Sermons
April 10th, 2011 by Pastor Solley032711AM For God So loved
Sub. Love
Theme: God’s great love
Text: John 3:13-18
“For God So Loved” John 3:13-18
IntroductionThe message this morning is built upon John 3:16. This is perhaps the most well known verse in the Bible. Often it is the first verse people memorize and the last they forget. This one verse has brought multitudes to Christ. This is a verse so simple that a child can understand it, yet so profound that none can fully reach its deepest treasures. There is an account of an evangelist named Henry Moorhead who preached for 17 years and he used only one text for each of his messages, John 3:16. He simply could not get away from that verse. I got a message ready for Sunday evening two weeks ago from John 3 and have experienced the same thing.
I. That which makes John 3:16 so beautiful is the love of God: John 3:16 Those are words that ought to thrill your soul this morning, that ought to gladden your heart, that ought to cause your voice to cry out to God in praise and thanksgiving.
A. Let me ask you this morning; are you glad that God loves you? Perhaps you don’t even know that God loves you, or perhaps you have gotten used to the idea, whatever the case those words ought to bring a word of praise and thanksgiving to your lips. Are you glad that God loves you this morning?
1. You ought to be when you consider who God is:
2. You ought to be when you remember who you are:
B. John 3:16 is perhaps the most beautiful verse in the Bible: John 3:16 Here is the Bible in miniature according to Luther.
II. There are several things about the love of God that I want to look at this morning: I would like to look at (1) The nature of God’s love, (2) The designation of God’s love, (3) The inclusiveness of God’s love, (4) The purpose of God’s love, (5) And the invitation of God’s love. Let me ask you again; are you glad that God loves you this morning?
PROP: A better understanding of the love of God. TS. Will bring a greater appreciation of the love of God.
Body
I. 1st, the nature of God’s love: John 3:16 The Bible states very clearly “For God so loved the world”. Ever wonder why? The answer has to go far beyond the fact that God created the world when you consider what kind of world this is.
A. As far as this world is concerned God has no reason to love it or anyone in it: 1 John 5:19 That may be the kindest thing one can say about the world. There is nothing in this world, nothing in man that is deserving of the love of God.
1. Here is the condition of man: Rom 3:10-12
2. So then why does God love the world:
B. Because love is the nature of God, part of the character of God: 1 John 4:7-10 The Bible tells us very clearly that God is love. In other words love is the very nature of God. – 1 John 4:8 The reason God loves you is because of His nature, not yours.
1. There are three basic Greek words for love in the Bible: (1) There is the Greek word “EROS” which is a sensual type of love. (2) There is the Greek word “PHILO” which is a brotherly type of love. (3) And there is the Greek word “AGAPE” which is God’s love.
2. God’s love is an unconditional love: What that means is simply this; the love of God is not dependent in any way upon those who are the recipients of His love. In other words the love of God is not dependent upon you or me.
3. The love of man is dependent upon those who receive it: Think of that for just a moment.
a. Why do I love my wife? Because I determined at one point that she was deserving of my love.
b. Why do I love my children? Because they were born out of the love of my wife and my self. There is a bond there.
c. Why do we love other family and friends? We determine that they are worthy of our love.
4. But God’s love is not dependent in any way upon those who receive it: God loves you, God loves me because that is God’s nature. God is love so God must love all men, God must love the world. It is the nature of God.
2.
C. That love is then manifested to us in many ways: The provision of God, the protection of God, the direction of God are all manifestations of the love of God.
1. But the clearest manifestation of the love of God is in the giving of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ: John 3:16
2. Are you glad that God loves you this morning?
D. The nature of God’s love is an unconditional love: Are you glad that God loves you this morning?
II. 2nd, the designation of God’s love: John 3:16 This seems fairly clear but what or who exactly is the world that is referred to in this verse? The English word “World” is found over 200 times in the New Testament and it doesn’t refer to the same thing each time.
A. There are seven different Greek words translated “World” found in the New Testament: And it is important to make a distinction between them in determining the designation of the love of God.
1. There is the Greek word “OYY-KOU-MEN-AYY” used in Luke 2 & 4: Luke 2:1; 4:5 This Greek word means the inhabited, or occupied world at that particular time. It is present, active and means the inhabited or occupied world at that time.
a. Who did Caesar designate to be taxed? Those who inhabited or occupied the Roman world at that time.
(1) Caesar did not tax those born generations before who had already died.
