THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT<br> <br>

PROGRAM AIR DATE – 9-14-14

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LESSON TITLE:  “THE NEW BIRTH.”<br> <br>



WELCOME<br> <br>

      TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES WE ARE TOLD “FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD.” IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST RAY SULLINS.<br> <br>

      IN PSALM 139, DAVID ONCE ASKED THE QUESTION, “ CAN I GO FROM YOUR SPIRIT?”  HOW COMFORTING IT IS TO KNOW THAT OUR GOD IS ALWAYS THERE FOR US.  ARE YOU A FAITHFUL CHILD OF THE CREATOR?  <br> <br>

      THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING, LET ME WELCOME YOU TO THE PROGRAM.  THE LIVING WORD IS A WORK OF OUR LORD, DEDICATED TO DOING GODŐS WILL IN HIS WAY!  AS ALWAYS, IT WILL BE OUR PRIVILEGE TODAY TO SING SONGS OF PRAISE AND TO STUDY FROM HIS WORD.  IN THESE ACTS OF WORSHIP, MAY WE ALL BE ENCOURAGED, BUT ULTIMATELY MAY WE EACH PRAISE GOD ACCORDING TO THE SACRIFICES TO OFFER TOWARD HIS THRONE.  IT WILL ALSO BE OUR HONOR THIS MORNING TO SPEAK WITH GOD THROUGH PRAYER.  WILL YOU BOW WITH ME AS WE TALK TO OUR CREATOR? <br> <br>

      PRAYER:  OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE AND WE THANK YOU FOR EVERY BLESSING OF LIFE. FOR FATHER, WE KNOW THAT ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS AND ALL PHYSICAL BLESSINGS COME FROM YOU. AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE LORD'S DAY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ASSEMBLE AND WORSHIP AND PRAISE YOUR NAME. FATHER, MAY WE DO ALL IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH THIS DAY ACCORDING TO YOUR WILL, THAT WE MIGHT BE FOUND PLEASING IN YOUR SIGHT ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE US EACH TO DO. AND FATHER, HELP US TO EVERYDAY OF LIFE LIVE IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE LIFT YOU UP AND GIVE YOU GLORY AS COMMANDED THAT YOU MY SEE OUR FAITHFULNESS AND BLESS US ACCORDINGLY, NOT ONLY IN THIS LIFE, BUT THE LIFE TO COME. WE THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT GIFT OF JESUS WHICH MAKES ALL THINGS POSSIBLE. IN HIS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN<br> <br>

      NOW IT’S TIME TO PRAISE OUR GOD THROUGH SONG. WE WANT TO BEGIN WITH A SONG THAT REMINDS US THAT OUR GOD HAS PREPARED MANY BLESSING AND PROMISES WHICH AWAIT THE FAITHFUL.  SO, WON’T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME AS WE SING TOGETHER, “TO CANAAN’S LAND I’M ON MY WAY.”

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DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS<br> <br>

      SOMETIMES WE WONDER IN THIS LIFE HOW WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH ANOTHER DAY.  HOWEVER, ONE THING IS FOR SURE, WITH GOD ON OUR SIDE THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY.  I LOVE THE WAY THE PROPHET ISAIAH PUT IT IN CHAPTER 41, AND VERSE 10 OF HIS BOOK.  THERE WE READ, “FEAR NOT, FOR I AM WITH YOU; BE NOT DISMAYED, FOR I AM YOUR GOD. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU, YES, I WILL HELP YOU, I WILL UPHOLD YOU WITH MY RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND.”  WOW, WHAT A VERSE THIS IS, CHALKED FULL OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND HOPE FOR US AS FOLLOWERS OF GOD<br> <br>.  

