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good evening everyone turn in your Bibles with me for our call to worship please to the book of Romans Romans chapter five the Romans 5 beginning in verse 1 Paul writing of course to those who are at Rome beloved of God called to be Saints Romans 5 beginning in verse 1 therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God and not only that but we also glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance character and character hope now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us for when we were still without strength in due time christ died for the ungodly for scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die but God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us much more than having now been justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son much more having been reconciled we shall be saved by his life and not only that but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we now we have now received the reconciliation amen let's stand together and sing our hymn is 315 if you'll stand with me and sing in the larger hymn books him 315 you [Music] Oh [Music] you [Music] be seated let us go to our God in prayer let us pray Heavenly Father we rejoice now the second time that we can gather together in this place to worship Father Son and Holy Spirit we thank you for this blessed opportunity and we pray that you would help us yet again to count it a high honor to gather in the name of the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ in this place that we can gather freely that we can gather with full Bibles in our hands and that we can worship our blessed God we do pray that you would help us tonight to hello your name that we would sing your praises and that our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ would be exalted upon the praises of this small assembly we thank you for the gospel of Jesus Christ we rejoice in the perfection of his saving work we thank you that you did send him into this world sinners to save and we rejoice in his perfect life his substitution aerie death his glorious resurrection the blessing of our ascended Christ who now sits at your right hand who ever lives to make intercession for his people we rejoice in that blessed and simple truth that all who look to him in saving faith will have everlasting life we rejoice in all of those blessings of salvation that you pour out upon us and we know that from first to last midst and throughout salvation is of a triune God who saves without a helper and we do rejoice in you Father Son and spirit we pray that our worship this evening would come to you except ibly through Jesus Christ our mediator and we pray that the praises of this gathered assembly would buy the the mediation of Christ come to you as a as a sweet-smelling aroma we pray Lord God that you would bless us and cause our spirits to be aroused unto proper worship that we would cast off thoughts any any thoughts that might intrude and anything that might hinder proper worship we pray and by your power and for your glory you would cast those things away and that we might be solely focused in this place on your worship we pray Lord God that you would be with those unable to join us those who are a sick those who are traveling Lord that you'd watch over your dear ones all those who are afflicted with injury and illness and disease that you attend to their bodies we know Lord God that you are the the great physician who can heal your Saints and we do pray that you do much for those who are afflicted with physical things just help them heal them and in the midst of their suffering in the midst of their pains and discomforts Lord we do pray that you would cause them to bless the name of their God and find comfort in the risen Christ we do pray that you would as well strengthen any and all who are struggling spiritually spiritually Lord we would ask that you would just tend to the inner man and strengthen them in spirit we pray that you would restore them to those places of reflecting with great joy upon their salvation and being found in Christ and we just pray that you would restore your wayward sons Lord God and just cause each and every one of your blessed ones to rejoice in the Savior and find in him all their spiritual blessings we would ask God that you'd be again with those around the world who are in nations where there is much persecution we long Lord God to see our brothers and sisters in Christ freed from the tyranny of a those who oppressed them whether government or whether their own the own their own citizens we would pray Lord God that you would strengthen our dear ones around the world who because of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are are visited with daily persecution we just pray that you would help them that you would strengthen them in the midst of these hardships we pray Lord God that you would give them that endurance that strength that Grace and strength of faith to endure in the face of their enemies that they might lay hold of the hope of their calling without wavering with great faith Lord God that you would just be near to them and comfort them we would ask again that you would deal with those who persecute our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ we would ask that you would save many who are now presently your enemies those who likes also many years ago are seeking to to persecute the Church of Christ we do pray that you bring forth many from deadness and sin to life and light in Christ Jesus the Lord and again Lord those who remain in opposition those who would remain and rejecting the risen Christ and persecuting your people we pray that you would bring judgment upon them that you would cause them to stumble like drunken men that they may no longer bring oppression and violence and persecution upon your people we pray that you would be with those who govern over us that you would cause them to do so in righteousness and equity and justice and that you would remove from power those who seek to propagate wickedness in our lands we would pray father that you'd be with us as we observe the lord's supper tonight we thank you that we have this ordinance this remembrance of Christ and this sacrament whereby we are fed spiritually by our risen Christ we do pray that you would help us to observe it with great solemnity and with great joy and we thank you Lord God for this blessed feast that you said before your people and might we engage in it with great care and with great joy and Lord God we pray that a the risen Christ by his Spirit would feed his people this night that we might be strengthened in our faith we might go into this upcoming week to live for your glory say we would ask God that you be with us then as we continue now in worship we pray for pastor Butler as he preaches again help him to know strengthen this pulpit help him to to know that aid that comes only from on high by Father Son and Holy Spirit we pray that you would give him much in this pulpit that he would know a