Well, thank you so much, Rebecca.
Folks, I'm conscious we've been sitting for a while,
so will we stand and will we pray?
And we'll ask God as we come to his word today
that he would speak and change us.
Why don't we stand?
And Heavenly Father, it's our prayer now
that you would help us to gaze upon your greatness this morning
as we turn to your precious word.
Thank you that we've heard already in this service
that you are a God who longs and loves to give life to dead things.
Father, thank you that we are here today
simply because of your grace.
Help us now as we turn to your word.
Change us, transform us, convict us,
send us out with the good news of Christ, we pray.
In his precious name, amen.
Amen.
Folks, let me tell you about a guy called Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Does that name mean anything to anyone?
Ronnie O'Sullivan?
Rocket Ronnie?
Ronnie, arguably, and if you disagree, you disagree,
arguably the greatest snooker player of all time.
And I listened to him this week give an interview to BBC Sport
about how he was coming up to 30 years in the game.
So he started, can you believe this?
He went pro at 16, Rocket Ronnie, 16.
And now 30 years later, this interview was designed
to get him to talk about how he's feeling about the sport
where arguably he's hit the top.
And what he said, and he said this, and his body language hid nothing.
He said this, he had his chin in his hands.
And he talked about how the fact that the game that he loved,
he used to love, now mentally he's checked out.
He checked out about eight years ago, actually.
And he's just bored of it.
And now what it is, it's a game where he just turns up,
he does his thing.
In his description, you can watch it online,
he pots a few balls, he gets paid,
and he goes home.
And something that used to fire him up,
now actually is just a thing that he does.
And I listened to this man, and my heart broke from him.
Imagine the thing that your life's supposed to be all about.
And actually it's just, you're settling for a cold,
monotonous, mechanical existence.
But if we're honest, how true is that often of our Christian lives?
That something that used to be so exciting for us,
something that used to get us going,
actually now the fire in our hearts has well and truly gone out.
Oh friends, how easy is it to settle for that kind of life?
And if that's you here today, here's the glorious passage of this,
the glorious invitation of this sermon into this passage.
is come and be wonderfully reminded of why we exist as a local church.
As we look and gaze at our great God,
as we think about who he is,
as we take him in,
and as we think about why he does what he does.
Now if you come with me to the passage, verse 16.
Friends, do you see what the wonderful first word is?
The first word is for.
Okay, do you see it?
It's a bridging word.
It's a bridging word that connects everything that John is about to say
with everything that has just come before.
Now that's a bang on cry, okay,
because what was Jesus talking about before?
He was talking about the cries of babies, wasn't he?
He was talking about new life.
He was explaining to this man, Nicodemus,
he was saying that you must be born again.
You need God to do a work of transformation in your life
so for you to understand and enter the kingdom of God.
So Nicodemus, the religious winner, right?
Nicodemus, the moral victor.
Nicodemus, Israel's finest.
And here he is being told that he's spiritually dead inside.
The only thing that Nicodemus can do to enter the kingdom of God,
and do you see it there at verse 15?
The only thing that he can do is to look on the sun,
suspended on the cross, look and live.
So verse 15, before we get into verse 16,
verse 15 literally ends with Jesus telling Nicodemus
to picture him on the cross, hands open.
And this is the context of verse 16.
And here's how I love thinking about it this week,
and you can tell that I've just put in our car for a service, right?
Here's what's going on.
John is acting like a car mechanic, right?
What is he doing?
He's saying, come over, come over.
He pops the hood.
He says, have a look inside.
Do you get that engine?
Do you see it?
Do you see what's powering this thing?
Do you see what's making this thing go?
Do you see what's giving this thing gas?
Friend, would you come and see what is making this thing go?
John, in these verses, he pops the hood and he says,
would you see what's making the gospel go?
Would you come and savor
what's motivating this God to do what he does?
What's driving the Son of God
to become,
this is where this gospel is heading,
to become the Lamb of God.
What is driving the Son of God to become the Lamb of God
as he goes to the cross?
What's driving this thing?
What's under the engine?
What's under the bonnet?
Well, friends, it's the love of God.
It's the love of God that's driving this thing.
It's the love of God that's under the bonnet of John 3.16.
