Traralgon 9am & 10:30am 17th Feb ‘08

John 3:16 (Also Gen 12:1-4a ; Roms 4:1-5)

Born Again

Comment on the Gen and Roms passage first.

ie. Paul uses Abraham as an example to illustrate his primary teaching – salvation by faith not works.

But I want to focus today on the gospel reading. Includes the best known verse of the Bible, John 3:16. Quote. Some of you would have learnt this verse at Sunday School I’m sure. You may have also seen it displayed by people at the Olympics and other sporting fixtures. Etc. Graffiti.

One commentator tells the story of travelling along a very windy road around a steep mountain. Just before a particularly tight bend overlooking a great cliff he saw, written on an overhanging rock, “Prepare to meet your maker, John 3:16”. He could just imagine someone reaching for their Bible as they entered this turn and meeting their maker rather sooner than they expected.

A while back I heard on the Christian radio here in Traralgon some preacher talking about evangelism. He said imagine you’re flying in a plane and the engine fails. You have to jump out and you’re falling beside two other people, with 90 seconds before you hit the ground. Would you know what to say to bring them to Christ and save their souls?

I find that a totally absurd notion, almost obscene in its representation of God. But I think it’s based on John 3:16, and on Rom. 10:9

“if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Great verse! But if it’s turned around in the negative sense, it becomes an evangelical weapon:

“unless you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will go to hell.”

That’s a very narrow interpretation that ignores much of the gospel story. I propose to you that it does not fit with the God revealed through Jesus. It doesn’t fit with John 3:17 (it’s always a good idea to finish a passage)

For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him

It’s quite common for me to have someone share their concern for a family member or spouse who has died and never confessed faith. Does this mean they ‘go to hell’? My belief is a resounding, “NO!” Christ died to save the world, and salvation is offered as a free gift to many who may not have actually confessed with their lips in this life.

My logic goes like this:

• Jesus died to save us, and there is salvation through no other. The Christian faith makes this exclusive claim which we can’t back away from!

• Therefore ‘if you confess with your lips and believe in your heart’ you will be saved.

• But what if you don’t? Does that mean you have no chance? Not at all. I believe you can still be saved through Christ.

• Take Abraham as an example. Was he saved – yes of course, through faith. But did he confess belief in Christ – no, of course not.

• Now I put it to you that he was still saved through Christ, even though he didn’t know it – if he was saved without Christ why did Christ have to die?

• So if Abraham can be saved without confessing Christ what about a Muslim, for example, who worships the God of Abraham? Can a Muslim be saved through Christ’s death, even though they don’t confess faith in Christ?

• I believe yes! If we say no to that we condemn 2 or 3 billion people to having no hope. That doesn’t fit with the gospel.

• And if a Muslim can be saved, through Christ’s death, without confessing Christ, then can Uncle John?

• I think maybe. Not because they were a good person, but because God loves and cares for every person.

The great thing is I can just leave all this to God!

Now let’s get back to John 3. (That was just a little aside, now I’ll get to what I wanted to preach about!!)

In v.3 Jesus said, “No-one can see the kingdom of God without being born ‘again’.”

The Greek word here is anethon and can mean either ‘again’ or it can mean ‘from above’. So Jesus says you must be born ‘from above’.

In v.5 he talks about this as being ‘born of the Spirit’.

This is not something that happens when we die, it happens now! Salvation is not just about ‘going to heaven’ when we die. Jesus talks about entering the kingdom of God now. Salvation is about transformation now.

This is really what I wanted us to think about this morning, I think it’s very important.

Effectively Jesus says to Nicodemus that it's no good going through all the religious motions, we both know you haven't found peace with God through that, there has to be a change of heart – you must be born "from above", born of the Spirit.

We can go to church every Sunday our entire lives; it does us no good if we are not born anew. That is, if we do not let God rule our hearts.

John Wesley. Devoted churchman. Disciplined. Rose at 4am every morning to pray.

At Oxford leading member of "The Holy Club". At 32 missionary to America - fiasco.

On return there was a terrible storm and he was frightened. Impressed by faith of Moravians. One thing led to another.

Then on Wed May 24th, 1738 at age of 35, listening to a reading from Luther's preface to Romans - READ p 40, Strangely Warmed.

About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.

Wesley was a changed man from that point - he'd been re-born.

He had been so religious before, but now he had an assurance that God was with him. God was close!

Not always so dramatic of course. Some can give an exact moment when they were “born of the Spirit”, some like me can’t even give the year. But I can describe several significant instances of the Spirit being manifest in my life.

Faith is not just in the head it’s in the heart. It involves experience. And it shows in action. Got to be the whole package.

So how is one born of the Spirit. Well there’s no formula!! Jesus likened it to the wind blowing where it will. But there are things you can do. If you want to experience wind there are places you can go. Not much good sitting in your lounge room with the doors shut!

You know there’s going to be more wind up the top of the hill. You want wind go to Burnie in NW Tasmania where I grew up – right on the ‘roaring 40’s in latitude.

If you want to be born of the Spirit go to places where the Spirit is in evidence. Be with people who are ‘full of the Spirit’. (Hopefully church!) Pray and wait on God. Ask God to be filled with the Spirit.

I think it requires 2 things:

1. Humility. You’ve got to hand yourself over to God, not rely on your own strength. Confess to God you need Him. Ask God to fill you with his Spirit.

2. Commitment. You’ve got to take this seriously. You don’t muck around with God. Commitment shows in taking time to sit quietly and pray, being obedient, acting according to God’s teaching.

I’m not going to lead you in any sort of prayer, the words don’t matter, it’s the heart that matters! But I do encourage you to pray.

I encourage you to right now to ask God to fill you with his Spirit.

I encourage you to give to God anything that holds you back in your walk with him. You know what they are.

I encourage you to recommit yourself.

If you’d like me to pray with you just come down the front, now or during a hymn, sit on the front pew and I’ll pray with you.

Let’s sit quietly with our God and pray…