confidence and precision in speech and thought and Lord God that your word just simply would be proclaimed tonight and that the spirit would make known his will unto his church we do pray Lord God that you'd bless us assembled that your Saints here would be strengthened and nourished and by the proclaimed word and by the exercise of worship and we would ask Lord God that sinners tonight in this place would be saved by your amazing and victorious Bray's that those who enter these doors outside of Christ would leave in Christ singing the praises of his most holy name and we pray all these things for your glory sake and in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior amen let's stand and sing again our last him before the preaching it'll be 129 in the same hymn books that's him 129 [Music] you [Music] you [Music] please turn in your Bibles to John chapter 3 John chapter 3 our focus this evening will be on John three sixteen i do want to read the section John three verses 10 to 21 and this is the discourse or 11 to 21 the discourse of our Lord Jesus Christ concerning God's salvation so beginning in verse 11 most assuredly I say to you we speak what we know and testify what we have seen and you do not receive our witness if I have told you earth earthly things and you do not believe how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things no one has ascended to heaven but he who came down from heaven that is the son of man who is in heaven and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved he who believes in Him is not condemned but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God and this is the condemnation that the light has come into the world and Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil for everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed but he who does the truth comes to the light that his deeds may be clearly seen that they have been done in God amen let us pray father in heaven we thank you for this lord's day we thank you for the Blessed privilege that is ours to come out of the world and into the presence of the triune God into the presence of the saints of God it is a dear and wonderful blessing gather with your people into sing your praises it is a joyful time Lord God to worship the one who has saved us the one who has redeemed us from hell and damnation from perishing who has given us eternal life we would ask now that the Holy Spirit would guide our hearts and our minds and our understanding that we would consider this subject in many respects we can only touch the surface of even the love of God truly that love is amazing and we would pray father that you would give us just a glimpse of it tonight we know and have experienced it because you have dealt with us in such grace and mercy we would ask that the spirit would help us to consider these things we pray again that you would forgive us for all of our sins and all of our unrighteousness that you would grant us help and grace and strength and we pray through Christ our Lord amen well as we saw this morning in verses 1 to 10 Jesus discourse with Nicodemus he ma he taught that a man must be born again or he cannot see the kingdom of God regeneration is that work of God wherein he makes us alive it's a new birth of birth from above a birth from God and this does precede saving faith and the trajectory in this section shows us that Christ deals first with regeneration he highlights the necessity or the efficacy of faith in the cross of our Lord Jesus he manifests the love of God and then the condemnation for those who continue to rebel and reject against our God Most High so as we look at verse 16 it's a very famous verse verse I hope that you all committed to memory long long ago it is a simple statement but as I mentioned it's a very difficult statement and certainly not qualified to speak on the love of God when we consider the perfections of God or the attributes of God in John's Gospel are in John's first epistle he says god is love you need to ponder that reality we love but it's not the case that we are loved God is his attributes and it's a very wonderful thing to consider as I suggest we ought to look at verse 16 and at least try to glean some appreciation for the great love that our God has for us and I just want to look at the verse and make four observations that kind of run along with the verse in the first place I want to look at the cross manifests God's immeasurable love secondly the cross displays God's gracious gift thirdly the cross held the object of man's belief and fourthly the cross is the source of God's promised blessing but note in the first place it manifests God's immeasurable love remember that Jesus Christ is speaking in this particular section as I mentioned this morning this is as much the word of god as Leviticus 11 one is the word of God but it does help us to see our Lord statement our Lord's declaration concerning the great love of his father for sinners notice verse 16 for God so loved the world there is a close connection with the preceding in verses 14 and 15 Jesus describes explains and demonstrates what salvation by grace through faith in Christ looks like he gives this analogy of Moses in the wilderness in verse 14 as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up there was an instance and occasion in the wilderness when the people of God complained they grumbled they murmured numbers 21 and so God sent fiery serpents to bite that to bring punishment upon them for their sins committed against God and then the Lord God instructs Moses to make this brazen serpent to lift it up into the wilderness and all the look would live that is an app illustration or analogy to the work of Christ Christ has lifted up on the cross we look to him by faith or in faith and we live he then demonstrates or tells us very clearly in verse 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have ever so just as they looked and lived at the brazen serpent so sinners look and live at the Lord Jesus Christ verse 15 whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life now verse 16 essentially restates verse 15 but Jesus puts it in the context of God's love verse 15 is the bare fact whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life verse 16 begins with for this is explanatory this is a reason this is the context for the cross work of our Lord Jesus for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life the for indicates the reason of the explanation or we might say amplification of verse 15 and then as well note that little word for God so loved it's one of those blessed little words that I hope encourage our hearts I mean it would be enough for God to say I love you but for God to say I so love you it's like in our families you know you say that to a sibling or you say that I hope you say that to sibley you say that to a parent or to a child I love you but there's those occasions of those times we said I so love you it sort of underscores and it sort of brings it to bear upon the person with a fresh understanding and that's the use