The Law & The Gospel | Week 9

My name is Kyle. If you're visiting with us,

thank you for being here today. I serve as lead.

Pastor here, I want to welcome you.

Make yourself at home. We are glad you chose to worship

with us. The weather has has me under it.

A bit been snotty and can't hear out of my right ear.

So this will be fun today but I'm excited to preach the gospel

to you. If you have your Bible, you can

open to John chapter 3, John chapter 3, it is Easter as many

John 3 · chapter mention John 3 · chapter mention

You know, and and so we are we're going to talk about really

what we've been talking about which is our need for New Life

or need for New Birth. We have new birth because Christ

resurrected amen. We have the opportunity to

receive new life because Christ did in fact rise again he is

risen. He is risen indeed.

And so we've been in this series here for the last several weeks

called the law and the gospel. And what Looking at is an

interaction between a man named Nicodemus and Jesus Christ.

Nicodemus is a Pharisee, he's called the teacher of Israel.

He was a member of the Sanhedrin, the Sanhedrin was

the, the ruling body of Israel, the nation of Israel and and

he's one of the top guys in this ruling body and he has just seen

Christ during Passover week performing miracles in the

Temple and so he comes to Christ by night and he He asked him

some questions and so that's the passage.

We've been looking at many of, you know, John chapter 3, at

John 3 · chapter mention

least because of one verse that's found in John chapter 3,

John 3 · chapter mention

right. John 3:16 most of us are

John 3:16

familiar with that but many of us have no idea the context for

that verse that verse Comes In this passage this interaction

between Christ and Nicodemus, he's declaring Christ, his

preaching. I should say the gospel to

Nicodemus. He sharing with him, how he can

find new life. Life.

And so the reason we've called this the law and the gospel is

because Nicodemus was a man who was devoted to the law, he had

put every ounce of effort that he could muster into keeping the

law and into teaching others how to keep the law.

And so we think of law-abiding Jews When we think of

law-abiding Jews, it's hard to kind of have an image in our

mind of what we mean because we don't live near large Jewish

communities. Right, we don't know exactly

what this would have looked like in the New Testament.

Sometimes one of the closest things we have today is the

staunchly religious person. Someone who never misses Church,

someone who is always seen and make sure they're seeing prey.

You know, they're the first not that.

This is bad, always not everybody who does this offering

that out there but they're the first ones to comment on a

Facebook status praying right and praying for you.

They want everyone to know, I believe in prayer.

I'm praying their worship is to be seen by others and so they

don't miss church services. They're seen regularly in the

house of God. They don't watch rated R movies.

You know, they don't listen to secular music type things.

So this is what we mean that like we would look at this

person said, they're morally upright, they've got everything

figured out their life seems to be well put together it's not

marked by destruction at least that we can observe.

And that would be a religious person today, and we grew up, if

you grow up in church in South Arkansas, you either were this

person or you knew this person and chances are, you've been

this person at times in your own life, if you Grew up in church

in this area, all right, because that's much of how the gospel is

portrayed. It's, it's moralistic it's

getting things, right? It's dotting, the eyes crossing,

the t's. And so, therefore, you will

enter the Kingdom of Heaven. You have your fire insurance by

being a good man or a good woman.

The problem with this is, this is not directly what scripture

teaches. And so this man Nicodemus was

doing everything he knew. To do to enter the kingdom of

heaven. And as you'll see in this

interaction, he's told that he cannot even see the Kingdom of

Heaven. Let alone enter the kingdom of

heaven, but why? Because the enter the Kingdom of

Heaven, to see the kingdom of heaven.

You must be born again. You can only be born again by

receiving the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

That is believing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

What's the message of salvation for Sinners?

Because of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus?

Amen. It's by his work alone that you

can be saved that. You can have confidence.

And salvation. And so here's Nicodemus,

approaching Christ, a man of the law and he's his confidence is

in himself and he doesn't come with the right questions.

And so Jesus tells him. Here's here's what you really

need to know. He comes as someone who thinks

he's already been approved by God.

But he comes to find out, he's not yet been approved by God.

So let's look at John chapter 3. I'm going to read one through

John 3 · chapter mention

eight and then we're going to spend the bulk of our time.

Looking at verse 8, if you're able, would you please stand as

we read God's word? These are his words.

These are not mine. We believe the Bible to be true

to be authoritative to be sufficient for all things in

life and godliness. And so when we read his word we

want to honor it as such Now, 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. Remember, I mentioned, he had

just seen Jesus performing these miracles in the Temple.

And so he comes at night time to conceal himself and not show

himself. We've talked about this in

earlier weeks. He's trying to protect his

image. Image.

And he makes these statements. That no one can do these things.

Unless God is with him and Jesus answered him.

Truly truly, 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 truly, truly 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. And then here in verse 8, Jesus

says the wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound,

but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.

