Love - God Gives Life

And we'll be looking at that in just a minute.

Well, let's pray.

Some things are habit, aren't they, when we pray before we listen to God's Word.

But the reason we do is because we come as needy people.

It's an expression of our dependence on God that we need His help and the help of His Holy Spirit.

So let's pray.

Father God, just as you spoke at the beginning of time and brought this world into existence,

so we ask that you would now speak to us through your Word and bring life to us.

That this morning would be a time where we know what it is to have a new heart.

What it is to be shaped and molded to be more like you.

So, Father, change us and be at work amongst us today.

We ask this for your glory and for our good.

Amen.

Well, it was probably the lowest point in my life.

In a crazy moment that lasted no more than five seconds,

I said something and I did something that left my life in a mess.

I was let go of my job.

I had no income.

And I hadn't anywhere to stay.

I longed for a new beginning.

For those five seconds just to be wiped out.

And to start all over again.

Well, I think we've all been there to some degree or another.

We look back through our past.

The decisions that we've made.

The choices that we've made.

The words that we've said.

And we long for a new beginning.

Well, the story of the Bible introduces us to a God who specializes in new beginnings.

Remember how it all started.

In love.

God began and he created a beautiful world.

God began and he created a beautiful world.

But that world turned into chaos and disorder as Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, rebelled against God.

And people had become so evil and so wicked that God sent a flood and it wiped out the entire population of the world.

Except in love.

God kept Noah and his family safe.

And so they start again.

But that new beginning didn't last very long.

Noah and his family and their children ignored God.

And well, they ended up in the same mess as before.

But in love, God intervened and he started again with the man called Abraham.

And God said to Abraham that he would make him into a great nation.

And he would bring great blessing to the world.

But this new beginning didn't last.

Abraham's family were a mess.

Lying, stealing, cheating.

And so the disorder started all over again.

And this great family ends up in slavery in Egypt.

Broken and ruined.

But yet again, in love, God reaches down and he rescues them.

And he gives them a fresh start.

God provides them with a new leader, Moses, and promises to be their God.

But their new beginning was short-lived.

The seeds of rebellion were still there.

God was quickly forgotten and pushed out.

And everyone did as they pleased.

But in love, God raised up a king.

A king after his own heart.

King David, who came to restore order and to bring blessing.

And so they begin again.

But this new beginning turned into despair.

With every new generation, the kings get progressively worse.

Leading the people far away from God.

They hit an all-time low.

And eventually, under God's judgment,

they are taken away into exile by the nation of Babylon.

Now, this isn't just history.

This is a story of my life and your life.

This is the pattern of the human race.

God bringing new beginnings.

But what's going to stop this cycle of rebellion and disorder and judgment?

What's going to break this ongoing troubled world?

Well, what's needed is a new heart.

A new kind of life in people.

Have a look at Ezekiel chapter 18.

Ezekiel 18 · chapter mention

You see, it's at this low point in their lives.

They've been taken away into exile, into Babylon.

And it's during this time in exile

that God speaks through the prophet Ezekiel to the people.

And God tells them, this is what you need to do.

Verse 30 of chapter 18.

Verse 30.

Therefore, O house of Israel,

I will judge you, each one according to his ways,

declares the Sovereign Lord.

Repent.

Turn away from all your offenses.

That sin will not be your downfall.

Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed.

And get a new heart.

And a new spirit.

Why will you die, O house of Israel?

For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone,

declares the Sovereign Lord.

Repent and live.

You see, at the heart of this cycle of rebellion and disorder

is the human heart.

So God tells the people,

verse 31,

you need to get yourselves a new heart

and a new spirit.

In other words,

you need a new life.

But history has proved

we can't change our heart.

We can't change our life

even if we wanted to.

The history is there before us

to show us

that we can't change ourselves.

Like Israel of the past,

we continue to fall into a cycle of rebellion and disorder.

So God changes things.

He makes another promise.

Rather than say,

get yourself a new heart.

God promises to give a new heart.

Look at Ezekiel chapter 36.

Ezekiel 36 · chapter mention

Ezekiel chapter 36,

Ezekiel 36:25

verse 25.

We need to move on a bit.

Chapter 36.

Look what he says.

Here's the promise.

Ezekiel 36,

Ezekiel 36:25

verse 25.

I will sprinkle clean water on you

and you will be clean.