of the language here God so loved the world and that declarative statement itself is filled with the wondrous theology God so loved the world we ought to appreciate the target of his love as we consider this immeasurable love the sentiment is very similar to what the apostle paul says in romans 5 Kim read that at the outset of worship God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us what's the logic of the Apostle up to that particular point in verse 7 he says for scarcely a righteous man or for a righteous man one would scarcely get his life but God demonstrates his own love toward us and that while we were still sinners Christ died for us the love of God is seen in the object of his love and it's not because the the world is lovely it's not because the world is wondrous it's not because the world is good the stress in the passage is not to cause us to reflect upon the goodness of the world but on the glory of God's love and world here does not indicate every man without exception but most likely men without distinction Jew and Gentile you see this in John's Gospel I showed you an instance this morning in John 110 where the word cosmos or world is used in three different senses notice in John 4 at verse 42 the Samaritan say now we believe not because of what you said for we ourselves have heard him and we know that this is indeed the christ the savior of the world again he doesn't mean each and every human being in the world but he means Jews he means Gentiles he means Samaritans but we also ought to appreciate that while this text is not set forth universalism the idea that everybody everywhere will be saved there is a biblical doctrine of universalism not everybody will be saved but men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation from all over the globe from all over the earth our Lord Christ is the only Savior and thus he is the savior of the world back to John three sixteen the glory of God's love is not seen in the goodness of the objects of that love the world is not love because it is good the world is not love because it is numerous but because God is love there's a parallel in Deuteronomy 7 where the Lord says this to Old Covenant Israel I love the logic where I love the thought of the sentiment that is expressed in Deuteronomy 7 7 and 8 says Yahweh did not set his love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people for you were the least of all peoples but because the Lord loves you and because he would keep the oath which he swore to your father's do you see why God loves Israel because God loves Israel it's grew a grounded in and rooted in his covenant it's rooted in his faithfulness it's rooted in his promise but it's according to his good pleasure he sets his love upon Israel and he tells them I don't love you because you're more numerous I love you because I love you that's another wonderful way to express love to another human being now this text gives us a concrete illustration of God's love he's so loved that He gave His only begotten Son but there's those instances within family life when someone doesn't do something necessarily love worthy and you say you know I just love you why because you brought me a stake now because I love you that's a great argument and I love you because I love you it's what God says to Israel in the Old Covenant in Deuteronomy chapter 7 in the sentiment is somewhat similar here now world in this context is jew and gentile elect those who are predetermined by God to be safe that he sets his affection on according to his good pleasure but as I submit the glory of the statement is not on the loveliness of the world but on the love of God for a wretched world it's not because the world is love worthy but because God is love listen to Thomas Manton he said there was nothing in the object the world to move him to it you see most of the times we love something it's because it's lovely right we don't love that which is on lovely we are drawn to that which is lovely when you met your husband or you met your wife there were certain qualities or characteristics or attributes or hopefully you could call them perfections because you loved them so much that endeared you to that there was a loveliness about them that drew your heart out but the argument of our Lord Jesus Christ in the passage is not that the world is lovely and that drew God's love it's the exact opposite God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us manton says there was nothing in the object to move him to it when we were neither good nor just but wicked without risk back to any worth in us for we were all in a damnable estate he sent his son to die for us to rescue and free us from eternal death and to make us partakers of eternal life the stress in the text is not on the loveliness of the world the stress and the text is on the loveliness of God's love note secondly the cross displays God's gracious gift we see that for God so loved the world now Jesus flashes this out he gives a reason he gives a concrete application of this love for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son I think in this we see God's initiative don't we it isn't our worthiness or our lovely nest but it's God's initiative in salvation we see that all through the Bible Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15 after the fall of Adam into transgression the Lord says I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel another passage that is familiar around this time of the year is the prophet Isaiah Isaiah chapter 9 again it highlights the initiative of God 96 for unto us a child is born unto us a son is given that's God's initiative that's God's doing that's God undertaking on behalf of sinners God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son we ought to appreciate that God's immeasurable love is seen in the giving of his immeasurable or of his glorious son and then of course Galatians 4 in the fullness of the time God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law John 360 is in that stream of consistency God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son as well the grace is underscored here he gave man did in turn man didn't deserve John 19 and tan he says that Jesus came to his own his own received him not we rejected and we despised him we counted him as an altogether unlovely thing we do not deserve God's love it is by grace it is his initiative and this in many respects ought to cause us to worship all the more again if you love somebody because they're lovely that is a consistent response on the part of the lover but because God is love there's nothing lovely in the world nevertheless he sets his affection he sets his love upon us but as well as we consider that God displays his gracious gift on the cross we ought to consider that this is a further demonstration of God's love note what the text says again for God so loved the world that He gave what His only begotten Son God's immeasurable love is further demonstrated by the gracious the other gracious gifts dignity he is God's only begotten Son now this