In the second sermon in his series, pastor Rod Reynolds continues his discussion on the meaning of “born again” as the term is used in scripture. It’s important that we understand fully what is meant by the term that we might have a part in God’s Kingdom.
“What is the Meaning of Born Again? Part 2” by Messenger Church of God released under a Creative Commons [CC BY-ND 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/)]License:
When we see the term “born again” in the Bible, how are we to understand it? There has been a great deal of misunderstanding about this term. In the first of three parts in this series, pastor Rod Reynolds discusses in detail what it means to be born again.
“What is the Meaning of Born Again? Part 1” by Messenger Church of God released under a Creative Commons [CC BY-ND 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/)]License:
Have you ever stopped to think why God–an eternal Being who existed before time began (as we count time)–would become flesh and blood? Does that not seem a bit peculiar, when you think about it, that the very Creator, the Being whose power sustains the entire vast Universe, would be changed into a mere human, infinitely weaker and limited by comparison?
Yet, the Bible tells us not only that such a thing actually happened, but it reveals why it happened. Why did God become flesh?
If you were to choose one word to summarize or epitomize God’s nature, what would it be? Various Greek philosophers had their ideas, as did the Egyptians and other cultures.
But there is one concept of the epitome of God’s nature which is found nowhere in Greek philosophy or Egyptian religion, but is found in the Bible. And in this concept we can come to understand in a profound way not only the nature of God, but how we can, with his help, become like him as he intends. The Bible tells us that “God is love.”
God’s love is reflected in the festivals he commanded to be kept, such as the Passover, which depicts the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to pay for our sins. In this message learn more about God’s love, and how you may benefit from it, and learn to share in it, to the end of eternal life in God’s family and Kingdom.
In the fourth year of his ministry as Passover approached, Jesus, accompanied by companions including the “twelve disciples,” whom he had been training for their eventual mission as apostles to take the gospel to the world, journeyed to Jerusalem to keep the feast of Passover (Matthew 20:17-18). En route and after they arrived at their destination, Jesus spent several days teaching his disciples and crowds in the Temple, as well as disputing with Jewish leaders, many of whom wanted to kill him because they opposed his teachings.