I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the Gospel according to John.
We've been going through the Gospel of John, but I'm going
to ask you to turn to chapter 3. John chapter 3. While you're
turning there, I'll tell you, prepared this morning, one of
the messages that I prepared was in the book of Proverbs.
We're going through Proverbs. And I prepared that message and got up this morning and truly
felt the leadership of the Lord to not preach out of Proverbs,
But to come back to John chapter 3, and I'll be honest with you,
scared me to death. It scared me. And I'm still there. Because when something happens
and it's not what we would call the ordinary,
You're taken back and you wonder. Think about that, Neil. You prepared
something. You get up one morning and all of a sudden... I pray God bless this message.
I'm going to preach a message that our Lord preached. So I
know it's right. I know the word is right. but
that the Lord would bless the message to me and to you. It is a message of absolute,
eternal consequences. May God have mercy upon our souls. John chapter 3, verse 7. Marvel not that I said unto thee,
ye, you, Nicodemus, must be born again. You. Our Lord is speaking to a man
who was a ruler of the Jews. Nicodemus was a man, the scripture
says in verse 2, that came to the Lord by night. And obviously he was thinking
that he was going to flatter the Lord. He said, Rabbi, we know that
thou art a teacher come from God. For no man can do these
miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." And the scripture appears that
the Lord ignored what he said. The Lord said in the next verse,
unto Nicodemus, Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, except a man be born again, born from above,
he cannot see the kingdom of God. Except a man is born anew, except
a man is born anew." Now, how gracious was our Lord to not
be silent to this ignorant Pharisee. He didn't know. He did not realize,
number one, the essence of the new birth, of the new creation,
being born again. The Lord answered a question
for this Pharisee that he didn't have sense enough to ask. No
man born in Adam even knows to ask. He doesn't know anything
about it. Except a man be rebirthed You cannot see the kingdom of
God. Now obviously our Lord is revealing
here that there is a birth that's coming to all men that's not
going to do a man any spiritual good. I look at Nicodemus coming to
the Lord and I think, what prevenient grace. Grace before grace. He was there. That's a miracle. Nobody else was recorded being
there, except Nicodemus. Why was he there? Well, obviously,
the Lord, who worketh all things after the counsel of His own
will, drew him there. The Lord spoke that which baffled
Nicodemus. And Nicodemus heard the Lord
speaking of the new birth, a new creation, having the impartation
of a new man into him. And Nicodemus said in verse 4, Can a man be born when he's old? Can he enter the second time
into his mother's womb and be born? You know, I read that again
and I thought, how quickly does the natural man attempt to explain
away the spiritual with his corrupt reasoning. The new birth? Born again? Born from above? A new man? You know, we're never to expect
freedom, totally freedom, from our old carnal objections. Because the old man is still
alive. He's there. The flesh, listen,
the flesh, this whole carnal nature, is the old man's residence. This is the old man's domain. And whenever the Lord imparts
a new heart and creates a new man, a battle ensues immediately. How can this be? How can this
be? A new man A new nature? A new creation? Created in righteousness
and holiness? How? How can that be? And I've
made this statement myself. I know what the scripture says. 1 John 3, 9. Listen to this.
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. For his seed, the Lord's seed,
remaineth in him, because he cannot see, because he's born
of God. Now, I'm going to be honest with
you. You ask me to say, well Marvin,
what part of that new man can you behold in yourself. Tell me when you have observed the new man, that new nature,
that new creation in you that did not sin. When did you see
it? I can't see it. I cannot see
it. But to say that He's not there
because I can't see Him is to call into question what
God Almighty has said is so. That which is born of God doth
not commit sin, but I can't see it. Well, let me just answer
that from the words of our Lord. Jot this one down, Luke 17, 20. The kingdom of God cometh not
with observation. I can't see it. I don't know
a believer that's ever seen himself and said, I've beheld holiness
totally in my actions. No, you haven't. But I'll tell
you this. to say that it's not so because
I can't see it? This new creation, being born
from above, no man can explain this. 1 Corinthians 2.11, the
things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. How can I say are calling to
question God's revelation of what he's done in his people
and say, I can't see it. Now, I'll agree this, the marvel,
the wonder of that new birth to a believer, it is evidenced
somewhat to him. But I see through a glass darkly I know in part, I prophesy in
part, but there are some effects of that new birth that is visible,
that is evident. I'll tell you this, when a man,
a woman is born again of the Spirit, and he must be, you must
be born again. Who must be born again? The Lord
said you, you must be born again. And he was talking to a man.
