And we'll be looking at that in just a minute.
Well, let's pray.
Some things are habit, aren't they, when we pray before we listen to God's Word.
But the reason we do is because we come as needy people.
It's an expression of our dependence on God that we need His help and the help of His Holy Spirit.
So let's pray.
Father God, just as you spoke at the beginning of time and brought this world into existence,
so we ask that you would now speak to us through your Word and bring life to us.
That this morning would be a time where we know what it is to have a new heart.
What it is to be shaped and molded to be more like you.
So, Father, change us and be at work amongst us today.
We ask this for your glory and for our good.
Amen.
Well, it was probably the lowest point in my life.
In a crazy moment that lasted no more than five seconds,
I said something and I did something that left my life in a mess.
I was let go of my job.
I had no income.
And I hadn't anywhere to stay.
I longed for a new beginning.
For those five seconds just to be wiped out.
And to start all over again.
Well, I think we've all been there to some degree or another.
We look back through our past.
The decisions that we've made.
The choices that we've made.
The words that we've said.
And we long for a new beginning.
Well, the story of the Bible introduces us to a God who specializes in new beginnings.
Remember how it all started.
In love.
God began and he created a beautiful world.
But that world turned into chaos and disorder as Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, rebelled against God.
And people had become so evil and so wicked that God sent a flood and it wiped out the entire population of the world.
Except in love.
God kept Noah and his family safe.
And so they start again.
But that new beginning didn't last very long.
Noah and his family and their children ignored God.
And well, they ended up in the same mess as before.
But in love, God intervened and he started again with the man called Abraham.
And God said to Abraham that he would make him into a great nation.
And he would bring great blessing to the world.
But this new beginning didn't last.
Abraham's family were a mess.
Lying, stealing, cheating.
And so the disorder started all over again.
And this great family ends up in slavery in Egypt.
Broken and ruined.
But yet again, in love, God reaches down and he rescues them.
And he gives them a fresh start.
God provides them with a new leader, Moses, and promises to be their God.
But their new beginning was short-lived.
The seeds of rebellion were still there.
God was quickly forgotten and pushed out.
And everyone did as they pleased.
But in love, God raised up a king.
A king after his own heart.
King David, who came to restore order and to bring blessing.
And so they begin again.
But this new beginning turned into despair.
With every new generation, the kings get progressively worse.
Leading the people far away from God.
They hit an all-time low.
And eventually, under God's judgment,
they are taken away into exile by the nation of Babylon.
Now, this isn't just history.
This is a story of my life and your life.
This is the pattern of the human race.
God bringing new beginnings.
But what's going to stop this cycle of rebellion and disorder and judgment?
What's going to break this ongoing troubled world?
Well, what's needed is a new heart.
A new kind of life in people.
Have a look at Ezekiel chapter 18.
You see, it's at this low point in their lives.
They've been taken away into exile, into Babylon.
And it's during this time in exile
that God speaks through the prophet Ezekiel to the people.
And God tells them, this is what you need to do.
Verse 30 of chapter 18.
Verse 30.
Therefore, O house of Israel,
I will judge you, each one according to his ways,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
Repent.
Turn away from all your offenses.
That sin will not be your downfall.
Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed.
And get a new heart.
And a new spirit.
Why will you die, O house of Israel?
For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
Repent and live.
You see, at the heart of this cycle of rebellion and disorder
is the human heart.
So God tells the people,
verse 31,
you need to get yourselves a new heart
and a new spirit.
In other words,
you need a new life.
But history has proved
we can't change our heart.
We can't change our life
even if we wanted to.
The history is there before us
to show us
that we can't change ourselves.
Like Israel of the past,
we continue to fall into a cycle of rebellion and disorder.
So God changes things.
He makes another promise.
Rather than say,
get yourself a new heart.
God promises to give a new heart.
Look at Ezekiel chapter 36.
Ezekiel chapter 36,
verse 25.
We need to move on a bit.
Chapter 36.
Look what he says.
Here's the promise.
Ezekiel 36,
verse 25.
I will sprinkle clean water on you
and you will be clean.
I will cleanse you from all your impurities
and from all your idols.
I will give you
a new heart
and put a new spirit in you.
I will remove from you
your heart of stone
and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put my spirit in you
and move you to follow my decrees
and be careful to keep my laws.
