Regeneration.

Steve Gentry

[0:08] Alright, go ahead and have a seat. [0:10] Welcome to Village Church. [0:11] If this is your first time here, my name’s Steve. [0:13] I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:15] As always, I am thankful and grateful to see each and every one of you. [0:19] If you have a Bible, go ahead and open it to the book of Ezekiel.

[0:23] We’re going to be in chapter 36 this morning. [0:25] I know I just worried some of you because I said a name you’ve never heard before. [0:29] And you may think, that’s in the Bible. [0:32] Well, just go to the table of contents real quick. [0:34] It’s in the major prophets. [0:36] This is a safe place to explain that.

[0:38] And that’s also a section of the Bible that’s a little later on in the Old Testament. [0:42] If you can’t find it, it’s OK. [0:44] It’ll be on the screens behind me. [0:46] If the people in the booth are honest while I’m speaking this morning. [0:51] But yeah, I do want to thank everyone that gave of their time yesterday. [0:57] And some of you even gave time this week in preparation for yesterday

[1:00] to help us with our Halloween chili cook off, trunk or treat extravaganza. [1:06] We had between Milotian and Chester, we had over 2000 [1:10] people from the community come out. [1:13] And that’s just such a blessing that we were able to love that many people, [1:17] serve that many people, feed that many people. [1:20] And I did see some people that double dipped because, you know, some people,

[1:23] you just know who they are. [1:24] It’s like once I’ve seen you, I will know you forever. [1:27] And so they were here and then they went and had another meal there. [1:31] And so I don’t know why, but they must have been really full. [1:36] And I wouldn’t have wanted to be in a room with them last night.

[1:40] But for those of you that sacrificed of your time and your energy, [1:44] I am so thankful for your servant’s heart [1:47] and for the sacrifices that you made to help us love the community. [1:51] And so I just wanted to take time and thank you guys so much. [1:54] I am so appreciative of everything that we were able to accomplish yesterday. [1:59] But today we’re starting a new series called Regenerate

[2:03] Coming Alive in Christ. [2:05] And so it’s a series that I’ve been working on for quite a while, [2:07] just looking for kind of this season where we had the right amount of time [2:11] for us to fit this in. [2:12] And this just happens to be a really good season, I think, [2:15] to talk about all of the issues and topics that we’re going to be talking about.

[2:19] We’re going to be covering really theological topics over the next few weeks. [2:23] Basically about how God makes you a Christian [2:28] and how that all takes place and how it all works out. [2:33] And so we’re going to talk about regeneration today. [2:35] And we’re going to talk about conversion. [2:37] We’re going to talk about born again.

[2:39] We’re going to talk about new life and faith and repentance. [2:43] And so over the next few Sundays, we’re going to be covering all of these topics. [2:47] For I believe what will be extremely helpful for some of you, [2:51] but will be even more than helpful for others [2:53] where you will actually learn that you are not a Christian [2:57] so that you will become a Christian, because I believe that God has you here

[3:02] because he wants to do a great work in your life. [3:07] Have you ever wondered what is the difference between really two types of people? [3:13] What’s the difference between the type of person [3:16] that’s passionate about the things of God? [3:19] I mean, it’s just you see their life and you see that this is a person that loves Jesus. [3:24] This is a person that wants to follow Jesus, wants to obey Jesus.

[3:28] This is the type of person that they can’t imagine what it is to go through a day [3:33] without being able to spend time in God’s word, without being able to spend time in prayer. [3:38] And that if they have had any period of time in which they’ve neglected the two, [3:44] you can just tell they mourn that time. [3:47] They’re convicted of that time. [3:49] This is a type of person that has a passion for entering into environments

[3:54] where they can be discipled as well as make environments [3:59] where they can ensure that they are helping other people. [4:02] They are serving other people in aiding them to be discipled in their faith in Jesus. [4:08] I mean, this is a person that’s just you can just tell they love the Lord. [4:12] What’s the difference between that type of person and the type of person [4:17] who, by and large, may partake in religious activity,

[4:23] but are overall apathetic about the things of God? [4:26] You may, you know, mark off the checklist of things that, [4:30] you know, quote unquote, Christian is supposed to do. [4:33] But there’s really no passion in your heart for it. [4:37] You don’t really feel a great love and a treasuring of Jesus Christ. [4:42] The type of person who you know that a person that follows Jesus

[4:47] is supposed to read the Bible even every day or you’re supposed to pray. [4:53] But really, when you try to do those activities, you read the Bible. [4:57] And it’s just like nothing. [4:59] You don’t find anything relevant for your life. [5:02] It’s just kind of words that don’t have any impact on you. [5:07] You know you’re supposed to pray, but when you pray, it’s almost irrelevant.

