This sermon has power point slides wich are available at the church website www.mtpbc.com.
God’s Greatest Promise - John 3:16
This monumental verse of scripture is God’s Greatest Promise.
It is the greatest promise in the whole wide world.
It begins with the two words
“For God “ It immediately answers the question of who?
Who is it?…It’s GOD!
What do you think about God?
Our God,… Jehovah God,… the One True God.
How would you answer… that question?
“What do you think about God?”
It seems a very natural response to say
“ well, He’s GOOD!”
We sing that song that I love to sing that says
“God is so good..He’s so good to me”
Make no mistake about it God is good.
The Bible says in the Psalms “taste and see that the Lord is good.”
However I think we are selling God a bit short when we sing
“God is So Good” because He is more than good.
He is marvelous, magnificent and majestic.
He is truly not just a good God but He is THE GREATEST GOD because He is the only ONE TRUE GOD.
And because all of this is true, Therefore He is
THE GREATEST GOOD.
The Greatest Good in all the world.
He is greatest good in all the world because anything that is good in the world has come from God.
James 1:17 says
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…
Do you believe that God is good?
Do you believe that God is the GREATEST GOOD IN ALL EXISTANCE?
If you believe it let me hear you sing it right now.
God is so good.
God is so good.
God is so good.
He’s so good to me.
He’s the Greatest Good… in all that exists, (Amen?)
Now let’s take this verse a step further.
If you were explaining to someone part of the many ways that God is good what is something you’re sure to mention of the quality of His goodness.
He is good in His GREAT LOVE (Right?)
God is good in His Great Love
Now, love isn’t really love…if it just sits on a shelf.
Some of you say well I love my husband or I love my wife, but what is it that you DO, that really indicates you love him or love her.
Some of you say
“I love my children,”
but what is it that your children can say that is the evidence of your love for them?
Some of you say
“I love God,”
but are you doing anything for Him, are you glorifying Him with your life, are you giving back to Him because He has blessed you so much?
If you say to someone “I love you” …
but there is no evidence of that love there is no action behind that love, then it really… isn’t… love.
Love is an action Word.
If love is not in action… than it isn’t love.
The greatest evidence of God’s love in action is found in Romans 5:8
There the Bible says :
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
What tremendous action, what Amazing Love.
For God SO LOVED – this was His action LOVE.
The Greatest Action is Love.
So we know who is bringing about this action…it’s God….
But who is the recipient of this great love?
The Bible says For God so loved THE WORLD.
Who is the world?
EVERYBODY>…IT’S THE WHOLE GLOBE, THE ENTIRE PLANET!
It’s the inhabitants of the earth…the whole human race.
God doesn’t just love somebody, God loves everybody and He will save anybody who will call upon His name and receive His free gift of salvation.
2 Peter 3:9 says
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Who does God want to save from their sin…EVERYBODY…the WHOLE WORLD.
The world is in great need. This planet is filled with a poison so thick that the fog of immorality and independent living aside from God is as thick as I have ever known it to be….and this is a desperate hour for our world …listen to me.
Our World Today…. Desperately…. Desperately Needs Jesus!
Our need is great. Beyond our reach and our only help is in God …through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The World needs Jesus.
I need thee…. Oh I need thee
Every hour I need thee.
The hymn says Every hour I need thee and we always need Jesus but in this day of dysfunctional families and drug ridden streets.
In an age where hopelessness is a rapid spreading cancer across America …we need to stand up and cry out
There is Hope!
There is a filling for every hunger
And a quenching for every thirst
There is an answer to your need and it is Jesus!
The world manifests the greatest need and what the world needs is JESUS.
So to answer our NEED God gave to us JESUS.
The GREATEST SACRIFICE.
God so loved the world that He gave His ONLY SON.
The only son, this is THE GREATEST SACRIFICE.
Not just any son.
But the very Son of God.
Not just a par average son
But the perfect Son…The Sinless Son.
Not just a nearly pure son.
But the prince of purity.
The spotless Son.
Jesus Christ the Son.
You see anything less would not have cut the mustard.
Anything less would not have made a difference.
Only the Greatest Sacrifice of the Sinless Son of God could wash away our sins and allow us to be restored to a holy God.
What can wash away my sins?
(nothing but the blood of Jesus)
Let me here you say it…
What can make me whole again?
(nothing but the blood of Jesus)
Oh precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
(Nothing but the blood of Jesus.)
Oh what a sacrifice,
That God would give His perfect Son for a sinner such as I.
A sinner such as you.
A sinner such as all of us.
But He loves us and so He gave to us ….this GREATEST SACRIFICE.
It is said today in our world that if you have enough money you can buy your way out of anything.
I wish it were not so…. but many are saying you could murder someone and if you have enough cash you can calmly walk away a free individual.
Some believe that you could be a sexual pervert and prey upon young children and victimize them and still get away without so much a serving a days sentence.
