Some Truth transcend. These big bank gone with. The one thing that sure for believers in Christ is that some will see our faith and call us fools some will honestly believe we're crazy for believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior today on love worth finding we'll hear Adrian Rogers talk about the central point of our faith the Cross we're going to begin with one of my favorite portions of Scripture it talks about the foolishness of preaching and it also calls us to cling to the truth of God with all our might and let go of how we might quantify wisdom the title of the message is fool's wise or otherwise you'll hear about the word of the cross and 3 ways to measure a person's wisdom once again here's Adrian Rogers. 1st Corinthians chapter one and verse 18 for the preaching of the cross is to them the parish food wish lists but unto us which are saved it is the power of God For it is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prude Where is the why else wears the scribe wears the disputer of this world has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world for after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the food dish missed of preaching to save them but believe for the Jews require sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom but we preach Christ crucified under the Jews a stumbling block and unto the Greeks but under them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God because of the foolishness of gaudiest wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than man now when you live for the Lord Jesus Christ you believe the Gospel you go to be looked upon as a fool by this world as a matter of fact anybody who really believes this Bible who lets go of the world with both hands and takes hold of Jesus Christ with both hands is going to be adjudicated approved by this world and for that reason some have tried to tone down the gospel a little bit because they don't want to seem so foolish and they tried to accommodate the gospel to this world but dear friend you can never do it the gospel is so radically different it starts at a different source it follows a different course it ends at a different conclusion and so we don't need to make it compatible with this world just make up your mind that if you live for the Lord Jesus Christ you are going to be thought a food by the people of this world what God calls wisdom the world calls pollution is and what the world calls wisdom God calls food in is east is east and west is west and there the twain shall meet. Now the the Hallmark the the measuring rod the standard by which we can see whether a person is a fool 'd wise or otherwise is to see what his reaction is to the gospel now which side of the cross your own if we believe the cross accept the cross embrace the cross believe the cross or the world's going to call us foods we believe that without the cross they and b. Are going to perish in their food as how are we going to know who whether a person is a true fool or not the measure of a food is the cross one man said to his wife I was a food when I married you she said yes but I did notice it then now how are we going to know how are we going to be able to notice how we're going to be able to tell who is a food and who is not a food well the preaching of the Gospel the preaching of a cross is to them which parish food dishes now the word preaching here the preaching of the cross literally means the word of the cross what the Cross says to us not what we say about the cross but what the Cross says to us so I want to pay attention to what I want to call today the word of the cross and I want you to see 3 things as we look at our scripture that I read to you today I think about food wise or otherwise and the 1st thing I want you to see concerning the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ which is the measurement of a man's foolishness or the measurement of man's wisdom according to how he relates to the cross the very 1st thing is this I want you to see that God speaks through the girls God speaks through the cross now God has revealed himself and showed himself in many ways but you will never know the heart and mind of God until you understand the crawls God speaks through the cross Now look if you will in verse 22 people have always been seeking after God and wanting to know what God was like and who the true Messiah is and all of this and so verse 22 explains it for the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom now Paul is writing to. The people of current tonight current There was a great contention of Jews and Greeks that lived there and car and the Jews they had a particular idea of what a god ought to be like and how the Messiah had to reveal himself and so they sought after a sign that is the word sign means a miracle of great power they were always asking the Lord Jesus to give them a sign they were seeking for some great miracle because they had confidence in a Messiah who would come who would be strong and powerful and political and he would just blow ways enemies and he would set up the kingdom of God upon earth then and the Jews would reign supreme and so forth and so they were waiting for this kind of a Messiah they did not like the idea of a meek and mild and lowly messiah like the Lord Jesus