[0:00] to speak in the Lord's help we turn for a little this evening to the portion of God's words that we write together John chapter 3 I'm reading again at verse 16 John chapter 3 and verse 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believed in Him should not perish but have everlasting life that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believed in Him should not perish but have everlasting life for the words of that text were found anywhere to everyone of us since childhood there is probably not another text that is so often quoted in this whole world as John 3.16 and possibly not another text that is as joyfully remembered even in heaven itself as the Lord's was and we have when these words are the address to Nicodemus all the great writings of all the poets and sages of this world fall fall into insignificance before the majestic beauty that is contained in these marvelous words what do you think could be added to these words that could improve of what do you think could be taken from them that would not spoil so maintain that this is the greatest flesh that has ever been paint and it is certainly a great flesh there is insufficient matter in this flesh for our faith to serve it is a text that has been unproved a blessing to multitude of people it has been called the gospel within a gospel now the people have called it the gospel in miniature the gospel in a nutshell now though we are all very familiar with the words yet the text contains the most astonishing reality of the whole universe that God could let alone did love this world that God could love it let alone that he did love it this is one of the greatest things that is the great news that we can tell you and there is not an angel in heaven that alone any minister that could even then go near to you and fall before you the wonders as well as the great mysteries that are contained in these few words and it must
[4:00] certainly have sounded astonishing in the ears of a Jew like Nicodemus when he heard it from the lips of the Savior he would be quite willing to acknowledge that God created the world and Nicodemus as her Jew would be quite willing to acknowledge that God directed the affairs of the world and driven the affairs of the world and as a Jew he would be quite happy to acknowledge that God would finally judge the world but to be told that God loved the world would have been a very giant note in the ears of a prejudiced Jew and then the Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and that he would not be prepared to accept at all he was accustomed to regard the Jewish nation the descendants of Abraham as the sole objects of God
[5:13] God's faith and the whole idolatrous sinful world outside of that he looked upon the objects of God God's character and God's wrath and to be told now that the love of God had gone out in its journey to the whole list was something to that man it was something that was not only him but something that was quite astonishing astonishing doctrine indeed there are many ways that we can consider that text with you this evening but I want to look at two or three matters that I would like to highlight that are little of you just now and I want to look at look at it on the three hadith that is God's great love and also
[6:14] God's great gift and also God's great blessing the great love God so loved the gold the greatest love that the will first know the greatest gift that the good is only he gave his only begotten son the gift of gifts and the greatest blessing in a negative way and in a positive way that they would not perish that whosoever believer in him should not perish would have eternal love now the first of these the greatest love now what do you think you see he is the average sinner if there is such a passion of an average sinner what is his view what is his conception of God you mention the word
[7:16] God to an average sinner as for every very such a passion and he does not think of a loving being doesn't think of a loving being at all he thinks of a cruel monster that is sitting in heaven and that is ready to punish and to punish anyone God displeases him I remember asking a young man that I worked with many years ago how he saw God and his answer was I see as I know a great old man can be going from heaven without being but then it was what followed he says if I saw him I would shoot him and that was the word of a person who said he was an Protestant never could be of our God who is love
[8:16] God who could spend much of their time trying to appreciate a angry God who dance to their gods or even go as far as to sacrifice their children to gods God and they are there to the sacred river God it is because they have sin and they know they have sin and they know that they know nothing of a God of love they know nothing of a God of love and they are afraid of a God of God they know these ways they hope that they may give the approval of God and they also hope that they will hold back his punishment we are no shouts and they may feel different very prone to apology of the truth we are very prone to teach that we are saved from
[9:30] God we are prone to think that we are saved from God the power and that we are saved from his wrath and from his cruelty and from his animosity but all you notice all that we have in this text all that we have here is related to God the power all that is contained in these words tells us of the whole mission of the son as it is related to God the Father the incarnation is coming into this world his sufferings his cross all are brought before us here in relation to God the Father so as to draw our attention every one of us to the astonishing love of God and may I point that to the astonishing love of God the Father the Father remember loved us not because
[10:32] Christ died but Christ died because the Father loved us before the world walked my time has not offered these words one whit and that is relevant today as the day of the which were as relevant to the 20th century as time when we were first spoken and those who value them never tired of hearing the great principles that are spoken of here because these words contain truths that are momentum truths that are wonderful that are astonishing that tell us of God's love in redemption the greatest love story that the world has ever heard the reaction of many to this text is first of all to think not of the greatness of
