The Ledger

There is probably no greater summary of God's love ....than that which is found.... in John 3:16.

Martin Luther called it ......the miniature gospel.

One Sunday school teacher .... kept a copy of this verse in a walnut shell on his desk .....because he was taught as a child..... that John 3:16 ...is the Gospel..... in a nutshell.

John 3:16 was the verse..... through which ........D. L. Moody ....came to appreciate ......the greatness of God's love. (Pause)

Moody had been on a trip to Britain ......in the early days of his ministry .....and there ....he met a young English preacher..... named Henry Moorhouse.

One day Moorhouse mentioned to Moody, ....."I'm thinking of going to America."

"Well," said Moody, ....."if you should ever get to Chicago, .....come down to my church .....and I will give you a chance to preach."

Moody did not mean to be hypocritical when he said this......he was merely being polite.

Nevertheless, .....he was saying to himself ....that he hoped Moorhouse .....would never come.

For Moody had not heard him preach .....and had no idea .....what he would say.

Sometime later, .....after Moody had returned to Chicago, .....he received a telegram from Moorhouse ,.... "Have just arrived in New York. ......Will be in Chicago on Sunday"

Moody was perplexed about what he should do, .....and to complicate matters .....he was just about to leave .....for a series of meetings outside the city.

"Oh, my," he thought, ....."here I am about to be gone on Sunday,..... Moorhouse is coming, .....and I have promised to let him preach."

Finally he said to his wife and to the leaders of the church, ......"I think that I should let him preach just once.

So let him preach once; .....then if the people enjoy him, .....put him on again."

Moody was gone for a week.

When he returned he said to his wife,...... "How did the young preacher do?"

"Oh, he is a better preacher than you are,...."He is telling sinners ......that God loves them."

"That's not right," said Moody. ....."God does not love sinners." ......"Well," she said, ..... "you go and hear him."

"What?" ....."Do you mean to tell me...... that he is still preaching?"

"Yes, he has been preaching all week, .....and he has only one verse for a text. ......It is John 3:16."

Well ...... Moody went to the meeting.

Moorhouse got up ......and began by saying,

"I have been hunting for a text all week, ......and I have not been able to find a better text..... than John 3:16.

So I think we will just talk about it...... once more."

And He did.

Moody said it was on that night .....that he first clearly understood ......the greatness... of God's love.

Hear Gods word to us today :

BIBLE "For God so loved the world.... that he gave his only Son, ....so that everyone who believes in him..... may not perish..... but may have eternal life." END

It is only one sentence.

And that sentence contains only .....twenty-seven words.

Yet From this one verse .....we can find a number of wonderful eternal truths ....concerning the love of God.

(1 Finger) " For God so loved the world,"

The Greek word ..... for world (kosmos) .....has been defined as..... "the ungodly multitude; the mass of mankind alienated from God,"

This is the world ...... this is the Kosmos ....that God loved.

Were we to picture.... a pristine world,.......fresh from the hand of the Creator ...... and uninfected by evil, ......we could more easily comprehend .....God's desire .....to love.

But a way-ward world ......which not only failed to recognize its maker (John 1:10) but openly hated God's approach (15:18) would seem a poor choice... for love.

Beloved ....God's love ..... is not based on our spiritual condition .....Or on our moral predisposition.

It is not based on our behavior...... or on our attitude toward him.

Rather we see..... that God's love for mankind ......is absolute ..... it is unrestricted.

This Love ..... This Grace.....sets him apart from every other god..... held up....... by every other ....world religion. (Pause)

Buddhists follow ....... The four Nobel Truths

It is not .... A gift of grace....It is a reincarnation through works.

You will be reincarnated to various levels depending on how good you are.

Hindus believe in karma, .....that your actions continually affect the way the world will treat you; ...... that there is nothing .....that comes to you ....that is not set in motion .....by your actions.

The Jewish code of the law .....implies God has requirements ....for people to be acceptable .....to him.

In Islam God is a God of judgment .....not a God of love. You live ....to appease him.

Only Christianity..... dares to proclaim .....that God's love .....is absolute...it is unrestricted.

A love .....that we call..... grace.

And grace ......is all about God.