BRAND-NEW

BRAND-NEW 

INTRODUCTION:

Brand New?

·         completely new, especially not yet used or tampered with

·         pristine, fresh, mint, new, untouched

You cannot be the person you want to be if you remain the person you used to be. A good example of a brand-new life is a newborn baby – with brand new and admirable body parts. We always want to buy brand new items to enjoy their useful life utilities. I remember getting brand new suit, shirt and shoe from my dad, ahead of a Children Christmas carol. I hung the suit, shirt and shoe on the wall in admiration.

Is your life messed up? Jesus is offering you a brand-new life with exceeding abundant blessings. Just take a step and “visit” Jesus today.

 

BRAND NEW WORLD

We don't like the way the world is turning

Something inside is always yearning, yearning for a Brand-New World

People everywhere are so confused. Leaders don't know what to do.

Oh, how we want a Brand-New World.

Though we send rockets to the moon and the stars

And though we make ships and planes that go very far

There's not a mountain that man hasn't climbed

But a Brand-New World he can never find

 

If you want a Brand-New World you gotta have brand new people

If you want brand new people you gotta have a brand-new life

If you want a brand-new life you gotta have a brand-new spirit

If you want a brand-new spirit you gotta come to Jesus Christ

 

People have tried everything they could. But I wonder if they ever would

Find themselves a brand-new world. An old man sitting in the bar room door

Still can't find what he's searching for, Oh how he wants a brand new world.

A brand-new world begins with me and you. But we'll never find it in the things that we do

Jesus promised a world that's our own, and He invites us to come along

 

1. What kind of person was Nicodemus? Why did he come to Jesus by night?

2Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

1Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

What’s in a Name/Title?

·         Name is an identity

Character builds name:

·         It takes good character to make a good name

The real identity:

·         The real you is not your title or the name you are known

What manner of man/woman are you?

·         The real you is who you are when no one is watching

·         It may be unknown to many

·         What manner of man/woman are you?

Prioritize your needs above title

·         Are you satisfied with your real self?

·         Are you proud of your hidden works and activities when no one is watching?

·         There is more to life than what people think you are, that you are not

·         Help yourself and pursue meaningful virtues that will transform your unknown identity

Identity Paradigm shift

·         It begins with you

·         The matter belongs to you

·         You are the one to profit

·         You are the one to suffer the consequences, if you continue living a fake life

Come to Jesus

·         There is yet hope

·         A visit to Jesus in your closet

·         Just a little talk with Jesus makes it right

 

2. Why would the working of miracles attract a person to Christ?

John 9:25  He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.

1Kings 17: 23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.

24 And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.

Gospel?

·         The gospel is organic (It produces life)

·         The gospel is good news

·         Miracles makes the good news experiential

Greatest miracle

·         The first and greatest miracle is salvation

·         It makes other miracles meaningful

·         It also sustains the other miracles

Fringe benefits

·         It pays to serve Jesus

·         There unlimited benefits of having a contact with the gospel

·         The greater part is when we experienced or receive a miracle

Foretaste

·         It is good to taste the goodness of God

·         God may perform a miracle in order to attract our attention

·         Point of connection: A need

·         An invitation to come again

·         However, we Need more than the initial curiosity

Invitation to a blessed life

·         There is much more in store

·         Godliness is a great gain

Incontrovertible evidence

·         He did it for me

·         I saw it happened

·         There is no need for any argument when the evidence is clear

Miracle Vs. Blessing

·         God’s plan for us is a blessed life

·         Blessed lifestyle needs less miracles

·         Miracles often come as an intervention

·         Which would you prefer?

·         Blessed life or desperate urgent miracles?

 

3. Explain in your own words what Jesus told Nicodemus.

Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

Romans 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

Spiritual restoration Necessity

·         Mortgaged heritage (By default) Even before we were born – we have been sold to sin

·         Godliness is desirable

·         Sinful comes with its consequences

·         It is not in man, to do good, naturally

·         It is natural for an unsaved to commit sin (what do you expect?)

·         Transformation is needed

Born once, die twice / Born twice, die once

·         A life-saving second birth is vital to eradicate the inherited first death

·         Born once, die twice

·         Born twice, die once

·         Born twice, overcome the sting of the first death

·         The second birth is SALVATION

·         Have you been born again?

Morality/Good works not the answer

·         No matter how much a sinner tries to be good, he is under the law of sin

·         It is necessary to have a spiritual rebirth in order to enter Heaven

 

4. Why is there no exception to the necessity for the new birth? What about “good” people?

Romans 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Luke 5: 37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.

38 But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

Human nature

·         It is not in man to be naturally and completely good

·         Human perfection or goodness is not up to God’s requirement.

·         God’s righteousness standard is not 99% (the remaining percentage spoils it all)

·         Spiritual elements of man: Man is naturally born with sin instincts

Morality is not an alternative to spirituality (attempt to mix old and new)

·         Mixing morality with spirituality will result to unrighteousness

·         A brand-new heart will do the job

No race or colour segregation

·         Sin is no respecter of race or colour

Beyond worldly knowledge/wisdom

·         Academics and professional knowledge does not defy sin

Status not the answer

·         Social status is not an antidote, instead sin bites hard and destroys the status

It is inherent/systemic

·         It is inbred

·         It is part of the human DNA

·         Only spiritual transfusion, through the blood of Jesus changes it

It is a spiritual matter

·         Satan and sin does not respect or regard your class or status

·         If you fail to deal with it, it would mess you up

·         Limitation of morality: It is not all embracing. There are grey areas where you would struggle with

Transformation is the antidote

·         The heart is the source of the issue

·         Make the heart good, then you will have a brand-new you

·         You need to be make whole: Body, Spirit and Soul.

