Tonight I’d like to talk to you about John 3:16. John chapter 3, verse 16. Now some of you may ask, "What could a young man like me have to say about John 3: 16 that I don’t already know?" My answer: plenty.

This particular verse was spoken to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus by night. The bible specifically mentions by night to show that he was afraid of his believe and the truth. The verse reads:

"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." What a great verse that is! It’s like a security blanket for the spiritually insecure. It’s like a parent’s loving arms wrapping themselves around you in a warm hug.

It’s also the most known verse in the bible that even kids can quote it. It’s one of the best verses to use when sharing the gospel with others. The verse is often quoted to the dying to aid in their comfort.

But here in the 21^st century, some people take that verse for granted. You see people at sporting events holding up signs that read: John 3:16. When you see it you naturally recall the verse in your head. When I was younger, I use to see that on television and I’d say to myself "Yes! That’s in the Bible. It’s an important verse." But did I know what the verse said? No. Did I go look it up? At the time, no but I figured it had to be important. Why else would they show the passage?

Perhaps you recall seeing these cards flashed at sporting events, usually a guy in a Rainbow Wig. The man’s name is Rollen Stewart and showing the John 3:16 signs was his life. If I may, I’d like to read a couple excerpts from an article I found on the internet when I tracked him down. (READ EXCERPTS)

So what I’m trying to say to you is do not automatically assume you know a verse when it’s flashed up on the screen or shown to you by a friend. Take the time to look it up in your Bibles even if you are sure you know what it says. These are some questions I want to ask about John 3: 16. Do you know why it’s the most recited verse in the bible? Do you fully understand the meaning of the verse?

Now let me ask you another question…What if John 3:16 were not true? What if it were a complete lie? I ask this because I want everyone to be sure that they know it’s true and why it’s true. If someone were to tell you it’s not true or ask you why it’s true, would you be able to respond?

Tonight we’re going to show implications of What if John 3:16 were false. The first part reads, "For God so loved the world", what if he didn’t? What if God was fed up with the world in which he created? Without His love there would be no hope. A dark planet hurtling through space with no future. We’d have nothing to live for and no purpose to go on living.

Let’s turn to Genesis Chapter 7, verse 4. This passage tells of the flood:

"For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth." Now does that sound like God loving the world? He created it, every living thing and then he destroys it. Is that love? Now let’s move forward in Genesis to chapter 11 verses 4-9. This is the about the Tower of Babel: "And they said, go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down to the see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth."

Now God has changed everyone’s language so no one could understand one another and scattered them over the face of the entire planet. Does that sound like love to you? Not to me. We move forward once more in Genesis to Chapter 19 verses 24 and 25. This is about Sodom and Gomorrah: "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground." Where did God get brimstone anyway? Did he make a deal with Satan and borrow some? This does not sound like a God of love either.

I realize I’m only telling half of the story in each incident I’ve read. But my point is, if you don’t read the entire scripture prior to and after the ones I have read, then you could easily confuse yourself and others. We do know that God loves the world because before the flood he allowed Noah to build an ark to house his family and two of every creature on the planet. The tower of Babel; he changed their speech as a way of reprimanding his people proving that God will restrain those who get out of hand with their worldly desires. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of their unsavory acts of carnal pleasure. Those three incidents could fall under the category of "Tough Love".

We know God loves the world because everything speaks of his love: every sunrise, every blade of grass, every birth, and the face of every child.

His greatest demonstration of his love was his son. That brings us to the next part of John 3:16, "that he gave his only begotten son." What if God didn’t give us his son? First off, there would be about 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that would go unfulfilled. Or maybe the prophecies wouldn’t be there at all. For an example let’s turn to Isaiah: Chapter 9 verse 6…

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

People would be reading that passage and continue to expect the arrival of …someone. Who? No one would know. Some of you might say that the prophecies about Jesus wouldn’t be written. True, but what if God was going to send his son and the changed his mind. How many years were there between the Old and New Testaments? Perhaps in that time maybe God changed his mind and decided not to send Jesus after all.

And without Jesus there would be: No forgiveness of sins, no miracles, no healing, no disciples, no second coming, and the New Testament would either cease to exist or be very brief.

Turn now to Luke Chapter 4 verses 18-21…

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor: he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering the sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."

Who would make that statement? Without Jesus on earth do you think that Satan would send one of his own to lay claim to being the messiah? What a chilling thought. What kind of world would we be then?

