The Authority of Spiritual Regeneration

You know, I started last week a sermon series on the authority of Jesus.

And I'm going to deal with the authority of the believer for the next three weeks. but I want to read the passage that we started with last week so if you'll turn to Matthew 28, 18-20 I want to read that to you and then we'll work our way through this sermon today I actually thought of it as more of a conversation yet I'm doing all the conversing and you're listening But what I've noticed is if it rings a bell with you, most of you talk to me about it as you're leaving sometimes or through the week. So let me read to you 18 through 20. And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even till the end of the age. You know, last week we looked at the authority of Jesus, what I called his true authority. We saw the challenge of it, we saw the clarity of it, and we saw the compassion of it. I quoted Matthew 28, 18, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth, along with other scriptures that stated and illustrated the truth of His absolute authority.

You know, we really have sung about that today in this place. the most vivid example was when he stormed through the temple of Jerusalem overturning the money changers tables and literally whipping them out into the streets then declaring that he was the lord of the temple and its purpose was to be a house of prayer a house of ministry and a house of evangelism and we looked at all that I concluded by discussing what it meant to fall on the compassion of his authority the Lord had told me prior to that sermon that God would really begin to move in someone's heart and if you were able to stay around after the service last week we did a lot of ministry up here with a young lady that God had really fallen down on. I said, either we are broken and mended or we are crushed and left to the consequences of eternal judgment. And there was a lot of mending going on up here in that young lady's heart and a lot that needs to continue with her.

Today I want us to follow up on what I talked to you about my impressions of the Holy Spirit to talk to you about the authority of the believer now there are many elements to this narrative i'm just going to cover only three of the biblical directives of this authority the reason I'm going to do that is this is a huge narrative in scripture.

If you're, when I talk about the authority of the believer, if you think I'm going to end up, and I use these terms casually, with the blabbit and grabbit crowd, or the name it and claim it crowd or the confess it and possess it crowd, I'm probably not going to end up right there.

But don't take me wrong because I think there's a lot of truth in what they have to say. It's the question of purpose and mission.

I believe in prosperity.

But the motive is not self-enhancement. It's self-giving.

God blessed Abraham for a purpose. To be a blessing. and so while the processes and procedures of what often the name it claim it crowd teaches are pretty scriptural the motivation can certainly be questioned and that's where you'll see me parting company in a sense as we walk through here the three biblical directives of authority that I've embraced for years and feel comfortable teaching them.

Without question, there's a lot of discussion about the conception of that authority, the transference of that authority from Jesus to us, and the practice of this authority in the believer's life. There's a lot of controversy and a lot of discussion about that.

I love the Apostle Paul's words in Romans 11.33. He wrote, Oh, the depths of the riches. Hear that. Oh, the depths of the riches, both of wisdom and knowledge of God. Do you hear that? How unsearchable are his judgments. and unfathomable are his ways.

I am a great respecter of sermon building.

I don't just jump on it and think I've got a corner on the truth. I'm very cautious when I build a sermon because I don't want to be misleading. I don't want to take things outside the boundaries. I want to stay within the context of the text in Scripture. So I hope you appreciate that about me. I take very seriously sermons that I preach and what the Lord teaches me. Before I preach today on the first sermon on the authority of the believer I wrote a prayer And I want you to hear what I wrote, because I think it's a prayer that ought to be used often when you are looking at this topic. I said, Lord Jesus, you are the king of authority.

We'd agree with that, wouldn't we?

We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of God's own procession that we might proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into your marvelous light. for we were once not a people, but now we are the people of God. We had not received mercy, but now we have.

Through our submission to your mission, you have commissioned us. You hear that? given us authority to walk in your authority. Do you hear that? Through our submission to your mission, you have commissioned us. Now that's where we find our authority, in Christ. Open the eyes of our hearts that this revelation might become reality in our lives. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Now, sometimes we need to pray scripture, don't we?

That's all I did right there. I affirmed the theme of scripture, but I also prayed scripture.

So here are the three biblical directives on the believer's authority that I'm going to share with you the next three weeks. And I've lived with these for years and know them to be truthful in bearing fruit.

The first one is the authority of spiritual regeneration.

The second one is the authority of spiritual transformation. And the last one is the authority of spiritual declaration.

Regeneration, transformation, declaration.

To do justice to each of these directives, we're going to break them down into three sermons. I told Kurt yesterday I said you know I could cover all three of them today but we'd be here to supper time tonight and so Bill said well we can go home and get the dog come back and eat and just stay at all this afternoon but I don't think we're going to do that so the authority of spiritual regeneration there's got to be a starting place with authority and John chapter 1 verses 12 through 14 I want to read this to you because here is my starting place and now I tell you there's a lot to this narrative and so I'm only sharing the truth and reality that I experienced through my own life but as many as received him to them he gave authority some of your bibles may say the right he gave the right to become children of god Even to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but the will of God.

