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Have You been raised from the dead?
Daniel Patz, Lead Pastor Grace Church, Sunday Worship John 3:1-8 April 12th, 2009 (Easter Sunday)
Here we read
the story of Jesus’ appearance to his disciples after the
resurrection. Jesus has been raised from the dead. Paul says in 1
Cor. 15 that He is the cause and the firstfruits of many others who
will some day be raised from the dead. This is truly a transforming
truth.
What I am
talking about is what the Bible calls “the new birth.” It is also
called “regeneration.” Just like the
resurrection was clearly the work of God. So the
resurrection of the soul now is the work of God and is called the
new birth or being born again. What is this
resurrection now?
“It is the work of God
in a person that has profound lasting results because spiritual life
is imparted by God through the Holy Spirit.” Has God come
upon you and transformed you so that you can say – “I am a new
creation”? (2 Cor. 5:17)
2.
You may say –
WHY DO YOU ASK?
(Or what is the significance of this reality for me today?) You need to be
born again more than your body needs the central nervous system of
your body. You need to be
born again more than any other thing. Please be alert – this may
save your soul today!
3.
WHO HAS RECEIVED THIS RESURRECTED LIFE?
(Who
has been born again?) FALSE
ASSURANCES:
(Let me begin
by undermining any false peace): Far too many
people are religious and church goers or call themselves
“Christians” but are less born again than a statue is physically
alive.
§
Baptism – Baptism is important and biblical – it is a sign of true faith. It is
what a believer does after they have been born again – it points to
the new birth. But if you have been baptized as a baby or as an
adult it is no more a true evidence of the new birth than a wicked
ritual if there is not something else. We read in Acts that Simon in
Acts was baptized but he was fake.
§
Conversion
Experience or Decision for Christ
– There are probably more lost people in this world who are falsely
assured that they are saved because they prayed a prayer when they
were young (or older) and they are looking to what they think is the
sincerity of that prayer. The pastor told them that they were saved
(and had not business to do so) but they only made a decision.
Nowhere are we called to pray a prayer; ask Jesus in our hearts;
etc. Some are saved at those times but so many just did a ritual.
They didn’t want to go to hell, they were manipulated by the
preacher, they thought heaven was a good idea, they wanted to please
someone, they felt guilty but they were not truly getting saved. You
may be saved because you prayed a prayer and signed a decision slip
or went forward at a church service or vbs but that is no solid
assurance that you are born again.
(Matthew 7:21
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord,
Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the
will of my Father who is in heaven.)
§
Participating
in ministries connected to Christ
– The fact you come to church and like to be at church or to do
church work (nursery, Sunday school, vbs, volunteer work, etc) is
not true sign of the new birth. If that is your assurance, it is a
false assurance. (Matthew
7:22-23
On that day many will say to me, 'Lord,
Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your
name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
(23)
And then will I declare to them, 'I
never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.')
§
Moral
Reformation, Good Works and Religious Language
– If you managed to get sober or started changing your habits – I am
thrilled for you but, it may be the work of God in your life through
the new birth (he mercifully has allowed it) but it is no true sign
of conversion. Many of men and women have demonstrated moral
excellence from a human perspective but they are far from being
raised spiritually from the dead. I am sure you have heard of the
people called the Pharisees – they help us define the idea of
hypocrisy. (Matthew
23:27-28
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly
appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all
uncleanness.
(28)
So you also outwardly appear righteous
to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.) DANGER
MARKERS:
(Let me also
give you danger markers – indicators that should make you nervous
that you have never been born again – bear with me, I do this for
your soul):
§
You are
persistently under the slavery of sin – addictions of whatever kind
– any sin that continual trips you up and you don’t fight it with
all your might but give in to it and often like it (except for after
the fact because it make you feel guilty). (1
John 3:9-10
No one born of God makes a practice of
sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning
because he has been born of God.
(10)
By this it is evident who are the
children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does
not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does
not love his brother.)
§
No true
desire to please God – no fear of God in your heart.