I will cleanse you from all your impurities

and from all your idols.

I will give you

a new heart

and put a new spirit in you.

I will remove from you

your heart of stone

and give you a heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit in you

and move you to follow my decrees

and be careful to keep my laws.

You see, this is nothing less

than a brand new life,

a fresh start,

a new beginning.

This is what the people need.

A person who ends up

on the operating theatre

and receives a heart transplant

receives a new life.

So what we need

is not more rules

or not another chance

or not another opportunity

or another rebuke

or another sermon

telling us that we have to wake up

and do better

and live better.

What we need

is a new heart.

A new life.

And that's what Jesus came to do.

To bring us this new life

that we all need.

The new beginning.

And in love,

God breaks into the world

through his son Jesus

to give the promise

of a new life.

Look at how the New Testament authors

put it.

for God so loved

the world

that he gave his one

and only son

that whoever believes in him

shall not perish

but have eternal life.

But because of his great love

for us,

God who is rich in mercy

made us alive

with Christ

even when we were dead

in our transgressions.

But when the kindness

and love

of God

our Saviour appeared

he saved us

so that we might become heirs

having the hope

of eternal life.

This is how God

showed his love

among us.

He sent his one

and only son

into the world

that we might live

through him.

You see the promise

that God gave

all those hundreds

of years ago

that God would bring

new life

well he has done that

through the sending

of his son

the Lord Jesus Christ

the God man

who's come to break

the cycle of rebellion

and disorder

and to give

new life

so that people

can live

God's way.

So what is

this new life?

What does it look like?

And how

do we get it?

Well first

God offers

new life.

Let's have a look

at John's Gospel

chapter 3.

We're going to stay here

for a while.

John's Gospel

chapter 3.

Because here we have

an encounter

with a man

called Nicodemus

and here we see

how he gains

how he's offered

this life

and how he receives

this life.

Let's read

John's Gospel

chapter 3

and verse 1.

Now there was a man

of the Pharisees

named Nicodemus.

A Pharisee

was a particular sect

religious group

had very

very legalistic.

One of these

Pharisees

named Nicodemus

a member

of the Jewish

ruling council

which was called

the Sanhedrin

which was like

a special council

or government

a little bit

like our dawn.

So here is a man

who was religiously

and politically

right up there

with the elite.

And he comes

to Jesus

verse 2

at night

and he said

Rabbi

we know

you are a teacher

who has come

from God

for no one

could perform

the miraculous

signs you are doing

if God were not

with him.

So it's as if

he's coming to Jesus

with a sense of

I know something

of who you are

and what you've done.

It's like

because I know this

and I recognise it

surely

I qualify

to have life

with you.

Verse 3

In reply

Jesus declared

I tell you

the truth

no one

can see

the kingdom

of God

unless he is

born again.

You see

Nicodemus

wants to experience

the kingdom

of God.

The kingdom

of God

is the kind

of life

that we saw

pictured right

at the very beginning

in Genesis

in the Garden

of Eden.

It's a life

of peace

and justice

a world

without sickness

and suffering

a life

marked by love

and kindness

where there is

the absence

of death

and all evil

it is a life

lived in relationship

with God

where there's no guilt

and no shame

is openness

before God.

No fear of death

no fear of judgement

it is a good

and perfect life

for all of eternity

and that's

the kind

of life

that Jesus

has come

to offer

to the world.

That's the new

beginning

that Jesus

came to establish.

Look at verse 2

again

he says to Jesus

we know you're a teacher

who's come from God

for no one

could perform

the miraculous signs

you were doing

if God

were not with him.

So as Jesus

went about

his ministry

and he performed

all these different

miracles

healing the sick

controlling nature

defeating satanic forces

raising the dead

Jesus was giving us

a glimpse

of what life

in his kingdom

looked like

and what the life

he had come to bring

was all about.

Now says Jesus

in verse 3

if you want to see

this kingdom

if you want to

enter the kingdom

yourself

if you want

this true life

then you must

be born again.

Nicodemus

you need to

start your life

afresh.

In fact

you need

a new

life

if you are

to live

my way

and be part

of my kingdom.

Now

if that is true

it leaves us

in a predicament

moment.

Because if we

need new

life

that means

our present

life

is hopelessly

dead.

Not physically

dead

but spiritually

dead.

