[0:00] John 3, verse 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believers in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
[1:00] The Bible tells us that God is love. And there are some people in the world tonight and in the church who will tell you that that's the greatest the most stupendous truth that could ever be proclaimed to none that God is love.
[1:36] But I think there are texts in the Bible where that great fact even that great fact that God is love I believe there are texts in the Word of God which are even more stupendous than that statement.
[2:02] And I believe that here in John 3, verse 16 we've got one such statement. Because you see not only does this statement tell us that God is love but this statement also goes on to show us that God in his love found an aim who is by we who have sinned against him can be redeemed from our sin.
[2:37] You know for you and for me tonight that's the most important in all messages. How can I a sinner in the sight of God be set free and redeemed from my sin?
[2:54] And God in his greatness he gives us the answer in this text from God so loved the world that he gave only the God's Son that we forever believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
[3:14] Now tonight I'm going to do it at this great love of God as it is manifested to sinners sinners from the deepest time.
[3:26] But I'm going to look at it from five or six different angles that I think we find in the text. First of all we're going to look at the author of which love for God so loved the world God.
[3:48] Do you know what things? That's a tremendous truth that God is the author of the love by which sinners must be saved.
[4:00] In other words it tells me this that if I'm going to be saved from my sin if I'm going to be redeemed it means that God must take the initiative in my case.
[4:16] It means that God must be out of a snare of blood must know the eternal glory of God in order that I may be saved from my sin.
[4:30] It tells me this that the God against whom mankind has sinned has loved the world and how can I that account can be ever overcome that great fact that the Father gives to you and I have sinned is a God who loves the world and who loves the world even for not in 1991 in all our sin God loves that way that is we go against it.
[5:09] So think for a moment to be the author of this love is because surely it is God the Father. The Bible is eloquent in its testimony to the love of God the Father.
[5:27] And I think if you're going to trace this ring of salvation back to it so, you must trace it back to God the Father.
[5:40] Sometimes you know people talk as Christ was the source of this love and God with a Savior on the cross was the author of this love that I think my friend if you trace the love of God you must trace it back even on the cross of Christ and you trace it to the caring and love of God in its purpose and grace from all eternity God the Father so loved the Lord.
[6:19] How much did he of the world? What kind of love was this? It was the kind of love that gave. It's the kind of love that gave.
[6:34] And in fact the Bible in this text is unfolding for us the nature of this love. Not only do we have the author of this love but it's associated with the nature of this love.
[6:52] And what is the nature of the love with which God so loved the world? Well, it's so tremendous, it's so dependent, it's so fantastic that God's gospel can only know, he can only use one word to describe this love of the father.
[7:17] Listen to it. God saw God saw you. You know, people have come to this text right down through the century 7th interpretation of the gospel.
[7:33] And they've come to the text and they've been asking one great question. And the question that people ask from this text, again in the book of the nation, the nation, of God's love.
[7:52] We don't hear so that the Bible gives us to the nation of God's love. Some people say he has the end.
[8:04] And they've been going to try and show you different interpretations of what is made by this world. But you see, the Bible, I think, in this text, is telling us a very important truth.
[8:25] It's telling us that God's love is immissionable in human terms. And it can only be described with one word, God soiled.
[8:40] soiled. It's immissionable things. You can't put bones from the love of God. You can't put bones on it.
[8:52] It cannot be measured. It's eternal. And being eternal, it is beyond the kin of manly time. God's eternal, immissionable love.
[9:07] what can help you in the midst of this great message? Well, you know, there's only one thing that a sinner ought to do in the midst of the great message of God's eternal, miserable love.
[9:22] And it's this, stand back in wonder, stand back in awe, and stand back in New Testament worship. My friend, have you learned what it is to worship the God who sought out?
[9:40] So God, he's loved as a measure of him, having stopped and having said, oh yes, the Lord of God is ready. But that brings me to the third point that I want to make tonight.
[9:59] And my fourth point is the objects of this love. God so loved the world.
[10:11] And, you know, I think that this is the point of the text which has captured the imagination of most men in the world.
[10:23] This is the point that has really grabbed hold of men in the church down to the ages. and the heart of interpretations of this world, the world.
[10:39] And I would maybe just briefly tonight to run over the history of interpretation so that we see the different lines of thought that there have been about this world that God has said to us so out.
[10:58] the most common interpretation of this word, the world, is that God loved the world, the world, the world, the world, that there isn't a nation in the heaven that has been loved by God.
[11:19] And the Bible bears that question in the world. The Bible tells us that all the nations of the world will one day become the nations of our God and his Christ.
