Exploring the Depths of God's Love in John 3:16
Summary
John 3:16 is a verse that encapsulates the essence of the entire Bible, offering profound insights into God's love. This verse, often seen at sporting events and famously associated with Tim Tebow, is a simple yet powerful declaration of God's love for humanity. It is a verse that has been studied and preached upon countless times, yet it remains inexhaustible in its depth and meaning. The challenge for any preacher is not to add to its truth but to faithfully convey its message.
God's love, as revealed in John 3:16, is extravagant. It is not the love of a tyrant demanding appeasement but the love of a God who has already been satisfied through Jesus Christ. The word "so" in "For God so loved the world" carries the weight of the cross and the suffering of Christ, demonstrating the depth of God's love. This love is not just spoken; it is proven through the sacrifice of Jesus.
Moreover, God's love is extensive, reaching every corner of the globe. It is a love that transcends cultural and ethnic boundaries, embracing both the lovable and the unlovable. This universal love is the driving force behind missions, as it compels us to share God's love with the world.
God's love is also expensive. It cost Him His only begotten Son, a unique and unparalleled gift. This sacrifice underscores the value God places on each individual, offering salvation to all who believe. The love of God is expansive, available to "whosoever" believes, yet it is also exclusive, requiring personal acceptance and belief.
Finally, God's love is eternal. It offers everlasting life to those who believe, a life that begins the moment one accepts Christ and continues forever. This eternal security is a promise that nothing can separate us from God's love.
Key Takeaways:
1. Extravagant Love: God's love is not a mere sentiment but a profound reality demonstrated through the sacrifice of Jesus. The word "so" in John 3:16 encapsulates the depth of this love, reminding us that God did not just say He loves us; He proved it through action. [10:47]
2. Extensive Love: God's love knows no boundaries. It is a love that reaches every tribe, nation, and individual, regardless of their background or status. This universal love is the foundation of our mission to share the gospel with the world. [16:00]
3. Expensive Love: The cost of God's love was the life of His only begotten Son. This sacrifice highlights the immense value God places on each person, offering salvation as a free gift to all who believe. [17:08]
4. Expansive yet Exclusive Love: While God's love is available to everyone, it requires a personal response. Belief is the key to receiving this love, transforming it from a general offer to a personal possession. [24:52]
5. Eternal Love: God's love offers eternal life, a promise that begins the moment we believe and continues forever. This assurance of eternal security is a testament to the unending nature of God's love. [30:48]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [05:50] - Tim Tebow and John 3:16
- [06:43] - The Power of a Simple Verse
- [07:42] - The Challenge of Preaching John 3:16
- [10:47] - God's Extravagant Love
- [11:50] - The Proof of God's Love
- [12:44] - God's Extensive Love
- [16:00] - The Universal Reach of God's Love
- [17:08] - The Cost of God's Love
- [20:06] - A Story of Sacrifice
- [21:15] - The Agony of Choice
- [22:53] - The Expansive Offer of Salvation
- [24:52] - The Necessity of Belief
- [27:43] - The Meaning of Perish
- [30:48] - Eternal Security in God's Love
- [32:27] - The Promise of Eternal Life
- [34:19] - A Message of Hope and Love
- [36:20] - The Story of John Harper
- [38:13] - Known to Be Saved or Lost
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide: John 3:16
#### Bible Reading
- John 3:16
- Romans 5:8
- 1 John 4:9
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#### Observation Questions
1. What does the word "so" in John 3:16 signify about the nature of God's love? [10:47]
2. How does the sermon describe the extent of God's love as it relates to different cultures and ethnicities? [16:00]
3. What is the significance of the term "only begotten Son" in the context of God's love? [17:08]
4. According to the sermon, what is required for someone to receive God's love? [24:52]
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#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of God's love being both expansive and exclusive? [24:52]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that God's love is proven through action rather than just words? [11:50]
3. How does the story of the father and the drawbridge in the sermon help to explain the cost of God's love? [21:15]
4. What does the sermon imply about the eternal nature of God's love and its impact on believers? [30:48]
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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt unworthy of love. How does understanding God's extravagant love for you change your perspective? [10:47]
2. The sermon mentions that God's love transcends cultural and ethnic boundaries. How can you actively demonstrate this kind of love in your community? [16:00]
3. Consider the cost of God's love as described in the sermon. How does this influence your view of personal sacrifice in your own life? [17:08]
4. The sermon emphasizes the necessity of belief to receive God's love. What steps can you take to deepen your faith and trust in God's promises? [24:52]
5. How can you share the message of God's love with someone who feels excluded or unloved? What practical actions can you take this week? [16:00]
6. Reflect on the assurance of eternal life as a believer. How does this promise affect your daily decisions and priorities? [30:48]
7. The sermon ends with a challenge to consider which "list" you are on—known to be saved or lost. How does this challenge motivate you to live out your faith more intentionally? [38:13]
Devotional
Day 1: The Depth of God's Love
God's love is not a mere sentiment but a profound reality demonstrated through the sacrifice of Jesus. The word "so" in John 3:16 encapsulates the depth of this love, reminding us that God did not just say He loves us; He proved it through action. This love is extravagant, not the love of a tyrant demanding appeasement but the love of a God who has already been satisfied through Jesus Christ. The weight of the cross and the suffering of Christ demonstrate the depth of God's love, which is not just spoken but proven through the sacrifice of Jesus. [10:47]
Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV): "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Reflection: Think of a time when you felt unworthy of love. How can you embrace the truth of God's extravagant love for you today, despite your feelings?