      THE HEBREW WRITER HAD THE SAME IDEA, AS STATED IN HEBREWS 13:5-6, THERE WE READ, “FOR HE HIMSELF HAS SAID, ‘I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.’”  SO WE MAY BOLDLY SAY, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER; I WILL NOT FEAR. WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME?”  DID YOU GET THAT AGAIN?    GOD DOES LOVE US, HE IS ALWAYS THERE AND HE WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO HELP US, PROTECT US, PROVIDE FOR US AND TO CARE FOR US.  OH, WHAT A TRULY LOVING AND WONDROUS GOD WE SERVE.  <br> <br>

      I FURTHER LOVE ONE OF THE FINAL THINGS THAT JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES BEFORE RETURNING TO HEAVEN.  IN MATTHEW 28:20, HE SAID, “AND LO I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN UNTIL THE END OF THE AGE!”  WITH GOD WE ARE NEVER ALONE, WE DON’T HAVE TO BEAR THE THINGS OF LIFE BY OURSELVES, FOR HE IS ALWAYS WITH US AND WILL NEVER LEAVE US.  WHAT A TRULY WONDERFUL AND LOVING GOD WE SERVE!  IS GOD THE MAIN FOCUS OF YOUR LIFE? IF NOT MAKE CHANGES EVEN TODAY TO SEE THAT YOU SUBMIT TO HIS WILL AND OBEY HIS PRECEPTS UNTO ETERNAL LIFE!<br> <br> 

      AS FAR AS OUR STUDY THIS DAY - WE WILL BE CONCLUDING OUR SERIES WHICH IS ENTITLED, “EVERYONE WHO LOVES IS BORN OF GOD!”  OUR SPECIFIC LESSON OF THE MORNING DEALS WITH, “THE NEW BIRTH!” SO PLEASE STAY WITH US THIS MORNING AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER I WILL LEAD US IN OUR MAIN THOUGHTS OF THE DAY.   NOW IT’S TIME TO JOIN IN OUR SECOND SONG OF THE MORNING, THE NAME OF THIS HYMN, “TO THE WORK.”<br> <br>



LESSON <br> <br>

BY RAY SULLINS<br> <br>

      WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'VE CONTINUED WITH US THIS MORNING AS WE NOW HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO ONCE AGAIN GO TO GOD'S WORD AND CONSIDER ANOTHER LESSON SPECIFICALLY FROM GOD'S TEXT, GOD'S WORD, AS TO WHAT HE WOULD HAVE US TO DO IN RELATIONSHIP TO OUR OVER ALL SERIES ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE LOVERS OF GOD. AS GOD HAS LOVED US CERTAINLY, WE MUST DEMONSTRATE OUR LOVE TO OTHERS THAT MAN MIGHT KNOW GOD THROUGH US. AND AS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THESE THINGS, CERTAINLY WE'VE BEEN USING THE BOOK OF PETER THERE AS A TEXT TO REALLY PROMOTE THESE IDEAS. AND THIS MORNING WE'LL BEGIN WITH ANOTHER TEXT IN PETER, THAT NOT ONLY TALKS ABOUT THE CONCEPTS OF LOVE FOR GOD, BUT ALSO THE IDEA OF BEING THOSE WHO ARE BORN OF GOD BUT BORN AGAIN OF GOD. <br> <br>

      AND SO LAST WEEK YOU MIGHT RECALL THAT WE BEGAN LOOKING AT MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A DEEP CONCEPT OF THAT NEW CREATION IDEA OR THAT IDEA OF ONE WHO IS A NEW BABE. BUT NOT JUST A BABE BUT GROWING IN THE THINGS OF GOD - A NEW MAN IF YOU WILL. BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THIS CONCEPT OF THE BIRTH THERE REALLY ARE SEVERAL ASPECTS TO THAT BIRTH. AND CERTAINLY AS WE ARE THOSE BORN IN THE WORLD AND LIVING IN THE WORLD AND TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THE THINGS THAT WE MUST THERE IS A WAY OR A PATH THAT WE GET IN TO THAT BIRTH. <br> <br>