[5:10] And it’s nothing happens and you don’t feel one way or the other about it. [5:14] And then after all, you’re a busy person. [5:17] And so you’ve got other things going on. [5:19] And so finding time for that type of activity, [5:22] it’s hard for you because, let’s be honest, there’s more important things [5:26] that you could be doing with your time than that.

[5:28] Or, you know, you’re supposed to enter into environments of discipleship. [5:32] But do you really want to? [5:34] And you don’t really make disciples because you don’t really feel [5:38] you have anything to offer to anyone where discipleship is concerned. [5:43] What’s the difference between those two types of people? [5:46] And that’s specifically what I want to talk about today is that the difference

[5:50] is, is that I believe the word tells us that one of those people has been [5:53] regenerated by the Holy Spirit and the other person has not.

[5:58] The other person has experienced regeneration. [6:00] The other person has been born again. [6:02] The other person has come to real faith in Jesus by the power of God [6:05] working to make you new. [6:07] And the other person is just a religious person. [6:11] One is a Christian and the other is not.

[6:14] That’s what I mean to say. [6:17] In Ezekiel, chapter 36, I believe that God speaking through this prophet. [6:25] Talks about regeneration, what he was going to do in the life of everyone [6:30] that follows him, and here’s what he writes. [6:31] He starts in verse 25. [6:33] He says, I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean

[6:37] from all your uncleanness and from all your idols. [6:40] I will cleanse you and I will give you a new heart and a new spirit. [6:44] I will put in you and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh [6:48] and give you a heart of flesh. [6:50] I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes [6:54] and be careful to obey all of my rules.

[6:58] It’s interesting to read that because I think it’s kind of counterintuitive [7:02] to the way that some of us think about Christianity. [7:05] Because if you read the text between verses 25 and 27, [7:09] it’s only until the second half of verse 27 that you do anything.

[7:14] For the large portion of what the prophet Ezekiel is talking about, [7:19] your action is nonexistent. [7:24] This is a work that God does, [7:27] that regeneration is an activity that God takes. [7:30] It is an initiative and a move from God’s part towards you. [7:34] It is not a move from you towards God.

[7:38] See, the problem with so many of the ways that we view Christianity [7:42] is that we believe that our effort earns us something with God. [7:48] We believe that our activity is what brings us to life in God. [7:53] Yeah, we even believe that it is the power of our belief [7:58] that makes us alive in Christ. [8:00] And what I mean to tell you today and what Ezekiel 36 and other texts are going to tell you today,

[8:06] that it is not something that you do. [8:10] It is not your effort. [8:11] It is not your activity. [8:13] It is not even the power of your faith [8:16] that makes you alive in Christ because God is more gracious than that. [8:24] It is 100% the power, the activity and the initiative of God

[8:32] that makes you come alive to faith in Christ. [8:38] And I believe that it is this text that tells us that because God is on a mission to raise up a people [8:44] who are empowered by his spirit, not a people who are empowered by themselves. [8:51] For some of you, you’ve believed in a form of Christianity that doesn’t even exist [8:56] and maybe you’ve even believed it for many years.

[9:01] For some of you, you’ve believed that it is your power and your initiative, [9:06] maybe even your intelligence and your wisdom that has made you a Christian.

[9:12] When friend, the truth is that if God, by his own power, apart from any effort on your part, [9:18] if God has not made you a Christian, then you are not a Christian. [9:23] Because only God can make a Christian.

[9:27] Number one this morning, regeneration is the work of God alone. [9:31] Regeneration is the work of God alone. [9:34] I love the language that Ezekiel uses. [9:39] Of course, it is God speaking through Ezekiel, [9:41] but he makes this distinct dichotomy between a person who has the life of God [9:47] and a person who does not have the life of God.

[9:50] He uses two analogies that I think are so amazing. [9:54] He says that you have a heart of stone. [9:58] And God means and he promises that for his people, [10:02] he is going to replace it with a heart of flesh. [10:07] And I love the book of Ezekiel for this because it takes us down [10:10] to kind of the base matter of what life and death are all about.

