Introduction
Whether we like it or not, numbers influence our lives more than anything else in the modern world. When we are born, we are given a national health number, when we go to school; we are given a number that can identify us on the education database, when we leave school, we are given a national insurance number. When we enter the workplace, we are given a clock card number or an employee number (sometimes both). If we want to travel further than our native shores, we have to apply for a passport, which again has a number. If we want to get around faster than on foot, we need a driver number, even if we don’t drive our bus or train tickets, or travel passes are all numbered. We put our money in numbered bank accounts, on utility bills, we are identified by our customer numbers, we set appointments by the numbers on a clock and calendar. The list goes on; many wait anxiously on various nights of the week, placing their hopes in the right combination of six numbers on a lottery ticket. There are three numbers however, that offer more hope, a lasting hope, an eternal hope than any combination of numbers on a lottery ticket, and they will take you further than any number on a passport, driving license or travel pass, they will give more security than money in a numbered bank account. These three numbers are Three, One and Six.
These three numbers when used in the right combination give reference to twenty six words that form possibly the most famous and most quoted verse in the New Testament. In the Gideon’s Bible, found in most hotels in this country, I say most because I was disappointed to discover that it wasn’t available in the Holiday Inn Express at Stansted, but where it is found, this verse alone is translated into more than 25 different languages. I’m referring of cause to the words of John 3: 16, over the next ten minutes or so let’s take a closer look at this short but very important verse.
For God so loved the world
We live on what could be described in cosmological terms, a small insignificant pin prick in the universe. The planet we call home, orbits a yellow star, which is one of between two hundred and four hundred billion in the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way is estimated to be one hundred thousand light years in diameter and a thousand light years thick at its deepest point. The nearest star to us, besides the Sun is called Proxima Centauri, which is four point two light years away. To put this in perspective, if we were to get on a specially adapted plane, and flew toward it at the average speed most passenger airliners travel at, about six hundred miles per hour, it would take One Thousand Seven Hundred and Ten Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty Eight Thousand years to reach it. The Milky Way is only one of billions of galaxies in the universe. Even if humankind had the ability to see all these galaxies using a very powerful telescope, take into account that each of these billions of galaxies contains billions of stars, it would be impossible for humans to count them, let alone name them. Yet in Genesis 1:16 we read “....he also made the stars...” Such a casual remark, “he also made the stars” In Psalm 147: 4 we read “He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name.” In cosmological terms, this world we live on is like comparing the smallest living bacteria to a Blue Whale, and yet we read “For God so loved the world....” Just as God named all the stars in the universe, he knows each one of us by name, and he loves every one of us. God loves us even when we harden our hearts against him and place our trust in other things. It is nothing new; three thousand years ago the Israelites did the same. They had been led out of slavery in Egypt, they had seen God’s power part the waves of the Red Sea, so they could escape their pursuers and witnessed as the waves crashed down and destroyed their former slave-masters. They had been fed on Manna in the morning and Quail in the evening, surely God had done enough to give them a trust in him, but what happened? When Moses had gone to the summit of Sinai to meet with God and receive the Commandments they grew restless.
In Exodus 32: 1 we read “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, ‘Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’” They turned away from God and looked to a cow made of gold for direction and guidance. You could say they were Udderly foolish! Their hearts had become as hard as the metal idol they now worshiped. The history of the Israelites that followed was a catalogue of disobedience and rebellion against God, did he stop loving them? No God’s love is eternal; it is not based on the whimsies of emotion as our use of the word is, God’s love endures all our faults, all our rebellion, God’s love is such that he paid the full price for our disobedience.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son (super-imposed on power point)
God, the creator of all the stars and galaxies in the universe, God who named all those stars individually, gave up the majesty of his heavenly throne and became one of us and lived among us, why?
Why did the creator and governor of everything in the universe, choose to give up heaven and come live among us on this insignificant pin prick in the vastness of the cosmos?
God loves us and wants each and every one of us to join him in heaven as it says in 2 Peter 3; 9, “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance”. But he saw that his people had strayed too far off the road to salvation, that they needed a guide to steer them back. In the past he had sent prophets, but their teaching over the years had been corrupted by the religious leaders of the day to suit their own selfish ambitions. So he came himself in the form of his one and only Son, Jesus. He knew that there was a price to pay for the sin of mankind, he knew because he put that price on it. God loved us so much that he chose to pay that price himself.
A couple of weeks ago, I spoke about how we were to be “the light of the world” I spoke of how lights give direction, in John 8: 12 we read “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” God came into this world because he loved it and to be a light to guide us back to him. We cannot achieve or earn salvation; no amount of good work is going to buy our place in eternity. God knew this and made the ultimate sacrifice, because we were born into sin, stained by our first parents. There is nothing we can do to redeem ourselves; sin cannot cleanse itself only that which is pure and sinless can be offered in sacrifice, which is why God coming into this world in Jesus gave himself through love to death on the cross. How then do we receive salvation? How, if as it says in Romans 6: 23 “For the wages of sin is death....” can we who are born into sin hope for anything other than death? Because, as Romans 6: 23 goes on to say “....but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
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: 16 (Super-imposed on PowerPoint)
Earlier we read from Isaiah 40, in verse 31 it says “......those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.”
We have the choice, God gives us the choice; we can grow weary by placing all our hopes in “if only’s.” If only we can get a better job; if only my lottery numbers come up, then things would be better. Or we can set our sight on the one true and lasting hope, that through trusting and believing Jesus, we shall not die in our sin but have full and rich life on earth and an eternity to spend in heaven with the creator of all things. If you have not already decided, take time and look at the night sky, try to count all the stars you can see and remember that God made and named all of them and the ones your eyes cannot see, and he knows your name also. Remember what it says in Isaiah 49: 15-16 “I will never forget you........ I have written your name on the palm of my hand.”
In a moment we’re going to listen to a recording of Lara Martin singing “The voice of hope”. Take time to reflect on the verses, though they don’t speak of numbers, they do speak of a hope and assurance like no other found on earth. Verse’s 1& 2 read...
AS HIGH AS THE HEAVENS are above the earth,
So high are Your ways to mine.
Ways so perfect they never fail me,
I know You are good all the time!
And through the storm, yet I will praise You,
Despite it all, yet I will sing;
Through good or bad, yet I will worship,
For You remain the same King of kings.
And the final verse says...
You were the One before time began;
There’s nothing beyond Your control.
My confidence, my assurance
Rest in Your unchanging word!
The chorus says...
You are the voice of hope,
The anchor of my soul.
Where there seems to be no way,
You make it possible.
You are the Prince of Peace,
Amidst adversity
My lips will shout for joy
To You the Most High!
Is Jesus your voice of hope? Is he the one you base your confidence and assurance on? Do your lips shout for joy to him even in the face of adversity? If not, take time tonight to anchor your soul in him, take time to ask him to be the prince of peace in your life. Our place of prayer is always open but if you feel more comfortable seeking him in the comfort of your seats, that’s okay but please make that your prayer tonight.
Before we listen to the CD, I just want to share with you the words of Chick Yuill from song number forty in Happiness and Harmony.
“When we look’d for life in the pleasures of this world
We were never satisfied.
So we came to Jesus and we took Him at His word,
And the change can’t be denied.
For he pour’d out His Spirit and He told us to drink,
And He satisfied our need.
And the joy that He gave us has no limits on earth,
Everlasting life in-deed.
If you look for life in the pleasures of this world,
You will not be satisfied.
But if you come to Jesus and you take Him at His word,
He will give you freely, LIFE,
Life that cannot die.
Which numbers are you going to put your hope in?