      SO I WANT YOU TO LOOK WITH ME FIRST OF ALL THEN IN THE BOOK OF PETER.  AND I WANT TO LOOK AT CHAPTER 1 BUT SPECIFICALLY IN VERSE 22 BEGINNING. BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO DO TO GET AWAY FROM THE WORLD AND THE STAINS OF THE WORLD OR THE SIN OF THE WORLD IN ORDER TO INITIALLY BECOME A CHRISTIAN. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THIS MORNING. THE EVANGELISTIC MESSAGE, THE GOSPEL ITSELF, THAT ADDS ME - ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD - TO HIS FOLD OR THE CHURCH. LOOK THERE WITH ME IN VERSE 22 FOR INSTANCE. HE SAYS, “SINCE YOU HAVE PURIFIED YOUR SOULS IN OBEYING THE TRUTH THROUGH THE SPIRIT AND THE SINCERE LOVE OF THE BRETHREN, LOVE ONE ANOTHER FERVENTLY WITH A PURE HEART.” AND THEN HE SAYS, “HAVING BEEN BORN AGAIN, NOT OF CORRUPTIBLE SEED BUT OF INCORRUPTIBLE.” WELL, YOU SEE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN BUILDING ON A LOT INCLUDING AS I SAID LAST WEEK BUT HERE HE SAYS THE IDEA THAT WE HAVE OBEYED THE TRUTH. AND THEN IN VERSE 23 IT SAYS, “THE WORD OF GOD WHICH LIVES AND ABIDES FOREVER.” HOW DO I PURIFY MYSELF? HOW DO I GET INTO A STATE WHERE I'M ABLE, NOT ONLY TO OBEY, BUT DO THE WILL OF GOD? IT IS BY KNOWING THE WORD. AND THEN HE SAYS IN VERSE 23, “BEING BORN AGAIN.” YOU SEE, IT'S NOT ENOUGH JUST TO BE BORN OF THIS WORLD. BUT WHAT WE ACTUALLY BEGIN TO FIND OURSELVES INTRODUCED TO HERE IS THIS CONCEPT OF A NEW BIRTH. <br> <br>

      WELL, WE HAVE A GREAT EXAMPLE IN THE GOSPEL ACCOUNT OF JOHN WHERE ONE INDIVIDUAL ACTUALLY ASKS THIS QUESTION. IN FACT, YOU MIGHT RECALL WITH ME THE STORY OF NICODEMUS IN JOHN CHAPTER 3. A MAN IT SAYS WHO WAS A PHARISEE. HE WAS ACTUALLY A RULER OF THE JEWS BUT HE HAD NO DOUBT HEARD IT SEEMS OF JESUS. HE HAD HEARD PERHAPS OF HIS MIRACLES AND HE EVIDENTLY AT LEAST BELIEVED TO SOME EXTENT THAT THIS MAN MUST BE FROM GOD. AND WE KNOW THAT AS WELL BECAUSE THERE IN VERSE 2 HE ACTUALLY MAKES THE STATEMENT. HE SAYS THERE IS NO WAY YOU COULD DO WHAT YOU DO EXCEPT YOU BE FROM GOD. AND SO NICODEMUS, AT LEAST TO AN EXTENT, WAS A BELIEVER OR BEGINNING TO BE A BELIEVER IN JESUS. AND BECAUSE OF THIS, HE EVEN REFERS TO HIM AS RABBI OR TEACHER. IT WAS THERE IN VERSE 3 THEN THAT JESUS MAKES A STATEMENT TO HIM. AND HERE'S THE STATEMENT THAT IS MADE. HE SAID MOST ABSURDLY I SAY TO YOU, “UNLESS YOU ARE BORN AGAIN OR UNLESS ONE IS BORN AGAIN HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” YOU SEE, THE REALITY THAT JESUS WAS TRYING TO BRING TO HIS ATTENTION IS THAT ALTHOUGH WE ARE BORN AND WE COME INTO AN EXISTENCE IN THIS LIFE, WE COME INTO AN EXISTENCE, AT LEAST AS FAR AS WE CAN SEE AND OFTEN AS FAR AS WE CAN KNOW, THAT WE ARE OF FLESH. THAT WE ARE OF BLOOD. THAT BEING THE CASE, WE KNOW THAT GOD HIMSELF ACTUALLY HAS DESIGNED US IN A CERTAIN WAY. AND HE HAS DESIGNED US THAT WE WOULD NOT ONLY BE FOUND IN HIS IMAGE SPIRITUALLY BUT ALSO HOUSED IN A TENT OF A PHYSICAL NATURE. AND SO WHEN I AM BORN I AM BORN INTO THE FLESH. BUT THEN GOD PLACES LIVES IN ME THAT WHICH IS EVEN GREATER IMPORTANCE WHICH IS THE SPIRIT OR AS WE MIGHT EVEN SAY THE VERY SOUL OF MAN.<br> <br> 