Receiving him and believing in his name gives us the authority You see this? Gives us the authority to become a child of God. The divine principle here is a believer is twice born. Hear that again. A believer is twice born. You're born physically. You had very little to do with that. but you can also be born spiritually and and while you do not create that or birth that you do participate in that you are born spiritually in john chapter 3 y'all all know the story it's about Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. And Jesus has caught his attention. And so the Bible says that Nicodemus slipped around to him in the nighttime. He didn't want to do it in the daytime because the other Pharisees would see him coming to Christ. So he slips around in the nighttime. and his first thing is to bring flattery to Jesus. And Jesus blows that off right off the bat and goes straight to the heart of the matter. In John 3, 3, Jesus said to Nicodemus, unless one is born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. the principle here is clear and simple a child is of God is twice born do you see that once physically and once spiritually we are twice born guys if you're in Christ today you've been born again at John 3 6 through 7 Jesus said that which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit do not marvel that I have said to you you must be born again some of you may be saying oh Kerry's gonna preach us a Baptist sermon today well they got a corner on the market on that they do a pretty good job of it you must be born again I love reading on into scripture in Acts chapter 2 after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost day Pentecost was a feast that all Jews wanted to try to get to Jerusalem and attend

And they came from all over the geographical area to celebrate Pentecost. It was 50 days after Passover. And thousands, hundreds of thousands would flock into Jerusalem to celebrate this feast.

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit occurred on Pentecost Day. and and there were all these people going around speaking in tongues in a language they'd never learned preaching the gospel to every tribe and and group of people that was there and and it was mind-boggling uh in fact some of the crowd was saying these guys are drunk They're just drunk. And Peter addresses that in a sermon. They're not drunk as you suppose. They've been filled with the Holy Spirit and he goes to the prophecy of Joel and talks about it.

You know, they were wondering, what's happening here? So Peter preaches his first sermon. And let me tell you what he preached. You can go read it in Acts chapter 2. It's a great sermon. In fact, it should be the foundation of all sermons. He preached the crucified Lord. He preached the resurrected Lord. He preached the ascended Christ seated at the right hand of God in authority. And he preached the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all flesh. But first and foremost, he preached that Jesus, whom they had murdered, was the long expected Savior of the world. In Acts 2, 37, listen to what their response was. Now when they heard this, when they heard this sermon that covered all this material.

They were pierced to heart. Now what do you think is going on there? There's the conviction of the Holy Spirit, isn't it?

And they said to Peter, and notice this, and to the rest of the apostles, whoever you were that you've been named with Jesus, these apostles, they were talking to them too. They said, brethren, what must we do? And in Acts 2.38, Peter said to them, repent and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus. That's separating from John's baptism, isn't it? Be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins. And what? And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

What's happening here?

Those that responded are being twice born.

They've been born physically and now they're being born spiritually. You know Nicodemus said how do you climb back into your mother's womb and be born again?

Jesus said you're not getting it Nick. you must be born of the Spirit you know I find it interesting that in John Gospel Jesus shows up in the upper room before Pentecost.

And he breathed on them the Holy Spirit. Did you ever notice that? Now, I'm going to get out on the line here and define where I think I'm at. I think that was their rebirthing experience. I think those guys were actually going through being twice born right there in that room.

There's reasons why I feel that way. Some would disagree with that. Some would say, well, that's just John's way of talking about Pentecost. I don't buy that. I think they were birthed to the Spirit in that room. Why? Because he didn't say, okay, you can go out and do the Great Commission now. What did he tell them? Go on to Jerusalem and wait until the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you till you are covered in the Spirit.

I can go back through my own journey and talk about when I was birthed in the Holy Spirit in 1971.

But it was months later when I was at McMurray. that I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. I think there's definitely two works of grace, being birthed in the Spirit and being baptized in the Spirit. And I think those guys in the upper room were birthed in the Spirit that day.

They needed something to carry them on to Jerusalem and not to just run away. they needed some empowerment in their life and they were birthed in the spirit they were twice born now there would be people that disagree with that interpretation and that's okay with me even when I was in seminary and took a Greek course on the baptism in the Holy Spirit and we talked about all the baptism language and my professor said you know if the gospels preached right and correctly it all ought to happen at one time. It all just ought to happen at one time. Burst and baptism. It all ought to happen at one time.

And he and I had lengthy debates about but that's not how some of us are made.

Some of us couldn't take it all at one time.

We are people of process. and that night in my room by myself when Jesus came in and saved me and I was birthed in the spirit that was all I could even fathom that night but I knew that I was different. I knew when I got up off my knees I would never be the same but I didn't stop there and we'll talk about that in the authority of spiritual transformation there's transforming moments after conversion now that gets a little heady and a little deep let's think about just being born again in Romans 8 16 and 17 Paul writes the spirit himself bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God. And if children heirs also and if heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ I joined the family I really joined the church that night In Galatians 4, 4-7, but when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order that He might redeem those who under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit. You hear that? The Spirit of His Son into our hearts. Crying, Abba, Father, therefore you are no longer a slave or just a servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir through God. boy the night I got born again I joined a real church I became a part of the people of God did we just not pray that while ago you once were no people but now you are a people now that's authority that's moving from nothingness to something to standing in something besides being absolutely nothing in 2 Corinthians 5 17 and 18 therefore if any man is in Christ what that means if you received him and believed in his name he is a new creation I tell you my experience at McMurray was unbelievable because when we walked on campus there in 1971 the group prior to us, about 12, prayed for a solid year that God would bring an army on campus.

