New Birth | Pastor Mike Robicheaux
There's a supernatural act that takes place where a person is literally, by the spirit of the living God, becomes a brand new person by the morning and experience. But who is safe? Is it just that we belong to a group or that we belong to religion? Is that we were baptized and that we follow a creed? What is it that makes us this term being born again?
Mike Robicheaux:If you're born once, you'll die twice. But if you're born twice, you'll die once. And so it's that old saying that goes, you know, it's better never to have been born than not be born again. Amen. Well, we're gonna talk about an important subject today about about the new birth.
Mike Robicheaux:Okay? We're going start in John the third chapter. I think the lord and you know, wants me to minister along this line today because it's very important that we understand our salvation. You see, I'm not like most of y'all. I got saved because of my good looks.
Mike Robicheaux:Alright. That's right. What's wrong now? Gene, thanks. But let me tell you how that happened.
Mike Robicheaux:You see, one one time I heard the gospel and the gospel told me, you know, that I was lost and I was a sinner. I was headed for hell. And it said in the Bible, you got to look unto Jesus. Amen. And then when you look upon that cross, you see Jesus dying for your sin.
Mike Robicheaux:And I took a good look. And I got saved. So it was a good look that I took at Jesus, and it saved me. So you see, I got saved by my good looks. Right?
Mike Robicheaux:And you'll also get saved for your good looks too. You gotta look real good at it. And you'll find out your salvation. And this is what we wanna learn and I take a good look at your salvation. And remember that.
Mike Robicheaux:Could you see people, You know, for many for a long time, we're talking about that remember we have an enemy of our souls. And that once you come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, he doesn't quit. He'll do anything in the world to deceive you and to detract you and to get you off the the right trail. He'll try more than anything else to either make you lukewarm, apocryphal, or religious. Amen.
Mike Robicheaux:Either one of those methods will get you away from the truth and eventually lead you to eternal damnation. That's one thing we have to understand as Christians, you have to keep your eyes on Jesus. There's no other way around it. And we have to understand this as we look into the word of God this morning. The importance of the new birth.
Mike Robicheaux:We'll learn it's so important that without it, you cannot be saved. But you see, the word has become so common today. Even in the in in the world, they use that term, I've been born again. Referring to many things, sometimes fluid. But we have to understand the Bible has a term, and we have to understand it.
Mike Robicheaux:What the new birth is all about. Alright? If you put it all together, I've said it many times before, but it's so important. That we were born into this world one time of natural birth. Our mother brought us into this world, and we became part of this world.
Mike Robicheaux:But from the moment that we were born, we were dying. And eventually, we would end up in a in a in an inferno, in a hell there to to to be punished forever and ever. For what? Because the Bible teaches us we're sinners. That we've come short of the glory of God.
Mike Robicheaux:And so that the only way now that he could save us was that every human being on this world has to be born all over again one more time. And so it's that old saying that goes, you know, it's better never to have been born than not be born again. We we the devil is working hard to get people get their eyes off of this. Hence, he makes people religious. He makes them do all kind of good things that make them think that they're right with God.
Mike Robicheaux:But you see, we have to under understand what Jesus was saying. There's a supernatural act that takes place where a person is literally by the spirit of the living god becomes a brand new person by the born again experience. I never understood it when I was 21 years old and, you know, and I heard the gospel message and all I knew at the end of it said was that there's any sinners here and I knew they were talking to me. And I was brought up beyond religion and I thought I was alright, but when I heard that word again, sinners. Well, I just knew it struck a chord and I knew they were talking to me.
Mike Robicheaux:So why would you stand up and and come to Jesus? And that's what I did. And I don't I don't understand everything what happened. All I know is that I was sorry for being a sinner and the things I've done and I wanted god to forgive me and I asked him to forgive me and to and to take me in and to save me and you know, nineteen years later, I'll find it that that experience that I had back then is is still good. Amen.
Mike Robicheaux:Amen. There's been trials and things on the way but but it it was that one experience that happened in a split second that changed my life. Why was it before that you know, I'd be drinking and carrying on and I mean, the fights and the fusses and the beatings I got for my wife and I'd be Why was it as much as hard as I wanted to change, I couldn't change? I mean, was it was it was live or die. Now why was it that could not change?
Mike Robicheaux:Because you see within your own self, there is no power to change. You might put on a new coat and turn over a new leaf, but inside you're the same person. But what was it that took place in an instant of time that that that broke the bondages of sin, that it no longer had any effect on you any longer? What was it? Well, it's a process the bible talks about of being born again.
Mike Robicheaux:And let's look at it. And we're gonna look at it in different lights that we may understand when we say being born again. It's more than one phrase of being born again. It's said in different ways, but it means the same thing. John the third chapter, we talk about a religious person.
Mike Robicheaux:Let's remember that. It's one of the greatest snares of the wicked one is to make a person religious. Okay? This night, just blowing smoke. As I said, like I said, there's nearly 1,000,000,000 Catholics, nearly 1,000,000,000 Islamics, millions upon millions Hindus and Confucianist, you name it.
Mike Robicheaux:Now, reading the Bible, we know that they can't all be saved. Coming to church, I know all in the church can't all be saved. But who is saved? Is it just that we belong to a group or is that we belong to religion? Is that we were baptized?
Mike Robicheaux:Is that we follow a creed? What is it that makes us this term being born again effective to get us eternal life? Remember here, as I read in John the third chapter, Jesus was speaking to a very, very religious person. More than religious, he he was a a leader in a church. Back then, they were called synagogues, but it was a place where they they they gathered together other other than the temple, Jehovah's temple where where it's in Jerusalem.
