There'll be a track given out of the door. I think there'll be one for each family. I had the track sent to me a little while ago, and I thought it was excellent for parents, so the ushers will give one for each family as you go out the door. Shall we turn to John chapter three, please? The third chapter of John's Gospel. And verse one, I want to read a very familiar passage. John chapter three and verse one. 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 that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a 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, that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Are thou a master of Israel and knowest not these things? Fairly, fairly, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know and testify that we have seen, and he received not our witness. If I have told you earthly things and he believed not, How shall he believe if I tell you of heavenly things? No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man, which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. I've read to you a very familiar passage. I think the last time we discussed this subject of the new birth was in nineteen fifty-six when we took up the course, the Emmaus course, what the Bible teaches. I don't suppose we hardly preach a sermon without referring to the new birth. That is, making a passing remark about how essential it is. But I thought this morning I'd take it up in detail. so that people might know what we are talking about when we refer to the new birth. I think that Moody, in his biography, which I read years ago, he preached over three hundred times on this portion, meaning about ten times a year. And this is one of those sermons I believe should be preached once or twice a year because of its importance. One time a man went up, I think it was Wesley, and asked him why he was always preaching, Ye must be born again. And he said to the lady, Because ye must be born again. In other words, there is no possibility of getting into heaven without this experience. And if this is a must, if I have got to be born again, and this verse says, You must, the Lord Jesus says so. Then, friend, you ought to be exercised as to whether you have had this experience or not. I want to speak on the need of it, the nature of it, the experience of it, and the fruit of it, and finally the goal of it. It might be wise for us to mention what the new birth is not. Now, the new birth is not natural birth. You are born into this world. with a physical body, well, the new birth is not that. The new birth is a second birth. It's something that must take place later on. And so the new birth is not natural birth, nor is the new birth christening. You christened babies, but here's an old man, Nicodemus. He says, how can a man be born when he's old? You don't christen old people. But here's a man, he's an old man, and he hasn't been born again, showing that christening certainly is not in the picture at all when you speak of the new birth, nor is it confirmation. As a rule, children are confirmed or about the age of twelve. Well, that's not even in the story either. The new birth is not confirmation. It's not baptism. Baptism is a symbol of death. According to Romans six, we're buried with him by baptism into death. And so baptism speaks of death, but the new birth speaks of life. And so baptism is ruled out as being in the new birth. And again, joining the church. Now, we believe in a Christian coming into church fellowship. But going up and joining the church is not the new birth. Plenty of people have joined the church and given evidence later that they were not born again, and so joining the church is just not the new birth. And regular attendance at church is not the new birth. Another thing, reading the Bible is not a new birth. Now I know it's a good thing to read the Bible, and I hope you do. Maybe a person has been born again while reading the Bible. And so if you're interested in your soul, read the Bible, especially John's Gospel. But just reading the Bible... as a routine is not the new birth. Now there are some very learned and educated men, philosophers, theologians, and they make themselves fools by the ridiculous answers they try to give to explain away the new birth. For instance, here is one I heard, read about. And this man has a reputation for intelligence. Well, he said the new birth is like this. You're just reading the Bible. He said, and you get a new thought. You saw something you didn't see before about how many Philistines were slain by Samson. And he said, any little thought like that is a new birth, something your thought's been born in your heart. How ridiculous can people be? When some of you ladies out there gave birth to your child now, you just didn't have a thought. You had an experience. And that's true with the new birth. It's an experience. And yet there are those who try and explain away the new birth by saying, well, it's just a thought you get when you're reading the Bible. How ridiculous can people get? And then again, it's not a result to do one's duty. It's not reformation of life like turning over a new leaf at the new year. Putting a new coat