God Actually Loves You

Welcome

Alright, good morning friends!

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Dan at OTS

Alright, if you have a bible with you, meet me in the New Testament book of John. Today we’ll be in chapter 3 looking what is probably the most well known verse in the New Testament. John 3 and we’ll be in the first 21 verses today.

Introduction

When our daughter was young, I tried to instill a family rule - it failed - but I think it was a good rule.

You know this about me already, but words are very important to me - specifically, the right words used at the right time!

Well, as I was thinking about what it would look like to raise a daughter - to help her make sense of the world as she grew up - to make sense of a relationship with Jesus - I naturally started to think about the kinds of words I wanted (or more importantly) didn’t want to use around her.

And the word I tried to protect more than any other was: Love.

Of course, I told Evelyn I loved her all the time…

But what I wanted to be careful with was what else I said I loved around her. Because, at the same time, we will say we love the most meaningful people, items, or experiences in on our lives. And then turn around - and use the same word to talk about our favorite Ice Cream…our new favorite show…a book we just read…

And of course we don’t mean it in the exact same way…right there’s no way I love Lion Cub cookies in the same way that I love my daughter, right?

One is a cheap version of the other. It’s an over-the-top-way to communicate that we have a preference for something.

And so I would play the “word police” with my parents and in-laws…even Courtney…subtly correcting every time they would say they loved something that they didn’t really love.

Man, in real time, I’m realizing how much of an annoying first time parent I probably was! Courtney would have loved for me to shut up about it.

But I think my concern is still valid!

Because, you see, something powerful happens when we trivialize love…when we use it too often…and don’t reserve it for only those things that we actually love.

It becomes casual. It becomes cheap. And it slowly becomes unbelievable.

And I say all this because cheapening love does far more than potentially send mixed messages to your kids. It actually makes us callous to what should be the most radical - life altering claim of the Bible…that God actually loves you.

You see, with even realizing it, that idea - that weaves its way through the entire biblical storyline - becomes too casual…it ends up becoming too cheap…it ends up becoming too unbelievable.

But what I want to do today in the few moments we have together is show you why actually believing this simple truth will absolutely transform everything about you. It’s my desire that we are leave here, overwhelmed and overcome with the message that God actually love you.

So if you’re not there yet, open with me to John 3.

I’ll pray, and then we’ll get started.

PRAY

The Logic of the Pharisees

Alright, let’s go ahead and get started. Remember, the thing I want you walking away thinking about today is this: God actually loves you.

Right from the beginning there are a few questions we should be asking to help us make sense of this passage.

Look with me at v. 1 (John 3:1)

John 3:1 ESV

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

What is a “Pharisee”?

Here’s the first question: What is a “Pharisee”?

Now, if you’ve been around the church for a while, you might have an answer ready to go - they were part of the professional religious class in Israel. And in the New Testament, we are often given a picture of them as overly strict religious leaders - they oppose Jesus and his earliest followers. Usually, we put them in the category of being with the “bad guys.”

But I think the Pharisees kind of get a bad rap.

Because we often misunderstand what they were trying to do. And I actually think this becomes dangerous because many of us might be a whole lot more like the Pharisees than we think…

You have to understand - this was a group of religious leaders that was absolutely convinced of God’s Holiness. They had such a high regard for God and God’s word - giving much of their lives to copious memorization of the Law of Moses (much of the Old Testament). They studied day in and day out to make sure they knew all of what God had commanded in the Law. On top of that, they wanted to make sure that the rest of the Israelites were practicing obedience to God’s law.

And part of how they did this was through their own set of regulations. They would look at one of the commandments, and be so concerned that they could break it, that they would put “fences” up around that particular law.

Let me give you an example.

The book of Deuteronomy explains the commandments God gave to Moses for the Israelites…they were to obey these commands which included regulations on what they could and couldn’t eat.

Deuteronomy 14:21 (ESV)

“You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

We can read this today and say here’s what it means: if you’re going to eat young goat’s meat - it should not be cooked in the milk of it’s mother. That seems pretty straight forward.

The Pharisees looked at this command and said, “We want to be absolutely sure that we’re not breaking this.” So they would put prohibitions up around the command so that people wouldn’t come close to breaking the actual command. So it’s not just a baby goat in it’s mother’s milk - but any goat with any kind of Goats milk…but because you can’t be absolutely sure that the milk you might use is 100% free from the mothers milk - the regulation was broadened to goat and any milk. Then any kind of red meat and any kind of dairy. In fact, the current Kosher regulations our Jewish friends observe today around dairy and meat all come back to this passage!