Mike Robicheaux:All over Israel. There were little places called synagogue with two churches where they had, you know, the ministers over them and they read the scriptures and preached, you know, what the the scribes thought that they meant and people thought by doing these things, they were keeping the law of Moses and they were walking in the light that they had and they were saved. They were special people. God loved them and no one else. No one, everyone else that were Gentiles were excluded from the covenant that god had made with them.
Mike Robicheaux:Them being children of Abraham, their forefather, qualified them for being having eternal life. And to to to be able to rise again in the resurrection. But it was a shock for this man as he confronted Jesus. Because he realized there was something different in Jesus. He wasn't like other religious leaders.
Mike Robicheaux:He was showing forth the things that he was preaching with mighty signs and wonders from God. And this man being honest enough came to Jesus by night, and he realized that it wasn't as the other Pharisees were saying. Religious people were calling Jesus an impostor, a deceiver, a child of the devil. But he realized that what Jesus was doing was from God. Hence, we start in John the third chapter and the first verse.
Mike Robicheaux:And there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night and said unto him, Rabbi. We know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles. If thou doest except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, verily verily, I say unto thee, except the man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Mike Robicheaux:And Nicodemus said unto him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, verily verily I say unto you except the man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I say unto you that you must be born again.
Mike Robicheaux:Then I placed the emphasis on that word must. It wasn't something that that that that had an option to it. He didn't say you should be born again, but that you must. And on through the centuries as as you study church history, you reach the greatest revivals that ever broke out. In ministers, they began to preach the word of God.
Mike Robicheaux:And calling men just as they were, sinners lost and doomed for hell. Their religious works and their religious creeds could not save them. But then unless they repented of their sins and came to Jesus Christ, and gave their lives over to him wholeheartedly, that it would forever be lost. The message of the new birth when George Whitefields in the 1700 when he preached. I mean, he turned all New England upside down because he had one message that he preached, that men must be born again.
Mike Robicheaux:Amen. Not join a church. Not shake a preacher's hand. Not follow a certain creed. Not try to follow a certain religious order.
Mike Robicheaux:But that he must be born again. I wanna also look in another verse of scripture, in the gospel of Matthew, and the eighteenth chapter. I'm saying the same thing, but I'm gonna say it in a little bit different light. Matthew the eighteenth chapter. By now, most of us, I think understand the phrase that we need to be born again.
Mike Robicheaux:Born again. Born again. Matthew the eighteenth chapter. Matthew the eighteenth chapter. Let me start in the first verse.
Mike Robicheaux:Listen what he says. At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus saying, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the midst of them and said, verily, I say unto you except you be converted. But I thought Jesus said except you were born again. But now he says it a little bit different, saying the same thing.
Mike Robicheaux:Let me put you this way, meaning the same thing. Except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same as the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. That puts a different light on it. Hence, he's saying that we must be born again and now he tells us that we must be converted.
Mike Robicheaux:That that that's I guess that's a word that was long ago lost, you know. They say, well, that's old fashioned to say that people must be converted. You know, well, you know, some people say, well, that's what people do not. That's why they hate Christians. The fundamentalist, they're going around trying to make converts onto their religion.
Mike Robicheaux:That that that's not right. Nobody's trying to make converts to our religion, but we have none. But what we're trying to do is get people to understand that they must be converted, not from one religion to another, or from one lifestyle to another. But that they must change their whole nature. They must put on a whole new life.
Mike Robicheaux:I want to read now in Luke the thirteenth chapter. Again, saying in a different way but meaning this very same thing. Luke the thirteenth chapter. You still here? Amen.
Mike Robicheaux:Good. One of the greatest things about getting able being able to preach the gospel, say people love it. You know, when you preach to em, they say, man, that's what I like to hear. Thank god that I was born again. Amen.
Mike Robicheaux:Sinners don't like to hear it. So, you know, if you're saved, I can see the smile. If you lost, I understand why. Alright. Luke 13 verse one.
Mike Robicheaux:And there was present at that season some that told of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said unto them, suppose you that these Galileans were sinners above all Galileans because they suffered such thing but I tell you nay but except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. For those 18 upon whom the tire of Salom fell and slew them, Thank you that they were sinners above all men that dwell at Jerusalem. I tell you no. But except you repent, you shall allow all likewise perish.
Mike Robicheaux:What does that word mean? All men we know are gonna die one day. It's appointed to man wants to die, and that's the issue of judgment. Hebrews ten twenty eight. But there's something in that word that tells us that except a man doesn't turn from the way that he lives and turns into the Lord.
Mike Robicheaux:He'll perish, hence the word repent. Jesus said about the new birth three ways, a man must be born again. He says you must be converted. And then he said you must repent, or else. All these things are saying the same thing in a different way.
Mike Robicheaux:Why would he say this? Because you see, the Bible is the word of God. He knows all things. He knows human hearts. And it's trying to tell us something that none of us should should put all our confidence in man.
Mike Robicheaux:We shouldn't put our confidence in any religion. We should not put our confidence in our own selves. Right? You know, because after a while, people they they get religious and they say, well, I'm beyond all means of deception. I'll never be fooled.
Mike Robicheaux:I'll never lose it. And once I'm saved, I'll always be saved. Well, the Bible has a lot to say to us about that. The Bible is teaching us that the new birth is so important that if you are born again, that you should guard it with your life. And not leave it into the hands of anyone.
Mike Robicheaux:Never should you hear anyone say that this is the gospel. Never should you hear anyone preach a message without you checking it out in the word of God. It's that important. That you should always know what you believe. That you should always know that you are saved.
Mike Robicheaux:Alright? There's different safeguards in the Bible that teach us that that that we we need we have to know, we must know that we're born again. And we have to know why that we're born again. What happened? Why can we say that we're saved?
Mike Robicheaux:There's list after list after list of things we can go through. We might go through some of them after a while. That's why people think that they're saved. Okay? I can ask everyone of you all the same thing.
