December 2007 Advent Series – “Why Christ Came: Love”
John 3:16-21
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – December 16, 2007

Prayer Introduction: During the Sundays of Advent we are looking at 4 reasons – corresponding to the 4 candles in the Advent wreath – Why Christ Came: Hope, Peace, Love and Joy.

So far we have seen that Christ came not to bring us hope, but to be our hope. And with three deaths in our church in the last two weeks – resurrection hope in Christ has been incredibly applicable.

Last week we looked at the peace-making activity of God – distinct from fallen humanity’s peace-faking and peace breaking – for God sent his Son, so that we who were once His enemy could be reconciled and made His children.

This morning we remember this good news, with the most well-known verse of the Bible – which so clearly states the good news of the gospel – John 3:16; and see Why Christ Came: Love. Let us pray…We pray now for the preacher in the pulpit. He is not worthy, but by your grace he is able. And so it is through Jesus Christ that we pray – Amen!

READ John 3:16-21: From these verses I would have you see the “So” – and the “So What.”

I. “So”

Have you ever noticed how pastors can take the most simple passage and make it more complicated?

            Most people would say that when John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world…” meaning, “God loved the world SO MUCH – that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

But there is another possibility. Perhaps God so love the world means “God loved the world LIKE SO” – that is, in this way? As though the verse said, “This is how God loved the world: he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

            Two possibilities: God loved the world so much – a statement of the quantity of God’s love; or God loved the world like so – a statement of the quality of God’s love.

            The fact is that both statements are true. God loved the world so much that he was willing to sacrifice His Son; and this is how God loved the world – he sacrificed His Son.

            As Romans 5:8 says – “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

            The quantity of God’s love and the quality of God’s love is at the heart of every verse of the Bible (some are just easier to understand); and so God’s love is at the heart of every sermon.

The Gospel

If you have missed it, let me summarize 7 ½ years worth of preaching in 60 seconds (Lord, cause hearts and souls to pay careful attention). It is in four parts: (1) God created us to live in His love, to glorify and enjoy Him – forever. (2) However, sin entered into the world after God created it good, bringing ruin to God’s perfect creation. The fall of mankind started with Adam & Eve and extends to you & me. Our sin is rebellion against God, making us His enemy. Sin brings us into the world spiritually dead, putting us into a condition of misery. Because we don’t know God’s love, we don’t glorify and enjoy Him. (3) But God, in his great mercy, did not leave us in this condition; instead he sent Jesus Christ – His only begotten Son – who lived the perfect life we failed to live. By His death and resurrection, He has taken the punishment for all of our sins and given us the credit for all of his righteousness, so that we are declared perfect in God’s eyes. (4) O God, that is such good news that I don’t just want to hear it – I desire to respond to it. I want to repent of all my sin, trust Jesus as my Savior and surrender my whole life to Him as my Lord. Let the power of the Holy Spirit work within me, to make me righteous – to love you and my neighbor. Change me, from the inside out, so that I can live in your love – to glorify and enjoy you forever as you created me to do.

Did you hear all 4 parts, or did you only catch the first one – and fall into the trap of secularism [“God created everything good, and we all believe in the same creator God…”]

Or did you hear only the first 2 parts – and fall into the trap of condemnation [“I am a sinner. I am guilty. There is no hope. I will never be able to get better. I keep trying and trying, but forget it…”]

Or did you hear only the first 3 parts – and fall into the trap of carnality [“Jesus was born at Christmas and rose at Easter; I can worship God on my own as well as I can with the church. I’m going to heaven, guaranteed; I can do whatever I want. I am forgiven, so I can sin all I want now.”]

Or did you hear all 4 parts – and see Christ changing your heart, your life [“Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me, a wretched sinner. I am so unworthy; thank you, Jesus. Make me like you, Jesus. I can’t wait for heaven, start making me holy now (from the inside out) so I can enjoy being with you right now.”]

