Understanding The New Birth | Ps. Mike Robicheaux
Adam was cursed, we became cursed. Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin. Jesus was not born as we are born. Jesus came into this world. God Almighty took upon himself a body of flesh and and he came to pay the penalty for our sin.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:It's more than joining a religion. It's more than shaking a preacher's hand. It's more than getting your name on the church rule. You must be born again if you're ever gonna overcome sin in this life. Bible said in Ephesians 21, and you had been quickened or made alive who were dead in trespasses and sin.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Amen. I mean, you know, this Bible still got built enough promises to meet your every need. Amen. Spirit, soul, and body. Amen.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Well, let's try to understand a little bit about this thing that, you know, if if you haven't been born again, you need to get born again and and maybe by the end of today, we can, let the Bible speak for itself where people can understand why they need to be born again. If not to you, maybe someone needs the tape today where they can hear it because because let me tell you, we need to understand something, you know, about it. We really don't know what we're getting into. You get tired after a while, especially I remember when you're lost, you know. You you you you bound in sin and and I wanna put it to you this word, you're under a curse.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And you know, you get so tired of it but you get so used to it. You don't, you know, some most people are second nature. Well really it's their first nature. And they want freedom, but you know, Jesus said, whoever serves sin is a servant of sin. You're under bondage.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And man, you wanna get out so bad, but you don't understand how to. Tried everything in the world, turning over a new leaf, joining the right churches, but somehow it just ain't nothing changed. There's only one way to change it. And that's Jesus Christ. Amen.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:There's something in this world that's real and is alive and effective. It's called sin. And that sin does something to every human being's life. It brings a curse on their life. And one thing I don't want to be is cursed by God.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Man can curse you. The devil can curse you, but don't let God curse you. Hello? Then you're in big trouble. Well in Galatians the 3rd chapter, I'm a start in verse 10.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:For as many as under the works of the law are under the curse. For it is written, cursed is everyone that continue not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. You know, that put us all in a bad place. Even if you were religious minded enough to try to start turning over a new leaf and doing the right thing, doing some good things, the Bible says, will you still make yourself under worse than the curse? Because you see, you're still gonna fail in some area.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Because the Bible said, ain't no man could ever keep the laws of this book. You know, especially just being gentile, we didn't have the law. Just think where they put us. The Jews who had the law, a lot of them strove and strove and strove to keep it and they still failed in some areas and all they did was bring them under a curse. Hello?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:11th verse says, but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident that just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live in them. And let me read you some of the good news. That's what the gospel means. Don't you know that?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Gospel means good news. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree that the blessings of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ. Promise of the spirit through faith. And Father, we thank you for this morning, Lord God, as we gather together in your name of your son, Jesus.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Vision in your word, Lord God, that we can see, Lord, where we were and where we're we're going now. Help us to understand all the things that Jesus has provided for us in our salvation. In Jesus name we pray. Amen and Amen. Here I was, I found myself under a curse.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:No matter what the curse was, it puts you in bondage. I mean if it's drinking or or whether no matter what what what your sin is or was, they put you that way. Was. I don't remember it was just being hot headed. Maybe it was an adulterer.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Maybe it was a drunkard, a dope head, you name it. You was under a curse. Hello? But you see, Jesus came. He redeemed me from the curse of that law.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:He broke the curse of that, that that curse over me. Let me tell you, you look at some people's lives and it makes you feel for them. They'll you can literally say they're under a curse. Everything they do goes wrong. Everything.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:I mean, and didn't have no hope to go with it. The Bible says about every sin, they're cursed for the children of men. God had no choice in cursing mankind because their sin and disobedience, sin will never enter into the presence of God. Never never never never never is cursed. But thank God, Jesus became a curse for me.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You see, the curse wasn't and most of us don't understand it. I'm only gonna get into one part today. God speaking about your salvation, but your salvation includes more than than your soul. I mean, your spirit. And that's what we're gonna talk about today.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:What we will redeem from spiritually, and that's death. But later on, we get opportunity, maybe next week or as the lord leave, we'll look at, you know, these other things. You also redeemed from the curse of sickness. I don't care how much the devil tries to put it on. You still were redeemed from it.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:When we learn to stand up in it, we'll find out the reality of it. Just like we can find out the reality of it of having eternal life. And also, you were redeemed from the curse of poverty. I don't care what it looks like. I'm just telling you the Bible says it.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Amen. It's got to be so. Amen. Amen. Just because I ain't experienced something, the Bible said it's true.