So it is with everyone who is born of the spirit.

Amen. The thing that I want us to see

today is that you are Born Again by The Same Spirit that raised

Christ from the dead. You can have a seat, sorry, Let

me pray for 70. Father, we thank you for your

word and this time we have together in it.

Got to ask that your spirit would illuminate the scriptures

today that we would see the words of Christ that we would

have life in them. John.

Testifies, at the end of his gospel that he has written these

things so that we might believe that Christ is the Messiah and

have life in him. And so father, that's my request

today that we would hear the word of God and that we would

find life of the spirit of God. In Christ name I pray.

Amen. So, Nicodemus comes to Jesus by

night, and he's here to question him about the signs that he

performed in the temple. And we're not given specific

details about what these signs were.

We don't know, specifically what the Miracles were that Christ

performed there. But the reason that Nicodemus

calls him signs and he questions is because he knows as a man of

God or at least a man who has studied God, a man who has

studied the word of God. He knows that signs point to a

spiritual truth. That a physical sign is

revealing something about the kingdom of God.

That the sign itself is not the main thing.

There's a truth behind it. And so he's wondering what do

these signs point to? If you had to choose the

greatest miracle, that Jesus performed.

You know, which one would you choose?

Which one comes to mind if you think of the greatest miracle

that Jesus performed is it? When he turned water to wine?

Is it when he gave sight to the blind, man, is it when he fed

the 5000 or walked on water? Is it when he healed Lazarus I

say healed Lazarus, he brought Lazarus back from the dead.

There were various healings also, but maybe you think of

some of those things and each one of those is is truly an

incredible thing, right? It's, it's flipping.

The physical nature of something on its head.

It's reversing it. It's reversing everything that

can be seen by the eye. And it's showing it to be

something else, altogether, its undoing, what is already done?

And if we saw it happen today we would no doubt be amazed.

However each one of those things, each one of these

Miracles is a sign it's pointing to a greater spiritual truth.

Now there's kind of an overarching truth that Jesus

lays out again and again and it's it's the this true that

each one shows that Christ is the king of Heaven and Earth, he

talks about how these things are ushering in the New Kingdom, the

kingdom. Name of God is at hand.

It shows us that Christ is all-powerful that everything is

under his authority that he is the source of redemption for all

things. As great as those Miracles might

be. They do not compare with the

greatest miracle that God performs.

I say performs because it's still actively happening.

There is a great miracle that takes place every single day

somewhere on the Earth. that is the miracle of the new birth in

Christ causes A dead heart to rise again and cries creates

life. Where there is no life, this

comes to us by the power of the spirit.

That is what Jesus is saying. In John 3:8, he's showing that

John 3:8

the spirit causes this new birth.

What we know about the New Birth is that the power of God

transforms, both your physical and spiritual life.

You begin to put to death, the Deeds of the flesh, the way that

you live, physically changes. Has because you have been

transformed spiritually. This is the part that Nicodemus

was getting backwards. He was trying to live

transformed physically by his works and his deeds and is his

words things that he taught and preached and the things he said

or didn't say he was reforming his life and so therefore trying

to prove himself before God. But he had the order reversed,

it's the new birth that creates new life.

The morally good man. Those struggles to see this.

He struggles to see his need for New Life, when you are a good

person, it stinks to hear you need to start over.

You must be born again. And so, Nicodemus, struggled to

understand this truth because he was a good man, by all accounts,

by all of his peers testimony, he was well, thought of he was

well regarded. He was well liked, he was well

approved by others. I'm sure many thought him to be

the most morally. Good.

The most spiritually good man of all.

However, the trust. Sorry, the truth is that all we

like sheep have gone astray? We have turned to our own way.

The truth is that all mankind has sinned and fallen short of

the glory of God. But the truth is that we are

dead in our trespasses and sin. The truth is that there is none

righteous, no, not one. Everyone seeks his own way.

That the bottom line is that moral goodness does not equal

righteousness. It does not equal righteousness

before. God, in fact, you lack on your

own apart from salvation. In Christ, you lack, any true

righteousness. Any true righteousness.

You might be moral, you might do good things.

You might be well, thought of, by co-workers and peers.

You might be a good businessman, a good businesswoman, you, you

may have your life together. By all appearances, you've got

the best Facebook pictures, your Instagram has the best

vacations, the best meals. Your family photos are envied by

many. And yet your life is crumbling.

It's what happens in the New Birth is greater than anything

else. God has shown us in Christ.

That the greatest Miracle is when God grants you New Life In

Christ, by the power of His spirit.

It's greater than when he created the world.

It's greater than when he raised Lazarus from the dead.

It's greater than any other miracle of God.

Why? Because in the New Birth, you

are born again. And you're born again by the

same power that raised Christ from the dead.