[10:16] It does that throughout the entire book, [10:19] which is a pretty lengthy book in the Old Testament. [10:21] It is a weird book. [10:23] I love the book of Ezekiel for that. [10:25] I get through my Bible once, sometimes twice, usually throughout a year. [10:29] And I love when I roll around to Ezekiel because I know it is about to get really weird.

[10:34] Because if you have ever read the book of Ezekiel, [10:36] it just has so many analogies that are weird and God does some odd things through Ezekiel. [10:43] But it is because of the impact that he wants the message from Ezekiel to have on his people. [10:49] And to sum the book of Ezekiel up, it is about two things mainly. [10:52] It is about judgment and it is about grace. [10:55] And he cycles around to both of those things throughout the book over and over.

[11:00] He is either pronouncing at the outset, [11:03] I am going to judge your sin because you are in rebellion against God [11:08] and God will not accept your sin. [11:11] He is going to judge it. [11:12] But then he rolls around and he says, in that judgment, I am going to save some. [11:19] I am going to redeem a people from my own possession.

[11:23] I am going to show them grace. [11:25] I am going to give them a new life. [11:27] I am going to give them a new heart. [11:28] And then over and over in every one of these cycles, he makes the statement, [11:33] and then they will know that I am the Lord. [11:40] That statement is used 50 times in the book of Ezekiel.

[11:45] When he speaks of judgment, he says, I am going to judge [11:48] and then they will know that I am the Lord. [11:50] Speaking of those who are falling under the wrath of God. [11:53] But then he also says the exact same thing for those who experience the grace of God. [11:58] He says that in judgment, those whom I redeemed, when they experience my grace, [12:03] then they will know that I am the Lord.

[12:05] So what the point of Ezekiel is, is that it is all God’s work and it is not ours. [12:12] That it is God who is going to get the glory. [12:15] That it is God who is going to redeem. [12:17] That it is God who is going to save people because people are wholly incapable of saving [12:24] themselves. [12:26] The apostle Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 2 this reality.

[12:32] In verse 14 he says, the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, [12:39] for they are folly to him. [12:40] And that word folly is not really one that we use a lot. [12:43] It just means foolishness. [12:44] It means that the things of God are foolishness to people. [12:47] He is not even able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

[12:54] He says that not only can you without God initiating a life inside of you obey God, [13:01] you can’t even understand him. [13:04] Because you are a natural person trying to walk in a supernatural realm. [13:11] That’s why he says they are spiritually discerned. [13:13] He says the natural person cannot hope to walk in the spiritual realm and comprehend [13:19] anything but death.

[13:21] Because there is no life in you. [13:23] There is no life for you. [13:24] You have a heart of stone. [13:26] And apart from God initiating open heart surgery on you where he removes that lifeless [13:34] death in sin and puts in a heart of flesh that will beat to the rhythm of his spirit. [13:42] There is no hope of you ever understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[13:47] There is no hope of you ever understanding the things of God. [13:52] But note what Ezekiel tells us. [13:56] He says that God is going to do this work. [14:01] That God means to make you alive to his things. [14:06] And he did this through the gospel. [14:07] Paul again in Titus chapter 3 puts it this way and I feel like he is explaining the

[14:13] book of Ezekiel to us. [14:14] He says God saved us verse 5.

[14:26] Now if you look at verse 5 what do you do?

[14:32] A big old goose egg. [14:34] Nothing.

[14:36] He says that everything about your salvation if you have faith in Jesus it was all done [14:42] by God. [14:43] It was none done by you. [14:46] And it is the phrase washing of regeneration that I think will be the most helpful there [14:51] for what we are talking about. [14:53] You do not do this to yourself.

[14:57] But I think that points out some of the truncated aspects of Christianity that many of us understand. [15:03] See for many of us verse 25 of Ezekiel 36 is as far as our knowledge gets us and is [15:09] as far as our knowledge of Christianity gains us because what he says there is he talks [15:14] all about washing. [15:16] He says that you are unclean Ezekiel 36 25 tells us and God is going to wash you like [15:22] with water to cleanse you of your sin.

