11-19-2022 West Palm Beach 7th Day BAPTIST Pastor Garfield “Rebirth Through My Living Hope” I Peter 1;3, II Corinthians 5;17, John 3;1-21

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11-19-2022 West Palm Beach 7^th Day BAPTIST Pastor Garfield “Rebirth Through My Living Hope” I Peter 1;3, II Corinthians 5;17, John 3;1-21

 

 

Many of us are in need of a rescue story. The bottom line is that God will never leave us alone no matter where we are in our rescue story. God is our hope and it is in Him that we find our purpose and self-worth. There are several ways we can use the word rebirth. Its being born again. Its starting out fresh. Its revival. Its growth and increase. Its renewal. All these words are part of being born again. Rebirth. In 1st Peter it says we have rebirth through the resurrection of the dead. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

When we look at some of our lives, we are in need of a rescue plan. 2^nd Corinthians tells us that anyone who is in Christ is a new creature. Old things are passed away and all things are become new. The point is that Jesus Christ is the real rescue plan. Jesus is our living hope. Many of us are experiencing the darkness that this world provides. There is a shadow from this world that we are experiencing. But I remind you that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. Jesus can chase out any darkness. Whatever is going on in your life, remember Jesus Christ is the living hope. Jesus Christ is alive. Jesus Christ is thriving. Jesus Christ is growing and changing lives. Jesus Christ can change your life as well.

Rebirth means coming to life in a full way. Don’t be satisfied with a life that does not have our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in it. Some of us can only dream about having the peace that the Bible speaks about. We are truly in need of a rescue plan. In John 3 a man named Nicodemus showed that he was in need of a rescue plan. Nicodemus was a Jewish leader in the Sanhedrine council and he had heard about Jesus. He sought to have a conversation with Jesus. He did this in the early beginnings of Jesus’s ministry. Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to do something to get a particular result. What is the result that you want for your life?

The Bible speaks about the coming back of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and He comes back as a judge. The Bible tells of the sheep and the goats. The sheep are on the right hand and the goats are on the left. To the sheep, the judge says well done my good and faithful servant. To the goats, He says depart from me because I know you not. The question is, which would you prefer to be? The sheep or the goats? Are you at a point in your life where you can say if my Lord would come back right now, He would find me pleasing to Him? Brothers and sisters if you cannot respond with a yes to these questions, then you are in need of a rebirth. Many of us have been born again but we have remained dormant for a very long time. We have not grown from where we started from as a new Christian. We need to acknowledge the rebirth that we were given and the saving work of Jesus Christ which is our living hope. John 3;1-21 tells of Nicodemus going to see Jesus at night because he had questions to ask Jesus. Nicodemus knew there was more to life than what he had been experiencing under the law as a devout Jew.

For some of us who have been Christians a long time, it is time for us to have an encounter with Jesus. We need an encounter so that we can benefit from the rebirth that we have. John 3;16 was spoken by Jesus to Nicodemus. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”. Jesus said that God loved the world so much that He sent His Son to die for it and to give them eternal life if they believe. Jesus said this to Nicodemus after He had told him that he must be born again. You must have the rebirth in order to appreciate John 3;16. Being born again is what we must all hold dear to if we are to experience the blessings of God the Father. Nicodemus told Jesus that based on the miracles and teachings of Jesus, He must have been sent from God. Right then, Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again or he could not see the kingdom of God.

Brothers and Sisters, it does not matter how good you are or were. If you had not been born again, your life would have been wasted. You must be born again. In verse 5 Jesus says you must be born again of the water and of the Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God. You must be born again to see the kingdom of God and you must be born again to enter into the kingdom of God. Your spiritual journey has less to do with you than you think. Its important that you submit yourself to God so the rebirth can take place. For the rebirth to happen, there is a conception, an incubation period and some intense labor. You must be born again and this is similar to being born physically. When you are born, you come into a new world where you know absolutely nothing. When you are spiritually born, you know nothing and there is the period of learning, nutrition and experiences that allow you to spiritually grow. Jesus is the living water and our experiences with Him help us grow spiritually. We must accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We must submit to and grow in Jesus Christ.

 

AMEN

Edited November 26, 2022 by MizKJVOnly