Easter 2023: The Only Remedy for Sin //John 3:16

Have you ever messed up like messed up really bad, especially with somebody that you love?

How do you feel? You know, you did, you feel very miserable and and sometimes even feeling like a shameful and and when that happens to know that all of you can relate, it's not only me. But all of us have messed up at some point. And we desperately needed somebody to forgive us to look at us and says, AA, you know, it's okay, I forgive you, we can move on from that point on anybody, he might happen when I was dating, my I would even dating. I called it courting, my wife was just like phone calls and emails. I know that might sound strange to you. Young people who are dating now. Yes, that's what my wife and I used to do a lot of fun calls and e-mails back and forth button my shirt because that's the only jacket I can actually button. Okay?

Recording. And then just just start talking to one another and I I just said something really stupid and then she just cut me off.

For full 24 to 48 hours, she would not answer my calls. She would not answer my emails and a brother was just dying.

I could not eat. So, I decided to go on a fast. That was my first real fast.

She just cut me off. But let me see. I was like, I desperately wanted her to say. It's all right, let's move on. Okay, but during the 24 to 48 hours, that was the longest for me. He is not going to say oh my God is this over and we done you know what am I going to do? You know, I think this is her

I think that that's what happened when we messed up, it's like really what what I was waiting for hers to is to rescue me. This is to be my savior in the moment. I don't feel she did that. I just was never comfortable, but you see. That's where all of us, are you see? All of us have messed up. We all have a certain problem and that's what the Bible says. In Romans 3:23 says, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, that means that I'm a mess and guess what, you also are the best. And God says a because of that all of us need a savior and that's why Easter is so important. All of us have a disease, a disease, we call Sin. What does send means? Then simply means that we missed the mark, God is the one who created us as the Creator, God designed how our lives supposed to go, how we are supposed to live. But anytime we go outside of that framework that God has for us. That's what we call sin because we are missing that Mark, we going outside of the plans that God has for our life. Because God, as our Creator, God also has a plan and a purpose for each of our life. And anytime we go outside of that plan, which we go soon when we go outside of the purpose that God has for us, we Miss the mark and this morning I just want to talk to you simply about a very popular bible. Verse you all should know by heart, is John 3:16 because all of us have a problem. Guess what? Only the sun is your solution when you have a sin problem. The sun is your only solution. So let's look at John 3:16 together. It says, for God. So loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him. Should not perish, but have eternal life. I love the way that the verse starts and says for God. What messed up? What did God were messed up? Or did we mess up? Even though we messed up, but God is always the initiator. You see, when you messed up with your friend, when your friend mess up, did something wrong to you, do you initiate and say, hey, let's fix that or you waiting for the person with messed up to come to you. Be all of us were waiting for them to come to us but not God. She is a, no, no, no, I still love you. I am going to initiate forgiveness and God says, for God. So loved the world. See, that's how much God loves us. God loves us so much gas has even when you messed up. That's what I want to make it right with you. I want to fix that because you see it always starts with God for God. So loved the qualifier there. It's not like for God love you but it's for God. So loved you. A lot of stories about my wife today, I'm very formal in my address book, my address book. I'll just put your first name and your last name and guess what I did for my wife, I'll put her first name and her last name until one day, she had my phone and I had her phone and then I called her. And then when she looked at the phone, she said, she just so like it just seeing her first name in her last name, and then she answered the phone today. Is that what I am to you? I'm just know. Amy Brazil to you. Just a really. Okay, I'll change that for you. So she wanted my address so we can change it to my sweet wife. See so now when she calls me, it doesn't say know any bravil but this is my sweet wife. But that's what God does for. God doesn't just have a generic love for us to see but God has a special love for his. That's where it says for God. So loved the world. You see God doesn't just have a generic love for you but God has a special love for you. God. So loved you another way you can put it is just to say for God. So loved me. Save the world is too general for your things. The people of the Wilson God is in hate for God, so loved me. So you can put your name there in the worst wishes for God. So loved me that he gave his only son, you say, when God gives us a good thing, See God gives us the best. So God as a problem, you see God since the best to solve the problem, see because we have a sin problem. God says am going to give you what my son and all of us will have kids you know you not going to give you a kids want, anybody? Okay, cuz you want your kids to stay your kids, but Jesus, God. So loved us and gave his son Jesus for us that whoever That means everyone believes in Him. Should not perish. The Bible says, the wages of sin is death.

