Stepping Stones of the New Birth - Part A

As I read the words of Jesus as he describes the future eternity speaking about real life. I know a lot of people like to say you might be the real world that is really real world. Jesus words do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth mama destroy were thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. CS Lewis once said, if you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world precisely those who thought most of the next day on connect with Skip Skip explores what a new life in Jesus means for the program Skip and his wife Linda share how your new birth in Christ gives you hope for your mistakes this week following that that guy is a helpful following a guy who conquered death is not only hopeful but it becomes now the greatest possible adventure you could thank you, Skip and Linda, be sure to stay with us after today's message to the full discussion right now want to tell you about a resource that will help you break free from anxiety and experience the peace.

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They said there is life, but Jesus walked into Peter's life one day and hope was born awesome. Then something happened in Peter's life because Peter's hope to die. Anything that Jesus died when Jesus died, hope died in Peter's life. Jesus promises now is that the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They were talking.

They didn't know what to Jesus was alive. They didn't know what you're talking to one another and the stranger Jesus is what he does talk about our talk about this guy named Jesus is with a set we had hoped that he would be the one what they say.

Our hope is that whatever help we had died when he died when he died. The court of our hope was cut so Peter had hoped his hope died. Then something happened to revive Peter's hope and keep it alive forever, but was a resurrection is what he says in verse 1B the art. Verse three Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, or that would do it right when the guy you hoped and died and he got back your hope would go ballistic hope would make its debut because that means all those promises he ever made were true.

Boy did he make a lot of promises as if you I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even if you guys will live at the big promise there's another one.

I am the way, the truth and the life they promise another one he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life. Another promise because I live, you also will live huge promises but when the guy who makes those promises dies what you say what ever right when he gets back up again. The resurrection of the dead when he's alive again means every single promise he ever made about eternal life now makes sense now that makes sense. That's what I think Peter mentally says we have been born again in the step we take as a step of hope in its living hope, because Jesus is a living Savior, somebody will then say well how do we know he actually wrote just what his disciples wanted to keep the story alive every year at Easter time a National Geographic Channel. They have some little laying documentary that says something like that. And there've been books written about the research and the proofs of the resurrection will be distributed three quick lines of evidence. First of all, Jesus predicted his own death in his own resurrection before it ever happened. He told his disciples over and over again before it ever happened. I'm going to Jerusalem they're going to kill me. Three days after that to get back on it and get a very nice until it actually happened and how he literally meant that line of evidence. Number two eyewitness accounts. Individuals as well as groups of people, some one-on-one, his disciples all saw them at one time. The Bible records a group of get this 500 people saw him alive. So if you ever say well it was just a hallucination.

Did you know that hallucinations don't happen to groups.

The same thing that they saw Josephus, the Jewish historian even writes that his own followers saw him alive after his death because of a resurrection British lawyer by the name of Sir Edward Clark said and I quote as a lawyer made a prolonged study on the evidences for the events of the first Easter day for me.

The evidence is conclusive and over and over again in the high courts. I have secured a verdict on evidence, not nearly as compelling as that for the resurrection. Frank Morrison was another atheist who decided to write a book showing the Jesus was a farce and then he studied the resurrection and he got converted and he did write a book for the first chapter of the book he wrote was called the book that refused to be written about his conversion and the evidence for the resurrection and atheist, Lee Strobel, who was spoken from this pulpit. Now a strong believer at one time was the legal reporter for the Chicago Tribune said and I quote the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the best attested to invent of the ancient world.

The third line of evidence is alluded to here in verse three. Change lives of the followers of Christ. Okay before Jesus died on the cross. What was Peter doing denying Jesus, denying him right before that whole crucifixion. He was I know is he was a coward, you open up to the book of acts and Peter is like suddenly courageous.

He's old. He's walking around Jerusalem, preaching about Jesus in front of lots more people and at the point of his own persecution and possible death. What is it that could turn a coward like Peter into a courageous preacher resurrection. That's called a living hope so. The new birth is a step toward hope and our hope is a living hope, but keep reading verse four. Our hope is not just a living hope it's a lasting hope. Second step is that the new birth is a step toward inheritance verse four to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, but does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, but we know what an inheritance is an inheritance is property or money order title that you all upon the death of the previous holder who is made you an air once that person dies is passed on to you if you were named in air. Usually this is done by parents for children. We are children of God.