§
No lasting
faith that continues day by day and over time is growing and
maturing and producing fruit. A continue trust in everything else
but God – money, people, possessions, job, family, friends, etc.
§
No genuine
desire to be part of the people of God in the church – fellowship.
§
No genuine
desire to know and devour the Word of God – the breath of life.
§
No genuine
desire to pray –other than maybe when you are at the meal. No true
communion and desire to grow and grief over the lack of growth.
§
Contentedness
to have Jesus as one aspect of your life not the central, all
encompassing center.
§
You have the
exact same values as your friends, neighbors and family that who do
not profess to be truly believers. “Love not the world…” (TV,
amusements, sports, hobbies—they have your heart).
§
No obedience
to the commands of Scripture…respectable and unrespectable.
§
No genuine
love for other people including the lost (or unbelievers).
(1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another, for
love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows
God.)
INDICATORS OF LIFE:
(Let me know
show you evidences of the new birth in a person’s life):
§
Are you
bearing fruit in your life that is a result of God’s work and a
desire to please him? The true resurrected life WILL PRODUCE FRUIT –
James, Matthew 7, Eph 2:9-10
§
Do you desire
to read your Bible?
§
Do you desire
to pray and grow in prayer? Do you long to commune with God?
§
Do you fight
your addictions because you want relief for physical reasons or
because you want to be freed to know and enjoy God more?
§
Do you love
Jesus and God and could prove it by someone watching you when you
didn’t know they were?
§
Do you love
people and care about souls?
§
Do you obey
God’s word when you are confronted with a problem in your life?
§
Do you
demonstrate a life of repentance? Do you know that you are worse
than you think you are, that your sin is a horrible offense to God
and do you grieve over that sin and fight against it with the might
and strength that he provides?
§
Summing it up
– is your life characterized by repentance and faith that is growing
and abiding in a way that only God can explain?
4.
HOW ARE WE RAISED FROM DEAD IN THIS WAY?
(Or
how are we born again?) BUT – the
Bible also says – that if we sincerely repent and believe in the
Gospel (and Jesus) we will be saved.
5. SO
NOW WHAT?
(Or where does this leave me?) To Those
Disturbed Souls Who Are Alive: You may have
been heavily pricked by the questions and evaluation that I
presented before you. I certainly am. It may be that you are truly
born again and there is definite fruit in your life but you have
drifted in many ways. Do not start all over but continue to look to
God in repentance and faith. Hate your sin (and if you find yourself
doing that this morning – take courage) and ask God to help you hate
it with a holy hatred. Trust fully in Him. Sometimes it is good to
feel the pain of doubt as it is a glorious tool to keep us fighting
and growing in our faith. He intends to give us assurance of
salvation but not when deadness is dominating our lives. It could be
that God has used this sermon as a spiritual defibrillator to
reactivate your spiritual heart to growing repentance and faith in
God. You are alive but you have been fading over the past weeks,
months or years. Look to Jesus with all your heart – He is merciful
and he gives renewed strength and spiritual vigor. Look to God’s
people, including the discipleship groups – you were not mean to
fight the fight alone. I invite you to talk with me, Dave or the
elders.
To Those
Disturbed Souls Who Are not Alive: It could be
that the Holy Spirit is working right now and granting you the new
birth. Do not be lazy or foolish and neglect this glorious work. Do
not let pride foolish deceive you into hell!
§
Do you have a
sense that God is working in your heart this morning?
§
Has there
been an increase in your understanding of the true Gospel and the
things of God?
§
Are you more
and more open to the person of Christ, the truths of the Bible, and
the demands of repentance and faith than before?
§
Do you have a
desire to respond to the things about which you have just heard – to
forsake all confidence in your self (all the false assurances), the
life of sin and trust in Christ alone? If so – Look
to Jesus and live! Come to Him and cast your all on His lap. He will
not forsake it! Look to the resurrected Lord who raised Lazarus and
will raise all those who look to Him for life. Hear His words – He
that believes in Him shall have eternal life, but he that does not
believe in Him, the wrath of God is remains on him. (John 3:36) |