of paint on the pump will not in any way correct the puddle water that's down in the west. Yet a lot of people do that. Every revival they go up and give the preach of their hand, make another start, paint the pump, but nothing's happened down below. Just reformation. It's not culture. And the new birth is not good works. Did good works have anything to do with your being born into this world? No. And good works have no more to do with your being born into the family of God than they had with your first birth. Good works will not save you. Good works will not enable you to be born into God's family. And so good works are not the new birth. Now after you're saved then, of course, good works are in order. But good works are not the new birth. Let me say this, God will accept no substitute for the experience given in John chapter three. I've mentioned about ten substitutes that people are trying to pan off on the public, but God will not accept. A preacher may accept some of these things and receive you to the church, but God will not accept them or receive you into his heaven. It is essential. You've got to have this experience, or the Lord Jesus is telling a lie here. Twice over he tells this man, you must be born again. It's essential, Nicodemus, unless you have it, you'll never enter heaven. Now, if it's essential, then the thing to do is see that you experience. But not only is it essential, it is sufficient. No more is required. Nothing else is necessary. If you've been born again, that's enough to take you to heaven. Now that's what this passage teaches. Not only is it essential, not only is it sufficient, and I mean by that, that as far as God is concerned, you're in his family, you're his child. You've been born into his family, but that doesn't mean you have license to go out and live like the devil. But if you do, it's evidence you weren't born again with awe. For if the Lord Jesus said to those Pharisees, they claim to be the children of Abraham. He said, if you were the children of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham. And the same applies. If you're the child of God, you'll do the works of God. So these people will say, well, all you do is just make a profession, join the church, no matter what you do. You're okay. No, friend, that's not in the new birth at all. A new birth means a new life. And so it's sufficient. It's not a physical change. It's not a social change. It's not a geographical change, the new birth is. The new birth is a spiritual change. That's made very plain here in verse six. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. What is the new birth? We've mentioned a number of things that the new birth is not. Now the new birth is the implantation of a life from God. The Bible says we are the partakers of the divine nature. And when a new spiritual life enters into your heart, implanted there by the Spirit of God, then you have been born again. It is the Spirit, the quicken of the flesh, prophet of nothing. You have these two births. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. We've all had to have that physical birth, that fleshly birth that we wouldn't be here this morning. We like to remember our birthdays, or do we? After all, you've only had one birthday. All of us have only had one birthday. All the rest are just anniversaries. You've only had one birthday. That's when you were born into this world. And when you're born again, you have a second one, but the second ones are spiritual birthday. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. There's your first birthday. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. There's the second birth. That's the new birth, as the Bible speaks of. And I want to say this, that as far as this first and second birth is concerned, your first birth fits you for this world. It fits you for this environment. The atmosphere is congenial. The temperature is right. You have a physical birth and you're in a physical world. But the spiritual birth fits you for the spiritual world. And that's what the Lord Jesus refers. You have to have a nature suitable to your environment. That's one of the difficulties about going to the moon. How do they know? Just what it's like around the moon. What kind of adjustments will have to be made so men can survive on the moon? Well, if they have a difficulty about the moon, what about the presence of God? Friend, you've got to have a nature congenial, suitable to the presence of God. And that is this spiritual light. so you have the first birth suiting you and fitting you for this life for this world you've got to have a spiritual life that'll fit and qualify you for the next now the need of this new birth i trust by what we've said we have made it plain that you need this new birth unless of course you've experienced it's essential you can't get to heaven without it you've got to have it why friend if you Could go to heaven without the new birth. You'd be the most miserable person in heaven. If you didn't have the nature of God that suits you for the presence of God to enjoy God, you wouldn't want to be in heaven. Heaven would be hell to you unless you're born again, unless you've