Jesus here for Nicodemus is trying to help him understand

Nicodemus has questions. And in fact, in the next verse

in verse 9, which will look at next week he says, how can these

things be He just can't fathom what Christ is saying.

But Christ uses an illustration here about the wind and I think

it gets Nicodemus to this question of, how can these

things be Because it's unraveling what Nicodemus thinks

about the new birth or new life. He thinks it's caused by being

morally. Good.

And what Jesus shows us here in his illustration of the wind is

that it's not caused by man's effort or man's Goodwill at all.

In fact, man has no control over the new birth.

And so Christ explains this through this illustration of the

wind, I'll read to you verse 8 again the wind blows where it

wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it

comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is

born of the spirit. So here's Nicodemus, he's worked

his entire life to secure for himself approval from God.

He wants to be a counted righteous before God by his own

works by his own efforts. And Christ looks at him and says

the new birth is totally a work of God by the spirit.

If Nicodemus were going to receive new life, it would not

come from within himself, rather it would come to him from

outside of him, it would come from God Alone.

We looked at this verse in John 1:12 when we started this series

John 1:12

but in one 12 through 13 Apostle, John writes, he's

talking about the people who did receive Christ.

As Lord, he says to all who did receive him, who believed in his

name, he gave the right to become children of God to all

who received him. He gave the right to become

children of God. Now listen, he says, who were

born Not of blood doesn't mean that they weren't living

breathing people. He's talking about born again.

There were not born of blood. They were not born of the flesh.

I'm not born of the will of, man, but of God, that were born

of God. It's God, who causes the new

birth. Again, we looked at this in week

1, but let's look at how Christ is now, talking about the spirit

of God and the work of the new birth here.

In this verse, the Greek words for wind and spirit are the

same. And so, Isis.

Using them to teach a parallel truth.

But there is something about these things that is similar,

it's just one more way honestly, that God has ordered the world

in such a way that it is always testifying that God exists, that

there is a creator. That that nature testifies to

the glory of God. Here's one more way.

We see it in the wind and hopefully after today you'll

never think about the wind and the same way again.

Christ teaches Nicodemus that the wind operates in the

Physical Realm, like the spirit operates in the spiritual realm

for Christ. What we learned from Christ here

is that is a few different things and Stephen Lawson is

booking New Life In Christ, lays out a few observations that I

want to share with you today. The first is that God sends the

wind God sends the wind. Jesus begins by stating that the

movement of the wind cannot be directed by anyone.

He says the wind blows where it wishes that they can't be

directed by anyone. You cannot control the wind

blows whenever and wherever God desires, we see this in Genesis

81 as right after the flood, we read this and in 8:1 and God

made a wind blow over the earth and the waters subsided who made

a wind blow over the Earth. God.

The wind goes exactly where God sends it.

Accomplishes. Exactly what God intends for it.

Not only can we not control the wind?

We cannot predict the wind either weather.

Forecasters. Cannot even get their

predictions. Correct, how many times have we

seen on the news forecast for hurricanes?

Blowing up through the oceans. Headed for landfall.

Only to take sudden, turns only to move in a direction that was

not forecasted. Sometimes it's through our

praise, sometimes, it's to our laments, right?

It's still wipes out a bunch of things.

But the forecasters not able to predict it.

He's not able to control it, he's just simply making

observations. Lawson goes on to say.

So it is with the work of the holy spirit in the New Birth.

He is directed by the will of God, the Father, the spirit

blows into the lives of those chosen by God for salvation, the

path of the wind takes Accords with God's Sovereign plan, the

spirit moves and regenerates, spiritually, dead Souls,

according to God's will. So we are not in control of the

spirits direction. We do not have the power to

command it. We do not have the power to

cause it to bend to our will the new birth occurs by the power of

God alone. So it's one of the first things

we see is that you cannot control the wind.

The second thing we see about the wind is that it is

irresistible. It's irresistible.

The wind. Cannot be hindered by you the

wind blows where it wishes Jesus says when it moves at full

strength that overpowers, whatever lies in its path.

Just last week, we had tornadoes even in Shreveport, tornadic

activity in Shreveport. And so yesterday, we were

driving down to visit my sister and brother-in-law and and we're

on Mansfield Road. And there is just to our right

trees Massive trees that have been blown over that have not

yet been cleaned up the wind did what it wanted.

It was irresistible that tree. Could not withstand its power.

You've seen the devastation of a tornado that the wind is

Unstoppable. It it does not yield to

anything. What happens is everything

yields to it? Everything is overpowered by the

wind. And so the parallel lost and

goes on to say the parallel that Jesus is making is obvious that

the spirit of God is irresistible.

Why? Because he's omnipotent, he's

all powerful. And so the spirit of God is

irresistible in his omnipotence movement to cause the new birth.

