John 3:16-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.
It doesn’t say, “For God liked the world!”
It doesn’t say, “For God found the world attractive!”
It doesn’t say, “For the world loved God so much He gave His only begotten son!”
He loves the world not because we first loved Him, or not because we are kind and sweet, and treat Him good or others good!
He loved us at our worse! He loves us at our worse!
Romans 5:8-But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
For God so loved Jimmy that He gave His only begotten Son, that if Jimmy believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Augustine said, “God loves each one of us as if there was only one of us to love?”
1-God Takes The Initiative For Us To Have Salvation!
Luke 19:10-for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Romans 3:11-There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God
For those people who say, “I found God!” No the truth is He had to find you, he has been doing that for mankind since Adam and Eve hid in the garden!
2-God Takes The Initiative For Us To Know What Love Is!
Paul said, he hoped that we would be able to grasp the depth and the height and the width of God’s love because if we did, it would change our lives.
If you want a deeper love for your spouse, your children, the world around then focus in on the love of God! How much He loves you and how much He loves others!
“Lord, Help Me Not To Look At People The Way I See Them, But The Way You See Them!”
When it says the world it’s not taking about a certain race, or a certain nation, it is taking about individuals!
To God you are not just another face, not just another number, not just another body, you are important!
God Doesn’t Love Us So We Will Love Him. But, So We Can Love Him.
3-God Takes The Initiative To Give
All the other religions in the world they have to give to their god, they have to sacrifice to their god but our God gave to us!
What did He give? His Son!
After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service that evening. In the introduction, the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.
With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak. "A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific coast," he began, "when a fast-approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."
The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story.
The aged minister continued with his story. "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy would he throw the other end of the life line? He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian and he, also, knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves.
As the father yelled out, "I love you, son!" he threw out the lifeline to his son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered.
By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth.
"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend.
"How great is the love of God that he should do the same for us. Our heavenly father sacrificed his only-begotten son that we could be saved. I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line he is throwing out to you in this service." With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room.
The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end. However, no one responded to the appeal.
Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. "That was a nice story," politely stated one of them, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian."
"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied glancing down at his worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face. He once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But I’m standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up his son for me. You see, I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend."