Now, let's be honest, though.
When I say God is love,
I'm aware that that ain't controversial.
It's probably the safest thing that I think I could say from up here today,
that God is love.
Wonderfully true.
You're here today, maybe that doesn't surprise you.
Even my atheist friends would presumptuously agree
that if there is a God,
then surely he should be loving.
It's not controversial to say God is love.
In the words of German poets,
and I think I said this right,
Heinrich Heine,
he says,
of course God will forgive me.
That's his job.
Of course God will forgive me.
That's his job.
If there is a God,
if he does exist,
then he should be loving.
It's not controversial to our world.
It's not controversial to John's first Jewish audience either.
The Lord, the Lord,
merciful and compassionate,
showing steadfast love to generation after generation.
The fact that God is love,
ain't controversial.
But why God is love?
That's where things get a bit more interesting.
Why is this God's love?
Is he for the God of the Bible to love?
Let me just allow,
let's allow the text to stretch us a bit.
For him to love
is not the result of a fuzzy notion that came over him.
It is not the result of Cupid's arrows sinking into him.
Nor is it the effect of the teeth of the love bug getting into him.
Why does this God love?
It's because of who he is.
You see, the God we see revealed to us in the Bible
is one God
in three persons.
And that makes him wonderfully and gloriously unique.
Outstandingly unique.
Friends, our Hindu friends worship many gods.
Our Muslim and Jewish friends,
how we love them,
they worship one God.
But the God of the Bible,
he is triune.
He is one God in three persons.
He is Father,
he is Son,
he is Spirit.
Now why does that matter?
It matters because our God
has existed
for all eternity
as a joyous community
of Father,
Son and Spirit
who have been doing nothing other
than loving
and mutually delighting
in one another.
So how can this God
be love?
It's because of who he is.
He is three
in
one.
Oh, and John wants us to see
three
wonderfully surprising
ways
that God's love
is unlike
anything
that we have ever known.
Oh, let's rattle through these,
will we?
And gloriously savor them.
God's love
is global,
not local.
Do you see it in the text there?
Verse 16.
It doesn't stop at Israel's borders.
There is no boundary marker.
Remember,
this God
loves
the world.
And what makes that
even more incredible
is that the last time
John mentioned the world
back at verse 10
of chapter 1,
he was talking about
a world
that rejects
God,
that wanted
nothing to do
with this God
and the coming
of his Son,
the coming of light
into the world.
This is the world
that are triune
God
loves.
You see,
the reference there
to world
is not so much
a reference
to its bigness,
it's a reference
to its
badness.
John's readers
immediately think
pagan Gentiles
despise Samaritans,
idolatrous Romans,
and of course,
this gospel from now on
is going to be full
of people just like that
coming to have faith
in the Son.
This is the extent
of God's love,
that he loves
his enemies.
I find that
really challenging
because,
you know what,
I find it really easy
to love people
who are just like me,
who look just like me,
who sound just like me,
who think just like me,
who laugh at the same things
just like me,
who act just like me,
but when somebody
doesn't tick those boxes,
that's when I find it
to be a little bit
more tricky.
And that's why
one of the buzzwords
of our generation today
is what?
It's tolerance.
Because our world
is telling us
to tolerate people
not like us.
So desperate are we
to find solutions
to the fractures
that exist
between the relationships
between human beings
in this world.
But do you see
how this God
will not settle
for tolerance?
He loves
the world.
His love
is entirely
different
to human beings'
love.
His love
is one that
pursues
his enemies.
And that's because
all sorts of connotations,
doesn't it,
for how we
are to be
as the family of God
in this place.
We don't have time
to go into that,
but you can think
about those things.
It's a global love,
friends.
It's not a local love.
And it's a giving love,
not a demanding love.
Such is the overflowing
love of this God.
So great is his heart
for the world
that it spills over
into giving.
This God is not
lacking in anything.
This God did not
create the world
because he is lonely.
He created the world
that gives life to things
because it's who he is.
He is a giver.
He's a giver.
And it's his delight
to give.
Do you see what he gave?
In the text,
he gave
his only son.
Now let me ask you,
what's the most precious
thing that you own?
