TEXT:
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.
INTRODUCTION:
A question which is asked by people of all nationalities and all races
is: Why does God love man. When one considers the vastness of our universe
and the fact that God created all of it, we find it difficult to understand
why One so boundless and so powerful would care about us. When we
read of God's love in John 3:16 it overwhelms us. We wonder why God would
love a world so small in comparison to the vast universe. We especially
wonder why He would love such a world when it is in revolt against Him.
Why does God so love the world? Why does God love me? Why does
God love you?
I. GOD LOVES YOU BECAUSE
YOU ARE HIS
CREATION!
A. DOES A MOTHER FORGET HER BABY?
Isa 49:15-16
15 "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no
compassion on the child she has borne? Though she
may forget,
I will not forget you!
16 See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your
walls are ever before me. (NIV)
1. God loves you the same way that a mother loves her baby.
2. You are His creation.
3. He loves you because He created you!
B. PEOPLE ARE A SPECIAL CREATION OF GOD
1. Although we do not know the method God used to create man,
we
do know that man did not
just happen.
2. Genesis 2:7 says, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust
of
the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul."
II. GOD LOVES YOU BECAUSE
HE
WANTS YOU TO KNOW HIM!
A. MAN IS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT GOD
1. Man yearns to have a personal relationship with God.
2. Frued recognized this and attempted to use it as a fallacious
proof
that God doesn't exist.
3. Frued claimed that all men wanted God to exist, therefore
the
existence of God must be
something which man has fabricated
to fill that void.
4. Actually, man's yearning serves to prove the existence of
God.
5. It only makes sense that a God who wanted man to love Him
would
place an inner desire within
His creation which would cause man to
seek after God.
B. GOD LOVED YOU EVEN WHEN YOU OPPOSED HIM
Rom 5:6-11
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due
time Christ died for
the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die:
yet peradventure for a
good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,
while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood,
we shall be saved
from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled
to God by the
death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we
shall be saved by
his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through
our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
(KJV)
C. GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW HIM
1. To know him through Jesus Christ.
Jesus said in John 14:9
"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father"
2. To know him through a study of the Bible - God's message
to man
Matt 4:4 "...every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
3. To know him through observing nature.
Ps. 19:1 The heavens declare
the glory of God; and the firmament
sheweth his handiwork.
III. GOD LOVES YOU BECAUSE
YOU NEED HIM!
A. YOU NEED GOD TO REDEEM YOU FROM SIN
1. Redemption is the work of God through his Son (1Peter 1:18-19).
2. Your redemption cost God his Son (John 3:16).
3. Your redemption cost Jesus Christ his love (Mark 10:45).
4. Your redemption cost others their prayers, their time, and
sometimes their
lives (2Cor. 5:18-20).
B. YOU NEED GOD TO HELP YOU LIVE FOR HIM
1. Most wish to live for God because of what God has done for
them
I Jn 4:19 We love him, because
he first loved us. (KJV)
2. God gives help for growing in spiritual knowledge.
2 Pet 3:18 But grow in grace,
and in the knowledge of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and for
ever.(KJV)
3. God gives help for effective Christian service.
Phil 4:13 "I can do all
things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
4. God gives help for overcoming temptations.
1 Cor 10:13 There hath no
temptation taken you but such as is
common to man: but
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
tempted above that
ye are able; but will with the temptation also
make a way to escape,
that ye may be able to bear it.
5. God gives help for knowing and following his will.
Rom 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable
service.
2 And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God.
6. God gives help for loving others.
1Thes 3:12 And the Lord
make you to increase and abound in
love one toward another,
and toward all men, even as we do
toward you: (KJV)
7. God gives help for meeting life's needs
Phil 4:19 But my God
shall supply all your need according to his
riches in glory by
Christ Jesus. (KJV)
Conclusion:
1. You may never totally understand why God loves you.
2. Nevertheless, where would you be if He hadn't loved you?
3. How long has it been since you expressed your gratitude and
Thanksgiving to God for
his love?