Title: Baptismal Birth

Focus: Baptism is like a new birth in which God, the Father, adopts us as his children

Function: To remind the hearers of the meanings associated with Christian baptism.

Text: John 3:1-8


Intro:
1.  Remember first time hear my baby cry - Rush of emotion
2.  Exciting time, anticipation.  Holding a precious baby, knows nothing except parents
3.  This analogy is one that used for baptism in the N.T.
4.  Last time looked at wedding analogy, this time will look at birth analogy
5.  Text:  Jn 3:1-8 - Must be born again = Born of water and Spirit
	a.  Connected in Acts 2:38
	b.  Also in Titus 3:5 - Washing of rebirth, and renewal by the Holy Spirit
6.  Why use term re-birth, or born again?

I.  Being born again, we become a new person
	A.  Washing of Rebirth, Renewal by the Spirit
	B.  Rom 8:12-15
		1.  Change - (Rom 8:5)
		2.  Sons of God through the spirit
		3.  Spirit of adoption
		4.  Born again, given the seal of the Spirit - Belong to God
	C.  ILL:  In hospital, had to sign a birth certificate.  That’s my seal
	D.  Rom 8:16 - Spirit bears witness we are his children
		1.  Not a homeless John/Jane Doe
		2.  Adopted as his child

II.  We become like our Father - Rom 8:29 - conformed to his image
	A.  ILL:  Can often tell in some way child belongs to parents
		1.  Sometimes it is a resemblance (minature of the parent)
		2.  Sometimes mannerisms (brother/father in law accent - tar/tire/tower)
	B.  How are we conformed to his image?
		1.  2 Cor 3:12-18 - By beholding the Lord (through the Spirit?) mannerism
		2.  Rom 8:29 - Through the Spirit (live by spirit not flesh - renewal)
	C.  If being conformed to his image, what does he look like?
		1.  1 John 2:6 - Walk like him
		2.  1 John 2:29 - Righteous like him
			- Synonymns:  Moral, ethical, upright, fair, honest, noble
		3.  1 John 4:7 - Love as he loved
	D.  Spirit not only enables us to be his child, but to be like him
		1.  This is the genetic make up, so to speak
		2.  Do we have to do it, or does God do it?
			Rom 12:2 - Yes.  God gives power, we have to use it

III.  We are aliens with an inheritance (1 Pet 1:1-5)
	A.  Our Father is “holy”  -  Different, not of this world
	B.  We are no longer of this world either - Our citizenship is in Heaven
	C.  Should we quit our jobs?  (1 Cor 7:24 - Remain in condition in which called)
	D.  John 6:27 - Not work for food which perishes (6:63 - Words: Spirit and life)


Concl:
1.  It is just a beginning - New Birth
2.  Have you been born again?