Sunday Worship 3 March 2024 : For God so loved the world

Text: John 3
3 March 2024

INTRODUCTION

1. The Doctrine of the Love of God

a) This was taught
b) This was demonstrated

2. The Loss of this Doctrine

a) The Damage
b) The Disaster

3. Recovering this Doctrine

a) The teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ
b) The demonstration of the Love of the Lord Jesus Christ

THE DECLARED LOVE OF GOD

6 “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

7 The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;

8 but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 7:6-8

1. Love’s Regard

a) A holy people
b) Chosen to be a people for Himself
c) A special treasure

2. Love’s Reason

a) Not because Israel had a huge population
b) Israel was a very small nation
c) Love is its own reason!

3. Love’s Redemption

a) Redeemed from bondage
b) Redeemed in fulfilment of God’s oath

THE DEVOTED LOVE OF GOD

1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called My son.

2 As they called them,
So they went from them;
They sacrificed to the Baals,
And burned incense to carved images.

3 “I taught Ephraim to walk,
Taking them by their arms;
But they did not know that I healed them.

4 I drew them with gentle cords,
With bands of love,
And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their [f]neck.
I stooped and fed them.

Hosea 11:1-4

1. A Memorable Father’s Love

a) For His child
b) For His son

2. Memories of Love

a) Learning to walk
b) Taking them by their arms
c) Healing care
d) Drawn with cords of love
e) Feeding

3. Turning away from God’s love

a) Drawn away
b) Drawn away to worship idols

THE DISTINCTIVE LOVE OF GOD DEMONSTRATED

13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:13-17

1. The Love of God Seen

a) In God’s Plan of Salvation
b) In His Promise of Eternal Life

2. The Love of God Shown

a) Sending of the Lord Jesus from Heaven
b) Not Sent to Condemn
c) Sent to Save the world

CONCLUSION

1. To discover God’s Love

2. To determine to respond to God appropriately

3. To develop a greater love for God