to the book of Titus chapter 3. Because in the fifth verse, there's a word that is found that I'd like to speak to you about today. It's the word regeneration, regeneration. Now, this is a word that's found only twice in our Bible. But what an important word it is. In fact, the Old Testament never speaks of regeneration, but the New Testament does. And when it does, we ought to listen. We're in a short series of messages that I've entitled The Vocabulary of Victory. Thus far, we've learned to rejoice in our redemption, to find joy in justification, to give praise for our propitiation. We've rejoiced rather in our reconciliation and learned to be strong in salvation. Last week, we talked about adoption, and today, regeneration. As we look to Titus 3, familiar verses, beginning in verse 3, For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers' lusts and pleasures. You know, it's good for us to be reminded of the pit from which the Lord has dug us. We were living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But after that, the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared. not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, here it comes, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Christ Jesus our Savior. Being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. I'd like to speak this morning on the reality of regeneration. Let's ask the Lord to bless as we look in His Word. Father, now I pray that Your Word would be precious to us, that the message this morning would encourage someone and challenge someone else, but that it would be faithful to the truths that are found in the Scriptures, and that the Spirit of God may be our teacher. Thank You, Lord, for new life. Thank you that we can say together, I've been born again, if we've trusted in Christ as Savior. And Lord, I pray that you challenge someone today, that they come to know that fountain of life, who alone is Christ, for he is the way, the truth, and the life. And may the word of God strike to some heart today that someone might be born again. For it's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Over the past few weeks, you've come to discover that I have a fascination with words. Now, I'm not quite on the same page as some who open the Reader's Digest with a fixation on word power, but I do like words. I had the privilege of traveling down to North Carolina yesterday to represent our church at the Ordination Council of our former assistant pastor, Joe Fant. So in preparation for traveling south, I picked up a southern vocabulary dictionary. I found it a little bit helpful. I noted that the word barred, B-A-R-D, barred is a verb in the past tense of the infinitive, meaning to borrow. Use it this way. My brother borrowed my pickup truck. Georgia, J-A-W-J-U-H. That's a noun. It's a state, capital's Atlanta. You use it this way. My brother from Georgia borrowed my pickup truck. Months, M-U-N-T-S. That also is a noun. It's a calendar division. So it works like this. My brother from Georgia borrowed my pickup truck. He's had it for months. Ranch. Now that one I thought I knew, but I don't. It's a noun, but it's a tool used for tightening bolts. The suggested usage was this. I think I left my ranch in the back of the pickup truck that my brother from Georgia borrowed a few months ago. And then the word all. You know, we think about our internationals. It must be very difficult for them to get to know the English language, because quite honestly, it could be a challenge for any of us. All, A-L-L, and you thought you knew that word, but that's a noun speaking of petroleum-based lubricants. I sure hope my brother from Georgia puts all in my truck. And then the word far, again, I thought I knew the word, but F-A-R, a noun meaning a conflagration usage. My brother from Georgia, if you don't change the oil in my pickup truck, there's going to be a far. I really don't know if any of those words will help any of you at all. But I do know this, the word regeneration is a very helpful word. Regeneration is a great word in our vocabulary of victory as we consider some of the words that are relevant to our consideration of the joy of our salvation. The great preacher, Jonathan Edwards, sent a letter to his friend, a great printer by the name of Benjamin Franklin. Edwards had preached often in Philadelphia. He'd become a friend of Benjamin Franklin. And this is what Jonathan Edwards, I'm sorry, George Whitfield, what George Whitfield wrote to his friend Benjamin Franklin. I find that you grow more and more famous in the learned world. As you've made such progress in investigating the mysteries of electricity, I now humbly urge you to give diligent heed to the mystery of the new birth. It's a most important and interesting study, and when you have mastered it, you will find yourself richly repaid for your pains. Without question, those who study regeneration are amply rewarded. So let's begin by asking, what's the meaning of this word, regeneration, that we see in Titus 3 and verse 5? We realize that it's not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. The word regeneration here in verse 5 is a Greek word. In fact, it's two Greek words put together. The first part of that word means again, and the last part of that word means to be born. So simply regeneration means new birth, a new beginning, a new order. Warren Wiersbe says it this way, the word regeneration simply means new birth, renewal, or restoration. Personal regeneration or rebirth is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the person who trusts Christ. The word regeneration, says Wiersbe, simply means the act of God by which new life is imparted to the person who trusts Christ as Savior. And then I like this, he says, justification gives me a righteous standing before God. Adoption gives me an adult standing before God, but regeneration or rebirth gives the life of God, the nature of God in our very being. Regeneration does