Sermon: Everyone Was Born Again in Jesus’ Resurrection
Everyone Was Born Again In Jesus’ Resurrection by Tim Brassell
This message proclaims with the Apostle Peter and St. Athanasius of Alexandria God’s Good News that “all people were clothed with incorruption in the promise of the resurrection. For the solidarity of humanity is such that, by virtue of the Word’s indwelling in a single human body, the corruption which goes with death has lost its power over all.”
Trinity and Humanity 
Wow I really loved the sermon Tim!! Awesome job!
Thanks Pastor Tim! I was so inspired by your sermon.
Thank Steve and Len! You are both of encouragement to me too! Glad to participate in the shared encouragement of the Triune God of Grace along with you!
Peace, Love and Blessings!
[…] I recommend this sermon from Pastor Tim Brassell. You can listen to it from this link: https://trinityandhumanity.com/2012/04/09/sermon-everyone-was-born-again-in-jesus-resurrection/. Once you’re on the page, just click “Everyone Was Born Again In Jesus’ Resurrection by Tim […]
What about the parable of the sower, where Jesus says that there are those who won’t make the cut?
Hello Rob!
In the Light of Who Jesus is there are a few things to consider with regard to your question about the parable of the Sower:
1.) Because of Who God is as a relational Being and who we are in Him as relational beings also, all interpretations of the Gospel must be held up in that relational way.
2.) The Gospels follow the epistles – meaning – we take our interpretive cues about Jesus and Who he is from the epistles in order to read the Gospels. In the epistles it is noted that “God is the Savior of all, especially those who believe” – 1 Tim 4:10, “In Christ, Who is the Savior of the World God reconciled everything in heaven and on earth and is the atoning sacrifice for everyone not just Christians or believers. As all died in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ” – 2 Cor 5, Rom 5, Col 1, 2, I John 2:1-2, 1 Cor 15:22
Because of Who Jesus is, Salvation is not a potentiality for some that comes by a transaction but an actuality for all that occurs in His very person and in His union with us as man – a relational fact. This is the key Gospel point to understand!
3.) What is interesting is that the seed of the Sower, Jesus, Who is His Gospel, includes everyone in all kinds of conditions and is spread among them all, bearing some kind of fruit even if it is ignored, is choked out quickly and quenched, or doesn’t produce much.
This can only mean that in the New Life and New Birth we have been given in the Son made human, it is possible to not like it, or even hate it and rebel against it. Living in this way means we can only experience a kind of hell since we are resisting the reality of our lives in Him, and our union with Him. Any sense of being cut off is not a statement of union but a statement of communion. It is possible to actually be in a family and always have the genetics of the family but not relate well with others in the family and cut ourselves off (by hiding in our rooms, never talking with the others, slamming doors, running away, etc.) But even if we run away that doesn’t change who we really are, a member of our family!
It is in this relational way that we need to think out of the Gospel and the implications of our living with God in the experience of Heaven (as Jesus does and shares with us) or in the experience of hell (living in a way that doesn’t line up with the Life Jesus is sharing with us).
I hope this helps, and I understand your question and the apparent difficulties of what I am saying based off of what most of us have been taught about God!
Peace, Love and Blessings!
Thank you for replying, it is helpful. It is hard though to get past transactionalism; I still struggle with the idea that I must do something to get in a relationship with God. That’s why I love the Trinitarian/Incarnational truth; it says I’m in already and I’m invited to simply accept that. Perhaps one doesn’t even have to say “yes”, just not say “no”. But even with that I find it hard to accept and believe that I am in Christ and all that goes with that. I’m not sure why this is so difficult for me to accept what I really want.
Thanks for this sermon, Pastor Tim,
Inspiring and encouraging–I was puzzling over Psalm 87 a while back, trying to figure out how verse 6 could talk about God registering the peoples as born in Zion–even those considered enemies (v. 3, re: Rahab & Babylon, also born “there” in Zion). (the Message uses “born again” where other translations use “born” there in Zion–the city of God.) The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to the same place from which you preached: 1 Peter 1: Our new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Christ from the dead. We all were born again in Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago. Our citizenship is where God dwells. I claim a heavenly birth certificate, written by God for me when Jesus rose from the dead and Zion, the city of God is hometown for all of us—even if we may still be in a far country squandering our inheritance. He is still our Father who will run to meet us. Like you, reading Athanasius makes me want to shout Hallelujah!—but even more so, when I read Psalm 87, 1 Peter 1:3 and Heb 12:22-24 –What an awesome God who is with us in the Living Word!–Thanks for being obedient to your heavenly calling.
Thanks for your comments and encouragement, doulosophi! This is Gospel insight only the Holy Spirit can open our eyes to! It is truly fascinating how it can be seen throughout the entirety of scripture when you can see more clearly Who Jesus is (in the Trinity’s shared and free grace!) Keep reading the word and being encounteried by the Living Word who loves and likes you!
Peace, Love and Blessings!