to open our Bibles to John chapter
3. We have been, in our Sunday school
classes, studying the book of John for several months. And in the last few weeks, we've
been closely observing the ministry of our Master just hours before
the cross, and how important it is, how very important it
is, if we desire to be good witnesses of Christ, good preachers of
the gospel, how important it is for us to study the ministry
of the Master. One thing stands out prominently
and especially in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our
Lord always met people where they were and as they were. He didn't deal with everybody
the same way, with the same words. You'll note that in our Lord
ministering and preaching and dealing with individuals. Someone
said he didn't give all sick people the same pill. To the Samaritan woman, for example,
he talked about living water. He talked about her lifestyle.
He talked about her false worship. But to the rich young ruler,
he didn't mention any of these things. He talked about the law. exposing, revealing this young
man's idols, and covetousness, and his self-love, and his lack
of compassion for others, and his total ignorance of God. To
the Pharisees, our Lord talked about hypocrisy. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees,
you hypocrites! He talked to them about their
efforts to appear righteous before men, while within they were full
of extortion and excess. To the man with the sick child,
he talked about faith, just believing. The man said to him, Lord, if
you can do anything, help my child. And our Lord said, well,
if you can believe, all things are possible to them that believe.
So our Lord dealt with men where they were. Where they were. He knew where they were. We must
pray for divine wisdom and guidance. You may be thinking, well, the
gospel of Christ is the same. That's true. We preach the same
gospel. The message of salvation is the
same to everyone. This is the record. God hath
given us eternal life, and this life's in His Son. And he that
hath the Son of God hath life, and he that hath not the Son
of God, whomever he may be, hath not life. That's so. If we, whomever
we are, if we shall confess Jesus to be Lord and believe in our
hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we'll be saved. For
with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation. But my friends,
while every man's guilt is the same, every man's interest in
mercy is not the same. Every man's guilt is the same,
but every man's interest is not the same. When our Lord died
on the cross, there were two thieves. One of them had no interest
in mercy. He had an interest in living.
He said to the Lord, if you be the Christ, save yourself and
us. But the other one said, don't you fear God? Seeing you're in
the same condemnation, we indeed justly, Lord, remember me. Same guilt, but coming from two
different directions. You don't deal with those two
men the same. Every man's state of ruin is
the same, but every man's knowledge of that ruin is not the same.
Two men came to the temple to pray. If you were going to preach
to those two men, would you say the same thing? One of them was
a Pharisee who stood down here and said, I thank you, Lord,
I'm not a sinner. I'm not like other men. I'm a
good man. I tithe and fast and give alms
to the poor. The other man stood back there
and said, Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner. They need the same
gospel. They need the same redemption.
But you don't start in the same place. They have a total different idea
about what mercy is and what grace is. A total different attitude
toward sin and toward ruin. Every man's need is the same.
Every man's need is the same, but every man's point of rebellion
is not the same. Zacchaeus was rebelling against
the law. He was a publican, a tax collector,
a thief, going against what he knew was right and what was wrong.
He was practicing. Saul of Tarsus was a religious
man. He didn't hate the law. He said
he loved the law, but he hated Christ. Hated Christ. So we got to learn, got to have
some wisdom. some wisdom in this matter of
preaching and witnessing. I want you to look at this man in the
text. We're going to look at him today a little bit. What's
so important about this man is the fact that he's so much like
men and women today. So much like men and women today. Let's read the first two verses. There was a man of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus. He was a ruler of the Jews, held
high office in the synagogue. The same came to Jesus by night
and said unto Him, Teacher, Master, 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 what about this man? Well,
he was very religious. Very religious. One thing you
can say about Ashton, Kentucky, Boyd County, in the tri-state
area, it is very religious. Very, very religious. This man
was educated. Our people are educated. This
man was schooled in his religion. People are knowledgeable about
their religion. This man was a Pharisee. held
high office. He was a ruler. People who are
holding high office in churches, hundreds of churches all over
this area, like this man, religious, moral, educated, knowledgeable
about his religion, holding high office, a ruler. Second thing
about him, he felt like he knew something. Now he's standing face to face
with the Lord Jesus Christ. Son of God and God the Son. And
he starts out this way, Master, I know. I know. I want you to look at
me. I know something. In matters of religion, I know. My doorbell rang last night as
yours rings many times. I walked to the door and there
stood two very handsome young men, but neither over 21 or 22. Dressed up in their white shirts
and dark trousers and dark ties and their hair slicked back with
their religious books. Just out of high school, maybe
three years. And they said, we want to come
to you, into your house and talk to you about the Book of Mormon.