He was talking to Nicodemus. He said, don't marvel that I
said to you. You, you! You're a man, Nicodemus,
and I'm telling you, you! You were born once, but I'm telling
you, Nicodemus, you must be born again, or you'll never see the
kingdom of heaven. when that new birth is brought
about, I'll tell you what happens. And a believer will admit, there's
a lot of things I don't understand, but I'll tell you one thing I
do understand. I'm going to say like Peter said, Lord, you know
all things. You know I love you. I don't love you as I ought,
but you know this, I love you. Well, why don't you explain to
me, Marvin, the differentiation between that part that loves
Him. I can't. I can't. But I'm telling you
there's a man within a believer that loves the Lord. There's
a man within a believer, a new man, that loves God. And I'll tell you another thing.
He said, my sheep, they hear my voice. What man hears that voice? The
old man? No, the hearing ear, the seeing
eye, both of them is of the Lord. There's a new creation. There's an affection in that
soul. I want to follow Him. He said,
my sheep hear my voice. I know they follow me. Lord, help me. I cannot, I cannot
follow after what everybody else wants me to do. Why? Because I've got one that
I want to follow. Lord, what would you? That's
what Saul of Tarsus said. Lord, what would you have me
to do? Not my Pharisee buddies. Not
those that I'm going to take them and, Lord, what would you
have me to do? That's the only thing that matters.
There is a new desire. Because I know and I believe
that, Lord, You're the way. You're the truth and You're the
life. And there's a new man that loves that which the old man
hates, the carnal heart. There's an old man, and that
heart is enmity against God. And it never changes. You think,
well, somehow, maybe the Spirit of God influenced that old heart.
What? That which is flesh, Nicodemus,
is flesh. And it'll never be anything other
than flesh. It never changes. That's the
old man that Paul said, old wretched man, that I am. Who shall deliver
me? Who, Paul? The new man. Who shall
deliver me from the body of this death? That new man believes that Jesus
is the Christ. You're the Messiah. You're the
Son of the Living God. You're the One coming to flesh
according to God's everlasting covenant of grace to seek and
to save your people. All that we're giving you from
before the foundation of the world by God's election. That's who you are. Will you
go away? Will you leave? Lord, where am
I going to go? You have the words of eternal
life. Have I been born from above? Now listen, when the Lord said,
you, Nicodemus, you, Nicodemus, you, Nicodemus, must be born
again. He was telling him, Nicodemus,
there's got to be a new man there. You must be born. Now again, I'm going to give
you nine quick points concerning the new birth. Before it occurs,
number one, men are ignorant of it. Was Nicodemus aware of it before
the Lord revealed it to him? How? How? How can a man be born
when he's old? He did not understand the nature
of the new birth. There is a new creation, Nicodemus,
that must take place. There's a new man that must be
imparted. Listen to this concerning the
ignorance. 1 Corinthians. I'll read you
this. 1 Corinthians. 2.14. The natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God. The Lord says you must be born
again. And let me tell you what the
natural man says. That's foolishness. That's foolishness. The natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. The Lord
told Nicodemus, you must be born again. Nicodemus says, there's
got to be a new man in you, born from above. And the old man says, that's
foolishness. I don't see that. I don't see that in me. Well, then I'm going to say one
thing. Let God be true, and you're a liar. Neither can he know them because
they're spiritually discerned. Number two, it's not within the
power of a man to initiate or accomplish the new birth. John 1.13, it says, which were
born, not of blood, if the Lord has shown mercy to
me, That doesn't mean my kids are going to be believers. Not
necessarily. Not just because I was a believer. Not of blood. Nor the will of
the flesh. I want the Lord to save my kids.
I want Him. I desire to. My grandchildren.
I want Him to. We've got 14 grandchildren. One
great. As far as I know, concerning
my grandchildren, that I know of. I pray God have
mercy on my 13 others. But unless the Lord shows them
mercy and creates life in them, they're going to perish. Nor the will of man, which were
born, not of blood, nor the will of flesh, nor the will of man, You say a man can exercise his
free will. What will? What will? What will? But of God. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it's a gift of God. For we, that
new man, are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto
good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in them. He's talking about people. Number three, the means of the
new birth. It's through the preaching of the gospel. This is the only
way. This is the only message. This
is the only message that God blesses. I've read this so many
times. Let's do it again. Romans 1 16.
Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it
is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believe it.
