Rev Gideon Lee
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:1-3
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. ’”
In John 3:16, Jesus gave the reply to Nicodemus. He being a Jewish council member, he had to come and see Jesus at night. If it was day time, it may be a scandal.
Nicodemus was looking for eternal life. How he can be saved. Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed a spiritual birth.
Jesus was talking to a religious person. How can a religious person not know how to be saved? Jesus was saying all the good works of this religious man was not enough to save him. You can be religious and not know God. Just like the saying - Going to McDonalds does not make you a hamburger. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian.
Jesus was talking about a very important fact. This verse is so pivotal when we do evangelism, when we want to share Jesus.
What if John 3:16 were not true? Where will we be today? Do you know the song by John Lennon, Imagine. He said imagine if there is no heaven. And no religion too.
What if God had not loved the world?
What if just for argument sake God did not love the world. I have conducted Christian funerals, and there is this stark difference. I see in a non Christian funeral, you see a people with no hope. Wailing and hopeless. In a Christian funeral yes there is sadness but there is hope.
If God did not love this world there would be no hope and no reason for our existence. Every grave would be a place of despair. It would be a very dark place. But the good news is that this verse is true. Every thing in creation shouts how much He loved us and it is culminated with Jesus going to the cross for us.
What about the next line. That He gave His only begotten Son. What happens if God did not give His only Son? Often we say "I love you" but it is only words if we do not show it. Love demands giving and sacrifice. If there were no action and giving, it is only empty promises.
Why does the women clean up after the family, the washing and cleaning? Because in her heartbeat is her love for her family. Love must always come with giving. If God did not give His only Son, we will never know of God's love. It would only have been empty words. Love requires an action and that's why God sent His only begotten Son.
If death is the end, then what's the point? We might as well live our life any way we want. He sent His only Son to the cross for you and I.
What if God's offer of salvation is not for whosoever?
Whosoever means everyone and anyone. Let's imagine what if He didn't say it is not for whoever? What if it's only for the rich people? I am not against the rich ok? I love the rich as much as I love the poor. Or what if He came only for those who score 4.0 CGPA. Or what if it's only for those who come to church every Sunday, pay his tithes, gross not nett and attends prayer meetings? I hope that God is not like that. If He did not say whosoever, we would not be here. We would have fallen short. God is saying it's open to everyone. His salvation. God loves this world and I thank God that you can put your name to replace the word world. For God so loved Gideon that He gave His only begotten Son. He did not exclude anyone.
I pray that the gospel is not so exclusive that it is only for the elite. How do we know it's for everyone? How many of you have shared the gospel to someone in the last month? Or have shared with someone who is not of our race. Or someone who is not of our status. I pray that we do not make it exclusive. Sometimes we do it with our actions or inactions. How many of you this Raya visited your Muslim friends. How many of you have Muslim friends? I want to make sure I myself have Malay friends. They are in my Facebook and they know I am a pastor. This gospel is for everyone.
Lastly, what is God's offer is not based on faith alone.
Whosoever believes. What is it is not based in faith alone? Imagine this scenario. Those trying to get to God through good works. There are people who are sincere and honest. Even more so than Christians.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith –and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
For those people trying to get to God through good works, my question is how much good works? A lot? Can you imagine how many good works we have to do? Can someone tell you how much good works is needed?
Scenario 2, people try to go to heaven by obeying God's law. Can you imagine you follow all the laws of God but you break one on your dying bed and you miss heaven?
Isaiah 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Scenario 3. Who was beside Jesus on the cross? Two thieves right? What did one thief did? One mocked Jesus while the other said Jesus did not do anything wrong to deserve this. What did Jesus said to the second thief? He said today he will be in paradise with Jesus. How can someone like this thief enter the kingdom of God? He had faith in Jesus. He said to Jesus, remember me.
I dread to think if our salvation is based on good works. We will not be here. It would be a sad day.
John 3:16 is true. I thank God that He loved the world enough that He sent His only Son and that gift is for everyone and that it is based on my faith in Jesus.
This morning I hope that John 3:16 is a reminder to us that this is the essence of why He came, His mission. And that we have to open our doors and do our best to bring everyone in.
If God did not love this world there would be no hope and no reason for our existence. Every grave would be a place of despair. It would be a very dark place. But the good news is that this verse is true. Every thing in creation shouts how much He loved us and it is culminated with Jesus going to the cross for us.
What about the next line. That He gave His only begotten Son. What happens if God did not give His only Son? Often we say "I love you" but it is only words if we do not show it. Love demands giving and sacrifice. If there were no action and giving, it is only empty promises.
Why does the women clean up after the family, the washing and cleaning? Because in her heartbeat is her love for her family. Love must always come with giving. If God did not give His only Son, we will never know of God's love. It would only have been empty words. Love requires an action and that's why God sent His only begotten Son.
If death is the end, then what's the point? We might as well live our life any way we want. He sent His only Son to the cross for you and I.
What if God's offer of salvation is not for whosoever?
Whosoever means everyone and anyone. Let's imagine what if He didn't say it is not for whoever? What if it's only for the rich people? I am not against the rich ok? I love the rich as much as I love the poor. Or what if He came only for those who score 4.0 CGPA. Or what if it's only for those who come to church every Sunday, pay his tithes, gross not nett and attends prayer meetings? I hope that God is not like that. If He did not say whosoever, we would not be here. We would have fallen short. God is saying it's open to everyone. His salvation. God loves this world and I thank God that you can put your name to replace the word world. For God so loved Gideon that He gave His only begotten Son. He did not exclude anyone.
I pray that the gospel is not so exclusive that it is only for the elite. How do we know it's for everyone? How many of you have shared the gospel to someone in the last month? Or have shared with someone who is not of our race. Or someone who is not of our status. I pray that we do not make it exclusive. Sometimes we do it with our actions or inactions. How many of you this Raya visited your Muslim friends. How many of you have Muslim friends? I want to make sure I myself have Malay friends. They are in my Facebook and they know I am a pastor. This gospel is for everyone.
Lastly, what is God's offer is not based on faith alone.
Whosoever believes. What is it is not based in faith alone? Imagine this scenario. Those trying to get to God through good works. There are people who are sincere and honest. Even more so than Christians.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith –and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
For those people trying to get to God through good works, my question is how much good works? A lot? Can you imagine how many good works we have to do? Can someone tell you how much good works is needed?
Scenario 2, people try to go to heaven by obeying God's law. Can you imagine you follow all the laws of God but you break one on your dying bed and you miss heaven?
Isaiah 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Scenario 3. Who was beside Jesus on the cross? Two thieves right? What did one thief did? One mocked Jesus while the other said Jesus did not do anything wrong to deserve this. What did Jesus said to the second thief? He said today he will be in paradise with Jesus. How can someone like this thief enter the kingdom of God? He had faith in Jesus. He said to Jesus, remember me.
I dread to think if our salvation is based on good works. We will not be here. It would be a sad day.
John 3:16 is true. I thank God that He loved the world enough that He sent His only Son and that gift is for everyone and that it is based on my faith in Jesus.
This morning I hope that John 3:16 is a reminder to us that this is the essence of why He came, His mission. And that we have to open our doors and do our best to bring everyone in.
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