We can still

eat and drink

and walk

and talk

and go about

our life

and go to

work every

single day

but spiritually

it's saying

there's no

life within

us.

Spiritually

speaking

we're no

different

to a

decaying

body

in a

graveyard.

And that's

how Jesus

sees the

world before

him.

The people

before him.

We are

people

he says

without

life.

Have a look

at chapter

5

verse 21.

John

John 5:21

chapter 5

verse 21.

For just

as the

father

raises

the dead

and gives

them

life

even

so

the

son

gives

life

to whom

he is

pleased

to give

it.

You

cannot

give

life

to

something

unless

it is

dead.

And he's

saying

that's

what we're

like.

Look

at verse

25.

I tell

you the

truth

the time

is

coming

it has

now

come

when

the

dead

will

hear

the

voice

of

the

Son

of

God

and

those

who

hear

it

will

live.

For as

the

father

has

life

in

himself

so

he

has

granted

the

son

to

have

life

in

himself.

You

see

according

to

Jesus

the

population

of the

world

throughout

history

has

been

born

spiritually

dead.

And

dead

people

cannot

give

themselves

life.

A man

who

suffered

a heart

attack

and

lies

on

the

road

dead

can't

give

himself

CPR

and

resuscitate

himself.

in

the

same

way

we

are

not

in

a

position

to

give

ourselves

life.

We

are

spiritually

dead.

It

doesn't

matter

if we

go on

a

life

coaching

course.

It

doesn't

matter

if we

go on

some

kind

of

retreat.

We

cannot

make

ourselves

alive.

We

cannot

give

ourselves

the

new

beginning

and the

fresh

start

that we

need.

In

fact,

if we

go back

to

chapter

3,

to be

spiritually

dead

is a

really

serious

condition

to be

in.

Look

at the

way

the

end

of

chapter

3

verse

36

puts

it.

So

he's

talking

about

giving

life

to

someone,

to

Nicodemus,

and

here's

how he

finishes

this

whole

section,

verse

36.

Whoever

believes

in the

Son

has

eternal

life,

but

whoever

rejects

the Son

will

not

see

life,

for

God's

wrath

remains

on

him.

You

see,

to be

spiritually

dead

is to

be in

a

serious

condition

of

where

we

are

under

God's

fair

and

just

judgment

separated

from

him.

So

we

desperately

need

to be

made

alive.

And

if we

are to

experience

new

life

from

God,

then

he

must

be

the

one

who

is

to

give

us

that

life.

So

he

offers

new

life,

second,

God

gives

new

life.

Let's

read

chapter

three,

verse

three

again.

God

gives

new

life.

In

reply,

Jesus

declared,

I tell

you the

truth,

no one

can see

the

kingdom

of

God

unless

he

is

born

again.

Well,

how can

a man

be born

when he

is old?

Nicodemus

asked.

Don't

be so

silly.

Surely

he cannot

enter a

second time

into his

mother's

womb

to be

born.

People

can't

be

born

again.

It's

impossible.

You

can't

start

life

afresh.

Well,

yes,

he is

right in

some

sense.

A

physical

rebirth

is

impossible.

But a

spiritual

rebirth

is

possible.

In

fact,

the new

life that

God has

come to

give is

like being

born

again.

It's

like being

physically

born

again and

starting

your life

from

scratch.

It's

a new

beginning.

God has

come to

give us

the fresh

start that

we all

need.

And he

goes on to

explain that

this new

life is

seen in

three ways.

First,

we are

washed by

God.

Look at

verse 5.

Jesus

answered,

I tell you

the truth.

No one

can enter

the kingdom

of God

unless he

is born

of water

and the

spirit.

Well,

what does

that mean?

To be

born of

water and

the spirit?

Well,

do you

remember the

promise that

we looked

at that

God had

made through

the prophet

Ezekiel?

Have a

look back

in Ezekiel

36.

Keep your

finger in

John 3 and

go back to

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 36 · chapter mention

chapter 36.

verse 25.

Jesus

says you

must be

born of

water and

the spirit.

Now,

look at what

God had

promised in

Ezekiel.

Verse 25.

I will

sprinkle

clean water

on you

and you

will be

clean.

I will

cleanse

you from

all your

impurities

and from

all your

idols.

