In this sermon the text is honored, the problem addressed, the treatment in depth, the structure taut, the words not excessive, the gospel lucid - all for the sake of the hearer.

A sermon is something made as well as something said. What gets said is inextricably bound up with the way it is made (said). For a message to be heard as intended, it must be said so that it will not be heard in any other way.

This sermon exemplifies that principle.

The gift of God’s grace has always been, and continues to be, a scandal. The scripture today is about one of those scandals of grace, that of rebirth.

Not infrequently we hear a great deal about "being born again." This label is often used by some to distinguish certain Christians from others. While not all who use this term claim to be "more Chri…