[0:00] Well, let's turn in our Bibles to the portion of God's Word which we read. 1 Peter, chapter 1, and as God would help me, I'd like to concentrate on verse 23.
[0:15] 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 23. Having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever.
[0:38] 1 Peter, chapter 2, verse 23.
[1:08] 1 Peter, chapter 2, verse 23.
[1:38] by the word of God. Where do we get faith? It's a gift of God. But what does he channel that faith through? Through what channel does he bestow faith upon sinners? Through the word of God. Faith comes by healing. And it's by healing the word of God. So if you want faith, if you're looking for faith in Christ, be obsessed with the scriptures. Be obsessed with Christ. Don't be obsessed with faith. Be obsessed with the object of faith. Be obsessed with the object of where faith comes from. It comes from the scriptures. From, as our text tells us, categorically, being born again through the word of God. Faith is worked up in our souls through hearing the gospel. Through hearing the truth. That's why it's never a waste of time telling people to come to church, to hear the word of God. It's never a waste of time quoting the scriptures to an unbeliever. It's never a waste of time reading the word of God. Because faith comes through hearing the word of God. Hearing what God has to say. Now, as you know, plenty of people can quote this scripture, but there's no faith in it. There's no faith in it. Now, there's a lot of misunderstanding about faith. Faith is an actual facility, activity of life. We use faith in it. We use faith in our watches, our clocks. We have faith in our chairs that we sit on. You have faith there was a meeting on here at six o'clock. We are using faith all the time. We are all born with faith.
[4:33] faith in Christ. Faith doesn't save. Christ saves. But our faith has to be in Christ so that we are connected to Christ who saves.
[4:55] faith is a faculty of our souls. As I said earlier, you can't really live without faith. And God created Adam, Adam, and Eve. Their faith was Godward. All the activities of their soul was toward God. When they fell, when they sinned, they didn't lose faith.
[5:22] Their faith was toward God. They now listened to Satan instead of God. But we're putting faith in the devil. Instead of putting faith in God. Faith is what links us to the object we follow. We have to follow God. We have to follow his word. Now, when human beings fell and began to follow Satan and themselves and everything but God. What did God do? Thanks be to God. He did not consign the whole human race instantly to a lost eternity. What did he do? He chose to walk.
[6:21] What we find in the Bible. What we find in the Bible telling us, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to take the penalty. To pay for their sins and take them to heaven instead.
[6:40] And all who put their faith in Christ. And all who put their faith in Christ will be saved, will be forgiven, and will be taken to heaven.
[6:57] Now, God alone gives that faith. But he gives it, as we say, using an instrument. The Holy Spirit of God uses an instrument when he creates faith, when he creates life in a sinner.
[7:15] And what is that instrument? And what is that instrument? As we say, it's the word of God. That's what we read. That's what our text, verse 23 says. Now, how does this renewal of faith work?
[7:36] Well, faith requires an object. It's like love. You don't just love. You don't just say, oh, that person has got love.
[8:03] You don't just say, oh, that's what it's called. But it's the same with faith. I remember, well, I used to be a printer. And when we decided to go into the ministry, I remember a customer coming in to us and saying, oh, I heard about you.
[8:22] I've heard about your fucking oldest son. Oh, he said, I've got my faith. I've got my faith. I said, what in? Oh, he said, I've got a lot of faith.
[8:34] Don't you worry about me. I've a lot of faith. I said, Bob, what in? Oh, he said, don't worry about me. I've got faith. A lot of it.
[8:44] I said, what in, Bob? I didn't know. Oh, faith requires a lot of faith. What is it you believe? What is it you trust?
[8:57] We need something to trust in. We need a promise to trust in. We need a truth to believe. A command to obey.
[9:08] An object to love. Faith and love require something to trust. Something to love. And as we say, it's love for the word.
[9:24] Love for Christ. Because Christ is the word made flesh. Now, we're told our text tells us that God regenerates through the word.
[9:39] And it's interesting. In our text, verse 23 here, we're born again through the word of God. But the word, the Greek word, it's used in verse 23 for word, is the word logos, which means the written word.
[10:02] But if you go down to verse 25. But the word of the word of the word endures forever. Now, this is the word, which by the gospel was preached to you.
[10:17] That's not the same word for the word. That's not the same word for a word. It's the word rima, which is the Greek word for the spoken word. Logos is the Greek word for the spoken word.
[10:32] When we were in New Zealand, there was a Christian radio station. And they called it radio rima.
