GOD SO LOVES
John 3:16
Introduction
• If you could sum up the gospel in one Scripture verse what verse would you choose? You can’t do much better than John 3:16
• Most of us, if not all of us are familiar with this verse so I have chosen to read it from The Amplified Bible – John 3:16 - “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be ost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.”
• Like so many verses in the Bible, we may have become too familiar with the words. This verse comes at the close of the memorable dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus.
• Jesus had taught some remarkable and strange things – This high and mighty Jewish leader came to do what few Pharisees did – he came to learn from Jesus
• Nicodemus probably expected to hear some quick ABC’s – but he was startled by what Jesus said
• Verse 3- Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” [NIV]
• Verse 14 – “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up” [NIV]
• What was Jesus telling him? – Just as the poison of the snake bites killed many people in Numbers 21 even so the poison of sin is killing the world. Everyone is so infected with this poison that none of us can do anything to cure ourselves. [This is interesting because Jesus is speaking to a “holy” man]
• There was only one cure in Numbers 21. God had Moses make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Those who were bitten and looked at the snake on the pole would live – otherwise they would die like the rest.
• In the same manner – the only cure for sin in our lives was for Jesus to be lifted up on a cross to die for that sin. If anyone will look to that cross, repent of their sin, and ask Jesus to save them, then they will live – be born again – from above.
• A brass serpent on a pole or Jesus on the cross – it all seems so simple.
• “Isn’t that too easy?” you may ask. Well, it is easy for you, but not for Him!
• John 3:16 was the first verse I memorized as a child. I was saved almost 51 years ago when our pastor preached on this verse.
• What a simple message – God loves me and He loves me so much
• Do you think we could measure that little word “so”?
• Last Sunday I shared how Paul, the apostle, wanted his readers to experience all of God’s love. Look at Ephesians 3: 17b-18 with me. “…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” [NIV]
• Can we put down a yardstick and determine the width, length, depth and height of God’s love. Well, let’s give it a good try.
1. Wide as whoever
a. How wide? God’s arms encompass the entire earth so that all are included. As the song writer says, He’s got the whole world in His hands.
b. Verse 16 begins this way For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world
c. God loves all – He loves each one – He loves you!
d. This is one of the most personal verses in the Bible. It is more personal than if it said “God so loved Steve Wilson”
1) That would leave you out
2) It might leave me out because there are many Steve Wilsons
e. But when it says God so loved the world that means me and it means you.
f. Nicodemus and the Jews were ready to think of God loving Israel, but not the world.
g. God loves you, but He also loves the meanest, lowest man you can think of, and not any less than you. God loves us all the same. We are all sinners and not a one of us deserves His love.
h. God loves us because of the kind of God He is and not because of the kind of people we are
i. [Illus.] – A country boy was examined for church membership. He was asked how he got saved, he replied, “I did my part and God did His” They thought they had found a flaw un his theology and probed, “What was your part and what was God’s part?” He answered, “My part was sinning and His part was saving. I done run from Him as fast as these sinful legs and this sinful rebellious heart could carry me, and He done took after me until He done run me down”
j. This is the only way any of us is saved. God pursued us because He loves us.
k. Whoever – no certain limit – no “First 5 callers” – no “Only 100 tickets left”
l. How wide is God’s love? Whoever! That includes you!
2. Length by demonstration
a. What about the length of His love? Verse 16 continues that He [even] gave up His only begotten [unique] Son
b. The test of love is to what length it will go. Love is measured by the gifts it presents and the sacrifice it makes
c. [Illus.] - A young lady received the following note from her sweetheart - “I love you. I would climb the highest mountain for you. I would swim the deepest river for you. I would go through snow and hail for you” – PS “If it doesn’t rain Wednesday night I’ll be over to see you”
d. We demonstrate our love. And God has demonstrated His love by the extent to which He has gone – He gave His Son.
e. Romans 5:6-8 – “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” [NIV]
f. God is a giver. It is His very nature to give His very best and not hold back. God did not send an angel – He didn’t ask a sinful man/woman – He called on His very own Son – God could not have gone any further on your behalf.
g. [Illus.] – A boy was cured of critical disease. Not long afterwards his sister came down with the same disease. She was much weaker than he was and couldn’t fight off the disease. Medicine doesn’t help and the doctors are concerned. They finally decide that her only hope is for her to receive a blood transfusion from her brother. He had fought the disease off and maybe his blood would help her to do the same. They approached him about doing it. After a short hesitation, he agreed. As they were hooking up all the equipment to take some of his blood and transfer it to his sister, he looked up at the doctor and asked, “How long before I die?”. He thought that by giving his blood for his siter that he would die.
h. That boy loved his sister – proved it – was willing to die so his sister could live.
i. God has done more than that. He has given His Son for you – a sinner – a person not deserving. He died so you might not just live a little longer but forever.
j. He has gone the very length of love.