      NOW, THAT BEING THE CASE, WE LOOK HERE AT THIS TEXT AGAIN AND THE QUESTION IS BEING ASKED IN A SENSE RHETORICALLY BY NICODEMUS. HOW CAN I BE BORN-AGAIN? I'M ALREADY FLESH. I'VE ALREADY COME FROM MY MOTHER'S WOMB. AND THERE IN VERSE 4 HE ASKS THAT VERY QUESTION: WHEN I'M OLD, HOW CAN I AGAIN BE BORN IN THE FLESH? WHAT IS JESUS TRYING TO TEACH HIM? WHAT HE'S TRYING TO TEACH HIM IS THAT WHEN WE ARE BORN AND WE ARE BORN IN THE FLESH, THE FLESH CANNOT SAVE US. WE CANNOT FIND HOPE IN THE FLESH. THE FLESH IS PERISHING - FLESH AND BLOOD, 1 CORINTHIANS 15, WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. SO WE CANNOT BE THOSE WHO GIVE OUR LIVES TO FLESHLY THINGS OR THOSE THINGS THAT ARE PASSING. SO WHAT MUST WE DO? WELL, THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID A MAN MUST BE BORN AGAIN. SOME TRANSLATIONS OR IDEAS OF THIS TEXT SAY BORN ANEW. NOT NECESSARILY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO LITERALLY ENTER INTO THE WOMB OF YOUR MOTHER AND BE BORN IN A FLESHLY SENSE, BUT THAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE MADE ANEW OR THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE MADE A NEW CREATURE OR CREATION THROUGH A SPECIFIC THING THAT YOU MUST DO IN ORDER TO BE FOUND AS ONE THEN WHO HAS BEEN FAITHFUL IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. <br> <br>

      WELL, THAT THEN LEADS US TO PRIMARILY WHAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON EVEN THIS MORNING. BECAUSE THEN JESUS SAYS WHAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT BIRTH, THAT NEW BIRTH, THAT ANEW BIRTH, THAT REBIRTH, OR THAT BEING BORN-AGAIN THAT EVEN PETER SPOKE ABOUT. THAT WE ARE BORN-AGAIN OF THAT WHICH IS NOT CORRUPTIBLE OR FLESHLY BUT THAT WHICH IS INCORRUPTIBLE, SPIRITUAL, OR HEAVENLY. WELL, HE SAYS THE WAY WE DO THAT - VERSE 5 - IS BY THE WATER AND THE SPIRIT. JESUS ACTUALLY USES THESE WORDS, “MOST ASSUREDLY I SAY TO YOU UNLESS ONE IS BORN OF THE WATER, AND THE SPIRIT HE CANNOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” WELL, WE ALL WANT TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD. WE ALL WANT TO BE IN THE KINGDOM THAT HE HAS PREPARED FOR THE FAITHFUL BUT HE SAYS UNLESS YOU'VE BEEN BORN IN THE WATER AND THE SPIRIT. WELL, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THIS CONCEPT IT CERTAINLY TIES DIRECTLY WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT BECAUSE THE IDEA OF THE SPIRIT IS SIGNIFICANT. THE SPIRIT OF A MAN THAT WHICH IS OF GOD AND THAT WHICH IS ACCORDING TO THE PLAN OF GOD. AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT'S BEING FOUND THERE IN THE TEXT WE SEE THAT THE SPIRIT, THE ESSENCE OF MAN, THAT WE ARE BORN-AGAIN ANEW - MADE ANEW - NO LONGER LIKE THE FLESH BUT LIKE THAT ATTITUDE, THAT LIKENESS, IN ACTION AND WORD OF GOD HIMSELF. SO IT'S A CHANGE - A SPIRITUAL CHANGE, A SPIRITUAL FOCUS, A SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE SO TO SPEAK – 