So really the only way that God can be just because he is the judge of all. The only way, he could be Joyce's that he had to pay. The punishment himself is like you go to work or Truman desert judge there and the judge really wants to free you. But what you did, he has to punish you because that's a good judge. He cannot just let you go free. See but the only way to get out of that is that the judge after he pronounced sentencing, the wages of sin is death. A this is what you did. You going to jail for five years or you have to pay this fine but the only way the judge can get out of it to not punish who's that the judges to go and pay the fine himself. Or the word substitution that he goes to jail himself for you so you can be free What's Happening Here for God. So loved the world that he gave his only son because the wages of sin is death, that means the payment for sin is death supposed to die. But God still love you guys and I don't want you to die. I'm going to send my son to die in your place. And now all that you have to do, you only have to believe it's like you're receiving that gif. You see a gift is not fully, until it is receive. See if I give you a gift for you and you never extend your hands to take it. You just never received the gift and that's where you got that. The way we receive it is by believing. God says, once you believe that wherever believes in him, hey, the wages of sin is no longer than death but the gift of God is eternal life for God. So loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him, will not perish, but have eternal life. So God says, I want you to live the full life. I want you to have eternal life. So four lessons, we can learn on Easter for lessons. We can learn on Easter Easter We need to learn to love better. Give sacrificially, believe faithfully and live fully. So the first one at Easter, we need to learn to love better. We need to love better. See if it is, we love because God, first loved us in 1st John, 4:19 again, God, always initiate. The God, is the one who's for suing us. Isn't that crazy? You messed up and then that's the person that is pursuing you. That is true love. See, God is always the source of love in Romans 5:8 it says, but God shows his love for us in that stayed with me while we were still sinners. Christ died for us. Do you see the depth of God's love? God's love when it says for God. So loved the world, that's how we loved us, even when we were messed up. Even if all our mess, whatever we doing wrong, guess what? God loved us before we even repented before we change course. You can think of whatever you want to thank you, know, that the worst thing that you could ever do whatever you do, God loves you while you were still doing, all the bad stuff in all. You're messing us. If everything that you've messed up, that's when God love you. Not, when you repented, God, love was always there. But God shows his love for us while we were Sinners. He died for us. Isn't that crazy that God will die for you when you're not doing the right thing? And he paid the ultimate price for it? That's true, love right there. That is true love, and that's exactly the way that God loves us, but I know that in our world because it's so fall in there. So many people that I messed up, that I've done crazy things to us and then somebody might be asking you. What about those who have hurt us deeply? Do we still have to love those? Yet, the way that you love them, is that you forgive, and you let go, you forgive and you let go, you don't seek to retaliate. That's how you love people. Who have hurt you deeply. You don't seek to retaliate you. Leave the Judgment up to who Up to God. It does not mean to let that person back into your inner circle. They have to earn your trust again, but you can learn to forgive You see if you don't mean the marriage relationship and in a spouse is beating the other the way you love. You know, you live it to the government to deal with. Okay? Because there's a Ministry for that. Okay? It's going to prison ministry. Okay. You let the government deal with that cake but you can release that person but you can let God be the judge and you don't seek to retaliate. That's how you love them in those cases. Does that make sense?

I need some of your saying I'm saying, I don't have any more love to give, I've been hurt. I've been beaten down, I don't even know myself anymore. But you know you have more love to give than you think. Look at Romans 5:5 it says and hope there's not put us to shame because God love has been what?

