Sermon Central
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The Unconditonal Love Of God
Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on Mar 9, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: The love of God is unconditional. We cannot act like Nicodemus and come to Jesus in the night. We must surrender our whole life to Him.
The unconditional love of God
Introduction-
Text: John 3:1-22 Read
People live today by falling in and out of love. There is no commitment. They do not love “Till death do us part”. They love “till I find someone better”.
True love is a choice , and we will see that God chooses to love us.
( verses 1-15)
Nicodemus the Pharisee comes to Jesus at night. Not wanting anyone to know that he has a interest in the things that Jesus is saying.
Nicodemus acknowledges to Jesus that there is something special about him. Jesus tells Nicodemus that unless a person is “born again” he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus asks Jesus how that is possible, a person having a second birth.
Jesus tells him - you are a leader of the Jewish faith, and you do not understand the difference between flesh and spirit.
I have never preached directly on this text before. I just assumed that everyone has heard a 1000 messages on the text. One of the most familiar verses in the Bible.
Jesus tells Nicodemus that God loved the world so much that he sent Jesus into this world to die for it. The only way a person can make heaven is by accepting what Jesus has done.
And so begins man’s attempt at making it harder to get into heaven, and easier to live a life without Jesus. We add to what we need to do for salvation, and we make it so complicated we justify the fact that we cannot live the life that Jesus asks of us.
Kevin said it on Wednesday night, people will make all kinds of excuses why they don’t read their Bible. They will come up with all kinds of excuses of how they did not know that was the only way to heaven. They create the God that they like. The one that fits their lifestyle instead of what God expects of them.
Illustration-
I have heard it said from the pulpit, I have heard it with my own ears. People saying that they are “Christians”, but they don’t believe like those “Born again” people. I need you to see this as we jump into this message of God’s unconditional love to you and I., to all of mankind.
If you are not one of those born again people, Christ is not your Savior.
Jesus tells Nicodemus -“You must be Born again”
Definition of Christian-
A mind that thinks like Christ. A voice that speaks like Christ. A hand that helps like Christ. A heart that loves like Christ.
If you are a believer, you think, act, speak, and mold your life as the example that Christ gave us
.Illustration-
I was never a boxer, but if you are right handed, you are to lead with your left. You use it to protect yourself, take small jabs. You look for the time when you can unload with your right hand. Your right hand is cocked and ready to give the knock out punch.
Jesus has delivered the knockout punch when he told a religious leader, a person who thought that he was okay that unless you are born again, you will never see heaven.
Pow The right hand connects.
God so loved the world that He gave he world Jesus Christ.
God love is a sacrificial love.
“God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
God loves you this much (extend out your hands)
Illustration-
Larry Moody
Were not in the land of the living, trying to get to the land of the dying, were in the land of the dying trying to get to the land of the living.
There are people in churches every Sunday that don’t understand it is a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is more than head knowledge. It is heart transformation.
Everything we do in ourselves to save ourselves is meaningless. It is what Jesus Christ did for us. It is accepting what He has done.
We are not robots. We have a mind, soul, spirit, and God desires all three. When we do not surrender all (give all to Him) it is where we begin to compromise.
He desires all and doesn’t settle for less.
“He does not shoot for the stars and settle for the moon”
God says I love you unconditionally.
I love you enough to direct your path.
Correct you when you stray.
Speak to you when something needs to be changed.
I also love you enough to give you the freedom of choice.
To accept what he has done or reject it. No matter how we word it, we cannot blame God ,we cannot stand before God in these United States and say that we did not know orunderstand.
