Sermon Tone Analysis

John 3:

Illustration about Miscalculation.

Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of Britain, in negotiations with Hitler over Czechoslovakia noted about the German leader that, "Here was a man who could be relied upon when he had given his word."

Hitler had told Chamberlin that his intentions regarding Czechoslovakia were limited.

One historian noted that, “Rarely had a statesman made such a serious miscalculation.”

"Here was a man who could be relied upon when he had given his word."

The Reich chancellor's intentions were "limited," Chamberlain said.

Rarely had a statesman made such a serious miscalculation.

Man has an innate tendency to think of himself as far better than he really is.

People have a tendency to proclaim his own righteousness.

Jesus asserts that people are not born into this world spiritually ok.

The text that teaches the love of God like no other text sets that love against the backdrop of God’s wrath.

Bible here puts God’s condemnation in close proximity to the most famous verse on love anywhere in the Bible.

Bible here puts God’s condemnation in close proximity to the most famous verse on love anywhere in the Bible.

The Background of this text comes when Nicodemus is coming to Jesus by night.

This teacher coms to Jesus and Jesus tells him that he must be born again.

How can these things be?

Jesus goes on the drive the point home that the only way that Nicodemus can be rescued from God Judgment is through the saving work of the Son.

What does it mean that the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness?

John 3:

God’s provision for people dying under the poison of the serpent was to a substitue serpent.

You see Jesus was teaching Nicodemus that “He had to take on Himself the sting of death.

He had to take on Himself the poison of sin on the cross.”

He must be lifted up on a cross; He must become the substitute serpent, if you will.

He had to take on Himself the sting of death.

He had to take on Himself the poison of sin on the cross.

The situation back in the book of Numbers is that the people were snake bitten.

The people were under the sentence of condemnation.

Many were dying and some were dead.

They were under divine judgment.

Please get the picture - When you are bitten you are facing certain death.

Jesus is telling Nicodums that they had the sentence of death on them.

The only remedy for this judgment - was to look on God’s provision.

God made a provision for their redemption.

Don’t pick this text up and apply it without the context.

Don’t destroy by robbing it of context.

The back story is that people were perishing and in need of salvation.

What do we understand from this?

What is Christ’s pointing out to Nichodimus and you and me.

That we are not like the simple model of the atom.

Atom has Protons - Positively charged particles.

By that point, Chamberlain should have rethought his strategy, since Hitler's stance must have raised the question as to why he would risk a military conflict if he were merely interested in Sudetenland, a concession that the West had already made.

But after his first meeting with Hitler, the premier noted: "Here was a man who could be relied upon when he had given his word."

The Reich chancellor's intentions were "limited," Chamberlain said.

Rarely had a statesman made such a serious miscalculation.

Elections - Negatively Charged particles.

Neutrons - Non-charged particles.

So we tend to categorize people as without Christ - Condemned

With Christ - Redeemed

- Those who are not condemn but not yet redeemed.

Look at this picture of of the Atom - Electrons - Protons and Neutrons.

Christ taught that there is no spiritual neutrality.

According to Jesus every person is in one of two categories.

I was asked the question last night - A question about 14 year old boy who had a ATV accident.

He never committed himself to Christ.

The question was was he old enough?

Is he morally accountable for his actions?

At his age - at this point in his life?

Is it possible?

What our conversations revolved around is that my family who Loves Christ and seeks to serve him - they were struggling with the hard sayings of Jesus as they are applied to people they know personally.

It is a lot more comfortable when we apply these tough teachings to people we have no emotional attachment.

Without Christ = Condemnation

This is why we preach and teach.

This is why we do ministry.

Because Jesus taught us that our children, grandchildren, our neighbors, our co-workers, and friends, our solders, our politicians, our world is not ok!

Everyone is snake bitten - everyone without Christ is already condemned.

In Christ = Salvation

God sent his Son to save condemned men.

Spurgeon Said,

While others are congratulating themselves, I have to sit humbly at the foot of the cross and marvel that I’m saved at all.

smorgasbord of salvation options

You have to understand this from the illustration point that Jesus has made.

If the snake bit people don’t look they want live.

Refusing to look to God’s provision means there is no salvation from their state of condemnation.