Holy Ground

I ask those of you who are here on Wednesday to pray for me because I thought the week was not going that well.

! Last night when John called I knew it was going worse than I thought. So I really need you to pray for me now.

But you know what? The passage that we're going to look at this morning...

It's the best.

Perfect. A couple of months ago, Pastor asked me to speak this morning so he could go hunting.

We talked about my topic and decided that I would just simply do the next passage in John.

And looking at the schedule, he told me that would be John 3.16.

At first I thought that would be fine.

Then I spent the last...

Since then...

Turning it over and over in my mind and struggling with this message.

In the last week I came across a commentary by A.W. Tozer on the book of John and I turned to 3.16.

And I want to read what he said there.

It's from A.W. Tozer's book and he dwelled amongst us.

As far as I can remember, I've never preached a sermon on John 3.16.

Nor have I devoted an entire article or essay to it.

It's not that I do not like the text, for I do.

It is simply that the text has been too big for me.

I've instinctively quoted this, often in times of prayer and testimony and writing and preaching.

I was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable about this and confused as to why I could not get a handle on this text.

Then I was reading one of Charles Ellicott's noble old commentaries of a hundred or more years ago.

When the wise old saint of God came to John 3.16, he said something to this effect.

I don't tend to say much about this text.

It's a favorite of young preachers.

But older preachers feel that it's better felt than talked about.

So I'm going to confine my comments on this text to the minimum.

And he did.

I knew exactly what he meant and began understanding my reluctance in tackling this text.

I believe that more than ever, anyone attempting to deal with John 3.16 undertakes an almost insurmountable task.

Requiring a great deal of sympathy and generous love for God and men.

No person should do this hastily.

This text should be approached as Moses approached the burning bush in his day.

It's a sacred confrontation with God.

As you recall, Moses was required to remove his sandals as he approached this burning bush.

Whatever that act meant, like Moses, we must approach this text with unhurried solicitude.

So I approached this text as one filled with a great fear, great fascination, and an overwhelming sense of inadequacy.

Almost a despair.

The thought of the presence of God before me.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Almighty God, the message of this text is the comfort and encouragement to all of our souls.

It's the challenge to the unbeliever.

Lord, it's the most wonderful words that we could hear.

It's the words of the children's song.

Jesus loves me.

This I know.

For the Bible tells me so.

That's the passage we look at this morning.

Lord, help us to grow in our appreciation for your holy, wonderful love for us.

And let that be the comfort that we need today.

The view of the events of last week.

And what we do not know comes this week.

We ask it in Christ's name.

Amen.

Turn with me, please, to John 3.16.

It's hardly a place in the world to which the gospel of Jesus Christ has gone that this verse has not become almost instantly known.

It's the first verse that translators translate into a new language.

And it's been translated into over 1,100 different languages.

Millions of people have been taught to recite it.

It's inscribed in books and buildings.

It's reflected in songs.

It's been held up on posters at nearly every significant sporting event in recent days.

But is it simply the cover child of Christianity?

Is it just a verse to be printed on coffee cups, poster boards?

I almost asked some people to hold up poster boards that said John 3.16 on it.

And after I read Tozers, I decided I wasn't going to do that.

Is it a verse that we throw at unbelievers like a Christian hand grenade?

Or is it more?

Follow along as I read beginning in verse 14.

The demonstration, the extent, and the result of God's love.

First, the demonstration.

It says,

As Moses lift up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.

For God so loved the world.

This passage could have been translated,

For this is how God loved the world, or in this way God loved the world.

You see, so often we think about, well, this is the extent of it.

But I included the two previous verses because while the word so here is used frequently in the New Testament,

and in fact it's used frequently in the Gospel of John,

it always, it never refers to the degree or how much,

but rather always into the manner or in this way.

If we look at what comes right before then,

which it always, this word always refers to what came right before it,

we see that pointed back to verse 14,

which tells us that the Son of Man must be lifted up.

It speaks of the cross.

In other words, the picture,

or the demonstration,

of God's love is always

wrapped up in the cross.

It's the same idea or connotation was in another one of the books of John,

and I won't ask you to turn to it this morning,

but in 1 John 4, 9 and 10,

it says,

In this the love of God was made manifest among us,

that God sent his only Son into the world

so that we might live through him.