Christ was as Jesus rebuked them for seeking a sign let me just jot these 3 scriptures down in your margin by verse 22 John for verse 48 then said Jesus unto them except you see signs and wonders you will not believe Jesus had diagnosed them well they were a group of people looking for signs and wonders and then look at Luke 11 in verse $29.00 and when the people were gathered together he began to say this is an evil generation they seek a sign and by the way when you ask God to prove Himself to you when you ask God to perform a miracle that you might understand him to my believe in him you might think that is good dear friend but God called it evil this is an evil generation ye see a sign and then he said and there show no sign be given it but the sign of Jonas the prophet What was the sign of Jonah as well as Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the whale even the Son of Man should be 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth that is the sign of Jonah is why the resurrection alright and then again in Matthew Chapter 12 in verse 39 and he answered and said in them and evil and adulterous generation. And seek after a sign and there's still no sign to give it again he says but the sign of the prophet Jonah bad evil people seek after sign and I don't believe that it's probably not anybody in this building who had not at one time or another has asked God to prove himself by doing some miracle and I write oh God if you're real do this God if you're real do that and that right I mean that's human nature don't make me feel all alone folks I've done it I mean nod your head my goodness now we've all done that we've said now God just show yourself to me work assigned prove yourself to me and asked what the Jews were the Jews were looking for a god who would demonstrate himself that way with power now the Greeks were not that way you the Greeks were a little more sophisticated the Greeks were a little more intellectual The Greeks sought after wisdom now what the Greeks were looking for was something that they could do intellectual gymnastics with the Messiah that the Greeks were looking for would be sort of a double Socrates he would be some grand then a leg who would help them to pick all of the divine mysteries of life that's what they were looking Paul Biju said of God speaks he's going to speak through miracles and the Greek said a god speaks he's going to speak through intellectual ism and philosophy they saw after wisdom but here's what God did here's what it says almost as though the Apostle Paul could read their mind and look if you will in verse 23 he says but that is in contradistinction of verse 22 but we preach Christ crucified not just Christ but Christ crucified it would have been one thing of you to preach Christ but my goodness to preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block into the Greeks Now the word stumbling block here means scandal they were scandalized why you mean we're looking for a mighty miracle working powerful Messiah and your preaching one who dies upon a crawl why that scandalous that's a stumbling block we can never ever accept a messiah like that what power is there in dying upon a cross and the Greek said why not only is that a stumbling block is absolutely ludicrous it's prudish bad here is a messiah you mean god. Died upon a cross a man who is the Son of God dying rising up on a cross do you mean to tell us that's God's answer to this world that's the way God speaks to this world absolutely absolutely bat is food the Greeks said but now I want you to go on to those who have been saved notice what happens and verse $24.00 but under them which are called that is called by God called out of this world both Jews and great Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God Now how is Christ crucified the power of God the wisdom of God Remember now the Jews want to power in the grace one wisdom Paul says Ok you will wisdom you will power out tell you where power is I tell you where wisdom is it is in Christ crucified Well how is Christ crucified the power of God for him to you know that the the greatest demonstration of power is not when God made these worlds in the universe as in everything the greatest demonstration of power are you listening is the salvation of a so. Now you may not believe that you may sail as preacher Joe I tell you ladies and gentlemen the greatest power own earth is the power that can save a soul a Poor Law Center as the reason the Apostle Paul said I'm not ashamed of the Gospel cries for it is what the power of God and the salvation the power of God and salvation Oh a lot mighty working miracle power when God made these worlds he made them he created worlds with a word that's all he just spoke but in order to save a soul he had to hang his darling son upon a tree upon a cross there for and I tell you there is no greater power than the power that can transform a life so man when a barbershop arguing about the miracles of the Bible and one man said I don't believe that miracle about the turning of water into wine Another man said I would show you a bigger miracle and that you come to my house I'll show you where he turned whiskey into furniture now what he meant by that is he had been saved had been born again and God had transformed him and not only you