Money might buy some people freedom for their wrong doing but one day we are all going to stand before the judgement of all mighty God and everyone of us is going to be guilty of sin beause the Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Every one of us will stand before the holy God and we ALL will be guilty of sin.
When that day comes… if God asked me
“John, how do you plead” – there is only once response I can give to Him… in that moment.
I will have to say
“Lord, I plead guilty…but bloody.” Guilty but bloody.
Guilty because of my sins but bloody because I am forever under the precious blood of His forgiveness.
1 Peter 1:18-19 says this
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for… your…. sake.
My friends I hope this morning that you and I have something very much in common when I say to you that I live each day eternally grateful to God for THE GREATEST SACRIFICE that was ever ever ever made and it was made for me. ….and it was made for you!
You see it is your invitation.
This Greatest of Invitations belongs to you.
You ..are… part of the world…. and when God so loved the world that included you.
God loves the world and God loves you…and He offers to you a great invitation to come to Him and receive what nothing and no one else can give.
Jesus says come to me.
In Matthew chapter 11 Jesus said in verse 28
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus said if your weary and burdened …I’ve got an invitation for you…come to me and find rest.
Does anyone out there know what the worst burden in all the world to carry is?
It is the burden of our sin. And you know what…we don’t have to carry it around.
Not today…Not tomorrow…Not next week… we don’t have to carry the burden of our sin around.
Jesus gives us an invitation to leave it with Him.
Leave it there
Leave it there
Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.
You see….Jesus carried a cross up a hill called Galgotha and there He was nailed to that cross and suffered and bled and died…Why….?
So that He could offer us the greatest invitation that has been or could ever be given.
Jesus invites you today to stop carrying the burden of your sins around come and leave them at the feet of Jesus.
Maybe you’re here today and your saying
“well, how do I do that…I want to do that… BUT HOW”
You simply need to produce
THE GREATEST RESPONSE
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
THE GREATEST RESPONSE is to Believe in what Jesus did for you on that cross.
You should believe it.
You need to believe it.
And to just be completely blunt about it
YOU MUST BELIEVE IT… or else you will be condemned to Hell for all eternity.
The bible says that those who believe on Jesus shall not perish.
TO PERISH is the GREATEST HORROR OR THE GREATEST FEAR.
Listen to this
In John 5:24 Jesus said
“24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
There is a river in this life that we must cross and those who cross it do so by BELIEVING by placing their full faith in Jesus Christ and HIM ALONE…
But to those who stay on the other side of believing…those who don’t believe in Christ they are on that other side and they stay on that other side and they never make it to real life….to eternal life.
what did Jesus say?….
He said…. whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
I have got a burning question for you this morning …
Which side o the river are you on?
There is a waterfall ahead for all of us…. and it is called DEATH and if we are on the wrong side of the river…
If we have not trusted Jesus Christ and BELIVED on Him then folks we are more than just “up a creek” we are condemned to eternal torment and suffering in Hell.
Forever and ever and ever and ever.
Which side of the river… of believing…. are you on?
Eternal Life’s Side or the Side of Death?
You had better be sure,… because you never know when the waterfall is coming until your already there.
You don’t have to live in horror of perishing.
Know that you have trusted Jesus and that you are safely on heaven’s shore no matter what.
Know that you have ETERNAL LIFE.
Eternal Life is the GREATEST GIFT.
Eternal Life is the GREATEST GIFT…. and there is great news that comes with this gift.
It’s the gift… that one size fits all.
His salvation provided is for everyone.
It’s the gift that fits everyone
AND it doesn’t cost anything.
It’s the free gift of God the Bible says..not of works.
It won’t cost you a dime Jesus paid it all at Calvary.
And here’s…. really good news about this gift…
You don’t have to wait till your birthday or Christmas to receive it….you can receive it…. TODAY.
This is God’s GREATEST PROMISE and HE MADE IT TO YOU AND TO ALL WHO WOULD BELIEVE.
There is just one problem…you must take that step of trusting Christ in order for the promise to take shape in your life.
You can’t just say
“Hey I heard about the Greatest Promise…No you have to accept it you have to own it you have to make it WHO YOU ARE by praying to God and trusting Christ as your savior.
If you’re here today and have not done that…let’s wait no longer…let’s do it today and let Jesus work that greatest promise in your life personally.
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As you will notice I used some hymn references in the sermon where I began to sing or say the hymn and asked the congreagation to join me or to respond with the next line. This was powerful in our congregation but I realize this approach does not fit every group of believers so it can be used or left out.
I also used a very short video clip (THE GREATEST PROMISE) from a certain company (Igniter Media Group) you can certainly preach with or without the video but I found that the clip really set the tone for the sermon.
If you have ability to use such media in your service you may want to checkout their site or also sermonspice.com.
http://www.ignitermedia.com/index.html
http://sermonspice.com/