[10:45] Rima being the Greek word for the spoken word. So the word of God is written. And the word of God is spoken. But actually, you know, the word of God is also written, enacted out in providence.
[11:03] When God said in Genesis chapter 2, verse 17, is it? Genesis chapter 2, verse 17.
[11:16] In the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.
[11:35] And as children often say, they often ask pertinent questions, don't they? We think they're impertinent because we can't answer them. But they're actually impertinent. They're very relevant.
[11:45] He didn't die that day. He began to die that day. Human beings, that day that Adam took the forbidden fruit, began to die.
[11:59] And from that moment onwards, the moment, the ironic thing is, the moment you begin to live, you begin to die.
[12:11] And every time you see a funeral, you see the word of God enacted out.
[12:23] And you see Genesis 2, 17 being acted out in practice. And often, as people have said in their testimony, they all began seeking the word.
[12:41] But a funeral. The death of the husband, the death of the wife, the death of the child, the death of the friend. Especially sudden death, you begin to think. That's the word being acted out.
[12:53] You can hear it in the ear. You can read it with your eyes. You can actually perceive it. You can experience it. Being enacted out.
[13:04] The Lord's son. Many a husband, many a wife have said. It began the work. It began when my wife went to the table and I had to sit in my seat.
[13:17] When I saw so and so coming to the table, that's how it began. But that's Jesus, what Jesus worded in John 6, 53 being enacted out.
[13:34] The word wasn't spoken then. They weren't reading the word, but they saw it enacted out. What he said there in John 6, 53. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of God and drink his blood, you've no life in you.
[13:52] The communion table, I often say, at the communion table, in the gospel, every week you hear the gospel through your gate.
[14:05] But at the communion time, you see the gospel through my gate. You see the bread, which is the body of Christ.
[14:17] But you see something else about the bread. The bread is broken. It's not the body of Christ, it's seen. It's a broken body of Christ.
[14:29] And it's actually one for a good future of the communion. The bread should be seen to be broken. The wine represented the blood of Christ. This is what he said.
[14:39] Unless you eat the flesh and drink his blood, you've no life in you. The wine represents the blood of Christ. But it's not actually the blood of Christ that sins.
[14:52] It's the shed blood of Christ. And that's why the wine is poured out from the canister into the cup. Christ's blood had to come out.
[15:03] It had to be shed. It had to be shed. And that was the price of our salvation. So the written word can be blessed. The spoken word can be blessed.
[15:16] The word enacted unto providence. Death. Birth. These things are often blessed. To be blessed. These.
[15:28] That's the root. That's the origin. That's what God uses to retail. Create. Saving faith. In a sinner.
[15:38] However unworthy. Now actually in these passages that we've read. You've got the process of how a person comes to life through the word.
[15:51] It begins with hearing the word of God. Verse 25. Now this is the word he's writing. Peter is writing to the Christians that were scattered abroad. How did it begin?
[16:02] This is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. It began with someone going with the gospel. And explaining the gospel to them.
[16:15] Explaining the Genesis story. God created man upright. But Adam, our first representative, blew it on behalf of us.
[16:30] He blew it. He could have taken you and me to heaven as well as himself and Eve. But he blew it. On behalf of you and me. But God didn't abandon the race.
[16:43] God intervened. On all mankind ruined its first opportunity. God intervened and sent his son to pay the price.
[16:54] Hearing that message is how it begins. Being born again through the word of God. Because lives.
[17:04] There is nothing enough to hear about. You have got to hear it. But you need to do more than that.
[17:15] I found it. I found it. I found it. John chapter 5. Verse 24. One of the most. One of the most.
[17:26] Encouraging verses in the Bible. 5. 24. Most assuredly. I say to you.
[17:38] He who hears my word. And believes in him who set me. Not will possess eternal life.
[17:52] Does it say that? Has eternal life. And shall not come into condemnation. But has already passed from death to right now.
[18:03] That is he who hears my word. And believes. It's a huge privilege. To hear the gospel.
[18:15] Don't take it. Don't burn it. God can stop you hearing that word in the Lord.
[18:26] If you keep despising it. If you keep rejecting it. He'll stop you hearing it. He can make you deaf quite easily. He can make you blind from reading it.
[18:38] As I said. It doesn't matter whether you see it. Or read it. Or whether you hear it. But don't take it for granted. Because he. I find it hugely encouraging.
[18:52] That you're healing the word of God. Either reading it. Or healing it. Take heart. He's got purpose of mercy for you. That's the encouragement from John 5.24.
[19:06] But there's not enough to give it. You have to believe. But when God has it work. If God has a purpose of mercy. You'll make sure you hear his word.
