For God So Loved

Intro:

 In 2013, Billy Graham gave what many believe was his last sermon during a taped segment that was part of the “My Hope for America” campaign. Early the next year, his grandson Will Graham gave an update on his grandfather’s condition and relayed an important message during a meeting of Christian broadcast professionals. He told the crowd that his grandfather was in a condition that is natural for someone who is 95 years old. He said, “This is what my grandfather has said concerning his own death. He said, ‘One day you will hear that Billy Graham has died. Don’t believe it. On that day I will be more alive than I ever will be.” Will added, “And that’s the truth and that’s why he preaches, because this life is only the setup for the life to come.”[1]

Today we will be looking at a very familiar passage, turn with me in your bibles to John 3:14-17.

Chapter 3 starts out with a conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus. Nicodemus was pharisee a ruler of the Jews.

1. He came to Jesus at night.

2. He and Jesus have a conversation about being born again.

3. Jesus tells Nicodemus “Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things. “vs 10.

4. You see it doesn’t matter how religious you are or how smart you are, because Jesus told Nicodemus and us in verses 14-15  

John 3:14-15

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

NIV

                Numbers 21:4-9

Point 1 Why?

1. John tells us in 3:14-16 that God loved His creation show much that the only way to save it from sin was through the death of His dearly loved Son.

a. Because He created everything.

b. He created you, and me.

2. Charles Swindoll says

” Religion likes to pretend its God is good and loving, but in reality, all religious devotion is fueled by a secret dread that He is looking for an excuse to condemn those who do not please Him. While a holy God must punish sin in accordance with justice, He does not delight to destroy what He created and crafted with such care. God is the Author of life; sin is the cause of destruction.[2]

3. Why doe God love us when we are sinners? When we go against everything He stands for.

a. We are told in verse 14-16.

i. Loved the world

ii. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Point 2 Who?

1. Who is Jesus talking about here Himself or God?

“so that everyone who believes in Himwill not perish but have eternal life.” [3]

a. Father Son Holy Ghost.

b. Jesus says in John 10:30 I and the Father are one."

NIV

2. He is talking about all three of them.

a. I have three verses that speak of this, and they are all three found in the book of Genesis. Write these down in your bibles.

Gen. 1:26

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.[4]

Genesis 3:22 (HCSB)

22 The Lord God said, “Since man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.”

Genesis 11:7 (HCSB)

7 Come, let Us go down there and confuse their language so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

Point 3 But we deserve condemnation.

1. Romans 3:23 -24 says

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

NIV

2. You see we all have sinned.

a. You can’t be good enough.

b. Coming to church will not get you to heaven.

c. Giving to charities will not get you to heaven.

3. What gets us to heaven? John tells us right here at the end of Vs. 16.

John 3:16 b

 that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

NIV

a. Isn’t that great!

4. What are you going to do with this information?

a. Are you going to share it?

i. If you had the cure for cancer, wouldn’t you share it?

b. Are you going to respond to it?

c. Are you going to keep it wrapped up in a cloth like the servant with the one mina in Luke 19:11-27.

Conclusion: Close your eyes and bow your head. If you don’t know Christ today I want you to pray after me, it is simple.

Dear God,

I know that my sin has put a barrier between You and me. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to suffer the penalty of my sin by dying in my place so that that barrier would be removed. I trust in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of my sins. In doing that, I also accept His free gift of eternal life, which is mine forevermore by Your grace.

Thank You.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.[5]

If you have not been living for Christ but are a Christian, you can pray this same prayer because we can never be to from our Father.

[1]Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell, “Billy Graham Dead? Don’t Believe It,” in 300 Illustrations for Preachers, ed. Elliot Ritzema (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015).

[2]Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on John, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 73.

[3]The Holy Bible: Holman Christian Standard Version. (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2009), Jn 3:16.

[4]The Holy Bible: Holman Christian Standard Version. (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2009), Ge 1:26.

[5]Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on John, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 75.