And I tell you all of this, not to impress you with some background information, but so that you have an accurate picture of the kind of worldview Nicodemus had when he approached Jesus.

See, he had a kind of relationship with God that was largely based on “What if…”

“What if I’m not doing the right thing?” “What if I make a mistake?” “What if I do it the wrong way?” “What if I fail?”

And I think right there we have something worth considering…because how many of us often bring the same kinds of unspoken questions to our own relationship with God?

“Am I really doing what I’m supposed to be doing?” “What if I mess up?” “What if…”

You see, in a strange way, we might be a lot more like the Pharisees that we think…

What is Nicodemus doing at Jesus’ house?

Here’s the second question: What is Nicodemus doing at Jesus’ house?

He’s there at night - meaning, he doesn’t really want to be seen with Jesus - but he’s got a few questions based on the things he’s seen and heard about Jesus.

Look at v. 2 (John 3:2)

John 3:2 ESV

2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

Essentially, he wants to know how to be apart of God’s Kingdom - which is a really a way of asking, how do I ultimately make sure, when all is said and done, I’m on God’s side?

And Jesus knowing what Nicodemus is really asking about gives an profoundly unhelpful answer - at least to the surface level question.

Look at v. 3 (John 3:3)

John 3:3 ESV

3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Right…

Born again…

What does that even mean?

Well, there’s a bit of a play on words going on here, because that phrase we translate in English as “Born Again” actually means something more like “born from above”…which Nicodemus would have understood Jesus to mean to have some kind of spiritual component - after all, God is “above” and so to be born “from above” would have something to do with your relationship to him.

The question Nicodemus has, though, is how? How do you have that kind of relationship with God where you are on his side? Where are you in His kingdom?

And you can tell that as Jesus is talking, it is not really what Nicodemus wants to hear - because there doesn’t seem to be much he can actually do to ensure that he’s apart of the Kingdom. Essentially Jesus is telling him, to see the kingdom, you have to be apart of the Kingdom…and without being apart of the Kingdom - you can’t enter it!

It’s a bit circular - but Jesus knows what’s he’s doing.

See, its a bit of a commentary on the religious worldview of the Pharisees - because Jesus is talking about an exclusive group - those who are in the Kingdom. The Pharisees believed God was interested in creating exclusive groups - that they alone had really figured out the secret ways of pleasing God - and that they alone were on the road to perfection and that the way to maybe join them was become perfect like them!

And this - even outside of 1st Century Judaism - is a familiar pattern because this is the inevitable cycle that all religious systems produce, isn’t it? There is a group of people who get it…who get it right…who do it right…and everybody else is really on the outside…but there really is no clear way to join that exclusive group - because it seems like the rules always change -get bit more strict - and you’re never quite able to measure up to the real leaders…

And what is hiding beneath the surface of this whole system is this nagging question that the religious leaders had…the same one that we often have…

“What if I’m not doing enough to be on God’s side? - or however we might put it… What if I’m not serving enough…giving enough…generous enough…praying enough…fill in the blank

If we’re honest for a moment - we have to admit that for so many of us - like Nicodemus - we have a “what if” kind of relationship with God.

For some of you…your entire engagement with Christianity has been framed around your ability or inability to do enough of the right “Christian” things.

And the insidious part of the whole this is that a “what if” kind of faith always keeps us wondering. And we know how devastating that is in our most meaningful relationships right? Like if you are always left wondering where you really stand with someone! It’s completely exhausting. But how much more intense is it when thats what our relationship with God is like?

And so we find ourselves just like Nicodemus knocking on the door - asking to enter - only to find out that the only ones who can see what’s inside house are the ones born inside the house.

And so you keep trying - because that’s what you’ve always been told to do.

Or, you walk away…which may be the thing you’ve been quietly contemplating for a while now.

And again, I tell you all of this because I think John wants us to identify with Nicodemus and his frustration of not being able to just get in himself!

But you see what Jesus is setting up - and what John will explain - is that following Jesus actually flips this whole “what if” - points system we’ve created on it’s head! Because if you’re looking to get in by being enough or getting enough “points”, Jesus answer is “You’ll never have enough.”

You can’t be good enough. You can’t be generous enough. You can’t pray enough…serve enough…give enough.