[19:19] Either by reading it. Or seeing it. Or understanding it. Connect it. But many hear the gospel. But how many believe. How many believe.
[19:33] Do you believe it? Do you believe it? I don't know how many people. Have tried to explain the gospel to.
[19:44] And they've turned around. And they say. Do you believe it? Oh yeah. No. No problem. No. And I said. What's it? I said. I'm not going to. Listen. If you believe all that.
[19:57] You are saved. It's the Bible says. He that heals. And believes. Has. Gathered last in life. Oh.
[20:07] It's not as easy as that. That's precisely the problem. You don't believe it's as easy as that. It is the realization. That it is as easy as that.
[20:19] That changes lives. And I think I mentioned in the morning. People believe. People believe. People with faith. But they don't realize it. But it's the realization that the simple gospel is simply what he says.
[20:33] He that hears and believes has everlasting life. So the process. They hear the work.
[20:44] They believe the work. Thirdly. They receive the work. They love the work. The best. The best. The best way of putting this.
[20:56] I think. Is. Second. First Thessalonians. Two. Thirteen. These Thessalonians. I think. I love it. Paul said. Paul said. There was a giant crown.
[21:09] The Thessalonians. Paul only preached three weekends. In Thessalonians. In the top of the church. Three weekends. The church is perfect.
[21:23] Eleven months before you wrote this letter. You were worshipping stocks and stones. You turned from angels. To serve the living in through God. Eleven months before you wrote this.
[21:35] You were worshipping angels. You were worshipping. You were worshipping. You were worshipping. In chapter 2 verse 9. We thank God. Without ceasing. Because when you received.
[21:47] The word. Of God. Which you heard from us. You welcomed it. Not as the word of men. But as it is in truth. The word of God.
[22:00] Which also effectively works. In you who believe. You receive. You welcomed it. You welcomed it. Not as a. Preacher's word.
[22:13] But as a word of God. When you hear people say. Oh I like. So and so's service. Is it the word of God?
[22:25] It doesn't matter who's preached it. If it's the word of God. We have to hear it. We have to believe it. We have to welcome it. We have to embrace it.
[22:35] We have to cherish it. We have to cherish it. Warts and all. Rather than we speak it. You see. The word of God. Has some unpleasant things.
[22:48] To say about us. It has wonderful news. As we say. Just believe. Christ is the remedy. Christ took away the sin of all.
[22:58] We have to believe it. We have to believe it. We have to believe it. That's a great news. But as we mentioned in the morning. Through much affliction. We enter the kingdom. Oh we don't like that.
[23:09] Don't say that. Just preach the prosperity gospel. Well. It has unpleasant things to say. And it's to this people.
[23:19] That Paul said. I think we quoted it in the morning. Through much affliction. We must enter the kingdom. We told you that. You're appointed to it.
[23:32] We don't like that. But it's the truth. We accept it. For no one of you. But that God said. Do you believe the Bible? Do you embrace what the Bible says?
[23:44] Even the unpleasant bits. The unpalatable bits. Just because God said it. That's faith. I can't understand that.
[23:55] You don't need to understand it. But you do need to believe it. And you do need to say. That's the word I'm following you. That's where I'm putting my trust.
[24:07] That's what I'm following. They heard the word. They believed the word. They loved the word. They received the word. And finally they obeyed the word. Verse 22.
[24:18] Since you have purified your souls. In obeying the truth. Faith is often described as. Obedience to the truth.
[24:30] You've heard the truth. And you follow the truth. You obey the truth. You build your life upon it. No. Let's put that in another way.
[24:44] Oh. New faith in Christ. When we're born again. And we're brought to look to God. Instead of trusting down below.
[24:58] It is. Well. I've got three C's here. Convicted of the truth. Convicted. But we're born again. Through the word of God.
[25:10] We read the word of God. We hear the word of God. We see it. Practice. That's in providence. We're convicted. Of its truth. We're convicted. Of its reality.
[25:21] The first C. Convicted of it. Secondly. With confidence in it. You don't understand. Why God. Would choose.
[25:32] To regenerate you. You don't understand. Why Christ. Would die. For you. You'll never understand it. The reason's not down here.
[25:44] And the reason is definitely not within you. The reason is in God's mere good pleasure. The reason's in heaven.
[25:55] There's not a reason on earth. But there's a reason in heaven. His mere good pleasure. We're convicted of the truth. We are. We have confidence.
[26:07] Personal trust in the truth. And that's what I'm depending on. If Christ did not die on that cross. For sinners. If the cross.