He goes on to say the will of God is far greater than the will

of mankind. The spirit shatters human Pride.

He conquers our resistance and he overcomes all human excuses,

that have long refused Christ. He humbles wants stubborn

Hearts, the spirit, softens hardened will, so that they will

believe. Believe in Christ, Jesus.

So in the same way that house cannot stop the wind of an EF5

tornado, the Heart of Stone cannot stop, the Holy Spirit

from breaking through and creating a heart of Flesh.

The one whom the spirit of God blows upon will gladly submit,

wholeheartedly to the rule of Christ Jesus.

When Paul preached and Philippi, the Lord did this very thing for

a woman named Lydia Lydia was called a worshiper of God in a

general sense. She was a god Seeker but she was

not yet born again. The Apostle Paul preached, the

spirit went to work, listen, to acts 16 14, the Lord opened her

heart to respond to what was said by Paul, he gave her heart.

That could be obedient. How do we know?

Because she became hospitable which is one of the evidences of

the spirits work in someone's life.

Not the only evidence you can be hospitable without being born

again but this is one of the evidence.

She opened her home to the church.

That was then born at Papi. And so God works to create new

life. Or he works to strengthen new

life that is present already when the word of God is

proclaimed. The third thing we see about the

wind is that it is invisible again.

It blows where it wishes Jesus says, you hear its sound but you

don't know where it comes from or where it goes, so you can't

see it. You can't see the wind, but you

hear it, it blows where it wishes, you know that it's

blowing because you see evidence of that though, you don't see

the wind itself. You can see its effects, right?

If you've been at the boys club lately playing baseball, you can

look up and see the American flags that are nearby and see

that they were blowing. You can figure out which

direction the wind is going. You see the effects of the wind,

you see dust blowing around, you see, wind blow our rain, blowing

sideways this week, right? You see the effects but you

don't see the wind, oftentimes, the effects.

Cause all in our hearts, right? Like there's a, there's a fear

of tornadoes because of the effects of tornadoes, you've

seen the footage, you've seen the devastating effects of a

tornado. And so, there's an awe about a

tornado. There's a fear.

Why? Because you're not controlling a

tornado regardless of what any word of faith preacher might

say, you're not controlling the weather.

Amen. But the wind is invisible, to

the naked eye. You can't grab it.

You can't hang onto it. You cannot control it.

You can't even necessarily predict its movement, you just

notice its effect again. Lawson says, the same is true of

the movement of the holy spirit in the new birth.

You can actually see the spirit, giving the new life, but you see

the effects of new life? You see the operations of

regeneration? You see what takes place putting

to death the old man. Afterwards taking on the new

man, that means putting away sin and taking on Holiness, a life

of godliness, the spirit can't be seen, but you can see the

powerful effects of the spirit on a new life.

You feel his conviction? You sense your responses, your

in all that God works in your life.

You're in fear of God, as you since conviction, and then

you're relieved of your fear and all is made when you receive

peace from God. Amen.

You worship Him. You praise him.

You live your life and Devotion to him.

These are effects of the spirit of God, though.

He's invisible. We see his activity in the

hearts and it's not. It's unmistakable.

Consider your own life before you were converted.

If indeed, you are a True Believer in Christ Jesus, you

have seen the effects of the new life on your life.

You're not walking and your sins.

You're not keeping your sins next to you.

You're not for against scripture, your for scripture,

you're taking in the word of God.

You're not adverse to the word of God.

Right. You're now a seeker of

understanding you want to know more about God.

You want to know more about what his word says.

You want to know more about how you can live your life and

allegiance to him. You're interested in God.

You're interested in his desires, you're putting to

death, your old desires and you're taking on new desires,

right? But once you were against God,

once you were happy in the lust of the Flesh, and the lust of

your eyes and the The pride of life and its achievements.

But now you're not satisfied with those things any longer.

Now you have a heart that yearns for God that longs for him.

But listen, if you're here today and you think, well, I'm a

Believer Kyle. I'm in here today, right?

I must be a believer. Please don't fool yourself by

looking at your life and not seeing any evidence of Holiness,

not observing any fruitfulness, there's no fruit of the spirit

you're constantly anxious. You're constantly driven to to

pursue your own desires to do your own thing, to come to

church. Whenever and however, you wish

to not pray until things, get really bad or to offer up

prayers for people. And then to never actually pray

to say that you read your Bible or to look at a verse on your

phone and say I have read my Bible today.

Day. Like these things are not

evidence of the spirit of God alive in you. and so, if you're

fooling yourself into thinking that by some small, like, I can

just squeeze the littlest amount out of religiosity and that

proves that I'm saved, May God help you.

Maybe he convicted your heart. You are not born again.

Kyle, it's Easter. Go easy on us.

We're supposed to celebrate the resurrection.

Absolutely, in my god did not send his son to die for you so

that you could make a mockery of Christ.