You see, this is nothing less
than a brand new life,
a fresh start,
a new beginning.
This is what the people need.
A person who ends up
on the operating theatre
and receives a heart transplant
receives a new life.
So what we need
is not more rules
or not another chance
or not another opportunity
or another rebuke
or another sermon
telling us that we have to wake up
and do better
and live better.
What we need
is a new heart.
A new life.
And that's what Jesus came to do.
To bring us this new life
that we all need.
The new beginning.
And in love,
God breaks into the world
through his son Jesus
to give the promise
of a new life.
Look at how the New Testament authors
put it.
for God so loved
the world
that he gave his one
and only son
that whoever believes in him
shall not perish
but have eternal life.
But because of his great love
for us,
God who is rich in mercy
made us alive
with Christ
even when we were dead
in our transgressions.
But when the kindness
and love
of God
our Saviour appeared
he saved us
so that we might become heirs
having the hope
of eternal life.
This is how God
showed his love
among us.
He sent his one
and only son
into the world
that we might live
through him.
You see the promise
that God gave
all those hundreds
of years ago
that God would bring
new life
well he has done that
through the sending
of his son
the Lord Jesus Christ
the God man
who's come to break
the cycle of rebellion
and disorder
and to give
new life
so that people
can live
God's way.
So what is
this new life?
What does it look like?
And how
do we get it?
Well first
God offers
new life.
Let's have a look
at John's Gospel
chapter 3.
We're going to stay here
for a while.
John's Gospel
chapter 3.
Because here we have
an encounter
with a man
called Nicodemus
and here we see
how he gains
how he's offered
this life
and how he receives
this life.
Let's read
John's Gospel
chapter 3
and verse 1.
Now there was a man
of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus.
A Pharisee
was a particular sect
religious group
had very
very legalistic.
One of these
Pharisees
named Nicodemus
a member
of the Jewish
ruling council
which was called
the Sanhedrin
which was like
a special council
or government
a little bit
like our dawn.
So here is a man
who was religiously
and politically
right up there
with the elite.
And he comes
to Jesus
verse 2
at night
and he said
Rabbi
we know
you are a teacher
who has come
from God
for no one
could perform
the miraculous
signs you are doing
if God were not
with him.
So it's as if
he's coming to Jesus
with a sense of
I know something
of who you are
and what you've done.
It's like
because I know this
and I recognise it
surely
I qualify
to have life
with you.
Verse 3
In reply
Jesus declared
I tell you
the truth
no one
can see
the kingdom
of God
unless he is
born again.
You see
Nicodemus
wants to experience
the kingdom
of God.
The kingdom
of God
is the kind
of life
that we saw
pictured right
at the very beginning
in Genesis
in the Garden
of Eden.
It's a life
of peace
and justice
a world
without sickness
and suffering
a life
marked by love
and kindness
where there is
the absence
of death
and all evil
it is a life
lived in relationship
with God
where there's no guilt
and no shame
is openness
before God.
No fear of death
no fear of judgement
it is a good
and perfect life
for all of eternity
and that's
the kind
of life
that Jesus
has come
to offer
to the world.
That's the new
beginning
that Jesus
came to establish.
Look at verse 2
again
he says to Jesus
we know you're a teacher
who's come from God
for no one
could perform
the miraculous signs
you were doing
if God
were not with him.
So as Jesus
went about
his ministry
and he performed
all these different
miracles
healing the sick
controlling nature
defeating satanic forces
raising the dead
Jesus was giving us
a glimpse
of what life
in his kingdom
looked like
and what the life
he had come to bring
was all about.
Now says Jesus
in verse 3
if you want to see
this kingdom
if you want to
enter the kingdom
yourself
if you want
this true life
then you must
be born again.
Nicodemus
you need to
start your life
afresh.
In fact
you need
a new
life
if you are
to live
my way
and be part
of my kingdom.
Now
if that is true
it leaves us
in a predicament
moment.
Because if we
need new
life
that means
our present
life
is hopelessly
dead.
Not physically
dead
but spiritually
dead.
We can still
eat and drink
and walk
and talk
and go about
our life
and go to
work every
single day
but spiritually
it's saying
there's no
life within
us.