[11:34] And when all things in the passing, I think I want to say that you and I ought to be tremendously interested in work a million. We ought to be interested in the spread of the gospel through the nations of the world, because God has said that the nations of this world are going to become the nations of our God and his Christ.
[11:59] Therefore, let me ask you, do you pray in the time of prayer? Do you pray to God for the engathering of the world as we know?
[12:13] Do you pray to God for sinners to be converted to Christ? Do you pray to God for the engathering of his grace?
[12:25] Engathering sinners from north, south, east, and west? You should, you know, because God has said that the nations of this world are going to be the nations of God and his Christ.
[12:41] God's soul of the world, there isn't a nation and from which God isn't going to take his people, there isn't a country, there isn't a town, there isn't our own rich, in which his words are going to be made more.
[12:58] There is the shining we should be prepared for example, for the Bible society, where comes to the end, promoting and host to the reading of Scripture.
[13:11] You should really be engaged in prayer for these things. God's soul of the world, so that I've always said that it's a geographical term.
[13:26] A number of others have said that this world is ideological care. And as this, by extension, they've said that God soul of the world that he loved everyone that ever came into this world.
[13:47] In fact, I would reckon that in Scotland and particularly in Britain today, the most popular presentation of the gospel is a gospel that begins with this Jesus, God loves you.
[14:06] So that the common way which the gospel is presenting to men and women in the world in which we live. God will call you do it knowing you can tell you say God loves you to let you learn and in possible supposition that God loves you.
[14:31] So that is the supposition that God through a gift in order reached against to the man that ever came into this world.
[14:43] Is that so? Do you believe that? Do you believe that God loved the Lord in the streets that he loved everything to the world?
[14:54] That he loves men tonight in that sin in such an area that he has needed that his provision of redemption is made forever he gets the love the word.
[15:08] Do you believe that gospel tonight? Well my friends that gospel runs counter to the gospel that I've been preaching to you over the last number of months.
[15:25] And that gospel runs counter to the gospel that has been preached in the church of Scotland since her birth in 1843.
[15:38] Because you see that gospel that says to every man God loves here is the gospel of the unirate it's the gospel of the unirate it's the gospel of the semi collusion that's the kind of gospel that unirate is in fact where I can tell you what I think about gospel I think that that gospel is our promised in the real gospel and I think I can say what I see as as keeping on and for God's promises God loves the world and the saints that loves everyone who invented me because it's not the word of God it's not the teaching of Scripture it's not the death of grace it's true tonight that
[16:40] God loves the world and the saints coming out every man to this world why does the Bible say that there are men and women who are in the broad order up reach to destruction if it's true tonight that God loves everyone indiscriminately what are those who are looking at their eyes like the rich man in the story who are looking at their eyes and head you don't mean to say to me my friend you who are under the Methodist that God would have prayed in such a way that some of those who God loved so much that he gave a son for them they are going to heaven and they are going to be heaven forever do you mean that that is the gospel no no surely that is not what it means and then you see as
[17:48] I come to that kind of teaching that I know God loves the way to elect God so loves the way of the elect that he gave his only he got his son for them well my friends that's a truth that I'm not convinced that that's the truth of this text specifically I'm not convinced that it's the truth of this text God did love the way of the elect but do you remember where these words are written that are written in John 3 16 but when John speaks of the word almost in every case he's talking about quantitatively he's talking qualitatively that's the way
[18:53] John speaks about the he speaks about this entity in a qualitative manner what is the word in the writings of John the evangelist the word is that entity that is only in it from God the word is that gathering of men and women who are enemies of God that's what the word is the words that gather the men that comfort people that build up the vast mass of this world in which we live who are living up to the God of heaven and I say to the God of heaven we know that this man can ever with us and and I say the name of him crucify him and I know the stupend of this text is sure it is that men and women were trying away to crucify him and I say you know that this man to know us and I say you know what can do with him let us ascend the dead of the dance and cast the cross on us in the midst and in the face of all that class rebellion
[20:25] God loved him God so loved the world often isn't this wonderful that God loves men who have rebelled against him God loves men who are rebels against him God loves men who have sinned and come short of his glory and God loved them so much that he gave and that takes me to the next point in my sermon tonight the author of this love the nature of this love the objects of this love are now the gift of this love the love of God had to express itself and how did the love of God express itself the love of God expressed itself in giving in giving giving the
[21:29] Bible says it is more blessed to give than to receive why is it more blessed to give than to receive because the manifestation of God's love through which redemption reached men is that it was a love that expressed itself in giving what did God have to give what did God give what made the love of God so measurable surely is this the gift that God sent to mankind God so loved the way that he gave his only begotten son the dearest thing the dearest question that he had he gave him do you remember the way