Amen. He didn't Christ will not be

mocked. You will not bear the name of

Christian and live how you want and get into heaven.

It's not happening. He will not be mocked and I'm so

I urge you on Easter. To believe the resurrection to

stake your life on the fact that Christ has been raised again and

if you truly believe that he's been raised again live like it.

Submit yourself to him. Stop running from him.

It's not putting up walls against him.

Stop telling yourself. I'm a Believer and then showing

up on Easter each year. You're not saved.

And if you are, if you are, you're extremely backslidden,

you need to return to Christ. Christ says, Christ came

preaching. Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven

is at hand. Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven

is at hand. Christ did not come coddling

Sinners he did not come coddling religious people, he did not

come to not tell the truth, Christ came bearing, the good

news of Salvation and his death and Resurrection.

And that if you were to truly be born, again, it'll be by faith

in Christ Jesus, trust in him, and of no other work.

And All Those whom he healed, all those who he forgave and

moments that we see in the gospels.

What did he say to them? Your faith has made you well, go

and sin, no more. It's not your faith has made

you. Well live your life.

How you want? Please don't fool yourself.

Don't buy the LIE of universalism that is running

rampant in our world today. That as long as you're a good

person, there's no way a good God could send you to hell.

You're not good. Apart from Christ.

Your heart is defiled. It's desperately wicked, it's

deceitful Above All Things. Jeremiah says, who can know it.

You need to be born again. And you are only going to be

born again. if the spirit moves upon you, You come fleeting

before God save me. Give me new life.

God loves to answer that prayer. But don't come to God assuming

that you have new life. Don't come assuming that by your

good works. You're getting into heaven.

Don't make a mockery of the blood of Christ Jesus.

God loves to pour out Grace. He loves to pour out Mercy.

But what does he say? What does he say about the

humble and the proud, right? He gives grace to the humble.

But here approves the Pratt, he turns away the proud as disgrace

upon those who were proud. But there's Grace upon Grace for

those who humble themselves before him, who see themselves

as a truly are and they submit their lives to Christ.

That's what happens when Peter preaches at Pentecost acts to

Christ was raised from the dead already, he's ascended into

heaven, he's told the apostles, go and wait for the power of the

spirit to come upon you and Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

The spirit has fallen. They begin to preach and other

tongues and people can hear them in their own languages.

The mercies the grace of God, the powerful work of God in the

gospel. People and Peter begins to

preach and he's preaching to the same that too many of the same

people who would have been in the crowd that call her that.

Well, first of all that cried, Hallelujah has crisis entering

Jerusalem. Some of those would have been

those who cried crucify him, because he wasn't quite what

they wanted. And cry and Peter stands up and

he preaches to them. And he says that you put this

man to death, this man was put to death by the law, the hands

of Lawless men It's your responsibility and they're cut

to the heart. It says in Acts chapter 2 and

Acts 2 · chapter mention

they cry out or they say to Peter, they interrupt his

sermon. What must we do to be saved?

That's the work of the spirit of God.

The spirit of God. Caused their hearts to be

generated and to say, to be regenerated into say, what must

we do to be saved. And Peter says, repents.

Repent and believe. And so they did three thousand

Souls were saved that day. The spirit of God moved on their

hearts. He created New Life in them and

they were born again. Once these people refuse, the

gospel, once they were crying crucify him once.

They ran from salvation, they only wanted a worldly King.

And now, the spirit of God has created life in them.

And this is what the spirit of God has done in each of your

lives. If you have truly been born

again once, You were happy in your sins but now your joyous in

Christ Jesus. Now, you have new life.

The fourth thing we learn about the wind is that it is

incomprehensible. It's in comprehensible.

The route of the wind defies human Logic, the path of the

wind cannot be detected or predicted, right?

We've covered this. What we want to make this final

Point here that the movement of the spirit and the new birth is

the same way. You do not know who the spirit

will move upon. You do not know and whom he will

give New Life. It could be the most moral

person who says, I found myself in need of salvation for my

sins. And so I've been born again and

you'd be like, oh my goodness, I thought you were saved already.

It could be the most immoral person like oh my gosh, did you

all see what the Lord did to that person, right?

We love those stories. Clearly a movement from Death to

New Life. This Is the Scandal of Grace and

Mercy. It goes to the undeserving.

It goes to the unmerited. It goes to those who humble

themselves. Not to those who look, as

though, they've earned it. Ecclesiastes 11:5 describes the

Ecclesiastes 11:5

physical birth. Of a person.

And it says, as you do not know the way the spirit comes to the

bones and the womb of a woman with child.

So you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

So he's saying in the same way that the physical birth is, it's

incomprehensible. Like we know what causes it

won't get into that today but we know what causes it.

We just don't know when, right? It's not guaranteed.

