and it could either mean to be born from above or to be born a second time that so Nicodemus took the second time as he says in the very next verse. How does this work can cannot can a man go back into his mother's womb and be born now. Why does Jesus speak of the second birth. Here's why.
Listen carefully, Nicodemus, the ruler of the Jews. Nicodemus, the Pharisee Nicodemus, the Jewish religious guy and all of his other fellow Jews believed the only thing necessary for entrance into the kingdom of God was their first birth. If you were born Jewish born, a descendent of Abraham. Moreover, if you kept the law with all your heart, guaranteed entrance into the kingdom when Jesus said you got a do it all over again. You gotta start all over again. It was like a crushing blow to all of his legalism. All of his religion. All of his good works all of his sincerity using is not enough.
You need to be born again to enter into the kingdom of heaven. It's a new birth because this inference into new life. The only reason you live is because of a birth you had a birth to have new life, you need a new birth and the reason we need a new birth is because we were all born dead spiritually. DOA data on arrival.
Ephesians chapter 2 verse one and you has he made alive. That's the new birth, who were dead in trespasses and sins, and not like the Princess bride did not mostly dead, all dead, by the way, you may not know this but if in Judaism 2000 years ago. If you are a member of another faith in you proselytize it as you became Jewish they call Julie born in.
Here's a quote the Rabbi said a proselyte who embraces Judaism is like a newborn child. So here's Nicodemus the ruler of the Jews who knew that he thought his birth physically was an optic guarantee and entrance into the kingdom finds out it's not. Here's a guy who thinks he has reserved seats on the 50 yard line of heaven and Jesus says you are not even in the game and it was like a crushing blow to now there's a lot of people today think the same thing llama churchgoer live in a churchgoer all my life. I believe in God and like I mean well and I'm sincere and I'm politically conservative. I must be going to heaven, you must be born again. I look at verse five and six.
He presses it further after the question Nicodemus asks about the method of the new birth.
Verse four Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he is old Kenny enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born. Jesus answered most assuredly or due to listen up, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God, can I bore you, but I found six different interpretations of what it means to be born of water and of the spirit, six different views on what that means. Let me tell you what it doesn't mean it has nothing to do with Jesus teaching baptismal regeneration that you have to be baptized by water in order to be saved, it could not mean that and why could it not mean that for a very simple reason because Nicodemus would not have understood it. Christian baptism didn't exist yet. So Nicodemus critical will I get it. He wouldn't gotten there's a second reason, it could mean baptism if the men baptism the why did Jesus go places baptizing people Bible specifically says he baptized no one will he be baptizing everyone if that was a prerequisite.
It could mean one of two things being born of water and of the spirit could simply mean spiritual cleansing because those two terms being born of the water or the use of water and the spirit were were in Old Testament description of being spiritually cleansed.
I'm to give you just one example of that. There are several Ezekiel 36 God promises his people. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filter will be washed away. You will no longer worship idols, and I will give you a new heart and a new and right desire.
I will put a new spirit within you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new and obedient heart and I will put my Spirit in you so that you will obey my laws and do whatever I command.
Ezekiel 36 it could be that Jesus had that passage in mind. Certainly Nicodemus would have understood that passage he was familiar with. So could mean number one spiritual cleansing, there's another possible way to look at when Jesus spoke of being born of water and the spirit he could simply be talking about physical birth followed by spiritual birth and that is because the ancient peoples used to refer to anybody being born physical birth as being born of water you find some references to that in ancient literature, you know what it's like when a woman is carrying a child in the fetus and then the baby is enclosed in a sack of amniotic fluid and when the baby is about to be born. She breaks or what her water. Her water breaks and the baby is born, the baby is born of water, so it could simply be saying this, just as the first birth was necessary for physical life.
