Jump Start # 3154

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 eternal life.”

Our verse today is so familiar to us. We’ve heard it all of our lives. We’ve seen “John 3:16” on a sign at a ballgame. We’ve seen it spray painted on posts. The passage defines what the Bible is all about. The passage explains what the mission of Jesus was. So simple. So familiar. And, so easy to take for granted and to not put much thought to it.

  In his letters, John would later tell us that “God is love,” and, that “He first loved us.” Good students of the Bible understand that this love is not an emotional feeling. It’s not that are so adorable and cute. It’s not that God couldn’t live without us. That thinking distorts the truth and makes us think more of ourselves than we ought to. God’s love is a choice. God’s love is demonstrated in actions.

  Here are five reminders about the incredible love of God.

  First, God loves you even when you do not think about Him. The love between God and us is not like a power cord. Unplug the cord and the power ceases. If you are vacuuming a room and you stretch the cord to far and it becomes unplugged, your sweeper stops. Without the power cord it doesn’t work. God’s love is not like that. We may go hours, or sadly even days, without thinking about God. He still loves you.

  Second, God still loves you when you disobey Him. This does not mean that God approves of your rebellion. It does not mean that God looks the other way and ignores your sins. He sees them. He knows. Yet, He still loves. Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Did you catch the “while we were yet sinners”? It wasn’t after we were sinners. Nor, when we promised never to do wrong again. Nor, after we repented. No, while we were sinners, Christ came. The best came at the worst possible time. We weren’t showing our best. We weren’t doing our best. God loves you. He loves you even when you break His heart.

  Third, God loves you even though He knows everything about you. No one knows you better than God does. Sometimes we are good at hiding secrets and telling people just certain things. We always keep the curtain partially closed on things in our lives that we do not want anyone to know. If you really knew me, many think, you probably wouldn’t like me. This has led some to be very selective in what they tell others. It makes transparency difficult. And, for some, this translates to their feelings with God. They are not as open as they ought to be, fearing that God may no longer like them. God knows. You can never surprise God. God will never think, “Wow. I didn’t know you did that.” He knows. He knows your motives, your attitudes, your thoughts, the little things we say under our breath that we think no one else hears. God knows. He knows and He still loves you. Remarkable. Amazing.

  Fourth, God has never stopped loving you. Since the day you came, God has loved you. Now, the same can’t be said of us. There has been times when we haven’t liked other people, even our own family. Many a teen has said hateful things to their parents. And, there was a season or longer for all of us when we were out in the far country of sin. We didn’t give God much thought. Some even fought God, denied God and mocked God. God still loved us, even then. Yes, there has been moments in our lives when we haven’t loved God, but there has never been a time when God has not loved you. We might wonder and even question that. Why were my prayers not answered “yes,” if He loves me. Why did bad things happen to me if He loves me? Why has my life been so difficult if He loves me? Job suffered, yet God loved Him. The heroes in Hebrews 11 all suffered and God loved them. The presence of difficulties in your life is not an indication of how much God loves you. Those who have the best life are loved the most and those who have struggled a lifetime, God barely loves. Not true. Not at all. God uses trials and temptations as His classroom to teach us and mold us into the character that is strong, spiritual and helpful. God has never stopped loving you.

  Fifth, you cannot do anything to make God love you more. This is hard for us to grasp. We tend to think if I go to worship services, read my Bible and make right choices, God will love me more. He won’t. He can’t. He already loves you all that He can. 100%. That’s just not the way we think. You buy me a present and I’ll like you. You get me some Dodgers tickets and I’ll really like you. That’s not the way God operates.

  Then, why go to worship? Why try? Why read the Bible? If God can’t love me any more than He already does, why am I doing those things? And, maybe it’s time we asked that question. Is that the reason you go to worship? Are you trying to impress God or win Him over to your side? Do you feel that doing those things makes you a better person than those who do not do those things? Maybe the reason and the motive behind what we have been doing is wrong.

  In our congregation we have a bunch of young engaged couples. The world of a young engaged girl turns upside down once she says “yes,” to “Will you marry me?” From that time on, it’s all about the wedding. Wedding magazines and wedding websites fill her day. It’s about the right place, the right dress, the right music, the right food, the right colors, the right decorations. I know, I’ve seen this. Details down to the right forks and even the napkins are sought after and decided. Why? Does the girl do this so her beloved will love her? He has already asked her to marry him. She doesn’t do this to get him to like  her, she does this BECAUSE he likes her. She wants everything to be perfect.

