1 MONTH GOAL:

1. RECRUIT DISCIPLES. (Goal is to complete the level of leadership we are on.)

2. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR DISCIPLES.

3. CONNECT FOUR (Goal is to connect 4 people to Starting @ The Way, Ministry Involvement or a Power of 12 Growth Group.) Question: How many have you connected this week?

Let’s being with answering one of the following questions…

What’s a great testimony you can share form last week?

What lesson did you learn last week? 

Today’s lesson: “YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!” 

John 3:1-12 (AMP) Now there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (member of the Sanhedrin) among the Jews, 2 who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi (Teacher), we know [without any doubt] that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs [these wonders, these attesting miracles] that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above— spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be surprised that I have told you, ‘You must be born again [reborn from above— spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be possible?” 10 Jesus replied, “You are the [great and well-known] teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things [from Scripture]? 11 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have [actually] seen [as eyewitnesses]; and [still] you [reject our evidence and] do not accept our testimony. 12 If I told you earthly things [that is, things that happen right here on earth] and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things. 

2 FACTS ABOUT BEING BORN-AGAIN: 

FACT #1 – BEING BORN-AGAIN IS A “MUST.”

John 3:7 (AMP) Do not be surprised that I have told you, ‘You must be born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].’

A.  WHEN JESUS SAID, “YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN,” WHAT DID HE MEAN?

Let’s define some of the words from this scripture in their original language:

The word MUST (dei/ dā): A necessity, especially in reference to what is required to attain some end; a law or command established by the decree of God;

BORN AGAIN (gennaō/ gen-nä’-ō): Used of God making men his sons through faith in Christ’s work; delivered or regenerated (re-created especially in a better form or condition; revived; produced anew; transformed by God)

AGAIN (anōthen/ä’-nō-then): Anew, over again, from the beginning; from above or a higher place]

So another way to say “Born Again” is “Born From Above” or “Born of God.”

B.  IN ORDER TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN THIS LIFE, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.

Let’s answer these simple questions together:

1. Do you want to be delivered from the kingdom of darkness?
2. Do you want to have and experience the absolute fullness of life that God has?
3. Do you want to be free from the penalty, misery and bondage of sin?

THEN YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!

John 3:3 (AMP) Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above— spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” 

When Jesus uses the phrase, “I assure you…” He is actually using the word “Amen.” It can also be translated as “verily, verily,” “most assuredly” or “truly, truly.”

The word Amen means: So it is; so be it; may it be fulfilled

A Brief History of the Word “Amen”

The word “amen” comes from a custom, which passed over from the Jewish synagogues to the Christian assemblies.  When someone read a Scripture or offered up a solemn prayer, those listening would respond “Amen,” thus making the substance of what had been uttered their own.

INTERACTIVE QUESTION:  WHAT HAVE YOU MADE YOUR OWN THROUGHOUT THE POWER OF 12 LESSONS?

The word “amen” was transliterated directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament, and from there into Latin, English and many other languages in exactly the same way.  Because of this it has practically become a universal word, and has been called the best known word in human speech.

The word is also directly related — in fact, almost identical — to the Hebrew word for “believe” (amam) or “faithful.” Thus, it came to be an expression of absolute trust and confidence.

C.  IN ORDER TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE HEAVEN, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.

Let’s answer these questions together:

Do you want to enter into Heaven’s Kingdom?
Do you want to be a citizen of heaven?
Do you want to have and experience eternal life?

THEN YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!

John 3:5 (AMP) Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God.

INTERACTIVE QUESTION:  WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING THROUGH NICODEMUS’ HEAD WHEN JESUS TELLS HIM THIS?

Note: When Nicodemus hears Jesus say that to enter the kingdom one must be “born again,” Nicodemus probably thinks that Jesus is trying to say we are “not good enough” to enter the kingdom, but that’s not Jesus’ point!

Jesus is saying that we must start over, have a different origin, springing from a different life, in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

Note: Being born of water has been interpreted as being born by human birth, while being born of the Spirit has been interpreted as being born of the water of God’s Word.

Ephesians 5:26 (NRSV) In order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the Word,

D.   IN ORDER TO ENTER HEAVEN WE MUST HAVE A SECOND BIRTHDAY THAT COMES FROM GOD ALONE.

To be “Born Again,” we must have two births. The first birth gives us our limited, natural physical life; the second birth gives us our Eternal life.

John 3:6 (AMP) That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 

The first birth gives us a life that will eventually fade away but the life we receive when we are born again will last forever.

1 Peter 1:23-25 (TLB) 23 For you have a new life. It was not passed on to you from your parents, for the life they gave you will fade away. This new one will last forever, for it comes from Christ, God’s ever-living Message to men. 24 Yes, our natural lives will fade as grass does when it becomes all brown and dry. All our greatness is like a flower that droops and falls; 25 but the Word of the Lord will last forever. And his message is the Good News that was preached to you. 

FACT #2 – BEING BORN AGAIN IS A MIRACLE! 

It comes from the Spiritual realm not the natural realm.

It is not something man can do, it something only God can do.

We can Sin but we can’t save ourselves.

John 3:8-12 (AMP) The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be possible?10 Jesus replied, “You are the [great and well- known] teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things [from Scripture]? 11 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have [actually] seen [as eyewitnesses]; and [still] you [reject our evidence and] do not accept our testimony. 12 If I told you earthly things [that is, things that happen right here on earth] and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things.  

A. THE FIRST BIRTH WAS AN ACT OF MAN THE SECOND BIRTH IS A TOTAL ACT OF GOD 

John 1:13 (NLT) They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

B. WE ARE NOT BORN-AGAIN BY ANYTHING WE HAVE DONE, WE ARE BORN AGAIN BY FAITH IN WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ERV) 8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 (Message) Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. 

C. WE CAN SIN BUT WE CAN’T SAVE. 

Salvation is a gift from God that can’t be earned.

All that we have earned is death or punishment for our sins.

The #1 enemy to this message is religion because religion is an act of man trying to save himself.

Romans 6:23 (ERV) 23 When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death. But God gives his people a free gift—eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.