Day 2: Boundless Love for All
God's love knows no boundaries. It is a love that reaches every tribe, nation, and individual, regardless of their background or status. This universal love is the foundation of our mission to share the gospel with the world. God's love is extensive, reaching every corner of the globe, transcending cultural and ethnic boundaries, and embracing both the lovable and the unlovable. This love compels us to share God's love with the world, as it is a love that is meant to be shared and spread to all. [16:00]
Acts 10:34-35 (ESV): "So Peter opened his mouth and said: 'Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.'"
Reflection: Who in your life might feel excluded from God's love? How can you intentionally reach out to them this week to show them the boundless love of God?
Day 3: The Cost of Love
The cost of God's love was the life of His only begotten Son. This sacrifice highlights the immense value God places on each person, offering salvation as a free gift to all who believe. God's love is expensive, costing Him His only begotten Son, a unique and unparalleled gift. This sacrifice underscores the value God places on each individual, offering salvation to all who believe. It is a love that is both costly and priceless, given freely to those who accept it. [17:08]
1 Peter 1:18-19 (ESV): "Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."
Reflection: Reflect on the cost of God's love for you. How does understanding the sacrifice of Jesus change the way you view your own worth and the worth of others?
Day 4: The Invitation to Believe
While God's love is available to everyone, it requires a personal response. Belief is the key to receiving this love, transforming it from a general offer to a personal possession. God's love is expansive, available to "whosoever" believes, yet it is also exclusive, requiring personal acceptance and belief. This invitation to believe is a call to transform God's love from a general offer to a personal possession, making it a part of one's own life. [24:52]
Romans 10:9-10 (ESV): "Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to fully believe in God's promises? How can you take a step of faith today to trust Him more deeply?
Day 5: The Promise of Eternal Life
God's love offers eternal life, a promise that begins the moment we believe and continues forever. This assurance of eternal security is a testament to the unending nature of God's love. God's love is eternal, offering everlasting life to those who believe, a life that begins the moment one accepts Christ and continues forever. This eternal security is a promise that nothing can separate us from God's love, providing a foundation of hope and assurance for the future. [30:48]
1 John 5:11-12 (ESV): "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
Reflection: How does the promise of eternal life influence your daily decisions and priorities? What changes can you make today to live with eternity in mind?
Quotes
i heard about a preacher who studied john 3 16 for all of his whole ministry and intensely studied it so that when he was about to retire he had produced 600 unique outlines on john 3 16. no verse of scripture has been explained as much as john 3 16 and there is no verse of scripture that defies explanation as does that verse i've noticed that a lot of times when young men begin to start preaching they grab hold of john 3 16 and they preach it a lot but if you've been preaching for very long you discover that's not what you do g campbell morgan said that this was a verse of scripture he had never attempted to preach on in all the years of his great preaching he said i've gone around it and around it but it has always been too big for me to tackle when i read it there's nothing else to say if we only knew how to read it we would produce a sense in the ears of our people so that there would be nothing left to preach about and i need to confess that i think it was about at the 15 -year mark when i started preaching i preached on john 3 16 for the first time i remember thinking what in the world would i say about this verse i mean it's so simple and everybody knows it by heart what am i going to add to this truth and then it was almost as if god was reminding me that my job is not to come up with something great and cute and creative but my job is to see what god has done for me and then i'm going to stand up and repeat the simple truth once again so that everyone hears it and understands it whenever you hear the story of god's love it strikes a resounding note in your heart because there's something that's in each of us it's the fact that we've been created in the image of god there's something that's in each of us that somehow maybe it's in the distant recesses of our mind but we know that god loves us then when somebody preaches it it strikes fire god has put within us [00:00:15]
so that there would be nothing left to preach about and i need to confess that i think it was about at the 15 -year mark when i started preaching i preached on john 3 16 for the first time i remember thinking what in the world would i say about this verse i mean it's so simple and everybody knows it by heart what am i going to add to this truth and then it was almost as if god was reminding me that my job is not to come up with something great and cute and creative but my job is to stand up and repeat the simple truth once again so that everyone hears it and understands it whenever you hear the story of god's love it strikes a resounding note in your heart because there's something that's in each of us it's the fact that we've been created in the image of god there's something that's in each of us that somehow maybe it's in the distant recesses of our mind but we know we've been created in the image of god and to me that's what i'm saying