  It’s that way with us and the Lord. Why do I go to worship so often? Not to get God to like me. He already does. I do that BECAUSE He likes me. Why read the Bible? Because God loves me and I want to know everything about God. Why make the right choices? So, God will love me? No, He already does. I want to please God and making the right choices does just that.

  God loves you. For God so loved the world…

  Amazing!

  Roger

Jump Start # 2246

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 eternal life.”

My friend, Danny, was leading our thoughts Sunday about the Lord’s Supper. He said the death of Jesus was the greatest event in the history of the world. I totally agree with him. But that got me to thinking about “the history of the world.” There’s been some big moments, both good and bad. There has been events that filled the front pages of newspapers and changed lives.

Here’s a short list:

• Man walking on the moon. What a major accomplishment of engineering, technology and courage.
• The ending of WW II. About 3% of the population of the world died in that war, around 75 million people. When peace papers were signed, literally thousands of lives were spared.
• The invention of penicillin, saved thousands of lives that were headed to death by disease.
• The development of the automobile, the telephone, cell phones, internet, has allowed us to reach more, do more and know more.
• The use of electricity has made life easier
• Medical advancements, including using artificial limbs, transplanting organs, drugs that fight diseases, has kept people alive that decades before would have killed them.
• The discover of new lands made the world larger than what people thought it was

However, the greatest event of all time was the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The death of Jesus did what nothing else could. The death of Jesus changed lives for eternity. Man found a way to put death off. Man found a way to make life easier, more convenient. Man found ways to get along with each other.

But the two things man could not do was to conquer death and to find forgiveness from a God that we had offended. In the death of Jesus, both of these were accomplished. Death is not the end. Death doesn’t change anything other than we leave this place for the next place. It’s merely switching rooms. The pain, the fear, the finality of death, has been smashed by Christ coming out of His tomb. “Up from the grave He arose,” was the death blow to Satan. There was nothing that Satan could do to keep Christ in the tomb. He was defeated by the resurrection. His greatest weapon was death and Christ sent that sailing away by His resurrection. And, His resurrection is the assurance of our resurrection. He arose and so shall we.

But in the death of Christ, a price was paid. A sacrifice was made. The innocent died for the guilty. But, more than that, the pure and the sinless, died for the sinful. No person could do what Christ did on the cross. Others have died saving the lives of others. Others have made the ultimate sacrifice in war and as first responders. They saved the lives of others, but they could not save the souls of others. Only Jesus could do that. Through His death, we were redeemed, reconciled, and justified by God. We are no longer guilty. Our status has changed to being part of God’s family. We have been adopted. God is our Father. We, because of the death of Jesus, belong to God. We are part of God’s family.

Just think about that statement, we are part of God’s family. Because of family name, certain people get into certain places. If you belonged to the Trump family, you could walk through the White House. If you belonged to the Royal family in England, you could spend the night in a castle, many castles. If you belonged to the family of a famous athlete, you might get free tickets, and great seats at a ball game. If you belonged to the family of a famous singer, you might meet legends in the music industry. But all of that comes by being born to the right parents at the right time. It’s luck, we might say. Being part of God’s family, means His home, Heaven, is yours. And, unlike the Royal family, or these other families, anyone can be part of God’s family. There is no “luck” involved. It’s a matter of choice, faith and obedience. God welcomes you into His family.

The death of Jesus changed the eternity for mankind. Before the death of Jesus, all of us, even the best among us, were headed down a dead end street marked Hell. That’s what we deserved. That’s what we were getting. That’s only fair, because we ignored God and sinned against Him. But that one death, a long time ago, in a place far away from where most of us live, changed “forever.” Our future can be filled with hope and assurance. Our future can be bright. Through Christ, there is forgiveness. Through Christ, we can live.

Danny was right. The death of Jesus was the greatest event in the history of the world. No other event was able to touch every single life that has been on this planet, in the past and in the future. No other event was able to undo the wrong that we all have done. No other event was able to crush Satan and release the clutches that he had upon us. No other event moved us from being sinners to saints and allowed us to change our character, our nature and our choices, like the death of Jesus.