see is the cross the power of God but the Cross is also the wisdom of God You see through the cross you're going to know the heart of God through the cross you're going to know the mind of God through the cross God is revealed how could we know that he's a God of infinite mercy and a God of grace and a God who cares how could we know for him they will never have to doubt the love of God the mind of God Again when we see the cross all how God displays his mighty wisdom and listen he says not the wisdom of this world which had the princes of this world known it they would not have crucified the load of glory and the Bible says and God by wisdom saw to it that the world by wisdom knew not God what does that mean it means that you guys who are high intellectual uppity ups you intellectual topwater as you Ph D.'s in the rest of you don't have a head start you don't have any Head Start the world by Wisdom knows not God in the wisdom of God a little child can know God Now that's real wisdom a wisdom that a child can know wisdom that anybody can know the common person can know what it is revealed in the cross what I'm trying to say to you. Listen to me dear friend God speaks through the cross you will never understand the heart the mind the life of God the power of God or the wisdom of God until you understand the cross we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block to the Greeks whose message but to those of us who are saved Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God by new power in the salvation of a so mighty wisdom is revealed in the cross hallelujah for that but malice Not only does God speak through the crawl but God also see through the crawls Now look again look in. 1st Corinthians Chapter one Verse 18 Paul the preaching of the cross is to them which perish fruition us but unto us who are see it is the power of God to those of us who are saved God saved through the cross now the world does not like the idea of salvation through the cross the world doesn't mind organ music the world doesn't mind staying glass windows the world doesn't mind good works the world doesn't mind platitudes and morrow living but the world to resent the gospel a bloody cross did you know that did you know that when you preach that the cross is God's way of salvation that is an offense that is a scandal to some people I guess and I want to read to you what the Bible says in verse 21 for after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it please God by the foolishness of preaching does save them that believe for the Jews require a sign in the Greek seek after wisdom but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block and into the Greeks this is still the same way today for and I want to tell you something I've been preaching long enough to know this is not mere rhetoric the world laughs at the idea of salvation by the blood and the world is incensed by the idea of the gospel of no other name they don't like for me to stand in a pope and say you come by a bloody cross so you won't come at all you will be saved by the shed blood of the Lord Jesus or you will not be saved and all the world thinks that I'm an American if I don't put my arms around everybody shoulder and say your religion is just as good as mine but friend I want to tell you that Jesus Christ crucified is the only way to heaven and if there's some other way other than Jesus Christ crucified I wouldn't want to meet God in a dark alley because I wouldn't trust that kind of a God who let his son die on a cross in agony and blood when there was some other way I tell you there is no other way God is powerless to save apart from the cross and if you are not saved by the shed but of the Lord Jesus you will not be say the Bible says in Hebrews Chapter 9 in verse $22.00 without shedding of blood. It is no remission of sin now the liberals modern sophisticated preachers today has stopped preaching the blood many of the cross many of them have God pity him Billy Graham said that when he was a young man preaching he preached at a certain resort one time and he preached on the crawl and after it preached date a former professor at Cornell University came up dam and said Young man you have a lot of gifts you have a lot of ability you can go places in the religious world but he said Young man I just want to give you some advice leave that blood stuff out. Graham said he made up his mind he preached Mol the blood of Jesus the never praise God for that all the devil hates the blood the Bible does you can go to many churches today and I'm not trying to make I be chauvinist about it but go to many churches across the land and you will never hear the bloody cross preached that the Lord Jesus Christ gave his blood a ransom for many but there is power wonder working power in the precious blood of the Lamb years ago I read a story something like this there was a minister he was a Liberal minister he was not saved just as lost as he could be he'd been educated in one of the liberal theological seminaries he did not believe in the book in the blood in the blasted hope but he was as men go very good in kind and considerate man he was in a study and there came a knock on the door he went to the door and there was a little girl there dressed in rags and this preacher ministry was in the inner