[11:34] God's love but of the vastness that think of the world that is how vast is this world and yet God loved it all the people from the beginning of time and all the people the countless members who are here know and all who will be until the end of time and they think they wonder how God's love could embrace such a great wonder now that is certainly a great conception a nighless conception that then for this all that number to have God before him the very nations of the world are a in the bucket before the nations of this world before God the nations of this world are the fine rest upon the balances in fact it tells us in
[12:38] Isaiah chapter 40 that the nations before him are of nothing they are less than the quantity but the quality the intensity of the love that could love and did love not just such a world inside as the world that we live but the world that was in the condition that it was in a world that is in the condition that it is in a world that has nothing lovable in it may the love of God is the subject of that has no joy and that has one view regarding it on either side we can make it too big or we can make that love too matter on on the one hand it is not true that God so loved the world that all mankind will be saved eventually there is nothing in the scriptures of universal salvation there is nothing of purgatory in the
[13:53] Bible where people will be cleansed of their sins a place which will do something which Christ's blood could not do because that is all it means where they are cleansed of sins that Christ's blood could not cleanse them back there is nothing of that at all and yet at the same time he gave his son to be the savior of all he believed his love is offered to all men freely and pity and below his hair but it is through the channel of redemption and if one rejects Christ then he cuts himself off from God's love and he will perish forever on the other hand Christ is offered to be the savior of all men God became inclined brought him into this world not to save the attractor not to save the respectable
[15:03] God did not come before the righteous but sinners to repent God came to seek and save that which was lost there is a kindness and a compassion and you know to hear there is even a love in God toward all mankind toward the world and it was in consequence of that that Christ came and died upon the cross we should never be wise to them what God himself tells us in his word and if you go back a little door it tells us that God is not willing that any should perish God has no pleasure we are told in the death of the wicked God would have all men to be saved and here we are told that God so loved the world as to give his only begotten son
[16:05] God saw the world this world with all its beauty marred and with all its happiness destroyed and the creatures in this world sunk in sin heaven was shut against hell open to receive and misery and will to be their force and their poison forever we saw all these things and we saw that they were also incapable of helping themselves doing anything for themselves and it was his great love that devised a scheme that devised a farm a way of salvation a way of escape in other words his great inertia of the love moved him so as to give his only begotten son and that is the second part that is the greatest gift that is the gift of gifts he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son may that verse does not say that
[17:20] God loved but that God so loved a love that knows no bounds a love that no waters can quench a love that no tongue can explain but we remember that God's love did not stop with a mere expression of his love God loved in world and in truth God loved in such a way as to give and to give his only begotten son there is a strange thing that those that we love most we would be most loath to part with there would be the last that we would part with that God so loved the world that he knew his only begotten son God's love and providence is all around you see for example
[18:23] God's love and many gifts that you enjoy life itself is God's gift we have food we have environment we have shelter we have homes we have families we have relations we have friends and all these are his gifts he give us all these but the real elements of his love tower in the giving of the gift of gift gift of gift we are told in psalm 50 of the capital of a thousand hills that are that wasn't what he gave he didn't give his gold and silver of precious stones he didn't give stocks and shares he didn't give houses and land but he gave something that was more infinitely more worth to himself and to the world and all these he had one son and he gave him up for us all he freely gave him up for us all while he could have moved by a world of his power he could have created a thousand words one world of his power and he could have created a thousand words but he had one son and that he parted he parted to that son and that is a love that eternity itself will not exhaust to its proof eternity itself will not exhaust the significance of all that is in that love all that is there and that is why when the
[20:13] Bible speaks of that love it doesn't make any effort to describe it even the apostle of love he could only say behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon because it is a length and a breadth and a height and a bed that is totally incomprehensible to us perhaps as we know it is it is only in actions it is only in what we do but we can see the sincerity of some measure of our love to others and what is how the scriptures draws our attention in some measure to God's love to us in his giving his only begotten son in what he did God gave God gave now you think for a moment you ponder about that day it wasn't an angel that he gave it wasn't a creative being not even the Holy
[21:23] Spirit because the Holy Spirit is not God's son he is not the one that is eternally begotten son but he gave his eternally begotten son whatever that may be he gave the son of his love so suppose that you had one son and suppose that you loved that son with all your heart and suppose that a group of men did everything that was possible to hurt you and to ruin you no supposing of their lives in some way to put into danger put into jeopardy and they name the death of your son with savior and I ask you this would you give your son for them would you give your son for them I am afraid that you would not
[22:25] I expect me what you would say he is my only son I love him and I have no love for those men that hate him and hurt him let them die I will not give up my son but how did God act how did God think God had one son the Bible tells us the poorest among ten places the all together lovely ones and he loved him with our love that was supreme he loved him with an eternal love that the world of men rebelled against him and sinned against God and the time came and only the death of his son could save him what did