[22:32] Paul the apostle speaks about the love of God the father do you remember the way he speaks about the father love he says he spared not his own son but delivered not of us all he spared him not you know friends what speaks of this love that Jesus Christ came into this world did he come on his own did he come for his own devices no no he came because he was given by God the father as the gift of the father from every state of the mission of Jesus Christ in this world to each end of the stairs of the garden here on a three old cross outside the slid wall of
[23:39] Jerusalem every step of the way was a step that had been written over it the gift of the father sure he swore of the world worldly men enemies of the cross of Christ many who have called up in this grave rebellion that said we will not have this man to lay over us and he loved them so much that he said his only begotten son the son of his bosom the darling of his bosom the orphans from all eternity God and Christ were united in fellowship in glory but that came a time when he was sent out by the father with a mission to save sinners how would he accomplish this mission how is he going to do it he was going to do it by going to our own jibbit he was going to do it by going to the cross the gift of the father's love meant all the very details of calvary the gift of the father's love my friends meant that the son of
[25:04] God at last was turned into God God placed cold hiding for the peace of hiding giving their peace but all of that was the giving of the father's love the gift of the father's love and do you know anything about this gift do you know anything about the Jesus who died on calvary have you come into a personal experience of this Jesus fellowship have you known the God have you come to know to the death there is only one way in which a sinner can respond to this great love of God the father for God so loved and gave us only the God son that he soever he leathers in him you know friend there is only one response to the gift of
[26:10] God in the gospel what is it it's the response of faith in Jesus Christ faith in Jesus Christ faith in Jesus Christ has been described in so many different ways there was a scholar once sent to Holland called Alexander Conny and he wrote a little thing called the O.B.C.
[26:38] of faith and Conny's book goes through the alphabet using Dutch words that describe the faith God sin it no I'm going to just use two words to know by which faith can be described because these are the words that were used not by Conny but used by the faith of our church that most have left in step away back in the years of the shelter can for those things faith is a saving grace that's the question it's a saving grace in other words faith is never less than the gift of God my friend if you don't have faith in exercise you go and bring me to God and try to ask the Lord give me faith whatever else I have give me faith what is faith fear is a sin who is for thy who receive and rest upon
[27:50] Jesus Christ alone as he is freely offered to us in the gospel faith is our receiving of Jesus and faith is our resting upon Jesus alone as he has offered to us in the gospel for salvation well my friend let's take these two words receiving and resting have you received Jesus Christ let me use a word of the gospel in which the receiving of Jesus Christ is brought before us John chapter one and in the verses down about Bethlehem he came to his own he came home that's what that means he came to his own he came home to his own people and these people who which he came home they received him not how did they not receive him they didn't receive him because you know what the
[28:58] Jews said he said away with him crucify him away with him crucify him we will not have this man to go in order he came to his own and his own received him not but to us many as received oh for the lovely deities and the experience of a sinner when sinners come by grace and by faith to receive Jesus Christ I remember hearing a little poem about it when I was a young boy and went something like this life so rich and abundant joy so full and violent peace that nothing can now and no man take away light no shadow of turning oil still keeping me burning all this wonder of wonder
[30:04] Jesus is mine sinner let me ask you tonight is it yours have you received him for who so ever believe us in him believing in him is receiving him by faith into your heart that's what receiving Christ is it's a living home and then it's something else it's resting on him alone for salvation as he's freely offered to us in the gospel rest do you know anything about that rest in your own soul do you know how it is to rest your soul and your life in your own on Jesus Christ to come and trust him and put your faith in him as he's healed from the gospel and you come to find your rest in
[31:09] Christ my friend do you know about rest do you know about rest of soul listen to the words of Jesus himself come come unto me and you that lady and that heavy lady and I will give you rest you know that's what faith is resting on Jesus Christ alone everything else put to one side and resting on Jesus Christ alone nothing and so hands I bring simply to thy cross I came have you come to pray Christ have you come to receive and to rest on what you have been in the dust in you can only hear them do it first of all you did as you come to know because you never have heard what like coming to know the
[32:16] Lord that's part of faith in Christ coming to know the Lord and a personal way and secondly faith consists of assent to the Lord your sin but do you can have some knowledge of him and you can assent to everything known about him and you still something busy that you can tell you know this there was an event in the Spanish church years and days ago called Sandemanianism and Sandemanianism was the kind of faith that was made up of knowledge and assent without the side element and that great movement called Sandemanianism and that heresy called Sandemanianism which affected not only the spoken but it affected ways part of the church too and there was a name in ways called