is a wondrous statement concerning God's love it's a wondrous statement concerning God's son John Gill describes this way no other than his son by nature when you read that language he's the only begotten Son it's a lot of literature out there today denying what has been historically called the eternal generation of the Sun the fact that Christ has eternally begotten of the Father God from God light from light true God from True God the doctrine is biblical the doctrine is historical the doctrine ought not to be jettisoned and this is what's in view here John Gill says no other than but then his own son by nature of the same essence perfections and glory with him be gotten by him in a way inconceivable and inexpressible by mortals and His only begotten one you see what I'm trying to submit is that the love of God is further demonstrated in the dignity of the one whom he gave he didn't you know reach down on the bench and go to the second to third string okay you know you angel that's really strong going back there trying to earn his keep here in heaven I want you to go down there and redeem the sons of men that's all what he did he didn't go to the second to the third string He gave His only begotten Son Manton says Jesus Christ is so called only begotten to distinguish him from the adopted children you see we are sons and daughters of God but we're not only begotten he says and to show his personal subsistence which is by way affiliation or being eternally begotten in the divine essence now notice what he says so great was our misery that no less remedy would serve the turn and so great God's mercy that he withheld him not from us the dignity of the Sun the one who is God's gracious gift further evidences and further highlights God's immeasurable love and when we read in the text that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son the giving I do not take in the first place as the sending of the Sun to the earth I think the giving their has the language of sacrifice I think the giving their has the language to Christ being delivered up yes by wicked man but according to the predetermined plan and counsel of God notice in acts 2 verse 23 beginning in verse 22 men of Israel hear these words Jesus of Nazareth a man attested by God to you by miracles wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst you as you yourselves also know Kim being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God you have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death the sending of the Sun is a glorious thing to be sure but the giving in the context of john 3 16 answers similarly analogously to the giving of the serpent in the wilderness just as the serpent is lifted up in the wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up God gave the son His only begotten Son in order to be lifted up to be delivered up to he given over as a sacrifice for his people notice in Romans chapter eight the same sort of language Romans chapter eight specifically at verse 32 he who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things you see the the judicial the substitutional substitution ery sacrificial language he who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things of Christ in John three sixteen as he highlights the fact that the father gave him to this world Christ knew precisely what was in his future there wasn't a fully developed doctrine of atonement in John's Gospel up until this point but there was always always a fully developed doctrine of atonement in the mind and heart of Christ he knew why he came he knew what it was doing what he was doing he knew what lay before him this is why he sets his face like a flame to go to Jerusalem this is why he says I must go I must be tried I must be crucified I must be raised up Christ knew that he came yes sent by the father on a mission of love but as well sent to be delivered up to the cross go back to the prophet Isaiah where this is illustrated further specifically Isaiah chapter 53 Isaiah 53 verse 10 yet it pleased the Lord this is Yahweh to bruise him this is the servant it pleased Yahweh to bruise him he has put him to grief when you make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand he shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied by his knowledge my righteous servant shall justify many for he shall bear their iniquities this giving of the Sun is a display of God's gracious gift the fact that he is the only begotten Son God from God light from light further identifies or highlights the immeasurable love of God for this world the fact that the world is not good the fact that the world is not numerous but the fact that the world stands in need of redemption all underscore the reality of what Christ says in John three sixteen for God so loved the world now before we move on to our third and fourth point is it ever the case that we ponder this I know what times as Christians we at times as Christians but let's face it we sent a lot don't we as Christians there's a lot of remaining corruption in our hearts I think that's why all of us probably like singing hymn number 400 Robert Robinson when he says prone to wander prone to leave the god I love I wonder the first time you sang that he said can we really admit this can we really say this I mean after all we're Christians right we're not supposed to wander we're not supposed to admit to what wandering we're not to you know to admit to being prone this to leave prone to leaving the God that we love well the consistent stream of good theology throughout the history of the church demonstrates that it's okay to sing that our confession of faith realizes recognizes highlights and demonstrates the ongoing ongoing warfare in the hearts of believers the apostle does this in Galatians 5 17 the flesh lusts against the spirit the spirit lusts against the flesh these two are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you want the idea of being is that the spirit in you does restrain you from being as wicked as you could possibly be the idea being that the remaining corruption and you does somehow affect you in such a way that you're never as Holy as you would hope to be on this side of glory these two are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you want Paul the Apostle in Romans chapter 7 describes this battle this turmoil and we all face it don't we I mean let's embrace Robert Robinsons him let's embrace the chapters in our confession on sanctification and assurance and those chapters that the speak and highlight the reality that the best of believers at times are just struggling piles of you know problems the Brethren in those instances and in those times and in those seasons what is it easy for us to dwell on God's mad at me I know that's what I do and we ought not to minimize or remove from our lives the content a context of a chase earning father Chenault do you think do you think God's love changes for us we're like that aren't we if you're doing the things that I want you to do hey we're good the moment you don't do the things that I want