      BUT THEN HE HAS ALSO ALREADY MENTIONED THE IDEA OF WATER. SO THERE WAS A WATER ELEMENT AND A SPIRITUAL ELEMENT. NO DOUBT THE WATER ELEMENT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN IN THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL ACTION THAT WOULD BE TAKEN. IN OTHER WORDS, SOMETHING THAT MUST BE DONE. A PLAN TO ACTUALLY ACT UPON WHAT GOD SAID - BY WATER AND THE SPIRIT. AND SO WE NOT ONLY MUST BE BORN ANEW SPIRITUALLY BUT ALSO BORN ANEW IN THIS WATER. AND SO NOW THAT TAKES US TO UNDERSTANDING OF WATER. YOU THINK ABOUT THE USE OF WATER BY GOD THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT AGES AND EVEN THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT PERIODS WHERE HE GAVE HIS COMMANDMENTS TO HIS FOLLOWERS. <br> <br>

      WE CAN BACK ALL THE WAY UP TO THE STORY OF NOAH. AND WE CAN LEARN THERE THAT NOAH WAS SAVED IN THE ARK BUT HE WAS SAVED BY WATER ACCORDING TO WHAT PETER SAID. WATER WAS INVOLVED IN NOT ONLY DESTRUCTION DURING THOSE DAYS BUT ALSO IN SALVATION. AND THEN WE SEE SITUATIONS WHERE ISRAEL COMES UP TO WHAT WE WOULD CALL THE RED SEA AND GOD DOES WHAT? HE SAVES THEM BY WATER. AND THEN WHAT DOES HE DO? HE DESTROYS THE ARMIES OF EGYPT WHO ARE BEHIND THEM. AND ON AND ON WE CAN GO ABOUT EXAMPLE AFTER EXAMPLE OF THOSE WHO WERE TOLD TO PERHAPS GO AND TO DIP THEMSELVES IN WATER - THAT THEY MIGHT BE CLEANSED OF LEPROSY OR OTHER TYPES OF THINGS. <br> <br>

      AND AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT, SHOULD WE FIND IT STRANGE THAT JOHN THE IMMERSER AS HE IS CALLED - THE BAPTIZER - WAS ONE WHO CAME BAPTIZING. AND IN FACT, HE PREACHED A GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HE CHALLENGED THE PEOPLE AS HE SAID TO REPENT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD WAS AT HAND. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING? IT TELLS US THERE IN THE BIBLE THAT HE WAS BAPTIZING WHERE THERE WAS, GUESS WHAT? MUCH WATER. ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THAT I'VE ALWAYS FOUND ABOUT THOSE WHO WOULD DENY THE NEED OF A WATER BAPTISM, A LITERAL WATER-TYPE BAPTISM, IS THAT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF WHERE WE FIND JESUS SAYING THAT ONE MUST BE BORN IN THE WATER AND THE SPIRIT. IT'S SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IN VERSE 22 OF THAT TEXT IT BEGINS TO TELL US THAT IT WAS THERE JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES THAT CAME INTO THE LAND OF JUDEA AND THERE HE REMAINED WITH THEM AND BAPTIZED. AND THEN IN VERSE 23 IT SAYS JOHN WAS ALSO BAPTIZING. AND HE WAS BAPTIZING IT SAYS IN THE ARNON NEAR SALIM. WHY? BECAUSE THERE WAS MUCH WATER THERE. LET ME TELL YOU. IF IT'S ONLY THE HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM, WHY DID HE HAVE TO GET THE HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM ONLY WHERE THERE WAS A LOT OF LITERAL WATER? <br> <br>