not simply put us back to where we would have been had Adam never sinned. Listen, Wiersbe says regeneration is birth into a brand new life. It's sharing the very life of God. It is not just a reformation. If regeneration were only reformation, You would lose it the next time you sinned. No. Regeneration is the act of God, whereby the very life of God is given to those who trust Christ as Savior. And then, says Wiersbe, and the classic text about regeneration is found in John chapter 3. So I'm going to invite you to take your Bibles with me this morning as we turn to the gospel of John chapter 3. The gospel of John chapter 3 is called by some the greatest chapter in all of the Bible. Many would declare it contains the greatest verse in all the Bible, John 3 and verse 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Certainly, it deals with one of the greatest themes to be found in all of the Bible. It deals with the theme of regeneration. It deals with the theme of the new birth. John chapter 3 records for us a conversation that happened some 2,000 years ago. A man by the name of Nicodemus lit his lamp and went out looking for Jesus Christ. He had some questions to ask him. Little did Nicodemus know when he lit that lamp in Jerusalem and went to look for Jesus, that in the stillness of that night and the quietness of that conversation, as they together alone would speak, that we, this morning at Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana, would investigate their conversation all these many years later. But it's important that we investigate their conversation. After all, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus about regeneration. He's talking to him about the new birth. We've looked at the meaning of regeneration. Let's look now at the man. the man in need of regeneration, or the man in need of the new birth. Verse 1 says, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him. Jesus answered and said to him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, He cannot see the kingdom of God. Verily, verily, literally he's saying, truly, truly, he's trying to emphasize what he's about to say to Nicodemus. Except a man be born again or regenerated, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now the kingdom of God is where God dwells and where God rules. So Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus about heaven. Truly, truly, I tell you, except a man be born again or regenerated, he cannot enter heaven. Now, many people think they can enter heaven because of their good works, and certainly Nicodemus would have belonged to that group of people. Nicodemus, after all, is identified for us as a Pharisee to this one who was known in the community so well to be such a good man who had an abundance of good works. Jesus says to him in verse seven, you must be born again. And that must have startled Nicodemus. After all, Nicodemus was a religious man. He was a religious man. Verse one identifies him as a man of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were extreme religious separatists. They tithe. They were at the temple often. They were people who shared an abundance of prayers. They were careful in how they dressed. They were careful with whom they associated. They memorized great portions of the law. He was an intensely religious man. He was a rich man. The Talmud says, the Talmud is one of the ancient writings of the Jews, the Talmud says that Nicodemus was the third wealthiest man living in Jerusalem in the time of Christ. The only two Jews who had more money in Jerusalem in the time of Christ would have been Caiaphas and Annas, the high priest in Jerusalem at the time. But Nicodemus was a very, very rich man. We know that because the Gospel of John tells us in John 19 that when Jesus was embalmed and placed in the tomb, 75 pounds of precious spices were purchased by this man, Nicodemus. He was a respected man. a respected man. He's identified here in verse one as a ruler of the Jews. That means he was one of the 70 members of the council called the Sanhedrin. This was the ruling council of Jerusalem, the ruling council of the nation of Israel, and Nicodemus was part of it. In fact, Nicodemus was a rational man. He begins by saying to Jesus in verse two, we know that thou art a teacher sent from God. No one else could do the miracles that you're doing. And yet Jesus speaks to this man who has religion and riches and respect and a keen mind. And Jesus says to him, you must be born again. And Jesus says to him in verse 10, are you a master? Literally, you can write there, are you the master in Israel? And you don't know these things. This man who had so much going for him, it seems. This man who was known as the master, the chief teacher, if you will, during his lifetime, had a problem. The problem is he wasn't regenerated. He wasn't born again. You see, how do you know that, Pastor Phelps? Well, look how Nicodemus responds when Jesus begins to speak of regeneration. Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he's old? And Jesus responds to him in verse 10. Are you the teacher in Israel? You don't know these things. How can this be? How can it be that a man who's religious, a man who's respected, a man who has all these things going for him has missed it? Jesus says, except the man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. And this man, well respected in his community, who's climbed the social ladder, who's known in his synagogue and in the temple as a very virtuous, dare we say, holy man, but he's not yet ready to enter the kingdom of God. He has no confidence, no promise, no entry pass to heaven. A number of years ago, two friends of mine lived next door to a fellow by the name of Larry. Larry was a kind gentleman. He was rather quiet. He kept to himself. The two friends of mine had younger children, and so their children were playing around his yard, so they got to know each other through unusual