city and as a little girl there dressed in rags and he said little lady come in. What can I do for you and she said to him police are when you come and help get money and. He thought him mother was grown. And he said perhaps you need a policeman to get your mother in no she said I don't need a policeman mother sent me to get a preacher Aren't you a minister my mother is dying and she says she doesn't want to go to hell she wants to go to heaven. And she wanted me to find a preacher to help get her in. So this kind of minister who was unsaved and lost got his had got his coat the little girl took him by the hand and led him through the alleyways of that city into a rundown b. Draggled filthy apart and there on a dirty mattress was a warm weather grey hair spread out all the pillow and her eyes sunk back in her head and a life that had been marked by saying had Martin and debilitated and degraded her body and she was dying of a vile disease the preacher looked at his heart of love went out to er and he was moved with pity as he saw she looked at him and she said Please sir I know that I am dying and I need help. I have lived a wicked enough I live and if you're a man of God I need help from God Can God do something for me. This preacher started to try to minister to her and he talked to her about love and he talked to her about goodness and he talked to her about forgiveness and he talked to her about good deeds and kindness and all of these things all of the planet Toots and all of the high sounding phrases that he knew but her countenance never changed there was no joy no peace no release. He said Madame does this mean anything to you . She said Sir you don't understand. All of that maybe well and good for people like you. But not for a person like me don't you understand I've not lived that kind of a life and furthermore I can't live back catalog and pray the more I am da and then with the pitiful look on her face she said preacher don't you have a message for sinful woman. Like I am. And he thought he realized for the 1st time he did not have a message for a woman like that and he remembered the story his mother told him. Of a Christ who died on crawls and with his shed blood paid for our scene and that by repentance and faith our sins could be forgiven we could be born again and made over a new through the shed blood of the power of the cross and though he did not believe the story he began to tell it to her not believing it but he just told it to her because psychologically he thought it would help her and so he told her about Christ who died on the cross and how the shed blood of the Lord Jesus the tones for sin and though I sin be discarded he should be white as snow and through faith in his shed blood we could be forgiven saved and retain as he told that story power of God in the Spirit of God took those words from the mouth of an unbelieving preacher and brought them home to our heart and she heard the message true whether he believed it or not it was still true and she opened her heart and receive Christ as their personal savior and her countenance changed and the Spirit of God came into our hearts and bore witness with that poor pitiful woman that she was a child of God and with tears of gratitude she said Oh thank you thank you for telling me thank you for helping me to get in. The way we know about that story is this. That same liberal preacher. Went around telling that story everywhere he went. And when he got to the end he said Ladies and gentlemen not only did that poor woman get in but that night this preacher got him also has he saw the power of a gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ tell me. Stories of Jesus and His love for him listen to God speak through the cross you'll never know the power of God You will never know the wisdom of God Do you understand the cross of God saved by the crawl. Right at the center of our faith at the center of our very Christian lives is the cross of Jesus Christ until we let the cross speak to our lives until we let it do its work we won't know that awesome power and forgiveness that God wants us to experience and I hope you'll be able to join us tomorrow as we hear the conclusion of this important message and if you'd like a copy of it on cd you can order one by calling 1877 Love God and ask for fools wise or otherwise and you'll receive the entire message on your individual cd additional copies are available for a reduced cost again to order call 1877 love God you know it's our sincere desire to help you grow in every aspect of your faith and we love to provide materials to help you do that right now we'd like to offer you Adrian Rogers booklet how to make your bible come alive many people are touched by these programs each day and some get involved on a deep level they pray for us and send a financial gift to help love worth finding continue we can express how thankful we are for your prayerful financial support we really won't know until heaven just how many people were reached how many. People came to know Jesus Christ because of the message of the Gospel in these programs so we are so grateful for all you do to help us continue to share the good news of his love worth finding would you reach out with a gift today call us at 1877 Love God will send you a copy of this booklet how