 

5. Once a person is born again, how is it possible for him to live each day without sinning against God? See 1 John 3:9; 5:4-5,18.

1Coritnthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Spiritual transaction

·         Imparted

·         Based on agreement

·         Terms and conditions

Relationship

·         Deliberate efforts to keep and sustain the spiritual relationship with God helps us

Identity:

·         Don’t change your spiritual identity

·         Don’t change your spiritual address

·         Don’t change your spiritual associates

·         Don’t change your spiritual interest

·         Don’t change your spiritual vision

·         Don’t change your spiritual mission

Capacity

·         Beyond mere wishing

·         The word of God is our final constitution

·         The word of God is our supreme authority

·         Prayer is the key

·         Fellowship with other believers is crucial

·         Service is essential: An idle hand is the devil’s workshop

Spiritual liberty

·         We need to manage it well

·         We need to defend it when necessary

2Peter 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

 

6. Jesus healed a man at the pool of Bethesda and gave him a special command. What was this command (John 5:14)? What explicit directions did Jesus give to the woman taken in adultery, whom He forgave (John 8:11)? What significance must be placed upon these instructions?

Romans 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The first day’s work

·         Sin – darkness is the major issue

·         Sin is the source of all human troubles

·         This is why the first step is to take care of sin once and for all

·         All other blessings can go all wrong, if sin is allowed to thrive

·         In the beginning God said “Let there be light and there was light”

·         Do you have the light of God?

A spiritual command prompt

·         Salvation is a capacity to deal with the works of sin

·         This why sin obeys a saved person, by default

A reaction to inward transformation

·         The capacity to go and sin no more is a reaction to inward transformation

·         You can command the devil only when you are imparted with power of salvation

·         Otherwise sin will frustrate you

Under authority to issue authority

·         When we subject ourselves to the power of salvation, we are empowered against sin

·         It is important to continue to sustain this spiritual capacity

Dominion

·         Do you still have dominion over sin?

 

7. List the works of the flesh, of which a Christian will not be guilty (Galatians 5:19-21). Which part of the key verse applies to these things?

Romans 8:1-4 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 

Who are you working for? – who is your spiritual employer? (God or Satan?)

What are you employed to do? – what are your regular activities?

Terms of engagements – what are the rewards you are getting, are you satisfied?

What are your Motivations?

Old life

·         Old employer

·         Old terms of engagements

·         Old motivations

·         Old rewards

New life

·         New employer

·         New terms of engagements

·         New motivations

·         New rewards

How do you measure up?

 

8. When “old” things pass away, what are some of the “new” things that come into our lives?

Psalm 19: 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

 

Living hope

·         Living hope for today, tomorrow, future and eternity

Inheritance

·         Since all is Christ’s and Christ is mine, I have everything!

God’s keeping power

·         People are looking for power

·         The solution is to subject to the power of God

·         Under God’s authority to issue authority to situations and circumstances

Temptations & Trials

·         For God’s glory and Praise

·         Honour and blessings follows, for us

Conversion

·         Converting and transforming from a sinner to saint is amazing

Wisdom

·         The fear of the Lord is the source and beginning of all wisdom

Joy

·         Real joy

·         Joy that endures even in nighttime

Enlightening eyes

·         Many are looking but not all can see

·         We are blessed with Eyes that can see

Privileged/advance information

·         Rounded information that takes care of our history, today, future and eternity

Great rewards

·         Current and contemporary blessings

·         As at when due and needed

·         Full measure

·         Eternal

Summary:

The “I AM” of Jesus… (belongs to you)

·         All the ultimate spiritual resources available through Jesus are opened to us

·         We just call and appropriate them

 

9. Review John 3:16; Romans 5:1; 8:1 and 12:2, and list some additional results of being born again.

Ephesians 3:16-20 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Psalm 48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

 

Everlasting life

·         The ultimate blessing

Peace that passeth understanding

·         God’s peace, that defies all troubles – physical, emotional and spiritual

·         Not the unstable and unreliable world peace

Freedom from condemnations

·         When you are spiritually healthy, you have real freedom and peace

Good things

·         Relative

·         As at when due and needed

Will of God

·         We move at God’s impulse and directions

·         When you make God’s will your choice, you never go wrong

 

OTHERS:

All inclusive: everything that you desire

Full measure: More than enough, beyond expectations

Beautiful for situations: Dynamic and sufficient provision, help and resources

 

CONCLUSSION:

You cannot become what you desire to be if you remain your old self. Are you tired of your old and worn-out lifestyle? There is a brand-new amazing life awaiting you. Just pay Jesus a private “visit” today. Jesus will make something beautiful, something good out of your old life.

If you want a Brand-New World you gotta have 

brand new people

If you want brand new people you gotta have a 

brand-new life

If you want a brand-new life you gotta have a 

brand-new spirit

If you want a brand-new spirit you gotta 

come to Jesus Christ