you to do we're not so good anymore this is one of the glorious things about the doctrine of divine impossibility remember you heard that word a lot I don't know 2014 13 back way back then many years ago what is divine impossibility highlight he's most loving realize with God his perfections do not increase nor do they diminish God is always God and yes while we are in the midst of rebellion against God we ought to ponder the reality that we have a chase inning father but perhaps at times we ought to ponder the reality that we have a loving father was it Peyton I think it was john g Peyton was he the brother that kept the picture of his father in his wallet I don't know if it was him that did that I know his father made a great impression on his life in terms of how he would live his life but there's another man somewhere in the annals of history they kept a picture of his father in his wallet and whenever he was going to do something foolish he take out his wallet he would look at that picture and he would think to himself I never ever want to grieve a man that I love so much as this and a man who loves me so much as he loves me brethren it's good to consider the chase earning hand of god it's good to understand conviction for sin it's good not to resist the spirit of the Living God when he / when brings that conviction upon us but in the midst of those seasons ought we not to ponder the reality that God's love changes not now I doubt in the heart of a truly blood-bought child of God that will promote sin I doubt that that's going to promote license licentiousness I doubt you're going to say well God loves me no matter what I'm doing so I'm going to keep on doing it we've all come to grips with roman 61 what shall we say shall we continue in sin that grace may bail now may abound may it never be we don't use the theology of God's goodness as a as a means by which we sin but maybe in those seasons may be in that wayward ness maybe in that proneness to wander the thought of a loving God and the demonstration of it at the clot the glorious cross will hopefully restrain us and keep us from pursuing those lusts any further yes he's a chase inning father but he never stops being a loving father try that add that to the repertoire repertoire is at the word of your dealings with sin certainly fear God certainly walk in holiness with the thought that if you do not God is angry and he will deal with you but he loves you he so loves you he so loves us and the ethic other than the argument in Romans 5 let's just visit it again it's just beautiful theology for when we were still without strength in due time christ died for the ungodly do you ever ponder that he died for the ungodly he didn't die for the righteous he didn't die for the holy he didn't die for the pure the same idea that we find in Romans 45 noticed but to him who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousness but back to Romans 564 when we were still without strength in due time christ died for the ungodly for scarcely for a righteous man will one died yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die have you ever considered if somebody walked in here and lobbed a grenade in the middle of the floor would all you just jump on it you probably think about it before just doing it you know we we count the costs at that moment if I jump on that grenade that's going to be bad here's Paul's logic for scarcely for a righteous man will one die for righteous man you see somebody that's Noble holy pure and good and they're walking in the street and they're about to get smacked by a truck for scarcely a righteous man would we die we're not so quick to run over there and push him out of the way and take that that truck in his stead the logic of the gospel is simply this but God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us do you think that God does not understand that the doctrine of remaining corruption do you think that in your life God gets to the point on Thursday and he says that's it I'm done my hands are clean of you God used Paul to write Romans 7 God used Paul to write Galatians 5 God is more honest about our sin than we are honest about our sin read the Psalms read David you see brethren I am NOT suggesting that you ponder and contemplate and dwell on the love of God and use that as an argument to continue in sin I am asking you to ponder contemplate and consider the love of God and see us perhaps that might not help kill sin take the wallet out of your pocket and look at the picture and consider the goodness of the man there consider john three sixteen in your warfare against sin thirdly the cross held the object of man's belief God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him that whoever believes in Him we ought to deal with the translation issue before we move on it sounds very universal you can see why our minions and Pelagian like the tax that whoever believes in him but the text isn't as universal here in England or in Greek as it is in English it's literally all the believing ones should not perish all the believing ones should not perish well who are the believing ones they are the ones who are made alive by God in the new birth they're the ones who are born again they are the ones regenerate they are the ones who are responding in faith to the Lord Christ now the first fruit of regeneration at least visibly remember the wind blows and you see the visible effects of it I think there's other stuff that goes on invisibly that we don't see when God takes out the old stony heart he puts in the new fleshly hard and he puts in that new disposition all that stuff the first visible manifestation of regeneration is faith it's faith in Jesus it's not just faith that's popular today isn't it oh he he's a man of faith what does he believe it well I don't know that doesn't matter but it's the faith that that matters doesn't matter what you believe in as long as you believe no it matters precisely what you believe in faith is only as good as its object in the first fruit at least again in terms of visibly of regeneration is faith in Christ that faith through the faith that is instrumental in salvation is not undefined it is clearly defined God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him now do you understand why Jesus had such problems with the Jews I hope you do I mean here he is saying that he is the only begotten Son of God and that he is the target of man's faith for salvation you can see by the end of the gospel records why they're crying out away with him away with him crucify him you see it at the end of this particular narrative the darkness hates the the darkness doesn't want to come to the light because it's evil deeds are exposed I mean look at the claims that Christ is making concerning himself to this man Nicodemus well in the previous section I believe he's probably still an ear shot at this particular time but he is the object of man's faith the faith that is instrumental in salvation is not undefined it is in him Christ I love our confession chapter 14 paragraph 2 talks about