Spiritually
speaking
we're no
different
to a
decaying
body
in a
graveyard.
And that's
how Jesus
sees the
world before
him.
The people
before him.
We are
people
he says
without
life.
Have a look
at chapter
5
verse 21.
John
chapter 5
verse 21.
For just
as the
father
raises
the dead
and gives
them
life
even
so
the
son
gives
life
to whom
he is
pleased
to give
it.
You
cannot
give
life
to
something
unless
it is
dead.
And he's
saying
that's
what we're
like.
Look
at verse
25.
I tell
you the
truth
the time
is
coming
it has
now
come
when
the
dead
will
hear
the
voice
of
the
Son
of
God
and
those
who
hear
it
will
live.
For as
the
father
has
life
in
himself
so
he
has
granted
the
son
to
have
life
in
himself.
You
see
according
to
Jesus
the
population
of the
world
throughout
history
has
been
born
spiritually
dead.
And
dead
people
cannot
give
themselves
life.
A man
who
suffered
a heart
attack
and
lies
on
the
road
dead
can't
give
himself
CPR
and
resuscitate
himself.
in
the
same
way
we
are
not
in
a
position
to
give
ourselves
life.
We
are
spiritually
dead.
It
doesn't
matter
if we
go on
a
life
coaching
course.
It
doesn't
matter
if we
go on
some
kind
of
retreat.
We
cannot
make
ourselves
alive.
We
cannot
give
ourselves
the
new
beginning
and the
fresh
start
that we
need.
In
fact,
if we
go back
to
chapter
3,
to be
spiritually
dead
is a
really
serious
condition
to be
in.
Look
at the
way
the
end
of
chapter
3
verse
36
puts
it.
So
he's
talking
about
giving
life
to
someone,
to
Nicodemus,
and
here's
how he
finishes
this
whole
section,
verse
36.
Whoever
believes
in the
Son
has
eternal
life,
but
whoever
rejects
the Son
will
not
see
life,
for
God's
wrath
remains
on
him.
You
see,
to be
spiritually
dead
is to
be in
a
serious
condition
of
where
we
are
under
God's
fair
and
just
judgment
separated
from
him.
So
we
desperately
need
to be
made
alive.
And
if we
are to
experience
new
life
from
God,
then
he
must
be
the
one
who
is
to
give
us
that
life.
So
he
offers
new
life,
second,
God
gives
new
life.
Let's
read
chapter
three,
verse
three
again.
God
gives
new
life.
In
reply,
Jesus
declared,
I tell
you the
truth,
no one
can see
the
kingdom
of
God
unless
he
is
born
again.
Well,
how can
a man
be born
when he
is old?
Nicodemus
asked.
Don't
be so
silly.
Surely
he cannot
enter a
second time
into his
mother's
womb
to be
born.
People
can't
be
born
again.
It's
impossible.
You
can't
start
life
afresh.
Well,
yes,
he is
right in
some
sense.
A
physical
rebirth
is
impossible.
But a
spiritual
rebirth
is
possible.
In
fact,
the new
life that
God has
come to
give is
like being
born
again.
It's
like being
physically
born
again and
starting
your life
from
scratch.
It's
a new
beginning.
God has
come to
give us
the fresh
start that
we all
need.
And he
goes on to
explain that
this new
life is
seen in
three ways.
First,
we are
washed by
God.
Look at
verse 5.
Jesus
answered,
I tell you
the truth.
No one
can enter
the kingdom
of God
unless he
is born
of water
and the
spirit.
Well,
what does
that mean?
To be
born of
water and
the spirit?
Well,
do you
remember the
promise that
we looked
at that
God had
made through
the prophet
Ezekiel?
Have a
look back
in Ezekiel
36.
Keep your
finger in
John 3 and
go back to
Ezekiel
chapter 36.
verse 25.
Jesus
says you
must be
born of
water and
the spirit.
Now,
look at what
God had
promised in
Ezekiel.
Verse 25.
I will
sprinkle
clean water
on you
and you
will be
clean.
I will
cleanse
you from
all your
impurities
and from
all your
idols.
You see,
our sin,
this rebellion,
is like a
deeply ingrained
dirt on our
body that we
can't remove
no matter how
much we
scrub and
wash by
our promises
to clean up
our life and
never to do
it again.