[15:26] That is why baptism is such an amazing analogy that God gives us for our spiritual life [15:32] because it represents God doing this very work. [15:35] But for so many of us the extension of our knowledge of Christianity is that we are [15:40] forgiven people. [15:42] Do you know that you need God to do more than forgive you? [15:44] You see I have heard so many times and I have even said this a couple of times in my life

[15:48] and I believe people say it for well meaning but it is really not theologically accurate [15:52] when we say God is a God of second chances. [15:55] And the reason I would say that is not theologically accurate not because God doesn’t [15:59] save because I do believe he saves but because if God gave you a second chance what do you [16:04] think you would do with it? [16:07] You would blow it.

[16:10] He is not the God of third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, hundred and thirty second [16:16] chances because if all that God did for me was wipe my slate clean and say Steve have [16:22] at it again I would ruin everything over and over and over. [16:29] He is not a God of second chances he is a God of new life.

[16:34] And so God doesn’t just leave you in verse 25 of Ezekiel 36 he goes on to verse 26 and [16:42] 27 where he says not only have I cleansed you of all of the sin that makes you unclean [16:47] but I have put you on my operating table I have removed death and I have given you life. [16:54] You see only God can take stone and make it flesh.

[16:59] About a year and a half ago my family moved into a new house and the people that had lived [17:05] there before us they had landscaped don’t understand what they were doing but it involved [17:12] hundreds of river rocks. [17:14] Have you ever seen a river rock? [17:15] I mean it’s not a tiny pebble the ones I’m talking about they’re the smooth stones from [17:20] the bottom of a river that are ginormous.

[17:23] Some of you are like oh I love those. [17:25] Those are Satan’s rocks.

[17:29] I hate them. [17:31] Have you ever run over one in a lawnmower? [17:34] It’s not a pleasant experience. [17:36] It’s awful. [17:37] It’s like the apocalypse happens in two seconds flat. [17:40] You jump you throw the lawnmower and you duck for cover because a hailstorm is coming.

[17:46] All right. [17:46] It’s awful. [17:47] But if I could go in my backyard and pick up one of those bad boys I’m working on getting [17:52] rid of them by the way but there are a lot. [17:54] And I picked it up and I just looked at it and I said flesh and it became a beating heart. [18:03] You’d be amazed.

[18:05] You’d say that’s miraculous. [18:07] I can’t believe that. [18:10] I can’t do that though. [18:12] They’re just rocks. [18:13] If I go over and I pray over them and I’m like Shalakazam. [18:17] All right.

[18:18] And I said become flesh. [18:20] It wouldn’t. [18:21] All right. [18:21] Because I don’t have that ability and that’s the point of the text here. [18:26] He’s saying you have a heart of stone and that’s the best bet you’re going to get under [18:31] your power.

[18:33] You are not going to be able to do anything with that and he uses the heart because that [18:38] is what the core of who we are is represented by. [18:43] The good news though is that God can do the miraculous. [18:48] God has the power and that’s Ezekiel’s point. [18:51] That’s Paul’s point is that even though you are in your sin left to the natural state. [18:59] Second Corinthians tells us even though you are hopeless and can’t do it.

[19:04] God is not only a God who takes the initiative but he is also the God who has the power [19:12] in that initiative to do the miraculous in your life and take that natural [19:20] heart that can’t do anything and make it come alive. [19:26] So how does that work? [19:27] See it works by God making us alive to faith. [19:31] That’s point number two is that God literally makes us alive to faith in Jesus Christ.

[19:40] Ezekiel 11 is very helpful here and I know some of you as I’m reading this you’re just [19:45] going to mutter under your breath. [19:46] This is the same thing Ezekiel 36 is. [19:49] I know you’re going to say that but that’s because you don’t know as much about the [19:52] Bible as I do. [19:53] It has one distinct difference.

[19:57] I want to read it for you. [19:58] He says in Ezekiel chapter 11 he says I will give them one heart and a new spirit I will [20:04] put within them. [20:05] I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh that [20:10] they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them and they shall be my people [20:16] and I will be their God.

[20:18] In Ezekiel chapter 36 verse 27 he says I will put my spirit within you and cause you to [20:24] walk according to my statutes and that’s an important distinction between those two texts [20:29] is that one says God’s going to cause us to do something the other one says God’s going [20:34] to make it so that we may do those things and they both come to this important factor [20:39] is that not only do you not have the ability but you may not under your own power do anything [20:49] that pleases God because when it says walk according to his statutes he’s saying live

[20:54] a life that’s pleasing to God. [20:56] God has to come into your life and do a life giving work so that you will even have the [21:05] ability to have a life that is pleasing to God. [21:10] You can’t do it on your own. [21:12] You can’t make it happen. [21:13] Even faith itself is a work that requires a work of God for you to have in your life.