(2) Caesar did not tax those who might be born in generations to come. He taxed those inhabiting the Roman world then.
b. Why didn’t Satan offer to Jesus the worlds of eternity? Because they are not his to give. But as the prince and power of the air Satan could offer Jesus certain kingdoms of the world at certain times.
c. The Greek word “OYY-KOU-MEN-AYY” means those who inhabit or occupy the world at a particular time.
2. There is also the Greek word “HAA-GAY” used in Rev 13: Rev 13:3 This Greek word means only certain occupants of the world at a certain time. Here it is speaking of those who will be deceived by the anti-Christ during the tribulation period.
a. But it is not speaking of God’s sealed 144,000 witnesses. They will not wonder after the anti-Christ.
b. It is not speaking of those who will get saved during the tribulation period. They will not wonder after the anti-Christ.
c. The Greek word “HAA-GAY” Means only certain occupants of the world at a certain time.
3. The different Greek words for “World” have different meanings:
B. But the one used most often, the one used in John 3:16 is the Greek word “KOS-MOS”: John 3:16 Of the 78 times the word “World” is found in the gospel of John it is the word “KOS-MOS” 77 times.
1. The word “KOS-MOS” refers to the whole of God’s creation: As it speaks of humanity it speaks of the entirety of the human race. And the word “KOS-MOS” is used in reference to humanity most in the Bible as it is used here in John 3. Jesus is speaking to rocks and trees, or to the animals here, Jesus is speaking to a man. – John 3:1,18
2. When addressing humanity “KOS-MOS” reaches all the way back to Adam in the Garden of Eden: Beginning with Adam it includes all who have ever been born into the human race right down to our current day. “For God so loved the world”.
3. When addressing humanity “KOS-MOS” reaches into the future and includes all who will ever be born into this world: Not just in our day but in the days that lie ahead. “KOS-MOS” reaches into the future as well as the past. “For God so loved the world”.
4. For God so loved the world includes you and me: Are you thankful for the love of God this morning?
C. And God emphasizes the designation of His love as to “The world” John 3:16 There is the presence of a definite article in Greek, our English word “The” and it places a special emphasis on the world that God loved. It reads “HOO-KOS-MOS” God is being very clear in that He wants man to understand who God loves, who receives the love of God. It is the whole world.
1. Not just the Jewish or Hebrew world: Nicodemus was a Pharisee and they thought the Jew was exclusive in God’s sight but not so. For God so love the world, not just the Jewish world.
2. Not just the Roman or Greek world: Both would think themselves supreme, Rome because of power, Greece because of intellect. For God so loved the world, not just the Roman or Greek world.
3. Not just the world at that time but the entirety of the human race: For God so loved the world, not just the world at that time.
4. Not the good world, or the deserving world: For God so loved the world.
D. The designation of the love of God is the world, the entirety of the human race: Are you thankful for the love of God today?
3.
III. 3rd, the inclusiveness of the love of God: John 3:16 I keep asking; are you thankful for the love of God today? To be thankful then God must love you. Are you a part of the world, a part of the human race? Then because of the nature of God being love and because that love is designated to the world God loves you.
A. But let us take special note here as to the inclusiveness of the love of God: Acts 10:34; Rom 2:11; James 1:17 The Bible says there is no respect of persons with God, no variableness with God, not even a shadow of turning. In other words God’s love given to the world, given to the entirety of humanity, does not, cannot not vary from one person to the next. Because of the nature of God, because of who God designated His love toward, God’s love does not, cannot vary from one person to the next.
1. Let us stop and soak that in for a moment: James 1:17 How different this is from the love of man.
Ill. There are those here this morning, most if not all who like my wife, love my wife more than you do me. I say that simply because it is true and the reason it is true is that she is a nicer person than I am. That is just a statement of fact.
…..We stopped at McDonalds the other day to get an orange juice and the young lady at the drive through had a nose stud. I said to my wife “I wonder if she knows her little brother shot her with a BB gun?…My wife said “Stop it right now, she has that because she doesn’t know any better and she needs to be helped to understand, not mocked.”….My wife is a better person than I am and because of that people like her more, love her more…
2. But God doesn’t love her one bit more than God loves me, in truth God can’t love her more: Rom 2:11; James 1:17
3. Let me ask you yet again; are you thankful for the love of God today?
B. As you study the love of God in Scripture there is no indication that God has chosen to love some and not others: No indication that some have been set apart to receive the love of God and others have that love withheld from them. – Rom 2:11; James 1:17
1. What about the Lord Jesus Christ and John? John 21:7 The way the verb love is conjugated here places the emphasis on John’s greater love for Jesus than a greater love for John than the other disciples. In other words because John loved Jesus more than the others John could sense the love of Christ for him in a deeper way than the others.
