GOD LOVEs THE WORLD

SERMON STARTER

          American Christians have a problem thinking globally about God’s Love. We have glibly recited John three sixteen until the words have lost their meaning for us. Christians in this country seem to think that Jesus came only for white middle class people in the USA. Today more than sixty per cent of all Christians world-wide come from non-white races outside Europe and America. It is a global world economically and it is a global world religiously.     

          In this sermon I contrast the work of the immature congregation of Westboro Baptist Church with the Word of God. They have made a name for themselves by purporting that G-d HATES the world. Their musical parody is chilling, especially in light of the fact that it is the exact opposite of the direct teaching of God’s Word. God so incredibly loves the world that He came here, bled and died for it.

          His kind of love has the power of transformation. I am challenging listeners and readers with this sermon to discover if they have experienced G-d’s incredible love for the world and especially for themselves!   :>)

 

Agape,

Pastor Phil   <><<

     

Sheepfold Ministries / January 31, 2010

pastor Phil Roland

 

GOD LOVEs THE WORLD

John 3:1-17

“American Christians seem to think that Jesus came only for white middle class people in the USA. Today more than 60% of all Christians world-wide come from non-white races outside Europe and America.”           Pastor Phil

 

 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16

 

WORLD = KOS=MOS = Orderly Arrangement of things and people

          Eg. Cosmetics – Putting your face in order

                 Cosmology – World View

 

I.   GOD LOVES THE WORLD – John 3:16a

          “For God so loved the world. . .”

          A. “God Hates the World,” Parody

                         Westboro Baptist Church, Westboro, Missouri

Sick Lyrics:

“Evil world, you’ve come together as one

See your soldiers dying

Oh, you claim God’s blessing you

That lie, the greatest lie of all

You can’t go on, pretending day by day

That the God of judgment is dead and gone

You are all a part of the Devil’s family

And the truth, you’re all headed straight to hell

God hates the world, and all her people

You, everyone, face a fiery day for your proud sinning

It’s too late to change His mind; you lived out your vain lives

Storing up God’s wrath for all eternity”

(See the video: - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2422138213120376038# )

            B. Hate and Revenge are the world’s Common Themes

                        1. “Christian-ized,” it becomes condemnation – v.17

                            "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the                                       world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

                        2. Legalism of Nicodemus is Arrogant

                        3. Makes an Idol of Self and Self-Effort

          C. Jesus’ Radical Message: From Hate to Love

                        1. John’s Contradiction: Do NOT love the world. . .1 John 2:15

                            “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves                                  the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

                        2. Meaninglessness: Materialism and the Lust of Acquisition

                                    a. Can’t take it with you. . .”

                                    b. No U-Hauls going to funeral homes and cemeteries

     3. This present world is temporal and will pass away

II. GOD LOVED AND GAVE THE WORLD HIS SON

   "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. . .”

     A. Agape / Love involves something you do. . .

                  1. Empathetic Action – Doing what is best for the other

                  2. Ignoring yourself

      B. Agape / Love involves Sacrifice

                  1. God Gave His most priceless gift: His Son

                  2. If giving doesn’t discomfort the giver, then it isn’t love

      C. God gave his priceless gift to the least deserving – Romans 5:6-8

          “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the

            ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a                  good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His

            own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for                       us.”

                  1. God’s incredible love extended not just to “Good Persons”

                  2. He died for sinners

 

III.  GOD’S LOVE HAS TRANSFORMING POWER

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Greek: gennhqh  anwqen =GEN-AY-THAY A-NO-THEN= Born From Above

            A. We are “Born from Above” into the Kingdom of God

          B. Cannot SEE the Kingdom until Re-Birth

                        1. Not Physical Rebirth- John 3:4

                           "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second

                             time into his mother's womb and be born?"

                        2. Spiritual Transformational Rebirth

            B. Cannot ENTER the Kingdom until Re-Birth - John 3:5

                "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit,

                  he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

                        1. Born of Water - Two Parallels

                                    a. Physical Birth - Amniotic Fluid Sac in the Womb

                                    b. Spiritual Birth / Water Baptism

                        2. Born of Spirit

                                    a. Human Spirit – “ I am a spirit, but live temporarily in a                                                                              physical body”

                                    b. Holy Spirit thru Miraculous Birth from Above

IV.  HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED GOD’S LOVE?

            A. It’s not enough to “know about His Love” for the world

                        1. Must find and experience it personally

                        2. Not through rituals or sacred acts

            B. God’s Agape / Love is found through Relationship

                        1. Relationship takes Time

                        2. Relationship involves the giving of yourself

 

GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, Text:

John 3:1-17

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

2  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."

3  Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

4  Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

5  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

6  "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7  "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'

8  "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

9  Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"

10  Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

11  "Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.

12  "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

13  "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

14  "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

15  "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

16  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17  "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

 

 

 

Closing Illustration

GOD LOVEs THE WORLD

 

General Lou Wallace and Robert Ingersoll’s pact

Resulted in the Novel, Ben Hur

Lou Wallace’s book started as a short story describing the first Christmas (Book I of Ben-Hur). Lew had been fascinated with the Bible verses in Matthew describing how the wise men came to Jerusalem to see the Christ child. (He had always attended church with his family and his wife but didn't consider himself religious until the writing of Ben-Hur.) The remainder of the book was inspired by a conversation on a train trip to Indianapolis in September 1876 with Col. Robert Ingersoll, one of the best known atheists of the time. By the time they got to Indianapolis, Lou said he was ashamed of his ignorance of religion and his inability to answer the man’s challenges against Christianity and the Bible.

          He resolved to study the Bible. In trying to imagine how to make the task more compelling, he realized in a flash of inspiration that he could write a book detailing the religious and political situation of the world that “would demonstrate a necessity for a Saviour .”

          Ingersoll insisted there was no Jesus and especially no virgin birth or resurrection. Wallace went to the Holy Land with the intention of disproving him. Wallace was something of an agnostic, non-religious man as he accepted Ingersol’s challenge, but after intensive study had a TRANSFORMATIONAL event.

He fells to his knees, gave up his stubborn agnosticism and cried out to Jesus,

“My Lord and my God!”

He was immediately changed, transformed, “Born from Above.”

Afterward, he penned the incredible story,

“Ben Hur, A Tale of the Christ”