Title: Lent Two: Something More.

Date: 2008-02-17

Reference: John 3: 1-8

The term Born Again has been abused by almost everyone in the church. On the one hand Born Again is used as a term of derision implying extremism and anti intellectualism. On the other hand Born Again is used to describe a very judgmental exclusionary attitude. And yet Jesus said: “We must all be born again.” Getting past our first emotional response to these words Born Again, we know they should always describe something more in our lives.

For many people, the huge change in life after meeting Jesus, could only be described as a new birth. I know of a drunken father who met Jesus and whose life was turned upside down. It was a life changing encounter. He emptied his liquor bottles and began to treat his family with new love and respect. He found new friends at the church and began to pray and study his Bible each morning at 5:00 a.m. His wife said simply: “I have a new husband. My children have a new father.”

New Birth, described by Jesus is not a new and different experience added onto our old way of thinking and acting. We’ve had too much of that in our churches. People going through the motions of religion with no life changing reality in it. People who have learned to repeat the right words, take on new projects and behave the right way. But at the center of existence, in their deepest selves they remain untouched and unchanged. They have simply learned to cover up their old selves with church language. Churches are full of persons who are very religious people. They try to follow the rules, they want to make a difference. But all the rules, regulations, and rituals leave them cold.

Deep down they know there should be so much more. What many of us have never experienced is Grace. Many have never taken that next step and accepted a personal relationship with God through Christ.

Jesus was describing a new beginning. A new life made possible by the Grace of God. A person can be given new eyes, a new heart, a new outlook. Even though we say we’ve been born again we often fail to live up to that claim. We are sometimes unable to control our inner nature. We say things we know we shouldn’t say. We do things we know we shouldn’t do. We think the things we shouldn’t think.

This Lenten Season is a good opportunity for us to intentionally reflect on how far we have come and how far we still have to go in our relationship with Christ. We saw last week when Jesus was tempted by the enemy, Jesus used three resources to defeat the enemy. The spiritual tools at Jesus’ disposal are available to each of us today. The Power of the Holy Spirit. The written Word of God. The Bible. And prayer. If we would take advantage of these three resources and use them we would grow spiritually and be closer to Christ.

Only the Spirit of God can change us into children of God. Only God’s spirit gives us new life. Benjamin Franklin the great statesman and inventor was also a correspondent who received letters from famous people all over the world. One day a letter came across his desk from George Whitfield the well known English preacher. Whitfield wrote: “As you have made such progress in investigating the mysteries of electricity, I now humbly urge you to give diligent heed to the mystery of new birth.

It is a most important and interesting study and when mastered will richly repay you for your pains.” New birth is still important and interesting.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a Jewish leader. One night he went to Jesus and said: “We know God sent you.” Nicodemus was initially attracted to Jesus because of the miracles Jesus did. He wanted to know more and about Jesus and the doctrine he taught. Nicodemus was an important teacher among the Jews. He was greatly respected. As a Pharisee, Nicodemus lived by the strictest possible religious rules. I’ve always been fascinated that a member of the Who’s Who of Jerusalem would seek out Jesus who was a rustic, itinerant preacher. What could the two of them possibly have in common? Why would Nicodemus even care what Jesus thought or taught?

Nicodemus had impeccable credentials. He was a man of the highest moral character. He loved God and tried to serve God. He had a deep religious hunger. And yet Nicodemus was spiritually blind. Like many church members today, Nicodemus had never met God personally.

Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. Perhaps he wanted to have a quiet uninterrupted conversation with Jesus. Maybe he was ashamed or even fearful to be seen with Jesus in the daylight. Either way, Nicodemus came at night and he was still in the dark. This teacher knew what was recorded in the Bible but he did not understand the truth. He certainly didn’t know what Jesus was talking about. He thought only of physical birth. Again the situation is no different today. When we visit with people about being born again, they begin to discuss their families religious heritage, church membership, religious ceremonies and rules.

Jesus was not referring to rules but relationship. Jesus was saying through the Grace of God we may have a personal relationship with God. We may be born again. John used the word life 36 times in his Gospel. The opposite of life is death. The person who has not met Jesus Christ does not have God’s life. Eternal life in heaven and abundant life on earth. The only way to enter God’s family and to receive this new life is through new birth.

Birth involves a future. We are born again to a living hope. When we are burn into God’s family our sins are forgiven. We live with a hope we did not have before. Nicodemus must have been surprised and even shocked. He had been born into the Jewish faith. He was a part of the covenant people. Certainly he was better than the Gentiles or Samaritans. He was not only Jewish but was a strict Pharisee. It would make sense for Jesus to tell the Romans and sinners they needed to be born again but not a Jew like Nicodemus. And yet Jesus said: “You must be born again.” Not someone else but you. This spiritual birth cannot be manipulated or programed. It is a gift given in God’s own way and in God’s own time. An act of grace. It is as mysterious as the wind.

Perhaps the wind was blowing as they sat on the housetop conversing. The word wind in the Hebrew language is wind. Like the wind, the spirit is invisible but powerful. We cannot explain or predict the movements of the wind.

How could Nicodemus be a religious leader and teacher and not know these things? Nicodemus being a teacher was like the blind leading the blind. What Jesus shared with him was not sophisticated religious or philosophical doctrine. This was the basis ABC’s of the faith.

Many good people in our churches today are empty, greedy, and spiritually bankrupt. Life just isn’t happening for them. They have a nagging feeling that something vital and important is missing. We were created for a personal relationship with God. If we are not enjoying that relationship, that friendship we are empty inside.

When we come to God, God restores us to a place in His family. When we realize how impossible it is to live a good life without God, God encourages us by the Holy Spirit. When we are plunged into deep despair God lifts us from the pit. When w have poisoned ourselves with anger God sooted us with the power of His love. When we are broken hearted with grief God stands by us and holds our hands. When we have questioned God’s very existence God startled us with the evidence of His presence. When we fall back into destructive behavior God calls us back to reality. When we confess our sin with a broken heart, God hears our confession and washes us clean.

Born Again. We are overly familiar with the term. It was brand new for Nicodemus. He wondered how a person could be born a second time. How can anyone physically mature start over again in his mother’s womb? We cannot undo years of physical growth. It’s harder still in the moral and spiritual realm to start over. How can we start over and leave the mistakes of the past behind?

Jesus said: “It’s never too late to start over. So long as we are living it’s never too late. As God said way back in the Old Testament: “I know the plans I have for you. Plans to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) By inviting the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts. By reading and meditating on God’s Word in the Bible and with much prayer, we can be born again.

When we invite the Spirit He will move as the winds moves suddenly and unexpectedly.

We were created for so much more than religion and rules. We were created for a relationship with God. We will never be satisfied until we have experienced that which we were created to enjoy.