God So Loved

Transcript

Rob McFarlane 0:59

The title of my message is God So Loved. We'll be looking at one of the most well-known and favorite verses in the Bible. Any guesses to what it is? Well, this verse summarizes the whole gospel in one verse, and it's John 3, verse 16. Let's read it together from the New International Version of the Bible. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Today I would like to share four thoughts with you from John three and verse sixteen. Number one, God's love includes everyone. John three verse sixteen starts with, for God so loved the whole world. God's love is for everyone. God loves the whole world. He wants every nation, every tribe, every people group, and people who speak every language to hear and respond to the gospel. Listen to these verses from the book of Revelation that give us a glimpse of what heaven is like and God's heart for all people. Listen first to Revelation chapter 5 and verse 9. And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. Next, listen to Revelation chapter 7, verse 9 and 10. After this I looked, and before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands, and they cried out in a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. Heaven is going to be a wonderful place, and we must play our part in telling the whole world about God's goodness and love. I've heard someone say that if you know John chapter 3, verse 16, as a Christian, you are armed and dangerous in your pursuit to share the good news with everyone. So we have seen in my first point that God's love includes everyone. My second point is God's love is demonstrated through Jesus. John 3 16 continues that he gave his only son. Or I like the way the Passion Translation puts this section of the verse. It says he gave his only unique son as a gift. And what an amazing gift that is. God gave his only son to redeem mankind to himself, the greatest demonstration of love that the world has ever known. Listen to Romans chapter 5 and verse 8. It says, But God shows his love for us, and while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. I am so grateful to God for his love, demonstrated by sending his son Jesus Christ to pay a debt that I could never pay. I am so grateful for the eternal and abundant life that I experience both now and look forward to in eternity because of Jesus' death and resurrection. So my second thought was God's love is demonstrated through Jesus Christ. My third thought is that God's love is received by faith. John 3 verse 16 continues, that whoever believes in Him, we need to receive this wonderful gift of forgiveness and freedom. We receive salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Let's look at selected verses from Ephesians chapter 2. First verses 4 and 5, then verses 8 and 9. Ephesians 2 verse 4 and 5 says, But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. And Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8 and 9. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Oh, may we never take for granted the amazing gift of salvation that we have received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. My third thought was God's love is received by faith. My fourth and final point, God's love changes lives. John chapter 3 verse 16 ends with the phrase, shall not perish, but have eternal life. There are two ways that the Bible describes life. First, to simply exist and to live an ordinary, mundane, predictable life. The second way life is described in the Bible is to experience life as God intended. This is eternal life or abundant life. It's life full of joy, love, peace, and purpose. Listen to these verses from the Gospel of John that describe how we can experience and receive this kind of life for ourselves. These are in addition to John 3, verse 16, which is our text for today. John chapter 1, verse 4. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 3 verse 15, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. John three, verse 36. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John five, verse twenty four. Truly, truly I say to you, Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but is passed from death to life. John chapter six verse forty seven. Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. John ten verse ten. The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John tense twenty eight. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. John eleven verse twenty five. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. John fourteen verse six. Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John seventeen verse three and this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. And finally John chapter twenty verse thirty one. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. Wonderful verses from the Gospel of John. I would like to remind us of my four thoughts from John chapter 3 verse 16. They are, number one, God's love includes everyone. Number two, God's love is demonstrated through Jesus. Number three, God's love is received by faith. And number four, God's love changes lives. Let's read John chapter 3, verse 16 again. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. If you would like to know more about having a living relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, then I invite you to download a free copy of What is Salvation? It is a book that I wrote explaining how you can have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Thank you for joining us. God bless you. The best is yet to come.