Place: Lurgan Baptist 20:3:2005

Reading: John 3:1-17

“ AMAZING LOVE,”

A man was sitting in a train station reading his Bible when a sceptic passed by. The sceptic

walked past him several times looking annoyed. Finally, he stopped and asked, “ You don’t

believe everything in that book do you ?” The man looked up and replied, “ To be perfectly

honest with you I must admit that I have found one verse very hard to believe.” “ Oh, I thought

so,” said the critic, “ tell me what it is ?” The man said, “ It is

( John 3v16 ) “ For God so loved the world …. life.” These my …. are the greatest words ever

spoken for they tell in simplicity and clarity the wondrous story of the Christ who died for me.

Here we have the sum and substance, the cream and essence of the whole of Biblical Revelation.

Now this text has been described in various ways. Martin Luther called it, “ The miniature

Gospel, the little Bible.” “ What,” said Luther “ can be compared to this wonderful brevity.” He

said, “ I love this text beyond measure, the world’s greatest love story, Christ’s gospel in one

verse.” Now there are three things that any preacher would want to say about this text. The first

thing is that it speaks of,

(1) THE GREATEST LOVE THAT A PERSON CAN EVER KNOW

“ For God so loved the world,” and the greatest love is of course the love of God. Bishop Taylor

Smith used to say that the heart of the gospel lies in three short sentences. 1. God is: ( Ps 46:1 ) 2.

God is love:

( 1 Jn 4:8 ) 3. God loves you. ( 3:16 ) “ For God,” that is the Source of love, “ so loved,” that is

the Fact of love, “ the world,” that is the Object of love, “ that He gave, that is the Act of love, “

His only begotten son,” that is the Gift of love, “ that whosoever believeth in Him,” that is the

Message of love, “ should not perish …. life,” that is the Fruit of love. When young Henry

Moorehouse preached for a week in D.L. Moody’s church in Chicago years ago he preached

every night on this text. And he preached on the love of God with such passion and power that

Moody was overwhelmed. In fact Moorehouse became known as the man who moved the man

who moved the millions.

On the last night Moorehouse finished with these words,

“ I have been trying to tell you how much God loves you. Suppose I could borrow Jacob’s ladder.

Suppose I could ascend that shining stairway until my feet stood on the sapphire pavements of

the city of God. Suppose I could find Gabriel the herald angel who stands in the presence of God.

Suppose I could say, tell me Gabriel, how much does God love the world ? I know what Gabriel

would say. He would say, Henry Moorehouse, ‘ For God so loved the world …. life.’ That’s how

much God loves the world.” Love is one of the warmest words in the English language, and that

God loves us is one of the most sublime, uplifting, reassuring truths known to mankind. Our text

speaks about,

(a) THE SOURCE OF THIS LOVE:

“ For God so loved,” What is love ? God is love. What is love ? Love is that selfless quality that

seeks the good of its object even at personal cost. “ For God so loved the world,” that He felt

romantic about it …. that He got a tingling sensation …. that He gave to charity. No, “ For God

so loved the world that He gave ….,” you see, love is an act of self-sacrifice, it has more to do

with acting than feeling, its not act of the emotion but an act of the will. Now when we think of

love we think of

1. A Mother’s Love:

A mother loves unconditionally and unceasingly. What about the love of a mother ? Surely a

mother’s love for her child is a picture of God’s love for us. No ! A mother’s love is not a

measuring stick for God’s love.

2. A Father’s Love:

Addison said on one occasion, “ It is certain that is there no kind of affection so purely angelic as

the love of a father to a daughter.” Yet the love of a father is not the measuring stick for God’s

love.

3. A Spouse’s Love:

Surely there can be no deeper love than the love that is shared between husband and wife. Yet this

love is not the measuring stick for God’s love. For God’s love transcends and surpasses all human

love. When we think of a mother’s love we must remember that God’s love is higher than that.

When we think of a father’s love we must realise that God’s love surpasses than that, when we

think of a spouse’s love we must recognise that God’s love transcends that. (a) But notice,

(b) THE SCOPE OF THIS LOVE:

“ For God so loved the world,” ( 1:9-10 ) Fallen mankind in its international aspect. ( Ps 145:9 )

“ For God so loved,” what ? The home ? The city ? The country ? The nation ? No ! The world.

Is that not amazing ? My …. have you grasp that ? “ For God so loved,” what ? White men and

every other colour also.

