Beloved radio, friends, we greet you in the precious name of the Lord Jesus, our beloved and blessed Savior, and welcome you to the continued meditation of that unusual night visit between the Lord Jesus and his distinguished visitor, Nicodemus, one who was a ruler of the Jews, as it is recorded in our study of John chapter three, verses one through seventeen. Once again we would remind our regular listeners to the divisions of this section of Scripture, three in number. First of all, as we noted in our preceding message, we found Nicodemus face to face with the Lord Jesus as recorded in verses one through three. This we have carefully considered. Now we shall begin the second division, which begins in verses four, going through thirteen, where Nicodemus will not only be just face to face, but with his mind. He will be reasoning with the Lord Jesus, and they will be mind to mind, consulting this wonderful revelation that Jesus gives to him regarding the new birth. Nicodemus will be reasoning. with his natural mind regarding the necessity of being born again. But the last division, verse fourteen through seventeen, we shall reach it ultimately and see the heart of Nicodemus and the heart of the Lord Jesus very closely coming together, down to the very root of the problem of how to be born again. Now let us begin today considering our second section. Mind to mind, as Nicodemus and the Lord Jesus taught, verses four through thirteen. First of all, we must remember again what the Lord had said to Nicodemus, except a man be born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God. Now this was a startling reply and revelation to Nicodemus. It provoked some deep thinking upon his part. Again we would suggest do not minimize the character of this Pharisee. When he asks, how can a man be born again when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Do not think that the question was ridiculous. Not at all. May we not readily see this was natural thinking regarding should he have another physical birth? For Nicodemus was undoubtedly many years older than the Lord Jesus, this young prophet whom he had come to speak to and whom he desired to meet. And he had been so bluntly told, Nicodemus, you must be born again. Now Nicodemus must have been physically much older, an aged man compared to the Lord Jesus. How could he at such an age begin his life over again? How could he and how should he go back to youth and boyhood had not the habits of his life been formed for many, many years? How could he ever be transported backward to begin again? No question he was serious, and in all seriousness and sincerity his question was asked. Again, may I suggest to you, my friend, has anyone ever asked you, would you like to live your life over again? I have been asked that. Perhaps you have to, but we have to confess, this is impossible. And now the Savior, who has shaken his thoughts and his mind of the necessity of being born again in order to enter the kingdom of God, seeks to explain it. Let's look at the words that the Savior speaks beginning in verse five. Listen to the Savior's explanation through verse seven. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, again he is emphatic. It is the truth. It is the truth. I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit. He cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. Now again we emphasize the fact that the Savior's explanation begins with a double, verily, of which you will count twenty-five of them if you read the Gospel of John through, everyone emphasizing the certainty of the truth that is stated. Now please note, first of all, The beloved Savior speaks with authority, repeating its preceding statement that he made in verse three. Yes, Nicodemus, though I know you are a leader, you are a noted teacher in Israel, you are influential in standing and in rank, yet you need to be bluntly told that you must be born again. And the Lord Jesus does not soften the message down the second time. but he firmly repeats, you must be born again. May we not realize no one today, no preacher of the gospel of God's grace should ever soften the message. C. H. Spurgeon, that noted preacher of the past, was once asked by a lady who was undoubtedly concerned as well as irritated by his constant repetition of the need of the new birth. And she asked him, Mr. Spurgeon, why do you always preach that we must be born again? The preacher promptly and properly replied, all because you must be born again. My beloved friend, regardless as to who we are, Whatever the race, whatever the human standing in life, whether rich or whether poor, whether educated and not educated. Please, may I say, take the words of the Lord Jesus. Every person that would enter the kingdom of God must. It is an imperative necessity. Must be born again. The propagation of flesh, whether in human or animal life, We can only produce the same kind. Flesh produces flesh. But the spiritual life is another birth. It is absolutely different from the first birth, the natural. It does not mean that the natural flesh becomes spiritual by itself. It can never do that. That which is born of the flesh is. It abides flesh as long as it lives in this present scene. So will you keep the distinction between the natural birth and the spiritual birth separate? The spiritual is a new birth. And may I add, that spiritual birth is not the patching, patching up of the self-improvement of the old flesh. Never. God forbid. Not patching up the old life, but giving a new one. Now listen to the Savior's illustration in verse eight. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereon. But canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit. Now please note the illustration is taken from the wind. And the wind and emblem, typical of the Holy Spirit. May I ask you the question, have you ever seen the wind with your eyes? Have you ever been able to catch the wind in your fist? Did you ever see it? Never. But I'm sure you have seen the effect of the wind, and some of us know too well of recent experience what the wind did physically when Hurricane Hugo paid his destructive visit in our area. My beloved, let me say frankly that no man has ever been able to perfectly and completely penetrate in human knowledge the great mystery of the wind. It's source. It's power, it's motion. As Jesus says, you cannot tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth. And even in the realm of meteorology, there are still and there always will be unsolved problems. It is inexplicable. Solve the new birth by the Spirit of God. Like the wind, the Spirit of God comes from heaven in origin. Like the wind it bloweth where it liftseth, so the Holy Spirit works in his sovereignty. Like the wind, it may blow very softly like a summer breeze, but again penetrating and violent and quickening. So the Holy Spirit works. Read Acts chapter two, telling of his descendant Pentecost as a rushing mighty wind, and think of the old hymn, I know not how the Spirit moves convincing men of sin. revealing Jesus through the Word, creating faith in him. But I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that, which I have committed unto him against that day. My beloved, may I state frankly on the authority of the Word of God, the Spirit of God is even today in the world like the wind, doing what? Seek him to convince men of sin. Of sin, said the Lord Jesus, because they believe none on me. And again of righteousness, because I go to my Father. Righteousness can only be found in me. And of judgment. For if you and I are never born again, if you, my friend, never believe on the Lord Jesus, you will share the judgment that the Savior says will be the portion of the devil himself for all eternity. The truth has not changed, my friend. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. No natural effort or reasoning can ever change this principle. Man needs the new birth, a spiritual birth, by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit of God. Years following the visit of Nicodemus with Jesus, God once wrote through Paul in the Epistle of Titus, not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy, God saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. My beloved friend, can I raise the question, have you been saved? And by that I mean, have you been born again? May God, by His Holy Spirit convince you if never you had been convinced before of the necessity of being born again. Our beloved and blessed Father, to thee and to the Holy Spirit, the teaching of thy precious word with its truth that men and women, boys and girls, must be born again. We leave for thy glory to use. Amen.