Jesus came from heaven to earth and died bequeathing happen to you. Sure, inheritance, then he rose from the dead, and he became a joint heir with us. Listen to the language of Paul Romans chapter 8 verse 17 now if we are children, then we are heirs. Heirs of God coheirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory, for I consider that the present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. So were born step number one hope living hope. Step number two, lasting hope because here in eternal inheritance and to say that only a hope that is a lasting hope is really hope of our hope is only like for right now, but not for later on is pretty hopeless when I first came to Christ, I read a lot of these kind of things. I am so happy for you when you had what what whatever floats your boat, whatever gets you through the life you live. Whatever get you through today if that works for you.

That's really good, no, no, no, no, it's not just about hope now and it really begins after I die in eternity.

I have something that's an inheritance it's incorruptible undefiled. It does not fade away, reserved in heaven for me.

That's what I have to look forward to. That's real hope. Paul wrote this to Corinth first Corinthians 15 if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most pitiable. Contrary to popular book that's been out for the last five years. Your best life is not now the title of a very public worship of your best life now really your best life is now okay here's Paul writing the persecuted Christians who lost their jobs got kicked out of families and Hiding being scattered in different parts of the Roman Empire because there were Christians is an essay your best life is now know he's missing your best life isn't now, unless you are an unbeliever. If you're a believer. This inheritance, this earth, which is to file the fading away incorruptible. This is nothing you got hope of an inheritance in your best life is then not now.

Second Peter chapter 3, which will get to Bobby in 20 years at our rate. Peterson is therefore therefore, since all of these things these earthly things will be dissolved.

Think about that for a moment that new car you got to enjoy it because one day be dissolved. A cool new homely redecorating for whatever your decorating for enjoy it but to go to Burns could be dissolved now. Therefore, since all these things are to be dissolved, what manner of persons you to be in holy conduct and godliness to answer the question since everything here is going to be dissolved, what kind of people should we be will certainly not materialistic because everything materialistic is that it is all hopefully spiritually minded people who think beyond this life to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, it doesn't fade away, reserved, don't you see that heaven was more than a destination for Peter was a motivation see when I die I don't die.

I know it looks like he's mostly dead when I die I graduate coronation day as were like really begins.

It's interesting as I read the words of Jesus as he describes the future eternity he speaking about real life. I know a lot of people like to sale. This is the real world may get real. This is the real world. Okay this might be the real world. But then that is the really real world listen to Jesus words do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven to replace where moth and rust do not destroy where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be your best days are behind you. You are not saved your best days are yet ahead of you. You are your best life is then that there's a guy who open a brand-new business and his buddy want to celebrate.

So I sent him a congratulatory gift in a bouquet of flowers. The problem is the bouquet of flowers and a card attached. That said, rest in peace so you can imagine the shock of this new business owner looking at this bouquet of flowers. Rest in peace.

I just started this new business was the deal.

The owner then called the flower shop that I think there's a mixup here.

I think I got the wrong bouquet of flowers apologized profusely sitting. Indeed, you got the wrong flowers, but but just to brighten your day. Just me right now somewhere in town. There's a funeral in the bouquet of flowers. The card on those hours says congratulations on your new location that I can think of a better card to write for Christians to go to have. We had to put on all the flowers for the funerals of believers. Congratulations on your new location is if you're truly a believer to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Not a bad gig. So we get born.

The first step we have is a step of hope. Second is a step of inheritance. Third is a step toward power.

Verse five who are By the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

This is power to keep you secure the word Needs to be kept safe were safeguarded and it's a strong word used of soldiers who at the point of death would keep something say you are safeguarded by God, God will keep you from her to have his power to do that 50%. We live in a world that is increasingly unsafe and people are sensing that there's an anxiety guide to sense a growing anxiety and a lot of people with our economy with what's going on in the Middle East just these kind of problems that rise to the surface because a greater sense of unease perhaps than that I've never noticed before. I know every generation says it's worse than the previous one, but I do sense that there's a woman who sense this and that she was worried about the growing crime rate in her own safety.