“ For God so loved,” what ? The civilised ! Yes, and the savage too. “ For God so loved the

world,” do you see it ? All colours, conditions, climes, castes, classes, characters, companies ….

the world. Can you comprehend it ? A world of angels ? No ! A world of saints ? No ! A world of

sinners. Yes ! Oh, the wonder of it all just to think that God loves me. Do you believe

that ? Have you grasp that ? Have you allowed this glorious truth to pierce your heart ? When

Nansen was looking for the North Pole, his ship entered deep waters. Each day he gathered up

rope and let down the plummet to measure the depth of the ocean at a given point. One day he

came to a place where the water was exceptionally deep. He let down the plummet but was not

able to sound the depth. He gathered up all the available rope on board the ship and attached it to

the line, still it never reached the depth. In his report, he wrote the exact length of the line and

then he added these words, “ Deeper than that.” Are you in the quagmire of sin this …. ? God’s

love goes deeper that that ! Are you in the clutches of the drink, the drugs, the immorality ? I tell,

you, God’s love goes deeper than that. Several years ago in the U.S.A. a great theologian was

giving a series of lectures in the Chicago area. There were discussion periods after he had spoken.

These were times for questions and comments.

At one session a man asked this question to the theologian. He said, “ Sir, what is the greatest

thought that has ever coursed through your mind ?” The great preacher paused for a moment and

then he said, with child like simplicity, “ Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.”

My …. do you know that you are loved ? Your sin God hates, your soul God loves ! (1)

(2) THE GREATEST GIFT THAT A PERSON CAN EVER HAVE

“ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son,” My …. this gift has no

equal. “ His only begotten son,” describes God’s supreme gift.

“ Not even God a greater gift could give

Not heaven itself a dearer boon impart

When Jesus came and died that I might live

God gave without reserve His very heart.”

My …. God did not give an angel to be our Saviour. The One who came from Heaven to

accomplish our salvation was co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent with the Father and the Spirit.

He was omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. He was the second person of the Godhead.

“ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,” You see, this was,

(a) AN EXPENSIVE GIFT:

I tell you, God’s salvation is free, but it was not cheap.

For God gave His Son and that cost Him everything. John speaking of Christ in ( 3:13 ) says, “

He that came down from heaven.” Do you know something ? That

was,

1. The Saviour’s Condescension:

My …. the eternal place of Christ was a place without suffering, sorrow, strife and sin. But the

cost of God’s gift was that He had to leave such a glorious place to come to such a grievous

place. What a stoop. He came from the,

Adorations of Heaven to the abominations of earth,

Coronations of Heaven to the condemnations of earth

Delights of Heaven to the defamation of earth,

Glory place to the gory place,

Majesties of Heaven to the miseries of earth,

Hallelujah’s of Heaven to the hisses of earth,

Praises of Heaven to the persecutions of earth,

Songs to Heaven to the sneers of earth.

But He did not stop there for John says Christ not only

“ came down,” but He was “ lifted up.” ( 3:14 ) That was,

2. The Saviour’s Crucifixion:

“ For God so loved the world that He gave ….,” God gave Him up to the spiting, the scourging,

the smiting, the slaying. The Bible says, “ God spared not His own Son ….all.” ( Rom 8:32 ) My

…. do you see the measure of His love for you in the death that He died ? Did you know that

crucifixion was the worst possible way to die ? You talk about “ amazing love.”

“ The love that Jesus had for me

To suffer on the cruel tree

That I a ransomed soul might be

Is more than tongue can tell.”

(b) AN EXPEDIENT GIFT:

Do you ever receive gifts and feel that they are totally unsuitable ? You see, God gave this gift not

only because He wanted to, but He also had to give this gift. Do you what God’s official

pronouncement upon the human race is ? Sinners ! The Bible says, “ For all have sinned ….,”

( Rom 3:23 ) Do you realise that you are a sinner ? A sinner by birth, by nature, by choice, by

practice. The Bible also says, “ the soul that sinneth it shall die.”

( Ezek 18:4 ) You see, the condition of man brought about the condemnation of man. The only

hope we had was for someone to take our place and pay the penalty of sin. Yet it had to be

someone who was not guilty. The problem was this, there was no earth qualified. But

“ God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.” God’s gift was the gift of the only

One without sin.

You see, no-one but a sinless Christ could die for a sinful world. So the Son was crowned with

thorns that we might be crowned with glory, Christ was stripped of His clothes that we might be

robbed in His righteousness, He was mocked that we might be honoured, He was reviled, that we

might be blessed, He was cursed that we might be cleansed. A boy whose parents had died went

to live with his married sister. She treated him terribly causing him great grief. He worked hard

saved all his money and was 50 years of age he bought an expensive gift for his sister whom he

loved very much. “ Its for you,” he said, with hope in his heart that she would love him in return.