      WELL, YOU KNOW WHEN YOU LOOK UP THAT IDEA OF HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM, I CHALLENGE YOU TO FIND THAT CONCEPT OF BAPTISTE OR BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE BIBLE IN RELATIONSHIP TO ONE BECOMING A CHILD GOD. YOU WON'T FIND IT BECAUSE IT IS HERE THAT WE BEGIN TO SEE THIS TIE-IN OR CONNECTION TO WHERE JESUS SAID YES, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN IN THE SPIRIT; LEAVING THE FLESH, LEAVING THE WORLD, LEAVING THE CARNALITY BUT BE BORN-AGAIN ALSO IN THE WHAT? IN THE WATER, AS THEY WERE BAPTIZING. EVEN JOHN WAS BAPTIZING. I LIKE CHAPTER 4 AS WELL OF THE BOOK OF JOHN BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? IT SAYS THAT JESUS ALSO BAPTIZED IN WATER MORE DISCIPLES THAN JOHN DID. WELL IT SEEMS LIKE IF HE MAKES THE PLEA TO NICODEMUS - OH BY THE WAY, YOU'VE GOT TO BE BAPTIZED IN THE WATER AND THE SPIRIT. AND OH BY THE WAY, JOHN WAS BAPTIZED AND ALSO I WAS BAPTIZED. IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN HE SAYS BY THE WATER, HE PROBABLY MEANS IMMERSION AS IS DESIGNED IN SCRIPTURE AND WAS EVEN ACCOMPLISHED ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST IN ACTS 2:38 WHEN PETER THERE AND THE OTHERS SAID REPENT AND LET EVERYONE OF YOU BE WHAT? BAPTIZED - BAPTISMO - IMMERSED - INTO THE WATERY GRAVE. THAT WATERY GRAVE OF BAPTISM THAT YOU MIGHT BE WHAT? BORN-AGAIN, MADE ANEW. YOU SEE, THE OUTWARD MANIFESTATION OF AN ACT IN WATER THAT DOES WHAT? THAT PRESENTS US THEN BECAUSE OF OUR COMMITMENT IN SPIRIT TO GODLY THINGS. TO A SPIRITUAL RENEWAL. A SPIRITUAL REBIRTH. <br> <br>

      ANOTHER THING THAT'S ALWAYS SURPRISED ME ABOUT THE MISUNDERSTANDING WE WOULD SAY OR EVEN PERHAPS THOSE WHO MISREPRESENT THE NEED FOR BAPTISM IS WHAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS CHAPTER 6. IN ROMANS CHAPTER 6 IT IS WELL LAID OUT FOR US. THE VERY PURPOSE AND REALLY THE INTENT OF BAPTISM. WHAT SHOULD BE ON THE MIND OF ONE? AND WE CERTAINLY KNOW HERE THAT HE'S NOT TALKING ABOUT ANY KIND OF A HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM. HE IS TALKING ABOUT THE BAPTISM THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN COMMANDED TO THOSE, SUCH AS IN ACTS CHAPTER 2, WHO WENT DOWN AND WERE LITERALLY IMMERSED INTO THE WATERY GRAVE. THAT PATTERN CONTINUES TO BE FOUND HERE. BUT I WANT YOU TO NOTICE THE COMPARISON OF THIS WATER BAPTISM. HE BEGINS TO SAY THIS. HE SAYS, DO YOU NOT KNOW VERSE 3, THAT AS MANY OF YOU AS WERE BAPTIZED OR IMMERSED INTO CHRIST,  WERE BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH. WHEN SOMEBODY DIES AND WHEN SOMEBODY IS BURIED, DO YOU LAY THEM ON TOP OF THE GROUND? DO YOU JUST THROW SOMETHING AT THEM OR DO YOU PUT THEM UNDER? WELL, YOU SEE THE SYMBOLISM? CHRIST WAS BURIED AND SO IN VERSE 4 HE SAYS, “THEREFORE WE WERE BURIED WITH HIM THROUGH BAPTISM INTO DEATH.” SO WE ARE BURIED AS HE WAS BURIED. <br> <br>

