It has been said that this is one of the greatest verses in all the Bible. It contains so much that it is vertually inexhaustable, for example we can see in this passage the Revelation or the unveiling of the Heart of God, it says "For God so LOVED the world.." I thank God that he is a God of Love, and I wish that I could truely describe the Love of God, but my finite mind could not even begin to describe to you the Love that God has for you, But I discovered something the other day as I was studying a little on the Love of God. Turn if you will to the book of 1 John 3:1 " Behold, what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.." You see he has given to you and I this same kind of Love, Agape Love, a love with no strings attached, notice the word Manner I discovered the same word being used over in the book of Mark 4:35-41, you remember when Jesus got into the boat and told his disciples Let us Pass over to the other side, and when they set sail a storm arose it was so fierce that the ship began to take in water, and his disciples began to panic, and then they realized that the Master was in the hinder part of the ship asleep, and they went to awake him and asked him, carest thou not that we perish? The Bible says that he arose and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace Be Still, and at that moment the storm ceased and their was a great calm. Do you remember their response, the Bible says they feared exceedingly and said one to another what MANNER of man is this. You see at that time they realized that they were not dealing with no ordinary man, they realized that this man Jesus was an out of this world kind of man, and that describes Gods love for you and I, you see it is an out of this world kind of Love, God Love is an extraordinary kind of Love, aren’t you glad though that he even loves you and I even when were unloveable, thats describes God’s Love.
But not only does this verse show us the Revelation or the unveiling of God’s Heart which is Love, but it also gives us the Revelation or un veiling of God’s Will, notice it says " that whosoever believeth in him should NOT PERISH.." You see God doesn’t want a single person to die and spent eternity in a devil’s hell, he doesn’t want a single person to Perish, in fact in 2 Peter 3:9 it says " The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but is Longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." You know why he is longsuffering to usward because of his Love.
But I noticed something about this verse that I never noticed before, their are 25 words in this verse, it starts with God and ends with Life, but right in the middle of it all is the word Son I found that the truth of this verse is centered around the Son. The words or thought radiate majestically around the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe this Illustrates the position God has given to his Son, He is the Center of it all... YOU SEE GOD HAS NO PLANS, NO PURPOSE FOR YOU AND I WHICH DO NOT CENTER IN THE PERSON OF HIS SON, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, EVERYTHING HINDGES ON THE SON OF GOD.... Let me show you what I mean
#1 OUR SALVATION- Notice it says that whosoever believeth in him, who is the him, it is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ
Acts 4:12 " Neither is their salvation in any other, for their is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we MUST BE SAVED
Acts 10:43 " To HIM give all the prophets witness, that through HIS name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." You see their has never been but one plan of salvation preached by every prophet of the O.T. or N.T... You see salvation was not by keeping of the cermonial law, not by sacrificeing, but by putting your faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The same today it is not by putting on a new leaf on life, it is not by church membership, it is not by baptism, it is not by performing some church ritual, no it is by putting your faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said in
John 14:6 " I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE NO MAN COMETH TO THE FATHER BUT BY ME.
1 Peter 2:24 "WHO HIS OWN SELF BARE OUR SINS, IN HIS OWN BODY ON THE TREE THAT WE BEING DEAD TO SIN SHOULD LIVE UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS BY WHOSE STRIPES YE ARE HEALED."
Titus 3:5 "NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WE HAVE DONE BUT ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY HE SAVED US BY THE WASHING OF REGENERATION." You see it is not what we do but according to what he has already done on calvary, and then trusting in him. Notice to what it says in Romans 10:9 THAT IF THOU SHALL CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS AND SHALT BELIEVE IN THINE HEART THAT GOD HATH RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD THOU SHALT BE SAVED." No where does it say anything about what I have done. What I’m trying to show you is that GOD HAS NO PLAN, NO PURPOSE FOR YOU AND I THAT IS NOT CENTERED AROUND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
#2 OUR VICTORY IS CENTERED AROUND HIS SON.
