#FBCVLove
Notes
Transcript
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
The giver gives out of love.
The giver gives out of love.
Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Why do we give gifts?
Why do we give gifts?
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Illus: at the faulk house we have a tradition. Jenn and I do not shower the girls with more junk than they need. Instead, we budget our money so that everyone gives gifts. I give one gift to all of our family, Jenn and the girls do the same.
What is extraordinary is that our entire family really thinks through to find meaningful gifts for one another.
Last year Ana gave me probably my favorite gift ever. She teases me that I am Winnie the pooh. She bought me this… (show picture)
follow me here. gifts are a physical way of expressing your internal love for someone else.
God expressed his genuine love for not only those who sought him, but also for those who rejected him through the Christmas gift of Jesus Christ.
This week I want you to look for moments of love. As Christmas is becoming a more and more selfish holiday, look for moments of love. Take a picture, and then post it with the hashtag #FBCVLove
32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
33 If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full.
35 But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.
Why did God give us Jesus?
Why did God give us Jesus?
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Illus: Hear me friends, God did not need to send Jesus to this earth.
If God did not send Jesus, every knee would still bow to him, He would still be king.
That said, our fate would far different. We would face, rightly, the judgment of God. God’s wrath would be pored out on us. We would face the judgment of God eternally.
But God, being a loving God gave us Jesus, not because we deserve it, but because he is gracious.
God sent Jesus to forgive us, redeem us, make us new so that we come to him as children.
Watch what scripture says....
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die.
8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 How much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath.
10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.
God’s gift is beyond extravagant.
God’s gift is beyond extravagant.
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
God knows our deepest needs, and gives us what we need (often when we want what will hurt us).
God knows our deepest needs, and gives us what we need (often when we want what will hurt us).
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Illus: We are foolish people. OUr heart is drawn to what will hurt us and we embrace what will kill us.
Everyone of us embraces broken messed up sins in our lives. We walk boldly into death not even realizing that it is killing us.
Once we have embraced the sin in our lives, we then realize the death and shame we have embrased.
Funny enough the enslaves us, as hard as we work to be free, it holds us.
When God sent Jesus is was to free us for our sin. He frees us from the shame, and the bondage of sin. He gives us what we didn't even know we needed.
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
We do not deserve God’ s extravagance.
We do not deserve God’ s extravagance.
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
FROM DEATH TO LIFE
Illus: What do we deserve? We deserve death, hell and punishment.
God would have been good to us to give us a second chance, but if he gave us a second change we would squander it. We would end up messing up again and falling right back in the perdicament God freed us from.
He would have been good to forgive us and make us servents in his kingdom. That would have been grace.
God did more though. He took our sin, our punishment, our pain, our death, and made us children in His kingdom.
2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins
2 in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.
3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us,
5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
You need to respond.
You need to respond.
16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Just as you must open a gift, you are called to respond to Christ through faith.
Just as you must open a gift, you are called to respond to Christ through faith.
Illus: Imagine if I told you to there are 100 dollar bills under every seat. you would cheer and celebrate. Then you went home, checked your wallet only to realize that in the midst of hearing the news you never looked under your seat to grab yours. It was available to you, but you never took possession of it.
God is offering eternity to everyone. You have to respond though. The response God asks for is faith. To believe you are a sinner, that Jesus lived the perfect life, died on the cross for your sins, rose from the dead,will make you new, and place your life in God’s control.
Today are you ready to make that step?
9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.