And this is love, not that we have loved God,

but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Propitiation is an old word, but it's a really good one.

It speaks of the fact that Christ took the wrath of God on himself,

and by doing so,

he became a sin offering

that satisfied that wrath of God

that should have been poured out on you and me.

In the dictionary, it's cross-referenced with the word atonement,

which speaks of the fact that because of Christ's payment,

we can be at one with the Father.

It's a solid and comforting support to rely on the death of Christ

as the only pledge of God's love.

The motivation for this is that he so loved the world.

God never saved the world by his love.

He provided the offer of salvation to the world

by pouring out all the divine wrath on the Son.

Back in my day, there was a song called,

All We Need Is Love.

It was a lie.

What we need is grace.

And grace comes to us through the cross,

through the work of God that is the picture

or the illustration of the love he had for us.

God so loved the world that he provided the cross.

The object of the love is the world.

But just what does he mean by this?

Well, first of all, it says whoever believes.

So it must be that it has to be people.

It can't be rocks and trees

and the other things that we would consider part of the world.

It also suggests that it refers to man who is sin-laden,

exposed to the judgment,

and in need of salvation,

but still the objects of his care.

By reason of the context and other passages

with a similar thought,

it is probable that the term indicates fallen man.

And it refers to all men, all nations, all peoples,

both Jews and Gentiles, men and women, boys and girls.

But it can't be teaching universal salvation

because in that same context,

it says that the unbelievers will perish

in eternal divine judgment.

All this being said,

it's important to recognize

that during his earthly ministry,

Jesus always dealt with individuals.

And the Christian message reflects that.

God does not love the masses.

He loves every individual in the masses.

He gave his only begotten son

that whosoever,

and with that we can put our name in that.

I can put my name in that.

It's whoever believes in him

should not perish but have everlasting life.

The word believe has the little preposition in.

In.

Which means to believe in Christ.

That is, we put trust in him

as the one who bore the penalty for our sin.

It's a personal thing.

We must each believe that he died in our place

and in our stead.

You must believe that he died for you.

The greatest application

that comes from this verse

is that God loves me.

God loves even me.

Would you indulge me this morning?

Would you say that with me?

God loves even me.

That's why this verse is one of the first ones

that's translated into a language.

Because at some moment in each of our lives

comes the feeling deep down inside us

of loneliness,

of lostness.

It's a thought that can plague our heart and our soul.

The thought that nobody really cares

about us.

That I matter to absolutely nobody.

Nobody cares about me.

And people search all over

for an answer for that.

That lostness.

They look to booze.

They look to drugs.

They look to sex.

They look to success.

But all of those things wear off.

They all fade away.

And when they do,

the lostness simply returns.

It's only softened by the truth

that God loves us.

Even so,

God's love is to be admired

not because the world is so big,

includes so many lost people,

but it's to be admired

because the world is so bad.

And that's the customary idea

of the word cosmos,

the Greek word here.

The world is so wicked

that John elsewhere in his writings

forbids Christians to love it

or have anything to do with it.

This brings forth the depth of the truth

that we find in Romans 5.8.

But God shows his love for us

that while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us.

The proof or the picture

of Christ lifted up on the cross

is also a picture of our need.

It makes perfectly clear

that I'm a sinner.

Remember Jesus' answer to Nicodemus?

What must he do?

Unless you are born again.

And Pastor pointed out

very clearly last week

that what Jesus was doing

was he was ripping apart

the works of man

and replacing them

with the grace of God

found in his love

demonstrated on the cross.

If there had been

any other possible way

for us to have obtained heaven

other than the cross

then the cross

is not something glorious

it's something

that is ridiculous.

Why would God do that

if we could have made it

on our own?

The fact that God

provided the cross

the fact that Jesus said

he must

suggests that there's nothing else

no other options

no other way.

You know I read something

several years ago

written by the Jehovah Witness

and they were making the point

that they thought

it was terrible

for people to have crosses

because for you

to have a cross

would be just like

carrying an image

of a gun

that your best friend

was shot with.

They missed the point.

the point is not

that my best friend

died on the cross

the point is

that my sin

was paid for

on the cross.

It's a reminder

that the cross

is the picture

of how much

God loves me.