that God loves us then when somebody preaches it it strikes fire with this intuitive thing that God has put within us so here from one verse in the Gospel of John the most famous verse in the Bible are seven incredible truths about God's love number one God's love is extravagant for God so loved the world when John wrote these words God was considered to be a tyrant driving men to hell even today heathen religions try to satisfy their gods medicine men and witch doctors go through all kinds of incantations in their attempt to placate God in their minds God is an angry God who's waiting to punish all mankind and you got to do something to talk him out of it and against that backdrop is John 316 we read in John 316, which astounds us and reminds us that God is not a tyrant but God is a God of pure and holy love and the message of the Bible is not that man can satisfy God but that Jesus Christ has satisfied God in our behalf [00:08:39]
God's only begotten son means God's unique son the word only begotten means unique means the only one God had God only had one son his unique his only begotten son the Bible says that Jesus is the image of God and he's the only begotten of the father and this is a love according to John 3 16 that God demonstrates to us by giving us the most expensive gift he could possibly give there is nothing else God could have done that would have exceeded the expense of the gift of his own son he looked around heaven and said what shall I do I need to send this message of love to my creatures and he put his hand upon his son and said this will I do I will send you there to be my message he his only begotten son into this world to pay the price of our sin and to demonstrate his love listen to first John 4 9 in this [00:18:07]
the love of God was manifested toward us in that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him. In other words, in this, God communicated his love to us. In this, his love is communicated to us, is shared with us. In this, he shares his love with us. And how does he do that? He sends his only begotten son into the world. [00:19:14]
God says, I love the whole world. I love whoever in the world. My love is available. Whoever believes will get my love. So some of you that come to church and you think by just coming to church and hearing about the love of God, that's all you need, then you're wrong. You go to hell knowing about the love of God. You go to heaven receiving the love of God. The love of God is God's plan of salvation for you, and if you will receive that plan, if you will believe it, if you will accept it, you will have it. But God isn't just going to force his love on you. God offers his love. His hands are wide open. The cross is a picture of his extended arms welcoming everyone to the shed blood of the cross. But my friends, you can't have what you don't receive. [00:26:40]
Now listen to John 3 18, just a couple of verses ahead of one that we are talking about. He who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. While it is true, my friends, to say that God loves everyone, it is not true to say that everyone receives that love. Only those who believe receive. God's love. is extravagant and extensive and expensive and it's expansive and it's exclusive number six it's exceptional [00:27:01]
To be separated from God is far worse than all the pictures of fire and brimstone you've ever seen about hell. To be separated from God is to be eternally locked in to your unquenchable thirst, your own sin, your own thirsty thirst, your unquenchable thirst. your terrible passions, your appetites, your cravings, your inflamed desires, your fierce longings, your furious hates, your lusts, your white -hot temper, your spine -chilling fear, all of these things will have no relief and no satisfaction and no joy. [00:28:54]
The Bible says that when you go into eternity as a lost person, you carry into eternity all of the unfulfillment of your life, and it's intensified forever and ever and ever. Revelation says it this way. He who is unjust, let him be unjust. He who is filthy, let him be filthy. To perish means to be cut off from God. The word means to be separated forever from the loving God. And the Bible says that when we receive God's love, we will never be separated from God's love. [00:29:47]
When you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you receive eternal life. And you don't get eternal life after you die. You get eternal life the moment you believe. When you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you receive eternal life. When does eternal life start for you? The moment you believe. And that means from the moment you believe all the way out into as far as you can imagine in eternity, you are not separated from God. You cannot be separated from him. [00:30:09]
It means it cannot ever end. Listen to Romans 8. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things future, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. What part of this don't we get? John says it, And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. [00:31:05]
When you become a Christian, when you truly put your trust in Jesus Christ, you are given the gift of eternal life. And some of you say, Well, I know somebody who they said they were saved, and now they're not living. you know what that's not my problem and really friend it's not yours either all i know is what the word of god says and the word of god says when i put my trust in christ he gives me the gift of eternal life and how many of you know god's not the kind of god who comes and takes his gift back god is a god who always keeps his promise and when he gives you the gift of eternal life listen to this again and i give unto them and they shall never perish [00:31:43]
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