We know. I said, thank you, I'm just not
interested. Well, are you familiar with the
teachings of this book? Well, yes, yes, unfortunately
I am. They know. You know, the Scripture
says, if a man thinks he knows, he knows not as he ought to know.
But this Nicodemus, he's just like folks today. He's religious, he holds office,
and he knows. And let me show you the next
thing about him. Teacher, master, we know that your teacher comes
from God. How does he know who comes from
God and who doesn't? What does he talk about? Let
this man know about God. He's so arrogant. He thinks he
knows God. He thinks he knows who God sends
and who God doesn't send. What God's going to do and what
God's not going to do. Who comes from God and who doesn't
come from God. Now we know that you come from
God. We will acknowledge the fact
that you come from God. That's sad. So sad. What can you do for someone
who already knows? You say, well, you ought to invite
those boys in. They already know. They don't want to know anything
I have to say. They already know. They know
who comes from God and who doesn't come from God. And notice the
next thing about Nicodemus. He said, we know your teaching
comes from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest
except God be with him. He was impressed by what he saw. This is one of the greatest curses
upon religion today. Men are impressed not by what
they hear, but what they see. Now think about that a minute.
Miracles, signs, and wonders. I'm impressed by your miracles.
I'm not impressed by anything you've said. I'm not impressed by the Scriptures
that you've taught. I am impressed by what you've
done. The miracles. You see that, John,
what I'm talking about? Have you seen the crowds of that
fellow that go hear that thing? Have you seen the miracles that
have been performed? Have you seen the wheelchairs
that are flying in the air and the crutches and these things?
I'm impressed. Have you seen the football stadiums
packed? and the big choirs and the hundreds
of churches cooperating in these great city-wide meetings, what
did you hear? I know what you saw. What did you hear? What did God do in your heart?
What did He say about the Scriptures? The books don't judge us. My word, He said, will judge
you. And this man stands in front
of our Lord and he says, Master, we know, we know you've
come from God because we're impressed by what you've done. The miracles, the miracles. And our Lord plainly said by
John 2, many believed on Him because of the miracles which
He did, and He would not reveal Himself unto them because He
knew what was in them. Impressed by what they saw. Verse 3, and Jesus answered. Now listen, He answered him. He answered him and said unto
him, Truly, truly, I say unto you, except a man be born again,
he cannot discern, understand, see the kingdom of God." Our Lord seemingly ignored these
words flowing from this man's lips. And with startling, startling
abruptness, He said, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
except the man be born again." He cannot see, understand the
Kingdom of God. Many people see no connection
between what Nicodemus said and what Christ replied. I do. I see Christ did answer him. It says He answered him in fact.
Nicodemus said, Master, I know. Your teacher come from God. I've
seen these miracles that you've done. No man could do these things
except God be with him. And our Lord answered him. And
he said, Nicodemus, except a man born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God. The key here, the clue is this.
What did Nicodemus call the Lord Jesus? Teacher. Teacher. Nicodemus called him
a teacher. And it's not a teacher that this
sinner needs. It's a savior. It's not a teacher this man needs. A sinner does not first approach
Christ as a teacher. He approaches Christ, whether
he's in religion or the world, as a life giver, as a savior. Not a teacher. Of what value
is a teacher to a dead man? He's got to have a life. Of what value is a teacher to
a deaf man? Of what value is a teacher to
a person who has no understanding? And so the Lord looked at him
standing there, this educated, religious, moral, proud man who
came sneaking by night for fear of the Jews and wanted to discuss
religion with a teacher. And our Lord said, you don't
know anything to discuss. You're dead. You're lifeless. You need life. You've got to
be born again, Nicodemus. A saved man, such as you, a regenerated
woman, a man, alive to God, is a fit subject for teaching. That's
what I'm doing this morning here mainly, is teaching. But the natural man's got to
have ears in order to be taught. He's got to have a heart of life
in order to understand. He's got to be given eyes to
see. Nicodemus, a man can't see or
understand or be taught unless he's born again. He answered
him, didn't he? He dealt with his subject. He
knew where he was coming from the teachers of no value to a
dead man. Turn to Matthew 13. Listen to
our Lord over here. Matthew 13. Oh, how vital are
these words. Matthew 13, verse 13. Our Lord said in Matthew 13,
verse 13, Therefore speak out to them in parables, stories,
because they seeing See not. And hearing, they hear not. And
neither do they understand. Teaching. In them is fulfilled
the prophecy of Isaiah, which said, By hearing you shall hear
and not understand, and seeing you shall see and not ready to
perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears
are dull of hearing. And their eyes they have closed,
lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear
with their ears, and should understand with their heart, should be converted,
and I should heal them. And then he says to the disciples,
but blessed are your eyes, they see, and your ears, they hear. Proverbs says, the seeing eye
and the hearing ears of the Lord. So our Lord set forth for Nicodemus
here in verse 3, the one thing absolutely needful. If this man
would be taught anything spiritual, he must have life. Spiritual
life. Alright, verse 4. Nicodemus replied,
and his reply is a clear confirmation that he had no spiritual understanding. Out of the heart, the mouth speaks.
