Born of the Spirit

6 June 2012

Opening Prayer/Worship

Hymn: Spirit divine, attend our prayers

Theme: Be filled with the Holy Spirit

Topic: Born of the Spirit

Reading: John 3:1-17

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.²He came to Jesus^* by night and 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.’³Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’^*4Nicodemus 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?’⁵Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.⁶What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.^*7Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You^* must be born from above.”^*8The 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.’⁹Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’¹⁰Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹ ‘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.¹²If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?¹³No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.^*14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.^{* 16} ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ¹⁷ ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Introduction

One of the major highlights of Nicodemus’ visit to Christ at night is the popular statement of the Lord Jesus: you must be born again. Just like Nicodemus, most people, myself included, had at some point misunderstood what Jesus was saying. The misconception varies very widely, from Nicodemus who asked how an individual can re-enter the mother’s womb to be born a second time, to some who think being born again is about doing the ‘right things’. To be born of the Spirit is to be transformed from the love of self to the love of God and other people. It is spiritual transformation that becomes evident in the life of the believer. Jesus Christ is God incarnate. His mission was to experience our pains, sufferings and death with the ultimate goal of saving us from sin, sickness, satanic attacks and the fear of death. He came, died and rose again; paying the price for our sins and reconnecting us with God our Maker. To live a victorious Christian life, we all need Christ, and this is only possible through accepting Him as our personal Lord and Savior. Then the Holy Spirit will fill us, and transform us into being like Christ. We become born again, not because of what we have done but because of what God has done for us in Christ.

Questions/Discussion

1. What experience can you liken to being born of the Spirit?

John 3:3-15, 14:15-20

Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’^*4Nicodemus 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?’⁵Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.⁶What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.^*7Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You^* must be born from above.”^*8The 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.’⁹Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’¹⁰Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹ ‘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.¹²If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?¹³No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.^*14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.^*

14:15-20

‘If you love me, you will keep^* my commandments.¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,^* to be with you for ever.¹⁷This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in^* you. ¹⁸ ‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.¹⁹In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.²⁰On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

2. How many times can someone be born again?

Romans 8:5-17

⁵For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit^* set their minds on the things of the Spirit.^*6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit^* is life and peace.⁷For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot,⁸and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit,^* since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.¹⁰But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit^* is life because of righteousness.¹¹If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ^* from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through^* his Spirit that dwells in you. ¹² So then, brothers and sisters,^* we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—¹³for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.¹⁵For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba!^* Father!’¹⁶it is that very Spirit bearing witness^* with our spirit that we are children of God,¹⁷and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

2 Corinthians 1:18-22

As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been ‘Yes and No.’¹⁹For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not ‘Yes and No’; but in him it is always ‘Yes.’²⁰For in him every one of God’s promises is a ‘Yes.’ For this reason it is through him that we say the ‘Amen’, to the glory of God.²¹But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us,²²by putting his seal on us and giving us his Spirit in our hearts as a first instalment.

3. What are the practical implications of being born again?

1 Corinthians 2:9-16

⁹But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him’—¹⁰these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.¹¹For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God.¹²Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.¹³And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual.^{* 14} Those who are unspiritual^* do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are discerned spiritually.¹⁵Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny. ¹⁶ ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-10

We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly³remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.⁴For we know, brothers and sisters^* beloved by God, that he has chosen you,⁵because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of people we proved to be among you for your sake.⁶And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit,⁷so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.⁸For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place where your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it.⁹For the people of those regions^* report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,¹⁰and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

Intercession/Worship

Conclusion

The ‘born again’ experience comes from God through belief in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, let us live as God’s chosen; called out from darkness into the marvelous light of Christ.

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for the indwelling and cleansing power of Your Holy Spirit. Fill us everyday with Your Spirit for Your purpose here on earth. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.