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:I just gotta find out where I'm missing it. That's right. Hello? You know, the Bible said that. We we we ask, but we we don't receive because we ask to miss.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:I mean, they're missing it somewhere. Hello? But anyhow, now that Jesus became a curse for me, the blessings of Abraham is gonna come on me because I'm a I was a gentile. You know, that's a simple word. It's a it's a kind word.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:The better word for it is a heathen or a pagan. That's what you are before you met Jesus Christ. And we're gonna receive the promise of the spirit. Thank God. Man, look, not only did He save, man, He gave us the Holy Ghost, gave us his spirit.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Now listen, that wasn't possible without Jesus Christ. Without Jesus Christ shedding his blood on that cross, there was no way you could ever be born again, go to heaven, And not only just wait, you can have the Holy Ghost down here and have all the promises he said in this book, because Jesus took that curse upon you. Now we have a choice. We can either stay under a curse. I don't think nobody wants to be under God's curse.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Or we can have God's blessings. Amen. But let's look at the first one we wanna look at. We're gonna talk about one of the curses that we were redeemed from was the curse of spiritual death. Genesis, the second chapter, And we're gonna start right there.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:In Genesis, let's put in. Hallelujah. Genesis, the second chapter. Hallelujah. Genesis, the second chapter.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Amen. I think most of us understand enough of it right now that cursed people, if they die unsaved, they go to hell and there they they go for nearly all eternity, for a long time, I tell you, until they'll be resurrected and then judged and cast in the lake of fire. I mean, that's a what a what an existence to to wanna live to have that kind of hope. Hello? But that's that's the curse of the law.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:I couldn't fulfill the righteousness God demanded of me, so I fell short. So I'm lost and where did this all come in at? Well, the Bible tells us how in the beginning, where it came, that God created a man called Adam and and put him in his garden, you know, on this earth and told him to keep it. Let me let me start in the 15th verse. Genesis chapter 2 verse 15.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And the Lord took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Now, this is what he said now. He was to keep up that God. I mean, he he man, he cultivated whatever he needed but he was also to keep it. Now, Lord, he's supposed to keep the devil out.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And the Lord God commanded a man saying of every tree of the garden now mayest freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it. For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. And you can read how, you know, story goes on that Eve wasn't even created yet. Hello? She wasn't she wasn't even there yet.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:The commandment was given unto Adam to to to keep the garden and don't eat from it. No. He didn't write off. You know, God took the, you know, the rib out of his side made into a thorn in the flesh. I mean, he took the rib out of Adam's side and and made a woman with it and and you know, and like someone once said, made woman but it's woah man.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Anyhow, you can understand though. You see, she's the weaker vessel and the old devil knew who he could talk couldn't kinda deceive him. We know the story. The old devil came in the form of a of a serpent and he deceived her. Hello?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And boy, we all look at we look at old Eve and we say, why did she do it? Why did she have to fall? Well, let me ask you, why did you? Hello? I know you can't look down on her if you're sitting in the same same boat.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Hello? Ask the pot calling the kettle black. What's your excuse? Why why did Satan deceive you? Amen.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:If he was in sin, he was deceived. But anyhow, we know the story went and and he was deceived and she ate up the tree of knowledge of good and evil and then she got her husband to eat. I mean, naturally, no wives. They got their way with their husbands And make them do about anything. And, amen.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And they ate. And nevertheless, just like the bible says, he said the day that you eat it. Now, that was the only commandment they were given. Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and they went ahead and they ate. And and, you know what happened?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And, and and, you know what happened? They died. Because we see, we can read the bible. Adam lived to be, I think, 900 and something years old. Yeah.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:But 950 years, give or take. I'll I'll see it after a while, but a long time he lived. But is that forever? No. You see, that's something happened.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:The Bible's right. When he said, the day that you eat it, you're gonna die, he died. What died? His spiritual life with God. Amen.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And you see, that's something none of us want wanna see. In Genesis the 3rd chapter in the 22nd verse, and the Lord God said, behold, a man is become as one of us to know good and evil and now lest he put forth his hand and take also the tree of life and eat and live forever. Therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken. And he drove out the man and he placed it at the east of the Garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming sword which, turned every way to keep the way to the tree of life. So you see, man was cursed.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Man was put out of the garden cause even if in his sinful state, not that he had fell, if he could have ate of the tree of life, he could have lived forever. But God made sure, no one cursed had ever eaten that tree. Hello? No one cursed can get to it. God protected it and now we find through the Bible now that the tree of life is in heaven right now.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:It's in the paradise of God, which is in heaven and it's still kept. Nobody can get to it and you still got to eat of the tree of life if you want to live forever. But you see, you can't get there. When Adam fell, he also brought it down on us too. When Adam was cursed, we became cursed.