to make your bible come alive 187-756-8346 extension 3 or you can give online at l. W.f. Dot org Here's our mailing address it's love worth finding box 38600 Memphis Tennessee 38183 or in Canada right p. O. Box 152 Maple Ridge b c v 2 x. 7 g. One let us know that you'd like a copy of How to Make Your bible come alive and please tell us the callers of this station if you'd like devotionals or extra study helps we have sermon outlines available created from Adrian Rogers messages just go to L.W.'s dot org and click the broadcast tab and then sermon outlines also while you're there click on the resources tab that will take you to daily treasures different articles and Bible studies all of that and more it l w f dot org Also at the website you'll find out about our prayer network we get requests from listeners around the country and around the world that are prayed over every day and you can be a part of it people are asking about the salvation of a spouse or a child or a parent there's wisdom for those who are looking for employment prays for answered prayer if you go to the website you'll see prayer network at the top of the page it l w f dot org click on that share your request pray for other requests that you see again go to l w f dot org and click prayer never lets ever outcast for today a big thank you to Rusty long and Gary McWilliams for their work behind the scenes tomorrow the conclusion of food. Wise or other. Journalist As we learn more about God's great love worth finding. That's the vibrancy and truth of the Gospel from Dr Adrian Rogers forced to our hears support finding my going to. And writing a message of encouragement or donating to the ministry and also please make sure that they know you are Kilty listener and that you are supporting love worth finding today. Worldwide at 670 calle t.t. Dot com and all over Colorado in digital age am 670 Kayla t.t. Come a city Denver. Zoning regulations matter if you're running space for your new church plant stay tuned and listen to this. Pastor's take no attorney David Gibbs June has some legal advice you want to put into practice here he is with today's legal alert should you be concerned about zoning regulations if your ministry is renting or leasing rather than purchasing property in general terms as zoning runs with the land or applies to how the land is being utilized as such renters and lessees are indirectly affected by the zoning laws and are absolutely required to comply if they occupy whether your ministry is looking for a location to build up or if you're planning on relocating land use and zoning laws should absolutely be examined and taken into account please contact our lawyers at the Christian law so c.h. And if you have a question about what the land requires and what you can do with zoning free legal resources are just a click away at Christian Law dot o.-r. G.'s for example you'll find legal brochures case updates our newsletter and a complete publication cap. M p 3 sermon downloads from Dr Gibbs all Christian law on. The fundamentals and early 20th century literary project in defense of the inspiration and authority of the Bible at the core doctrines of traditional Christian faith was conceived at a time when evangelical Christians were faced with Darwin's theory of human origins and other challenges to the Bible's authority Lyman Stewart's founder and president of Union Oil Companies spearheaded the effort to bring together a diverse group of $64.00 theologians and church leaders they wrote 90 essays on what they believed to be the fundamental beliefs of Christianity and to defend the authority of the Bible stewards efforts not only included the publishing of a 12 volume series of book length journals but also the founding of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles to train students in the Bible today by all the university it rolls over 6000 men and women engaging in a biblically centered education. By Museum of the Bible I'm in Tom Thompson here my family owns Broyhill of Denver dot com quality furniture that's affordable and fashionable Welcome to the maximize manhood minute with Ed goal a noose a truth that says your care for others is the measure of your greatness it's true because Christ not only said it but proved it in the sacrifice of himself for the sins of the world men prove it and their willingness to sacrifice themselves for the welfare of their family employees fellow man or for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ there's a difference between being famous and great pursue your dreams and visions in your faith family finances and future join men from around the city for one. Evening a month for a month of powerful days Please check us out at the maximize Man dot com building a new generation of men who believe in proclaim manhood and Christ likeness are synonymous that maximize Man dot com or shipping guide and saluting America here 10 to 670 k. L. Today. We all long to be fully unconditionally just as we are we won't find that love in the world but it flows freely from the one who is the very author of Love today on turning point Dr David Jeremiah explains why there is no love as complete for fulfilling as the love of God from his series that you may not know here's David to introduce today's message a loving God Well thank you for