[26:19] And that Friday afternoon. Three people crucified. If the one in the middle. Was not paying God. For the sins of those. Who put their trust in Christ. And lost.
[26:32] That all. That's confidence. In the one in God. That's. You've been recreated. By God the spirit. Connected. Connected of its truth. Confidence in the truth.
[26:45] And the third. See. Connected. To the truth. Being determined. To follow it. Letting them down.
[26:56] From time to time. Yes. Failing. Sometimes. Definitely. Doing all things. So. Poorly. And imperfectly.
[27:06] Most. Definitely. But. That. Seeking. To commit it. To it. Now. That's it.
[27:18] Born. In. Through. The word of God. Faith. In. Christ. God. Giving us that faith.
[27:29] Through. The word. God. Now. We ought not. To be. Obsessed. With faith. We ought to be. Obsessed. With the object.
[27:40] Of faith. Because. As I've said. Already. Faith doesn't save. It's faith. In Christ. That saves. It's Christ. That does. That's saving. Buddha.
[27:51] Buddhist. The average. Buddhist. Has probably. More faith. Than us. In here. But it's faith. In Buddha. And Buddhism.
[28:02] Has no answer. About. How to have your sin. For them. Or how to. In fact. Buddha. The Buddha. Sings. What? About heaven. Or hell. Buddha. Telling you.
[28:12] About the philosophy. Out there. Live a straightforward life. You. Christ. Has been to hell. But he says. You come to me.
[28:23] And I'll deliver you from hell. I'll take you to hell. Speaking to. Someone just. Last three weeks. Spent years in Hinduism.
[28:38] And said that they were. Convicted of their sin. While attending. Or. In the Hindu religion. They were convicted of sin.
[28:51] Not. Not through Hinduism. But. While they were. Worshipping. In the Hindu religion. They were convicted of sin. But they. Discovered.
[29:01] They had no answer. I realized I was sin. But. They had no answer. Buddhists had no answer. Islam has no answer. Guaranteeing salvation.
[29:11] Only Christ. Can guarantee. Guarantee salvation. We have to be possessed. With the object.
[29:22] Of faith. I think I've said before. I don't know. If I've said before. If I have to.
[29:33] If I have to cross a river. There's two bridges. One bridge will hold my 17 stone. And the other won't. And the person says to me. Look. I can't remember which bridge will hold you up.
[29:45] Or not. But just put your faith on one of them. And I decided to put all my faith. On this one on the left. And I go. I put all my faith in that bridge. And halfway across.
[29:57] I fall into the body. That's not my faith that let me down. It's the bridge that let me down. That human faith is not a bridge. It's the object of faith that sins.
[30:08] You could have as much faith as you like in Buddha. You can't save me from hell. You don't believe in the bridge. Christ says. I believe in the lost eternity.
[30:20] I've been there. You come to me. I will save you. I will forgive you yourselves. Well.
[30:34] Let's close. What precisely are we to believe? Well. The good news.
[30:45] What's the good news? The good news begins with bad news. We're guilty before God. And we're on our way to our lost eternity. And we're utterly helpless to do anything about it.
[30:59] That's a bad part of the good news. We're guilty. We're on our way to our lost eternity. And we can do nothing about it ourselves.
[31:11] God has intervened. God has intervened. By sending his son Jesus Christ. To be an escape god. And to suffer at the place called Calvary.
[31:23] And to atone for all the sins. Of every person. Who puts their trust in him. The good news is. Anyone. Anywhere.
[31:34] Anywhere. Anywhere. Anywhere. Who puts their trust in him. Well. Is guaranteed salvation. Guaranteed.
[31:45] Heaven. You've got a title to heaven. A title to it. You have God's right to claim heaven. Because if you trust in Christ.
[31:57] Christ has paid for your sins already. And God being a holy God. A just God. Cannot require payment to us. He's taken it from Jesus already.
[32:11] So that's the faith to have. Faith in Christ. As their sole saviour. And redeemer. You say I want faith in him. Well.
[32:23] Faith comes. By healing. And healing. By the word of God. By healing. The word of God.
[32:34] By healing. I'm poor. This man. Christ Jesus. Welcomes. Sinners. He welcomes sinners.
[32:46] He receives them. He welcomes them. So you come. You trust in him. You call out to him. You ask him. To save you.
[32:58] And he will. May God. The Holy Spirit. Make his word effectual. To everyone else. Let's pray. Amen.
[33:18] Let's pray. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.
[33:29] Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.