So we turn to the extent

that he gave

his only son

we've already addressed

the fact that

when it speaks

of God giving his son

it's not speaking

like you give away

your daughter

at her wedding

but rather

it's pointing back

to the lifting up

of Jesus

which speaks

of the cross.

Some of the older

translations

you'll find

it says

the only begotten

and in fact

it's a term

that we use often

and with the understanding

it can be helpful

can also be

very misleading

because the idea

is not

begottenness

but the idea

is uniqueness

and so some

of the newer

translations

have the one

and only

and the point

is that Jesus Christ

is absolutely

unique

Jesus is unique

the unique

son of God

there's no one

like him

there's no others

there's no equals

there's no one

that's even close

he's absolutely

unique

in more ways

than I can

possibly share

this morning

but I'm going

to point out

four

and have you

turn to the passages

with me

the first one

is in John

you're in John

three

it's in John

one

chapter

chapter one

verse one

Christ

was the unique

in his eternality

in the beginning

was the word

and the word

was with God

and the word

was God

verse 14

and the word

became flesh

and dwelt

among us

and we've seen

his glory

glory is of the only

son from the father

full of grace

and truth

I still remember

the first time

I held my son

in my arms

but to say

that I understand

how God

felt

when he gave

his son

because I held

my son

is blasphemy

you see

there was never

a time

when Jesus

Christ

was not

one of the

famous

and most

significant

errors

heresies

of all time

that is continually

followed

by both

Jehovah

Witnesses

and the Mormons

is that

there was

a time

before

Christ

was created

and that's a lie

he is the eternal

son of God

there was

no time

when he was not

he's eternal

second person

of the trinity

and so the wrath

he endured

on the cross

was sufficient

for all

all people

can come to him

why

because he paid

a price

that was sufficient

for all mankind

second one

second Corinthians

2 Corinthians 5:21

chapter 5

verse 21

Christ was

absolutely

unique

in his

sinlessness

second Corinthians

5 21

he made him

who knew

no sin

to be sin

on our behalf

that we might

become

the righteousness

of God

in him

to say

that Christ

well maybe

he sinned

a little bit

you know

not a lot

but maybe

just a little

is to say

that God

has sinned

which is both

a lie

and nonsensical

but by his

very nature

and definition

God can have

no part

in sin

and Jesus

being fully

God

is the

absolute

opposite

of sin

just as an

aside

since the

passage

said

that we

have

become

the

righteousness

of God

in him

if there

was in

any sense

a flaw

in that

righteousness

where are we

same place

we would have

been before

lost

third

Philippians

Philippians 2:6

chapter 2

verses 6

and 7

Christ

was unique

in his

equality

with the

father

who

though he

was in the

form of

God

did not

count

equality

with God

a thing

to be

grasped

but emptied

himself

by taking

the form

of a

servant

being born

in the

likeness

of man

Jesus

Christ

in his

deity

is not

at all

a creature

made in

the image

of God

as the

rest of

us are

he is

God

incarnate

and

consequently

there is

a sense

in which

when God

gave Jesus

for us

he gave

himself

for us

fourth

back to

John

John 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

and verse

18

Christ

was unique

in his

revelation

of the

father

John

1

18

no one

has ever

seen

God

the only

God

who is

at the

father's

right hand

speaking of

Jesus

Christ

he

has made

him known

he was

absolutely

unique

in his

revelation

of the

father

how do

we know

what the

father's

like

how do

we

picture

what the

father is

like

Jesus

said

you've

seen

me

you've

seen

the

father

we look

to Jesus

Christ

in the

words of

the

scriptures

and we

know

what God

is like

and we

know how

much he

loves us

what that

text what

these texts

are saying

then

is that

God had

only one

son

and because

of his

love for

humanity

he gave

him

to

punishment

and wrath

in order

to make

eternal

life

available

to the

whole

world

there is

not one

answer

for

Christians

and another

for

Muslims

there is

not one

answer

for

Christians

and another

one

for

Buddhists

there's

not one

answer

for

Christians

and another

one

for

Mormons

or even

for Roman

Catholics

there is

one

Jesus

Christ

and no

one

no one

comes to

the Father