Thanks be to God, the apostle said, for His indescribable gift!

Roger

Jump Start # 1941

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

My friend, Daron, last Sunday, gave some moving thoughts before the congregation took the Lord’s Supper. He tearfully told the story of a time when his three year old daughter swallowed a marble. She was choking and couldn’t breathe. Daron didn’t know what to do. He was alone with the child. He held her in his arms and fervently prayed that she would not die in his arms. The only thing he could think to do was to turn the child upside down and shake her. The marble came out and she lived. From that story, he told us about God allowing His Son to die for us.

That thought has stayed with me. I saw another lesson as well. Here was a parent who was doing everything he could think of to keep that child alive, and here was a God who was doing everything He could to make His Son die. Isaiah’s prophecy about the death of Jesus says it pleased God to crush Him.

God did everything to make Jesus die. Think about that.

First, in prayers. Jesus prayed fervently in the garden. His prayer was so intense that sweat became blood. “Let this cup pass from Me,” was Jesus’ plea. The answer was, “NO.” There was no other way. God was doing everything He could to make Jesus die.

Second, the lack of angels. Have you ever noticed that before? Angels announced the birth of Jesus. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, angels came and ministered to Him. Angels are found throughout the life of Jesus. When He is resurrected, there are angels present. But for that short period of time, from the arrest, trials and crucifixion of Jesus, we do not read of angels. Jesus declared that He could summon legions of angels, but He didn’t. They didn’t come.

God did everything to make Jesus die.

Third, God separated Himself from Jesus. While on the cross, the sky grew dark, and there was a separation between Jesus and His Father. This was the first time in eternity that had happened. Jesus was truly on His own. It is one of the few times that Jesus calls His Father, “My God.” Most times, it’s “Father.” Jesus didn’t have God to help Him. No prayers answered in His favor. No angels sent. And no fellowship and support of His Father.

God did everything to make Jesus die.

And yet, there is still another thought running through all of this. God did everything to make You live. The “living” here is not a long life on this planet, but to live spiritually and eternally. Have you thought about that before? God did everything to make you live.

First, there was Jesus. He was sent for you. He died so you could live. You are so valuable to God that He sent the best of Heaven to save you. God didn’t send an angel. He didn’t send some old prophet. He sent Jesus—pure, perfect and sinless. Faith in Jesus and obedience to His will changes your relationship with God. Sins forgiven, He adopts you into His family. You become one of his. You are his. You belong to God.

Second, God has given you His word to guide you and help you. We call that word, the Bible. It has been preserved all these years. Men have tried to destroy it, yet it lives. Men have tried to discredit it, yet it lives. Translated into multiple languages. Available in many formats, even electronically, God’s word reveals His heart. By reading it, following it and making it our life, our character changes. Our attitude changes. Our behavior changes. We become more and more like the Lord. We love instead of hate. We forgive instead of hold grudges. We serve instead of turning our backs. Holiness and righteousness becomes our goals. God did everything to make you live.

Third, God hears us. Prayer really works. It works best when we are close to God and are doing what He says. God opens doors to us. God encourages us. God helps us. God is there for us. There is never a place and never a time that prayer doesn’t fit. God is listening. God cares. He wants us to burden Him with the things that makes us anxious. He wants us to trust Him, believe Him and know that He is always there for us.

God is doing everything to make us live.

Fourth, God has surrounded us with amazing examples, help and support. We call that the church. It’s a fellowship. It’s a family. We don’t fly solo with God. We need one another. They need us and we need them. We worship together. We grow closer together. We are there for one another. We are accountable to them. They can count on us and we can count on them. We pray for and with each other. We roll up our sleeves and work together. We pool our money and help the kingdom of God. We belong. We are loved. We are accepted. We are not alone in this journey. There are living examples all around us to show us what we need to become. There are those that we can talk to. There are those who are teaching us and leading us in the ways of God. God has set up this amazing system so that you can be with Him forever in Heaven.

God arranged this so we could have answers to our questions, encouragement through our dark periods and love and hope.

God did all that He could to make you live.

Have you thought about how much God has done for you? He really wants you to make it. He really wants you to live.