Mike Robicheaux:Are you saved? Some of you would say yes. Or some of them might say, well, I'm trying to be. Or some would say, well, no. That's the only three answers you can give.
Mike Robicheaux:You either know that you're saved, you think you're saved, or you know that you lost. And somewhere in there has to lie the truth. A person that is born again beyond the shadow of a doubt knows that they're saved. You see, when I was raised up in religion, someone would ask me if if I'm saved. I said, well, sure, I'm Catholic.
Mike Robicheaux:I mean, that's all of it was raised up in. I thought that's all they had. I remember like when I went to public schools, they had a certain day, I think it was on Thursday, that they'd let us have religion classes. And men and poor Baptists and other Protestants, they'd let them go to a library somewhere because they didn't participate in it and I said, man, them poor people are lost. They they they don't belong to the right truth.
Mike Robicheaux:They don't belong to the right church. I mean, that's all I knew. So, I figured I would say it because I was different than other people and and I held to a certain creed and and I was baptized as a baby and I went through all kind of things and I said, well, sure. Imma be saved but you know, you never had an assurance in you. You always feared death.
Mike Robicheaux:Amen. You always knew that when you did something, you always knew that you were wrong. That's hence when I heard the gospel and it said, you're a sinner. If I'd have been saved, I said, hey, no, I'm saved but knew something on the inside. The holy ghost bore witness and it told me, I was lost.
Mike Robicheaux:So, I guess right off and someone could've asked me then because no one ever witnessed to me before. I never heard the gospel before. I read the Bible but no one ever told me about Jesus but someone would come to and ask me if I'm saved. The only answer I can give him would be, well, I'm Catholic. But that's not what Jesus wants to know.
Mike Robicheaux:He doesn't want to know if you're baptist. He doesn't want to know if you're a full gospel, assembly of god. He doesn't wanna know any of these things like the new new minister came to a village church and he figured he'd introduce himself into the members and he went around house to house and he went to one lady and he said, knocked to the door and he said, well, does Jesus live here? And she thought about it and and and then after a while, she said, oh oh oh, no. And she came in, you know, and and talked to her and then later that day, when her husband came home from work, she, you know, she told her husband, said, you know, the new minister was over here and and you know what?
Mike Robicheaux:He he asked us if Jesus lived here. He said, well, did you tell him that we belong to the church? He said, no. He didn't ask that. He asked if Jesus lived there.
Mike Robicheaux:Well, did you tell him that we're fine outstanding members of this community? He was like, no, he didn't ask that. Didn't didn't you tell him that we gave to to the church and the people in need? No, he didn't ask that. He just asked if if Jesus lived here.
Mike Robicheaux:Jesus. Could you see us more than being religious? Being born again, you know that you're saved. Because you've been converted. Because you've repented of all of your sins.
Mike Robicheaux:Let me go through a list with you. Of what people say, the reason why they think that they're going to heaven. You still here? Amen. Well, like I said, when I was little, I was baptized as a baby, and hence they've always told me that because I was baptized as a baby that I was born again.
Mike Robicheaux:But then as I grew older and I heard the gospel, said that it wasn't by baptism that saved me. I mean, hence, there's a lot of religions that teach that whether it's Catholic or or or or Pentecostal or apostolic or many religions teach that until you baptize, you're saved but the Bible doesn't teach that water saved us. Baptism regeneration is in the Bible. Baptism is in the Bible for Christians but never is it water that makes Christians. You know, I'm not going go through all the things about it but a lot of people put all their confidence because of one time, they were baptized in water.
Mike Robicheaux:Paul in the first Corinthians plainly said, god didn't sent me to baptize but to preach the gospel. For it's the preaching of the gospel that saves souls. There are a lot of them. They they signed a card and they said, well, I accepted Jesus It has to say, hey, you born again? You saved?
Mike Robicheaux:Oh, yeah. You can go see my names on that card. That's not the new birth. Someone shook hands with a preacher. I've heard it said this way, he just assumed shake hands with a donkey's tail.
Mike Robicheaux:He'll do you just as much good. Nowhere in the Bible to say if you shake a preacher's hand, he'll save you. Well, someone said, well, I stood up and I accepted Jesus as my savior with nowhere in the Bible does it say that you stand up and accept Jesus as your savior would save you. Someone once said, well, you know, I do religious things. I go to church on Sunday.
Mike Robicheaux:I read a Bible. I pray. I do good things. Too many people but nowhere does the Bible say that would save you. It's good things but it won't save you.
Mike Robicheaux:You hear what I'm trying to say? What the new birth is all about? Not your religious affiliation. Some of them being very intelligent might read the bible and hear humanist humanistic theology or thinking. And if you're you're halfway smart, you'll understand that Christianity is a far better and a truthful way of life than what humanism is.
Mike Robicheaux:But even that, a mental asset that to shoot does not save you. Then, confessing Jesus as the son of God. That won't save you. Joining a church that said, well, we're the only true church that won't save you. Church can't save you.
Mike Robicheaux:Church never died for your sins. Saying prayers, reading the Bible, memorizing creeds, being moral, godly, or trying to be godly. You have to understand. There. Unplugged part of me.
Mike Robicheaux:Amen. Someone said, well, I'm good to my fellow, you know, man. I I I've always treat other people good. Well, that's not the new birds. Being just as good as the fellow next door.
Mike Robicheaux:That won't save you. There's only one thing that'll save you. Is the old fashioned religion of the new birth experience. As Jesus came to him, Nicodemus been all his religion and all his fine outstanding quality, a leader, high outstanding citizen. I mean, did many good things, but Jesus said, now you must be born again.
Mike Robicheaux:And that's hard to come to religious people and say, you know, you must be born again. As one preach man, I mean, he preached the message into a congregation to find a outstanding wealthy people. And one of them came to him after he said, now listen, you don't need to preach just this way. You might go to the penitentiary and preach like that, but not over here. See, people forget that sinners are sinners whether they're religious or whether they're outright criminals.