1 Cor. 15:57 "BUT THANKS BE TO GOD, WHICH GIVETH US THE VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." Let me say something here, we base our victory or our circumstances. I mean if we have good health, good job, good marriage and everything is going the way we want it to, then when we come to church on Sunday and they choose to sing that song O VICTORY IN JESUS, we’ll sing it loud , just shouting away, but you let the circumstances change and we’ll sing it with our heads hung low and deep down inside be saying yea right, but let me tell you something your victory should not be based on your feeling but in Jesus. Turn over to Matt 14:25-32{read} Get the picture here Jesus tells his disciples to get in the ship and go to the other side and he departs up into a mountain to Pray, they cast off and late into the night a storm arises, and Jesus comes to them walking on the water and they become afraid thinking it is a spirit, and they cried out for fear, but Jesus tells them Be of Good Cheer; it is I; be not afraid, then bold Peter yells out Lord if it be thou bid me come unto thee on the water, Jesus said come on down Peter and so Peter comes down out of the boat and begins to walk on the water. Can you imagine the excitement, the thrill he must have been experienceing at that moment, as he has his eyes focused on Jesus and he is walking on the water, let me say something there is no greater blessing in this life to be doing what Jesus wants you to do, but let me caution you the moment you get in the will of God you mark it down the old devils going to try and get you discouraged he is going to try and get you to give up to sink if I might say that, he’s going to try and get you to take your eyes off of Jesus, it’s no different now as in Peter’s day, look at Peter , I believe he is just a shouting the victory, the devil throws a few waves in front of him to get him to take his eyes off of Jesus and what happens he begins to sink, what am I saying as long as were focused in the right direction we can shout the victory, what was the difference here, the waves were always there, remember they were in the middle of a storm he got out of the boat and still walked on the water, what happen , he took his eyes off of Jesus, You see we can shout the victory in the middle of a storm when we looking in the right direction, it doesn’t matter about are circumstances.
1 John 4:4 "YE ARE OF GOD, LITTLE CHILDREN, AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM; BECAUSE GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN YOU THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD." You study the word of God and you will find ALL that have kept their eyes focused on Jesus have come out on the other end with a shout. Look at THE THREE HEBREWS CAST INTO THE FIERY FURNANCE. What happen when they were confronted by Nebuchadnezzar to bow down they replied in Dan 3:17 "IF IT BE SO OUR GOD WHOM WE SERVE IS ABLE TO DELIVER US FROM THE FIERY FURNANCE AND HE WILL DELIVER US OUT OF THINE HANE O KING." Let me give you three things from this acount that if you will keep your eyes focused on him when cast into the furnace will happen when you come out victorious on the other side
#a. Increased Faith Look at Verses 21-29
#b A closer walk with God
#c. Greater influence with others
You see people are looking to see how you react when the bottom falls out, they want to see if you really trust in the God you serve. When we get down hearted, discouraged, quit and give up they don’t want what you got, but when we learn to trust in him and show them that are victory is in him and not in our own doing then we will have a greater influence on them and will be able to show them that God does care
Ps 55:22 {read} Is. 41:10 {read} Is. 43:2 (read}
1 Peter 5:7 {read}
YOU SEE GOD HAS NO PLANS< NO PURPOSE FOR YOU AND I WHICH IS NOT CENTERED AROUND HIS SON
#3 OUR GOING TO HEAVEN
1 Cor 15:20 " BUT NOW IS CHRIST RISEN FROM THE DEAD AND BECOME THE FIRST FRUITS OF THEM THAT SLEPT."
You see because he rose from the grave that gives you and I the assurance that we to will rise to meet him in the air
#4 THE SECOND COMING Jn 14:1-6 {read
Acts 1: 11 You see I know that one day he coming back to take his bride out of this sin cursed world. Let me ask you a question are you ready to meet him. Many say yes But let me remind you that 1 John 3:1-3 says that if you have this hope in you that your going to do all you can to keep yourself pure. I really believe that many will be ashamed that day why because we will be faced with the fact on how little we done to prepare for his coming Look at 1 John 2:28 " And now little Children abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming." I believe that many fail to realize who it is that we will stand before. You see GOD HAS NO PLANS OR PURPOSE FOR YOU AND I THAT IS NOT CENTERED AROUND HIS SON
#5 OUR JUDGEMENT Jn. 5:22 "FOR THE FATHER JUDGETH NO MAN, BUT HATH COMMITTED ALL JUDGEMENT UNTO HIS SON."
You see whether your saved or lost you will stand before Him and give an account of your life.
Rom. 14:9-12
You see Jesus is the Center of it all, GOD HAS NO PLANS< OR PURPOSE FOR YOU AND I WHICH IS NOT CENTERED AROUND HIS SON>>>>> Let me ask is he the center of your life? Have you trusted in him as your personell savior? Do you base your Victory in him? Are you ready to stand before him?? I Pray this message will cause you to develpoe a closer walk with the One who Loves you more than anything else, in fact so much that he gave his all for you.