So she went to come course one of those concealed carry course got a permit, but a handgun carried around her purse and that nothing happened for five months but one night, five months after she got her permit. She walked out to a parking lot after going shopping was dark. She went to her car. There were four men inside of it. She should get out of the car.

They wouldn't, but she pulled out her gun, get out of the car doors flew open faster than you can imagine those guys ran into the night. Then she found her car same makes a model three parking spaces away. Easy mistake looks she was guarding the wrong card you glad that God makes no mistakes is the one guarding your life and keeping you safe safeguarding you.

You are kept by the power of God. I want to add to that and say Gotto keep you but you have to want to be kept.

Jude verse 24 now and to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and present you faultless before the throne of his glory with exceeding joy but you have to want to be What is acute before he keeps you for this verse five, you are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time, don't misunderstand that that does not mean that you can't know if you're saved until you get to the very end and God says or you doesn't mean that it talks about the ultimate salvation out and let me explain something the New Testament speaks of your salvation in three different ways past, present and future.

You have been saved by faith done.

You place your faith in Christ. If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be say. So you have been saved, past tense from the penalty of sin number one, number two, you are being saved right now in the present tense from the power of sin gripped that sin has had on your life. You are in the process of sanctification. We talked about that last week that breaking free of sin number three you will be saved. Ultimately, from the very presence of sin in the future.

That's the day when you have a new body resurrected body.

The old nature is gone. You don't even have the capacity to cooperate with sin. You can even get tempted. That's when salvation reaches its climax, its ultimate so God is the power to save you got the power to secure you and God is the power to send you to heaven and all comes to the new birth. One final thing is the close about this new birth to her only hope for back to the conversation. Well, I'm a Christian, but I'm not a born again kind then you ain't one because Jesus said unless a man is born again, he will not see the kingdom of God. He said to Nicodemus, the Pharisee, the religious guy Nicodemus will not but I say to you, you must be born again is very few things in life that you must do. You must breed to survive. You must have fluids to sustain life. You must have food to continue living.

If you ever want to see happen must be born again or you never will and you are deceiving yourself the whole way through simple formula if your born wants still die twice born twice, shall die once I know you been born once I'm looking at your physical birth. I grant you entrance into physical life. But Jesus said a man must be born a second time from above.

Again begotten again spiritual birth. If your born once physically die twice, physically and spiritually, eternally separated from God. If your born twice physically, spiritually born again will only die once it only die physically but never spiritually so that when you die, we can truly say congratulations on your new location is that when ships give patients powerful message for the series rocksolid. Now you Skip as they share how your new birth in Christ gives you hope mistakes. Today we learned that a person has to be born again in order to enter heaven and you said that one step to take. After being born again is a step toward hope the help of Christ's release assessment that Dell monotonous life this world offers in a single word by the resurrection of Jesus Christ and of the resurrection Jesus resurrection was the most hope inspiring event in human history. There's life after down exactly and in it it in his life.

When Jesus got up from the grave. It meant that every other thing he said was accurate was true because he made a lot of promises, but one of the promises he made is that he would live again no man takes my life from me. I laid out of myself. I have the power to lay it down and take it again and he kept telling his disciples. I'm going to rise from the dead three days after I put on the cross he kept saying that and that never happened before know that's right so it happened.

I'm not that there hadn't been resurrections in the past but no one who predicted his death and resurrection of the dead.

And so Jesus did that, which suddenly means every other promise he made is possible and it it just generates hope so you think of this way. Following a dead guy isn't helpful.

Following a guy who conquered death is not only hopeful but it becomes now the greatest possible adventure you could endure. So being born again you know giving us this opportunity that were born into new life that there is just a future and a hope. And I love how Peter putting called living in the greatest. I like to hope is a living hope is alive because Jesus is my Nan conversation with Kevin Langa encouraged him anything. Now we'd like to have messages coming in your walk, 890 and 1990 or visit connect.com/down.com/donate come back again tomorrow is six years. Hope God can use the struggles the person Skip presentation of connection communications through