You see,

our sin,

this rebellion,

is like a

deeply ingrained

dirt on our

body that we

can't remove

no matter how

much we

scrub and

wash by

our promises

to clean up

our life and

never to do

it again.

And it's

this rebellion,

it's this sin

in our lives

that makes us

unclean and

unacceptable before

God.

It's what

separates us

from the

life of God.

It's what

leaves us

under the

wrath and

the judgment

of God.

But God

in His

love,

through His

Son Jesus,

washes us

so that we

are clean.

He is the

one who

cleans us

with clean

water.

Through His

death on the

cross,

He cleans

us deep

inside so

the uncleanness

is completely

removed.

It means my

sin is

forgiven.

It means my

guilt and my

shame is

removed.

It's washed

away.

In fact,

the cleaning

work of God

is so deep

in our lives

that when

He cleans

us,

we can

never,

never,

ever,

ever become

unclean

again in

God's sight.

His

cleaning is

so deep

that we

can never,

ever become

unclean

in His

sight again.

Look what it

says at the

end of verse

25.

He says,

I will

cleanse you

from all

your

impurities.

something

beautiful.

But we

need more

than the

cleansing

of the

old.

We need

a creation

of the

new.

So He

cleans up

the old

and He

creates

something

new.

He gives

us a new

heart.

Jesus said

to Nicodemus,

you need to

be born of

the water

and the

spirit.

So look

what it

says in

verse 26

of Ezekiel

36.

God says,

I will

give you

a new

heart

and I

will put

a new

spirit in

you.

I will

remove from

you your

heart of

stone

and give

you a

heart of

flesh.

Do you

see what's

going on

there?

It's like

a surgery

that's

taking

place.

The

old,

stony,

stubborn

heart

will be

cut out

and removed

and in

its place

a new

heart,

a fleshy

one,

a heart

that is

soft and

living and

responsive

is going

to be put

in its

place.

And when

we receive

this new

heart from

God,

it means

we have

a new

way to

live.

Verse 27.

And I

will put

my spirit

in you

and move

you to

follow my

decrees

and be

careful to

keep my

laws.

It's like

the Holy

Spirit comes

along,

the chief

surgeon,

and he

takes our

soft new

heart that

God has

placed within

us and

the Holy

Spirit takes

that heart

and he

begins to

shape it

and to

mould it

according

to his

shape so

that we

begin to

take on

God's

character so

that we

begin to

look like

him.

John

Piper,

who's one

author,

put it

like this,

God

replaces

our

hard,

unresponsive

heart

with a

soft

heart

that

treasures

Jesus

above all

things

and is

being

transformed

transformed

by the

presence

of the

Spirit

into the

kind

of

heart

that

loves

to do

the

will

of

God.

Do you

see how

transforming

this new

life is?

It's

completely

new.

new.

So what

we need

is a

cleansing

of the

old,

a washing

deep

down in

our

lives,

a

cleansing

of the

old,

but we

also need

a creation

of the

new,

something

different.

You see,

without being

washed by

God,

without being

given a

new heart

from God,

we will

not know

and experience

life in

his kingdom

and we

will not

know

what it

is to

live for

him and

to follow

him and

to be

able to

live his

way.

It's the

fresh start

that God

had promised

all those

years ago

that was

going to

break the

cycle of

rebellion and

disorder.

It's the

fresh start

that the

world

needs.

So we're

washed by

God,

we're given

a new

heart by

God.

But it's

all been

initiated

by God.

Go back

to John

John 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

John

John 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

and verse

6.

You see

what Jesus

says to

Nicodemus

in verse

6?

Flesh

gives

birth to

flesh,

but the

spirit

gives

birth

to

spirit.

flesh.

He's

making it

so clear

that we

are

incapable

of giving

ourselves

new life.

All that

we can

do,

our only

ability

within

ourselves

is to

produce

more

sin

and create

more

rebellion.

That is

our nature.

That's all

we bring

to the

table.

Flesh

gives

birth to

flesh.

We

cannot make

ourselves

something

other than

what we

are.

all we

can do

is just

make

more of

the

same

kind

of

people

that

we

are.

But

God

comes

to give

new

life.

Flesh

gives

birth to

flesh,

but the

spirit

gives

birth

to

spirit.

Just go

back to

John

John 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

and

verse

12.

John 1

John 1:12

verse

12.

See what

it says

there?