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:When Adam took on a new god, we have a new god. The bible says in Romans 5 12, wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin. So death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. Obedience of 1 shall many be made righteous. So by the obedience of 1 shall many be made righteous.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Verse 21 of Romans 5 says, that as sin might had reigned at the death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ. See, that's what the whole gospel is about. You were cursed when when when you were born into this world, you received the the nature of Adam. You received the the same penalty of your sin, that is death. But Jesus came that we wouldn't have to be under that curse any longer.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:We could receive eternal life. First Corinthians 15 verse 21 says, for since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. That man being Christ Jesus. Verse 22 says, for as in Adam all died, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Thank God.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Listen. I I can get out from the end of that curse. Thank God it's the greatest news I ever heard from the day that said that, you know, Jesus would forgive me of all my sin and gave me a brand new life and I no longer have to live under a curse to struggle to to try to please God. Now Jesus Christ did it all for me and all I had to do is is follow him and trust him And he gave him my righteousness. Man, no more curse.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:I mean, that's that's we didn't understand what took place when we were free from our sin. We didn't know what the feeling was. Well, naturally, we were blessed because we're no longer under that curse that hanged over our head that said, your doom, your destiny, your your your penalty is you're gonna die one day. We were condemned, convicted, and no way out of it until Jesus came and paid that price for us that we don't have to die any longer. So we know that once Adam sinned and that sin carried on and man became a servant to sin and to death.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And this is what this whole book is about that God gave to us. There's 2 main subjects in it, death and life. Hello? Even when God gave the commandments of the children of Israel through Moses, he told them in Deuteronomy 30 verse 19, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and cursings. Therefore, choose life.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And thou and thy seed may live. So even way in the back when God was given the law, he gave every man a choice. I want you to live. Follow my commandments. Obey my word and you're gonna live, but we know no man can keep that word.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:His word was holy and righteous, but man was fallen and sinful. God's will always was for man to live, but in a sinful condition, he's cursed. He's cursed. Read Deuteronomy 28 chapter. It tells you about all the blessings that would come upon that nation of Israel and to anyone that would walk uprightly and walk in his ways and follow his commandments.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:He blessed them spiritually, physically, and materially. But if they'd turn away from serving the Lord, he'd curse everything they put their hand to, spiritually, physically, and materially. And thank God now, I don't care what the circumstances look like, we can come out of that because of what Jesus Christ done. We don't have to. I don't have to go to hell because Jesus made a way for me.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:I don't have to stay sick because Jesus paid the price for that. I don't have to stay, in a in a in a state poverty because Jesus paid for that also. And let time come, we're gonna look into it. But death has always been a mystery to all ages. Science studies it and that's why the medical profession is so big.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:It's probably one of the biggest businesses there is right now. Men are trying to find a way around death to preserve life a little bit longer, how to cure diseases, but they they they don't know how to make man live forever. Then religion steps in, tries to explain to man what death is, but still he don't know what death is. Because even scientists himself said, the human body shouldn't die the way it's made. It ought to live forever, but for some reason, it just don't last.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And I'll tell you why it's sin. Religion tries to explain it. Well, you know, all kind of religious terms, how what death is, what death is, this and that and that. But let me tell you, Death was not an original part of the creation. When God made man, he created man to live forever.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:If only he wouldn't have sinned. Hello? But let me tell you, physical death is an enemy of God. It's not a friend of God. God hates death.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:He hates death. He hates death. In fact, it's gonna last just a little while longer. In fact, once we come, Jesus Christ comes, we we find ourselves called away. We countdown 7 years of tribulation period while and then we've count the 1000 year millennial reign of Christ.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Then we're gonna find the great white throne judgment and something that's gonna be brought up before him is gonna be called death. The name of death and hell in Revelation, I think it's the 28th chapter. But it says in 1st Corinthians 1526, the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. No longer will man ever have to worry about dying again. But you see, in the meantime right now, we still have to run this course and still we have to do something about it.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:We gotta get out from under that curse of death. Right? So we have to understand the nature of death. Or before we can understand about death, the nature of death, we have to understand the nature of man. Hello?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:What is man? Is you can feel yourself, is this man? Well according to the Bible, man is not really a physical being. Man is a spiritual being. Man is a spirit who possesses a soul a soul and he lives in a body.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You know, I live in a house, but I I can't say I'm a house. Hello? I I just live in my house, and so is me. I'm just living in in in in this. I don't know.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You know, people live in brick houses. This is mud house. I'll tell you what it's made from. It's made from the dust of the earth. It's very fragile.