circumstances. This dear man, Larry, who lived alone in his home, fell ill, and so my two friends decided they'd go to visit their neighbor in the hospital. They walked down the hospital corridor, they saw a priest coming down the corridor toward them. And as they entered Larry's room, they inquired as to how Larry was doing. And Larry said this, I'm not doing too well. He said, did you see the priest that just came out? My friend said, yes, we saw the priest. He said, well, he just gave me the last rites. I'm not expected to live. My friends said to Larry there on the hospital bed, well, Larry, are you ready to die? And now the story gets interesting. You see, Larry had studied for the priesthood himself. Just before his first assignment to be a priest in the nation of Canada, he decided he didn't want to be that far from home. So he did not take his final vows of holy orders. But he'd never been always been rather committed to the church. He was very faithful in his attendance, very kind in his demeanor. It wasn't seeking after money. He was helpful in his community. So my friends asked this man, are you are you ready? He just had his last rights. And Larry, being an honest man, looked up from his pillow and he said, no. I'm not ready. I don't know where I'm going to go. And my friends turned in the Bible to this, the greatest chapter with the greatest theme to the greatest verse. And they read to Larry, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, and explained that it's the gift of God that brings salvation. There in that hospital room, Larry Bunker trusted Christ as Savior. And then something amazing happened. He lived. Not just spiritually, which he certainly began to live spiritually, But he lived physically for well over 10 years. A few months after he was out of the hospital, I had the privilege of baptizing him. He stood in the baptistry with a big smile on his face and shared, well, he started this way. He said, you've probably heard of me. My last name is Bunker, but I'm no relationship to Archie Bunker. Some are old enough to remember who that television character was. But there was a change that happened to Larry Bunker. He was a religious man, highly respected, but he'd never been born again. Often the most religious among us are the most difficult to reach for Christ. So Jesus is ever so direct. Truly, truly, I tell you this in verse 3, except a man be born again, except he be regenerated, he'll not see the kingdom of God. We've considered the meaning of this word, the man who is being addressed. Consider also the message of regeneration that is being given here, the message of regeneration. Folks, we need to consider it because we need to give this message often. There are many men round about us like Nicodemus, and some of them are your family members. who think they have it all together, who, if they were pressed for the answer, are you ready to enter the kingdom of God, could not give the answer with confidence, yes, they're simply not regenerated, they're simply not born again. And there may be someone in this room this morning, when you get honest, you say, I know quite a bit about being a Christian, I've called myself a Christian all my life, When you deal with the matter as Jesus deals with it, you might find yourself falling short. The question of this passage is, are you born again? So let's look at the message of regeneration. If we're open to John chapter 3, you'll find that most of this page is in red in a red letter edition of the Bible because Jesus is speaking, and Jesus is speaking to an audience of one. And as He talks to Nicodemus, He shares one of the greatest sermons, if you will, one of the greatest messages that has ever been heard. He draws Nicodemus into this message. And he draws Nicodemus into this message by offering what rabbis would typically do, and Nicodemus was a rabbi, he offered comparisons. And so Jesus offers comparisons that are compelling, that are riveting, that stay with us. He says, let me explain being born again, or let me explain regeneration with these three comparisons. First, regeneration, or being born again is like physical birth. That's verses five, six, and seven. He compares the spiritual birth to the physical birth. Then he says, it's like the wind. That's verse eight. And then he says, this new birth that I'm talking about, this being born again, this regeneration is like what happened in the Old Testament. He talks about the brass serpent in verses 14 and 15. And with these three comparisons, he's got the attention of Rabbi Nicodemus. And so we ask, does He have your attention this morning? Let's listen carefully to how Jesus explains this new birth. He says, regeneration is like the physical birth. We begin in verse 5. Jesus said, verily, verily, I say to you, except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. For that which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. You see, He's comparing it here. There's a physical birth, the birth of the flesh. There's a new birth. There's a regeneration. There's being born again. That's a spiritual birth, verse six. And don't marvel that I say this to you. You must be born again. He presses it home to Nicodemus there in verse seven. Regeneration, you see, is like a physical birth. Now this passage gets a lot of people in trouble. There are a lot of different interpretations about what's going on in this passage. What does it mean in verse 5, being born of water and the Spirit? Well, some people believe that being born of water that Jesus is talking about the natural birth. After all, before a baby is born, that baby is surrounded in the mother's womb by water. Folks, I don't think that's what Rabbi Nicodemus would have been thinking about when Jesus talked about the new birth. men in Israel, much like men before 1970 here in America, weren't very familiar with the birthing chamber. So it would not have been an immediate thought in Nicodemus' mind that he's