Yet to

all who

received

him,

to all

who

received

Jesus,

to those

who

believed

in his

name,

he

gave

the

right

to

become

children

of

God.

Children

born

not of

natural

descent,

nor of

human

decision,

or a

husband's

will,

but born

of

God.

You

see,

physically

and

naturally,

a husband

and wife

can give

birth,

can produce

a child,

but

spiritual

life is

not our

decision,

it's not

within our

ability,

it's not

even within

our desire,

it's a

life that

has been

completely

given to

us by

God.

Spirit

gives

birth to

spirit,

it's

something

outside of

us that

God does

within us,

He cleans

us up

of the

old,

He intervenes

and says,

I am going

to wash

you,

and I

am going

to give

you a

new

heart.

He

cleans

us of

the

old,

and He

creates

in us

something

new.

So the

question

is,

have you

got this

new kind

of life?

love?

Have you

by faith

received

the life

that God

gives?

Have you

experienced

the washing

of God

deep down

in our

life?

Have we

experienced

this new

heart from

God that

transforms

us and

moves us

to want

to follow

His ways?

Jesus.

Well,

Jesus says

there's only

one way

to tell

when we've

experienced

this new

life.

Look at

chapter 3

verse 7.

There's

only one

way to

know that

we've

experienced

this new

life.

Verse 7.

You should

not be

surprised at

my saying,

you must

be born

again.

the wind

blows

wherever it

pleases.

You hear

it sound

but you

cannot tell

where it

comes from

or where

it is

going.

So it

is with

everyone

born

of the

Spirit.

You see,

it's an

illustration

here.

It's

actually,

how do

you know

if the

wind is

blowing?

Well,

sometimes you

can hear it

as it were

as it

whistles

through the

trees.

Sometimes

you can

feel it

as it

cuts to

your skin.

But most

of all,

if you're

standing

indoors,

you see

its effects

as the

leaves fall

from the

trees and

the branches

start bending.

You can

see the

effects of

the wind.

You don't

know where

the wind

is coming

from,

what direction.

You can't

take control

of it or

move it in

this way or

that way.

but the

effects of

the wind

are clearly

visible for

all to

see.

When we

receive life

from God

by faith,

the effects

of the

Spirit of

God at

work in

our life

are

undeniable.

if we

have been

washed,

if we

have been

given a

new heart,

then it

will be

crystal clear

for all

to see.

The effects

will be

known by

everybody.

That

doesn't mean

to say

we're

perfect.

It

doesn't

mean to

say that

we'll

never

ever fall

or fail

again.

But if

we have

this life

from God,

it will

at the

very least

mean these

two things.

And I

want to

leave us

with these

two things

to dwell

on and

to think

about.

Here's the

first thing.

If we

have this

life,

here's the

first

undeniable

effect.

Here's the

first one.

When we

sin or

get into

a pattern

of sin,

we won't

ignore it.

We will

deal with

it ruthlessly.

We will

repent and

come to

God and

ask Him

to wash

us afresh.

So there

will be a

pattern of

confession and

repentance in

our lives.

Rather than

hiding things

and pushing

things away,

we deal

with it.

That is

the first

obvious sign

of this

new life

from God.

And here's

the second

undeniable

effect.

when we

see behaviour

that is

inconsistent

with being

a Christian,

if we

see a

lifestyle

that's not

like Christ,

then we

will come

to God

and ask

the Holy

Spirit to

come and

to shape

and mould

our hearts

afresh so

that we

begin to

look like

Christ in

our behaviour

and we

begin to

talk his

words of

truth.

truth.

So do you

see those

two undeniable

effects if

the Spirit

of God is

blowing and

working through

our lives?

We won't

ignore sin,

we will deal

with it

ruthlessly.

And we

will come

looking for

that washing

afresh.

And the

second thing,

we will ask

the Holy

Spirit of

God to

shape and

mould and

change our

hearts so

that we

become

to look

more like

him.

This is

the new

life that

God has

come to

bring.

If God

did not

intervene into

our world

and into

our lives,

we would

remain dead,

hopelessly

dead.

But this

is a new

life that

he's given

us, a

life that

we can

share with

the world

so that

they too

can experience

this life

changing,

transforming

work of

God.

Let's

just take a

moment to

reflect

on that

as we

pray.

Amen.

Thank you.