Mike Robicheaux:Amen. We've all come short. Of the glory of God. I mean, Nicodemus was doing so many good things. We had Jesus told him, he must be born again.
Mike Robicheaux:We read about the thief on the cross. I mean, there he was. He realized he was a thief hanging, dying for what he had done and when the other one was railing on Jesus, he said, we're dying just before our sins and all he told Jesus was, remember me when you come to thy kingdom and he was born again. Why? Because it was a simple thing of realizing that he was a sinner.
Mike Robicheaux:And he recognized that Jesus Christ was dying for his sins. How? I don't know. But like I said, I still can't understand how in a split second of time when I accepted Jesus, I it changed my life, but something had to take place. It wasn't because of my religion.
Mike Robicheaux:It was because something what Jesus had did in my life. Hence, I was born again. I wanna go on to another scripture, and I want you to find in Luke the seventh chapter. Luke the seventh chapter. Are you still here?
Mike Robicheaux:Luke seven Luke seven. There's a story in the Bible in Luke the seventh chapter of a certain woman that came to Jesus. Jesus was eating supper. And as she was reclining, she came unto him and and, she began to weep and and her tears fell on his feet and she wiped him with the hairs of her head. And and I mean, she was so broken because she was a sinner.
Mike Robicheaux:But the house that he was eating in was a house of a pharisee of every religious person. And they kinda looked on it with disdain, saying, man, if this man was a man of God. Let me read in the thirty ninth verse. When the Pharisee which had bitten him saw it, he spake within himself saying, this woman, this man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto him.
Mike Robicheaux:He said, master, stay on. Now, a lot of people say, well, you know, this woman was wicked. She was a prostitute or you know, or some other wheeler wicked sin but the Bible didn't say that. I think what it was to see this Pharisee realized that she this woman wasn't a church goer. She didn't belong to their crowd, didn't belong to their church, and hence she was a sinner.
Mike Robicheaux:And he said, well, you man, if he was a man of God, he wouldn't even let her touch her. But listen at what the forty first verse says. And there was a certain creditor which had two debtors. The one owed 500p and the other 50. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both.
Mike Robicheaux:Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose he to whom he forgave most and he said unto him, thou hast rightly judged and he turned to the woman and said unto Simon, see is thou this woman? I enter into thine house and thou gavest me no water for my feet but she has washed my feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss, but this woman since the time I came in has not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil, thou didst not anoint.
Mike Robicheaux:For this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto you her sins, which are many are forgiven. For she loved much, but to whom little is given, the same love it little. And he said unto her, thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat sat within himself, began to say within themselves, who is this that forgiveth sins also?
Mike Robicheaux:And he said unto the woman, thy faith has saved thee. Go in peace. Do you understand what took place? One of them that was not religious didn't belong to the church yet. Religious people putting her down saying, man, we wouldn't have nothing to do with her for nothing in this world but Jesus came along and said, well, you know, this woman saved now because she's repented with a broken heart.
Mike Robicheaux:She's came to me. It was a way of saying that she was sorry for a sin and she received forgiveness. Now, you see, it's a story in there that we all need to learn. All a lot of us we can say, well, you know, I never was a very bad sinner. I never heard of a good sin.
Mike Robicheaux:But god never was a bad sin. I never done anything bad things. You know, I never committed adultery. I never was a drunkard or a drug addict or I never done all this. I never was a murderer or nothing but the Bible says, you know, that that if you're born to this world, you're born of a fallen nature.
Mike Robicheaux:I mean, it didn't take long for you to begin to lie and and hating and fighting and and envying and and stealing and these things because you're born a sinner. The Bible didn't put no differences what type of sins you do But the Bible plainly said that you're born a sinner. Hence, when the devil makes people religious, they can't see the need of when a gospel that preaches that you must be born again, you must be converted, you must repent of your sins. They can't see the need of it Just as it was then. They couldn't see what us have to repent.
Mike Robicheaux:I mean, listen, we dress whole. I mean, we got robes that reach down to here. I mean, we got scriptures wrapped around our arms. We go to church. We pray three times in a day.
Mike Robicheaux:In fact, I wanna read this to you in the gospel of Luke. I think it's the eighteenth chapter. The eighteenth chapter of Luke. You see, I've seen all these things because you see people I know the danger, even though you are born again, That Satan would very much like to make you religious. You know, that's how every religion came about.
Mike Robicheaux:I mean, that's why there's so many different denominations. I believe they all start with the holy ghost, revival of people being born again, washed in the blood of Jesus, being filled with the holy ghost and before long, people just went through the motions and you know what happened? It just became just another religion and hence, you see a lot of people get lost in that way because it just become the cold dead ritual. Listen what it says in Luke chapter 18 in the verse nine. And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves.
Mike Robicheaux:That they were righteous and they despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray. The one a Pharisee and the other public are now. This is a really wicked person. This is a tax collector.
Mike Robicheaux:Similar to what what like I said many times that what what the the feeling you got towards IRS agents. Especially religious people. I fast twice in a week. I give tithes of that all that I possess and the publican standing. Wait, I missed something.
Mike Robicheaux:The eleventh verse. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus to himself, god, I thank you. I'm not as other men or extortioners, unjust, adulterers, even as this publican, I fast twice in a week, I give tithes to all that I possess and the publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes into heaven but smote upon his breast saying, god, be merciful unto me a sinner and I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone that exalted himself shall be abased and he that humbled himself shall be exalted. What was Jesus saying in this story, this parable?
Mike Robicheaux:No doubt it's a very true story because many people are like this. They probably just like this Pharisee said, I believe he was speaking truthfully. He fasted twice in a week. I believe he prayed always. I believe he did many good things.
