For God so loved the world

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 5 NOVEMBER 2023 pm

JOHN 3 VERSES 1 – 21

I would like to ask you a question – “what is the best news you have ever heard?”  We are living in a day when there is much bad news.  We see in on our tv screens, hear it on our radios and our mobile phones.  All we hear is bad news.  We hear of the war in Israel.  The destruction of lives and homes.  Similarly we can think the same of Ukraine.  We also see and hear of the bad weather conditions in our land with businesses ruined and homes destroyed.  What about the great news?  Do you want to hear some good news?  John 3 verse 16 is probably one of the best and well known verses in all the bible.  We could quote it from heart.  We have learned it from our mothers knee.  Been taught it in Sunday School.  At some point in our lives we have heard and learned this verse.  It contains the greatest doctrine of Christianity.  It reveals the love of God to man but also man’s responsibility towards God.  For he that believes in the son of God will receive everlasting life but whosoever rejects God will lose the greatest treasure, they will be lost for ever.  No wonder Martin Luther called this verse “the gospel in a nutshell.”

 

The greatest love – “For God so loved the world.”  God loved us even before we were born.  God’s love is extended to all mankind.  He does not approve of the behaviour of man.  2 Peter 3 verse 9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  The love of God is unchangeable.  God loves the unlovely. His love is unconditional.  His love was demonstrated on the cross to an infinite degree. 

 

“O the deep, deep love of Jesus,

Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free”

 

God does not pick who he will love because he loves everyone.  When the bible talks about the world it does not mean any part of the created world but all mankind.  The fallen race that rebels against God and deserved to die, God still loved them.

 

God loved the world of sinners lost

And ruined by the fall

Salvation full, at highest cost,

He offers free to all

 

When the Romans received their letter from Paul, they read in chapter 5 verse 8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Furthermore God’s love was manifested by Christ’s death on the cross.  “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3 verse 16.  The love of God.  What should our response be to his love?  We should love him in return.  Matthew 22 verse 37 “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.”  Oh to love the Lord.  Do we love him?  Do you love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind?  Do you love God so much that you have repented of your sin and turned to him?  1 John 5 verse 3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous.”

 

The greatest gift – “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.”  We are approaching that time of the year when we buy gifts and receive gifts.  Gifts come in all shapes and sizes.  Some things we get we don’t really need and never probably will use.  The gift of God is suitable for everybody.  Romans 3 verse 23 “for the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.”  The greatest gift ever given was when God gave his son into the world.  A gift is free but someone had to pay the price.  Jesus Christ paid the price there at Calvary so that we could receive the gift freely and eternally. 

 

The greatest person – “his only begotten son.”  When Jesus was born into this world he would do many great and marvellous works.  He healed the sick, raised the dead, fed 5000 people at once with 5 loaves and 2 fish.  However the reason he really came into the world was to go all the way to Calvary, bearing your sin and mine.  Despised and rejected, a man of sorrows.  Philip Bliss said

 

Man of sorrows what a name

For the Son of God who came

Ruined sinners to reclaim  

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

 

Bearing shame and scoffing rude

In my place condemned he stood

Sealed my pardon with his blood:

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

 

God gave his beloved son over to extreme suffering, even the bitter pains of death on the cross.  Before the Lord went to the cross man placed a crown of thorns on his head and mocked him.  Matthew 27 verse 29 “And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!”  Not content with that they spat on the face of the holy perfect man who ever lived.  The Lord bore it all patiently.  He didn’t say a word.  “He was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”  Isaiah 53 verse 7.  The Lord Jesus endured extreme suffering, humiliation and then he was crucified.  “And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary there they crucified him and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left.”  God gave his only begotten son unto death even death on the cross.

 

O teach me what it meaneth

That cross uplifted high

With One, the Man of Sorrows

Condemned to bleed and die

 

The greatest number – “for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him.”  He went with the desire to see all men saved.  1 Timothy 2 verse 4 “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2 verse 4.  Not only a head knowledge but a heart experience.  Romans 10 verse 10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  A universal invitation extended to the entire world.  Isaiah 45 verse 22 “Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth; for I am God and there is none else.”  Have you accepted this universal invitation?  It is only the Lord who can save your soul.  Whosoever believes in the name of the Lord shall be saved and receive remission of sins.  A universal invitation.  This invitation is a call to the religious.  Nicodemus was a deeply religious man but he needed to be born again.  You may be here tonight and are religious.  You must be born again.  A universal invitation – it is a call to the rebellious.  The prodigal son rebelled against his upbringing.  He went into a far country.  When he returned he found forgiveness.  Are you in the far country?  You have rebelled.  Will you not return?  It is a call to the reckless.  Before Paul heard the call to repent and trust in Christ he was reckless.  He persecuted the Christians.  It is a call to the respectable.  The Philippian jailer was in a respectable position when he heard the call of the gospel.  He cried out “what must I do to be saved?  You may be respectable but you must be saved.  It is a call to the rejected.  The woman of Samaria was rejected by many in her day.  One day she met the master and received the living water and her life was wonderfully changed.  Jesus is waiting.  He will receive you – “him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

 

The greatest escape – “shall not perish.”  There is no need for anyone to perish for a way has been provided by which all may be saved.  God’s promise is the comfort of his presence and an eternal home in heaven.  There is a danger to avoid here – to perish in your sin.  Are you in danger of perishing?  That is conscious eternal punishment if you reject the Lord but if you receive him he will give you eternal life as a free gift.  John 3 verse 36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”  Your eternal destiny depends on what you will do with Jesus Christ.  If you reject him you will receive everlasting damnation but if you receive him you will receive eternal life as a free gift.  This is the urgency of the message.  I want you to understand that God is holy and just and he cannot look on sin.  If God did not punish sin then he would not be just but that is why he sent his son from the glories of heaven to come into the world.  To restore fellowship with man and God.  He became the substitute and sin bearer for all mankind.  2 Corinthians 5 verse 21 “For he hath made him to sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”  The Lord has dealt with the problem of our sin so that we can be reconciled to God. 

 

The greatest opportunity – “but have everlasting life”.  There is the danger to avoid but here is the delight – to attain everlasting life.  That is God’s promise to those who are saved.  Life offers many opportunities and I am sure you have been granted many opportunities throughout your life – education, job.  Opportunities after opportunities but always remember the greatest opportunity for anybody is eternal life in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

We started by asking a question – what is the best news you have ever heard?  This is the world’s greatest news – eternal life.  Have you eternal life?

 

Life, life, eternal life,

Jesus alone is the lifegiver

Life, life, abundant life

Glory to Jesus for ever

 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life.”