got a nature akin to the presence of God. Why, you know, some people can hardly take for one hour in church. What are they going to do with an eternity in heaven? And the more fundamental the preaching, and the more of God that is in the sermon, the less people want it. People don't want too much of God. They don't want too much of the Bible. That's why you preach the old-fashioned gospel, which we try and preach here every Sunday. People don't want that. They want something that's palatable, something that's easy to listen to, something that doesn't reach your conscience, something that doesn't bother you. They don't want an environment that's disturbing. They don't want an environment that has some grip to it or some conviction to it. They don't want God. No. Well, it is hard for them to endure just an hour under the influence of this blessed book. How do you think they're going to abide in the presence of the author of this book? God himself. You know, a real born-again Christian can't get too much of the Bible. A real born-again Christian can't get too much of the fellowship of God's people. And so when one's born again, they've got a nature that's suitable to a spiritual environment. Not only down here, but in heaven. And for you to go to heaven without the new birth, if such a thing is possible, of course, God wouldn't take that there. But everywhere possible, you'd want to get out of heaven. Let me go down where I belong. You don't have a nature that fits you for that place. That's why the Lord Jesus Christ says here, no man can enter heaven unless he's been born again. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven. Then he says, except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. It's a spiritual kingdom, and you've got to have this spiritual birth. So we've got the need of it. And remember, it's not patchwork. No such thing as patching up an old garment. As the Lord says, if you put a piece of new cloth, a new patch in an old garment, he says, well, the rent will be made worse. He said, well, the stitches will just tear out from the whole piece of cloth and you'll have a bigger hole. No patchwork here, friend. God's salvation is not patchwork. It's something entirely new. The robe is new from head to foot. The garment? is perfect, woven in agony and blood at the cross. Every stitch of that wonderful garment of salvation, the very warp and woof of it, is stained with the precious blood of the Savior. He made it at Calvary. All you do is receive it, and you'll be attired for the presence of God. That's another way of putting the new birth. And so, no patchwork in connection with the new birth three times over in your Bible you read these words there is none that doeth good no not what three times you find that in your Bible when God says a thing once it's true when he says a thing twice it's important when he says a thing three times it's vital and here's a vital truth talking your Bible you must be born again you have three wonderful chapters in your Bible Genesis three and Romans three and John three. Genesis three the entrance of sin. Romans three the consequences of sin. John three the remedy for sin. That's it, the new verse. It's the only remedy. Note the character of the man the Lord is talking to here, Nicodemus. You know, you could understand if you were talking to a bunch of criminals or murderers, if you were down in one of these rescue missions in New York or Chicago, talking to a bunch of bombs and hoodlums. You could understand talking like this. But who's he talking to? He's not talking to the thief on the cross. He's not talking to the woman in the seventh of Luke, who was a wicked ungodly woman. He's talking to one of the most godly men outside of the New Birth. You might say pious men and religious men, even a preacher. For he says himself in verse ten, Are thou not a master of Israel? And in the Greek it means a leading expositor of his day. Aren't thou a leading expositor of the Bible? A master in Israel? Knowing the Old Testament scriptures from Genesis to Malachi? And you don't know these things? Look at the character of this man. educated, religious, moral, one of the finest men of his day, a respected man, a master in Israel. And yet to this man, the Lord Jesus says, Nicodemus, you need to be born again. As I'm going to tell you, there are a lot of preachers need this new birth too. You read the Decision magazine put out by Billy Graham. Billy Graham preached the exact gospel that we preach or we preach the same that he preached. Time and time again you have reports of preachers getting saved in Billy Graham's meeting. I've read the bishops getting saved in Billy Graham's meeting. I've referred to ones that last Sunday night. Men who go to colleagues Just to be like another man goes to be a doctor, another one goes to be a lawyer, they think education is going to do it. No, friend, they've got to be born again. Or they'll never enter heaven. There's only bloodwashed ones are there, the ransomed and forgiven. There's got to be an experience of God in a man's heart before he can preach the Bible. All the education in the world is not a substitute for the new birth. And so