So Loved John 3:16-18 How much do you love? How do you show it? What is the most outrageous thing you have ever done for love?

John 3 so loved 16 “For God so loved the world that… 16 ουτως γαρ ηγαπησεν ο Θεος τον κοσμον…. For so loved 16 For so loved God the world…

God took so much pleasure in the world that He demonstrated it by doing this… God loved in this way or in this manner Therefore, we can expect to see some outrageous thing God is going to do We might… Compare it to what we have done Or the things we heard others do

John 3 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…

God demonstrated his love by giving Not just something, but part of himself Jesus Christ The Messiah The perfect lamb The perfect sacrifice

That leaves the question, why? Why did God feel the need to give? What compelled him? Was it necessary? God gave because He loves us… And without His gift we would have no access to God

Think of all the people with which we are not able to connect Popular people Wealthy people Presidents

The Pearly Gates We can not even walk there and plead our case We don’t know how to get there Thomas was very aware of this problem

John 14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

God gave us, in Jesus, a new way There was the only option until then To perish, to die, go to sheol / hades A place of the dead without God Now in Christ there is a new option Have eternal life with God

16 “…whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. Jesus was not just saying that we must choose between heaven and hell He is saying that Hell was and is the default setting It is the only thing we can accomplish

What Jesus is really saying here is… Now, you are now able to choose everlasting life with Christ But it must be a choice that is made The default setting is still on “perish” And only we can change that setting

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The goal is to save people from their only option Condemnation requires no action Salvation and life requires an active choice

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Why does God care about our destiny? Because God is love God is compassion Therefore we can expect great things from God

Matthew 7 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

God has a perfect love for us His great gift of love is salvation Jesus gives us a way out of the burning fire, the punishment and the separation we deserve

We are God’s creation Only when we accept Jesus do we become his children As his children we are treated with love, grace, compassion and forgiveness God so loved that… God gave Jesus to save you and me