2. What about Jacob and Esau? Rom 9:12-13 Again the way the verb love is conjugated here places the emphasis on the moral actions of Jacob and Esau and not on God.
a. In other words God loved the actions of Jacob and hated the actions of Esau.
b. This was given to the prophet Malachi 1,700 years after these men lived and died and refers to the actions of those men.
3. God can’t withhold His love, God can’t love some more than others or else we have a contradiction in Scripture:
4. Are you thankful for the love of God this morning?
C. The love of God includes all, includes you: Are you thankful for the love of God?
IV. 4th, the purpose of the love of God: John 3:14-16 God’s purpose in love is salvation. Have you ever been separated from someone you love? And you yearn for that separation to be ended.
A. God has been separated from those He loves by sin: Not sin on the part of God, but sin on the part of man. The Bible tells us that we are all sinners before a holy and righteous God. There is more to the character of God than love my friend.
1. And sin has separated you from God: Isa 53:6; Rom 3:10-12, 23 That word all means the same in the Old Testament as it does in the New. Man has been separated by God by sin.
2. Just as the nature of God is love, the nature of man is sin: And that sin brings death and judgment in hell. – Rom 1:18
3. All men are sinners by nature and by action: And so we are separated from God, God from us by sin.
B. The purpose of God’s love is salvation in Jesus Christ: John 3:1-7 That sinful man might be born again.
1. That Jesus Christ would be lifted up on the cross: John 3:14
2. And that man could look to Christ and Christ alone and be saved: John 3:15-18; John 14:6
3. We can be made right is the sight of God through Jesus Christ:
C. The purpose of God’s love is salvation in Jesus Christ: Are you thankful for the love of God this morning?
4.
V. 5th, the invitation of the love of God: John 3:16 Who then can be saved? According to John 3:16 those who have received the love of God, the world, the entirety of humanity, those who are a part of the world can be saved. It is impossible to interpret this verse any other way. For God so loved the world so all the world can be saved. This is very clear.
A. John 3:16 is one of the great whosoever verses of Scripture: Those who are a part of the human race are a part of the whosoever of Scripture. – John 3:16; John 4:13-14; John 11:25-26; Acts 2:21; Acts 10:43; Rom 10:13; 1 John 4:14-15; Rev 22:17 This is how a person knows they can be saved, how a person knows they are saved when they are born again, we are part of the whosoever of will of Scripture. Are you thankful for the love of God this morning?
B. And it is the invitation of the love of God that gives us the greatest joy: Rev 22:17 If it were not for the invitation of the love of God there would be no hope for you or me but because the invitation is for all we all can have eternal life. Now we know that not everyone will be saved out of this world of wickedness.
1. But Jesus cries out for all to come to Him: Matt 11:28 Are you burdened with sin this morning? Jesus is calling out to you.
2. Because whosoever will may come God is not willing that any perish: 2 Pet 3:9 It is not the will of God that any man should die apart from Jesus Christ.
3. God’s will is that all men get saved and come to a knowledge of the truth: 1 Tim 2:3-4
4. God’s final word on the subject is that whosoever will may come: Rev 22:17
C. Are you thankful for the love of God this morning?
D. One final question; have you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior? Are you standing in the love of God today.
Conclusion
Having looked at John 3:16 this morning and the love of God what can we then say?
I. 1st, the nature of God’s love: John 3:16 The Bible states very clearly “For God so loved the world”. Ever wonder why? The answer has to go far beyond the fact that God created the world when you consider what kind of world this is.
II. 2nd, the designation of God’s love: John 3:16 This seems fairly clear but what or who exactly is the world that is referred to in this verse? The English word “World” is found over 200 times in the New Testament and it doesn’t refer to the same thing each time.
III. 3rd, the inclusiveness of the love of God: John 3:16 I keep asking; are you thankful for the love of God today? To be thankful then God must love you. Are you a part of the world, a part of the human race? Then because of the nature of God being love and because that love is designated to the world God loves you.
IV. 4th, the purpose of the love of God: John 3:14-16 God’s purpose in love is salvation. Have you ever been separated from someone you love? And you yearn for that separation to be ended.
V. 5th, the invitation of the love of God: John 3:16 Who then can be saved? According to John 3:16 those who have received the love of God, the world, the entirety of humanity, those who are a part of the world can be saved. It is impossible to interpret this verse any other way. For God so loved the world so all the world can be saved. This is very clear.
*** Invitation for salvation
***Invitation for the Christian to say than you for the love of God.