Poured out into our hearts. For the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us, do you have more love to give

The Bible says God is love. God is the source of love so he got as pulled out his love into your heart. Do you have more love to give me, even when you don't feel like you have any more love to give guess what? You still have more call on God, call on the Holy Spirit to help you love. When it is difficult to love me. Is that you have more love to give then you think, so at Easter, we need to learn to love Sade with me better at Easter. We need to learn to love. Come on, don't sleep on me at Easter, we need to learn to love. All right, this is going to be a better world today because everybody's going to love ya. At Easter, we need to learn to give sacrificially for God. So loved the world that he gave his only son is he? That was so wonderful. Last Sunday, when we went to Rolling Fork and serving a lot of you but things that we didn't ask you if you just but then you should read that down to give to people a lot of you contributed to pay for stuff. You volunteer, you give you a time to do that, that's giving sacrificially cuz you didn't have to go down and you could go and just kick it at home, put your feet up and watch some TV and see. But that's what we need to continue to do Easter is a time for giving. We need to learn to do so, sacrificially, love, we can give without loving. But we can't love without giving. We can give without loving but we can't love without giving gentleman try that with a woman that you love. Don't ever give her anything. She said, good luck. Don't listen to that. Okay. I told lies a lot and a lot and a lie. K. We can give without loving, but we can't love without giving your letter. You just go and clean up your closet because you don't want those clothes anymore, and you just give them away. Is there necessarily love him there? You actually you got to clean your closet. But I suppose you give somebody something you actually want to keep for yourself that is giving sacrificially. Make sense we can get it without the loving, but we can't love without giving 2nd Corinthians. 8 325 says, 4-day gave according to their means, as I testify and beyond their means of their own accord begging to Ernest Lee for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saint and this night as we expected. But they did what gave themselves first to the Lord. You see, when you want to learn to give, you need to learn to give yourself first to who God, once you give yourself to God, then you don't have a problem giving of your time of your talent and of your treasure for the benefit of others, because God calls us to be generous in our time to be generous with our talents, and to be generous with our Treasures. So, if I were to ask you how much of your time is dedicated to spiritual growth, we have 24 hours in the day. If we take away age, you sleep for 8 hours. So we have 16 hours that much of that time that you dedicate to spiritual growth, reading your Bible to pray your day. How much is that time? Is dedicated to spiritual growth, one more hour. Okay. So you still have 7 hours in the day. How much of that is dedicated to Jose? I got to cook for my kids. Okay? My husband, he loves to eat. If you know, I got to cook for my wife. I got to do this. I got some homework to do. Right? Okay, let's give you 5 hours. Still have to what are you doing that 2 hours? How much of your time is dedicated to spiritual growth? How are you using your gifts to serve the needs of others? Who are you using your gift to serve the needs of others? We have to meet each other's need, we have to meet each other's need. And how are you advancing God's kingdom. How are you? Advancing God's kingdom. How are you advancing God's kingdom with your resources? How are you advancing God's kingdom with your resources? You have to use your resources to advance God's kingdom. The bottom line is, when you learn to give sacrificially, you are becoming more like Got it doesn't see the Christians in Macedonia. The first gave themselves to God and then all the other ones to give their time, their talents, and their treasure was easy because what because they have given themselves to, to God, I like participation because they had given themselves to God. So the first thing is to give our self to. Okay? So not only at Easter, we need to learn to love better. We need to learn to give sacrificially for God. So loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him. So at Easter we need to learn to believe Faithfully or believe firmly in God's word. Romans 15 verse 13 says, may the god of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. So that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope you see, may God fill you with hope to acts 4 verse 12 says and there is salvation in no one else for. There is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved. What is that name? Jesus Christ. So Easter as a time to believe Faithfully. Jesus says, I am the way I am the truth and I am the life. Do you see the rest? No one comes to the father, except to me. Is there any other way to heaven? Is there any other way to God? Only blue. Jesus. John 11. 2526 is Jesus said to her, I am the read this one with me. I am the resurrection, and the life will ever believe in me though. He die, yet shall he? Live? And everyone who lives and Believes In Me, shall never die. Do you believe this? Leave the man alone? Let him run around. Do whatever he wants to do. Okay? He is see. Yes. Come and help me to preach. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection. You want to see something come and eat them in touch with me cuz I'm right here. There you go. So, let's talk to them. Right here. Okay, you ready? Okay with me now. You got car. Car is more important. I agree with you. Good? See, Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life ever believes in me. Joe, he died. And you shall live here. That only you, they didn't hear, they didn't hear ya and have them focused for me, okay? But you see if we know somebody here could make us live forever. What would we do? We all will be lining up there, right? We would pay whatever amount of sound that we can. But that's what God is saying. That's what God is giving us. God is saying a everyone who believes in Jesus, you shall never die. Come on, let's read it. And then, say, hallelujah. After that, you're ready. I am the resurrection. And the life will ever believe in me though. He die, yet shall he live? And everyone will lives and Believes In Me. Shall never die. Do you believe this? Come on. Do you believe this?