So to the second birth is necessary for spiritual life and that would make sense out of the very next verse he said. Verse six which is born of the flash is flash born of water now which is born of the spirit is spirit. It means one of those two things I believe what's let's bring this to the third level in the close and that is the observer will activity Jesus and then ends this dialogue part. Almost Nicodemus is one more question we get to the next time, but he's getting an example of what he's been talking about and uses the wind as an example. Verse seven. Do not marvel that I said to you. You must be born again. You know I Jesus said that I think is because Nicodemus is doing this and his eyebrows were up like what is impossible what you're saying to me to start all over again. After all that I've invested in my belief system.
Don't marvel that I said you you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but you cannot tell where it comes from and where ago so is everyone born of the spirit. Nicodemus it's like the wind, and I just sort of picture that is they were talking in the evening.
A gust of wind blew through where they were standing is a perfect example. You don't see the wind you don't know exactly where that came from or where it's going but you can't see it certainly feel it and you can see the effects of the wind. You know what that's like living in New Mexico around springtime. The wind comes up you can't see it unless it brings the earth with it the dust the blows with it but you might be inside your all dusted up and you walk outside you come back and you look like this and we know because of the effect that is unmistakable is plainly observable that the wind has affected you.
And so what Jesus is saying is you know Nicodemus there some things that are real that you can't see this because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not real, they are real, so, so it is with the physical birth and that our spiritual birth. You can't see it.
If you are take a new believer at the moment they came to Christ and x-ray them, you would see any difference.
Then when they were nonbeliever you can't see it but you can certainly see the changes that will occur in life. By the way, this is a play on words in the Greek the word for wind and that verse and spirit are the same identical word in Greek new Ma Numa read spell it P and EUMA we get words like pneumatic tools or pneumatic drills from or pneumatic tires from that means air, breath, wind spirit, but the plan works. The Numa operates like the Numa the spirit operates like the wind very powerful activity very observable activity is a point when a person is been born again. You can see the changes that have occurred in that person's life. You can see the fruit of the spirit that starts coming from that person's life.
My parents would've told you I don't quite understand what happened but I do know my son is different in all of my friends would've said I don't get what he's saying but he's not the same guy changes go back to verse seven. There's a word we failed to look at him to close with the word must do not marvel that I said to you, you should be born again notes you must be born again. Please notice that our Lord is not leaving much wiggle room without word that you know Nicodemus it's always been my opinion that one of the many options that will take you on the road because all roads lead to God would be that you get born again, not at all.
You must you do this man, this is essential. You are born again. The amplified Bible renders it this way. I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born again he can't even see no be acquainted with or experience the kingdom of God George Whitfield in early colonial preacher use always preach on this text look to preach about being born again. In summary, so why do you always preach on the new birth and being born again. Whitfield said it's because Jesus said you must be born again. It's a must. Who's he saying this to saying this to pagan that got garden-variety unbeliever is saying this to a religious person who believed his religion would save them believed his good works would save them believed his status would save you said you must be born again. There's a simple formula you've you've heard it here before, but it sums all this up. If you are born wants you will die twice. If you are born twice, you will only die once. If you are born wants physically but not spiritually. Then you will die physically and eternally.
But if you are born twice physically and spiritually born again you will only die once.
You might not even do that if the Lord comes back but just by all that we have seen every person born die. So far it's the going record your gonna die, but that's it. You'll die will bury you. Your body will decay your spirit will immediately be with the Lord you will live forever until the resurrection.
You will live forever and ever and ever your born one shall die twice if you're born twice only die once there was a businessman who had up large warehouse in the city you wanted to sell it it it been vacant for 15 years doors busted out windows broken vandalize inside there was a prospective buyer that the seller showed it to the seller went out of his way and showing the property to say no. I just want to know on the fix this place up before you buy new doors on a new Windows deck out the inside whatever you want and the buyer said look when I buy this place. I don't want the building, rip it down and build something new. All I want is not the building but just the site. That's how it is when you come to him everything that you've used in the past to say I'm save. Because of this or that or this or that goes you know, come to Christ and he reforms you he transforms you total.
