RC SERMON 3

Perfect Love

John 3:14–21 NKJV

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Backgroud: Nicodemus a religious leader (Pharisee) asked Jesus how can one inherit the Kingdom of God, Jesus tells him that you must be born again (vs 3)

And then goes on to explain the Love of God and the consequences of rejecting Jesus Christ as lord and savior

I: A picture of indescribable love of God!

vs 14: Even in the old testament we see the perfect picture of the coming messiah, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the Son of man be lifted up

vs 15 that whosoever shall believe I him should not perish but have everlasting life

vs 16-17: for God...Loved the Word… He sent his son… Jesus Christ… that whosever believeth in Jesus …. should not perish but have eternal life…. not to condemn the world but that the world through Jesus Christ might be saved!

Moses lifting up the serpent:

The background for these verses is Numbers 21:4-9. Edom had denied Israel permission to cross its land on their way to Canaan (Num. 20:14-21). God told Moses not to fight against Edom (Deut. 2:4-5). So, Moses turned the people southeast (the Promised Land was northwest) to make a long, difficult journey around the land of Edom.

At this point, the Israelites grew impatient. They had just seen a victory over some Canaanites (Num. 21:1-3). Why couldn’t they march through Edom and kill any Edomites that opposed them? So as they turned southeast, they grumbled against God and Moses (Num. 21:5), “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food.” As a result of their grumbling and despising God’s gracious provision of manna and His taking care of them in the wilderness all these years, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people as judgment, so that many died. I understand the “fiery” serpents to be snakes whose bite burned like fire before you died.

This time the people acknowledged their sin, came to Moses and asked him to pray for a remedy. People were dying. They needed relief. God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole. Everyone in Israel that had been bitten would live if they would look to the serpent.

So even in this great revealing of the Love of God… His sending His one and only Son… we see Judgment…. Due to our sins we are under God’s Judgment just as the Hebrew children were under God’s judgment with Him sending the fiery serpents…. And as the golden serpent was lifted up by Moses as a chance of Salvation from their judgment so was JESUS CHRIST LIFTED UP UPON CALVARY’S CROSS AS OUR ONE AND ONLY HOPE OF REDEMPTION FROM SIN!

All have sinned…. All have fallen short of God’s glory and the wages of those sins are death…. Eternal separation from God.

Jesus Christ was did not come and dwell among us and face the brutal torture and death upon the cross to condemn us but to offer FORGIVENESS…. LOVE THAT KNOWS NO END…. HOWEVER IF WE CHOOSE NOT TO ACCEPT HIM THEN HIS DEATH AND BURIAL AND RESURRECTION SHOWS OUR GUILT…. IT REVEALS OUR TOTAL REJECTION OF GOD AND GOD IS GLORIFIED IN HIS JUSTNESS BY POURING OUT HIS JUDGMENT UPON US.

II: Lack of belief results in our condemnation vs 18

eternal damnation into a fiery hell burning with brimstone and eternal separation from God with no chance of redemption. Jesus Christ is the way the truth the life no one comes to the Father except through the Son…. There is NO OTHER WAY …. NO OTHER NAME THAT ONE CAN BE SAVED EXCEPT JESUS CHRIST.

Belief: trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something.

Our actions…. Our thoughts… the way we live reflect our beliefs… our convictions what we hold too…. What we are.

Does your life, the way you live reflect that you truly believe in Jesus Christ?

We cannot be good enough…. We cannot earn favor with God…. We cannot earn our Salvation…. It has been paid in full by Jesus Christ if we BELIEVE in Him as Lord and Savior and if we TRULY BELIEVE IN HIM OUR LIFE ACTIONS WILL SHOW IT…. OUR THOUGHTS WILL REFLECT IT….. OUR FOCUS AS WE GO THROUGH EACH DAY WILL REVEAL WHAT WE TRULY BELIEVE.

III: The Condemnation vs 19-20

Light has come into the world- Jesus Christ is the Light but men love darkness- love sin

addictions cheating

adultery stealing

lust perversions

violence abortion

lying lack of obedience to God

pride

hypocrisy

List goes on and on

Sin …. men love to walk in darkness… our desires reflect our true beliefs and rejection of the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross and it is shown by MAN’S EVIL DEEDS!

Vs 20 reveals that every one that does evil hateth the light as the light reveals our darkness…. Our sin…. AND WE RUN FROM THE LIGHT, WE DON’T WANT TO FACE IT …. JESUS CHRIST AND THE WORD OF GOD REVEALS US FOR JUST WHAT AND WHO WE ARE

UNREPENTANT …. LOST…. BURDENED BY SIN… HELD CAPTIVE AND IN GREAT NEED OF A SAVIOR

BUT IN VS 21 WE SEE THAT HE THAT DOEST TRUTH COME TO THE LIGHT…. ALLOWING THEIR DEEDS TO BE MADE MANIFEST ALLOWING THE BLOOD AND SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST TO BLOT OUT TO COVER AND CLEANSE ALL OF OUR SINS AND IT IS AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS WHERE WE FIND FORGIVENESS!

Now you can say but I am a Christian I believe in…. Jesus but _________________ fill in the blank

I still struggle with sin- we all do and will

but I don’t have time – we make time for whats important

but I cannot commit to attending chruch and sunday school regularly- God’s word tells us not to forsake the assembly, that iron sharpens iron and that communion and fellowship with saints is needed to help each of us grow in christ… Rejecting this is rejection the Word of God…. It is sin before our God

BUT I cannot commit to prayer- you cannot find time to pray and get closer to God until you start doing it… allow the Spirit to lead you as your pray…. And when you have no words to pray know that the Spirit prays for you with uttering and groaning and that our Mediator Jesus Christ is at the Right hand of God!

BUT I cannot commit to daily bible study- if you believe in God and desire to be closer to him you will make time…

BUT I just don’t feel close to God- God hasn’t moved farther away… you have just ran from him in unrepentant sin…. That why we don’t hear him, that’s why God feels so far away!

A certain little boy greatly missed his father, who was separated from the family for the long time by military duty. But the boy was comforted by a picture of his dad that sat in a frame on his nightstand. When he was frightened at night, he would state at the picture and imagine his daddy was watching over him. It did not work one night. His mother, hearing his weeping, came into his room and asked what was wrong. Through tears, he answered, “I want daddy to come out of the frame.”

Has this ever been your experience? You know the heavenly Father is real. You know he is good. You know he loves you. Yet there are times when God seems to be in a frame. It feels that God does not hear your call, see your need, or feel your pain. God seems far away

BUT I AM BAD… I HAVE A SECRET LIFE AND SECRET THOUGHTS--- GOD ALREADY KNOWS CONFESS THEM AND ALLOW HIM TO OVERCOME THEM!

etc…

Your response to these scenarios show that

Either 1 you have head knowledge and believe the story of Jesus and are LOST NOT BORN AGAIN

OR 2 YOU HAVE HEART KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEVE IN JESUS AND HAVE BEEN REDEEMED BY HIS BLOOD BUT HAVE UNREPENTANT SIN THAT IS HARDENING YOUR HEART AND AFFECTING YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.

BUT GOD....

COME AND LAY THOSE SINS AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS…. COME

JESUS GAVE IT ALL FOR YOU….. AND HE WANTS ALL OF YOU