SPECIAL DAYS: Second Sunday in Lent

February 28, 1999 - LESSON: John 3:1-17, NRSV

SERMON TITLE: Born and Born Again

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INTRODUCTION:

  1. Two small boys were arguing over the speed which their father's cars could go.
    1. My dad's car can go 60,000 miles an hour
    2. That's nothing my dad's car can go 60 million miles an hour.
      1. Exaggeration.
      2. No doubt.
    3. The thinking of the minds of small boys who did not yet comprehend the idea of speed.

MAIN BODY:

  1. The proposal in today's conversation also, on the face of it, seems to be an exaggeration.
    1. It sounds fantastic, beyond imagination!
      1. If you consider the genetics
        1. How can this be is a legitimate question.
        2. A multi-cell organism cannot regress to a single cell organism.
      2. If you consider the mechanics,
        1. How can this be is a legitimate question.
        2. This requires a kind of reductionism that is not humanly possible.
    2. We analyze the situation
      1. We ask, How can this be?
      2. From our point of view we pronounce it impossible.

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  2. This is the question of Nicodemus.
    1. He comes to Jesus at night.
      1. He wants to engage in a theological discussion of Jesus origins and power
      2. He said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."
    2. Jesus cuts right to the chase.
      1. His primary purpose is not a theological discussion.
      2. He is not at this time interested in reiterating his origins nor his source of power.
      3. So Jesus says to him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."
    3. Nicodemus listens and hears what Jesus has said.
      1. His response illuminates his understanding and mind set.
      2. He is seeing the situation in terms of his understanding of the process of conception and birth.
      3. So Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?"
  3. This is where we so often get into trouble.
    1. We say it can't be done.
      1. From our point of view this is true.
      2. It doesn't make any difference, from a divine point of view a new birth is absolutely necessary.

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    2. Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.
      1. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
      2. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.'
      3. The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
    3. Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?"
    4. Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
      1. "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony.
      2. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
  4. Nicodemus represents individuals with a particular mind set.
    1. In Matthew 13:13-16 Jesus tells the disciples why he teache sin parables.
      1. The reason I speak to them in parables is that 'seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.'
      2. With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: 'You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive.
        1. For this people's heart has grown dull, and
        2. their ears are hard of hearing, and
        3. they have shut their eyes;
        4. so that they might not look with their eyes, and
        5. listen with their ears, and
        6. understand with their heart and
        7. turn--and I would heal them.

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      3. He said to the disciples:
        1. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
    2. Jesus strongly desires that we have eyes that see, ears that hear, and minds that understand.
      1. So that when we ask, "How can this be?" we will understand.
      2. Understanding provides the rational, the purpose for our desiring to be born again.
  5. What advantages does being born again provide to the one who is willing to endure the process?
    1. Look at life with different eyes.
    2. I know that I have used this expression a number of times before, but that is exactly what it provides.
      1. God can deal with the Genetics
      2. God can deal with the mechanics
    3. We cannot create
      1. We can counterfeit
      2. We can do so in the laboratory
  6. What benefits do we achieve by being born again?
    1. We open ourselves to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
      1. We are transformed in attitude
      2. We are transformed in purpose
      3. We are transformed in goals
      4. We are transformed in ambition.
    2. What we see is seen in a different light.
      1. Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
        1. (John 8:12 NRSV) Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."

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      2. We see in his light
        1. (Psalms 36:9 NRSV) For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
      3. What do we see?
        1. We can see the beauty in the midst of the devastation.
        2. We can acquire hope in the midst of despair.
        3. We can develop love in the midst of apathy.
        4. We can maintain peace in the midst of war.
        5. We can achieve hope in a world of hurt.
  7. Besides it is the only way to the kingdom.
    1. In the kingdom there will be no critics
    2. In the kingdom there will be no pundant's
    3. In the kingdom there will be no politicians.
    4. There will be peace.

CONCLUSION:

  1. It was John Kenneth Galbraith who pointed out"

"In the choice between changing one's mind and proving there's no need to do so, most people get busy on the proof."

  1. Faith enables us to accept that there is proof beyond proof.
    1. Every night is a time of dying.
    2. Every dawn is a time of being born.
    3. This happens every day, throughout a lifetime.
    4. We are constantly being born and born again.
    5. With God we can be born into life that is exciting and productive.
    6. it is the greatest way to live in all the world.

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