If God loved the world he had to give something to show it. Real love always demands giving. When a man marries he then works to provide for his wife and family and cares for their needs. When a woman marries she gives of herself by creating the family and in some cases works as well to provide. They both provide with life insurance and Living Wills to ensure the others will be taken care of should they die. God had given his son and as stated in John 3:17,

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." Jesus saved us from ourselves by dying on the cross. His blood was shed for our sins. And without him there would be no salvation.

The next part of John 3:16…"that whosoever". Whosoever, what a wonderful word that is. General in a sense and yet also particular. It embraces us all and touches each one of us. But what if salvation were not for the "Whosoevers"? What if it were for the rich only?

Let’s turn now to the book of Mark, Chapter 10 verses 21-23. This is passage of a rich man who came running to Jesus to ask how he may follow him. And in this portion of the scripture Jesus tells the man what he must to in addition to following the commandments:

"Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions."

Now supposing Jesus merely asked the man how much money he had and based on that and that alone he would tell the man he was worthy to enter heaven. Even his disciples would be different as far as monetary status and Jesus most likely would eat with those who had fine houses and riches. Imagine Jesus charging money for healing! Lazarus…when Jesus brought him back to life, imagine the bill for that. Not only would it be expensive to raise him from the dead but also Jesus could tack on so much money for every day he’d been dead. You’d say, "Well I know Jesus wouldn’t do that." But he would in this example. Remember when he came to John the Baptist to be baptized? He didn’t need to be baptized because he was completely free from sin. He did it to set an example for all those who followed him. So Jesus, charging money for healing and other miracles, would be setting an example.

Or what if salvation was for the healthy or well-educated? Lepers, the blind, and the lame wouldn’t have a chance! Sure Jesus could heal them and make them healthy to enter the kingdom but if they weren’t sick or disabled in the first place, it would make their salvation that much easier. As for the educated? Since Judas Iscariot was a scholar, that would make him Jesus’ right-hand man instead of Peter! Isn’t that a scary thought? The rest of the disciples would consist of the Pharisees or members of the Sanhedrin and of course you would still need Peter for he would be the one to betray Jesus!

But God calls all people of every race, color, or social standing and speaks to us individually to trust him, believe in him and salvation is yours.

"Believeth". That’s the last part of John 3:16 we will be looking at tonight. What if salvation wasn’t on faith but good works? Turn to Titus Chapter 2 and verse 7. The first part of that verse reads:

"In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works…" Now the question you would have to ask is what kind of good works or how much good works is worthy of salvation. But you don’t know. Picture yourself working constantly; giving to charities, donating you time to helping feed and clothe the poor, spending long hours at care facilities to tend to the sick, the elderly and then find out it’s still not enough. Why? Maybe your heart wasn’t into the good works, or not enough money was spent or whatever. You just won’t know.

And what about the dying thief on the cross next to Jesus? In Luke 23, verse 42 the thief says to Jesus:

"Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Now picture Jesus rebuke him by saying, "You’re nothing more than a common thief, a criminal who took and gave nothing of himself!" How would that make the thief feel? How would that make you feel to read such a response?

Faith is an important part. In Hebrews Chapter 11 and verse 6:

"6. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." And then onto James chapter 2 verses 17-18: 17. Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18.Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." Faith and good works go hand in hand to please the Lord. And believing is a large part of faith. Turn to John chapter 20 verse 29. This is where Jesus appeared to his disciples a second time and gave Thomas proof of his resurrection. "29. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

John 3:16 is true! Even with implications that it might be false, we know in our hearts and minds that there is no greater truth than God’s love for us.

Before I conclude this evening I’d like to read another excerpt about Rollen Stewart whom I spoke about at the start of this evening (READ OTHER EXCERPT)

Rollen Stewart is now serving 3 consecutive life sentences for his conduct. John 3:16 is not about fame, it’s about love and salvation. We can’t let ourselves take such a verse for granted. For it is also a passage of truth.

John chapter 8 and verse 32 Jesus said, "32. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." We know the truth. God does love the world, He gave his only begotten son, and everyone can gain salvation as long as they have faith in Christ. John chapter 14 verse 6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but through me." Won’t you believe in Christ? His message is clear and you can have salvation if you only believe and do what the Bible asks of you.

If you haven’t been baptized, there is another truth you need to know. In Mark 16:16 Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned." As I mentioned in my article last week, infant baptism is not valid. You have to believe first before being baptized. I was baptized as an infant and now that I know the truth I was baptized in the true sense of baptism on September 9^th of last year. If you have been baptized but haven’t been living your life the way you should then you need to repent of those sins and ask God for forgivness. If we can help with either of those please come to the front now while we stand and sing.