FOR GOD SO LOVED
JOHN 3:14-21
Introduction:
Our kids have been working on learning the verses we read tonight. This past week, Daniel was trying to say them to Kayla and got John 3:16 a little mixed up. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only FORGOTTEN Son.”
That’s an easy mistake for a 4-year-old, but do we make the same mistake? There is no verse more familiar to us, but I think we might sometimes forget how important it is. We can rattle it off and recite with no difficulty. Tonight, we want to pause and meditate on the significance of this verse.
As soon as Christmas was over, the stores were quick to remind us that Valentine’s Day is the next holiday. Everything is decked out in pink and red. Cupid and hearts and lips all over the place. You won’t forget… at least you better not. Your spouse won’t be very happy if you forget to express your love on Valentine’s Day.
Let’s think for a few moments about God’s Love this evening.
I. The Extent of God’s Love
“How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure” by Stuart Townend
Let’s just pause and emphasize this little 2-letter word—so. God SO loved the world. How descriptive this little word is! God SO love the world. His love is real. His Love is deep. His love is an honest expression—God is Love.
A. His love extends past every barrier.
Romans 8:35-39 KJV Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The love of people is limited by prejudice, by fear, by selfishness. They “love” when it is convenient. True love… God’s love crosses every barrier. Every wall of resistance or rejection will not stop His love.
B. His love goes on forever.
Jeremiah 31:3 KJV The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
It’s sad when you see beautiful families torn apart. The covenant of marriage is discarded and the family disintegrates in divorce. Kids are torn between Mom and Dad. Everyone in the family is hurt and wounded but especially the kids. Very often they spend their lives wondering, “How could my own dad walk out on me?” Or “Doesn’t Mom want me anymore?”
God’s love goes on and on. Love never fails! Love endures all things.
C. His Love reaches all of the way to Calvary.
God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.
1 John 4:9 NIV This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
I John 3:16 ESV By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us…
When we catch a glimpse of the cross of Calvary, we are seeing the love of God in action. Here is the love of God—Jesus dying on the cross, suffering, bleeding and crying out “Father, forgive them” before he breathed his last. Let every view we have of this gruesome crucifixion scene bear these words: FOR GOD SO LOVED.
John 15:13 KJV Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
His love extends all of the way to Calvary when he laid down his life for us.
D. His Love extends all of the way to You and Me.
Whosoever! Now that’s an amazing word too. His love reaches all of the way from heaven to our sin-cursed world, to the cross of Calvary, and along the course of history to you and me.
God’s love is not a vague, gushy feeling for the world in general. No, it’s a heart-rending, unending love for each one and every one of us. A sacrificial, self-giving love. A love that gives and gives in spite of rejection. His love is not dependent on our returning the love back to him.
>> Illustration: A Love-letter lament
Dearest Jimmy,
No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement. Please say you’ll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me. I love you, I love you, I love you! Yours forever, Marie.
P.S., And congratulations on willing the state lottery.
Source Unknown via sermonillustrations.com
God’s love is not a fickle self-absorbed love that only loves for what it might gain. God’s love is not a small-minded prejudiced love touches the good, great and noble of society.
Romans 5:6-8 KJV For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 4:10 KJV Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
“How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure” by Stuart Townend
II. The Intent of God’s Love
The question now remains: Why? You ask, “Why would God pour out His love on me?”
A. He wants you to live forever!
John 3:16-17 KJV For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting LIFE. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
We all were facing God’s wrath because of our sin. John chapter 3 refers to this as condemnation.
We sinned by our own rebellious choice. We were destined to eternal death because of our sinful deeds. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…”
Paul describes our miserable sinful condition like this in Ephesians 2:
And you were DEAD in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us ALIVE together with Christ…. Ephesians 2:1-5 ESV
1 John 4:9 ESV In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might LIVE through him.
John 10:10-11 KJV The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have LIFE, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Are you alive tonight? Do you have spiritual life? Do you have eternal life? Life is found in Jesus Christ. Will you believe on Him?! Whoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
Let’s add another answer to this question>> Why would God pour out His love on me?
B. He wants you to be part of His family.
1 John 3:1 KJV Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Chosen. Accepted in the beloved. Adopted into the family of God. We were enemies of God, but now we are reconciled with him and welcomed into His own family.
My mom and dad opened our home to foster children when I was in my teens. They were superb foster parents and recognized by the state as Foster Parents of the Year one year. It was hard though. The kids were so insecure when they arrived. We would do our best to love on them and gain their trust. Those years spent with these precious kids hold special memories. But the time came for them to go back to their real parents or to adopting parents. How hard it was to let them go! But the dream of every orphan is for a forever home and we were happy that they found that.
And because of God’s love, we can find our forever home. Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God. Yes, we are welcomed into God’s forever family.
Conclusion: God’s love extends past every barrier. No matter what wall you might build to resist God’s love, He loves you still. God’s goes on and on forever. He loves you with an everlasting love.
His love extends all the way to Calvary. It reaches all the way to you and me. And He loves us with the intent and desire of giving life to all who believe Him. He loves us because He wants us to be part of His forever family.
Max Lucado—“Since he couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without you, He chose the nails." This is God’s Love!
