Come Alive

Redemption,Regeneration, Reconciliation, Resurrection

 

Meaning of Regeneration: To change from spiritually dead to spiritually alive; to restore or to make new; to make clean. The eternal spiritual transformation in regeneration is demonstrated in the giving of a perfect, eternal, physical life.

 

Old Testament References to Regeneration: End times and national focus, especially as connected to the promise of the coming Jewish Messiah. Isaiah 1, Isaiah 40, Jeremiah 29-33, Ezekiel 16, Ezekiel 37

 

New Testament References to Regeneration: Immediate and individual focus, especially as connected to the work of God’s Son in granting eternal life to believers. Luke 9:60, Luke 15, John 3:1-17, John 10:10, John 14:6, Acts 3:19, Romans 8:1-11, II Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:1-10, Ephesians 4:17-24, Titus 3:5, I John 5:11-12, Revelation 21:1-9

 

“Born Again,” an exposition of I Peter 1:3-5, and I Peter 1:22-25

1. Caused by God, I Peter 1:3-5

• Regeneration produces worship
• Regeneration proceeds out of the depths of the mercy of God
• Regeneration is divinely caused (monergistic – one energy)
• Regeneration is connected inexorably with the resurrection of Jesus
• Regeneration grants to believers an indestructible, infallible, guaranteed, eternal inheritance

1. Through His Word, I Peter 1:22-25

• Regeneration produces a purity of heart and a purity of love for others
• Regeneration comes through the living and abiding Word of God, delivered primarily through preaching

 

Come Alive

Redemption,Regeneration, Reconciliation, Resurrection

1. Introduction (Header Slide – Come Alive - Redeemed)

• What is regeneration?
• Meaning of Regeneration: To change from spiritually dead to spiritually alive; to restore or to make new; to make clean. The eternal spiritual transformation in regeneration is demonstrated in the giving of a perfect, eternal, physical life.
• How does the Old Testament use regeneration?
• Old Testament References to Regeneration: End times and national focus, especially as connected to the promise of the coming Jewish Messiah. Isaiah 1, Isaiah 40, Jeremiah 29-33, Ezekiel 16, Ezekiel 37
• Left out Ezekiel 36:25-27 (Slide 2)
• Read Ezekiel 37:14 (Slide 3)
• How does the New Testament regeneration?
• New Testament References to Regeneration: Immediate and individual focus, especially as connected to the work of God’s Son in granting eternal life to believers. Luke 9:60, Luke 15, John 3:1-17, John 10:10, John 14:6, Acts 3:19, Romans 8:1-11, II Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:1-10, Ephesians 4:17-24, Titus 3:5, I John 5:11-12, Revelation 21:1-9
• Jesus uses regeneration or rebirth this way
• During the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus reports the father’s words to the eldest son
• Read Luke 15:31-32 (Slide 4)

·         Why regeneration?

·         Why all this language about a rebirth or a new birth?

·         Read John 3:3 (Slide 5)

·         Because we must be born again

·         Why we must be born again?

·         Read Ephesians 2:1-5 (Slide 6)

·         We are spiritually dead and only God bring life where there is death

·         How God does the work of rebirth – the Spirit of God comes and does a work in our life

·         Read Titus 3:5 (Slide 7)

·         Here we have the connection between both regeneration and renewal

·         In the new birth God brings life and He brings newness

·         The Holy Spirit is the working agent of the Godhead – He brings about this new life

1. “Born Again,” an exposition of I Peter 1:3-5 - Caused by God

• Read I Peter 1:3 (Slide 8)
• Regeneration produces worship
• Regeneration proceeds out of the depths of the mercy of God
• Regeneration is divinely caused (monergistic – one energy)
• Read I Peter 1:4-5 (Slide 9)
• Regeneration is connected inexorably with the resurrection of Jesus
• Regeneration grants to believers an indestructible, infallible, guaranteed, eternal inheritance

1. “Born Again,” an exposition of I Peter 1:22-25 – Through His Word

• Read I Peter 1:22-23 (Slide 10)
• Regeneration produces a purity of heart and a purity of love for others
• Read I Peter 1:24-25 (Slide 11)
• Regeneration comes through the living and abiding Word of God, delivered primarily through preaching

1. Conclusion about regeneration

• New birth is required, it is necessary to be born again
• The means by which the Spirit of God brings this new life is through the Word of God
• We hear the Word of God preached and the Spirit of God does His work
• The Spirit of God comes and unites us to Christ, especially the resurrection of Christ
• When we are united to Christ the Spirit of God brings a cleansing of our heart, forgiveness, renewal, and gives us a new heart and comes and dwells in this new heart
• Therefore, You must be born again and God freely offers you new birth
• You cannot do this on your own, only God can take dead people and give them life
• Since the way that we experience new birth is through faith in Christ when hearing the Word of God, I invite you now to receive Christ as the sin forgiving, transforming treasure of your life
• When you receive Christ in this way, the Spirit of God does a miraculous work in your life and washes you from your sins, gives you a new heart and comes to live within you as the transformative person in your life

 

 

1 Peter 1 (New American Standard Bible)

1 Peter 1

A Living Hope, and a Sure Salvation

 ¹Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen

 ²according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

 ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

 ⁴to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

 ⁵who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

 ⁶In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

 ⁷so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

 ⁸and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

 ⁹obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

 ¹⁰As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,

 ¹¹seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

 ¹²It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look.

 ¹³Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 ¹⁴As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,

 ¹⁵but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

 ¹⁶because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

 ¹⁷If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;

 ¹⁸knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,

 ¹⁹but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

 ²⁰For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you

 ²¹who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

 ²²Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,

 ²³for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

 ²⁴For,
         "ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS,
         AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS.
         THE GRASS WITHERS,
         AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,
    ²⁵BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER "
         And this is the word which was preached to you.