Mike Robicheaux:I believe he never committed adultery, was an extortioner, and all these things, but he was self righteous. Just like many religious people today, they say, well, you know, I'm I live a good life. I've never done anything wrong. I've never hurt my fellow man. I've always, you know, given a charitable causes.
Mike Robicheaux:But if in the eyes of God, you're just as filthy as anyone else. But you've clothed yourself with a self righteousness as this Pharisee did. Bible says when he prayed it, he just prayed with himself. He was just so confident in his goodness that he couldn't see his lost condition. You see, hence Jesus was telling us that a man must be born again, that he must be converted, that he must repent of his sins, if he wants to make heaven his home.
Mike Robicheaux:See, the bible preaches against religion. Jesus hated religion. Religion is what nailed him to that cross. And ever since then, religion has been the biggest obstacle and hinders to the gospel going forth. But you see, the bible says you must be born again.
Mike Robicheaux:You must change your ways. Alright? I wanna go into another scripture in Mark the seventh chapter. Mark, you still here? Yes, sir.
Mike Robicheaux:Alright. I just don't want you going home without me. Hallelujah. Amen. How many of you have a Bible today?
Mike Robicheaux:Amen. Well, half of y'all. Why do you have a Bible? I think God made made sure, it to where we could be sure ourselves of what we know, what we learn. And it's more than Let me tell you people, when I first got born again, I picked up my Bible and I, now I begin to read it, and I begin to learn many truths, but I understand also that a lot of things I didn't understand in it.
Mike Robicheaux:Okay? And I'll I'll be honest with you now. I still don't understand everything in it. But I know a lot more now than I did then. But the only intention is I'm supposed to know enough now to know when somebody's telling the truth or telling me a lie.
Mike Robicheaux:Right? So really, when we face stand before the Lord, we won't have no excuse to say, well, I've been deceived. I didn't know no better. Here in America, I mean, many houses. I mean, we must have 10 or 15 Bibles in our house.
Mike Robicheaux:I mean, we got bunch. I'm sure y'all probably have just as many. But then at the same time, you see, it's not having the Bible that's gonna save you, but it's your study of it. You're getting into it yourself and not depending on somebody else to read it for you, to glean the truths of it for you, and all you gotta do is idly sit back and just believe whatever's being told you. That's true.
Mike Robicheaux:You might get deceived. Jesus said this, that in the last days, the one of greatest sign before his return was that many that are coming in my name shall deceive many. I mean, let me ask you, how much time do you put into the word of God to check out, to learn truth? You can read the book of Proverbs that truth is and wisdom is something that must be sought out as if you were searching more than you were searching for gold and for silver. And you you read in the gold rush days, man, people sold everything they had.
Mike Robicheaux:They they may have put everything in the back of a covered wagon, took off across the country. And I mean, they they they braved all kind of hazards. They crossed mountains. They went through through Indian territory. There was always in danger of starvation or wild animals.
Mike Robicheaux:You name it, but they they they braved all those things just to take one chance of getting rich. No cost was was too great for them. But yet when it comes to a person's eternal soul, they'll take a scripture and say, well, that's enough for today. You know, I I heard what the preacher said, and I guess that's good. I guess that's right.
Mike Robicheaux:You have a responsibility to know what the Bible says. You see people, religion is very deceptive. It tells you all kind of things about the condition of your soul. Belong to this church, and even if you don't think you made it, we'll pray you out of it, out of purgatory. Or, you know, now that you've come to Jesus, don't ever worry about anything else.
Mike Robicheaux:Once you're saved, you'll always be saved. You know, all kind of false teaching that put people to sleep. Many false religions teach you such things as, you know, there is no hell, so why worry? Listen, we need to know what the Bible says. The trouble with all these things is that people think that religion is an outward experience.
Mike Robicheaux:Is that you look at a person and say, well, they're not what they used to be. You know, they used to be pretty bad, but now they go to church, and now they dress differently, and they talk a little different, but is that religion? Is that salvation, I mean? Something like religion. But Jesus saying this in Mark the seventh chapter was telling us our problem.
Mike Robicheaux:I know it's not just mine. It's yours too. He said this in the nineteenth verse, because it entered not into his heart. Well, let me start in 18. And he said unto them, are you also without understanding also, do you not perceive that whatsoever thing from without enter to the man, and it cannot defile him?
Mike Robicheaux:Because it entered not to his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the drawer, purging all meats. And he said, that which cometh out of the man, that defoleth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men proceeded evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile the man. Jesus here was striking at the core of men's problem.
Mike Robicheaux:It wasn't the things they'd done on the outside. It was the things that were going on on the inside that expressed themselves on the outside. You know, someone once said, you know, I know I'm a Christian because I go to church. Or someone said, well, I think I'm a hamburger. I went to McDonald's.
Mike Robicheaux:If the inside of a person has to be changed, religion teaches you, well, you you you act different, you talk different, you you know, you you believe this, believe that, and it'll change you. But I wanna read in Matthew, the twenty third chapter, the same problem that we have today. Men never change. This is nearly two thousand years later since Jesus was speaking to religious people then. And the hearts of men have never changed.
Mike Robicheaux:They're the same, identical, perhaps maybe worse now. Matthew the twenty third chapter. Matthew the twenty third chapter. Jesus is teaching us, you must be born again. You must be converted.
Mike Robicheaux:You must repent of your sins. Matthew 23, starting verse 25. Woah. Now he wasn't talking about riding a horse. That that that was an explanation of warning.
Mike Robicheaux:Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you may clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within you're full of extortion excess. Thou blind Pharisee, first clean up that which is inside the cup and platter, then the outside there may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you are like white etched sepatures, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but within are full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanliness.