      WE DIE AS HE DIED. WHY? VERSE 4 CONTINUES, “THAT JUST AS CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD BY THE GLORY OF THE FATHER EVEN SO WE ALSO SHOULD WALK IN A NEWNESS OF LIFE. THERE IT IS. THAT WE DIE, WE'RE DEAD, WE'RE PUT IN THE GRAVE OF THE WATERS OF BAPTISM IN A SYMBOLIC SENSE, THAT WE BY OBEDIENCE PROVE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE DYING TO THE OLD WAY OF THE FLESH AND WE RISE OUT OF THAT GRAVE AS JESUS ROSE OUT OF THE GRAVE TO BE WHAT? NEW CREATIONS, HAVING LEFT THE DEAD MAN IN THE GRAVE, IN ORDER THAT WE MIGHT BE WHAT? RISEN OUT OF THAT WATERY GRAVE AS A NEW CREATION. BUT NOT ONLY AS A NEW CREATION BUT BORN-AGAIN BY WATER AND RENEWED IN SPIRIT. AND THEN HE ADDS THIS IN VERSE 5. “FOR IF WE HAVE BEEN UNITED TOGETHER IN THE LIKENESS OF HIS DEATH IN BAPTISM WE ARE UNITED IN THE LIKENESS OF HIS RESURRECTION,” SO THAT WHAT MIGHT TAKE PLACE? VERSE 6, “THAT OUR OLD MAN MAYBE CRUCIFIED WITH HIM AND DONE AWAY WITH. THAT SIN MIGHT BE DESTROYED.” <br> <br>

      DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THE MIND BEING FOCUSED ON WHAT BAPTISM IS ALL ABOUT? NOT ONLY THE OBEDIENCE TO GO THROUGH IT BUT WHAT IT MEANS? WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT YOU HAVE COME TO THE REALIZATION THAT IN THIS FLESH, IN THIS BORN OF NATURAL THINGS BODY - IN THIS CORRUPTIBLE PHYSICAL FLESH, I'M GOING TO BE HOPELESS AND I'LL DIE AND BE LOST ETERNALLY. BUT THROUGH GOD I CAN BE BORN-AGAIN. I CAN HAVE A RENEWED SPIRIT. I CAN BE BY WATER DEAD TO THE OLD MAN AND MADE ALIVE TO THE NEW CREATION AND I CAN BE ADDED BY MY GOD, WHO ALONE HAS THE POWER AND THE PLAN TO DO SO, TO HIS VERY CHURCH. ACTS   2:47 FOR THOSE WHO WERE SAVED THAT DAY WHAT DID THEY DO? THEY WERE CUT TO THE HEART. WE BELIEVE, WE'VE CRUCIFIED, WHAT MUST WE DO TO BE SAVED? YOU HAVE KILLED THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. YOU SEE, THEY BELIEVED IN IT. THEY WERE CUT TO THE HEART. AND HE SAYS REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED. ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR SIN, THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DIE TO IT, AND BE BAPTIZED. THAT YOU MIGHT DO WHAT? NOT ONLY RECEIVE THE REMISSION OF SINS AS IT SAYS IN ACTS 2:38 BUT ALSO THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. <br> <br>

      WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT EVEN TODAY TO PUT ON CHRIST, GALATIANS CHAPTER 3. TO BE ABLE, BY BAPTISM, TO PUT ON CHRIST AND TO DIE TO THAT OLD MAN AND TO ARISE A NEW CREATION, THAT YOU MIGHT BEGAN TO WALK AS A NEW CREATURE. A NEW PERSON BORN-AGAIN OF GOD. WELL, IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT, CERTAINLY FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US. CONTACT US BY E-MAIL OR PHONE NUMBER OR GET WITH SOMEONE WHO'S GOING TO TEACH YOU THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO THESE THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE NOT ONLY THE BLESSINGS OF GOD TODAY BUT THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE HEAVEN SOMEDAY AND ETERNAL LIFE. ARE YOU WILLING TO DO IT GOD'S WAY? ARE YOU WILLING TO PUT AWAY YOUR OWN ARROGANCE AND ARE YOU WILLING TO OBEY THE BIBLE, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD.

      <br> <br>

      

CLOSING COMMENTS<br> <br>

      LET ME THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY, IN THIS OFFERING TO GOD.  I HOPE OUR TIME TOGETHER HAS BEEN AN ENCOURAGEMENT AND BLESSING TO ALL OF US.  WE INVITE YOU BACK EVERY SUND<br> <br>

      DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY’S LESSON?  MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A CASSETTE TAPE OF THIS PROGRAM?  POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR CORRESPONDENCE COURSES?  NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:  <br> <br>

The Living Word

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