joining us we're moving in the last few moments of discussion concerning the nature of God And today we begin the last message and we're going to talk about knowing a loving God I've only done this a couple of times in the almost half century that have been preaching and teaching but today and tomorrow I'm going to teach on John 316 the number one favorite verse of every one and it is the greatest presentation of the love of God in any place in the Bible so you may know that verse you mean I have to turn to it since you know it by heart but if you want to get your Bibles ready we're going to start doing that in just a few moments before we go there let me encourage you again that if you haven't already explored the possibility of going with us to Israel in March of next year this would be a good time to do it the 19th through the 29th of March are the dates of the tour there's also a pretty tour you can sign up for that takes you to Rome and this will be the trip of a lifetime the tour of a lifetime for you. As you walk the streets of Jerusalem and the shores of Galilee you almost can feel the presence of the Lord in a special way maybe you want to get baptized in the Jordan River or take the long journey up the Massada or just sit in the garden and think about the resurrection of Jesus Christ all of these things available to you when you go to Israel with us in March of 2019 once again the 19 through the 29th will be in Israel Charles Billingsley will be with us along with the Oriole Vega enjoy bowling and will have the time of our life as we walk where Jesus walked and explore the joy of the Bible lands there's a brochure available but it's a lot easier just to go to our website David dot org And there you'll find all the information you need so that you can join us for this historic tour Well let's get started with today's lesson we're going to talk about knowing a loving god. Prior to their crucial playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 8th in 2012. The Denver Broncos had lost their last 3 games by an average of 16 points 3 games 16 points. Then came the famous match up that has gone down in n.f.l. Lore as the 316 game the Broncos hosted the Steelers during the playoffs and Denver's quarterback was Tim Thibeault who had printed John 316 in the black eye paint the 1st time he did this was during the b.c.s. National championship game back in 2009 and when he did it it lit up the Internet with Google reporting over 90000000 searches for John 316 it was the number one trending item on Twitter. During the n.f.l. Playoff game a crucial moment came when Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw the game's only interception on 3rd down in 16 which led to a Denver field goal and there's more during the game both threw for $316.00 yards he averaged $31.00 yards per completion the highest single game postseason completion average in a film history. His yards per rush were $3.00. Pittsburgh's time of possession was 31 minutes and 6 seconds. And c.b.s. Is ratings for the game peaked at $31.00. Without being irreverent I have to confess it seemed like the Lord wanted to grab our nation's attention with John 316. What a great verse is John 316 in fact most of you would say it's my favorite verse I know that because when I sign your Bibles I look to see what verses are in there John 316 Zin your Bibles more than any other verse and we put that verse in our Bibles and we let that word be in our heart because it's hard for us to find someone willing to love us as we are and we know that God does and he does it perfectly and the Bible says God is Love It isn't merely say he's loving he is that but the Bible says God is love that God is the very embodiment of love the very personification of love the essence of all that love means. John made that statement twice in his 1st letter 1st John $48.16 he said God is love and we have known and believe the love that God has for us God is love and he will bides in love abides in God and God in him. God is a just loving God is love all love originates with God The Bible even tells us that we love God because He 1st loved us we don't even have any of our own love that we can offer back to God we have to get our love from God so we can give it back to him. And as we look at this part of God's nature we discover we have a creator who loves us he never asks us to get rid of our baggage before he accepts us he takes us as we are to be sure when he moves in and begins to rule in our lives he cleans up a few things here and there. He erases the past through his forgiveness he begins working in us what is pleasing to him. Were transformed over time by grace and from the beginning at the very inception and continually and throughout eternity we have a God who looks at us just as we are and says I love you I love you just as you are I love you too much to leave you the way you are. In the Bible says of God. For God. So loved the world. That he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life the love of Jesus is so incredible that the ancient writers had to create a new word for love when he came on the scene the New Testament was originally written in Greek which was the universal language of the 1st century and the Greeks had a lot of words for love and their top words were air Aso which means