Roger

Jump Start # 1874

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 eternal life.”

Our verse today, so well known and at one time, seen on signs held up at ballgames, painted on posts and highway overpasses, speaks of God’s great desire to save us. This verse is what the Bible is all about. This verse is found in prophecy, all the way back to the garden when Adam and Eve hid themselves because of their sin.

This verse speaks of a two directional hope. First, and most obviously, our hope. Our hope in that God is giving us a second chance. Our hope in that while we are unable to clean up the mess that sin has caused in our lives, the blood of Jesus cleanses us. Our hope in that flawed and broken as we are, we can spend eternity with God in Heaven. It is that hope that compels us to fall to our knees and change our ways. It is because of that hope that we open God’s word and fill our hearts with His truth. It is that hope that leads us to run toward God in praise and thanksgiving.

But there is another hope that is not as obvious, nor spoken about very often. God had a hope in us. God was hoping that someone, anyone, would believe what He had done and follow Christ. How terrible all of this would have been if the entire planet turned their backs on God. What would happen if no one believed? What would happen if God’s only choice was to make everyone perish because no one was interested and no one cared? Did God know? Did God hold His breath, hoping that someone would become a disciple?

God’s hope in mankind was not just a dream. There were certain things God set in order so that we would and we could believe.

First, God made the life of Jesus believable. Jesus wasn’t a story that fell from Heaven. Jesus came and dwelt among that first century world. He was seen, touched, heard and witnessed. The miracles that Jesus did were visible. He cured the lepers. He raised the dead. He cast out demons. Didn’t anyone have cancer in the first century? How about bad heart values? Why didn’t Jesus cure those things? We don’t read of any specific cases of that. Could it be that those are hard to see with the naked eye? Miracles were not just to heal sick people, they were pointed at Jesus to prove who He was. Blind eyes, deaf ears, crippled limbs—all easy to see and easy to verify. God made the life of Jesus believable. He was God on earth. He was perfect.

Second, God made the message of Jesus plain. I was watching a special about the music of the Beatles the other day with my wife. She knows music. The narrator was a music historian and a composure. I was lost in what he was describing and the terms he was using. It was very complicated to me. The message of Jesus was not like that. One doesn’t have to hold a dictionary in one hand with the Bible in the other hand to figure out what is going on. The message of Jesus is plain. God has authority. His message cuts through the fog of our culture. God wants us to be righteous. God wants us to be like Jesus. We are to forgive as Jesus forgave. We are to be pure as Jesus was pure. We are to suffer without threats as Jesus did. We are to walk in love as Jesus did. We are to obey as Jesus did. The message of the Bible isn’t hard. Our issue isn’t understanding it, it’s a matter of doing it. Imagine how complicated God could have made the Bible. Words that only a few could understand. Concepts so detailed and hard that most would have walked away from that. God’s hope was in us. He gave us a clear message that we all can follow.

Third, what God expected was doable. This also illustrates God’s hope in us. Not everyone can whistle. Not everyone can hit a golf ball straight. Not everyone can play the piano. Not everyone has a green thumb. Not everyone knows their way around a kitchen. Not everyone is a fixer upper. We are all so different. Yet, God made a plan in which all of us can not only follow, but all of us can make it. When a person declares, “I can’t do what God says,” he really hasn’t grasped what God is expecting. We all can become what God says. The guy who is so talented, can do it. Also, the guy who seems to have very little talent, he too can do it. That’s the hope that God has in you. All of us can walk by faith. All of us can please Him. It’s not too hard for any of us. God is not asking the impossible. Had He wanted us to climb small mountains, many of us couldn’t. Had He wanted us to learn a foreign language, some of us just couldn’t do that. Had he wanted us to come up with a certain amount of money to be saved, there are those who could not do that. But He never expected those things. He wants us to hear that Gospel about His Son, Jesus. Believe it. Obey it. Change your life. Follow Him. Trust Him. Become like Him. This is something that we can do. The big time shaker and mover can do that. The housewife can do that. The college student can do that. The college professor can do that. We all can.

God has not put before us the impossible. God is not looking for the few and the good. His call is for all of us. Broken, flawed as we are, God hopes that you will follow Him.

What a great thought: Just as we have a hope in God, God has a hope in us. God has a hope in YOU.

Roger