His sister glanced at the gift threw it on the floor, set her foot upon it and smashed it. Is that the

way you are treating God’s love gift to you ? Are you still despising the Saviour ? Are you still

rejecting the only One who loved you so much that He was willing to die for you ? (1) (2)

(3) THE GREATEST CHOICE THAT A PERSON CAN EVER MAKE

Life is full of choices. You have to choose what you will do with your life, your time, your

money, your talents. And when you face the choice concerning what you are to do with the Lord

Jesus, surely that is the greatest choice that you can ever make, because it deals with the greatest

person in history and because it will have the greatest effect in time and eternity. Did you notice

how,

(a) SIMPLE THIS CHOICE IS:

“ That whosoever believeth in Him,” any one can come to Christ but they must come on God’s

terms. If there is no faith there is no salvation. What is faith ? Forsaking all I trust Him. The

Bible says, “ Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,” ( Acts 16:31 ) Do you

realise that your sins will never be forgiven, you’ll never be saved from hell, you’ll never have

peace with God until there is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ ! During the 1900s Blondin was a

world famous acrobat. Born in France in 1924, Blondin became well known while still a child. As

he grew older, his skill and showmanship brought him fame throughout Europe and America.

Once in an unusual demonstration of skill, Blondin carried a man across Niagara Falls on his

back. After putting his rider down he turned to the large crowd and asked a man close by. “ Do

you believe that I could do that with you ?” “ Of course,” the man answered, “ I’ve just seen you

do it.” “ Hop on,” said Blondin, “ I’ll carry you across.” “ Not on your life,” the man called

back. You see, here was a man who could believe he could do it but he would not trust him to do

it. Is that you ? Do you believe Jesus Christ is who He says

He is ? Do you believe that He died for your sins at Calvary ?

Do you believe He rose again and lives to be your Saviour ? My …. have you trusted Him to save

you ?

Don’t let the Devil complicate it for you. To believe in Christ is to commit yourself to Him ! Have

you done that ? Have you said, “ Jesus I will trust Thee, trust Thee with my soul.” (a)

(b) HOW SOLEMN THIS CHOICE IS:

1. There is the Possibility of Ending up in Hell:

Do you see that word “ perish,” ? Its an awful word, it denotes the final condition of the person

who dies unsaved. Can you hear “ the hiss of hell,” in that word perish ? Do you realise that if

you are living without Christ you’re perishing ? Every day you are getting closer to the edge,

each moment you’re coming closer to the abyss. And if you die without Christ you’ll perish in

hell eternally. The Christ who spake as never man spake

( 7:46 ) time and again in His ministry spoke about hell. The Lord Jesus spoke about the danger

of hell fire. It was He who cried to the religious leaders of His day,

“ ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell ?” The Saviour

spoke about the place where there would be “ weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth.”

( Matt 5:22 13:42 23:33 25:41 25:30 ) But my …. you don’t have to perish, you don’t have go to

hell. For,

2. There is the Prospect of Ending up in Heaven:

“ But have everlasting life,” ( 3:16 ) This is more than endless existence, it is the very life of God

communicated to the soul in order that we may enjoy fellowship with Him. ( Jn 17:3 ) A new

quality of life

( 2 Pet 1:4 ) and a new quantity of life. “ Everlasting life.” I tell you, the body may crumble in

the dust of death, but life, this life, eternal life is not lost, its outlasts the span of human life, it is

not tied to time, it is forever. ( Jn 11:25-26 ) Is this prospect yours ? I heard about a dear old

Christian who was stricken with paralysis. His life on earth was drawing to a close. His family

were gathered around his bed. His paralysis had robbed him of his speech and yet his family

longed for some final word that would abide with them after he had gone. They hoped that his

speech might be restored and asked if he had anything to say. He could say absolutely nothing

with his mouth, but he had learned to sign. Slowly he began to spell with his fingers. With great

emphasis he spelled one word as his family eagerly watched those dying fingers. One letter at a

time he spelled the word. “ G L O R Y.” Is this your destiny ?

Where will you be in eternity ? Enjoying everlasting life or enduring everlasting punishment ? (1)

(2) (3)

“ Amazing love how can it be that Thou my God shouldest die for me.” When Feliz Mendelssohn

the great composer fell in love with the girl later to become his wife he wrote to his sister

Rebecca, “ I am more desperately in love than I ever was in my life before and I do not know

what to do …. I have not an idea whether she likes me or not …. when I am away from her I am

always sad, O Rebecca what shall I do ?” “ For God so loved the world,” that includes you.

What are going to so in response to such “ amazing love, ?” Will you trust Christ as your

personal Saviour now ? Will you say,

“ Love so amazing so divine shall have my soul, my life my all ?”