except

by him

there is

no other

name given

under heaven

by which

men may

be saved

there's

only one

son given

by the

Father

as a

picture of

his love

and his

uniqueness

shows the

extent

of God's

love for

us

from here

we turn

to the

result

of his

love

that

whosoever

believes

in him

should not

perish

but have

ever

have eternal

life

do you

remember the

purpose of

the book

of John

pastor's

been reminding

us of it

several times

in fact

I think

one of the

kids even

told him

what passage

it was

it was

in John

John 20 · chapter mention

chapter 20

and verse

30 and

31

right

Ethan

Ethan

was mouthing

as I was

saying it

John chapter

John 20:30

20 verses

30 and

31

as Perry

Harding

used to

say

used to

teach in

our school

taught at

Madison

long time

member here

very good

teacher

he used

to say

John

always

leaves

his

purpose

at the

back

door

in other

words

if you go

to the

end of

the book

of John

and start

backward

you'll find

the purpose

that John

has for

his writing

almost every

time

and it

says there

these things

have been

written

that you

might

believe

John

had a

purpose

in telling

us

how much

God

loves

us

that you

may

believe

the phrase

believe

or the word

believe

means more

than simply

recognizing

and accepting

the claims

of the gospel

oh yeah

I know

all that

stuff

it means

more than

just attending

a church

on a regular

basis

since you

were a

child

it means

more than

going forward

it means

more than

being baptized

the language

of the

scripture

is

it's really

interesting

it's not

actually

believes

in

the word

is

believes

into

think about

that

believes

into

so

believe

includes

trust

and commitment

to Christ

as Lord

and Savior

which results

in receiving

a new

nature

and that

produces

a change

a change

in heart

a change

in obedience

to the Lord

a change

in our

very

person

says

we

have

eternal

life

Jesus

defined

eternal

life

for us

turn with

me

to

John

John 17 · chapter mention

chapter

17

in

his

high

priestly

prayer

the

Lord's

prayer

if you

will

Jesus

says

this

is

eternal

life

that

they

may

know

you

the

only

true

God

and

Jesus

Christ

whom

you

have

sent

it

is

the

life

of

the

age

to

come

and

believers

will

more

fully

experience

it

in

perfect

unending

glory

and joy

when we

get to

heaven

but

also

since

to have

eternal

life

is to

know

God

that

is to

have

a

personal

individual

relationship

with

him

and

then

we

experience

all the

blessings

which

flow

from

that

personal

relationship

it

points

both

to

the

present

age

and

to

the

age

to

come

and

one

of

the

things

that

we

hope

in

that

we

trust

in

is

not

only

not

only

will

someday

John

and

Kristen

have a

better

picture

of

why

all

this

stuff

happened

not

only

will

pastor

have

a

better

understanding

of

the

process

that

his

dad

has

been

through

but

more

importantly

today

the

personal

relationship

with

Jesus

Christ

gives

comfort

gives

encouragement

where

there

is

nothing

worldly

comfort

there

gives

us

a

hope

because

life

doesn't

start

when we

get

to

heaven

it

starts

the

moment

we

put

our

trust

in

Jesus

Christ

the

idea

of

eternal

refers

not

solely

to

the

duration

of

existence

but

to

the

quality

of

life

as

contrasted

with

the

futility

that

the

rest

of

the

world

faces

it's

a

deepening

growing

experience

it's

never

exhausted

in

any

measurable

span

of

time

that's

why

it

takes

all

eternity

to

come

to

that

full

recognition

full

realization

of

what

that

relationship

with

Christ

really

means

it'll

take

us

all

eternity

to

figure

that

out

it

introduces

a

totally

new

quality

of

life

the

believer

becomes

imperishable

he's

free

from

all

condemnation

he's

absolutely

approved

by

God

the

word

perish

is the

opposite

of

salvation

it's

used

of

death

as

opposed

to

life

it's

used

to

destroy

as

opposed

to

preserve

to

loss

as

opposed

to

win

or

gain

and

it's

used

here

implies

that

those

without

God

are

hopelessly

confused

in their

purpose

they're

alienated

from him

in their

affections

and

they're

futile

in their

efforts

positive

belief

in

Christ

is

necessary

all

one

has to

do

to

perish

is

nothing

to

perish

is to

fail

completely

of

fulfilling

God's

purpose

and

consequently

to be

excluded

forever

from his

fellowship

one