here you have this man, a wonderful character, clean, moral, respectable, upright, the leading expositor of the Bible in his day. And yet what did the Lord say? When this man came to the Lord Jesus with quite a flowery introduction, he says, We know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest unless God be with him. And after that plowed introduction in the pocket of Nicodemus, the Lord, didn't say thank you, Nicodemus. I appreciate those comments. And you just keep on the way you're going. You're a wonderful credit to the community. You're a wonderful help to Israel. And I don't know what they'd get along, how they'd get along without you and what they would do without you. Just keep going. You're living a wonderful life. You're a clean man. You're an honest man. You're a respectable man. Just keep going, Nicodemus. You're doing a good work. Is that what the Lord said? No, the Lord made the axe to the roots of the tree, and the tree had to come down. He says, Nicodemus, you need to be born again. That must have come a shock to him, like a bucket of cold water in his face. Me need to be born again. Lord, don't you know who I am? I'm the leader in the expository in this city. I'm respected, I'm admired, I'm looked up to. My counsel is sought when it comes to expounding the Old Testament scripture. Nicodemus, there's something lacking in you. You must be born again. And how true that is today. I wouldn't be surprised if I were able to keep account of the people that have been saved in my meetings for thirty-some years. The majority of them were religious people. The majority of them were church members, but they had never been born again. That's it. Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Well, now what's the nature of this? How is it brought about? Well, it tells you plainly how it brought her about in verse five. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit. He cannot enter into the kingdom of God. So the new birth is brought about by the water here and the Spirit. Now every birth has to have parents, male and female. Who are the parents of the new birth? He gives them here, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit. Now we know the Spirit is the Holy Spirit. What is the water? What does Peter say? Being born again in verse Peter one, twenty-three, being born again by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. Can we find in the Bible where the Word of God is likened unto water? Yes. In Ephesians chapter five, Christ referring to the church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the Word. He says, Now you are clean through the Word, which I have spoken unto you. And by his own will be daddy us, or we were born again by the Word. And so the Bible is likened unto water, because of its cleansing, refreshing effect. So according to those scriptures we know the Word of God is one of the parents. And according to this scripture, we know the Spirit of God is the other. Well, how do these two bring about the new birth in the soul? You listen to this Bible. This Bible tells you you're a sinner. Yes. You say, that's in the Bible. I'm not a sinner. But the Spirit of God has to convict you of that. Lots of people. come to me after God's saving. He said, you know, I never heard that before. Oh, yes, you did. You've heard it before. He just didn't register. The Spirit of God just didn't convict you of it. And as Christ says, with the Word of God, without the Spirit of God, he says the letter of the Word, kill it. But the Spirit of God, it's the Spirit of God that quickens the Word of God in a human heart that brings about the new birth. But I see according to this book that I am a sinner. The Spirit of God convicts me of that if I'm willing. Of course, you won't be convicted unless you're willing to be. If you want to be saved, the Spirit of God will convict you through the Word of God and show you that you're a sinner. But that same blessed book not only tells you you're a sinner and tells you you're helpless and you can't save yourself. This blessed book tells you about the one who died for sinners. how the Lord Jesus suffered and led and died upon the cross for you. Then what does the Spirit of God do to make that real to your heart? If you believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and he shed his blood to put your sins away, the Spirit of God says now, if you believe that, it's true. I will quicken you, for I will save you. And the moment you do, the word of God and the spirit of God combined to bring about that change within your heart. You've got to believe God's word and the spirit of God will quicken it into light. Many a time I've read a verse to a troubled soul. When they got saved, they said, well, I've read that verse many a time before, but I see it different now. It means something to me now. Oh, I've come to life. That's exactly it. The Spirit of God makes God's word living in the heart. Now you can say, for many a person that says, Well, I am not saved. Do you believe the Bible? Yes. Well, it says in John five twenty-four, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, you heard it? Yes. And believeth on him that saith