2.4.7 1.16.2021 The Light of Love John 3.16-21

Start

Entice: We learn things by repetition. Times Tables. Spelling Words. Vocabulary. The love of God. We have heard John 3.16 thousands of times. It never gets old. It is not a waste to invest a lifetime in understanding the mystery of God's love. At the end of that life lived in such a search, we will still only barely understand God’s love.

Engage: Each of us have heard, read, and memorized John 3.16, & 17 and other lessons of God's love. We spend a lifetime trying to understand and continue to apply those lessons, to expand upon them, to grow in them, and to extend that love to others.

Expand: I have already, in virtually every sermon I've preached from John this time around, mentioned that, whatever the immediate topic, lesson, or incident at hand John always gets back to Jesus. God's love begins with Jesus. God's love ends with Jesus. The unfolding and understanding, and experiencing, and even me, now proclaiming the love of God is always resolved in Jesus.

Excite: All true love is known by and understood through its actions and by its expressions. God's love is no different

Explore:

The ultimate expression of God's love is Jesus.

Explain: Today we have the joy of following the unfolding expression of God's love for us.

Body of Sermon: It begins with the familiar words.

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.

Words which express the

1. Price paid by Gods love.

He Gave His wholly unique Son to meet our greatest need.

Next we are reminded of the

2. Promise affirmed by God's love

John 3:17 ESV

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.

God promise, His desire is to save the world rather than condemn it.

That promise enables us to share in the great...

3 . Privilege offered by God's Love

John 3:18 ESV

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.

Saving faith supersedes Judgement.

The price, promise, and privilege of God's love reminds us of the

4. Problem addressed by God's love.

John 3:19–20 ESV

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.

Men loved their dark deeds and rejected the light.

The light exposes internal and external unrighteousness.

Everything He has done to express His love for us should lead us to..

5. Practice Motivated by God's Love

John 3:21 ESV

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.”

Doing the Truth

Coming towards the Light

Manifesting God's work within us.

Shut Down:

Responding to the love of God seems like a no-brainer. Yet many who have heard His voice and beheld the light, slip back into the darkness and hide their shame, their fears, their disappointment, their Sin. Don't do that, please, don't. His love is as real as the bloodied face and nail-scarred hands of His beloved Son.

He came to love us. He came to save us. He came to empower our faith. He came to dispel the darkness of sin. He came to show us how to practice the righteousness with which He himself lived. We are empowered to partake of that love and to share it with others.

God loves us...that is His word for us, today January 16, 2022.