[33:25] Christmas Evans a great evangelist a man who had been only the third in the past and his sermons Christmas Evans as one of the warmest sermons he could ever grow that once Christmas Evans came in the infamous of Sandemanianism what was his testimony his testimony was this my religion grew forward my sermons grew frigid all the love was taken out of him all the fire was gone because you see his idea of change to be just made out of knowledge and ascent but in the way that makes that change and that's for the ways to receive and rest in trust let me tell you what it is it's only one word trust trust have you come to trust him that's what receiving and will is that's what rest the of him as he is also free for salvation in the gospel is it's coming to trust him so fear if he does feel in grief and acknowledge that there is also trust for that whosoever believes in him and what my friend is the purpose of this that whose world that believers in him should not perish but have everlasting life 20th century evangelicalism is fast breaking down and afraid because you know there are many in the evangelical world who tell us that this word perishing means just to be unigoted for your life to go out and for never never to be switched on again that's the view that many contemporary evangelicals and inverted commas have of the doctrine of eternal punishment that men when they die are just going to be snucked out they're going to be annihilated and you know that doctrine is so far removed from the doctrine of the
[35:55] Bible but you watch them trying to terrify they believe in annihilationism why some of the great men who believe in these horrendous truths and you watch them trying to defend their views and they squirming and they desperately trying to get out of the dilemma to which their own unbelief has led them to which their own unbelief has led them why did God so love the world that he gave us only the to God's son that he should perish in the eternal fire of death that's why my dear friend the gospel that we've been told and the gospel that we've loved and done through the news is a gospel that has unashamedly told us that he who's holy of sin shall perish in everlasting torment and that's the gospel that has been committed out to us and we dare not more than one in but tonight why did
[37:18] Christ come from the father why why did he come he came that we should not perish but have the very opposite of that eternal damnation we should have a life everlasting and we should be with him for all eternity eternal life we do have eternal life today my friend if so receive Jesus into your life and into your heart trust in him for time and for eternity for God so loved the world that he gave us only God and son that whosoever believeth in it should not perish but have everlasting life or it would be lovely if you received it you share you're here tonight and you've been here many so night in the past and it's been a question left in your life how can
[38:25] I get it how can I get it you know that you never have it you know perhaps that some of your dear friends and relatives have had it but all the great question for you and I to know to see this how can I have it definitely eternal life how can it be mine why my friend let me tell you it can only be yours as you come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in him for salvation as he's freely offered to you in the gospel but tonight in the name of my Savior I offer him to you and I come once again and I say to you believe on him somehow or other I think there's someone in this gathering tonight and they're saying that's all so and so lovely but I can't
[39:31] I can't oh would you go away my friend and be lost forever because you will not trust the Savior you can't so somehow or ever I'm hearing you say oh you know I can't and therefore I would be blamed for it remember this you're comfortable and I'm the customer give it because of your inability to believe or seek him seek him endlessly for his so glory and ask him to give it your front eyes so that we see the glory of Christ in this gospel let us pray Lord bless us together and grant that we might come to know the tremendous message of the love of
[40:37] God in Christ that we might taste and see that the Lord is good and that he is gracious and that by grace we might come to trust in the Savior for time and for eternity and the glory shall be thine forever in him Amen Our closing psalm is psalm 145 the second version psalm 145 the second version now I've got several intonations to make today first of all let me remind you that the mid-week meetings will be on Tuesday and Thursday or Thursday and Saturday sorry at half past seven here and there is also a congregational meeting to be held on Friday at half past seven for which the press will be available and this meeting has to deal with the appointment of office parish and I remind you that the appointment of office parish is the business of those who are in full communion with the congregation although appearance are warmly welcomed to the congregational meeting the appointment of office parish belongs in free church to those who are members of the congregation and this meeting this congregational meeting may be preceded at seven o'clock by a meeting of the
[42:27] Kirch session and whenever the business of the Kirch session may be able on Friday night but it will be after the congregational meeting there will also be a meeting of the Dincans Court the services next Wednesday will be God willing at 11 a.m.
[42:52] and 6.30 p.m. and I would also ask any of you who wish tales from the congregational church ministry that you pregnant conscience of writing the date and the title of the recording on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope in the plate and hand it to one of the men at the door in order that you might assist Mr. Angus MacDonald who has the responsibility of the tape ministry so if you could please put your requests in writing now I'm also asked to publicize a series of meetings from the 6th to the 8th of September at Maryborough Free Church and these meetings are to celebrate the 150th anniversary of our congregation at
[44:01] Maryborough on Friday night the new boy will be dedicated by the Reverend John A. MacDonald and then after that at half past seven there will be a good time to see the next time to see the next time to see the next