Well, this evening, friends, I'm going to be reading for you a brief sermon from Robert Murray McShane, doing something a little bit different than we normally do. And so before I read this sermon to us for our edification, let us ask the Lord to bless this old sermon that was preached I don't know if it's given the date, in the 1800s by Robert Murray McShane. He was a pastor of the Free Church of Scotland in the 1800s. He died at age 29, but this man was used mightily of the Lord where he was stationed. So let's pray together before we read this. Gracious Heavenly Father, Lord, we pray that you would open up your word to us as we consider it tonight from this Sermon of Old preached by your servant, Robert Murray McShane. Lord, we pray that It would be edifying in that we would truly hear your word and receive it. So Lord, we thank you for the example of faithful men who have gone before us, who are in glory now. And Lord, we just pray that you would bless this sermon to us as it was used mightily back then. And Lord, we pray that you would teach us, that you would instruct us by your spirit tonight. We pray in Christ's name and for his sake, amen. So if you if you would please turn to 1st Peter chapter 1 verses 23 through 25. This sermon comes from a select, select sermons from a series that he did on 1st Peter. So 1st Peter chapter 1 verses 23 through 25. So I'll read it from the New King James for us here. 1 Peter 1, verses 22 through 25. Hear now the word of the Lord. Since you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the spirit and sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. Having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible through the word of God, which lives and abides forever because all flesh is as grass and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. The sermon title is called Born Again. In the previous verse, the command was to love the brethren. Peter now comes to the grand reason because we are brethren in one divine family. All Christians have been born again by the word of God. the incorruptible seed living and abiding so different from their natural life, which is like grass. The word has come to them in the preached gospel. You have been born again, he tells them. The beginning of this work of grace in you is to be traced to your new birth. I do not mean that you entered into your mother's womb and were born a second time. The second birth you have undergone is not of the flesh, which would be a corruptible second birth as a poor dying worm. But the birth of which I speak is of an incorruptible seed. It is a birth of the Spirit. The instrument in this birth is the Word of God, which brought home with power has life in it and also continuance. It lives in the heart and always lives. For the Bible shows the difference between these two. between the frail, perishing life we are born to and the enduring word by which we are born again. This enduring word is the word concerning Jesus. First point, all Christians have been born again. He had told them this before, verse three. Here he tells it as the root of all good in them, their new birth. If they have purified their souls, if they love one another, it is because they have been born again. We should never weary in thinking of our new birth and that all our change comes from it. This would keep us in blessing and keep us humble, seeing that it is what has made all the difference. Those who think to purify their souls and love the brethren without being born again are foolish. Seek a new birth. Seek converting grace. This only strikes at the root of all sins. This only begins all grace in the heart. All Christians agree in this. Christians differ in many things. In their first birth, they are very different. One was born in a cottage. another in a palace, one in the crowded city, another in the wilderness. One was received into the tender arms of rejoicing parents, another homeless and friendless in infancy. They differ in circumstances. One is rich, another poor, one clothed in humble raiment, though clean, another clothed in fine raiment, for it is possible with God that there may be a rich Christian. They differ in character. One has much faith, peace, joy, love, another little faith, much doubting, darkness, distress, but all are born again. The river of their peace has its source, the same fountain. It is at the cross and the grave Jesus. Have you been born again? Try yourself by this. You lack many of the spots of God's children, Deuteronomy 32 5. You may find it difficult to discern their faith, their love, their hope, but have you been born again? All Christians have. If you are not Christians, it is the very thing you should hear. All unconverted persons must be born again or perish. You all need this. You are not all drunkards or swearers or liars, but you all need to be born. Again, yea, the woman that is delicate among you, that would not adventure to set her foot on the ground, still needs to be born again. Lydia was a decent woman, yet she needed to be born again. Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews, a man of integrity and good breeding, yet he must be born again. So must you, Lydia's and rulers rich and poor, you must be born again. If you are Christians, so were they, to whom Peter wrote. Yet see how he reminds them, love one another, being born again. It is the root of all the graces. It is vain to think of loving or being holy if you are not born again. Go and look at the fountain from whence you came, and it should encourage you in all holiness. Second point. This new birth is into an undying life. It is not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible. When a child is born, it is into a dying life. If you stretch the eye, you will see the winding sheet. We face the grave. How often a worm is at the root of the gourd. Earlier or later, it dies, but it is not so with the new birth. The first birth of corruptible seed. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. But we are born of God into an undying life of an incorruptible seed. A Christian may be often sickly, often ready to die, yet the word of Jesus is sure. He shall never perish. He is born for eternity. Rejoice if you are born again. You shall never die. I can be confident of this very thing that he which hath began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1.6. Your new nature is not a frail dying nature. It is divine. Oh what a contrast within a frail consumptive body wasting away the spirit may be mounting with wings like an eagle soaring with untiring immortal life. All should rejoice over those who are born again. It is often made a matter of joy when a child is born into this dying world. Ah, how much more when one is born again. All heaven rings with hallelujahs as the savior stoops to lift the sheep upon his shoulder and you will be silent. A star is rising that will never set but will blaze throughout eternity. Third point, and this is the final point, the means is the word of God. The new birth is by the Word of God. It is a living Word. It is an abiding Word. It is a gospel Word. First, a living Word. In the hand of the Spirit, the Word is all life. The Word of God is quick or alive, Hebrews 4.12. A sword lying on the ground is a dead thing. It can do nothing. But let the warrior snatch it up and brandish it. It lives. It gleams, so it is with the word. When we speak it, it touches no one, but when the spirit takes it in hand, it lives. It is the living word. Nothing was so dead before. Nothing is so living now. Oh, let us be determined to give ourselves more to prayer. We are too apt to prophesy more to the dry bones than to the spirit, to Ezekiel 37, one through 10. Often we have done so. Come, let us change our plan and engage in more secret prayer. Let us set apart days for prayer. Second, an abiding word. Some roots take such hold of the ground that when they have taken possession, it is impossible to remove them. You may turn or you may hoe, still they remain. So it is with the engrafted Word, the Word made living by the Spirit. Affliction, prosperity, persecution may hew and burn it, still it abides forever. The natural man is like grass, but this Word endures. If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. John 8 verse 51. Lastly, a gospel word. It is the gospel word that the spirit blesses to the new birth. It is not the preaching of the law or of moral virtue, but gospel preaching. It is the preaching of the word concerning Jesus and his cross. concerning the high priest within the veil, concerning the son of God who is to come again, that the spirit uses to bring about the new birth. Amen. Let's pray. Gracious heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you for the regenerating power of your spirit, wherewith he comes to us through the living word preached in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lord, we thank you that it is to the new birth that you instill upon souls that you send from heaven, that by which we are awakened, that we are renewed. Though we were dead in our trespasses and sins, it is your regenerating supernatural power, a sovereign power that gives us new life and raises us up with the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, we thank you for the fact that we can trace all of the good in ourselves to this new birth. All strivings, all obedience that we render unto you, those good works which you have ordained for us to do, all of that we owe to the new birth. For we could never live in a sanctified life before you were it not for the regenerating power of your spirit. And so, Lord, we pray that you would cause us to be thankful for the work that you have wrought in our hearts. And if there be any here tonight who have never come to know you savingly, who have never been born a second time as Jesus bid to Nicodemus, you must be born again. Lord, we pray that you would pour out your regenerating and converting grace upon those who do not know you tonight. And so, Lord, we do thank you for your work. Lord, we pray that you would continue to regenerate hearts. Lord, we know that this is your work. It is something that you do by your spirit. And so, Lord, we ask that you would revive this world by the pouring out of your spirit. And so Lord, we thank you for this word, this incorruptible word that you have sown into our hearts. And Lord, we pray that we would indeed Seek to love the brethren out of this love wherewith you have loved us, the way you have worked in our hearts. So, Lord, we pray that we would be preachers of the new birth, that we would live in light of who you have recreated us to be, new creatures in the Lord Jesus Christ. The old has passed away. And the new is come. And so Lord, we thank you for your sovereign grace wrought in the gospel by your spirit. And it's in Christ's name we pray. Amen.