Mike Robicheaux:Even so, you outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you're full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Now, you know, even in our time, we realize that people respect the dead, they go, you know, and they whitewash the tombs and make them look pretty. But not a one of them dare open it up. Right? So they know what's on the inside, the corruption and the death.
Mike Robicheaux:But you see, Jesus compares men unto walking tombs. The dead walking about, the dead leading the dead, the blind leading the blind. Because you see people, it's more than the outside of how you refine it, how you educate it, how you teach it, how you restrain it. It's always been a problem with religion. Since they've had monks, they've went away in monasteries, they've hid themselves away from the world, wore coarse dresses, gowns out out of sackcloth, and they've, I mean, they've starved themselves.
Mike Robicheaux:They've stayed all night praying. They've done all kind of things to try to bring this body under control, and to rid themselves of the guilt of sin. Nuns do the same thing. Every religion does it. You you monks, you Buddhists, you, they all got their own way of saying, well, this is a penalty you have to pay.
Mike Robicheaux:This is something you have to try to do to cleanse yourself from sin. And all they're doing alone is just what Jesus said. They're trying to to to from the outside correcting it. But Jesus said the problem comes from the inside of man, not the outside. Hence why Jesus said that you must be born again.
Mike Robicheaux:You must be converted. You must repent of your sins. It's an inside problem, not an outside problem. You take care of the inside, it begins to show out. Religious teaches you, you stop the outside working in, but it never gets that far in.
Mike Robicheaux:Never deep enough to change what you wanna see change. But you see, when a person is born again, Jesus takes out that old black heart, that old heart that's been stained with sin, and he takes it out. And the bible said in Ezekiel 33, takes out the stony heart, and he puts in a heart of flesh. He changes your nature. He makes you a new person.
Mike Robicheaux:I I I can't explain it to this day, but all I know is that it's real. You must be born again. You must avoid religion at all costs. It's a killer of your soul. Jesus said, you must be born again.
Mike Robicheaux:Romans the third chapter. Y'all still here? Amen. Amen. I think it's important sometimes for us to understand a little bit about the new birth.
Mike Robicheaux:I think it's important enough to Jesus to have to come and die for us sinners that we might have life, and that we have to understand it. Romans the third chapter. You see, it's the same problem they had back then. Do see you have to understand the Jews were very, very, very, very, very, very, very religious people. I mean, Paul was so religious, he was persecuting the Christians that I mean, most of them, in fact, all of them were Jews, and they they they renounced their religion and said, well, now we belong to Jesus.
Mike Robicheaux:Man, they couldn't comprehend it. Man, they'd start persecuting them and and killing believers in Jesus because they didn't believe like them any longer. And Paul, after he was converted, had the same problem trying to reach his his fellow Israelites and telling them that they were wrong, that they have to turn to Jesus. But the Jews constantly came up with, but we're Abraham's children. We're saved.
Mike Robicheaux:No one else's. We're saved. But Paul in his arguments writing into the Romans, he said this in Romans chapter three starting in verse nine. What then are we better than they? Talking about the Gentiles.
Mike Robicheaux:No. We know why. For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin. For it is written there is none righteous, no, not one. And if you think you're the exception, you're wrong.
Mike Robicheaux:It includes all men as sinners and dying and headed for hell. And the only remedy for sin is a new birth. There is none that understand it. There is none that seeketh after God. They're all gone out of the way.
Mike Robicheaux:They're altogether become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good. No, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher. With their tongue, they have used deceit.
Mike Robicheaux:The poison of aspires under their lips. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery in their ways. The way of peace have they not known.
Mike Robicheaux:There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things whoever the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. And therefore by the deeds of the law, shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. For thou the righteousness of God without the law is manifest, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.
Mike Robicheaux:Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ. Unto all, upon all them to believe, for there is no difference. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And that's still the same message that has to be proclaimed today. People who are all sinners.
Mike Robicheaux:Unless a person realizes that they are lost and a sinner, they can never be saved. Hence, the trouble what Jesus had when he walked this earth. Never could get the religious crowd to believe that they were lost and headed for hell. I've heard of examples of men who were lost in the woods, and, you know, they sent people out there hunting for them. They'd hide.
Mike Robicheaux:They they they wouldn't dare admit to anyone that they were lost. And they stayed out there long when they should. Many died out in the wilderness because they didn't have enough, you know, too much pride to say, well, know, I I got myself lost. So it is religious people today. They can't get saved.
Mike Robicheaux:They can't go to heaven because their pride of religion holds them back. They wouldn't dare make anyone believe and say, well, you know, I am lost. I am a sinner. I have transgressed the commandments of God. Hence, they're lost.
Mike Robicheaux:There's no difference. You see, good news only precedes bad news. Unless you preach the bad news that you're lost and you're you're headed for damnation, good news has no meaning. Good news is is you don't have to remain this way. Good news is that you can be born again.
Mike Robicheaux:You can be converted. You can repent of your sins. Good God will grant you that repentance. You can be saved. You can have eternal life.
Mike Robicheaux:You can become a child of God. You see people, it's so important that we understand what he means by being born again. That first birth is not enough. If you're born once, you'll die twice. But if you're born twice, you'll die once.
Mike Robicheaux:I wanna go on a little bit further. I told you what the new birth is not. It's not joining a religion. It's not turning over a new leaf. It's not shaking a preacher's hand.
Mike Robicheaux:It's not saying I accept Jesus. But the new birth is this, and let's go on through it. Because the bible teaches us this, and we'll read it later. Second Corinthians five seventeen says, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. The old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new.
Mike Robicheaux:That's what the new birth is. You're not the same living on the inside any longer, but it's a new person living in there. The body might be the same. Some of you think it might even still be the same, but the you is a different you. He becomes someone you can live with.
