Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.08UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.07UNLIKELY
Fear
0.07UNLIKELY
Joy
0.63LIKELY
Sadness
0.51LIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.36UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.01UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.86LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.78LIKELY
Extraversion
0.13UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.69LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.71LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Live Forever in the Light of the Lord!
The Gospel of John
John 3:17-21 (Reading vs. 14-21)
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - June 29, 2016
(Revised July 13, 2019)
BACKGROUND:
*Tonight in John 3, we will finish the crucial conversation that began when Nicodemus the Pharisee went to see Jesus by night.
The Lord explained to Nicodemus that we must be born again spiritually in order to have everlasting life in the Kingdom of God.
Our main focus tonight will be on vs. 17-21, but for context we'll begin reading at vs. 14.
*For background, remember that in vs. 14-15, Jesus said:
14. . .
"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."
*Nicodemus was very familiar with the Lord's comparison in vs. 14.
This Old Testament story is found in Numbers 21:4-9.
There God's Word is talking about Moses and the Children of Israel.
After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, it was almost time for God's people to go into the Promised Land.
But they were still mumbling and grumbling against both Moses and God.
*Listen to what happened in Numbers 21:4-9:
4. Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.
5.
And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?
For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.''
6.
So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
7. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.''
So Moses prayed for the people.
8. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.''
9.
So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
*Look and live!
That was the only hope for the Children of Israel who had been bitten by those fiery serpents.
And it's the only hope for people today!
*Fourteen hundred years before Jesus was born, God gave an Old Testament picture of what Christ was going to do on the cross for us.
The holy, holy, holy Son of God was going to become like a hated, dead snake on a pole for our sins.
That why in vs. 14, Jesus said: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up."
*With this background in mind, let's read vs. 14-21, and as we read please think about living forever in the light of the Lord.
MESSAGE:
*Take a moment to think about our sun.
We tend to take it for granted, because it's up there in the sky every day.
But our local star really is amazing.
It's 93 million miles away, and 864,000 miles across.
About one million earths could fit inside!
That boggles my mind.
And the sun is hot.
At the core of the sun the temperature is 28,799,540 degrees Fahrenheit! (1)
*Without the heat and light of the sun, life as we know it could not exist on the earth.
The sun is essential.
But the real Light of the world infinitely more essential.
The sun is amazing.
But the real Light of the world infinitely more amazing, because Jesus Christ is the Light of the world!
*God wants everybody to live forever in the light of the Lord.
And tonight's Scripture shines God's light on some vital things we need to see.
1. THE FIRST IS GOD'S RICH SALVATION.
*And we can see it in vs. 17, where Jesus said, "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him MIGHT BE SAVED."
*Thank God that the Father didn't send His Son here to condemn us!
It surely would have been a whole lot easier for Him.
And we surely did deserve His condemnation!
But out of God's great love, the Father was willing to sacrifice His only begotten Son on the cross for our sins, and the Son was willing to take the punishment for our sins on the cross.
*Hebrews 9:24-28 gives us great news about the Lord's sacrifice for our sins:
24. . .
Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
25. not that He should offer Himself often, as the (Old Testament) high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another
26.
He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
27.
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
28.
so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.
To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
*Hebrews 7:24-27 also says this about Jesus our risen Savior:
24.
But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.
25.
Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.
26.
For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;
27. who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
*Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.
That's why here in John 3:17, Jesus could say: "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
*And Christians: Our salvation is secure!
We can see this truth in the first part of vs. 18.
Here Jesus was talking about himself in the third person, and the Lord said: "He that believeth on Him is not condemned!"
*In other words: He who believes in Jesus is not condemned today, tomorrow or forever!
That is absolute security!
There is no condemnation in Christ!
As Romans 8:1 says: "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."
*Christians: There is no condemnation in Christ!
This is true when you lay down tonight, and when you get up in the morning.
Next week, next year, for as long as you are in this world, you are not condemned!
And when you leave this world, you are not condemned because you have trusted in the Savior who died for you.
You are not condemned, because the Lord said, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned!"
*Watchman Nee told a great story about a new Christian who came to see him.
The man was in deep distress, and said, "No matter how much I pray.
No matter how hard I try.
I simply cannot seem to be faithful to my Lord.
I think I'm losing my salvation!"
*Then Pastor Nee wisely told him, "Do you see this dog here?
He is my dog.
He is house-trained.
He never makes a mess.
He is obedient.
He is a pure delight to me.
Out in the kitchen I have a son, a baby son.
He makes a mess.
He throws his food around.
He fouls his clothes.
He is a total mess.
But who is going to inherit my kingdom?
-- Not my dog.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9