God, does the work of creation? And so in the same way that only

God knows how, and when he will work to create a physical life

or physical conception in the womb, the same mystery holds

true and spiritual conception that produces New Life In

Christ. That is what Christ is teaching

us. Isaiah also recognize this truth

as he writes and Isaiah chapter 40 verse 13.

Isaiah 40:13

He says who has measured the spirit of the Lord or what man's

shows him his counsel. In other words, who can tell God

what to do, who can measure. What he's doing who can see it

and who can tell him how to better do it?

And then in verse 14, he said, whom did he consults and whom

sorry? Who made him understand who

taught him the path of justice and taught him knowledge and

showed him the way of understanding other words who

showed God all these things, no one.

God knows all things. God is behind all things.

And so the meaning is clear, the Holy Spirit travels, a path that

escapes human reason he always however operates with perfect

wisdom, Because as the third member of the Trinity, he is God

is doing what the father commands.

Paul, at the end of Romans 11 is talked about the New Birth.

He opens in Romans 1, just talking about the power of the

Gospel, produces salvation. There's nothing more powerful

than the Gospel of Jesus Christ to give New Life.

And he just expounds on that from chapter 1 to chapter 11.

And at the end of chapter 11, he's he's written all these

things down and he's just kind of caught up in a moment of

worship. And he says, oh, the depth of

the riches, and the wisdom, and the knowledge of God, he's

talked about salvation. He's talked about how people are

saved that look like they shouldn't be saved and how

people who look like they should be saved.

Haven't been saved, but not all who are Who are of Israel or not

all who are Israel or of Israel. Sorry not all.

Who are of Israel are Israel. That it's belief its belief that

creates new life and he says how unsearchable are his judgments.

How inscrutable his ways? Another words you might think

about it differently, you might do it differently.

But who are you? Oh man to answer back to God.

Rather be in all of him. How unsearchable how inscrutable

is he for? Who has known the mind of the

Lord or who has been his counselor just as I was saying,

who has given him wisdom? No one.

No one. And so what we know from this is

that God is worthy to be trusted.

He's worthy of your trust. You can rest in the choices of

his Sovereign will, you can know that his ways are perfect.

And because, you know, his ways are perfect because you trust

his sovereignty because you know that it is, he who causes the

new birth, you can pray with faith for the unsaved.

You can pray with conviction for those who don't yet know Christ

as Savior. And know that you're going to

the right place for those prayers.

We know his choices are always directed by his love. if I want

to close by encourage you and encouraging you in two ways, I

mentioned John 1:12 through 13 earlier, but to all who did

John 1:12–13

receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to

become children of God. Who were born, not of blood, nor

of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of, man.

But of God, In other words, you do not inherit New Life.

We've said it before, but God has no spiritual grandchildren.

You are not a Christian because your grandmother was a Christian

or your father was a Christian. You might be led to Christ

because of their belief. They may have had an influence

in your belief, but you're not ushered into the kingdom because

you had a believing grandmother. Does that make sense?

There's no spiritual grandchildren.

Everyone who is born again, is a child of God adopted into his

family. Co-heir with Christ Jesus.

His son. And so you can't come today and

say, well, I'm getting into heaven because my family has

just always been Christian. That doesn't necessarily mean

anything. He says that you're not born of

the will of the Flesh. In other words, it's not by your

choice. It's not by your decisions that

you've made. Nor the will of man, it's not by

human efforts again. You can't Nicodemus yourself

into heaven. None of us.

None of us. Are the same level of morality

that Nicodemus was, and yet he too must be born again.

That's what Christ says, You must be born again.

And so Christ says the same to all of us is that you there in

verse 7, that we looked at a couple weeks ago.

It's plural. You must be born again.

He's speaking. He's saying, you all must be

born again. Ya'll must be born again.

Amen. How he says, but of God, you

were born of God, they were born of God to all who received

Christ were born of God. It's by Divine operation that

you come to know Christ as Lord. That you receive him as Lord.

So here's to encouragement for you as as those who are

believers in Christ. I want to encourage you today

with this. You are empowered to overcome

sin. Because the spirit of God is

alive in you because you were born again, you are alive in the

spirit. The Same Spirit that raised

Christ from the dead gives life to you.

It takes your spiritually dead soul and it makes it spiritually

alive. You've been raised to New Life,

that's why we get baptized, that's what we're saying in

baptism. We've been buried with Christ.

We've been raised to walk in newness of life.

Our old man is put to death. Our old man was hung all of our

sins. All of our faith and the

Forgiveness of for the Forgiveness of our sins.

On Christ Jesus. We've buried it with him.

And now, just as he was raised from the tomb on the third day,

we have been raised to walk in newness of Life Romans 8:9 3:11,

Romans 8:9

says you however are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if in

fact, the spirit of God dwells in you.