saving faith that's the object of the title of the particular chapter and the last statement in paragraph 2 says but the principle acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ you see saving faith believes that there was an ancient people called the Hittites you realize that people used to mock the Bible because of the the reference to the Hittites there were no Hittites either Hittites or Hittites but in the 20th century they uncovered archaeology uncovered this ancient civilization I didn't make the Bible true archaeology is not the final arbiter of what is true but it is intriguing all that people never existed the Bible's just full of so many fables no that was really there you need to believe that there were Hittites not the way you believe that there was Jesus Christ it is Jesus Christ you need to believe what the Bible says I think a lot of times when we we have these discussions of faith and perhaps with our children you know as they they start getting older and they hear pastors preaching you need to believe and they start asking am i believing and I you know my trusting is you know it's sometimes hard to concretize or to make not abstract this idea of faith certainly it means believing everything God's Word says the scriptures are trustworthy in all that they affirm concerning history science doctrine ethics religious practice or any other topic the scriptures are inspired of God are inspired by God and that doesn't mean he got an inspirational thought it means the scriptures are our God breathed they are inherent and infallible the debate over inerrancy the idea that there are errors in the Bible and persons who is it what does matter it does matter and faith lays hold to the whole of God's Word but as we move through the confessional statement it highlights it isolates it pinpoints the primary object with reference to saving faith the principal acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ accepting receiving and resting upon him alone for justification sanctification and eternal life by virtue of the covenant of grace in other words if our children say or anyone says what is faith what is belief what does all this mean a good follow-up to that might be what thankee of Christ do you believe what the Bible says concerning Christ he believed that he lived that he died that he rose again do you believe is self testimony that he is the great I am do you believe he's the only begotten of the Father do you believe that he is the one who alone can take away sin if a child and adults says yes I believe praise God Almighty because dead men don't believe such truths pagans don't celebrate such realities this is a work of the mighty a mighty demonstration of the work of whole of regeneration and then notice the emphasis of the entire Bible is justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ that whoever believes in him not believes and dies not believes and goes not believes and enters but believes it's by faith grace through faith royal has a way of putting things at times that are just beautiful he says he that has faith has life and he that has it not has not life it's pretty simple isn't it he that has faith has life and he that has it not has not life John 336 as the same thing he says nothing whatever beside this faith is necessary to our justification but nothing whatever except this faith will give us an interest in Christ we may fast and mourn for sin and do many things that are right and use religious ordinances and give all out all of our goods to feed the poor and yet remain unpardonable Eve on him our sins at once shall be forgiven and our iniquity shall be entirely put away without faith there is no salvation but through faith in Jesus the vilest sinner may be saved that's a passage not rile but John three sixteen to hang our souls on isn't it God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in him now notice fourthly the cross is the source of God's promised blessing that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life you see there's a negative involved in a positive he shall not perish what's the reference the reference is simple we are dead in Adam we are dead in our trespasses and sins we have rebelled against a holy God we have violet violet his law we have refused him and rejected him and resisted him every step of the way and God's promised a judgment upon such centers as hell this is the should not perish in the text because by the grace of God according to the the power of the Holy Spirit regenerated us who gave us the faith to look unto Jesus the way those persons looked under that brazen serpent we are not going to perish when that man in the wilderness rubbing his leg that had just gotten bit by that snake looked up he lived he didn't perish he didn't die from that snake venom he didn't go to hell at that particular point and this is the promise of our Lord we're not going to perish you ever ponder that you ever consider that reality what do we deserve we deserve hell i love the Westminster Shorter Catechism and asked the question what does every sin deserve a good question to ask isn't it I hope we've all asked that question at one time or another we may not have answered it the way the assembly did but we ought to ponder that answer every sin deserves God's wrath and curse both in this life and that which is to come now they the world Lane will say that seems a bit unfair they're the sorts of people that say well you know they did was eat the apple in the garden never notice how everybody's convinced it was an apple I mean it was one bite the older author showed how in that one bite there was a breach of every one of the Ten Commandments that one bite was a rejection of the living in the true God Most High it was to assert independence from the Creator that made the creature you see brethren we deserve God's wrath and curse both in this life and that which is to come our sins have piled up and even if it was just one we deserve it because an infinitely holy God is a God who punishes sin do you see what we've been spared from do you say see where you're not going as a result of Christ's work at Calvary we're not going to perish we're not going to end in hell we are not going to suffer the the judgment and the condemnation of God most high it's beautiful thing someone might say do you know where you're going I know where I'm not going and I praise God for that but it's a positive as well not only or should not perish but have everlasting life she's not just a place of neutrality well I'm not in hell and I'm just going to sort of float around clouds know we have everlasting life we inherit the new heavens and the new earth we get God Father Son and Holy Spirit we are in the presence of this God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son we're in the presence of the God whose love does not diminish it doesn't increase he is most loving he will always be the way for his people and we will enjoy him world without end amen the thought of that the amazing reality of that I think is what leads John in his First