talking about the natural birth and comparing the natural birth in this way to the spiritual birth. Some people say, well, he's talking about The baptism of the Spirit, obviously, because the baptism of the Spirit is often tied together with water baptism. In John chapter 4, the Spirit of God is spoken of as a well of water springing up. And so it's just really two words talking about the same thing. Other people say no. Follow with me. Some people say, he's talking about what John the Baptist was doing. And that has some sense. John the Baptist was baptizing with water unto repentance. And so Jesus could be saying here, except a man be repentant, this is the water part of the phrase, baptized by water unto repentance and the spirit, that baptism of the spirit that accomplishes the new birth, like you see in the book of Acts, that may be well what is being cited here. But there's an interpretation of this passage that's common that is dangerous. You see, there are some people who come to this passage when Jesus says, except a man be born of water in the spirit. And they say, well, that's pretty obvious. It's talking about water baptism. That's a dangerous and that's a wrong interpretation. That's exactly what the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church would teach. For instance, in the Roman Catholic Catechism, it says, water baptism saves. 1994 Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, the Lord himself affirms that baptism is necessary for salvation. Parentheses John 3 verse 5. So the Roman Catholic Church looks at verse 5 and says, the only way to heaven is through the waters of baptism. And that, of course, is applied to an infant. The Reformed Church. That's what the Reformed Church teaches. You say, Pastor, what's a Reformed Church? Some people have that on their sign. Some people don't have it on the sign. They have on the sign, rather, a covenant church or a Presbyterian church or a congregational church. These all fit under a Reformed tradition. So let's let the Reformed speak for themselves in the summary of doctrine by Louis Burkhoff. Burkhoff says this, reformed circles hold that children are baptized on the ground of presumptive regeneration. That infants are baptized on the ground that we presume that they're saved and on the assumption, yea, not the assurance that they are regenerated. So we baptize them presuming them to enjoy regenerated new life. That's a reformed tradition. Folks, let me just say very loudly here in just a moment, hang on. Jesus is not saying that water can in any wise wash away sin and cause us to enter into heaven. John 4 and verse 2 says Jesus baptized not any but his disciples. If baptism saves, we would assume that Jesus would have baptized a whole lot of people. 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 14, Paul says, I thank God that I baptized none of you. If baptism saves, the Apostle Paul would not be thanking God that he didn't baptize any of them. 1 Corinthians 1 says in verse 17, here's Paul speaking, Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. If baptism saves, the Apostle Paul would have been sent forth to baptize, but he was sent forth to preach the gospel. So the preaching of the gospel is what saves. Baptism does not save. Luke 23 and verse 43, Jesus looks at the thief on the cross who has never been baptized and promises him, today, you'll be with me in paradise. That man was never baptized. Titus 3 and verse 5 says, not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy, he saves us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. There's not a word about baptism there. Acts 16, 31 says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. There's not a word about baptism there. How can I be saved? Romans 10 verse 13, whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. So he's not speaking about baptism. The point that Jesus is making ought to be clear. Here's the point. The spiritual birth is a lot like your natural birth. It's a lot like your natural birth. It happens in a moment of time. It happens without your help. It happens undeniably. And when you are born, you have a new beginning, even so with the spiritual birth. It happens in a moment of time. It happens without your help. It's the work of God. It's undeniable when it happens. And when it happens, you have a new beginning. In other words, he's saying it's not your labor pains that save you. It's my labor pains that save you. 1 Peter 1 says in verse 3 very clearly, Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath begotten us. He has done the work of begetting us unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from out the dead. So spiritual birth, regeneration, is like natural birth. When I was born the first time, my mother had been a nurse in the hospital where I was born. My father was a minister in the area. The doctor who delivered me said to my mother when he came to visit me in the hospital the next day, he said, well, I've got a policy and it's good news for you. He said, the policy is if it's a nurse working here in the hospital, the baby's half price. She smiled and he said, but the better news is this. I also have a half price policy for ministers. So that kid's born free. I'm probably the only one here in this room that can really sing born free. I did nothing to be born except enjoy the blessings of my mother's labors when I was seven years old. And I understood my sin. And I bowed my knees before Jesus Christ and understood his sacrifice. He gave me the gift of eternal life. I was regenerated. I was born again. And it was not anything that I did. Even so, Jesus says, Nicodemus, all these things that you've done, will not gain you eternal life. You can't enter the kingdom of heaven except if you're born again. So he says in verse 8, let me offer another comparison. Regeneration, the new birth, it's like the wind. in verse 8. The wind blows where it desires and you hear the sound