BUT

But God So Loved

God so loved…

Look at v. 16 (John 3:16)

John 3:16 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

You see, this verse that for so many roles off the tongue - this verse that is so familiar…so common - is not a stand alone comment about believing in Jesus.

It is the climactic moment in the message of Jesus - the divine response to our deepest fear…that the one we naturally wonder about…the one we fear will exclude us…the One we innately feel we must impress enough…actually loves.

Who?

Well, John makes it super clear who he’s talking about here - and his language is pretty shocking when you think about it.

See, for the most part, ancient religions did not speak of gods “loving” people. The Greek and Roman gods were believed to engage with humans - but not because they loved them. In fact, among the ancient worldviews of this area, Judaism was unique in it’s insistence that God loved his people. And in the Old Testament, you have a few places that would indicate a general love and kindness God has for those whom He created but the the focus was always on Israel as his loved people.

But here is John coming along saying not only does God love but He loves - the world! For ALL kinds of people! But more specifically, John here is talking about God’s love for people who do not love Him back!

He loves people, to borrow from Nicodemus’ situation, he loves people who are on the outside. He loves the people with the what if fears. He loves the people cannot do, give, serve, pray, enough. He loves those on the outside who can’t get themselves inside!

How God Loves

How?

Look at the second half of v. 16 (John 3:16

John 3:16 (ESV)

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

He gave His only Son.

Those us familiar with the rest of the New Testament, will recognize this as theologically loaded language!

To say that God “gave his Son” is to say that he gave his son up…over…as a sacrifice in our place!

Paul says it this way in Galatians 2:20

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

And to say that God gave his son over for us is to confirm our Nicodemus’ fear and our fear…that on our own, we haven’t done enough. That we haven’t lived the life God called us to live…that we have failed.

And yet the story of the Gospel shows us that even in our failure, God did not reject us or push us away. No, in our failure he shows us His love by giving his son to live the life we should have lived, and die the death we should have died!

And all this in order that…so that…

Finish v. 16 (John 3:16)

John 3:16 (ESV)

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

In other words, God loved those on the outside…he gave His son for those on the outside…so that those of us on the outside would be welcomed in! And the way in is not that old “points” system…it’s not the what if game we are so accustomed to…the way in is simply by faith in Jesus! It is when we shift our allegiance from ourselves or anyone or thing else to Jesus!

You see, friends, the startling reality of John 3 is that in Jesus, we are liberated from the endless mind games of every other religious systems. We are liberated from the “what if” kind of relationship with God - no longer left on the outside trying figure out the secret sauce of getting it all right - of getting our lives together - of wondering if we’re doing, being, serving, giving enough!

Believing We are Loved

And what I love about this passage is that this is an invitation.

It’s an invitation to end of the “what if” game we are so accustomed to…an invitation I believe we accept over and over again.

You see, John 3 is an invitation into the stunning reality that God actually loves you. He actually desires relationship with you. He actually wants you to know Him - to enjoy Him!

It’s an invitation for you, today, maybe for the first time to end the “what if” game and enter in to Life as God intends it - life the way it’s meant to be lived - everlasting life. And the way is faith - not your ability - or perfection.

It’s an invitation for you, today, maybe for the 100th time to actually believe that you are already loved! That even after following Jesus for years, you need to be reminded that God has not called you to the “what if” game. That you can find rest and enjoyment in your relationship with Him!

Conclusion

Think back to how we started our time today - and that somewhat ridiculous rule I tried to enforce with my family about the word love.

Do you see now why I don’t want it to become too familiar…too over used…too common?

Because the news that God actually loves you should never become stale! It should never cease to amaze and grip…that we are actually loved.

This is why for generations, followers of Jesus have been so moved by God’s love…this is why a passage like John 3:16 has so captured the imagination - is so memorable - because it speaks to our deepest need as humans.

Let us be a people who are overwhelmed by God’s love. Floored by it!

Let me close with this:

In 1916 - Fredrick Lehman was an incredibly wealthy business man living on the cost of southern California. In an a sharp series of financially devastating events, he lost everything. In the matter of a year, we went from the top of the economic ladder to the very bottom - working in some of the hardest labor conditions just make ends meat for his family. [EXPAND]

And yet, it was in this setting, confronted by his own situation that someone shared words that would eventually become part of hymn would write:

“Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made; Were every tree on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry, Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.”

If we tried to find the bounds of God’s love - and write all that could be said, we find that having exhausted every pen, all the paper, and every drop of ink, we’d still have more to say!

Let’s pray.