So again, Paul is talking to the Romans here, he's saying the

Roman Church here in Rome and he's saying, don't just think,

I'll just think that you're in. He says you, however, are not in

the flesh, but in the spirit, if in fact, The spirit of God

dwells in you, he goes on to say anyone who does not have the

spirit of Christ. Does not belong to Christ.

there's got to be evidence, there's got to be fruit of the

spirit in your life and if there's not, you're not in,

Don't mix that up because you're morally, good, don't think that.

But where does morality come in Kyle?

We've got to clean ourselves up, right?

Yes, look, he says, but if Christ is in you all though, the

body is dead because of sin. The spirit is life because of

righteousness of Christ is in, you know, your flesh is passing

away, it will die. You will not live forever, in

your current flesh. But when Christ returns your

body will be raised and you'll receive a new glorified body in

heaven, and then you'll live forever in heaven.

But right now, as someone who is walking in newness of life, you

are Waging War against the against the flesh, by the spirit

of God alive in you, you're saying, I want to follow Christ,

but the flesh and you were saying, no, no, no, no, no,

let's not give up this, this pets in, whatever it may be.

And you're saying no I'm alive in the spirit of God, I'm

putting that to death because it does not honor my God.

And so he says, but if Christ is in you all though, this body is

dead because of sin. The spirit is life because of

righteousness, if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the

dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from.

The dead will also give life to your mortal bodies, through his

Spirit who dwells in you. You have been empowered now by

the spirit of God to overcome sin and temptation.

You have no excuse for continuing in your sin anymore.

And fact, you have the very power of God, that raised Christ

from the Dead Alive, and you to bring new life to your life.

So we don't walk with pet sins anymore.

We don't go on making a practice of sin.

As John says, in his epistle, the first epistle, he wrote

first John He writes and says there, that we do not go on

making a practice of sin, Sinners, sorry, believers.

Do not go on, making a practice of sin.

Does that mean you don't go on doing the same old sins all the

time saying well that's this is just who I am.

It's just the way God made me. No, it's not.

You've been created brand new in Christ.

Jesus Christ. Did not die and rise again so

that you can keep sending your hand and say well this is just

who I am. No, it isn't.

You have no idea who you are in Christ if that's how you're

thinking. So your first step would be to

just grow in your knowledge of what it means to be in Christ.

Your union with Christ Jesus, you are made brand new to do the

works of God that he prepared for you beforehand.

That's what Ephesians 2:10 tells us.

Ephesians 2:10

And so you are empowered by the spirit of God to walk in newness

of life, to put to death sin and temptation.

Secondly, you are empowered to share the gospel.

This doctrine of regeneration, this teaching of Christ about

the spirit of God blowing where it wants doing what it wishes

gives you power. To be a witness for the gospel

of Christ. You don't have to worry about

your inadequate, knowledge. Well, I just don't know how to

answer the Universalist. I don't know how to answer.

The person who believes in evolution.

I don't know how to answer, blah, blah, blah, just bear

witness to the fact that once you were blind, but now you can

see Tell them about the grace of God on your life that once I had

spiritual blinders and I was going my own way, but when

Christ hit my heart, with his spirit, I became a new creation

born again. And now I long long to do his

will and that's not of me, that's what the spirit of God

and he'll do that for you too. If you'll submit your life to

him. But don't go on in your sins,

don't go on telling yourself some story submit to Christ,

that's how you plead with people.

For the new birth. And then you trust that Christ

by his Spirit causes regeneration in them.

It's his work, not yours. You don't have to be super

convincing. You don't have to be eloquent.

Paul says, we didn't come to you like those other guys eloquent

of speech. Having all the right words to

say, we came to you, proclaiming the Cross of Christ.

Jesus, and him crucified. That's the power of the Gospel.

So we open our mouth, we share the gospel of Christ and we

trust that he will cause regeneration in the hearts of

Those whom. We share it with and if it

doesn't happen the first time, that doesn't mean that God isn't

going to move on them. We continue praying, we continue

sharing. and as long as though, listen, we speak Amen.

And we call to repentance. Jesus command to go therefore

and Make Disciples of all the nations is mandatory.

You're calling is to advance the saving message of Jesus Christ

into all the world. And you say man, I'm I hate to

use any profession because I'm sitting here looking at so many

different professions. The first one that came to mind

is I'm a painter, right? How can I share the good news?

I'm an electrician, how can I share the good news?

I'm a banker. I'm a teacher, I'm a, I'm a

stay-at-home mom. I work in a factory.

I'm a maintenance man. Whatever, like I'm husband, I'm

a father, I've got responsibilities collocate.

Just go into all the world. Now Christ is doing the going

into all the World by raising up believers who exist in all the

world. You go into all the World by

going into your home. By going into your workplaces,

by going to your children. And proclaiming the good news of

Christ Jesus. But not only proclaiming it,

living it. Don't just say I'm a Believer.