of it. You can't tell where it comes from. You can't tell where it's going. So it is with everyone that's born of the Spirit. Perhaps a soft wind was blowing as Jesus spoke to Nicodemus that evening. Jesus is simply saying when the wind is blowing, it's undeniable. It's inexplicable. It's uncontrollable. And just like the wind that blew through Jerusalem that evening or blows through the trees today, when the Spirit of God has done the work of regeneration in the heart of the believer, it's undeniable. It's inexplicable. And it's uncontrollable. It's not something that we can do. The work of regeneration is like the wind. You can't make the wind happen, but you can certainly enjoy it. You can't muster up in you the work of regeneration, but God can do it. If we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness. And when you enjoy the work of regeneration, 2 Corinthians 5 says in verse 17, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creation. Old things pass away and all things become new. Last October I was hosting a group of believers, almost a complete group of believers in my office. One was not yet a believer and for that man we were praying. It was a Chinese medical doctor and some of you witnessed his baptism. following the class during the 9.30 hour, between the 9.30 and the 10.30 hour. He bowed his knees in my office and trusted Christ as Savior. And then he met me here at the back of the auditorium afterwards. And he didn't have to tell me he'd just been saved. You could sense it. And I can't explain that. There was a new life about him. The hopelessness was now filled with hope. The fear was gone and the peace was evident. There was a physical change that came about because of a spiritual change. And often it's so, the agitated become peaceful, the hopeless become hopeful. It's like the wind, I can't explain the mystery of it, but the regeneration, Jesus says, is like when Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, verse 14. He's speaking to a man who well knew the book of Numbers chapter 21. This Pharisee knew his Old Testament well. And so Jesus says, let me explain the new birth to you in these terms. Verse 14, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. He's speaking, of course, about dying upon the cross. And then He says this, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. What's He talking about? In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were out of sorts with God. They were upset that God had taken them out from what they were enjoying in the slavery of Egypt. And as they began to announce their dissatisfaction with God, God sent judgment into the camp. And the judgment came in the form of serpents. The bite of the serpent was like fire and people began to die. And Moses cried out on behalf of the people, God, what can we do? And God said, Moses, here's what you do. You need to make a brass serpent. Make a serpent that is made of metal and carry it through the camp. And tell the people if they'll simply look at the serpent on the pole, they can live. But if they won't, they will die. Jesus takes that comparison, that analogy, if you will, and he shares it with Nicodemus. And he shares it with us. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. Jesus Christ would die upon the cross for our sins. That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Those who look to the cross believing that there Jesus died. Understanding that Jesus really died and was buried. Believing that Jesus rose again because He's God and that God has received that sacrifice that Jesus gave. And affirmed the reception of that sacrifice by the resurrection from the dead. That person will be saved just as surely as those people who looked on that serpent in the wilderness. Ah, now Nicodemus is beginning to understand the message. The message of the new birth is this. It's like your physical birth. You can't do it for yourself. It's a mystery. It's like the wind. It's undeniable when it was there. It's uncontrollable by you. What's my part in it when we ask that question? You simply have to look. You simply have to look and you'll be able to live. The 6th of January back in 1850, a young man went by a church that he would normally not attend. It was a primitive Methodist church in London, England. The young man was Charles Spurgeon. It was a snowstorm. Even the pastor didn't show up that day. It was such a bad snowstorm. And an old spindly man stood up in the pulpit to take the place of the pastor that morning and he opened his Bible. As he opened his Bible, he turned to Isaiah 45 and verse 22 and he read this verse. Look unto me and be saved all the ends of the earth. And as Spurgeon would tell it, he took his bony finger in that empty auditorium and he pointed it right at that young man. And he said, all this verse says is look and you'll be saved. It doesn't say do, it says look. Look unto me, there's a person to whom you need to look. As that old British man began to press forward the point, the Spirit of God made the point in the heart of young Charles Spurgeon. And he relied on what Jesus did on the cross. And you know what happened? He was born again. Dear friend, this morning, that's the message of regeneration. The message of regeneration is it's something you can't do, but God will do for you. He'll do it when you turn from your own works and repent and look to what Jesus has done, believing He died on the cross for you. When you talk about regeneration, you visit the nursery. When you visit this nursery, you don't simply rejoice in the new life, you rejoice in the God who gives new life. thanking the Lord that he can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves, for it's not by works of righteousness that we have done, but it's according to his mercy he saves us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Have you been born again? Jesus said it this way, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.