It's My Birthday

Eccl 3:1-2a "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the Heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die:..."

Well, today is my birthday. A day to celebrate the fact that another year has passed and God has blessed me with the privilege to stick around a while. By, the way, I am writing this days ahead of time, so in reality, I may not be here when you read this. Now, I don't mean to sound morbid or anything, but James tells us in the last few verses of chapter 4 that we have no assurance of ever seeing tomorrow. A few years ago, I preached a message on my birthday with an interesting title. It was "This birth got me into this world, but it won't get me out". Most of you recall the story of how a very intelligent man by the name of Nicodemus came to Jesus by night to get His opinion on how to get to Heaven. As a Rabbi and teacher of the Jews, I am quite sure Nicodemus had been asked this question on many occasions. Having given an answer in the past, why was he seeking an answer now? Maybe, he realized that there was something missing in his own thought process. Regardless, I don't think he got the answer from Jesus that he was expecting. I can just see him now, standing there with his mouth wide open when Jesus told him that "You must be born again" John 3:3. Without question, this was a totally new concept for Nicodemus and for the Jews in general. The understood the sacrifices of the Old Testament were symbolic of the sacrifice that was to be made when the Messiah came. But, what is this new birth. Jesus made it very plain when He said that that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The fact that you are alive proves that you have had one birth. But it only brought you into this world. It takes the new birth to get you out.