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Listen. If I take a knife, it cuts easy. It it I can break its bones and I mean, all kind of stuff. It gets sick and and all kind of things. It's very fragile but it's only my house.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:In 1st test on this 523, the Bible says, and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body will preserve blameless into the into the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. You see, human life is more than just a body. Human life in the physical people only live for what they can do to pamper and to provide for this body. The food it eats.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:It's entertainment it gets. They forget about there's something that's way way more important. In the natural world we live in, it's the body first. In the spiritual world, a person is spiritually spiritual, and if he's born again, it's the spirit man that has to come first. Let me read in John the 3rd chapter.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Most of us know these verses good, but maybe someone doesn't so let's read them just in case someone never heard it. In John the 3rd chapter, we're gonna try to explain what man is all about. What makes up man? What constitutes man? Why did Jesus say some things like like we're gonna read right now about man?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Jesus now is speaking to a religious leader, Nicodemus. John the 3rd chapter. John the 3rd chapter and listen what Jesus said in the 3rd verse, and Jesus answered and said to him, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except the man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now, Nicodemus being like on the most average religious people understood it this way what Jesus said in the 4th verse. Nicodemus said unto him, how can a man be born when he is old?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Can he enter the 2nd time into his mother's womb and be born? This is what most people look. They could only understand, certain terms in physical, you know, explanations. Born again? What does that mean?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You mean I'm gonna have to crawl back into my mother's womb and come out and start all over again? Jesus said in the 5th verse, 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, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel lot that I say unto thee, you must be born again. So Jesus is trying to explain to Nicodemus, no no no.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:It's it's not called back your mother who will be born again in the physical. You were born one time in the physical. That's your first birth. But Jesus said that which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit. So what's he saying?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Your spirit man, the real you, has to be born again. It has to give birth unto God. It's dead unto God right now. And it has to come alive unto God. And so we this is what all of us right now, we we have to understand.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:The real person, and unless you understand this, it's hard to see why must I be saved. Because you have a spirit created in the image of God that can never never never die. The new birth is a rebirth of the human spirit and the real man is a spirit. You see, one day this body is gonna die. It's gonna go back to the dust of the earth.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:But if this Bible is right, there's something on the inside that's gonna go on to live forever and forever, either in one state or the other, in a place of eternal punishment or a state of eternal bliss in heaven. The spirit operates through the soul and the soul in turn operates through the physical body. You see, this spirit man wants to do certain things. Well, he goes through the mind. He tells what this body what to do.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Hello? And it it functions that way. At physical death, the man and his soul leave the physical body and go to their home. Where is that home gonna be? Let's read Luke 16th chapter.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And I'm we're trying to learn something right now. What is the real man? What is the real man? Let me tell you. That's why most people, they just pamper to the flesh.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Hello? Take good care. I mean, give it what it wants. You know, if it wants to drink, let it drink, wants to drink, then this give this bottle the feelings that it wants, but there's more to that. In Luke 16th chapter, Jesus' men and this is a parable.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:It's not a parable. It's a true story. He he tells us what really goes on. Because you see, all of us, we see men, you know, a person dies, physically, they put him in a grave and and they're just saying, well that's the end of him. I mean, there's no more suffering, no more pain.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Everything's, you know, ended for him. Or like some would say, well, you know, this this soul is just sleeping. One day, God's gonna resurrect the dead and then they're gonna come to existence again. But is that what the Bible teaches? In Luke 16th chapter, Jesus said in 19th verse, there was a certain rich man.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And it wasn't a made up man. He said, there was a certain rich man that lived on this earth, which was clothed in purple and fine linen and fed sumptuously everyday. I mean he pampered this old flesh, dressed it good, fed it good, and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate full of sores, designed to be fed with a crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, dogs came and licked his sword. Now, we're gonna go a little bit more into the story.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:We're gonna find out that they both died. Okay? I want to bring a point across. They both died. A lot of people think, well, if you're rich, you can't go to heaven, and then a lot of people think, you know, if you're poor like Lazarus, then you can go because you're poor.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:No such thing. The only reason why we're gonna read the rich man went to hell is because the rich man despised and want nothing to do with God, didn't wanna obey his word. But Lazarus evidently loved the Lord even though he didn't have much of this world's good. Understand that. Okay?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Because I had people, tell me that. Now that's a misunderstanding. They never had nothing in this world. They were poor. They were busted.