[23:26] God say did he say let them die in sin did he say let them all go to a lost eternity let them go even to hell no ten thousand times no this is what he said I love the world so much that I will give my only son to die for those sinners that I may bring them to heaven but again this is not a question of what Christ or who Christ was it is a question of what God did it is not again a kiss of quality it is a kiss of who he thought God did not of who Christ was he was the one that sent him to the world he was the one that was behind the cone of corn he was the one that was behind the agony he was the one that was behind the bruising of the sale it pleased the
[24:41] Lord to bruise to put him to grief all of the Gentiles and the governments and the people of Israel gather together against his son but it was to do whatsoever his hand and his counsel had returned before to be done so that is a little of what God giving his son man in other words God gave his beloved son to be made sick and there in my place he stood condemned and God saw his drink with blast with the drinks of the cup that he had given him and so great was his love for the world oh how beyond measure how deep and what is that love he held not his son we are told his only son and as we are told that he freely given up for us all did tell me of a great love than that so then also there is the greatest bless that who shall ever believe in him should not carry but have a velocity side now when you look at this scope of
[26:28] God's blessing who shall ever believe look at those who are included in God's love and God's offer of salvation who shall ever will there was an English divine called Richard Baptist and he said that if his name was in the Bible he would be afraid that there was another Richard back to the New England so that he would be afraid that it wasn't him that was saved at all but he says when I sing that word there he said surely that means me and that was the little girl in his Sabbath school said he so ever means you and me and everybody God does not do with people as a man it deals with an of individuals and whosoever believes it would be a wonderful thing if
[27:29] God had said that he would love Shabbos itself enough to give my son father it would be wonderful if God had said I would love Britain to give my son for Scotland or Britain or even if he said I love you enough to give my son God said far more I love the God so much that I will give my son for every one of them and every man in any land under the sun will come to him and trust him as his day and to all who come for other nation people can give God come he says I will give them eternal life
[28:29] I will give them everlasting life now it is very sad very sad that a lot of people all many people multitude of people will not partake of that eternal fight the text pointed quite clearly and quite plainly that the people to whom God's salvation belongs who so ever believe that is the one quality case believe in God's son and we are told in the next verse that all that believers are condemned already you are condemned already so if you are to go into a hell or you are to go into a prison and if the world are sitting along this corridor at least in parts of the world there is still capital punishment and if he pointed you to the man that is sitting there in sorrow 3 and said to you that man is condemned and that man will be executed next week next
[29:48] Thursday you would shiver you think that that life will be smucked out there's a lot worse than not if you are to go alone this evening if you are to go throughout trouble if you were given to any home or anywhere else for that month and if you saw people there you have not yet believed in Christ you have not believed you wouldn't see it written in your face so go over them on them is this one word condemned because they're condemned of that there would all nations that are in this world if there were all rich they would all be praying before this love in its depth and in its fullness could be described because this is our love that gave and I love that saying and if you and I get to heaven through all eternity we will acknowledge that we were not brought there to our goodness it wasn't our goodness that brought us there but this love that is what is behind the door that is a little of the scope you should rather believe but then you notice the two fold aspect of the blessing itself the design of
[31:36] God's love to the world it is brought before us and make it a positive way where is that he should not perish where is delivery from perishing a one day of grace would be loved and if you are to go into the regions of the lost this evening annihilation there would be a great mission to be delivered from that experience is one part of the salvation that is provided for us here that is mentioned here but it is only one aspect of God's gracious purpose God's gracious plan in giving his son love because we are not going we are not just delivered from God we are not going redeemed from hell but they are exalted to heaven that is what we are told they they shall not perish but they are given eternal life that is the other side of it now again who can begin to understand all that is implied in these words to serve
[32:52] God perfectly to taste of the pleasures that are ever more at God's right hands to be free from everything that is painful from sin and sorrow and sickness and sadness and sight to be free from all that God says that himself will meticulously wipe away all tears and to ban a glorious in a policy to be crowned with an eternal weight of glory to be in some mysterious way made partake of the divine nature to be with Christ to be like Christ to see him to be filled as the Bible tells us with all the fullness of God to keep us from perishing and to bring us to this heaven to put us in possession of his joy was the loving purpose that
[33:58] God brings before us there when he says that he loved the world who was to give his only begotten son love he may be so he may be so he may be this love if this love periods to melt your heart you will be utterly lost love because God has no greater display of love that he can set before nothing great that is why Jesus speaking of this love could only say God so loved the world and as someone said there is an eternity of me in that little world soul heaven's richest gift has been cried upon and if that fails to bring forth any response any response of your love and gratitude then what is to become there is not another more mercy story of love that can be set before and if it fails to change your heart what more can be told what more is there to tell