Mike Robicheaux:He becomes someone that you think that that's what you've always wanted to be. He's that new creation that he creates in you. Ephesians the fourth chapter. If you're still here, we'll go we'll quickly go through a few verses. Ephesians the fourth chapter.
Mike Robicheaux:Ephesians chapter four verse 24 says this, and that you put on the new man, which is after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. What am I saying here? Well, you know, Jesus, Paul explained here what the new birth is all about. And then when a person is born again, he puts on a brand new man. I mean, this fellow's all ready to get doo died up.
Mike Robicheaux:I mean, this he's just created in righteousness and true holiness. None of that fake stuff that people have to dress, know, long dresses and the long hairs, and yet they never got the back end of the tongue, you know. It's still kinda long itself. You know, it's not something that you, you know, you wear religious articles to show people that you're saved, but it is something that is different in there. You sometimes don't even have to tell people.
Mike Robicheaux:They just know that there's something changed in you because that's the new birth. Let's find Romans one sixteen. Now let me read it to you for the sake of time. Paul was saying, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation unto everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Paul was saying that that that the new birth experience is salvation.
Mike Robicheaux:It's the power of God unto unto deliver us from this world and from sin. Let's read in first Corinthians 12. What I'm doing is just going through some scriptures that make us understand what the new verse is all about. That these terms that we read are not some different experience or some different terminology, but this is the one and same thing what Jesus is talking about when he said you must be born again. You must be converted, and you must repent of your sins.
Mike Robicheaux:He said this in Romans chapter 12, and verse 13. For by one spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. This is what took place when you were born again. You were taken and and you were placed into the body of Christ, and you became part of the organism, not organization, of Jesus Christ. Jesus being the head of the church and you being his body.
Mike Robicheaux:You become part of Jesus. Alright? Let me read you in Galatians the third chapter, what took place when you become born again. Galatians the third chapter. And the twenty sixth verse says this, for you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Mike Robicheaux:For as many of you have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. He's not saying by baptizing the water, an act of the spirit when you're born again. You're placed into the body of Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free.
Mike Robicheaux:There is neither male nor female. You are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ, then you're Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promises. You see, when you get born again, it doesn't matter what color your skin that you that you have. It doesn't matter what degree of education.
Mike Robicheaux:It doesn't matter about your upbringing, your nationality, if you're male or female or anything in between. You get born again. You get all that stuff changed, and God sees one new thing, and that is the new creature in Christ Jesus. Alright? I wanna read another one in Romans the eighth chapter.
Mike Robicheaux:He's talking about the new birth experience. If you can't find it, write it down. I'm a have to speed up a little bit. It says this in Romans the eighth chapter, starting in the fourteenth verse. For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Mike Robicheaux:And you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The spirit itself bear witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children and heirs, and heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, we may also be glorified together. What took place when you were born again? This is what happened.
Mike Robicheaux:I was adopted into God's family. I'm no longer separate from him, but he took me in and he said, son, you're mine. And he says, daughter, you're mine. That's the new birth experience. You didn't join a church, you became part of it.
Mike Robicheaux:I wanna read another one unto you, and it describes it so accurately in acts the twenty sixth chapter. This is talking about the new birth experience, being converted, the repenting of your sins, what takes place. Acts the twenty sixth chapter. Paul, given his testimony before the governor, he was saying what Jesus told him. We'll start in the seventeenth verse, delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, and to whom I now send thee, to open their eyes, to turn them from the darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Mike Robicheaux:This is the new birth experience. What happened? My eyes were opened. See, I'm saved by my good looks. I looked good at him when I got saved.
Mike Robicheaux:And then I was turned from darkness to light. And the power of Satan, his authority unto God. I was forgiven of my sins and received an inheritance. All these things took place when I came to Jesus. And his blood washed me from my sins.
Mike Robicheaux:See, was born again. I was converted, and I repented of all my sins. Another one in acts the second chapter, since we're in the book of acts, what took place when we were born again? Acts the second chapter. After Peter had preached on the day of Pentecost, and the message was so powerful.
Mike Robicheaux:It was a short message. But you see the difference was it was the Holy Ghost power that was going forth, convicting men of their sins. And they cried out what any sensible man would do when he's under conviction. They said this in the thirty seventh verse. And when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?
Mike Robicheaux:And Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ. Because of is what the Greek word means for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Here's the way to get born again. Here's the way to be converted is to repent of your sins and come to Jesus. And then be baptized.
Mike Robicheaux:And then you'll receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. He's talking about all the same thing. It's not different experiences with different churches put out in different ways. Base the bottom line is this, you must be born again. There is no other way.
Mike Robicheaux:Second Corinthians chapter five. Second Corinthians chapter five. I'm trying to explain to you what the new birth is. Second Corinthians chapter five. Second Corinthians chapter five.
Mike Robicheaux:Second Corinthians five, starting in verse 17. For therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new. And all things are of God who has reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ, and has given unto us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Mike Robicheaux:Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be you reconciled to God. For he had made him to be made to be sin for us, who knew no sin, That we might be made the righteousness of God in him. What is a new birth experience? When we see Jesus hanging on that cross, he was bringing us to God. By the only bridge that had one at one time, there was a great gap that separated us.
Mike Robicheaux:But Jesus spanned that gap when he stretched out his arms, and he gave up his life for us. It brought us into back into God. We were wicked enemies, the bible says in Colossians the second chapter, in our minds by evil deeds that we have done, by by the the by the works we had done. God to us was our enemy. All along, we didn't realize his great love for us.
Mike Robicheaux:And the bible says that he so loved us that he gave his only begotten son. That whosoever believe in him will not perish but have everlasting life. God and Jesus Christ was reconciling us. He was breaking down the enmity that separated us, and that was our sins. He did us no wrong, Never did one wrong thing for us.