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:For sure, they they they're going to heaven. Poverty, heaven isn't rewarded for poverty, just for being poor. There's wicked poor as well as there's there's there's righteous poor. There's wicked rich as well as there's righteous rich people. You understand that?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:There's only one way to heaven, that's through Jesus Christ. Only one way. I mean, I got people telling me all kind of thing. Like I got one aunt. She took care of my grandmother, I mean, for years years and I tried to talk to her about Jesus Christ by being born again.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:She said, what you trying to tell me? You mean I won't go to heaven all these years that sacrifice the candelabra? I said, that's right. Boy, she got mad. She thought they had another way to get to heaven besides Jesus Christ.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You see, I'm trying to explain that to you. Anyhow, 22nd verse. And it came to pass that the beggar died. That's the end of the story. Oh.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And was carried by the angel to Abraham's bosom and the rich man also died and was buried. The end of the story. But wait a minute. If the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom, what did they carry? His body?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Spirit. Oh wait. I thought when he died, he died. That was it. Oh, but you see that old rich man, he died.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:He was just plain old buried. That was the end of the story. No? Uh-oh. Let's see what let's let's go on and let's see what happened.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:23rd verse. And in hell, he lifted up his eyes. Man, that can't be. He's his body's in in the grave. He was buried.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:But it says, in hell he lifted up his eyes being in torment. That means he was feeling something And he said he saw Abraham. It means he was seeing something. He saw Abraham afar off, ladders in his bosom and he cried evidently he could still talk and said, father Abraham, have mercy on me and send ladders that he may dip the tip of his the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am torn in this flame. And Abraham said, son, remember thou in thy lifetime, receive thy good things and likewise, Lazarus evil things.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:But now, he is comforted and thou art tormented. That's enough right there to to to see something. The one that was saved when his physical body died, he still kept on going. He's still living to this day. Lazarus is in heaven.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And the rich man, when he died, some people say, well, he's been dead now for 2000 years. No. No. No. No.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:His physical body went back to dust, but that rich man is still in hell. Still crying out for somebody to dip the tip the finger in water to cool his tongue because he's tormenting that flame. So let me ask you something. One of them was blessed and one of them was cursed. Did death change something?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Oh, it changed a lot. They went on to live forever. The physical body might have dropped off, but something kept on going. And that's what we're talking about. The number one curse of mankind is that he needs to get out from under.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:That's the curse of spiritual death. That's the number one need of of of mankind is to be born again. Because you see, anyhow Adam might have died living over 950 years old. Adam lives to this day. His body died, but to this day, Adam is still in hell.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Adam is still like the rich man crying out for a drop of water to drink. There's no such thing as soul sleep. Both Lazarus and the rich man were very conscious then and they're very conscious today. Well, someone said, well, I'm all mixed up. What this means death?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:I see people die. They die. I see it. They did. Well, the Bible, if you read it real closely, speaks of 3 kinds of death.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Number 1 is spiritual death. What happened to Adam the day he died? He died spiritually. And the bible also speaks of physical death. That means when this human body dies and returns to the dust, that's physical death.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And the 3rd death is called the second death or eternal death. That's after men have been resurrected, judged and cast into the lake of fire and they're in their in their physical body. They'll be tormented forever and ever. It's not pretty but neither is sin very pretty. I don't care how much we kind of dress it up, give it a brand new name, you know, say the alcoholic, oh he just got a disease.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Ain't no disease. Jesus said it's sin. Disease don't send you to hell. Sin does. But real death real, real death, the number one primary death that we have to understand is when our spirit rather than our body dies.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Jesus said in Matthew 10 28 and fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Jesus talking of the religious people who walked in his days. He said in Matthew 822, let the dead bury the dead. What's he talking about? That don't make sense.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:What she's saying is that the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. So you see there is more than one kind of death. Isn't there? Spiritually dead buried the physically dead. Physical death is only a manifestation of the spiritual death.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Give it enough time. You take an apple off the tree where it's alive and you put it up on the shelf, might take a little while but after a while what happens to it? It rots and it dies. You see, because it was disconnected from its source of life. Same thing with human life.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You disconnected from its source of life, Jesus Christ, you might live 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 years old, but you're gonna die. Your body's gonna drop off but that's still just the outer shell. Something else died a long time ago. So physical death. So I looked at Jesus said, you know, but but but only God is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Spiritual death. Physical death. The manifestation of a spiritual, physical death is a manifestation of a spiritual death. And the second death, which if we had time, we'd look into it, is the home of the spiritually dead people. It's all those who have died without Jesus Christ and and and who are gonna be resurrected and cast into a lake of fire, which the Bible says, this is the second death.