me? Do you believe it? Yes. Do you have everlasting life? Well, it says, He that believeth hath everlasting life. No, I don't have everlasting life. Well, then you don't believe it. Otherwise, God's a liar. God says he, the believer, does have everlasting life. You say you believe and you don't. So either God's a liar or you don't believe it with all your heart. Finally, they sing it. Well, I see all I've got to do, independent of feelings, is just to take God in this word, believe what he says, custom, and I'll be saved. What does the Bible say? He that believer, that H-A-T-H, not H-O-P-E, past everlasting life, shall not come into judgment because Jesus took my judgment on the cross. Therefore I'm past some death unto life. Death unto life. Why is it? After they're saved, they can look at that verse and say, Well, I see it now. That's simple. I'm born again. How do you know? Well, that verse said so. Well, it said that all along, yes, but it didn't mean that to me like it means now. I know I'm saved. That's the Spirit of God, quickening the Word of God in the heart of the one who wants to be saved. Just like placing a newborn babe in a little cradle, the life of God is laid in your heart by the Spirit of God the moment you trust the Word of God. Believe it's story that Jesus died for you, and unto you will be born this day in your heart of Savior, which is Christ the Lord. That's the new birth. Christ in you, the hope of glory, you're a partaker of the divine nature. That's the nature of this. It's done secretly, suddenly, In other words, many a person gets saved out in the audience during the service. They often tell us afterwards. The one sitting right beside them didn't know. Something went on inside. It was secret. It was silent. Two people knew about it. The Lord knew about it and you knew about it. That's it. But it's not long until others will get to know about it. Born again by the word and by the spirit. You know it's amazing how the Spirit of God works. For he likens the Spirit here unto the wind. Verse eight, the wind bloweth where it listeth and now hears the sun and then off, but can't not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth, so is every one that's born of the Spirit. So the Spirit of God is likened unto the wind. Now the wind is invisible. You can't see the wind. You can't see the Holy Spirit. The wind is mysterious in its actions. You take many a tornado. It'll scoop down, take up two or three homes, and go up in mystery or four blocks, and down again. It's mysterious. Another hymn says, I know not how the Spirit moves, convicting men of sin, revealing Jesus through the Word, creating faith in Him. A person gets saved over on this side of the chapel, and someone gets saved over that side. Now, what about all those in between? Why did he save that person and that person? Did he have no interest in those in between? He did, but they were not ready. They were not willing. And the Spirit of God will only work with those who want to be saved. And I couldn't say, nor could any preacher say at the beginning of the meeting, so-and-so is going to get saved this morning, so-and-so is going to get saved. That's the sovereignty of the Spirit of God. He's mysterious in his actions, and only he knows the heart. that is ready to receive Him and to receive the Savior. Spirit of God then like the wind is invisible, it's mysterious, it's powerful. My look what the wind can do. It can tear up great big trees by the roots, rip down building. How powerful is the wind and how powerful is the Holy Spirit. A number of years ago I was attending a conference out at Omaha, Nebraska. And at the worship meeting of the Lord's table, I was sitting beside a great big chunk of a fella, and I didn't know till after the meeting was over, I may have referred to this before. He had been the heavyweight champion, wrestling champion of the world. He was the one that beat strangler Lewis. And I was introduced to him, cauliflower ears. He didn't have a neck at all. His neck sat right on his shoulder. You never saw such a chunk of a man. I wouldn't want to be in the ring. But here he was, and he was as meek as a lamb. When I was introduced to him, you had TB Gilbert here a couple of years ago. Well, he was the brother-in-law of TB Gilbert. He married TB Gilbert's sister. There he sat beside me, and after which we shook hand and we chatted. We chatted. He knew I used to play hockey. We had a little thing in common. But he was just as meek as a lamb. I believe I could slap his face near his smile. He wouldn't have done that before God saved him. The Lord humbled that man just as meek as could be. He brought down a great big tree. The Spirit of God is powerful. It can humble the hardest hearts. Make no mistake about that. You're no match for the Spirit of God. no need fighting against him. We'll be striving to let him humbly bring you to repentance. The Spirit of God is powerful. Not only is so omnipresent, you can go anywhere in the world and find the wind, nor pull everywhere. The wind is blowing. Spirit of God is all over the world. He's not localized. He's universal. Another thing about the wind is that the wind is beyond