Don't just say, like Joshua says as for me and my house, we will

serve the Lord don't post the thing up in your house and then

never serve the Lord, sit around and watch Yellowstone together

as a family or Breaking Bad or whatever else, the boot, the

shows or whatever. But I'm just saying, proclaim

the excellencies of Christ in your home, don't undo, what

you're saying on your wall, by what you're watching on your TV

and you say, well, Kyle, you're just being a Pharisee.

No. I'm not saying you can't do

those things, I'm saying, be careful that what you do doesn't

undo what you say. Walk, The Walk.

Don't simply talk the talk. Amen!

Live a life, that honors God. Trust him for the Salvation of

your children parents. You will not put your kids in

the perfect Church. Why?

Because they're so perfect church.

If there was you and your child would ruin it.

Mine's it. You won't, but what you are

called to do is submit yourself to a church with Godly Elders,

to submit to his word, to follow him to learn how to disciple

your children, if you don't know how to do that.

Parenting is simultaneously is the weirdest thing is

simultaneously one of the hardest things I've ever done in

my life and yet it's so simple. The formula for good parenting

is so stinkin simple. If we'll just deny ourselves The

night yourself. Trust in Jesus.

And so you go into all the World by going into.

All those places that God has already placed you, it's being

faithful where you are and so we can breathe a breath of fresh

air. I don't have to fill out an

application for disciple. The nation's this week, right?

Like you can go where you're at. It's what God calls you to do.

Be faithful where you are, trust him, and his work.

Paul again, Romans 1:16 for I am not ashamed of the gospel for it

Romans 1:16

is the power of God for salvation to everyone who

believes you were born again by The Same Spirit that raised

Christ from the dead. And that's true for everyone

else. Also, Amen.

And so as we look to the resurrection this morning, we

see the life changing the life transforming the life.

Beginning power of God at work in us.

Also, It's the same power. and so, finally, to any of you in

here who are an unbeliever I'm glad you're here.

I'm glad you've come today. I don't know why you came, I

don't know if you're seeking, I don't know if you have some

moral obligation as someone raised in the Bible Belt, to go

to church on Easter. I don't mean that as a joke,

it's that's how we grow up. But I'm glad that you're here to

hear the gospel proclaims and I pray that God would save you

from your sins. I pray that that you would feel

no, the drawing power of the Holy Spirit unto the life and

that you would repent of your sins and turn to life in Christ

Jesus. Would you stand to your feet

this morning? Going to pray for us.

Worship team will sing after I pray, it's a it's meant to be a

time of response. And so, I encourage you that if

the Lord's directing You by his Spirit, to respond to him in

some way, would you follow him today?

Would you be obedient to that leading?

If you feel his conviction to repent of your sins and turn to

Christ, would you do that? If you need prayer, I'll stand

at the back. You can come back there.

I'll happily pray with you. You need counsel.

You want to talk? I'm available both now and this

week, you say, maybe not today, but I'll come see you this week.

Come on, office is always open. But don't leave today without

either repenting of sins and turning to Christ.

Without repenting of sins and continuing your commitment to

Christ. Or without glorifying the Lord.

If you think I come in today and I just don't have any of those

kinds of burdens but I'm so grateful for the Resurrection.

The Power of New Life, praise him for it.

Now as we sing respond to the Lord Faithfully today, let me

pray for you. Heavenly Father, we love you.

God, we thank you for your word. We thank you that it is.

The gospel of Christ proclaimed. And that here in our text today,

we have Christ. Proclaiming The Gospel to a man.

Who is much like us much like our peers is dependent upon his

own morality for salvation. In Christ says, unless you were

born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God.

You cannot enter the kingdom of God.

You must be born again. And so God, we ask now that your

spirit would to use the reference here would blow upon

the hearts of unbelievers. But you would cause regeneration

that you would save your people today.

Father, help us all of us, even Believers to receive Christ

today to yield to his presence to yield to his leading, to put

to death sin and to put on holiness.

Father, it is imperative for each one of us here.

That we not only know the love of God.

What that we live? As those who know, the love of

God. Help us Lord to not Harden our

hearts to correction or reproof help us.

Do not Harden your heart to saving conviction.

God would you overpower Us by your spirit today that we would

walk in newness of life with you?

Father, we love you. We praise you for christ that he

is risen. And that because he has life, we

can have new life. Because he died as the perfect

sacrifice. We can know the righteousness of

God as we trust in him. Help us to receive it today.

Lord, we pray these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, the

one who was slain, the one who has risen the one who has our

Lord forevermore, amen. Help us to receive it today.

Lord, we pray these things, in the name of Jesus Christ, the

one who was slain, the one who has risen the one who has our

Lord forevermore, amen.