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You're gonna die all over again. Now, let's understand something about when we say spiritual death. Some people, I've I've heard them say it. I couldn't believe spiritual Christians actually said this, that this the second death, people are gonna cease to exist. You know, I've heard some people I've respected, and that's what they really believe.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:I know Jehovah Witnesses, Armstrong, a lot of people believe that, you know, that in the resurrection, certain people are gonna be resurrected, and they're gonna be given a chance. If you, Jehovah Witness said, well, they're gonna be given a chance by Jehovah if they wanna come into the kingdom or to be annihilated, you know, all kind of teachers. But I've heard someone say, well, once they reach to this point, they, if they've sinned and it comes to the second death, they're just gonna cease to exist. But the spirit can never cease to exist. Can never cease.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:It means this, number 1, separation from God. If you die spiritually, you're separated from God. Let me show you what happened to Adam. After he died, Adam says that God normally walked in the cool of the evening in the midst of the garden to fellowship with mankind and he called out to Adam and said, Adam Adam, where are you? What happened to Adam and Eve?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:They hid themselves. They could no longer come into his presence. So what happened? Spiritual death number 1 is separates you from God. Hello?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:That's why most people, when when you talk about spiritual things, you speak about Jesus Christ, they want to run because they're spiritually dead. But spiritual death also means something more than separation from God. It's more than being separated from God. You see, when a person dies in a lost state, they're in hell. They're separated from God.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:All eternity, they're separated from. They can't come into his presence. But spiritual death still means more than being separated from God. John the 8th chapter. The gospel of John the 8th chapter, and Jesus kinda pretty well explained it.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And what makes it even more troubling is right here, Jesus was speaking to again to the most religious people that walked on the face of the earth in his day. People who had a bible, people who worship in God's temple, people who thought that God, Jehovah, was their father. But listen to what Jesus told them. I know some of y'all are familiar with these scriptures but I'm trying to bring out a point. Spiritual death means more than being separated God from, through all eternity.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:In John the 8th chapter, let me now remember, Jesus is talking to religious Pharisees right here. John 8 verse 39. And they answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Spiritually, it was saying, well, we're descendants of Abraham, the friend of God. The the, the inheritor of all the blessings of God.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:We're his descendants. And Jesus said unto them, if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now, you seek to kill me, a man that has told you the truth, Which I have heard of God, this did not Abraham. And you do the deeds of your father. Then said they unto him, we be not born of fornication.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:We have one father, even God. And this is what most of the world says. What you trying to call us sinners? You trying to say we lost? You trying to say we're not born to heaven?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:We, God's our father. That's what these religious people taught also. But you see, without the new birth, it's impossible for God to be with your father. Listen to what Jesus said in the 40 Let me start back in verse 43. Why do you not understand my speech even because you cannot hear my word?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You are of your father the devil. And the lust of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own for he is a liar and the father of it. Now, listen to what Jesus told these religious people.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:God ain't your father. The devil is. Now, spiritually speaking, what does he he mean? Spiritually meaning that that, you know, if you were born of God, what would you have? You'd have God's nature.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Right? You'd want to act and talk and fellowship with God. But when a person is lost and spiritually dead, it means that Satan is his father and they have Satan's nature. That's what Jesus said. The lust of your father, you're gonna do.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:The will of your father, you're gonna do. If you're born again, which will you wanna do? God your father. If you're lost, you're only doing I don't care what what what mode or what manifestation it takes as you being called a sinner. You're only doing what your spiritual nature, your spiritual father tells you to do.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:That's what really means spiritual death. It means you don't belong to God, you have another master. You have a different father. That's why Jesus said you must be born again. When Adam and Eve listened to the devil, the devil became their spiritual father.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:They had took on the devil's nature in their spirit. That's why they were separated from God. That's why they can no longer come near to God because they belong to someone else then. You know, man is united with the devil. He was driven away from God.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:He was driven out of the garden, away from God, with no way to come back to God and no longer responds to the call of God. God calls to every man, but he can't hear because he's got a master that keeps him in tight bondage. That's called satan under a curse. Jesus said in John 834, Jesus answered and said, verily, verily I say unto you, whosoever committed or practices sin is a servant of sin. And this explains why man cannot be born or be saved just by his conduct.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Jesus said it, you must be born again. People tried. I mean, when I was little, I mean, my mom, I'm no doubt they wanted me to go to heaven and have eternal life. When I was a baby, had me baptized as a baby, said, oh, that'll help. When I got a little bit older, 1st grade, made my first communion, got a little early older, made my confirmation and then on through all these things.