The Loving God

Introduction:

Love has various meanings in various contexts. I love my wife, I love our Church and I love Pizza.

I love my wife with a lifelong, commitment until death. For better for worse; for richer for poorer; in sickness and in health until one of us dies.

I love this church and Lord-willing we will worship, grow and serve together for many years. But there will come a time, hopefully not for 20 years, when I will be physically or mentally unable to shepherd you as a church of Jesus Christ deserves. Many of you have very fond affection for some people who used to worship and serve here but for various reasons are sharing in the community of another congregation, yet we still love them as brothers and sisters in Christ. Within the church family we commit to each other to work through our struggles, to learn from each other and to seek God’s best in and through our fellowship.

I love pizza. Whether it is Chicago-deep dish from Giordano’s or Lou Malnati’s or it is the homemade pizza I prepare with a crust thinner than Casey’s flatbread. But there are some pizzas that will never even make their way to my lips. Put pesto or artichokes on the pie and I will choose the salad instead.

As we talk about God’s love today, it is imperative that we remember His love is not in competition with, but is enhanced by, His other attributes. In the last 2 months we’ve seen God as Eternally triune, Creator, Communicator, Merciful, Reigning, Ruling, Making and Keeping Promises, and Coming near to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. Today we zero in on a word that probably has 100 different understandings in this room alone. Let us look at God’s Word to see how He reveals His love to us.

Transition: Last week we saw that God offers and requires a new birth that requires us to look to Jesus in a similar way to how Moses lifted the serpent in the Wilderness. Then we read John’s reflections on the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus…

John 3:16–21 ESV:2016

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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

God’s Love is Absurd (Jn 3:16a)

God so loved the world…

Explanation

1. We think we are worthy of love.

Imagine a teenage girl holding a daisy and slowly removing the petals “He loves me, he loves me not”.

In her mind is she thinking “I’m the smartest, funniest, prettiest girl in the class so he ought to love me?

Is she thinking, “I’m the slowest, most self-absorbed, hateful and homely girl in the class, but maybe he’ll love me anyway?

Is she thinking, “Does he see me so that my good qualities outnumber my trouble areas?”

Is she thinking, “Does he think I’m better than Betty Sue?”

· We have the idea that “love is blind” so that when we speak of love we are only thinking about my and his or her good attributes, but eventually those irksome qualities show themselves.

A young man fell in love with an opera singer who had a beautiful voice. After a whirlwind romance and a hurry-up ceremony, they were off on their honeymoon together. She began to prepare for their first night together, As he watched, his chin dropped to his chest. She plucked out her glass eye, pulled off her wig, ripped off her false eyelashes, yanked out her dentures, unstrapped her artificial leg , and smiled at him as she slipped off her glasses that hid her hearing aid. Stunned and horrified, he gasped, “sing woman, sing, SING!”

–Chuck Swindoll, “Strike the Original Match”

2. How many of us either sent or received that hand-written note that read “Do you like me? Check yes or no” What we are really asking is “Am I desireable? Am I loveable?”

3. Now God comes along in John 3:16: “God so loved the world.” What is God saying to the world? Is He declaring the loveable-ness of the world? “The word “world” in John’s Gospel typically refers not to a big place with a lot of people in it but to a dark place with a lot of bad people in it.”[i]

· Remember, Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus who came at night (in darkness) in a condition that would not see the kingdom of God (unless he is born again). Verses 19-20 clarify John’s estimation of the world that God loves.

4. It is as if God is saying, “Yes, you have glass eye, wear a wig, require dentures and an artificial leg but I love you. Not because you’re loveable, but because I am that kind of God.”

Transition: This side of Genesis 3 the Bible always speaks of God’s love for us as extravagant and undeserved

God’s Love is Actionable (Jn 3:16b)

…that he gave his one and only Son.

Explanation

1. John (the evangelist) goes out of his way to describe how perfect the love is between Father, Son & Spirit. (see ch. 17).

2. God chooses to love us. God chooses to love this lost and self-destructing “world” in a yearning, inviting way.

I’m always amazed when I consider the difficult choice that loved ones make when giving permission in the hospital for organ donation.

It is hard enough when we do it in the Driver’s License office (where it remains somewhat abstract). But when it becomes real is when the Doctor asks can we disconnect the ventilator and begin the harvest of organs.

This is hard enough, but then when one considers living donation that puts the donor at considerable risk.

And I don’t know a single parent who would voluntarily terminate his or her own child’s life for the benefit of another, an enemy.