And it's
this rebellion,
it's this sin
in our lives
that makes us
unclean and
unacceptable before
God.
It's what
separates us
from the
life of God.
It's what
leaves us
under the
wrath and
the judgment
of God.
But God
in His
love,
through His
Son Jesus,
washes us
so that we
are clean.
He is the
one who
cleans us
with clean
water.
Through His
death on the
cross,
He cleans
us deep
inside so
the uncleanness
is completely
removed.
It means my
sin is
forgiven.
It means my
guilt and my
shame is
removed.
It's washed
away.
In fact,
the cleaning
work of God
is so deep
in our lives
that when
He cleans
us,
we can
never,
ever,
ever become
unclean
again in
God's sight.
His
cleaning is
so deep
that we
can never,
ever become
unclean
in His
sight again.
Look what it
says at the
end of verse
25.
He says,
I will
cleanse you
from all
your
impurities.
something
beautiful.
But we
need more
than the
cleansing
of the
old.
We need
a creation
of the
new.
So He
cleans up
the old
and He
creates
something
new.
He gives
us a new
heart.
Jesus said
to Nicodemus,
you need to
be born of
the water
and the
spirit.
So look
what it
says in
verse 26
of Ezekiel
36.
God says,
I will
give you
a new
heart
and I
will put
a new
spirit in
you.
I will
remove from
you your
heart of
stone
and give
you a
heart of
flesh.
Do you
see what's
going on
there?
It's like
a surgery
that's
taking
place.
The
old,
stony,
stubborn
heart
will be
cut out
and removed
and in
its place
a new
heart,
a fleshy
one,
a heart
that is
soft and
living and
responsive
is going
to be put
in its
place.
And when
we receive
this new
heart from
God,
it means
we have
a new
way to
live.
Verse 27.
And I
will put
my spirit
in you
and move
you to
follow my
decrees
and be
careful to
keep my
laws.
It's like
the Holy
Spirit comes
along,
the chief
surgeon,
and he
takes our
soft new
heart that
God has
placed within
us and
the Holy
Spirit takes
that heart
and he
begins to
shape it
and to
mould it
according
to his
shape so
that we
begin to
take on
God's
character so
that we
begin to
look like
him.
John
Piper,
who's one
author,
put it
like this,
God
replaces
our
hard,
unresponsive
heart
with a
soft
heart
that
treasures
Jesus
above all
things
and is
being
transformed
by the
presence
of the
Spirit
into the
kind
of
heart
that
loves
to do
the
will
of
God.
Do you
see how
transforming
this new
life is?
It's
completely
new.
So what
we need
is a
cleansing
of the
old,
a washing
deep
down in
our
lives,
a
cleansing
of the
old,
but we
also need
a creation
of the
new,
something
different.
You see,
without being
washed by
God,
without being
given a
new heart
from God,
we will
not know
and experience
life in
his kingdom
and we
will not
know
what it
is to
live for
him and
to follow
him and
to be
able to
live his
way.
It's the
fresh start
that God
had promised
all those
years ago
that was
going to
break the
cycle of
rebellion and
disorder.
It's the
fresh start
that the
world
needs.
So we're
washed by
God,
we're given
a new
heart by
God.
But it's
all been
initiated
by God.
Go back
to John
chapter 3.
John
chapter 3
and verse
6.
You see
what Jesus
says to
Nicodemus
in verse
6?
Flesh
gives
birth to
flesh,
but the
spirit
gives
birth
to
spirit.
flesh.
He's
making it
so clear
that we
are
incapable
of giving
ourselves
new life.
All that
we can
do,
our only
ability
within
ourselves
is to
produce
more
sin
and create
more
rebellion.
That is
our nature.
That's all
we bring
to the
table.
Flesh
gives
birth to
flesh.
We
cannot make
ourselves
something
other than
what we
are.
all we
can do
is just
make
more of
the
same
kind
of
people
that
we
are.
But
God
comes
to give
new
life.
Flesh
gives
birth to
flesh,
but the
spirit
gives
birth
to
spirit.
Just go
back to
John
chapter 1
and
verse
12.
John 1
verse
12.
See what
it says
there?