[35:29] God gave his son his love was poured out in his richest gift and no better gift is reserved for later on or any future occasion and you take note of that you take note of all vitality all vitality to your salvation is faith in Christ if I can put it another way God's best gift has been gift and in use of that greatest gift past which you do you know the Savior has been said before you our crucified Savior and all of it will avail nothing if your heart will be shut if your heart will be shut in unbelief against it all
[36:31] God has done all this God has loved the world God has given his son God offers eternal life a life of bliss and a great question will you perish will you perish after all that is the question what more that God could have done to my vineyard that I have not done what the old can say I remember that men are lost under the sound of the gospel because they are sinners but because they reject the Savior of sinners and again I ask you this evening if you will disregard that wonderful display of God's love will you reject his amazing offer of measure will you be indifferent to the overture of his grace one moment if you believe and you can be a saved soul and it's a strange thing that things will believe that salvation is as easy as it is it is as easy or as difficult as believing in
[38:10] Christ whichever way you look at us that men go and add into their own motions add their own concepts truth but the truth of the Bible is that you will not come to me that you might be saved and if the greatest love that has ever been manifested if that in giving Christ to be the savior of the world if that is the greatest love surely the greatest evil is to slight to reject to despise that savior surely that is the greatest evil not believing in his name and Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness and he lifted the serpent on a pole in the midst of the camp and the Israelites all around in the dying from the bite of a fiery serpent he exhorted the people to look to that serpent and live though some would go home and think about it some would go back to their tents and think about it perhaps some would even pray about it but there is no promise given to such no promise at all you look and you live you believe and you will be saved now don't say don't go up and say
[39:51] I hope that I shall do these things someday because today God separates even this very congregation we have many classes we speak about working classes upper classes middle classes Jews Gentiles rich pure black and white with all these fade into significance with the division of God makes the only believers and unbelievers are the soul and he says that the believers have blessed because he is not condemned he that believer is not condemned but he says that today the unbeliever is condemned already because he believed not on his name he is already condemned that is what
[40:56] God testifies today that is how he separates this congregation and all men so you remember that today is all that is half today is the day of salvation today is also the fresh day of the rest of new life today is the day if you look you will live you will live God will be before us once again in the room of his providence a text that is familiar to us all a text that you have learned most of us all of lives a gospel that is within the gospel that will strange sound very strange to your view that tells us of the greatest love and converted people see
[42:04] God as a terrible son and one that is ready to pounce and to punish but this text relates to that God and it tells us of the greatness of his love we think of it in relation to the vastness of this world but we should look at it in relation to the depth of the love a love so deep we should be astonished at the quality of that love God's love to an love of this world so great that we give the greatest gift that this world has had all God so loved his love is set before us in poverty that God could create a faith in love by one world of his power that he had one son and he gave that son and that is all there is description of the beginning of that love that man of love the father of the state of promise and he made that son to be sin and he made him to be sin for us you think can you think of a greater love and can you think of a greater gift and can you think of a greater blessing than to be kept and perished of who so ever believe that is the scope of it that applies to all thoughts who so ever it is delivery from perish but a great measure that does so that begins eternal life it goes upon us all the precious that are at the mold at the right hand of God to see to be with
[44:15] Christ and to be like and I ask you again no greater I tell you again that no greater display of love can be said before God has no greater display than one for the future but he can say before you believe and you believe today and the Bible tells us you look and you will be saved believe and be saved and I say again not to go home unthinkable this demands of some immediate faith don't even think that you can go home and pray of it there is no promise attached to God the promise is to look and live and to that end may the
[45:20] Lord bless you this whole word we bless you Lord for thy word for its tribute for its instruction for its warning and we pray that thy call would have company we know that all may trust and may not polish me water that we bless thee that the increase thou hast obtained with thine own hand and we pray that thou would give the increase to the world soul we pray that thou would bless the souls of men that thou would bring home to us all the wonder of the provision of thy hast made for us that we would feed in the life of eternity that we would wear by receiving the balances of eternity that we would commit thyself and all that we are and how unto thyself as unto a great creator who is able to keep that which is committed unto thee against that day bless us each one and bless all that we would bring into thy presence in our heart and we pray thy forgiveness for every thought and every word that was not according to thine own mind and faith the praise shall be thine in sight
[47:02] Amen