The Gospel of John Chapter 3 Part Two
This is what I want you to take home today.
1. Welcome the Light
In our study of the Gospel of John we have learned that John has created an
account of Jesus that we might believe in Him and then as believers live as
fully devoted followers of Christ.
So there are two things going on,
John is presenting what he considers the pertinent information about Jesus
that you can come to an intellectual understanding of who Jesus is and
what Jesus has done for you.
And John is revealing what is expected of those who desire to be saved.
I’ve encountered a misunderstanding about salvation in the Church.
It seems you can make a statement that is true,
But say it so often that it creates a misunderstanding
in the daily practice of your faith.
For instance, If I asked, if, for a show of hands of how many here are saved?
I am sure there would be a majority that would join me in raising a hand.
But salvation is a process.
When I testify to being saved, it sounds like its a done deal.
A one time transaction.
Now this can lead you astray.
In Germany Carol was doing a lot of street witnessing.
She entered into conversation with a peer who began to describe a life of
drugs, sex and crime and how miserable he was.
Carol said something to the effect that what he needed was to
get saved.
To which was replied—“Oh I got saved a long time ago.”
For this person being saved was a one time transaction,
I accepted Jesus a long time ago, close the book.
Do you see the disconnect?
As I explained last time,
There are three questions that need to be answered with a sincere yes that
assure you that you are in the salvation process that will lead you to
being saved in the end.
Do I believe intellectually that I am a follower of Jesus?
Do I feel emotionally that I am a follower of Jesus?
Do I see the results of being a follower of Jesus?
Salvation is a dynamic process,
Salvation is walking with the light.
You are saved as you walk with the light
Roll Video.
John 3:16-21 (MSG)
"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. 17 God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. 18 Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. 19 "This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. 20 Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. 21 But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is."
Here’s some more good news about God and His relationship to humanity.
Jesus hasn’t come to condemn you.
In fact because of the incredible transforming power of the grace of
God,
not a single soul needs to stay estranged from a right relationship with God.
A right relationship with God means you come to know God,
To know God is to partake in eternal life.
Too many people come to church to confirm just how bad they are.
A preacher is taught to first tell you the bad news,
You a sinner going to a devil’s hell
Then a preacher is to tell you the good news
Jesus came to save sinners.
Then a preacher is to challenge you.
Turn or burn baby.
Get right or get left.
You can be a saint or a crispy critter,
Your choice.
In this process we all too often get caught up in how bad we are.
Hasn’t the world laid enough of that on you?
Haven’t you been convinced by people who where supposed to love you but
didn’t,
people who made promises but broke them,
people who where supposed to stay, but left.
How many times do you need to get picked last for basketball,
Get a crummy grade in class,
Or get passed over for promotion,
Until that message sinks in:
I’m bad.
Well, I hate to tell you this, its true.
You are bad.
You are a sinner.
There’s been bad things happen to you
You’ve done some bad things too.
But according to the scripture,
This is a wake up call.
That’s all it is.
John 3:17 (MSG)
God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.
Jesus came to help put you right again.
Let’s do another quick review of the sin predicament we find ourselves in.
First a working definition of sin is anything that deters, damages or destroys
right relationships.
Because of the rebellion in the Garden all humanity is estranged from a right
relationship with God.
What is commonly called original sin is estrangement from
righteousness.
Estrangement is part of the sin predicament.
We are wired to worship.
Estranged from God we default to self-worship.
The apostle Paul calls it the sin nature.
We’ve called it egoism.
The self-centered on the self,
Inappropriate self love,
Self deification, self worship.
Estrangement and egoism are part of the sin predicament.
Finally because of our estrangement and egoism we do things that hurt
others, things that deter, damage and destroy relationships.
When people talk about sins, this is what they usually are
speaking about.
The bad stuff, they’ve done, or
Not doing the good stuff they could have.
Are you right?
Take a look at relationships.
Right with God, Right with self, Right with others, all others,
Right with the material goods of this world?
