Galatians 4:4-5; John 14:16-17

Graham tells the following story in the final chapter of his book How to Be Born Again. "After thinking about it for three days, I realized I needed Jesus Christ, and I accepted Him. Now that my life has been turned over to Jesus Christ, I can function with an extra power bestowed by God".

Who made a statement like that? Someone down on the bottom of life’s heap, struggling for worth and identity? No, it is fitting to tell this story as we end this series of messages and begin a new series new week with an Olympic theme. It was a handsome, young University of Southern California athlete, John Naber, who gained international attention by earning four gold medals with his swimming achievements in the 1976 Olympics. John Naber said he was searching for something meaningful in his life and after attending one of our meetings he began to wake up to the realization of Jesus Christ. He was born again.

It doesn’t matter who you are and what you have done—having Jesus Christ in your life will only make it better. We have been talking these past three weeks about being born again. Today, I want to focus on what happens to the person who opens the door of their life to God. After we’ve invited God to enter our life, accepted him as our Lord and savior (I like the way one of our confirmands said stated it in his own words: our boss and our forgiver) what comes next? WHAT COMES NEXT? It isn’t over at that time it is just then beginning our Christian life, our do-over, our second birth. So what is necessary to follow rebirth, or recommitment, or repentance?

Well first of all, there is forgiveness. We must accept the greatest gift of all—all of our sins are forgiven. 1 John 2:12 says, "Your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake." What a stupendous promise! Throughout the New Testament we learn that the one who receives Christ as Lord and Savior also receives, immediately, the gift of forgiveness. The Bible says, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12)

Second, when you accept Christ as your savior God adopts you as His son or daughter. As adopted children each of us can claim to be joined as heirs with Jesus Christ. We have friends form the church in Zionsville who had a little boy but wanted so much to have a second child. However, something was wrong with either the wife of the husband’s reproductive system and they were unable to conceive a second child. So they began the adoption process. Finally, after a couple of years they were able to adopt a beautiful six week baby girl. What an addition to their family! Parents who have both biological children as well as adopted children will tell you that they love those children equally. I know that this couple did. By the way, a few months after they adopted the baby girl they discovered they were pregnant. God does have a sense of humor, doesn’t He? The Bible tells us that, "God sent forth His Son…so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as son (and daughters)." Galatians 4:4-5

Third, when you invite Jesus into your life (just as Brandon Nolan did last week at his confirmation) the Spirit of God immediately came to live in you. Jesus said, "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth…you know Him, because He abides with you, and will be in you." John 14:16-17

When Christ lived on this earth, He could be with only a small group of people at any one time. Now Christ dwells through the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all those who have received Him as Lord and Savior.

How long does the Holy Spirit live in the heart of the believer? Forever. The Holy Spirit can rejuvenate a tired Christian, captivate an indifference believer, and empower a dry church. What do you need the Holy Spirit to do in your life right now? He is there. Recognize that gift that God has given you and pray that God will fill you once again with what you need to be what God wants you to be.

Fourth, the Bible teaches that the new believer in Jesus Christ—the converted person—is to "abhor what is evil". Romans 12:9 How are we supposed to be able to stop doing some of the sinful things we have done for years, or get rid of some of the negative, suspicious, hateful, greedy attitudes which are ingrained in our personality? "I just can’t do it myself, " you might say.

You’re right. However, the capacity to resist sin and obey God comes for the Holy Spirit who lives in every believer. And hear the good news: "No temptation has overtaken you bit such as in common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able; but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

I often get the opportunity to talk to people of all ages children, youth and adults who come back from camp, mission trips and religious retreats. They come back on fire for God. Often they have recommitted themselves to Jesus during these events. But then if each one is not careful they get home and go back to the same routines as before, with the same crowd, with the same stresses and so forth and they lose the spark that they caught at these tremendous events.

So what can we do? Keep on growing. As a teenager I had a poster that hung on my bedroom wall that read: He who is not busy being born is busy dying." How true but doubly so for those who are born or newborns in the Christian faith. Even those of us who have been at it a long time need to stay busy being born. What does this mean?

Many people grow into Christian maturity very rapidly; others much more slowly, almost imperceptibly. Have you ever seen pictures on TV or the web where a flower grows and fully matures right before your eyes in a few seconds? Most of us have seen such a film. If you had watched the same process with your naked eye in your garden it would have taken days. In the same way, we watch our lives form day to day and often get discouraged at the slow growth. But if you wait for a year or two and then look back over your life you will see how much you have grown. You’ve become kinder, more gracious, more loving. You love the Scriptures more. You love to pray more. You are a more faithful witness. You never will reach that point of full maturity in Christ until you see Him face to face in heaven.

The new Christian is a babe in Christ. A babe must be nourished in order to grow. This is why he/she needs the encouragement of his/her family, Christian friends, and especially the Church. The most important thing in the beginning of new life is to be nourished and strengthened.

Three ways to be nourished as a Christian believer. First, read your Bible. You may have a Bible but I encouragement you that if you can’t understand it very well buy a newer translation. Read a King James Version and then read a new translation. See what I mean? Find one that makes the most sense to you or you won’t read it.

Second, learn to pray regularly. Jesus said, "People ought to always pray." Luke 18:1 The apostle Paul said, "Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Don’t worry about praying with fancy word or memorized prayers you learned along the way—pray in your own words. Billy Graham said, "You pray to God as a child talking to his loving and gracious parent."

Without ceasing is a term used in Paul’s day to describe a persistent cough. Off and on throughout our day we would be turning to God to praise him, to thank Him, and to ask for His help.

Third and lastly, God doesn’t intend for you to live the Christian life alone. This is why God has brought other believers together to form fellowship. So you must find Christian fellowship.

Without the fellowship of believers, a newly born Christian (or someone who has been a Christian for many years) has a tendency to wither. The writer of the book of Hebrews says, "Let us consider how to stimulate one another love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some but encouraging one another." Hebrews 10:24-25

The good news is that you are no longer alone. The fatherhood of God forms the true brotherhood of man. I remember back in 1983 when Wynn and I made our first trip to Europe. When we were in Wales we stayed in a bed and breakfast with an elderly couple. Wynn and I were in our twenties and feeling very far away from everything familiar when the little old lady that ran the B & B said to us, "You know we are one in Christ." And we knew that even though we were far away from everything familiar and home that God had reminded us of the true fellowship of all believers. She took us to church with her that night and even complained about the hymns that the pastor chose for the service. Some things never change, do they?

So today we conclude our focus on Being Born Again by ending with talking about what happens after we’ve made that initial decision to ask Jesus into our life. However, we would be missing the boat entirely if we did not go back to what this series has been all about to begin with: making that initial decision, opening to door of our life to God, accepting Jesus as our Lord and savior. I thought it would be fitting to allow Rev. Graham to lead the way—we’ve learned from his book and his look at the scripture now we are going to see and hear him at one of his crusades. Now I want you to listen carefully. It is black and white, a sometimes you have to listen carefully to catch it all due to the age of the clip but He offers the invitation so well to you and I whether we are relatively new to the church and to Jesus or whether we’ve been here most of our life. So now let’s hear once again the call to ask Jesus into our lives as our Lord and savior.