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And and then after I've done all the things that I've known I was supposed to do, then I still ask the priest, well, am I ready to go to heaven? No. No. No. Not yet.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Still gotta, do a lot of things. Still gonna have to go to purgatory. Still gonna have to have people pay money for the masses. Hopefully one day get out and say, oh, what does it take to get to heaven? I mean, I try to live the right kind of life.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:I mean, I try to turn over a new leaf. Doesn't want God say that's good enough? Nope. I mean, even if it was possible for me to quit sinning altogether on my own, he'd still have to tell me, can't come. You don't belong to me.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Hello? I don't have ownership, on you. If man were not a child of the devil, if his nature wasn't Satan's nature, if Satan wasn't his master, then he could be in to just change his conduct. I mean, the drunkard would say, well, I quit drinking. Now I've got no no no.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:It's more than that. You know, he could just turn over a new leaf and be alright, but but for man to be saved, someone has to pay a penalty for the sin and give him a new nature. His nature has to be changed. You know, I use this story a lot, but maybe someone never heard it. It helps bring it out so so clearer.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You know about about, the man who who wanted, to get into horse racing and and man, if someone told him about how much money you can make by racing horses. I don't go for that for Christians now. But you see, all in advantage is someone say, boy boy, they make big money when they win them races. He said, I'm a get into it but all he had was an old mule. And he said, hey, this old mule sure don't look like no racehorse but he said, I know what I'll do.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:He trimmed the ears back, make it sleek, trimmed the mane, began to brush his hair. I mean I mean he washed it, brushed it, and started feeding it racehorse oats and took good care of it. Start doing everything to make it look as much as he could like a racehorse. I mean, boy, he'd done so much work. Before long, you could hardly tell the difference.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:It almost looked like a race horse. And then, boy, he got it all ready. They lined up the starting gate, boy. And the gate opened, boy. And all the horses took off, but the whole meal just went and didn't go nowhere.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:But why didn't he make us a race horse? You know why? He just didn't have it inside of him to want to run a race. Now, if that same old mule could have somehow, he could have, reached in there and changed his nature and his heart and gave him the heart of a race horse, man, he'd had something. But that's not possible.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You can't do it, but because he doesn't possess a spirit. But Jesus said, someone with a spirit can be reborn or born again. And that's why humans can be born again. It can be. They can be changed.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Their whole nature could be changed. The Bible said, they can become a new creature in Christ Jesus. And not even not merely a human being, but but someone that's remade in the image of Jesus Christ. Man, today is not lost because of what he does. Remember that.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:I mean, man, there's all kind of things. They kill, they murder, steal, drink. That's not why they're a sinner. It's natural for sinners to sin. That's what God expects from them.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Hello? It's, I mean, like I said, me I got a bunch of cats, but they don't go around out there barking all day long. They just meow because that's that's what they they are. They're cats. Sinners sin because they're sinners.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:A man does because of the result of what he is and man needs spiritual life because he's spiritually dead. If you can change his nature from a sinner to saint listen, he changing. That's what the new birth does. Jesus said this, because Jesus came when he laid down his life on that cross, he came to redeem us and bring us out from under that curse. Jesus said in John 5 26, for as the father has life in himself, so hath he given to the son to have life in himself.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:And Jesus was not born as we are born. Jesus came into this world. God almighty took upon himself a body of flesh and and he came to pay the penalty for our sins. I want you to read in Hebrews the second chapter. In Hebrews the second chapter, a couple of verses of scripture.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:We're not going to be much longer. But you must understand why Jesus said you must be born again. It's more than joining a religion. It's more than shaking a preacher's hand. It's more than getting your name on a church rule.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You must be born again if you're ever gonna overcome sin in this life. If you ever expect to make heaven your home, you must be born again. Your nature must be changed, where your attitude towards, sin is changed. In Hebrews, the second chapter, listen what Jesus did for us. It says in Hebrews, the second chapter, 9th verse, but we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that by that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Jesus took the penalty that we deserve. If we died spiritually dead, we're gonna taste death, the torments of hell, but Jesus took it for us. He took the punishment for us. I want you to go in the 14th 15th verses. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:That through death he might destroy him that had departed death. That is the devil. And deliver them who are through fear of death all their lifetime subject unto bondage. Thank God that's what Jesus did. He became flesh, took my place and now I no longer have to worry about dying spiritually because Jesus died that I might have life.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Jesus said in John 10:10, the thief cometh but but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. And he's talking about your life. But Jesus said, I am come. Jesus said, I am come that you might have life and that more abundant. Jesus said in John 5 in verse 24, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:That's what happens when a person is born again. He's no longer is under a curse of death and condemned to die. He passes and he's he's granted eternal life and there he'll live forever and ever. Jesus number 1 redeemed us from spiritual death. He bought back.