Does He Love Me And Do I Love Him

Does He Love me? I love Him not!

John 3:16-21

Probably the best-known verse in the Bible is found in our text. Most of us have memorized it. Some of you have even learned how to speak it in a different language.

We sing about God’s love and as a child I am sure most can remember singing, “Jesus loves me”. We talk about His love and sometimes we even question His love with questions like; how can God love someone like me? Or does God really love me, if so why am I going through this.

But God’s love is the foundation of everything. If God did not love us, then why did He create us? If God did not love us, then why did He leave Heaven and come here on this world to die for us? If God did not love us, then why is He up in heaven preparing a place for us to spend eternity with Him forever? I don’t know about you, but if I have to spend eternity with someone then I sure would want to make sure that I loved them.

I was watching one of my favorite TV shows last week, “Joan of Arcadia” and God used it to inspire my sermon. Joan if you have not seen the show is a high school student who has a close personal relationship with God. He appears to her as different people and is always giving her assignments.

In this episode, Joan finds out that her boyfriend cheated on her. Although he says that he loves her, he chose to follow his own desires and it breaks Joan’s heart. And who is there to help her pick up the pieces? God.

And that is the way that God works. His desire is to have a personal relationship with Him. He cares for us. And when we hit our low and we think things are at their worst, God is there. And it this scene, He just wraps His arms around Joan and loves her. He didn’t lecture her or criticize her, He just loved her.

So this morning I wanted to spend a little time looking at this subject of God’s love and what it means to us and then ask the question, “Do you love Him? “

Consider the Source of the Love

God’s love was demonstrated in the giving of His only Son to die on the cross. Now before you go to sleep with the simplicity of the message, think about the sincerity of it.

I have two boys of my own. Now I would give my life for either of them, but I would not give their life for one of you. His “Only begotten Son”; and Jesus did not die for someone. He died for everyone.

Would you be willing to give your child to die for someone else? I wouldn’t! So who are the …

The Beneficiaries of the Love

“Whoever believes in Him”

Notice that not everyone benefits from His death. It is only for those who believe in Him. Now He died it for everyone, but not everyone accepts His gift.

I heard about a young man who was getting ready to graduate and it was customary in the neighborhood for parents to buy their children a car for a graduation present. The young man and his father went to the car dealership and he found a car that he loved.

After his graduation the father approached his son and handed him his gift. As the son opened the gift expecting to find something representing the car of his dreams, a look of confusion came across his face. Inside the box was a Bible. The father was always trying to teach his son about God and His love.

The boy disappointed, thinking that his father was trying to cram religion down his throat, threw the Bible down and ran off. He went with his friends to the beach and got a job while he was there and decided to live there.

He would talk occasionally to his mom, but he never once spoke to his dad. One day he received a call from his mom in tears, telling him that his father had a massive heart attack and had died.

The boy returned home and after the funeral while helping put his fathers things away he came across the gift that had caused the separation between he and his father. He took the Bible out of the box and as he opened it a piece of paper came floating to the ground.

It was a check written on the date of his graduation for the amount of the car that he and his father had chosen.

And that is how many respond to His gift as well. It is there. It is paid for. But many never accept the gift. So what is the…