" The world-wideness of God's love " -- John 3:1-17 -- Rev. John W. Armstrong

Sermon notes:

 

The world-wideness of God’s love  (John 3:1-17)

I.     “The Light shines in the darkness” (John 1:5).

 

A.  Darkness is the result of one man’s sin (v.6a; Genesis 3:6b; Romans 5:19a).

B.  In John’s Gospel, darkness/night is synonymous with ignorance and               opposition to God (v.2; John 9:4; 11:10; 13:30).

1.  Only when the Light arrives is the darkness exposed as darkness. 

2.  Evil is aware of its own shame. Therefore, it loves darkness and does not want to be exposed (Genesis 3:7-8; John 3:19-20).  

C.  Even the most spiritually privileged people on earth (i.e. Israel) are ___________ and __________________ (v.10; Matthew 10:6; John 8:40; 11:45-53).

D.  Even the world’s most privileged people need, not reform, but ______________ (vv.5-7)!

 

II.    “and the darkness is passing away” (1 John 2:8).

 

A.  God hated both sin and its result, darkness, but God loved the world, and so He resolved to deal with sin through the revelation of His love: “agape” (ah-GAH-pay; v.16).

B.  “Agape” is more than a feeling (v.16a).

1.  It is a ____________________ that expressed itself in action at the cross (v.16b).

2.  It is not passive, it is _________________ (vv.16c, 17).

3.  It did not depend on how ________________ the object of love is; it acted in the interest of its object (i.e. the world).

4.  All the world’s __________ could not deter it (Romans 5:8).

C.  Through ______________ the love of God reached the world of men.  It was released into the world by His death.

D.  It signals a new relationship of God to man, and of _________________ (Luke 7:47-48; Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:17).