I'm often asked that
when I'm filling in
my yearly insurance forms
for our house.
General insurance,
but they say,
are there any special items
that you want to cover?
In other words,
what are the things
you really care about?
Right?
What's precious to you?
What would you,
your life almost
wouldn't be worth living
if it wasn't there?
What would you,
what would you,
this God,
you see,
this father,
his son for all eternity
has been the apple
of his eye.
The son has been
the source
of the father's delight
for all eternity.
The son is
the most precious thing
to God the father.
And so great
was his love
for the world
that he said
is worth sending
and giving him.
I'm assuming
there was all sorts
of other things
that God could have
given us
but he gave us
his son.
And the son
in glorious harmony
responded
and said,
father,
I'm willing to go.
Not to win
God's love for us,
not to,
to change the mind
of a reluctant father,
not to negotiate
a peace deal with him.
We need to be clear
on that.
But out of an overflow
of the loving heart
of this God
because of who he is.
His heart
that none would perish
from a world
that rejected him.
And it's worth us
wrestling with that word
perish.
It's talking about
the eventual
human predicament
that's facing
every single one
of us
outwith
salvation
in Jesus Christ.
I often think about it
like
fresh flowers.
We often get
fresh flowers
in our home
making
the place smell
and look fresh.
When we buy them
they look full of life
but do you know what,
six, seven, eight days later
the things are
in the bin.
Now when did those
flowers
die?
They died
the minute
that they were
cut off
from their life source.
See when the Bible
talks about perishing
it's talking about
the natural direction
and destination
of human beings
because our sin
has cut us off
from the God
who made us.
And we die
physically
in our bodies
but not just
physically
we need to
understand
spiritually as well
verse 18
the condemnation
of God
that guilty
verdict
in his sight
the one
that will see
us justly
and eternally
and rightly
punished
because he
is a holy
God
because of
our willing
rejection
of him
friends
that is
hanging
around
our
necks
outwith
of Christ.
Jesus
in the
gospels
friends
he talks
about
hell
more than
any other
subject.
You've got to
understand
he talks
about it
not with
a smirk
in his
face.
He talks
about it
with compassion
in his
heart.
Do you feel
the weight
of that
verse
that none
would perish
condemnation
because
John says
in verse
18
we have
chosen
that
condemnation
but Christ
and this
is the
gospel
Christ
has come
to become
our
condemnation.
He has
come
to
absorb
the penalty
on himself
that we
deserved
on the
cross.
He has
come
to be
sin for
us
and this
perishing
that we
deserve
by nature
friends
if your
faith is
in Christ
we know
that he
has taken
that for
us
because that's
the third
thing we see
about this
God's love
it's a
saving love
not a
condemning
love.
The coming
of Jesus
into the
world
if you
think about
it could
have been
terrible
news
could it
not?
It could
have been
awful
news for
us
like the
arrival of
some kind
of divine
Ofsted
inspector
come to
point the
accusatory
finger
come to
check every
nook and
cranny
looking for
something to
hold us
up for
but Christ
came to
save the
world.
No wonder
John 3 16
and 17
have often
been called
the gospel
in a nutshell.
Friends that
God would love
a world that
hated him
is gracious
that God
would send
his only
son is
unfathomable
that God
would want
to save
a judgment
incurring
and hell
deserving
world
is utterly
breathtaking.
Do you
see how
this God
is so
much better
and so
much more
glorious
than I
think we
ever stop
to consider
at times?
Friends what
do we do
with this?
Here's two
things.
Really simply
we inhale
it and
we exhale
it.
If you're a
Christian here
today take
stock
on friends
let your
hearts be
strengthened
that it
was the
pursuing
love of
this God
that sought
and saved
you.
Is that a
marvelous
thought?
Is that not
a heart
warming
heartbreaking
thought?
Friends your
faith here
today as
unspectacular
as you might
think it is.
We always
need to be
thinking
spiritually
heavenly
realities.
What does
the Bible
say?
That faith
is no
small thing.
As weak
as you feel
you are
as difficult
as life
is know
that God
has moved
heaven and
earth.
He's given
the most
precious
thing to
save you.
Your name
was in the
heart of
this God
in eternity
past.