And listen to what he says. Here's a clear confirmation of
the fact that he doesn't know anything about God's kingdom,
or about salvation, or about what our Lord is talking
about. Verse 4, Nicodemus said, then he went, How can a man be
born when he's old? Can he enter the second time
into his mother's womb and be born? My friends, the new birth is
not the sinner doing anything. How can a man be born? Can he
do this and he do that? This new birth is not the sinner
doing anything. It's the work of God. Turn back
to John 1. The new birth is not the work
of the sinner, it's the work of God. John 1 verse 12, But
as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born,
not of blood, that is, not of natural generation or ancestry
or heritage, not of the will of the flesh or the will of man. but born of God. This new birth, this is the work
of God. Nicodemus is talking about how
can a sinner be born when he's old? What can he do? He doesn't
do anything. You have no more to do with the
new birth than you did the first birth. You didn't have a thing in the
world to do with your first birth, and you don't have a thing in
the world to do with this new birth. The sinner doesn't do
anything. The new birth is not the changing
of anything, physical or fleshly, in the old man. It's the creation
of a new man. If any man be in Christ, he's
not the old man made over, the old man reconditioned, the old
man reformed, it's a new man. A new man. A new creature. And then the new birth is not
the changing of the old nature, it's the implantation of a divine
nature, of a new nature. Let me show you something. Turn
to 2 Peter 1, 4. 2 Peter 1, 4. The old man has to be crucified
daily. We've got a new man. The old
nature is flesh, the new nature is spirit. The old nature is evil, and it
doesn't change. It is not reformed. This is a
new heart, new nature. 2 Peter 1, 4, "...whereby are
given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by
these ye might be partakers of the divine nature born of God."
having escaped the corruptions that is in the world through
lust, a divine nature. The new birth is not the changing
of the old man. It's the creation of a new man.
I want you to look at Ezekiel 36. Ezekiel 36. And he talks
about this. Regeneration, this new birth
in Ezekiel 36, verse 25. Listen. Then will I sprinkle
clean water upon you, and you shall be clean. Ezekiel 36, 25. From all your filthiness, from
all your idols will I cleanse you. And a new heart also will
I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. I'll take
away the stony heart out of your flesh. I'll give you a heart
of flesh and I'll put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk
in my statutes and you'll keep my judgments and do them. This
is the work that God does. John, over in 1 John, there's
something I'd like for you to look at. You hear people today talk about
the new birth as if it's something
that the sinner does for himself or in cooperation with God. But
the new birth is completely and totally and wholly the work of
God. Regeneration is by the Spirit of God. In 1 John 4, look at
this, verse 7. 1 John 4, 7. Beloved, let us love
one another, for love is of God. And everyone that loveth is born
of God and knows God. Now, he's not born because he
loves. He loves because he's born of
God, you see. The love is the result of the
birth. The birth is not the result of the love. Now, look at 1 John
5, verse 1. Whosoever believes that Jesus
is the Christ, he will be born of God. No sir, he is born of
God. The birth is not because a man
believes, a man believes because he's born. A baby cries because
he's alive. He's not alive because he cries.