Epistle to say behold what manner of love the father has given to us that we should be called the sons of God and we are it's an amazing thing brethren what the Lord has spared us from what the Lord has saved us from and what the Lord has saved us unto if you finished your Bible on December 31st you got a glimpse of that in Revelation 21 and 22 John sees this new heavens and this new earth come down this holy city that's the very temple of God what's temple fact in the book it says there is no temple there God and the lamb are the temple do you know what temple existed for you I the Tabernacle in the wilderness and then the temple under Solomon temple is a place where God and people dwell that's the goal that's the beauty that's the glory that's the reality we get to be where God is we were created for this it is what makes our hearts beat but in Adam we lost it we sacrificed it we gave it up but in Christ Jesus it's there and the worst st. on his worst day if asked will say I want to be with Christ that's the goal that's the beauty that's everything it's not the the gates of pearl it's not the streets of gold that's all background the lamb is all the glory of Emanuel's land and this is what Christ held forth or secured for us well brethren in summary the blessing of the tax dot to be obvious Luther called john three sixteen the Bible in miniature I quite like that the bar able in miniature one small Bible within we ought to consider the wonder of the text I think John's First Epistle sort of parallels the thought he says in this the love of God was manifested toward us that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him in this is love not that we loved God you see brethren it is our duty our responsibility it is as consistent as you know birds flying that the creature loves its God it ought never surprise us that some creature loves God the Creator that's a given that's that's just the way it ought to be right we don't get extra points that's just the bottom line says in this is love not that we loved God that's not the amazing thing but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins sounds like in first John for nine and ten he has john three sixteen in mind he's reflecting upon his saviors words and he's elucidating this for his people for his hearers to understand the greatness of the love of God he sent him to be the propitiation for our sins the wrath bearer the curse sufferer the one who stood in our stead to satisfy divine justice and as well we ought to appreciate the promise of the text it is for believing ones God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that all the believing ones should not perish but have everlasting life if you have faith tonight and you can taste and see that the Lord is good and you eat these I eat the bread and you drink the cup rejoice in God because that faith is not from you rejoice in God because the spirit of the Living God has made you alive has given you the grace of faith and has pointed you to the Son of God who is lift it up just like Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness if you do not have faith if you are not in Jesus Christ may I encourage you and may I say to you look and live look to the one alone in whom there is forgiveness that means believing what the Bible says concerning him as the confession says as it highlights as it pinpoints as it narrows it down specifically the principal acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ if you don't have faith read of Christ if you don't have faith listen to the preaching concerning Christ you need to get Christ it's not a blind leap faith is looking to Christ so listen believe and come to the one alone in whom is forgiveness of sins well let us pray our Father we thank you for this Bible and miniature we thank you for this wonderful declaration concerning your love doesn't just say that you love but you so love and it demonstrates that love and that while we were still sinners Christ died for us he set your affection upon us an eternity past you covenant it with the son to save the Sun covenants to come and to live and to die and to rise again certainly all of this theology in some sense as heavy as it is is so wonderful and so heartwarming and so glorious God may you grant us grace to ponder the great love of God not just in church when we're about to eat the bread and drink the cup but on Thursday when we're struggling against sin may we ponder your goodness may we ponder your kindness may we ponder your graciousness in your mercy and how we praise you and thank you for that great love demonstrated at the cross known to us even now and we trust and know that it will never ever dissipate we ask that you would just bless our time together and we pray through Christ Jesus our Lord amen the turn in your Bibles please with me to first Corinthians chapter 11 the first Corinthians 11 of course we're at that place in the Holy Scripture that deals with conduct at the Lord's Supper Paul rehearsing the words of the Lord Jesus Christ as he instituted the Lord's Supper so many years ago dealing with misconduct in the context of the taking of the Lord's Supper i'm going to read first Corinthians 11 17 to 22 and then 27 to the end of the chapter and we'll make some comments as we look forward to observing this blessed ordinance first Corinthians 11 beginning in verse 17 the Word of God now in giving these instructions I do not praise you since you come together not for the better but for the worse for first of all when you come together as a church I hear that there are divisions among you and in part I believe it for there must also be factions among you that those who are approved may be recognized among you therefore when you come together in one place it is not to eat the Lord's Supper for an eating each one takes his own supper ahead of others and one is hungry and another is drunk what do you not have houses to eat and drink in or do you despise the Church of God and shame those who have nothing what shall I say to you shall I praise you in this I do not praise you verse 27 therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup for he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself not discerning the Lord's body for this reason many are weak and sick among you and many sleep for if we would judge ourselves we would not be judged but when we are judged we are chasing by the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world therefore my brethren when you come together to eat wait for one another but if anyone is hungry let him eat at home lest you come together for judgment and the rest I will set in order when I come amen well Paul deals with two errors as it pertains to the Lord's Supper here in first Corinthians 10 and then here in first Corinthians 11 here in first Corinthians 11 he's dealing with this misconduct at the Lord's Supper and it ought to it ought to always come to our ears or come to our eyes as we're taking in the scriptures come to our minds as as an absolute travesty that these were conducting themselves in