There was
a moment
in time
when the
Holy Spirit
opened your
eyes to
the truth
of who
Jesus is
at that
moment
your life
became
united
to Jesus
and that's
who you
are.
And more
than that
through the
work of
Christ
the Bible
would talk
about the
same love
of God
being poured
into our
hearts
through the
Holy Spirit
who lives
in us.
And that's
who you
are today.
If your
faith is in
Christ this
is who you
are.
It's why
our friends
I need the
word of God
do you know
why?
Because it
tells me
things that
are true
about me
that I
just don't
think I
would believe
otherwise.
God allow
the scriptures
to tell us
things about
us who
we are.
You know
our little
girl Grace
one of her
favorite toys
and this is
why I need
to get this
home today
okay I
asked her
I could
take it
is this
Russian doll.
Familiar with
the concept
Russian dolls?
Somebody
explained to me
recently I
read it
recently I
can't remember
where
that our
lives as
Christians are
like Russian
dolls.
Imagine the
three Russian
dolls and
think about
yourself friends
if you're a
Christian as the
middle one.
I would open
this but it's
going to get
fiddly okay.
Oh friends what
does the
scriptures tell
us?
By the
indwelling
Holy Spirit
where is
Christ?
Christ is in
us.
Right?
Imagine the
wee Russian
doll in the
middle one.
Right?
Christ is in
us but what
does the
scriptures also
say is true
about us?
Where are
our lives
caught up
with whom
they are in
Christ?
Okay?
Do you see?
Christ in
us, us in
Christ.
That is who
we are today.
That is who
we are.
It's incredible
isn't it when you
think about it?
The pursuing
love of God
to find us
and tell us
things that are
true about us.
Oh friends
Melissa Kruger
in her wonderful
little book
Identity
Theft
and come
and steal
my copy
if you want
you can have
it okay?
It's a
wonderful book
written by
different female
authors in the
States.
A devotional
book which
helps us
understand who
we are in
Christ.
She writes
this,
this God
has made
you his
own and
it brings
him glory
praise
and joy.
Let the
truth of
God's word
heal the
wounds and
replace the
doubt and
fear with
the deep
joy of
unfathomable
and unfailing
love.
This is who
you are
today.
Well friends
we need to
inhale this
passage and
then what do
we need to
do?
We need to
exhale it
because the
direction of
the love of
this God
is by very
nature because
of who he
is.
It is
outward.
this God
longs that
perishing people
would have
life by
knowing him
and by having
faith in his
son.
And we
cannot read
John 3 16
and 17
and be
unmoved by
the plight of
a world that
is perishing
in sin.
Oh friends
who are you
rubbing shoulders
with tomorrow
morning as you
go about your
life?
Who is it
that you are
prayerfully
burdened for?
Who are you
praying for?
Do you know
I was challenged
by this week
oh friends
and I hope
this stirs us
as a church
to be a place
where people
are prayed for
that they would
come to know
Christ.
I would challenge
this week by
somebody who
asked me if the
Lord answered
all my prayers
for those friends
of mine
to become
Christians
how many
would be
converted?
Oh friends
are we
burdened for
a world that
does not know
Christ and is
perishing?
Are our
evangelistic
antennae up?
You know
Alex and I
have got some
good friends
called Hamish
and Mariah
they live in a
housing estate
with their
three kids
up in St.
Andrews.
Do you know
what they do
every Halloween?
They go out
to the front
of their house
they make a
big bowl of
chocolate
and they
serve it to
their friends
and their
kids as they
come by
trying to
serve them
on a cold
winter's night
up there
and they just
hope to strike
up gospel
conversations.
Just something
so simple
and yet how
profoundly
reflective of
this heart
of God
that evangelistically
they are on
the front foot
and looking
outward.
Oh friends
we inhale
this love
and we
exhale
this love.
The light
and love
of God
has shone.
And how
will the world
respond?
You see the two
telling reactions.
Here's one of
them verse 19
and we have to
see the strength
of the language
here.
It's not
that people
just preferred
the darkness.
It's that
people hated
the light.
People love
the darkness
and we've got
to understand
again that this
is all of us
out with
the work of
the spirit
in our lives.