When a doctor delivers a baby and the baby cries, that's a
sign he's alive. And that's the same thing with
believing Loving and repenting and trusting and resting and
looking. You can't look until you've got
eyes. You can't love until you've got
a heart. So that's what our Lord said. Nicodemus, he's saying,
what am I supposed to do? Well, look at verse 5. Jesus answered, very, very nicely
unto you, except the man be born of water. Now that word, that's
the Word, born of the Word of God. The water is the Word of
God and of the Spirit. There are three that bear record
in heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And there
are three that bear record on earth, the Spirit, and the water,
the Word, and the blood. And a man is born again of water
and of the Spirit. And until he's born again, he
cannot enter the kingdom of God. Now, I cannot explain how God
can become a man. And I cannot explain how a man
becomes a partaker of the divine nature. And I'm saying it takes
the same power to make a man a son of God as it did to make
God a son of man. Same power. And our Lord says
here that this new birth, and our Lord Jesus Christ was born
of a woman, the seed of woman. The Son of God became the Son
of Man by birth, a body thus prepared, made of a woman, made
under the law. He came forth the seed of woman. And when we come forth as sons
of God, there's a seed, and that's the Word. And there's power,
that's the Spirit. And I want to show you some Scripture
now. Let's turn to these Scriptures. Psalm 119, verse 50. Psalm 119,
verse 50. Now listen, there's always present
two things when a person is born again. And that's the Word and
the Spirit of God. Born of the water and the Spirit.
Psalm 119, verse 50. This is my comfort. in my affliction,
for thy word hath quickened me." Thy word hath quickened me, made
me alive. All right, 1 Corinthians 4, verse
15. I want you to look at these scriptures. 1 Corinthians 4, verse 15. For though you have ten thousand
instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers? For in
Jesus Christ I have begotten you through the gospel." I have begotten you through the
gospel. All right, James 1, 18. James 1, verse 18. What we've been saying, James
1, verse 18, of His own will, this regeneration, quickening,
awakening, giving of a new heart, new spirit, new nature, life
is by God and God alone. The sinner does not have anything
to do with his second birth anymore than his first birth. Of His
own will begat. born, birthed, begotten, He us,
with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits
of His creature. With the Word of Truth. 1 Peter
1. 1 Peter 1. 23. Even when our Lord came into
this world, He didn't ride a horse down here. He didn't just suddenly
fall out of the sky. He was born of a woman. There
was seed, the seed of woman. There was birth. That's the way
God works. That's the way He does things.
And when you're born, there's a seed and there's a spirit,
there's a power. 1 Peter 1.23, being born again. Not of corruptible seed. Anybody
who knows anything about the Word knows that that Word is
semen, not a corruptible semen, not of man's doings. But you're
born of incorruptible seed by the Word of God, by the Word
of God which liveth and abideth forever. And then John 6, back to the
book of John, chapter 6, verse 63. John 6, verse 63. It is the spirit that quickeneth,
the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they're spirit, they're life. So as I said to you a moment
ago, I've read over and over again about begatting and birth
and all of these things and all the different theories Things
people hold through the years. But I'm telling you, what this
book says, when a man's born again, there's the Word. The
Word of God. And there's the Spirit of God.
And that miraculous birth takes place by the water and the Spirit. And that's what our Lord said
to Nicodemus. The Word and the Spirit. And Nicodemus is talking
about what he saw, and the miracles, and all these things. Here's
what's important, what you hear, and how you hear it, and where
you hear it, and by whose power you hear it. All right, verse
6, our Lord said, Nicodemus, that which is born of the flesh
is flesh. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh. Nothing more than flesh. In the flesh, well, it's no good
thing. I know we love our children, and our neighbors, and our friends,
and our parents, but there is none good, no not
one. They are not good. In the flesh dwelleth no good
thing. If they are born of a woman,
And they've never been born of God, or born from above, or born
of the Word, or born of the Spirit, or regenerated, or born again,
or given the nature and life of God. They're flesh. And in
the flesh, no man can please God. That's just a fact. That's
just so. Nicodemus, that which is born
of the flesh, is flesh. And listen, flesh and blood will
never inherit the Kingdom of God. That's what the Word says.
But I'm telling you, she's been such a good mother. Doris Mahan
is one of the finest mothers in this world. But if she's not
born again, she's lost. And I picked her out because
I know her. And I know the rest of you good mothers. You're sweethearts. You're wonderful. But I'm telling
you, you must be born again. God's got to do something for
us spiritually. And you're good daddies. Good
daddies. And fine citizens and honest
men. God bless you. But you've got
to be born again now. If you're not born again, you're
lost. In the flesh, that which is born of the flesh is flesh.
You can't make anything else out of it now. Tries you make,
The flesh and blood is not going to inherit the kingdom of God.