Amen. All that Jesus is giving us an invitation, everything. You think, sometimes, you might go somewhere and somebody invite you, you meet the right person and then what happened? Just totally changed the trajectory of your life, your career, or your life, or you meet somebody, and it's just change your life. And that's what the Bible is saying. You are a, once you get that invitation, when Jesus said, whoever believes in him, will not perish. Guess you will not perish. You're tired of me. Okay? Okay, you can go now know or you can sit right here. Yeah, there you go. I got you a place b e c in in Acts Peter says, but Peter and John answer them whether it is right in the sight of God, to listen to you. Rather to God, you must judge for. We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard to receive God. What's a receive God guess what? I took it too far.

Once you receive God, you just need to be infatuated with Christ. So here's the bottom line, the very fabric of our society is rooted in faith. Therefore you can choose to believe in God, OK? Google leaving thing. So is that true? We all go to restaurants? Do they cook the food in front of you? Do you know what they're putting in the food? But we all eat it, right? When you're at a traffic stop and then you driving on that green light, do you trust the other driver not to be crazy and not drive on that red lights? Do you?

Is it the very fabric of our society is based on? What

So when Jesus says, whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life. Can we believe? Yes, we can not only at Easter. It is time for us to love better at Easter. It is all the time to give sacrificially at a time for us to believe faithfully. And lastly, at Easter. It's a time to live fully to live fully. See, the way that the way to truly live is to live, how God has design for you to live. Got it. So at Easter, we need to learn to live fully for God. So loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish. What does it say there? Does it say will have eternal life? Look at the text? What does it say? But have eternal life? The eternal life is something you have right now, you're with me, you can have eternal life right now, it's your quality of life. The peace that you live in the joy j. But contentment that you live in the eternal life starts right here and right now because Jesus says you have eternal life, Jeremiah 2:13, put it this way for my people have committed to evil, they have forsaken me, the Fountain of Living Water, and who announced cisterns for themselves broken cisterns, that can hold no water. He's our problem today a little bit about putting our hope and things that can do anything for us. A lot of us are putting our hope in temporary things. Can you do whatever it is that you name it? And then we think that this is going to bring us joy, this is going to bring us happiness. This is going to do it for me. It's this next thing. We always in pursuit of that next thing But Jeremiah says ate all those things. I just broken cisterns. All this thing that you put in your hope in really, the thing that satisfies Jesus Importacion 5:11 to 12, it says in this is the testimony that God has given us, eternal life in this life, is in his son. Whoever has the son has life, whoever does not have the sun does not have life. See, when you have a sin problem. Only the sun is your solution. John 10:10, says, the thief comes only to steal into kill into destroy. I know you were tired of me. Saying that verse I came that you might have life and have it. How? Abundantly. God wants you to live abundantly. In every way in your life. So you should not have a great life, you need to have a great life because God designed for you to have a great one. Bottom line is true, life is only found in hope. In Christ shoe life is only found in Christ, is the message in a nutshell because of the power of the Resurrection. Now, with God's help, we can love better. We can give generously. We can believe faithfully and live fully. Because of the power of the Resurrection. Now we've God's help. We can love better. Give generously believe faithfully and live. Fully is my question for you. What are you going to do with Jesus? What are you going to do with Jesus? Jesus says, whoever believes in me, will not perish, but have eternal life. What are you going to do with Jesus today, father. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your love and your help us. Lord. God to truly believe in you, to learn to love better to give sacrificially.

To believe faithfully and firmly in your word. And help us load got to live the full life that you have created for us.