We are like
cold-blooded
animals
that hate
the light
that when they
see it
just want to
get to the
darkness.
We loathe
seeing the light.
Why?
Because we
are afraid
of having
our dirt
exposed.
It's always
the case,
isn't it,
when you think
that your
windows in
your house
are clean,
especially this
time of year,
isn't it,
or your car
windscreen.
What is it
that exposes
the dirt?
It's the
light.
You realize
your windows
are filthy.
And why are
we so reluctant
to deal
with the
light?
Well,
because it
means that
we need
to change.
We need
to give
up those
evil deeds
that we
love.
Do you
see?
Friends,
one reaction
to the
light dawning
is to
continue to
hate and
hide.
It's what
humanity
has been
doing ever
since Genesis
3.
Adam and
Eve,
what are they
doing after
they sin?
They are
what from
God?
They're hiding
from God.
God says,
where are
you?
It's not
like he
doesn't
know.
They are
hiding from
God.
They have
believed the
devil's lie.
Did God
really say,
can God
really be
trusted that
this fruit
here is not
good for
you?
Because if
you do it,
you'll die.
Can this
God really
be trusted?
And they
take the
bait and
their eyes
are opened.
And this
is what sin
always does.
It promises
us what?
Life and
freedom.
what's the
first thing
they realize?
That they're
naked?
And what
accompanies that?
Shame.
And this
is what
humanity
has been
doing ever
since
Genesis 3,
believing the
devil's lie
that safety
and freedom
is to be
found by
continuing to
live in the
darkness
rather than
coming to
the light.
But it's
not true.
Friends,
whatever's going
on in your
life today,
know that
the life
is not
to be
found in
the darkness.
But know
that life
is to be
found in
the light.
And that's
what light
does,
doesn't it?
It's what
light does
when it
shines on
mildew.
Kills it.
Because the
other reaction
to the light,
however,
is to step
in and live.
And this is
verse 21.
In stark
contrast to
those who
run to the
darkness,
and who
continue to
hate the
light by
rejecting
Christ,
there will
also be
those who
God will
open their
eyes and
they will
respond to
the truth.
And they
will step
into the
light and
be changed.
And friends,
we need to
understand that
when we do
that, when
we come
into the
light, what
we will find
there is not
Jesus the
school teacher.
it is
Jesus full
of grace
and truth.
It doesn't
mean there
are no
consequences
for our
sin, but
it does
mean that
if you
need to
confess
something
today,
friends,
stop
believing
the lie
that life
will be
found in
the darkness,
continuing
to hide
and to
run.
Come into
the light
and know
that there
is forgiveness
and grace
abounding in
Christ.
And this
gospel is
full of
people who
come to
Jesus and
should be
condemned.
We're going
to meet
them over
the next
number of
weeks who
should be
condemned,
but who
instead come
to him and
find forgiveness
and life in
his name.
So where are
you this
morning?
What's going
on in your
lives?
Well, friends,
do you see how
life is to be
found in the
light?
And their
lives testify to
the fact that
God has done
that.
It's a
wonderful way,
isn't it,
to think about
our good
works, the
good works
that God has
prepared in
advance for
us to do.
Friends, what
are they
testifying to?
They're
testifying to
the fact that
God has
shone his
light in
our hearts.
Let me
just say,
and I know
some of you
here today,
it's particularly
hard just now
as you live
your life for
Christ in the
places that
you are,
school,
at university,
at work,
these places,
friends.
Let me just
say two
things.
When we live
our lives in
the darkness
as people
of light,
the world
will recognize
it and God
loves it.
So be
strengthened.
The life is
to be found
in the light.
Now what does
that testify to?
It testifies to
the pursuing
love of
God.
As we close,
let me just
take you to a
little place
called Widcom.
our friends,
Widcom is a
community just
south of
Bath.
And when we
go down south
to visit
Alex's folks,
we often go to
church in this
place called
Widcom.
And I never
realized this
until last time
we went down,
but this church
is known in
its community
as the church
with writing
on the roof.
So it's a
classic four
corners of the
roof,
but it's
known as the
church that's
got writing
on the roof
because Bath
is so hilly,
you think our
city is hilly,
Bath is so
incredibly hilly
that from
wherever you are
in the city
you can kind
of see this
roof.