3. Jesus’ whole life was Love in action.

a. Jesus was known as “a friend of sinners” (Mt 11:19 & Lk 7:34). In the very next chapter (Jn 4) Jesus will spend time conversing at a well in Samaria with a woman of questionable morals.

b. Jesus noticed the hard lives that people were living and he gently invites them…

Matthew 11:28–30 ESV:2016

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

c. Jesus takes time to welcome the children that others think are a bother (Mt 19:14)

d. MT 23:37 is an inspiring conclusion to a rough chapter. In the first 90% of the chapter Jesus confronts hypocrisy and lawlessness with harsh direct language, then the chapter concludes with

Matthew 23:37 ESV:2016

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

e. Even as Jesus was bleeding and suffocating on the cross he cried out

Luke 23:34 ESV:2016

34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Transition: The Triune God loves us when we are rebels. The Second Person of the Trinity shows actionable love throughout His life and John continues by telling us…

God’s Love Provides Access (Jn 3:16c)

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

A Lesson in Opposites

1. Not perish / have eternal life

2. Condemn / save

3. As the Serpent came to Eve when she was innocent to initiate rebellion, Jesus comes to a guilty world and provides rescue.

4. Jesus dies not as our example, but as our substitute.

· Three chapters later (Jn 6) begins with identifying the time of year as Passover. Then Jesus performs a miracle with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Then the end of the chapter Jesus say…

John 6:51 ESV:2016

51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

· At first reading this sounds like some sort of cannibalism.

This time of year, our neighbors are involved in the soy bean harvest after the corn harvest that happened 4-6 weeks ago. Unlike the roasting ears of sweet corn that we enjoy in early summer, the plants that are harvested for grain have died. The plants have gone from green to brown and the ears and pods have released the kernels.

While city folk think that food comes from the drive-thru or Aldi’s, we know that bread and meat come from something that has died.

Either that wheat or rye has to die, or we will starve and die. Either that cow, fish or deer has to die or we starve and die.

· Something must die in order for something else to live.

· When Jesus says “I am the Bread that gives life”, He is saying, “either I must die so you can live or if I don’t die, you will!”

5. With this understanding of substitutionary death, or what Latin calls vicarious atonement, let’s read again

John 3:17 ESV:2016

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

6. Some mistakenly read this verse to mean ALL people are saved and NONE are condemned.

As our neighbors are gathering the soybeans. I have never heard a farmer moan about the leaves, stalks or pods that are left behind. There is a separation (a judgment of sorts) of grain from plant. The main purpose of harvest is to gather the grain, not to moan that the whole plant can’t go to the elevator. The main purpose of Jesus coming to earth was to focus upon those who would believe, not to claim that all will be saved.

Transition: The Triune God loves us when we are rebels. The Second Person of the Trinity shows actionable love throughout His life and John continues by telling us…

God’s Love Activates Faith (Jn 3:18)

John 3:18 ESV:2016

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

1. Last week we saw Jesus cite the example from Numbers 21 of having belief in the Word of God to obtain life.

2. Lord willing I will speak more about faith in 2 weeks, but do not want to conclude this sermon without clearly inviting you to put your trust in Jesus for your Salvation.

3. God’s light shines on our lives and shows us for who we truly are. We will either hate Him for revealing that or we will agree with Him and turn to His grace as our remedy.

4. V.21 indicates that the Faith that is activated in the one who believes is not only for Eternal life (v.18), but it shines in a way that permits the believer to come into light in this life and “do what is true” (v.21).

Transition: If God loves us like these verses say, it demands a response.

Conclusion:

Our first response ought to be gratitude. Some say that gratitude and humility make one weak.

John Piper, writes on the Desiring God website, “You say this encourages “weakness.” Not exactly. It encourages being strong in a way that makes God look good, and makes us feel glad. For example, Jesus said to the apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul responded, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.… For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9). So his dependence made him stronger than he would have been otherwise. He is strong with the strength of Christ.[ii]”

Our American Dream, bootstrap mindset tells us that strength comes from independence and self-reliance. This prompts many into believing that we can earn our way into Heaven by doing enough good religious things.

The truth is that God so loved the world that He gave his only Son as our substitute.

[i] D. A. Carson, The God Who Is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2010), 140.

[ii] John Piper, “Ganging Up on Gratitude,” Desiring God, November 21, 2007, http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2007/2504_Ganging-Up_on_Gratitude/.