Well, 120 of us walked on campus in the fall of 1971. And in the fall of 1972, more than that walked on campus. Bill was part of that group. and guys our phones rang 24-7 that's back when we had the old black phone our phones rang 24-7 in our dorm because they'd say oh so and so got it he got him and I love the word it says we are new creations some of your Bibles will say new creatures I love that because all over McMurray campers there were these creatures walking around that were born again.

The Spirit had come into their lives. And when you'd get into the cafeteria where three or four hundred were in the cafeteria, the lights were shining.

Jack Wolf used to come in and he'd always pray over his meal. And here's all these people in. And Jack Wolf would stand up and say, Dear God! bless all the mills in here today. And then he'd preach a gospel sermon in his prayer and then he'd sit down. He was a strange creature. I'm telling you. He was born again.

It was the most wonderful time in my life seeing all these new creatures.

It was unbelievable. When they talk about the Asbury revival, I think didn't have anything on the McMurray revival. It didn just go on for one year but it went on year after year after year the birthing of creatures on that campus

Now, all things are from God who reconciled himself through Christ. Your salvation experience isn't something you created. It's something he birthed in you. It's all of God. There's nothing you can boast that you did to earn salvation. You are born of God. The foundation of authority in Christ is spiritual regeneration. If you don't take anything home from that sermon, take that home. The foundation of authority in Christ is spiritual regeneration.

Here's the bottom line. we are absolutely bankrupt of authority outside of Jesus there are a lot of authority figures in our world today it seems like they're on every corner doesn't it people that are trying to get up the ladder you've had them in your places of employment you've had them when you went to school you've had authority figures above you.

They're everywhere. We understand authority. We also understand the abuse of authority also, don't we?

It's been that way since creation of mankind.

When I read the creation story, to me the saddest and most damning words that have ever been spoken was when Satan said to Eve did he tell you you'd die if you ate of that tree in the center of the garden did he tell you you'd die well you won't die you surely won't die but she did spiritually and finally physically along with her husband and guess what guys the rest of us in Romans 5 12 Paul wrote therefore just as though one man sin entered the world and death through sin so death spread to all men because all sin we've all rebelled against the divine authority of god every one of us no one is eliminated everyone sitting here today has rebelled against the divine authority of god and Satan said, oh, don't worry about that. But we're stuck in a damning posture, in a predicament we can't do anything about.

The only answer is spiritual regeneration. you must be born again in Romans 5 8-10 but God demonstrates his own love toward us that's you and me that while we were yet sinners while I stood

in that posture of rebellion, while I stood in that predicament of damnation,

Jesus died for us. Much more than having now been justified by his blood. The new birth is justification. been justified by his blood we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Christ. That's your only way out.

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son much more having been reconciled we shall be saved through his life.

Church, listen to me.

You must be born again.

The foundation of authority in Christ is that you must receive him and believe him. Do you hear that? You must receive him and believe him.

And I thought, well, how do I conclude this sermon? This is sermon one about authority. That's the first base. If you haven made it to first base you might as well start that journey Maybe you hit the ball and you halfway down the line but you haven got there yet

Well, don't quit running.

That's what I'm telling you. Don't quit running. You don't know what's going to take place on that first base. They may overthrow that guy. you keep running I thought about Matthew 28 19a go therefore and make disciples of all nations I sat there and I thought about that go therefore and make disciples of all nations now we're going to talk about that idea of making disciples next week he didn't say make converts you hear what I'm saying he didn't just say get to first base and stay there but you got to go through first base the first act of discipleship is being born again I wrote down here listen to what I wrote it's pretty hard to make a disciple when you have not become one yourself it's true it pretty hard to make a disciple when you not become one yourself you must be born again and I'll tell you when you step into Christ hold on to your britches because authority's coming

You hear what I'm saying?

He didn't just save us to cleanse us and forgive us. He saved us to be a royal priesthood.

A holy nation.

The people of God. a creature for Jesus I love that when I look at the church of God I just see all these strange creatures walking around whose number one priority is to tell of the mercy of God.

Have you been born again?

Have you gotten on your knees and said, Lord, I don't understand it all, but I receive you as my Savior I believe in you

And I will surrender, I will submit to your mission.

So you can come with me.

I will serve you. No.

The new birth gives us authority in Jesus. Hallelujah. Let's pray. Lord, I thank you for each person in this room today.

Lord, I thank you for their physical birth. it's not by chance that they're here on this earth physically and I also thank you for the possibility of them being born again being twice born people so that they might be children of God sons of God daughters of God Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

It's a creature in Christ.

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.