[21:25] You see you can’t even believe God without a work of regeneration happening in your life. [21:32] And I’m not trying to discourage you with that because the good news is God wants you [21:37] to believe him. [21:39] God wants you to obey him. [21:42] God wants you to live a life of giving him glory and he’s so committed to you having [21:48] that ability that he wants to make it happen in you.

[21:53] He wants to awaken you to faith. [21:56] In Ephesians chapter 2 Paul is again helpful and this is a text that I think if villages [22:03] is your home you should be very familiar with this text because it is a text really that [22:09] again is a commentary on what he’s talking about in Ephesians 36 excuse me Ezekiel 36. [22:14] He says and you were dead in your trespasses and sins. [22:19] I want to stop there so that you will understand what he means.

[22:24] He’s saying you have a heart of stone. [22:27] Stone doesn’t have life. [22:28] You don’t have life. [22:30] You apart from the work of God were dead in your trespasses and sins. [22:34] Now if you were to go to the neighborhood pool if you live in that type of neighborhood [22:38] and nobody’s there and you walk in and someone’s floating in the water and you can just tell

[22:43] they’ve been floating in there for a little bit. [22:46] Now I’m sorry if some of you are going to go home and have nightmares about that tonight. [22:50] I did do that on purpose for that specific reason but I am sorry. [22:54] No but if you were to go home and see that in a pool and you were to throw a life preserver [23:01] out what would you accomplish. [23:04] I can tell you what you accomplished.

[23:06] You would have two things in the pool that you now have to pull out. [23:09] All right because dead people can’t grab life preservers. [23:12] Did you know that I know that some television shows have convinced you otherwise that dead [23:18] people can do things but that’s just stupid. [23:23] They’re dead. [23:23] They can’t.

[23:24] They do nothing. [23:25] They lay there accomplishing nothing. [23:30] If a person is in a pool and they haven’t died and they’re thrashing around I had to [23:36] pull one of my children out one time from one foot of water because they got confused [23:40] and they were thrashing around and you know and you throw them the life preserver and [23:45] they grab it.

[23:45] It’s like who. [23:46] Okay. [23:47] But what happened. [23:48] They still had life when you threw the life preserver if they are dead. [23:53] You are going to have to get into the water. [23:56] You are going to have to do all of the work.

[23:58] You are going to have to pull them out. [24:00] You are going to have to put them up on the concrete. [24:03] And here’s the key. [24:04] Even when you have them on the concrete they’re still dead because dead people can’t do [24:10] anything. [24:12] Here’s the good news.

[24:15] God can do the miraculous. [24:17] God can bring life to death. [24:21] He continues. [24:22] He says in which you once walked following the course of this world following the prince [24:26] of the power of the air the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. [24:30] You were physically alive but you were spiritually dead among whom we all once lived in the

[24:35] passions of our flesh carrying out the desires of the body and the mind and were by nature [24:40] children of wrath like the rest of mankind. [24:43] I’m going to pause there. [24:45] Because some of you don’t understand that that’s your story. [24:49] You see some of you are currently living the reality of verses two and three. [24:56] You are so self absorbed that you just walk through life doing whatever you want whatever

[25:03] pleases you according to your desires according to your plan. [25:08] You don’t even help people out of the goodness of your heart. [25:12] You help people because you think it makes you look good.

[25:19] And I’m hoping you will understand through this text that this is your story and the [25:23] reason that you are the way that you are the reason you can’t commit to anything other [25:29] than that which comes natural to you and benefits you is because you have not been regenerated. [25:36] You are dead in your sins. [25:39] Verse four. [25:41] But God.

[25:44] Two most important words in all scripture. [25:48] Being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were [25:54] dead in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved. [26:03] He’s telling you that you did not produce effort to get God’s attention so that he [26:12] looked at you and said that guy that gal she could he could use my help. [26:18] No.