Surrounding
neighbors,
they can see
this roof.
And it's a
way of them
saying to this
community,
this is what
we want you
to know,
and this is
what we're
all about,
and this church
has been here
for centuries.
This is what
this people of
God in this
place as they
meet will
always be
about and
reach out
to you with.
Do you know
what it says?
Here's what it
says.
On one side
it says,
one's blank,
three sides,
one says,
prepare to
meet thy
God.
The next
side it
says,
you must
be born
again.
And around
the corner
it says,
Christ died
for our
sins.
Friends,
this is why
we exist as
a local
church.
This love
of God has
been poured
into our
hearts,
and this
is why
we here
today,
this is why
we exist as
a local
church.
But this
is why we
exist as a
local church
because this
is the
message that
we're holding
out to a
lost and
perishing
world.
That God
three in
one so
loved the
world that
he gave
his only
son that
whoever
believes in
him will
not perish
but have
eternal
life.
Friends,
how easy is
it to become
bored with
the thing
that life is
supposed to be
all about?
How easy
is it for
us to let
our passion
for Jesus
and our
busyness as
a church
distract us
from the
thing that
is meant to
be the
engine that
revs us
and gets
us going,
the love
of God.
Do you see
what's going
on here?
John is
saying,
come and
see what's
going on
under the
bonnet.
Come and
see the
pursuing and
beating love
of God
for a lost
world,
and come
into the
light.
So here's
what I want
to do.
We're going
to pray.
Maybe the
band guys
could come
back up.
And we're
going to
pray.
We're going
to sing
two songs
to the
close that
are just
going to
help us
think about
the things
that we've
been reflecting
on today.
But as we
pray, there's
two particularly
people that I've
been burdened
by this week
as we've been
thinking about
this.
And one,
friends, if you
are here and
you've not
put your faith
in Jesus
yet,
today's the
day.
Okay?
Today's the
day.
Let's just
say carpe
diem.
Today's the
day.
Because life
is short.
There was a
girl who went
past our
house on a
bike this
week,
knocked over,
went to
a hostel,
don't know
what happened.
Life is
short.
Today's the
day.
Okay?
Today's the
day.
This prayer is
for you.
Pray this in
your heart.
Okay?
Today's the
day.
The next
person is
those who
believe that
the Father
doesn't love
them.
I don't
know what's
going on in
your heart.
You don't
believe the
Father loves
you.
Come to
this and
see that
he does.
This is
who this
God is and
this is how
he's loved
you.
Friends,
respond this
morning as
we sing these
last two
songs.
Respond in
your heart
and worship
him in a
coming of
life in
his name.
So we're
going to
pray and
then we're
going to
sing and
I was going
to come and
close and
we're going
to go and
eat.
Okay?
But friends,
don't leave
this building
this morning
and they
haven't done
business with
this God.
So let's
pray,
will we?
Our
Father, we
just thank
you, Lord,
for who you
are this
morning.
We would
never have
come up with
a God like
this.
How great
and how good
you are and
how wonderful
is the news
of your
pursuing love.
Father, none
of us sit
here today
having earned
your love.
Oh, friends,
oh, Father,
but we sit
here today as
those who've
been wonderful
recipients of
your love.
So, Father,
for those here
today who do
not know you
and have
trusted in the
work of your
Son on the
cross, may
today be the
day.
Oh, Father,
be at work by
your Spirit, we
pray.
And, Lord, for
those for whom
are perhaps
doubting your love
for them.
Lord, circumstances,
things going on
in life that
would rob us
of that joy
of knowing
Jesus.
Oh, Lord,
may again
today be the
day, Father,
will you
reassure us
of your
fatherly love
and care for
us in Christ.
This is love,
not that we
have loved
God, but
that he
loved us
and sent
his Son
as an
atoning
sacrifice
for our
sins.
Oh, Father,
be with us
as we finish
our time
together this
morning.
Be in the
conversations
around coffee.
Be amongst
us as we
eat together.
Oh, Father,
be ministering
amongst us
by your Spirit,
we pray.
In Jesus'
name,
Amen.