What If John 3: 16 was Not True?

Text—John 3: 16

Introduction—Greatest verse

A. Most quoted of Bible aside from Matt. 7: 1

B. Known to sports fans in the 70s

1. Rainbow Wig Guy

2. Rollen Stewart

3. Displays verse at game on TV

C. Suppose the verse wasn't true?

1. What if...break down of the verse

2. Look at each part.

I. For God...

A. What if God didn't exist?

1. Atheists and Muslims

2. Big Bang Theory

B. Proof of God from Scripture

1. Gen. 1: 1

2. Isa. 43: 11; 44: 6, 8; 45: 5-6

3. Hos. 13; 4

4. John 14: 7-11, “Show us the Father”

5. Heb. 11: 6

II. So loved the world...

A. What if God didn't love the World?

1. Examples

a. God Destroys the World--Gen. 6: 5-7; 7: 4

b. God Confuses Language—Gen. 11: 5-9

1. God Destroys cities—Gen. 19: 24-25; 18: 17-18

2. Rest of the Story

a. Noah finds favors, starts over—Gen. 6: 8; 7: 1ff, 13

b. People chose not to disperse—Gen. 11: 1-4 (1: 28)

c. Abraham defends the Righteous—Gen. 18: 23ff, 32-33

B. God loves the world

1. Tough love in each example.

a. Promised Abraham—Gen 12: 1-3

b. Promised Moses—Num. 14: 1ff

* 12 to Caanan

**Joshua and Caleb, good report—vs. 6-9

***People to stone them—vs. 10

*God threatens to destroy people—vs. 11-12

**Moses intervenes—vs. 13-16

2. Proof of God's love

a. To go back on his promise would make him a liar-- Num. 23: 19; Heb. 6: 17-18

b. Sent his son—Jn. 3: 16-17

III. That he gave his only begotten Son...

A. No son?

1. Perhaps God changed mind.

2. 400 years in between testaments

3. Decided an alternate plan.

B. Unfulfilled prophecies in OT

1. Example—Isa. 9: 6

a. Who would fulfill this?

2. In Lk. 4: 18-21, Jesus read (Isa. 61: 1-2)

a. W/O Jesus, who would fulfill this passage?

b. Would Satan raise up one of his own?

1. What about David Koresh of Waco, TX

a. Had own followers or disciples

b. What if he had read this?

2. Jim Jones?

3. List of others online claiming to be Jesus.

C. Since God loves, needed to show proof.

1. Back in the Garden of Eden, Gen. 3: 14-15

2. To the remnant of the Jews—Mal. 4: 4-6

3. Jesus birth, Mary—Lk. 1: 26-33

4. Nicodemus—Jn. 3: 16-17

IV. That Whosoever...

A. Dictionary definition--Means everyone

B. Rich and Wealthy

1. Matthew, Zacchaeus, Judas (holding the bag)

2. Members of the Pharisees

3. Charging for healings

4. Lazarus, raised from dead? $$$

C. Healthy

1. No lepers, blind, lame

2. No demon possesed.

D. Educated

1. Saul of Tarsus--credentials

a. Acts 22: 3; Phil. 3: 5-6

2. Gamaliel himself

3. Pharisees and Sadducees

4. Characters of Big Bang Theory

E. Certain Religious groups

1. Muslims

2. Mormons

3. JWs

F. Salvation is for all

1. Jesus said, Matt. 11: 28-30

2. Paul said, Titus 2: 11

3. Peter said, 2 Pet. 3: 9

V. Believes in him...

A. The difference between belief and faith.

1. Belief—Man tells you he's married

a. Show wedding band

b. picture of wife

c. bring person who he say is wife.

2. Believe because I say so, and why I would lie.

3. Faith—Change your life and conform to the information

a. know I'm married, completely accept it.

b. Don't dig up actual proof.

c. Tell others, “He's off the market.”

d. Go to grave for this faith.

4. Belief doesn't always produce faith—

a. King Agrippa--Acts 26: 7

b. Jewish Rulers—Jn. 12: 42

c. Demons—Lk. 4: 41

B. Works as the essential task

1. Titus 2: 7a, Showing a pattern of good works

a. Problem: How much is enough?

b. Give to church, charities, homeless

c. Work in soup kitchen, care facilities, orphanages

d. Get to Heaven: Sorry, not enough.

e. Not enough money spent, Heart wasn't in it, etc.

2. Thief on Cross—Lk. 23: 42

a. Jesus response: common thief; stole not give.

b. Not fit for the Kingdom of God

C. Faith is important

1. Heb. 11: 6

2. Not faith alone—Jas. 2: 17-18, 24

3. Jesus said, Matt. 7: 21

4. Thomas—John 20: 26-29

Conclusion

A. John 3: 16 is true.

Add verse 17, don't isolate verse 16

B. Should not perish but have everlasting life.

1. Belief to produce Faith and do good works,

2. Follow the steps to become a christian

a. Hear

b. Believe

c. Confess

d. Repent

e. Be baptized

3. Live Faithfully unto Death—Rev. 2: 10c