IF not then you’re your in big time trouble.
All that pain in your life is warning you to change before you can’t.
John 3:17-18 (MSG)
He came to help, to put the world right again. 18 Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
You’re guilty, shame on you.
But those who trust are acquitted.
Acquitted means to be declared free and clear.
The charges against you are dropped.
You are no longer going to be prosecuted for being bad.
When King Richard returned from the Crusades Robin of Loxley,
Robin Hood was acquitted.
Most everyone who reads the story is happy with that ending.
All the charges for theft, sedition, treason, murder are
Dropped.
Robin is acquitted.
But let’s throw a twist into the tale.
How would you feel if the King also acquitted Prince John,
The Sherriff of Nottingham, and Sir Guy of Gisborn
along with Robin?
The bad guys get acquitted too—that’s not justice!
Let me ask you this.
King Richard pardons Robin.
Now does Robin go back to a life of crime?
No, of course not. He’s a good person.
What if I told you the King acquits the bad guys on the condition that
they change too?
They stop being bad guys,
Extorting, taxing, bullying, torturing,
and become true servants of the people.
Well that’s pretty much how I understand the phrase
“Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted”
You may recall another translation of the this scripture that reads
something to the effect that
“anyone who believes in him will be saved”
The idea is the same.
Trusts or believes refer to on going action.
It’s not a one time deal.
Trusts or believes continues on daily, moment by moment.
Trusts or believes infers that you are a follower of Jesus, a disciple.
Trust or believes infers that you are involved in discipleship.
Learning to be like Jesus.
Doing the things that Jesus did.
And not just when there’s a good pay day involved.
But all the time.
Especially when its hard.
Especially when you have to change.
Especially when you have to make a stand.
Trusts or believes reveals the intent of your heart,
What truly is motivating you?
Where your loyalties lie.
John 3:19-20 (MSG)
"This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure.
The darkness is the spiritual code word for everything that is opposed to the
Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is where people are obedient to God’s will.
The Kingdom of God is first within you.
It is the desire of your heart to do His will,
The will of the one who acquitted you.
When a person refuses to love God, they are said to be in darkness.
Everyone who makes a practice of evil is the person who knows what God desires
yet refuses to do it.
We all ere.
Our intent to love God with our all may be perfect,
But on occasion our practice of our desire
will fall short of this lofty goal.
That’s different than the situation where one makes a practice of evil.
The one who practices evil says in his or her heart,
Not God’s way, my way.
We try to practice evil in isolation, away from others who would call us into
account for our actions.
We try to hide in the darkness.
John 3:21 (MSG)
But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is."
God light illuminates.
Ever try to paint in the evening or at night?
I’ve done it once or twice.
The sun goes down and you continue to paint.
You might even break out a 100 watt bulb but for me it
never fails.
As soon as the sun comes up—not as good as I thought it was.
My work looked great in the dark.
But when it was illuminated,
The flaws stood out in accusation of
craftsmanship.
I’ve got a couple of choices.
I can darken the room so no one can see my lousy paint job.
Try to hide what I’ve done.
I can just give up in frustration anger, shame or embarrassment viewing
what I’ve done as who I am.
I quit cause I am no painter.
I can welcome the light for showing me I still need to work on this project.
I missed the mark here but now I can see and touch it up.
In discipleship,
That trusting or believing in Jesus.
We mess up from time to time.
Where we are not right God’s light, illuminates our short
comings.
We see where we’ve messed up.
We see our short cuts have made a mess.
We see we really need to get some help to show us
how this job is to be done.
God’s light doesn’t condemn us, it helps to put us right.
We see what needs to be changed.
Once we see what needs to be changed,
When we ask God for help,
He brings the resources into our lives
To put things right.
Here’s your take away—
Welcome the light.
Oh it exposes all kinds of flaws and failures,
But the light comes with an opportunity to put it right.
Jesus is God,
Jesus chose you,
Do Whatever He Says,
Clean House,
Be in the Kingdom,
Welcome the Light.