“JOHN 3:16 #1-GOD’S STANDARD” - Sermon Outlines. Org
“JOHN 3:16 #1-GOD’S STANDARD”
JOHN 2:23-3:16
INTRO: In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in.
A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in
and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to
sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you
wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to
sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the
corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there, of a night.
Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay." The policeman
looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that
big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the
door you just say John 3:16 and they will let you in." So he did, he
walked up the steps to the door, and knocked on the door and a lady
answered. He looked up and said, "John 3:16." The lady said "Come
on in, Son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom
rocker in front of a great big old fireplace and she went off. He sat
there for a while, and thought to himself "John 3:16....I don't
understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm." Later she came
back and asked him "Are you hungry?" He said, "Well, just a little. I
haven't eaten in a couple of days and I guess I could stand a little bit
of food." The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table
full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more.
Then he thought to himself "John 3:16... Boy, I sure don't understand
it, but it sure makes a hungry boy full." She took him upstairs to a
bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water and he sat there
and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself, "John
3:16... I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean.
You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only
bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant
as they flushed it out." The lady came in and got him, and took him to
a room and tucked him into a big old feather bed and pulled the
covers up around his neck and kissed him goodnight and turned out
the lights. As he laid in the darkness and looked out the window at
the snow coming down on that cold night he thought to himself,
"John 3:16... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a tired boy
rested." The next morning she came back up and took him down
again to that same big table full of food. After he ate she took him
back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace
and she took a big old Bible and sat down in front of him and she
looked up at and she asked, "Do you understand John 3:16?" He said,
"No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when
the policeman told me to use it." She opened the Bible to John 3:16 ,
and she began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there in front of
that big old fireplace he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there
and thought, "John 3:16. I don't understand it, but it but it sure
makes a lost boy feel safe." You know, I have to confess I don't
understand it either, how God would be willing to send His Son to die
for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't
understand it either, but it sure does make life worth living. --author-
Robert Bentson ()
John 3:16 is the most well known verse in the Bible. This verse is
taught to us as children in Sunday School, VBS, and heard at
revivals, evangelistic meetings, and at altar calls. But the import of
this simple verse goes much deeper than a verse we memorize and
recite. It tells us of a loving God who loves not just masses but men.
Not just groups of people but each person individually.
John 3:16 gives us GOD’S STANDARD concerning His love and plan
for each and every man, woman, boy, and girl. If a person desires to
to Heaven when they leave this life they must follow GOD’S
STANDARD. There is no other way (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). I want
us to consider today, as begin a new series on John 3:16, GOD’S
STANDARD. Let us note three things…
(1) THE COMING OF THE MAN
JOHN 3:1-2—“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a
ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”
A. NICODEMUS WAS ON A QUEST. He was on a search for truth. He had to
know the truth for himself. According to the dictionary the word quest
means “the act of seeking or looking for something; a search.” (Funk &
Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary. Volume 2, N-Z. p. 543).
1. HE WANTED TO SEE JESUS. In John 2:23 it gives us the setting of the
passage before us. Jesus was in Jerusalem during the feast of Passover.
Jesus was performing miracles and many were trusting in Him. Nicodemus
was looking for Christ as he studied in the scrolls he was reading.
Nicodemus had heard about Jesus works. He had heard stories that had
been circulated about the miracles Jesus was performing. But Nicodemus
wanted to hear the truth for himself.
2. HE WANTED TO SPEAK WITH JESUS. Nicodemus came to Jesus and
said, “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can
do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” Nicodemus was
a highly educated man and he realized there was something very unique
about Jesus.
B. NICODEMUS HAD QUESTIONS. Many questions raced through
Nicodemus’ mind as he stood face to face with Jesus. His first question
naturally was, “Jesus, how do you do the miracles you do?” And his second
was, “Jesus, How do I reach Heaven?”
1. HE WAS CONFUSED. Nicodemus just could not understand how and why
a person must be born again. Nicodemus saw himself as a good person.
With his works and efforts he was trying to reach Heaven. Max Lucado
says, “Nicodemus inhabits a land of good efforts, sincere gestures, and
hard work.” Nicodemus stated that Jesus was good and God is working
through Him. But Nicodemus needed to understand that man’s goodness
isn’t good enough. There is no one deed of man that will ever be good
enough (Romans 3:10, 23).
2. HE WAS CONCERNED. Nicodemus wanted to learn what he could do to
gain entrance into Heaven or make sure he had secured a place there
already. But Jesus’ response shows that no matter how good the works,
thoughts, or actions Nicodemus falls short of earning his way to Heaven.
Works will never get us to where God wants us to be (Romans 2:16;
Ephesians 2:8-9). Nicodemus asks the question every person wants to
know, “How is it possible to be born again?”
We have seen THE COMING OF THE MAN but let us also consider…
(2) THE CONVERSATION WITH THE MASTER
JOHN 3:3-8; 16-18
*This conversation with Jesus included two key points:
A. MAN MUST BE BORN AGAIN (vv. 3-8). Nicodemus needed to grasp that
no matter how good he lived, no matter how perfectly he kept the law he
still was short of God’s perfection. Jesus wanted Nicodemus to understand
that it requires God and God alone to get to Heaven. Our first birth is an
act of God and the second birth is an act of God as well. When Nicodemus
asked how it was possible to be born again he was thinking of the natural
birth not the spiritual birth. Jesus told Nicodemus emphatically that the
spiritual birth is necessary to gain entrance into Heaven.
B. MAN MUST BELIEVE (vv. 16-18). Faith and forgiveness go together.
Jesus said, “…Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.” The word believeth is an interesting word. It is translated
from a Greek word that means “to entrust, to commit.” When a person
believes in Jesus they are entrusting their future to Him. When a person
believes in Jesus they are committing their life to Him.
(3) THE CROSS AND ITS MAJESTY
JOHN 3:9-16
A. THE CROSS BRIDGES THE GAP. Paul wrote in Galatians 6:14—“But God
forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” The cross is
precious to every believer because it was at the cross that Jesus bore our
sins and secured our redemption. Friends, it is sin that separated us from
God (Isaiah 59:1-2).
Jesus said in John 3:3—“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God.” The great gulf of sin can only be bridged by the cross.
John 3:3 is “the Continental Divide of Scripture, the International Date
Line of Faith.” It is vital we understand what Jesus is teaching because it
defines what side of the divide we are standing on. Standing on one side
we see Nicodemus and on the other side is Jesus. Nicodemus’ side is one
of man’s wisdom, will, and way. Jesus’ side is the way of grace. Jesus
said to cross the divide you must be born again. You must go the way of
grace-the way of the cross.
B. THE CROSS SHOWS US THE BOUNTY OF GRACE. Nicodemus asks,
“How can these things be?” Friends, we are separated from Jesus by the
great gulf of sin and until we come to the end of our wisdom, will, and way
we cannot understand nor see our separation. A person must realize they
are lost before they can be saved.
The cross shows us Jesus with His arms outstretched for us. By grace
through faith we are born again and enter onto His side of the divide. There
is no earthly bridge that will gap the divide—no matter what we do, no
matter what we bring, no matter what rule we follow we cannot cross the
divide. If we want to know how to cross then we must listen to the ONE and
ONLY who crossed and knows the way!
CLOSING: Friends, the new birth begins at the cross. The cross shows us the
great depth of the love of God for us!
PREPARED BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING, PASTOR OF BEECHMONT BAPTIST CHURCH, BEECHMONT, KY FOR SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 11, 2007.
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