God IS Fixing This! Through the GOOD NEWS!

[0:00] You see the article, today's the 20th, so a couple weeks ago, December 3rd, God Isn't Fixing This, the title of the article in New York Daily News Magazine, it was a response article to the shooting tragedy in San Bernardino County, God Isn't Fixing This, big letters, God Isn't Fixing This, really, what makes him think that he isn't, because this happened, or maybe he is fixing it, or maybe he does fix things like this, he does, he is, he does it in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the title for today is, God Is Fixing This, God

[1:05] Is Fixing This, how? God is fixing these evil things by the truth of the good news of Jesus who died for sinners and transforms them to be his followers, followers who love and give like God himself, who loved and who give, not hostile, not volatile, not vicious, that's the idea you can describe these people, right?

[1:40] for some, you can even describe those part of Islam, for some, vicious, angry, violent, not so in the gospel, friends, not so, but God fixes these evil things by the truth of the good news, the good news of Jesus, the one who died for sinners, and not only does he die for sinners and pay the price for sinners, but he transforms these sinners, instead of being a ruthless bunch of people, they're a bunch of loving people, instead of being people who take, they give, instead of people who are vicious, they're compassionate, just like God himself.

[2:31] I'm going to share with you four truths from John 3, 16. Four truths. Number one. We are in danger. Perish.

[2:44] We are in danger. Perishing. God loved the world. He gave his one and only son that all the ones who believe in him should not perish.

[2:54] Perish. We start here because this should be the end result of every human being in human history. We should all perish.

[3:10] We are in danger. We're in danger of perishing. We deserve to be judged, and not simply judged, but judged righteously, justly.

[3:24] But today, it's not in vogue. It's not the cool thing. To speak about eternal torment, is it? Or to speak about the eternality of hell.

[3:40] But friends, that's what perish means. It means to... It means to be tormented forever. And ever and ever.

[3:53] That's what it means. It's a reality. Whether you agree with it or not, whether we like it or not, it doesn't matter. God is a just God in all that he does.

[4:05] He cannot just let rebels go. He can't just let a criminal go. We are criminals. We're lawbreakers. I mean, how would you like it if somebody robbed your house?

[4:19] And the judge says, you know, to the person who robbed your house, you know, you've been a nice person your whole life. And I know you robbed Daniel's house.

[4:31] But it was only that one time, we're going to let you go. You've been up in arms. That's not justice. And yet we do the same thing with God.

[4:42] We think he's just let us go. And yet we constantly are breaking his law. Constantly over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

[4:52] Friends, we're in danger. We're in danger of perishing. And yet, truth number two, God has a design.

[5:04] Even though God's a just God, he's also a God of love. Now let's unpack this. It says, for God so loved the world. Now let's just stop right there. When it says so, it doesn't convey amount.

[5:19] It doesn't mean, oh, I love you so much. Oh, Dave, I love you so much. You know, it's not like that. It's actually the way of loving.

[5:35] In other words, God loved the world in this way. I think the HCSB has it like this. For God loved the world in this way. Or, God thus loved the world.

[5:51] We're going to ask the question, in what way? We're going to ask that in a second. But first, let's also unpack the fact that it says, God loved. What does it mean when we say God loves?

[6:06] What does it mean? It means that he gives what is good. And serves the benefit of others.

[6:18] He loves to give of himself. The one without needs, loves to meet needs. He loves to give. He loves to be a giver. He just wants to give.

[6:32] And he sees people who have needs. And he doesn't have any needs himself. He just gives himself. He gives himself. He's generous. He loves to give.

[6:43] This is what it means God loves. He gives of himself. God loved in this way. God gave of himself in this way.

[6:54] In what way? How did God give of himself? He gave his one and only son. And this giving was giving his son to rejection and death.

[7:10] He gave Jesus his most precious treasure to die. I mean, think of it. Here's God is love.

[7:22] He loves to give of himself. Here you have the triune God. The Father loves to give to the Son. The Son loves to give to the Spirit. The Spirit loves to give to the Father. He loves to give to the Son. And the Father loves to give to the Spirit.

[7:33] They're just giving to each other and loving each other. And then here we have a verse where Jesus says, The Father loves to give of himself. And he gave his eternal Son. Generously.

[7:49] And notice, For, in the verse, For God so loved the world. Or, For God loved the world in this way. For, you look back at the two verses before the for.

[8:00] And you'll see more of what this means. Verse 14, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, That whoever believes in him have eternal life.

[8:14] Lifting him up means lifting him up on a cross. So all would see. Lifted up on a cross to die for sinners.

