John 17

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Isaiah 9:1-7
• Hymn — Angels from the Realms of Glory
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Faith — Colossians 1:15-20
• Scripture Reading — Isaiah 7:10-17
• Pastoral Prayer
• Offering
• Hymn — O Come, All Ye Faithful
• Sermon
• Lord's Supper Reading — Luke 5:27-32
• Hymn — When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (first two stanzas)
• Lord's Supper
• Hymn — Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy
• Hymn — When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (final two stanzas)
• Benediction — 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

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Sermon Title: The Incarnation and Regeneration

Scripture: John 1:11-13; John 3:1-8

I. You Must Have the Regeneration Life That Comes with Christ

A. Christ came to bring life — John 10:10

1. In him was life; he came that his people might have life abundantly
2. Eternal life begins now — Paul calls this "regeneration" in Titus 3:5, a being born again

B. Man was created with vital spiritual life breathed into him by God — Genesis 2:7

1. Derek Kidner notes the personal self-giving nature of God breathing life into man
2. Man was made with knowledge of God, righteousness, and spiritual vitality

C. That spiritual life was lost through sin

1. Adam's sin brought immediate spiritual death — the loss of his spiritual vitality — as well as eventual physical death
2. Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones captures the condition of fallen man
3. Paul summarizes: we were dead in our trespasses — Ephesians 2:1

D. Therefore you must be born again — John 3:3

1. Without spiritual life you cannot see or enter the kingdom of God
2. The best of your works earns only eternal death apart from regeneration

II. How You Get the Regeneration Life That Comes with Christ

A. Those who believe are those who were born of God — John 1:12-13

1. Born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man
2. Faith follows the new birth; one does not will himself into new spiritual life

B. You must be born of water and the Spirit — John 3:5

1. Water here likely refers to baptism as the sign of the inward work of the Spirit
2. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit — John 3:6

C. Christ himself is the one who gives this life

1. Illustration: a rusted, seized 1940 Pontiac Coupe cannot start itself — it needs another to do a complete work of restoration on it; so too with dead sinners
2. After his resurrection Jesus breathed on his disciples — John 20:22 — echoing Genesis 2:7, signaling he has come to renew the spiritual life lost in sin
3. God promises in Ezekiel 36:26-27: I will give you a new heart and a new spirit; I will remove the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh and put my Spirit within you

D. Geerhardus Vos: the Spirit works out of Christ and jointly with Christ, taking the life of Christ and implanting it in the dead heart

1. If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, created in Christ Jesus

III. How You Can Know You Have the Regeneration Life That Comes with Christ

A. Thomas Boston on regeneration: the question of assurance — how shall we know whether we are born again?

B. The marks of regeneration, adapting the language of the Westminster Confession:

1. A mind enlightened savingly in the things of God — new knowledge of who God is, his wisdom, justice, and gracious love; growing trust in his providential purposes
2. A renewed will — new knowledge of and love for God's moral law; love for God and love for neighbor; growing power and motivation to obey
3. Evidence of a growing hatred of sin and whatever displeases God
4. Love for the church — a renewed desire to see the people of God grow and flourish — 1 John 2:3

C. The chief mark: being effectually drawn to Jesus Christ

1. Illustration: Lucy Pevensie in Prince Caspian — waking at night, catching a glimpse of Aslan far off, and sprinting toward him, paying no attention to anything else
2. The Spirit having given new life causes you to see the beauty of Christ and want to get to him; you cannot but believe on Christ as Savior and Lord

D. Application and call

1. The question is not whether you have these marks in full measure — perfect faith, untainted love, perfect obedience are not achieved in this life
2. Do you find even some small measure of these marks? If so, praise God
3. If not, you must be born again — you can ask the Father for that life now
4. For those who have professed faith, the Lord's Table is a table of sustaining grace for the weak and weary on the long road of sanctification