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:He paid a price for our lives. Adam was banished from the tree of life by rejecting the word of God or God's word. But according to Revelations 27, all who now accept and obey the word of God are brought back into the tree of life and have a right to approach it. Revelations 27 says, to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God. We have that right now.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:He said in 1st John 5:4, and whatever is born of God has been born again overcometh the world. He said in 1st John 44, you are of God, little children have overcome them. Who's that? That's the dead the world, the flesh, and the devil. We have overcome them because greater is he that's in you than he that is in this world.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You see, spiritual life is not only taking on the life of Jesus but letting Jesus Christ live and reign in your life. The new birth isn't something that you learn how to do. It isn't something that gradually takes place. The new birth is instant. Just like when a baby is born to this world, it comes and I mean, it's alive.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:It's it's screaming. It's kicking. It is full of life. And that's what happened when a person believes on Jesus Christ and forgiven of his sin and given eternal life. He's alive unto God.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Man, he can that's why he can worship and praise and count because he's alive unto God now. He's no longer separated from God, but he's brought near unto God. The Bible said in Ephesians 21, and you have he quickened or made alive who were dead in trespasses and sin. Hello? How did he do it?
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:How do you deserve it? Ephesians 28, for by grace are you saved through faith that not of yourself. It's a gift of God. Not of works the sin of man should boast. If I wanna give you a gift and you had to work for it, it's no longer a gift.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:It's something you deserved. And that's why, I guess, most religions hate this gospel. They can't have their input into it. They can't have a claim to it and and and regulate about who they want to give it to. It's a gift of God.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Any man that wants to live forever and be born again can. Not of any works, but by the gifts of God. Let me close right there. Father, we thank you Lord for your word. We thank you for your goodness Lord, your kindness and your mercy.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:We thank you for the Bible that you've given to us that teaches us of how Jesus Christ came to redeem us from the curse of the law. It teaches us how we no longer have to, experience spiritual death, but we can be alive unto God through Christ Jesus our Lord. And no longer have we take on the nature of of Satan. We no longer belong to him. Jesus Christ is translated out of the kingdom of Satan and of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son and into the kingdom of light.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Lord, we thank you. We don't have to walk around in spiritual darkness any longer, Lord. Trying to to act religious, trying to be religious to please you, Lord, but by being born again, Father, we just become alive unto you, Father, and we can cry Abba, father, because we know, lord, you're our spiritual father and lord, we shall never be separated from you. Lord, we thank you for spiritual life. We thank you that Jesus Christ came and Lord, he became a curse for me and he broke that curse over my life by his goodness and his own grace.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:In Jesus name. Amen and amen. And I wanna ask you, maybe someone's never been born again and maybe they've never understood what it means to be born again. I gotta give you the opportunity to partake of that new life. Jesus came and paid a terrible and a great and and a and a high price for the salvation of our soul.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:But you know, it won't do you any good if you just sit in church all your life and never accept that gift into your life. If you never say, Lord, I'm sorry for my sins. I don't want to live this way. You see, just just trying to turn over your life won't free you from sin. It's, I mean, even if it takes getting to the altar and pouring it all out unto God, telling God I'm sorry, you telling the Lord, I want a new life.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:You know, he'd give it to you. If you get serious with God, God's get serious with you and he'll give you eternal life. Listen. Ain't no amount of money in the world can buy. You can work all your life and scratch and scrape and you can't buy eternal life.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:The Bible said, what shall it profit a man? Do he gain the whole world and lose the silver? Ask that rich man in this day and is in hell. He's still screaming out. He was rich.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:He had it made. He ate good every day. Clothed good. But when he laid down, on on for his last time, all that money in the world couldn't give him an ounce of relief. So I'm asking if there's anyone here, maybe someone listening to this tape right now, and you've never accepted Jesus Christ to your heart and life, don't just pray.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Seek him and mean it from your heart that you want the gift that he has. Tell him you're sorry of your sin. Tell him to wash you in that blood and take him at his word and believe it. The bible says in 1st John 19, if we confess our sins to him, he's faithful and he's just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all the unrighteousness. Jesus said, he that believeth on the son had eternal life, but he that believeth not shall not see life.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:If you believe in Jesus Christ, make it work in your life by repenting of all the sins you've committed and asking him to forgive you, and ask him to save you, and ask him to fill you with the Holy Ghost, because you need it and I'm asking, is there anyone here in this congregation that doesn't know Jesus Christ, is not ready to face him, has never accepted the gift that he has for them, if there's anyone here, I wanna ask you, don't wait. Take it while it's available. Jesus said, night the day is coming. The night is coming when no man will go to work. There's coming a time where that door is gonna be closed.
Pastor Mike Robicheaux:Anyone here.