Mike Robicheaux:But Satan had so blinded our minds that we stayed away from him. But to see Jesus came and demonstrated the love that he had for us. He's shedding that blood, and redeeming us from our sins, and we were brought back to him. And he says, now you can come back. You can be born again.
Mike Robicheaux:You can be converted. You can repent of your sins and have eternal life. I need to hurry up and go through this. I explained to you what it's not. Tried to explain to you what it is.
Mike Robicheaux:And even if you know these two facts, you need to know how to get it. Only does you no good. There's four things a man has to do to be born again. Let's quickly go through them. First thing, like I said earlier, you have to recognize you're a sinner.
Mike Robicheaux:And without Jesus Christ, there's no hope I've ever seen eternal life, not even a ray of hope apart from Jesus Christ. Only one way, one truth, one life. Not all roads lead to heaven. First thing is you must realize you're lost, helpless. Bible we read earlier when Romans three twenty three says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Mike Robicheaux:Bible teaches us in Romans one nine that if we confess our sins to him, he's faithful and he's just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You see, there was once this this person at an altar call. Benedict came forward to receive Jesus, they were getting gloriously saved, and they knew they were born again. And they had another lady, and then she came on down. She said told her preacher, want what they got.
Mike Robicheaux:I want what they got. So, well, you need a you'll repent of your sins and and and turn your life over to you. Well, I don't want I just want the good feeling. She said, well, there's no way that's possible to have the new birth without first repenting of your sins. Or like one lady who said, well, you know, I wanna be saved.
Mike Robicheaux:Well, you lead her into sinners prayer and says, well, repeat this after me saying, Lord, I'm a I'm a terrible sinner. And she said, well, wait. I'm not a bad sinner. And he said, well, yes, you are. He said, no.
Mike Robicheaux:I'm not a sinner. Well, he said, well, you can go sit down. The gospel is not for you, because Jesus only came to save sinners. And he said, well, maybe I sinned a little bit then. He said, no.
Mike Robicheaux:They they won't do because the bible and he went on teaching what the bible says. We're sinners, and we come short of the glory of God. And before it was over, she said, you're right. I am a sinner. And she accepted Jesus, then she was saved.
Mike Robicheaux:You see, the first step in being born to get us to realize you're decrepit. You're undoubtly. You're homely. You're destructive. You're arrogant.
Mike Robicheaux:You're nothing without Jesus. I'm only trying to make you realize if you're not born again, you're a wretched person. There's never been a most more unhappy, unfulfilled person that ever walked the face of this earth is that person who doesn't know Jesus. Alright. I wonder why suicide is going up so fast.
Mike Robicheaux:It's because people love themselves so much. Alright. Next thing you do is you got to admit or you got to realize that what Jesus did on that cross was not for himself. The Bible teaches us he did no sin, none, not one. But what he did was for you.
Mike Robicheaux:You have to picture yourself as you that belonged on that cross. Your blood being shed. But instead, he said, no, I'll take their place. I'll receive the punishment, but let them go free. You have to understand that it's his blood that saves you.
Mike Robicheaux:First Peter, the first chapter. In first Peter, the first chapter. I'm gonna read it when I get to it. First Peter chapter one verse 18 says this, For as much as you know, you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. You hear what he's saying?
Mike Robicheaux:Yes. No amount of money you can give to save your soul. There's no amount that you can, there's no good thing you can do to redeem you, but there's only one thing that will save you is the precious blood of the lamb of God. In fact, he says it this way in first Peter chapter two. In verse 24, who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes we were healed.
Mike Robicheaux:So we see that when it was he died, it wasn't for him. It was our sins he was dying for. To set us free from them. And Ephesians chapter one. And in verse seven says this, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace.
Mike Robicheaux:Whenever we hear speaking about the blood, it means the sacrifice. When he hung on that tree and the blood flowed from the wounds in his hand, and from his his thorns in his his skull and and the wound on his side and the beatings on his back. When we talk about his blood, it was the terrible torment he went through and shedding his own life's blood that we might live. So we see we have to recognize first that we're sinners. Second is that we have to recognize that what Jesus did on the cross was to save me from those sins that were destroying me.
Mike Robicheaux:And then the next thing, I got to come to Jesus, repenting of my sins. I can't just say, well, just Lord, forgive me. We need to say, hey, Lord, forgive me. I was a pervert. I'm a drunkard.
Mike Robicheaux:I'm an adulterer. Whatever it is, you got to come and say, Lord, I repent, which means not sorry, but Lord, I changed my ways. And then he gives you the grace. You can't in yourself. You've tried it before.
Mike Robicheaux:You've tried to give up many things. You can't do it. When you admit you're a sinner and you come to him for that grace. When you come under that blood, he gives you the power. You become a new creature.
Mike Robicheaux:And you can overcome it for whatever is born of God overcomes this world. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. We in our faith in Jesus Christ. You have to recognize that that blood that was shed will wash away all sin, even all the guilt of sin. The bible said then they'll take our sins and separate them as far as the east from the west.
Mike Robicheaux:You'll drown them in the sea of forgetfulness. Never to be brought up again. Because you see, he's that kind of God. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was that powerful. Colossians the first chapter is not too far from where you're at.
Mike Robicheaux:I won't keep you much longer. Listen at these verses. These verses ought to be some of the most dearest to you. When you realize how terrible you were, how good he is, and how great thing he's done for you. Colossians chapter one and verse 20, and having made peace through the blood of his cross by him, to reconcile all things into himself, by him I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven.
Mike Robicheaux:And you were sometimes alienated, which means at one time. And enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and blameless and unreprovable in his sight. You might get saved and people knows the thing that you've done, the life you've lived, and they can't see it. How, God level lets you into heaven with all the sins that you've done. But it doesn't matter what people think any longer.
Mike Robicheaux:Now that we know what God thinks.