erotic. Which was for brotherly love. But there was no Greek word to describe self sacrificial love until Jesus came on the scene isn't that an interesting thing. A new word appeared as the savior appeared a unique word it's the Word of God pay this is true love the love that seeks the best for the one it loves without any expectation of anything in return. In my estimation only those who know Christ are capable of a god paid love because it only comes from God That's the kind of love the Bible is talking about when the Bible says God is Love God is a got paid. He reaches out to every one of us just as we are. Despite our brokenness and baggage and he says I am focusing my infinite love on you not because of who you are but in spite of who you are and because of who I am . He expects nothing back from us except to love Him in return. Why does God love you not because you're bigger or better than anyone else but simply because he loves you. God loves us because He loves us. It is his nature. God is love. In our study of the attributes of God I have saved this one until last because to me it's the best news in all the world to be painfully honest with you there's a sense in which I cower at the holiness of God I mean I'm forever thankful he's holy in the universe would be in disastrous shape with he wasn't but the blinding purity of God's holiness overwhelms my imagination. When it comes to God's mercy Sometimes I want to cry when I think about it his faithfulness encourages me and makes me want to search out all of his promises and I'm boggled and blessed by his omnipresence in his omniscience all of God's attributes affect me emotionally but I am most of all affected by his love. When I think of how much he loves me how much he loves you how much he loves the world I am moved more deeply than I can express and yet the truth is expressed in the simplest verse in all the Bible it's that verse that Tim Thibeault painted in his eye black that verse that triggered 90000000 searches for the 1st time it ever happened the verse that sometimes you see on signs in the end zone when you're watching the n.f.l. Game I'm sure a lot of people wonder what John 316 is they've seen it hundreds of times. I want you to say it with me you know it well let's say it out loud together 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 that ladies and gentleman is the gospel in one verse and in fact that you know the Gospels in that verse Let me show you. 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 gospel. You got that. That's the greatest verse in the Bible according to many. Because it's the gospel but what is the gospel. What does the word gospel mean it's a term in our English Bible that is translated from the original Greek word un Gelly on and the middle of letters of that Greek term are you and galley on Angel is in that word and Angel is the word in the Greek language which also means messenger. So the word gospel literally means the good message the glad tidings The good news as it relates to the traits of God The good news isn't simply that he is just I'm glad he's righteous or he couldn't be God but that isn't necessarily good news to me I mean the fact that God's going to treat me as I deserve I don't know if that's really could do is it isn't simply that God is holy the good news of the gospel is that God is love. When we read about this in John 316 worst down did because here in this verse is everything the Bible is all about sometimes you wonder why do I have to read the rest of the Bible but the important truth is right here in these words if you have to distill the message of the whole Bible into one verse this is that this is the grounds at the end of the cup of coffee down at the bottom it's simple it's deep. So I'm going on packet for you in just a few minutes I remember reading some place that there are several 1000 different outlines of John 316 Can you imagine that one verse with over a 1000 different outlines out there somewhere floating around. Let me just give you my little outline. And let's find out for sure that we know what this verse means 1st of all the surpassing quality of God's love that's the 1st thing and that's all wrapped up in one word. For God son. Loved the world. You have a little child come up to you and say Poppy I love you so much. This verse describes their surpassing quality of God's love notice God so loved the world the Bible doesn't just say that God loved the world as wonderful as that would be the Bible says God so loved the world so is the biggest little word in the Bible included in so are all the agonies of the cross all the riches of God's grace all the depths of your sin and my sin and all of the wonders of His mercy the cross is bound up in the words so this is the truth that makes the heathen wonder and makes the devil tremble God so loved that he went to the extraordinary lengths to express it his love is beyond comprehension we cannot fathom a god who would willingly self sacrificially create the set of conditions we call salvation in Calvary. I should spend hours meditating on that tiny words so and never begin to get to the bottom of it that's why sometimes we hesitate even to preach on drawn 316 I'm embarrassed to tell you that I was a preacher for 25 years before I ever preached on John 316 and