“Supernaturally Alive”
John 3:1-16
Sermon Series: “Supernatural”
Introduction- Definition: “Born again” – reborn, born from above, born a 2nd time, born of God, regenerated (restoration or renovation).
Main Idea: We are naturally dead spiritually, but we are supernaturally made alive by the work of Jesus Christ for us and the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
1. No matter what we look like on the outside, apart from a relationship with Jesus, we are all dead on the inside (v. 1-3). If anybody had it together and had a lot going for him, it was Nicodemus. He was:
A. Religious-very devoted
B. Righteous-had morality C. Rich-had money
- Ruler-had power
- Respected-the people looked up to the Pharisees and
Nicodemus was “the teacher of Israel”
- Respectful to Jesus-called Him rabbi and
acknowledged His miracles as showing that God was
with Him
Despite all of this, Jesus said to him, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus was saying to him that he was dead and needed a spiritual rebirth. That is true for all of us because Ephesians 2:1 says, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”
2. We are supernaturally made alive by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us (v. 9-15). We cannot make it to God on our own. Jesus is the only way to God. He is God who left heaven and came
to earth so we can have eternal life (v. 13). Because we are dead, it has to be His work and cannot be our work. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead (2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 8:3, Galatians 3:13, 1 Peter 2:22-24). Jesus used the example of the story about the serpents in Numbers 21:4-9 to illustrate this truth.
3. We are also supernaturally made alive through the work of the Holy Spirit in us (v. 4-8). Nicodemus did not seem to grasp how a man could start over and have a new life. He was confusing the spiritual and the physical. Jesus is saying that the new birth is the supernatural work of God (John 1:11-13) through the Holy Spirit where He gives a repentant sinner a new heart (Ezekiel 36:25-27, Titus 3:5). Being born is something we cannot do! Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears write, “Subsequently, they have not fully enjoyed the double gift of imputed righteousness, which accompanies our justification, and the imparted righteousness of the indwelling Spirit, which accompanies our new heart through regeneration. On the cross God did a work for us by saving us through the death of Jesus in our place for our sins…We then see at Pentecost that God does a work in us through the Holy Spirit in our hearts for regeneration.” Here is how the Spirit works in salvation:
A. Conviction (John 16:5-11)
B. Gives new life (John 7:37-39)
C. Baptizes us into the body of Christ and gives us gifts
to fulfill our role in the church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) D. Indwells us (2 Timothy 1:14)
E. Permanently seals us (Ephesians 4:30)
F. Sanctifies us (2 Thessalonians 2:13)
4. We receive this supernatural life through faith in Jesus Christ (v. 16). Salvation is the free gift of God. Jesus has DONE the work. However, we must trust Jesus in order to be born again
and have eternal life. Jesus made it clear to Nicodemus that his need was to believe. Is that your need?