Change your new person. If any man be in Christ, he is new creation. Old things are passed away behold all things become. That's what he does. All he wants is the site and permission to build and if you say the site is yours and you have permission to build, you are in for the ride of your life, you're in for the life of your life you will the new birth will lead to a whole new kind of life and you should know on good authority from our Lord Jesus Christ. If you have not experienced the new birth, which means you recognize your center you turn from that you turn to him and he by an active sovereign grace saves you regenerates you create something new. If that doesn't happen in your life understand you will never ever ever ever see heaven is pretty potent and it you must be born again so I remember when my friend put his finger in my face at height 60 have you been born again.
I had been. I just did note a was. Have you been. Do you know for sure. Would you like to make sure. Let's pray together. Heavenly father we close the service and we think of this divine imperative this eternal imperative.
This necessity is not an option. If we want to see happen is not an option. If we don't want to see heaven if we just want to go our own way and and feel good about whatever were into that any religion will do any belief system will do. But if we want to see the kingdom of heaven.
We must all be born again. That means we recognize that everything we are brought to the table to this point, we have relied on in terms of our religion, our own goodness works is nothing we need the entrance and the new life called the new birth. So Lord I pray that anyone who is in doubt and that doubt today come to Christ Jesus name, amen. Well that's something you'd like to do to make sure that you see heaven when death comes, whatever that may be would like to explain to you how to do that.
Just give us a call. 100-922-1880 will tell you exactly what it means to be born again how you go about doing that what happens next. You don't have to wonder what might happen after you die, or even what the purpose of living life is you can know those answers will tell you how when you call us 1-800-922-1888.
It's going to wrap things up for today. Right now, let's check in with Skip and Linda, I have to say I just love the title. Today's message to Nick at night and that's wonderful that Nicodemus he came at night so you are very clever.
Mr. well, it's already been done. I disbar, I co-opted the phrase why would Nick come at night. He probably for a couple of reasons. Most people say because he was afraid to be seen didn't say that though he could be just a busy guy and being a member of the Sanhedrin would exact certain responsibilities and time demands from him that would afford him little time and that the only time he had was at night. Number one, number two.
Jesus himself was pretty busy during the day and the crowds following him and he probably want a little more quality time than just a word or a touch. He wanted to be a level conversation with them and the best time would be at night so I don't fault him for coming at night.
I think he was curious. I think that he heard things in his curiosity drove improbably when he heard him speak. Being a man of the law being a lettered man he heard on depth, he heard his and felt his soul being watered like nothing ever hit him and he wanted to go deeper and he wanted to go more all in.
I love that God uses different ways to motivate us.
We know curiosity you where there's people doing down there at Calvary. You know, I hear you know about that Churton has a copy shop or a skate park or I think that that's wonderful in that it shows us how to be fishers of men. You never know what the lure will be a mean of course Jesus is the most amazing Lauren Nicodemus is curious about that that prayer today for us to approach society and and give them an opportunity. Be curious about Jesus is just wonderful and and we don't mean being kitschy doing we write things that people would go. I just think of a person truly lived a Christian life.
I just take myself example I remember when the Lord convicted me when I was working in in radiology in the medical field. I would just live differently enough from them and's and in such a satisfying way before them in a compelling way. They would ask why is he so different.
What does he have, but we don't have.
I want to ask him about that. Just to live the Christian life. I'm in love with Jesus and an elastic description of being a witness naming that's truly what being a witness is a life well who you are, know what you saying I have to say you are pretty good witness for me to indicate in what way because you had all those things I knew you had a hunger and thirst for Christ that you weren't weird you are fine and that you you know served and you are real. Like he didn't become some plastic.
You know doll Christian that Nina wore patent leather shoes or whatever it was, you still had all these diverse interests, and you know you are just a great person to be around.
I found that very attentive as well. I think back to Nicodemus and probably Nicodemus because he had heard teachers and preachers of the law, and he knew it a lot himself is that he saw something in Christ that was real, authentic, compelling, and he wanted to know more.
I think that's what I meant thanks Linehan Skip and thanks for those thoughts on John chapter 3 are teaching today. Nick at night. Next I will explore the radical change that can take place when the extreme makeover so right here and connect with Skip weekend edition presentation of connection