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For God So Loved The World
John 3:16-17
Today we will spend our time in class looking at
what some have called the greatest Sermon ever. It could be called that
because it is about 30 seconds long, and I know that we would all love
to hear a 30 second sermon. But others have called it that because it is
so complete, that nothing more could be added to it.
If you have your Bibles turn to John 3:16, this verse will be our text
for today. I want to give you a few thoughts on this verse and then for
the rest of the time today I want you to give me your thoughts.
When I was in College the professors used to give out sermon manuscripts
as a way to help struggling preachers. Since I had no desire to preach I
usually left them alone but I do have one or two of them. I am not real
sure who wrote the following thoughts but I thought that I would share
them with you today.
God = The Greatest One
So loved = The Greatest Degree
the world = The greatest amount of people
that He gave = The greatest generosity
His only begotten Son = The greatest uniqueness
that whosoever = The greatest invitation
believeth in Him = The greatest simplicity
should not = The greatest certainty
perish = The greatest possible loss
but = The greatest difference
have = The greatest possession
eternal = The greatest length
life = The greatest gift
I want you to notice two things about God:
1. The first is His character and nature:
He is excessively generous. Ephesians 1:7,8 "In Him we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the
riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and
insight..."
2. We understand the depth of God’s care for us, as demonstrated by His
generosity.
In the church we are so often bombarded by the fact that we are sinners
it makes it very difficult for us to grasp how God could love a sinner
like me. Well today I want discuss why God loves us, and places value in
us.
What is Value is Determined by?
How do we determine a things value?
Today I want to give you 6 things that show how we determine value and
you will see that by every standard of value, God loves you greatly.
1. The cost of labor and production.
How much does it cost to make and produce a thing is an important item
in determining a things value. Jesus told a parable about counting the
cost before you build a tower, or before you go to war.
Read Luke 14:28-30
God knew how much it was going to cost Him to make and redeem man long
before the first man and woman were created.
Eph 1:4
In Genesis 1:26 there is no hesitancy suggested in the creation of man,
even though God knew what was ahead for His Son. He knew how much it was
going to cost Him, and He went ahead with the project anyway. Why?
Because in His eyes it was worth doing. The cost of creating and
redeeming man was outweighed by the value He placed on having us to be
near Him. You have great and enormous value to God!
2. Purchase price
A second item that we can consider in the value of a thing is the actual
purchase price paid.
March 12th of this year a painting by Pablo Picasso entitled, "Boy with
a Pipe" sold at an auction, selling for $104,168,000. It was the most
ever paid for a painting.
$11,500 was paid for an old lunchbox Manufactured in the early 1950s,
depicting the "Man of Steel,"
$6,050 was spent on an old photograph of a 12 year old girl named Norma
Jean
$1,170,000 was spent on a one-of-a-kind Patek Philippe wristwatch made
in 1938
Now you might think that these prices are as outlandish as I do but to
the degree something has value to YOU, you will pay for it.
How much God paid for us, says much about His valuation of us. In heaven
gold and jewels have little value, in fact gold will be pavement upon
which we will walk. What then is of value in heaven? If heaven had a
vault to protect its most valuable property, what would be kept in it?
Not silver, not gold, nor any such thing. If we could open heaven’s
vault we would find the person of Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son.
God spared no expense in purchasing us, He gladly and willingly emptied
His vault, that we might be His choice possession.
1 Peter 1:18,19 "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation
[received] by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood
of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"
When we consider the purchase price paid, the precious blood of Christ,
then we have to know we are of great value to God.
3. Effort in obtaining.
A third item in considering the value of a thing, is the amount of
effort someone is willing to expend to obtain it. Would you climb the
Himalayas for something? Would you eat grotesque things on a TV show to
earn some money? How far would you go? The amount of effort you are
willing to make to get something is a clear indicator of its value to
you.
People are doing all kinds of grotesque things on TV in an effort to win
money. They are covering themselves with rats, and spiders and all sorts
of things.
But the most grotesque thing ever done to anyone to win a prize was when
God, "laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Is 53:6)
God put on Jesus every sin committed by every person who ever lived. No
one ever went to a further length to get something, than God in Christ
went to get you and I!
4. Care in keeping.
A things value can also be determined by the amount of effort that is
spent to safeguard it. The two main things that God has done to
safeguard us are the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the gift of the bible.
When God sent the Holy Spirit to seal and protect us, there is no
greater vault anywhere in the universe. There is no stronger bodyguard,
there is no more diligent watchman, there is no more powerful protector.
God sent us the best.
Secondly, God gave us the scriptures. They have come down to us as a
blood stained book. Many have died to produce, and deliver this book to
people throughout the world and throughout the ages. There is no more
costly book that has ever been produced. By giving us the most diligent
watchman there ever was, and the most blood stained book there ever was,
God has said, "YOU are valuable to Me!"
5. Terms of endearment.
Finally, when something is valuable to you, you speak of it in endearing
tones. Many scriptures could be shown but here is just one:
Deuteronomy 32:10 "He found him in a desert land, and in the waste
howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as
the apple of his eye." This text though speaking of Israel in the Old
Testament is foreshadowing the church.
I have noticed that it is easier to tell someone else that God loves
them, than to say it to ourselves. Probably because of lingering
feelings of guilt or inadequacy. But we must focus on the Value that God
has put on us.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
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