James 1.18, of his own will begat he us with the word of truth
that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. Number four, the evidence of
the new birth is faith in Christ according to the Father's record
of him. as His people's Redeemer, and
Substitute, and Savior. Matthew 16, verse 13. When Jesus came into the coast
of Caesarea of Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do
men say that I, the Son of Man, am? They said, some say that
thou art John the Baptist, some say Elias, others Jeremiah, or
one of the prophets. And he saith unto them, Whom
say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and
said, Thou art the Christ, you're the Messiah. You're God and man. When we see the word, the title
Christ, that means that you're the God-man. You're God in human
flesh. the Son of the Living God. Number
five, the new birth is by irresistible grace. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. And him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. Thy people. Who are these people? Thy people.
I'll tell you who they are. These are the ones that Almighty
God gave the Lord before the foundation of the world. These
are the ones that Christ prayed for and died for. These are the
sheep of His pasture. These are His flock. This is
His bride. These are His elect. These are
the ones that God selected out of every nation, kindred, tribe,
and tongue. Not because of what He saw in
them. He looked down and saw something
good in them. No, He didn't. Go back and read
Psalm 14. God looked. And this is how many
were good. None of them. None of them. They're all gone out of the way.
They're all filled. All of them. But by discriminating grace,
the potter has the right to choose one vessel under honor and leave
another vessel to himself. Does he have that right? Yes,
he does. Let me tell you what's going to happen. Thy people shall
be willing in the day of thy power." Whenever Almighty God
comes in distinguishing grace through the preaching of the
gospel and says to that one, live. Life is imparted and that person
lives. Number six, the new birth is
instantaneous. It's according to God's timing. I just quoted this one, Ezekiel
16. When I passed by thee and saw
thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee, when thou wast
in thy blood, live. Yea, I said unto thee, when thou
wast in thy blood, you were dead. You were dead. And I passed by, and I spoke
to you. Life. And you lived. You came forth. Acts 16, 14,
a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city
of Thyatira, which worshipped God as far as she knew God. Everybody and their brother knows
that there's a God. Everybody knows that there is
a God. Demons know there's a God. Paul walked through this town,
came to Mars Hill, and he saw these statues all over the place,
and he saw this one, and it says, to the unknown God. Paul said,
this is the God I'm going to tell you about, the God you don't
know. I'm going to tell you who God is. Here was Lydia and she worshipped
God. For she knew whose heart the
Lord opened. And she attended unto the things
which were spoken of Paul. What happened to her? The Lord
birthed her again. Gave her a new heart. He gave
her life. He gave her eyes to see and ears
to hear and a mouth and a heart that loved Him. And she attended
and she said, I've never heard it like that before. Nobody ever
told me about God. Number seven, the new birth is
a complete work. Colossians 2, 9 and 10, for in
him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you're
complete in him which is the head of all principality and
power. And I'll tell you this, concerning
the new birth, the Lord gets all the honor, and all the glory,
and all the praise, and we don't get any. Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2, verse 7. But God, who is rich in mercy
for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, by grace
He has saved us, and has raised us up together. and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ that in the ages to come
He might show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness
toward us through Christ Jesus. Paul is talking about somebody.
He is talking about us. He is talking about God's people.
He is talking about that new man, that man born from above. There's a new man there. And lastly, it's an eternal work. My sheep hear my voice, I know
them, they follow me, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Who? The new man. That new creation. Neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand." In closing, I'm going to read
a passage that I quote often. Ezekiel 36. Here is the, if you
want to know, it just comes right down. This is where the paddle
meets the water, right here. This is where the rubber meets
the road, right here. It's right here. Ezekiel 36, 26, 27. Now you listen to the wording
of the Spirit of God. A new heart also will I give
you. And a new spirit will I put within
you. Now this is not a reworking of
the old man. It's not a, you know, it's not
something that the Spirit of God kinda, you know, speaks with
and fellowships with the old man. That old man is going to
be done away with. He's been dethroned now. And
Paul the Apostle says, under the Spirit of God, there's going
to come a time when Almighty God is going to separate me from
the body of this death right here. That old man is going to
be put away. And here is the new man. Here's the importation of a new
man. It's a new heart will I give you, new spirit will I put with
you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh. I will
give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you
and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments
and do them. God is speaking to somebody. He's talking To those that He
has created, birthed again, there's a new man. And that new man is
the one that knows God, and does not sin, and loves the Lord,
and hears His voice, and follows Him. And the Lord said, I've
always loved you. I've always loved you. You are
the flock of my pasture. And it's my will that where I
am, that's where you're going to be too. There's going to be some new
creatures in heaven. There's some already there. But
there's going to be a fullness. Lord, teach me something of this
great mystery, for Christ's sake. Amen. Let's take a minute.