[26:19] You were dead. [26:21] You didn’t cry out and God say you know what I’m impressed that you were intelligent enough [26:26] to figure out that the gospel of Jesus is true. [26:30] And because of that I’m going to come down and I’m going to give you some redemption. [26:35] No. [26:36] God saw you dead in your sins incapable of doing incapable of believing

[26:43] incapable of breathing spiritual air. [26:46] You could only do the natural realm. [26:49] You weren’t alive to the spiritual realm and simply because he loved.

[26:57] He initiated. [26:59] He used his power. [27:02] He used his might. [27:04] He did the miraculous and he came and he brought life to your spiritual death. [27:12] And here’s what I want you to understand. [27:15] Then you might say but I believe I know you believed and here’s why.

[27:20] In your sin. [27:22] You are so dead that you were buried in it. [27:25] You were covered in it. [27:27] You were blinded by it. [27:29] There was dirt. [27:30] There was grime.

[27:31] There was sin and it was covering your eyes and in love. [27:36] God came down and he picked you up and he made you alive and he took the scales of [27:44] sin off of your eyes and he directed your attention directly to the cross of Jesus Christ. [27:51] And in that moment. [27:56] As quickly as a light being switched on probably quicker. [28:03] He directed your focus to the cross of Jesus Christ and he looked into our soul and he

[28:10] breathed life and he said that is how I’m doing this. [28:15] Believe.

[28:19] And you believed.

[28:22] And you came to faith in Jesus Christ because God loved you to the extent that he cared [28:30] for you to make you alive in Jesus Christ. [28:36] Friend this is completely dependent on God. [28:40] To be given spiritual life is to be given the ability to be alive. [28:46] To believe God.

[28:49] That’s what we’re talking about here. [28:51] You see regeneration is not a work that happens over this long extended period of time where [28:58] you’re like trying it on like you do a pair of shoes to see if Christianity fits you or not. [29:03] No it’s an instantaneous it’s a supernatural work. [29:07] It’s the realization that you don’t just need to believe that Jesus is supernatural. [29:13] You need to experience the supernatural to believe in Jesus.

[29:20] That when God makes you alive to the supernatural to the spiritual realm [29:25] that is the moment that you believe there is nothing natural about believing the gospel [29:32] of Jesus Christ. [29:34] There is something distinctly supernatural about what takes place because you cannot [29:40] do it without the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life. [29:45] That is why in the book of John Jesus looks to his followers and he says all whom the

[29:51] father draws to me will come to me and I will in no way cast them out because the people [29:58] that come to faith in Jesus Christ are the people that the Holy Spirit brings. [30:03] And when the Holy Spirit brings you you’re not going to go anywhere else because the life [30:09] of Christ is the only life that you want. [30:15] Number three this morning the grace of Jesus is irresistible to those who can see it. [30:21] It’s irresistible to those who can see it.

[30:25] See God wants to do a work in you.

[30:29] See the problem with the way I think a lot of us view Christianity [30:33] it’s kind of like the way that I was raised a little bit. [30:36] See I was raised I’ve been in church my entire life. [30:39] I’m one of the few that never left. [30:41] I’m 38 and I’ve only known church and it’s a grace in my life. [30:45] I love it.

[30:46] I’ve heard so many bad sermons. [30:47] I’ve got so many funny stories. [30:49] I love this. [30:50] I love being a church person. [30:53] I love it. [30:54] It’s awesome.

[30:55] I hope the same thing happens to you and your kids. [30:58] But we would have these evangelists when I was a kid when I was a youngster. [31:02] These evangelists would come into town. [31:03] We don’t really do that a lot anymore. [31:05] And so if you don’t have a lot of background in church maybe you’ve never experienced [31:08] these evangelists would come and they would they scared me.

[31:13] I mean for like 40 minutes they’re just telling me I’m going to burn and I’m going to burn [31:19] and I’m going to keep burning and then it’s going to get unpleasant after all the burning. [31:25] I’m like no is there another option please have a B. [31:29] I don’t want A. [31:32] And then they would just say hey if you accept Jesus as your Savior you don’t go [31:37] to hell you go to heaven.

[31:39] And they said man there’s like streets of gold and I get a mansion [31:42] and maybe I’ll have a chisel so I can get some of the gold. [31:45] And I’m like I’m not the smartest man in the world but I feel like B is the way to go. [31:53] All right. [31:53] And so about 37 times I chose B. [31:55] All right.