3. Deep as hell
a. Now let us attempt to discover the depth of God’s love. Verse 16 says …that whoever believes in [trusts in, clings to, relies on] Him shall not persish [come to destruction, be lost]
b. His love is as deep as hell. I don’t want to be unloving and unkind, but every person is hell bound and is a hell deserving sinner.
c. Many people think that mankind is on trial, that God wants to see if we will do better or not. This is not true. Look at verses 17-18. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” [NIV]
d. We are not before the Judge to see whether we are guilty or not. Each person is already a prisoner inside the prison of sin, and is asked if he/she will accept a pardon.
e. The best people in the world are sinners – centering their life around themselves instead of around Jesus – and would wreck heaven if he or she would be permitted there without a new nature.
f. But Christ comes to our prison and offers us a full pardon. He has already paid our sentence – took our hell.
g. Hell is real my friend. Jesus talked more about it than He ever did about heaven. It is the destination of each person unless they receive the pardon Jesus offers.
h. Look at Luke 19:1. “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through” [NIV]. Why did He have to go to Jericho? Because Zacchaeus was there. Jesus didn’t stay there. He was only there long enough to offer the pardon to Zacchaeus.
i. John 16:28 – Jesus says, “I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” [NIV]
j. Jesus entered and passed through this world. Why?
k. Because you were here and He wanted to save you.
l. Hell is as deep as you can go. Jesus went there for you. What love!
4. Height is infinite
a. What about the height of the love of God? Verse 16 finishes this way – but have eternal [everlasting life]
b. The height of His love is infinite – is heaven
c. I am going to heaven some day. You may think, “Well, you must be very good” On the contrary, I am not very good. I am going to heaven someday because Jesus died for me and I have trusted Him.
d. “Everlasting life” – Every time you see those words it means once you have received God’s life you always have His life
e. So many people think salvation is like rolling a ball up a hill, and you push and push and if you slip, down the ball goes and you have to start all over again. The Bible teaches no such thing.
f. Once you have become a child of God, you have never ending life. God gives me a life that never ends and never dies. Oh, the body will be disposed of in death someday but our spirits just take up residence in heaven.
g. Life now – QUALITY and later in heaven – QUANTITY and QUALITY
h. All this for a hell deserving sinner – WOW!
Conclusion
• What can I say? That is just like my Lord!
• [Illus] – Shortly after the Korean War a young lad wandered the streets seeking shelter form the bitter cold of winter. A night watchman noticed his situation and said, “GoMa [child], go to yonder house and say to the one who answers the gate, ‘John 3:16’”. “But I do not know what John 3:16 is”, replied the lad. Nevertheless desperation took him to the gate and brought that strange expression to his lips. He did not understand…but he whispered, “John 3:16”. The lady smiled and took him into her warm home. The lad was puzzled as he thought, “I don’t know what this John 3:16 is, but it sure makes a cold Korean boy warm” Seeing his gaunt cheeks, the lady soon had him seated before a steaming bowl of soup. As he ate, the lad thought again, “I don’t know what this John 3:16 is, but it sure makes a hungry Korean boy full”. After a bath he lay there on the warm bed with tears flowing down his cheeks. “I don’t know what this John 3:16 is,” he thought, “but it must be the most wonderful thing in the world. It makes a strange lady love a lonely Korean boy”.
• For God “so” loved the world – He came not to punish you but to free you. You punish yourself now and forever by not turning to Him
• God loves you and you and you – He gave His life – took our hell – so that we might be saved
• What is your response to that kind of love? God SOOOOOOOO loved.
• God loves you!!!! What are you willing to give to express your love for Him?