human control. No one can dictate the wind, no one can tell the wind which way to blow. And no one can dictate to the Spirit of God and tell the Spirit of God what to do and what not to do. So is everyone that's born of the Spirit. Friend, if the Spirit is blowing your way, the Spirit of God is moving your heart, you ought to be a happy individual. Just like on a hot, sultry day, oh, how you appreciate that little breeze. I know it takes a hurricane almost to knock some people off their feet. The Spirit of God has to really handle them, rock them, bring them to repentance. But some people pass from death until life, just like a breeze coming through the open window of a sick room and fanning the face of the patient. Some people just say, well, I want to be saved. They know they're lost. They want to be saved and go to heaven. they're willing to be saved the spirit of God transacts that great work and they become Christians born again by the spirit of God because they submitted this blessed book they believed it and God has saved another thing connection with this passage you'll notice how this kind of mystified Nicodemus in verse nine he says how can these things be I don't know what you're talking about Lord Imagine a man who knew so much about the Bible, all the Old Testament, a leading expositor in the Hebrew. And he said, I know what you're talking about this new birth. That's what he says in verse nine. And Jesus said in verse ten, Aren't thou a master of Israel and know us not these things? Verily, verily, I say of you, we speak that we do know. and testify that we have seen and he received not our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you believe not, how shall you believe by telling of heavenly things? In other words, he says, Nicodemus, I've been talking to you about something you should understand, a physical birth. And it's an illustration of the spiritual birth. And yet you don't seem to understand. Then the Lord opened the Old Testament scriptures at Numbers twenty-one to something that all Nicodemus was familiar with, the lifting up the serpent in the wilderness. Well, acquainted as a Jew with that, in verse fourteen, what does the Lord do? He says in verse fourteen, As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up. The thusel ever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Now, Nicodemus, I'm bringing it down to simplicity. Can you see it now? Just as Moses lifted up the serpent, when the children of Israel had been judged because of their disobedience and bitten by those serpents, Moses lifted up a brazen serpent and God says to tell the people if they look they'll live. Why did the Lord Jesus refer to that in connection with the new birth? Because sins got to be punished. And that was it. God was going to punish Israel's sin. He did when he sent the serpents among them. Their remedy was a brazen serpent. But that brazen serpent wasn't like these live serpents. It didn't have any venom in it. No poison. It didn't sting the people. Jesus Christ was made sin for us. Yes, there's no poison in Jesus Christ. He saves people. He doesn't sting them. But it was a look of faith that Jesus Christ that saves. And Nicodemus, Emily, saw. Oh, I see it now. It's not in my learning. It's not in my education. It's not in my life. It's what Jesus Christ did for me upon the cross. It's not my good work. It's his good, one good work that saves when he died for my sins. Yes, that's it, Nicodemus. Sin's got to be punished. And before you can be born again, friend, you've got to acknowledge that your sins must be punished. But Jesus suffered for them at the cross. What do you have next? The experience of it, that's where he experienced the new birth. The fruits of it. What's the fruits of the new birth? Let's go back to that text again. Verse eight. The wind blows where it listeth, and thou hears the sound that off, but can't thou tell whence it comes and whither it goes. So is every one that is born of the Spirit. Now there are three things you can do about the wind. What's that? You can hear it. But you can't see it. You can feel it. But you can't see it. You can see the effects of it on the grass and the trees. But you can't see it. So is every one that's born of the Spirit. You can hear the wind, but you can't see it. When a person is born again, he says, so is everyone that's born in the Spirit. When a person is born again, you're going to hear it. How? Confession. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. You're going to hear that person confess Christ. I think I told you last week about this lady up in Augusta, Mickey Weston who got saved. Before she got saved that very afternoon, before she got saved that night, she said, Well, I'm not telling anybody if I get saved. I'll guarantee the whole community knows it now. When you get saved, you've got to tell it. You just can't keep it. It's so wonderful to know that you're saved and go to heaven. You can hear the wind. You can't see it. Some of you that get saved this morning, I couldn't see the Spirit of God come down and enter your heart. If you'd like to come up after the meeting and tell me, I'd hear the wind. And then you'd feel the wind. You know, some people tell me they're Christian. You mean you're born again? Well, I remember the church. But have you been born again? Well, I do the best I can. Well, the Bible says you've got to be born again. You think you're on the North Pole. There's no warm wind from Calvary there. that person hasn't been born again or there'd be a warmth, there'd be a response, a warm response from that person. That person was really saying, you can feel the wind. I've met people, I've never met before in my life. And the moment we met, I detected that he was a Christian and something he said. I said, Are you a Christian? Yes, amen. I'm a Christian. I'm born again. Well, thank the Lord so much. You thought we'd been brothers. we just met. The wind was warm. We felt it. You know, people who are not born again, they're religious, they're self-righteous, they're self-satisfied, they're depending on their church taking them to heaven. Let them meet a real born-again Christian, one who's on fire for the Lord and the Lord and good and warm. It's just the difference between the North Pole and South Pole. The wind is cold from one that's warm from the other. Another thing, you see the effects of the wind upon the grass. You can't see the wind, but you can see the effects of it. And you can see the effects of the Spirit's new birth in the light. Yes, you can see it. The life is different. They're just different. That's what the Bible teaches. There you have the fruits of the new birth. A change of life, a nature that delights in God, but also the fact that You're going to heaven, this divine relationship. You've been born in the family of God. God is your father now, and you're his child. And the wonderful truth that you have everlasting life and you'll never perish. All this is the fruit of the new birth. And finally, in closing, what's the goal of the new birth? What is he saying? Verse thirteen. And no man ascended up to heaven. I want you to get this. And no man ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the son of man which is in heaven. Now there's the goal of the new birth, the end, the consummation, the termination. What's he's talking about? He says, you know why I'm going back to heaven? Because I came down from heaven. And only that which came down from heaven is going back to heaven. Let me tell you, friend, those who are going up to heaven are those who have been born from above. You get the point? If you have not been born again, you've never been born from above, you haven't received a nature from above, you're not going up. A man can receive nothing except to be given him from above. And the new birth is from God. The new nature is from God. We're a partaker of the divine nature. Only those who've been born again and received a nature from heaven are going up a dead. For when Jesus comes, no man ascendeth into heaven but he which came down from. Meaning simply this, that no person is going to go up to heaven unless that person has been born from heaven, heaven born and heaven bound. Thus you have the absolute need of the new birth. Have you to see that nature from God, the nature that delights in God, the nature that manifests the nature of God, the nature that someday will fit you for the presence of God. Have you been born again? I'm not asking you if you join the church. That's not of interest to me. I've never asked anyone yet to join the Albany Gospel Chapel. I've asked them to accept Jesus Christ. I've asked them to be born again. Then we'll discuss fellowship of the chapel. We're delighted to have all were born again come in the fellowship. But the main thing is to be born again. So many foot Being born again and joining the church in the same parcel is absolutely different. Millions of people are church members and they're not born again. Our question to you is, are you born again? What good would it do to receive you into the fellowship of the chapel? Then when you die, you go to hell. Friend, we want to be sure you're going to heaven and you've got to be born again. Or heaven you'll never see. Will you open your heart and let the Spirit of God make this real to you this morning? I trust you will right now. Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we come into thy presence. We ask thy blessing upon thy word. We thank thee for the simplicity of the word of God. None need make a mistake or do let astray. Thou hast let thyself on record. And so we do trust that what we've said this morning about the new birth that thou wilt bless it to the hearts of the audience and that those who've not had this experience, we'll have it today and have the absolute assurance by the indwelling spirit that they have been born again. We ask it giving thanks in our Savior's precious name. Amen. Let us sing in closing, two forty-three. Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me. See on the portals He's waiting and watching, watching for you and for me. Number two hundred and forty-three shall we stand as we say. If you have trusted Christ during the meeting, we'd like to come and tell us. We'd be happy for you to do so. If you're not a Christian and would like us to help you to become one,