[31:56] It’s like because I just wanted to make sure it was cemented and it was real. [32:00] All right. [32:01] And the way that it was understood by me and a lot of my friends for the longest time is [32:06] almost like a real estate appraisal here. [32:09] It’s like would you rather purchase real estate in the land of hell [32:13] or would you rather go to the resort.

[32:16] All right. [32:16] It’s only a short meeting that’ll get you one of the two locations and I was like heaven [32:20] every single time. [32:21] But the problem with that and the reason that so many of my friends [32:25] and I want you to understand me are not Christians today.

[32:31] They’re not. [32:34] Because something happened in me that did not happen to them in that message. [32:38] They thought Jesus was a life insurance program. [32:43] Really fire insurance. [32:45] Jesus equals not burning. [32:47] Take it.

[32:48] And so they took it but they did not treasure Jesus. [32:52] They did not read Ephesians 2 4 where it says God being rich in mercy because the great [32:58] love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our sins made us alive together with [33:02] Christ. [33:03] They did not see that and see a God who loved a God to treasure a God to value a God to [33:11] respond with and say you have given me life and because of that I will give you my life.

[33:16] I treasure you. [33:17] I want you. [33:19] I love you. [33:21] God.

[33:23] See somewhere along the way God gave me that message and he regenerated me when I was a [33:30] [33:30] A Christian.

[33:32] The day that I became a Christian was the day that I didn’t just fear fire but instead [33:39] I treasured the Savior.

[33:43] And for so many of you.

[33:47] You fear the fire and you treasure this life. [33:52] All the trinkets that it has to afford you. [33:55] All of the fame all of the money all of the power all of the leisure.

[34:00] And you see Jesus as a get out of jail free card but you don’t treasure.

[34:06] And so you want heaven but you value the things of this world you value the things of this [34:13] life and I can tell you that you know it’s true because of how you spend your life. [34:19] That you exhaust your life on things that are going to die with you.

[34:25] And the reason that you do that I’m not even going to try to make you feel guilty for it [34:29] because I understand it because this world’s got some great stuff doesn’t it.

[34:34] I just want you to understand why you don’t value Jesus as much as you value the things [34:41] of this world. [34:42] It’s because you’ve never been regenerated. [34:46] It’s because you don’t have the life of God because it is only when God comes in and [34:52] takes your heart of stone out and gives you a heart of flesh that is the only way that [34:58] you can treasure Jesus Christ and if you don’t treasure Jesus Christ that’s why.

[35:04] That’s why. [35:06] And my fear for some of you is that you will go through this life [35:13] treasuring the world claiming faith in Jesus and you will lose everything in the end because [35:20] your soul is condemned because you didn’t really believe the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[35:27] But it’s like a light switch. [35:30] It’s like a light switch because I know some of you are sitting in here right now and [35:35] you’re thinking man that sounds a little bit like me.

[35:42] And it scares you a little bit and I understand why I’m not trying to scare you I’m just trying [35:46] to tell you the reality of the situation and you’re thinking do I need the life of God. [35:51] Do I have the life of God because the Bibles are relevant to me. [35:56] I don’t like praying. [35:57] I don’t really want discipleship. [35:59] I just want to go through life.

[36:00] I just want to work. [36:01] I just want to have a comfortable lifestyle and I just want to avoid hell in the end. [36:05] Is that so wrong? [36:07] Yes it is because God has so much more for you but he has to come in and he has to make you alive [36:17] and for some of you he’s knocking right now and he’s saying you don’t have my life.

[36:28] He doesn’t want you to go through this world apart from his grace and apart from his power [36:33] but you may even be thinking I’m so ashamed I’ve been in church for so many years.

[36:40] I mean I can’t admit that I’ve just been a religious person without the life of God and myself. [36:46] I mean I’ve been in a group for so many years. [36:49] Friend I would hate the thought that you refused the grace of Jesus Christ because [36:57] you were too prideful about your death.

[37:02] Do not let your pride condemn you

[37:10] because God wants you to humble yourself to admit the truth of your condition.

[37:20] I believe that there are so many people in village church [37:25] who need the life of God but don’t have it and you know it’s true.