[8:25] And that's what we celebrate this Christmas. It's the celebration of God's love for sinners. To save sinners. And to change sinners. And renovate people.

[8:36] From vicious, Hateful, Selfish, I want to kill you, I want to smack you, Type people. To gracious, Generous, Giving, Loving people.

[8:53] That's the difference. So, We're in danger of the perishing. God has a designed love. Number three. We have a duty.

[9:05] A task. Trust. Trust. A task. A duty in the sense of obligation, Responsibility. We have a duty to trust.

[9:20] We are called to respond to this love by trusting. And all the ones who believe in him. Just as Jesus said elsewhere, Mark chapter 1 verse 15, Repent and believe in the gospel.

[9:35] We must repent of our sin, Of our rebellion, Our disgust and hatred of God, Our hatred of his truth, Our hatred of his laws, Our hatred of his promises.

[9:50] And we must humble ourselves, Embracing his care, His compassion, His kindness, His grace, His love. And giving his eternal son to die for sinners.

[10:03] For you. Have you repented and trusted in Jesus Christ? Are you or do you repent and trust?

[10:18] Will you repent and trust tomorrow? Will you repent and trust on Christmas? Will you repent and trust three weeks after Christmas? What are we called to do?

[10:31] We're called to keep repenting and keep trusting, Christian. You don't stop repenting, You don't stop trusting. You keep repenting, right? And you keep clinging to Christ. Because he's the only one who brings you to the Father.

[10:46] Or we could even say, He's the only one who brings you this destiny. That's point number four. God has our destiny, eternal life. That all the ones who believe in him, Should not perish, But have, Presently, Eternal life.

[11:04] What does God promise those who trust his son? Eternal life. What does God promise those who cling to Christ? Eternal life. What does God promise to those who have their hope in Jesus Messiah?

[11:17] Eternal life. A place? Not so much. What does it mean?

[11:31] Eternal life. Does it mean you receive seven dark-eyed, beautiful virgins? That's what Islam teaches if you die in jihad. Does it mean you don't have, You get a brand new body that doesn't have cancer, Or doesn't get sick?

[11:50] You have problems with the viruses? You don't have any more hair? You can't stand upright? Is that what that means?

[12:01] That's great. It's great to have that, right? Is that what that means? Eternal life? What is eternal life?

[12:12] Jesus tells us. What? What? What? Jesus tells us. In the same book. In what should be called the Lord's Prayer.

[12:22] Jesus says in John 17 verse 3. In John, the gospel of John, chapter 17 verse 3. And this is eternal life.

[12:35] So, Jesus is going to tell us, This is eternal life. John 17, 3. This is eternal life. Seven dark eyed. No. The pearly gates with Simon Peter.

[12:49] No. And this is eternal life. That they may know you, The only true God, And Jesus Christ, Whom you have sent.

[13:02] I thought this was heaven. The pearly gates. Friends, you realize, It's about a relationship.

[13:18] A relationship with God himself. That's eternal life. Eternal life is not so much a place. Eternal life is a relationship.

[13:30] That you may know God, And Jesus Christ, The Messiah, Whom he has sent. That's eternal life. The only way to know God, Is through Jesus Christ.

[13:46] And for someone who, Has turned from sin, And keeps turning from sin. And who's trusting Jesus, And keeps trusting in Jesus. You have access to the Father, At any time. Because you have a relationship, With God the Father.

[13:59] Through Jesus Christ, The eternal Son. Any time. A relationship. Union. Connection. Relations. With God himself.

[14:12] That's eternal life. God isn't fixing this. No. God is fixing this. He fixes it in the gospel.

[14:27] One is called to respond to it, By repenting and trusting Jesus. Friend, You never know. Members, Of Cottonwood Bible Church, You never know. Because maybe, It's that Muslim friend, That you know.

[14:41] Who next year, Will hear the gospel, Come from your mouth. And maybe God will use you, To save that person. Who maybe, Maybe they've heard about, Maybe they're considering, Radical Islam.

[14:55] Maybe they are. And yet they hear, Grace. They hear compassion. They hear about forgiveness, And how you can know, God.

[15:09] Personally. Intimately. Relationally. And they come to him, And they say, Let's pray.

[15:21] Give us grace. To proclaim this gospel truth. And we, Father, Cling to Jesus Christ, Even now.

[15:37] Thank you. Let's take a few moments, And let's ponder, The truth, That we've seen here, In John 3.16.

[15:53] Let's take a few moments, Of silence, To think of these things. And then we'll do, Our time of giving, And sing our last song.