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You Must Be "Born Again"
Sermon Outline
by Pastor Gordon Brubaker
1. John 3:1-8
"There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
"Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
(NKJ)
A. Jesus said to a teacher of the law, "YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!"
B. To see, to enter the kingdom of God you must be born again, BORN FROM ABOVE!
C. BECOMING BORN AGAIN IS MORE THAN SAYING A LITTLE PRAYER!
D. TO BE BORN AGAIN IS GIVING YOUR LIFE TO ANOTHER! IT IS LOSING SELF- CONTROL TO LET GOD HAVE CONTROL!
1) Jesus said the wind blows where it wishes, so the Spirit leads us!
2) Romans 3:28 from the MESSAGE BIBLE: "God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We've finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade."
3) Romans 4:3 MESSAGE BIBLE: "Abraham entered into what God was doing for
him, that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own."
4) Romans 4:16 MESSAGE BIBLE: "This is why the fulfillment of God's promises depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. God's promise arrives as a pure gift. That's the only way everyone can be sure to get in on it..."
2. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new."
A. John 17:3 "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
B. To be born again is to be born of God! We are born of flesh, we must also be born of the Spirit! A NEW NATURE, A NEW PERSON - INSIDE OUT!
Suddenly there is an awareness of God and a desire to please Him!
C. TO BE BORN AGAIN IS NOT:
1) ATTENDING CHURCH!
2) HAVING THE RIGHT DOCTRINE!
3) LIVING A GOOD LIFE!
D. TO BE BORN AGAIN IS TO KNOW GOD! TO HAVE A NEW COVENANT - GOD SAID, "I WILL PUT MY LAW IN THEIR MINDS, AND WRITE IT ON THEIR HEARTS!"
3. At the age of 19, the devout George Whitefield started classes at Oxford, England. Drawn to a circle of pious believers known as the "Holy Club" which stressed an emphasis on a disciplined spiritual life, he met Charles and John Wesley.
Reading "The Life of God in the Soul of Man," he discovered his good deeds were of no account, he needed to be born again. Determined to bring himself closer to Christ, George gave up everything he enjoyed - even the "Holy Club." He drove himself so hard even his health began to fail. In the end when nothing he could do, or pray, or think seemed to make any difference, he threw himself on his bed and cried out, "I thirst!" It was the first time GW ever called out in utter helplessness!
George was suddenly Aware that he was happy! He knew why. He had thrown himself, at long last, blind-folded and without reserve, without struggle or claim, into God's almighty hands. And Someone... seemed to say, "George, you have what you asked! You ceased to struggle and simply believed and you were born again!"
George rushed out from his room, to share the good news that Jesus had come for sinners! And all a sinner needed to do was repent, accept Jesus atoning death for him; and spiritually throw himself into God's hands!
George came to America and preached the Great Revival.
In the meantime, JOHN WESLEY, had returned from America disillusioned, and had his conversion at Aldersgate Street, London. Where he felt his heart "STRANGELY WARMED." John wrote, "I felt that I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given to me that He had taken away my sins, even mine..."
4. WHEN YOU ARE BORN AGAIN IT IS A REBIRTH! YOU BECOME A SPIRITUAL BABY!
A. Often there is an awareness of God, but without knowledge or understanding.
5. THERE IS A GROWING PROCESS, A MATURING PROCESS.
A. Ephesians 4:11-15
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-- Christ--"
(NKJ)
Paul encourages us to GROW UP INTO CHRIST in all things!
B. 2 Peter 3:18 "but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen."
6. MAN IS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, A TRIUNE BEING - SPIRIT, SOUL, BODY!
A. A natural baby must grow in these areas, so must a new born in Christ develop in these areas: spirit, soul, body.
B. Because we have been trained by the world, the things of God often seen contrary to the acceptable way of doing things!
C. Realize that God's creation is distorted because of sin. This world is upside down compared to God's original creation!
7. BABIES MUST DEVELOP IN THREE AREAS:
A. HOW TO WALK (SPIRIT)!
B. HOW TO TALK (SOUL)!
C. GOOD MANNERS (BODY)!
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