5 Ways That God Shows He Loves You Series (Part 5 of 5)
For God So Loved...
Key thoughts from C. H. Spurgeon’s sermon, “Immeasurable Love”
John 3:14-17
Dec. 24, 2006 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor
Introduction:
A Opening Story
B As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:14-17 (NASB)
1 Jesus told Nicodemus how great the Father’s love for him truly was (essence of the text in a sentence).
2 God’s love for the believer has no limits (essence of the sermon in a sentence).
a I pray you’ll receive God’s gift of salvation by pleasing (or rededicating) your faith in Jesus Christ (objective).
b What does God’s love mean to you? (Probing question)
c Let’s look at two reminders of just how much God so loved (transitional sentence).
C Pray
I The Giver of the Gift
A For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...
1 What was the gift God gave? It was His only begotten Son-His beloved Son-in whom He was well-pleased.
a When the Father gave the Son, He gave Himself.
aa Jesus wasn’t (isn’t) “God, Jr.” who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped Phil 2:6 (NASB)
I and the Father are one John 10:30 (NASB)
bb God gave God for us when He gave Himself, He gave His all when He gave His only begotten Son (no greater love!)
b An old story is told how in the East a famine came & a father & mother were reduced to starvation, & the only possibility of their family staying alive was to sell one of their children into slavery (4 sons, which one?).
aa Not the first one, how could they spare their first? The second was the spitting image of the father, so mom wouldn’t think of parting with him, the third was a carbon copy of the mother, so dad would rather die than part with him, & the fourth was their Benjamin, their last, & they couldn’t part with him, either.
bb They concluded it was better for them to die together than to part with any of their children (we can empathize).
cc Yet God so loved us that, He seemed to love us better than His only Son & He did not spare Him that He might spare us.
2 When did the cross fit into God’s plan to bring the gift of salvation to humankind?
a From the foundation of the world! In the beginning...always God’s plan!
b The conversation between Nicodemus & Jesus is taking place at the beginning of His ministry.
c Jesus was always the gift of God!
B God sent His Son from heaven to earth.
1 He sent Him down to the manger where the ox had fed.
a The Creator of the cosmos is sent to work in a carpenter’s shop (drive nails, push a plane, use a saw).
b He sent Him down among the Pharisees & scribes, whose critical eyes watched His every move, cruel tongues slandered (mean to Your child).
c He sent Him to poverty & hunger, no place to lay His head.
d He sent Him to cruel men who beat Him, spit on Him, put a crown of thorns on His head.
e He sent Him to die a felon’s death, crucifixion.
2 The Father is sending/giving the Son right now as a gift.
a To anyone who puts out their hand, you’ll receive Jesus.
b Jesus is God’s free gift to all who receive, a full Christ for empty sinners.
c Nothing is freer than a gift & nothing is more worth having than a gift that comes fresh from the hand of God.
God’s love for us is shown in the person of Christ, but how do we lay hold of the gift? (Transitional sentence)
II The Getter of the Gift
A For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
1 “For God so loved the world” describes a love without limits, that knows no boundaries.
2 “That whoever believes in Him should not perish” is a descriptive limit.
a God didn’t so love the world so that just anyone who doesn’t believe in Christ shall be saved.
b God didn’t give His Son so just anyone should be saved who refuses to believe in Him.
aa Every believer is included in eternal life.
bb Every unbeliever is excluded & receives eternal death.
c “Whoever” is any of us who BELIEVE in Jesus (faith).
B “...but have everlasting life.”
1 The only faith/religion that will save you is the one that you cannot leave because it possesses you & will not leave.
a If you really believe in Him, you’ll not leave Him.
b Conflict? Struggle with sin? Question your state? YES!
aa If you believe, you will have storms of doubt & questioning as a sailor may on a ship that’s tossed about...
bb ...but-you’ve gotten aboard a ship that will never go down!
2 When I was lost I never felt conflict over my sin, my soul never felt guilt of sin, remorse over my faults.
a After I believed-conflict, guilt, remorse, doubt
b All of these are signs/evidence of Jesus living in my heart.
Conclusion
A
B We’ve looked at two reminder of just how much God so loved...
1 The Giver of the Gift
2 The Getter of the Gift
C I pray you’ll receive God’s gift of salvation by planning (or rededicating) your faith in Jesus Christ (objective).
D What does God’s love mean to you? (Probing question)
1 (IL)
2 We’ve all got our time on earth (30 years or 100 years)
a Will your life end when you’ve drawn your last breath, or will it just be beginning?
b Will you keep going long after your body has returned to dust?
c Will your life continue when the trumpet of the Lord shall stand & you stand before the judgment seat of Christ?
d Will your life outshine the moon, stars, sun?
3 As long as there exists a “God who so loved the world”, so will the believer!
a As long as there’s a heaven, you’ll call it “home”
b As long as there is Christ, you’ll live in His love
c As long as there is an eternity, you’ll delight in the Lord.
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