[37:30] Your efforts never going to save you because people don’t make Christians. [37:36] God does and God wants to make you a Christian today because when you are regenerated he makes [37:45] you alive to grace. The beginning of the gospel of John I love John chapter 1 it’s so full of truth [37:56] and verses 12 and 13 the apostle writes a very interesting thing about what happens in the life [38:03] of a Christian and John’s weird because he like starts out with the ending and then he tells the [38:10] story. It’s very odd but it’s helpful to me because that’s how I used to do math. I would

[38:15] find the answers at the end of the book and then figure out how they got there which is very helpful [38:19] in quizzes. In verse 12 the apostle writes this he says to all who did receive him Jesus [38:29] who believed in his name he gave the right to become the children of God verse 13 who were [38:36] born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but God and some of you [38:43] are tempted to say but see there it is belief regenerated you and you became a child of God. [38:50] No verse 13 explains verse 12 that’s how you need to read that and verse 12 he gives the reality of

[38:58] Christian in verse 13 he says this is how you got there and I can prove that very easily.

[39:04] Parents what comes first a five-year-old or an infant? You guys failed biology an infant [39:13] because giving birth to a five-year-old doesn’t sound pleasant all right. [39:20] In verse 13 he tells you understand you didn’t come to faith in Jesus Christ [39:28] because of your blood because of the will of your flesh the natural person the stony heart [39:35] you didn’t come to believe because of the will of man it’s the work of God [39:42] because God gives birth to infants who then are children of God.

[39:53] God awakens us to faith in him and we then have the right to become the children of God [40:02] and understand that if God gives you life you will have faith. Once he makes you alive to his [40:15] truth you don’t look at it and say you know that Jesus he’s a pretty good teacher and you know he [40:22] died for my sins that’s pretty good so I’ll trust him all right let’s go back to business as usual.

[40:30] It’s not the way this works but that is what some of you have done throughout your life.

[40:37] When God makes you alive to faith in Jesus Christ you do not continue with the same rhythms and the [40:43] same patterns that have existed for all of your life see but that’s what we do we are creatures [40:49] of habit even those of you that think you’re a free spirit all right your free spiritedness is habit [40:57] all right and if I looked at your schedule you do the same thing every day just like everybody [41:01] else does but the key is that some of us have convinced ourselves that God is just a part of [41:10] the stuff that we already had going on before he ever showed up on the scene there’s no change in

[41:16] your life you do the same things with God that you would do without God and you just try to [41:20] baptize them with Christian language that’s not the way this works when God comes into your life [41:27] and he gives you life he means to change you into the person that he desires you to be and [41:35] Jesus is so irresistible that you will follow him if he has made you alive in Christ friend you may [41:44] be filling your life with religious activity you may be working your fingers to the bone [41:51] you may be doing all of that though without the life of God in you friend do you wonder

[41:59] why you can’t feel the life have you ever wondered why you don’t have the passion [42:08] have you ever wondered why you are more comfortable in your sin than you are following Jesus [42:16] maybe you haven’t received the life of God maybe you need to come to terms with that [42:24] maybe you are realizing right now maybe God is about to flip the switch and bring you [42:34] back to life you see friends we need to come alive in Christ because that is what God does [42:44] for his children God wants to work on you and so for some of you you’re in here right now

[42:52] and you’re struggling and I don’t want you to leave here like that like I said it’s instant [42:58] God saves like that and if you’re in here and you’re struggling right now do not allow your [43:04] pride to let you stay there any longer in just a moment I’m going to invite people who’ve trusted [43:09] in Jesus to reflect through communion but I’m going to ask you to do something a little bit [43:14] different I’m going to ask you to slip out into the foyer we’re not going to draw attention to [43:18] you we just want you to be able to talk to someone we need I want you to be able to pray with

[43:23] someone and I’ve got people out there right now and I can promise you one thing they love you [43:27] and they want to help and so no matter how old you are no matter how young you are if you’re in [43:33] here right now and you want the life of Christ I’m going to ask you in just a moment to step out [43:38] into the foyer but if you’re in here and you’re a Christian you’ve experienced this new life in [43:44] Christ then today is every week I want to invite you to reflect with the Lord’s Supper the cup [43:51] represents the shed blood of Jesus the bread represents excuse me the cup represents shed

[43:56] blood of Jesus the bread represents his broken body and when we eat and drink what we’re doing [44:01] is is we’re reflecting on the reality that Jesus gave his life so that we could have life [44:09] and if you believe that if you’ve trusted that come eat drink profess your faith to those around [44:17] you

[44:31] do

[44:34] do