And he says, listen, that which is born of the Spirit is spiritual. That's just so. That new heart,
that new nature, that new person which is born of the Spirit is
spiritual. It's the divine nature. It's
the nature of God. And the conflict within us, Paul
talks about it in Romans 7. I love the law of God, but I
see another nature, another person roaring against the law of my
mind, bringing me into captivity. Oh, wretched man that I am! Who
shall deliver me from this body of flesh, this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ
the Lord. So then with this new heart and
new nature and new spirit, I serve the law of God and the Word of
God. With the flesh, I battle against sin, don't you? The same
old things that have plagued you through the years, you just
fight. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh, and there's just one destination for it, and that's
the grave. And that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
And when a man dies, the body goes back to the grave, the earth
from which it came. And the Spirit, listen, to God
who gave it, who put it in you. One day, didn't He? We were cantankerous, contrary,
and rebellious. And one day, He came and quickened
us, made us alive. And one day we'll put aside that
old self and the Spirit to God who gave it. Didn't sell it. Didn't lend it. Gave it. His Spirit is worth it. Don't be amazed, Nicodemus, that
I said to you, you must be born again. I'll give you quickly
three reasons why. His elect must be born again
because of our fallen nature. Brother Barnard said one time,
if God let natural men in heaven, they'd be digging up the gold,
trying to sell it, the streaks of gold. They'd be stealing the
diamonds out of the walls. They'd be bartering, trying to
see how they could get a hold on things, you know, and promote
something better. Got to lay aside this old nature. Got to
be born again. Secondly, not only because of
our fallen nature, but because of the nature of heaven. God
dwells in a light to which no man can approach. We've got to
have that light in us. And thirdly, because God Almighty
has ordained a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness. And then our Lord says, He illustrates
this new birth. You listen now. Don't leave me
yet. He says that this new birth is
like a mighty wind. And that mighty wind blows where
it listed, right in there that pleases, desires. It blows where
it pleases, where it desires. And you hear the sound of the
wind. You can't tell whence it's coming.
And you can't tell where it's going. And so is everyone that's
born of the Spirit. The wind is invisible, isn't
it? You can't see it. You can't see
the wind, but you can see the effects of it. You can't see
the wind, but you can hear the sound. You can hear the sound. Blessed
are your ears, they hear, you say. And your eyes, they see. The Spirit of God is invisible.
We can't see Him. We can see the effects of Him,
where He's been. You can't see Him, but you can
hear the effects. And then secondly, the wind is
sovereign. We don't control it. The wind blows where it pleases,
and God does what He pleases. Moses said show me your glory.
He said I'll be merciful to whom I will be merciful The Lord does
it what he pleases in heaven earth and the seas and all deep
places like the wind It's invisible but the wind blows where it pleases and Then thirdly the winds invincible
oh You may resist it for a while, but the one the wind is strong
and powerful, and blows with a purpose. It'll sweep everything
before. There is no resisting God. Not permanently. Not permanently. The walls of Jericho must come
down. Adam, when God made him, he breathed
into him, what? The breath of life. And he became
a living soul. I want you to turn to this Scripture
in Ezekiel, chapter 37, when Ezekiel had preached to the dry
bones, and they stood a mighty army, but there was no life in
them, no breath. They stood flesh on bones, a
mighty army. In verse 7, Ezekiel 37, verse
7, So I prophesied as I was commanded,
and as I prophesied, as I preached, there was a noise, and behold,
a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And
when I beheld, lo, the sinners and flesh came upon them, and
the skin covered them, and there was no breath in them. Then said
He unto me, Prophesy unto the wind." What did our Lord say? The wind. The wind is invisible. Those were enlisted. You cannot
see it. Sovereign. It's irresistible.
Prophesy to the wind. Prophesy, son of man, and say
to the breath, in your margin there, in the word breath there,
the breath of God, the breath of life, say to the breath, thus
saith the Lord God, come upon, come from the four winds, O breath,
and breathe upon these slain that they may live. So I prophesied
as He commanded me, and the breath, came into them, and they lived.
And they stood up upon their feet, a great army. That's what our Lord's talking
to Nicodemus about. Breath of life. What's a teacher? Of what value
is a teacher to a dead man? You've got to be born again.
Born from above. Born of the Spirit, born of the
Word, preach to them. Oh breath of God, blow upon these
flames. Blow upon them. And the breath
of God came, and they lived, and they stood up a mighty army. Now, give them instruction. Tell them where to march. Tell
them where to go. Tell them how to fight. They'll
hear you. They got ears.