II. “So What?!”

And so I would have you see the So What of John 3:16. God so loved the world that Christ came. But did God go through all that effort – did Christ suffer – just so we would put up trees and lights and sing a few songs? Did Christ come just so we would have a future reward – or is there a difference that Christ makes in our lives right now?

            First, we must ask God to crucify, with Christ, the worldly desires that keep us from making Jesus our heart’s desire. This goes back to New Year’s resolutions – the areas of our life that need to change. How do we keep our resolutions?

(1) By realizing that we cannot do it alone: We need Christ, and we need an accountability partner, who will pray for us and pray with us – walking with us to the cross of Christ.

(2) Those prayers must focus on the person and work of Christ. Remind each other that Jesus is supreme above all things, including the angels. Remind each other, continually, that the cross is where we are forgiven and accepted by God.

            Secondly, we must ask God to show us the reason why we desire the things of this world, rather than desiring Him. Our desires are the ways in which we cope with the guilt and misery of this life. We turn to things like alcohol, cigarettes, food, TV, money, video games, entertainment – and busyness – in order to cope – to forget for a few moments – the guilt and misery that is weighing us down.

            Listen closely. Jesus did not come to bring you comfort; nor did he come to make you comfortable. Jesus came TO BE your comfort. The Apostle Paul begins his second letter to the Corinthian Church, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

            God, through Jesus Christ, brings us comfort by being our comfort. Release your guilt into God’s grace. Release your misery into His sovereign hands. Look beyond the circumstances of your life. You have to pay some attention to life; but pay more careful attention to Christ.

            Life’s circumstances will give you ups and downs that are mostly out of your control. Stop turning to the things of the world to cope. Find your hope in Christ.

            You are a sinner, but Christ came to set you free from guilt and shame – and from the power of sin. Stop turning to the things of the world to cope. Find your hope in Christ.

            Instead of simply praying, “Lord help me to stop smoking,” pray, “Lord help me want more of you.” Make Jesus your heart’s desire. Only in Christ can we be set free to live in joyful obedience, by making Him our heart’s desire. Let him set you free from the guilt and misery that sets you drifting away to worldly desires.

            There was a great deal of suffering that took place when a man came home to his children and found that his wife had left him. Days went by and the phone rang. The voice on the other end simply asked, “How are the children?” Her husband angrily said, “Where in the world are you?! Come home, now!” And she asked again, “How are the children?” And the man said, “Well if you mean did they eat – well yes, I made them some dinner. If you mean are they sleeping – well yes they are in bed right now; but you need to come home.” The phone clicked as she hung up.

            Three days later she called again simply asked, “How are the children?” Over those days, his mood had changed significantly and he said, “Well your parents come over during the day to help out, and I’m doing the best I can at night; but we love you – I love you. When are you coming home?” Again the phone clicked as she hung up.

            And every three days or so, she would call and the conversations would go the same way. She would ask about the children and he would say that he loved her, and she would hang up.

After about 5 weeks the man took all of the family savings and hired a private detective to find her. It didn’t take long. His in-laws gave him some money and he got on a plane and flew out to the place where she was.

And if you had been there when he arrived at the moth-ridden flea infested dirty motel that she was at you would have seen the tears in his eyes. And you would have seen his hand shake as he knocked on the door. The door opened and she was there. The speech that he had prepared suddenly flew out the window and he said, “I love you, please come home.” And she fell apart in his arms.

They came home together and the family was reunited. Later on he said, “I have to ask you, why didn’t you come home when I said that I loved you on the phone.” To which she replied saying, “They were only words until you came to me.” (Illustration by Steve Brown).

Christ has come to us so that we might come to him. God has so loved us that we might so love him and so love our neighbor.

Our fallen condition pursues self-serving love. Only through the sacrificial love of Christ can we love sacrificially.

May we love God and love our neighbor in response to God’s love for us. After all: that’s why Christ came.

MAY THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE – AMEN!