final

aspect

especially

significant

today

as I

said

eternal

refers

to

both

quality

as

well

as

quantity

that

God

gave

his

own

son

to

wrath

as a

result

of

his

love

means

that

God

has

already

done

the

greatest

deed

and

the

natural

argument

from

there

is

that

if

he

loved

us

that

much

then

the

cares

the

concerns

the

troubles

of

this

day

or

this

coming

week

are not

too

much

for

him

Romans

8

32

pastor

referred

to it

in his

prayer

earlier

he

who

did

not

spare

his

own

son

but

gave

him

up

for

us

all

how

will

he

not

also

with

him

graciously

give

us

all

things

where

can

I

turn

for

the

difficulties

of

this

coming

week

where

can

I

turn

from

the

heartaches

of

this

past

week

only

one

place

that

God

so

loved

the

world

that

he

gave

his

only

begotten

son

that

whosoever

believeth

on

him

shall

have

eternal

life

the

presentation

of the

good

news

offers

people

only

two

options

to

believe

or to

perish

eternal

life

or

eternal

lostness

eternal

life

which is

accepted

by

believing

is the

gift

of

God

and

it

brings

with

us

the

fullest

blessings

that

God

can

bestow

on

us

unlike

many

today

the

Bible

does

not

teach

and

I

do

not

believe

that

to

perish

means

to

cease

to

exist

means

to

experience

torment

utter

failure

futility

and

loss

of

everything

that

makes

existence

worthwhile

Jesus

said in

John

10

10

I

come

that

they

may

have

life

and

have

it

abundantly

John

3

16

it's

a picture

of my

sin

picture

of God's

love

image

in the

cross

the

extent

of God's

love

in that

provision

of a

unique

son

for the

purpose

of life

rather

than

ruin

much

more

than a

Christian

slogan

much

more

than a

Christian

grenade

to be

thrown

at

unbelievers

rather

it is

the very

truth

of the

truth

of God

it's

the very

foundation

of the

gospel

it's

the thing

that encourages

and helps

us through

not only

the challenges

but provides

us

with

everlasting

life

for those

of us

who know

God

who love

him

it makes

Romans

8 32

answer

the needs

that we

have

for the

non-believer

it provides

a clear

explanation

of what

God's love

did for

them

and what

he expects

of them

let's pray

without anyone

looking around

with all of

our eyes

closed

if you're here

this morning

and you do

not know

Jesus Christ

as your

Lord and

Savior

you've not

come to

that personal

relationship

with him

have not

come to

the place

of understanding

fully

that God

so loved

you

that he

gave his

only begotten

son

that whosoever

believes in

him

has eternal

life

if you've not

come to that

place before

I would

encourage you

to come

before God

to say

I understand

I believe

that I'm

a sinner

and the only

possible

option for

me

was the

provision

of the

cross

and today

I accept

the truth

of Jesus

Christ

the eternal

son of the

father

that all

my sins

may be

cared for

may be

paid for

and that

I may

receive

today

is the

day that

I believe

you do

not need

to raise

your hand

God

does not

see a

raised

hand

any more

than he

sees a

raised

heart

but in a

little while

I'm going to

give an

invitation

for you

to come

forward

and if

you've

done that

today

it would

be

appropriate

and an

encouragement

to us

that you

would

acknowledge

that

it will

also put

you on

record

that something

has changed

something has

taken place

maybe today

you're here

and you

know the

truths of

Christ

you've

accepted

them

you've

prayed

the

prayer

you've

been

baptized

maybe

you've

even

been

a

church

member

but the

truth

is

that you

don't

really

act

much

like

God

loves

you

if that's

the case

I pray

that you

would cry

out to

God

that you

would ask

him to

melt

your heart

of stone

to give

you a

heart

of flesh

when I

give the

invitation

if you

would like

prayer for

that or

you would

simply like

to say

I am

today

rededicating

my life

to Christ

it will be

an opportunity

for you

to do

that

our

father

we thank

you so

much

that you

loved us

and that

you love

us

still

the fact

that you

loved us

and gave

your son

not simply

to give him

to serve

us

but rather

you gave him

to die

for us

gracious

God

we thank you

for your

gift of

love

we accept

it

with joyful

hearts

Lord help

us

this week

to often

remember the

words

Jesus loves

me

this I know

for the

Bible tells

me so

in Christ's

name we pray

Amen