such a way at such a blessed occasion you know part of the part of the the wholesome severity in the mind of the Apostle Paul no doubt lands upon the reality that in this ordinance we are remembering so great a savior we're eating this bread and we're taking in that element symbol that element that symbolizes the fact that Christ had his body broken for us that we his people a breach upon breach broke his law and in his body breach upon breach he took upon himself the wrath of God in our stead he bore in his own body our sins upon that tree and we drank the element of the wine we're taking part of that element that symbolizes the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that upon Calvary's tree he shed his precious blood that we might have the remission of sins and these are turning the Lord's Supper they're not coming and engaging for the better but they're engaging in this blessed meal for the worst some one is hungry in it and another is drunk we are to come to this meal and we're to recognize its its glorious character its solemn character and as well it's it's joyous character and partake accordingly prior to this you know we often come and we observe this fact when we when we partake of the Lord's Supper we recognize as we ought to that we're not doing like the Papists do we don't see in the Lord's Supper that doctrine that horrible doctrine of transubstantiation this is a meal that remembers Christ in the Lord's Supper there is no real sacrifice made for the quick and the dead but only a remembrance of that one for once for all sacrifice that Christ rendered upon Calvary's tree while it is an ordinance of remembrance Paul in first Corinthians 10 also deals with the fact that it is a it is an ordinance where God communes with his people where we are communing with the Lord God he's indicted the Corinthians for for eating pagan meals wherein there is fellowship with demons and the argument is in essence why would you engage in a meal where there is fellowship with demons when you have been given by God a gracious meal wherein you have fellowship with the risen Christ by his spirit a blessed meal that we have here and we are to repeat those words of the old Baptist why should we cry oh my weariness when we neglect so great a supper it is good that you are here we come together for the better not for the worse as we engage in this ordinance of remembrance and spiritual nourishment when you when you are partaking or you are only to partake if you are a believer Christians that this is an ordinance for Christians alone those who are living in in repentance and consistently with their profession if you are a Christian here tonight and you are living with unrepentant sin you are not to partake but what again is the remedy the swift and quick remedy for that is repent find forgiveness with your God and with his Christ in Christ we have the forgiveness of sins this is an ordinance for Christians so please Christians only partake a reminder that when the bread and the wine come around or when excuse me when the wine comes around the juice is in the outer ring well if I could have that the brothers come up to pass out the bread when the bread has passed out I will come back up here to read the portion pertaining to the breaking and the partaking of the bread we're going to stay seated though and sing hymn number 193 that's him number 193 you can remain seated [Music] first Corinthians 11 23 we read these words for I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and said take eat this is my body which is broken for you do this in remembrance of me amen let us pray Heavenly Father we rejoice that we can partake of this meal we thank you that we have this blessed occasion to remember the Lord Jesus Christ to be nourished and strengthened in our faith and we do pray that you would help us now as we partake of this bread to reflect upon the glory of so great a salvation we thank you for this blessed truth that the Lord Jesus Christ took in his own body that he bore in his own body the sins of his people upon that tree that we having died to sin might live for righteousness by His stripes we are healed help us to reflect with great solemnity yet with great joy upon the doing in the dying and the rising again of our blessed Savior and in particular now that dying upon Calvary's tree wherein he perfectly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number we rejoice in you Father Son and spirit and we rejoice in our Blessed Christ and it's in his name that we pray amen let's take together well if the brothers could come up and pass out the wine a reminder that the juice is in the Outer Ring we're going to remain seated and sing 357 that's 357 let's remain seated in seeing that together [Music] Corinthians 1125 rehearsing again the words of our Savior in the same manner he also took the cup after supper saying this cup is the New Covenant in my blood this do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes amen let us again pray Heavenly Father we thank you now for the drinking of this wine we rejoice in the fact of the blood of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ we know that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins we rejoice though that by the shedding of our saviors blood we do have the forgiveness of sins all those who believe in his most precious name and we thank you for the work of our Savior we pray that as we now partake of this wine we would reflect with solemnity and joy upon the shedding of our saviors blood and the perfection of his atoning work and we pray in his precious name amen let's take together well let's all stand as a church and seeing that wonderful hymn 175 Man of Sorrows what a name 175 let's stand and sing together [Music] Oh now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete in every good work to do his will working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever amen Heavenly Father we pray that you would go with us now and we rejoice in having had the opportunity to worship on this year lord's day Sabbath we thank you for the Blessed meal of the Lord's Supper we pray Lord God that you would help us by your spirit to go into this week that we might live for your glory sake we pray that we would do those things acceptable in your sight that you would cause us to shine as lights and this crooked and perverse generation and that we would hold forth your word of truth we pray Lord God that you'd be with the Sri Bible study we thank you for this work we do pray that you would bless Mike as he teaches we pray that you would bless all who listen that your Saints would be well instructed that Lord God sinners would be saved and that you would grow that work in that area go with us now then and help us Father Son and Holy Spirit to rejoice in you daily to rejoice in the gospel of saving grace and to live in a manner worthy of that gospel and we pray in the name of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ amen we'll have a brief time of prayer and you're dismissed when the piano is finished you