Yet to
all who
received
him,
to all
who
received
Jesus,
to those
who
believed
in his
name,
he
gave
the
right
to
become
children
of
God.
Children
born
not of
natural
descent,
nor of
human
decision,
or a
husband's
will,
but born
of
God.
You
see,
physically
and
naturally,
a husband
and wife
can give
birth,
can produce
a child,
but
spiritual
life is
not our
decision,
it's not
within our
ability,
it's not
even within
our desire,
it's a
life that
has been
completely
given to
us by
God.
Spirit
gives
birth to
spirit,
it's
something
outside of
us that
God does
within us,
He cleans
us up
of the
old,
He intervenes
and says,
I am going
to wash
you,
and I
am going
to give
you a
new
heart.
He
cleans
us of
the
old,
and He
creates
in us
something
new.
So the
question
is,
have you
got this
new kind
of life?
love?
Have you
by faith
received
the life
that God
gives?
Have you
experienced
the washing
of God
deep down
in our
life?
Have we
experienced
this new
heart from
God that
transforms
us and
moves us
to want
to follow
His ways?
Jesus.
Well,
Jesus says
there's only
one way
to tell
when we've
experienced
this new
life.
Look at
chapter 3
verse 7.
There's
only one
way to
know that
we've
experienced
this new
life.
Verse 7.
You should
not be
surprised at
my saying,
you must
be born
again.
the wind
blows
wherever it
pleases.
You hear
it sound
but you
cannot tell
where it
comes from
or where
it is
going.
So it
is with
everyone
born
of the
Spirit.
You see,
it's an
illustration
here.
It's
actually,
how do
you know
if the
wind is
blowing?
Well,
sometimes you
can hear it
as it were
as it
whistles
through the
trees.
Sometimes
you can
feel it
as it
cuts to
your skin.
But most
of all,
if you're
standing
indoors,
you see
its effects
as the
leaves fall
from the
trees and
the branches
start bending.
You can
see the
effects of
the wind.
You don't
know where
the wind
is coming
from,
what direction.
You can't
take control
of it or
move it in
this way or
that way.
but the
effects of
the wind
are clearly
visible for
all to
see.
When we
receive life
from God
by faith,
the effects
of the
Spirit of
God at
work in
our life
are
undeniable.
if we
have been
washed,
if we
have been
given a
new heart,
then it
will be
crystal clear
for all
to see.
The effects
will be
known by
everybody.
That
doesn't mean
to say
we're
perfect.
It
doesn't
mean to
say that
we'll
never
ever fall
or fail
again.
But if
we have
this life
from God,
it will
at the
very least
mean these
two things.
And I
want to
leave us
with these
two things
to dwell
on and
to think
about.
Here's the
first thing.
If we
have this
life,
here's the
first
undeniable
effect.
Here's the
first one.
When we
sin or
get into
a pattern
of sin,
we won't
ignore it.
We will
deal with
it ruthlessly.
We will
repent and
come to
God and
ask Him
to wash
us afresh.
So there
will be a
pattern of
confession and
repentance in
our lives.
Rather than
hiding things
and pushing
things away,
we deal
with it.
That is
the first
obvious sign
of this
new life
from God.
And here's
the second
undeniable
effect.
when we
see behaviour
that is
inconsistent
with being
a Christian,
if we
see a
lifestyle
that's not
like Christ,
then we
will come
to God
and ask
the Holy
Spirit to
come and
to shape
and mould
our hearts
afresh so
that we
begin to
look like
Christ in
our behaviour
and we
begin to
talk his
words of
truth.
So do you
see those
two undeniable
effects if
the Spirit
of God is
blowing and
working through
our lives?
We won't
ignore sin,
we will deal
with it
ruthlessly.
And we
will come
looking for
that washing
afresh.
And the
second thing,
we will ask
the Holy
Spirit of
God to
shape and
mould and
change our
hearts so
that we
become
to look
more like
him.
This is
the new
life that
God has
come to
bring.
If God
did not
intervene into
our world
and into
our lives,
we would
remain dead,
hopelessly
dead.
But this
is a new
life that
he's given
us, a
life that
we can
share with
the world
so that
they too
can experience
this life
changing,
transforming
work of
God.
Let's
just take a
moment to
reflect
on that
as we
pray.
Amen.
Thank you.