then I read these words from a wonderful Bible teacher by the name of Morgan he said there is a text that I have never attempted to preach on though I have gone around it and around it it's John $316.00 it's too big when I have read it there's nothing left to say. That's what you feel when you read this verse how do I comment on this how can I make this better because it's already as good as it can be he understood that nothing is as simple or as deep as the significance of God so love this is the quality of God's love Jesus Christ so loved us God so loved us that He gave His only Son This world is. Astounded by the surpassing love of God Notice the surprising object of God's love he loved the world that was an extraordinary thing for a Jewish writer to say I mean ancient Hebrews looked with proud to stain on every gentile to a devout you the rest of the nations were defiled I mean the Jews knew that God loved Israel but they were not too sure that he'd love the rest of the world in fact they pretty much felt like he was like them that the rest of the world was despised and condemned yet here's a Jewish a banjo list the Apostle John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit saying God loves the world. The world is made up of the unlovely and the unloving the lonely and the loathsome the arrogant in the law breakers and God loves each and every one I grew up in a Christian home but I went through a period as a teenager that I wrestled with some aspects of the Bible all of us do that I'm sure one of the things that used to really plague me was the thought that one person could die for everybody I heard my dad preach that he preached about how Jesus died for the whole world and what would how could that be. When all of human history there have been over 100000000000 souls who have passed through the corridors of time and the population of the earth today is over 7000000000 How can one person offer himself as a sacrifice for billions of people. And then I realized that this person wasn't just a person it was the person the person the Son of God God in the flesh and just as God is infinite in his life he's also infinite in his death so he could die a death that would be equal to everyone who would ever live. And therefore sufficient for everyone who would ever believe and when I begin to understand the Deity of Christ that Christ was and is and always will be God that helped me and the more I tried to take it in the more I felt dizzy trying to understand it it was always an abstraction How does God love the world I had it appeared but I couldn't get it here and then I noticed something one day. When I was studying the crucifixion story well Jesus Christ was hanging on the cross for the sin of the whole world he turned to one somebody one suffering individual suspended on the cross next to him and he loved that man. And he forgave that man and he said to that man assuredly I say to you today you will be with me imperatives it was as if God were saying to us I love the whole world but remember that includes you I don't love the whole world in general I love the whole world of everybody and I personally love everybody in the whole world. St Augustine said it this way God loves each one of us is if there were only one of us to love. That's the object of God's love God so loved the world here's the surprising sacrificial cost of God's love he gave his only be gotten son. It's been interesting week in my life it's been a reference and a reprisal on other weeks that have gone before and several years ago when my oldest son Ted graduated from high school he decided that he would go to Liberty University have no idea why all my children decided to go to school on the East Coast. But that's how it happened. The plan was made that he and his friend who was going there with him would leave in the middle of the night really from our home so we got up and they had a pickup truck and they loaded the back of it with all of their stuff and. Early in the morning I stood out in front of my house. And I washed my oldest son disappear down that hill and go 2500 miles away I wasn't ready for that. At that time I was a lot younger than I am now I was running the block I would start my house up there I'd run down I'd run down all around where the buses go all around past the high school and back and up the hill to my house for the next 2 weeks I did great till I got to the football field. And then I just fell apart. And this week my son. Got in a pickup truck with his son. And they. Drove across the country. And. I. Couldn't understand why my son was so emotional. And then I thought it serves you right. That's what you did to me. And I tell you this story because there isn't any kind of a bond that I know of like the bond between. A man. And his son I know there's a different kind of relationship with your daughter I get that and it's special and some people say oh yes I don't know what they're both different they're different kinds of bonds. But when I read in the Bible. That God gave up his only begotten son and sent him here to this earth to die for my sin. I am just overwhelmed I mean I love all you guys love you with a lot of love but not enough to give you my son. You can't have him. And you get what I mean don't you let's don't spiritualize this so that it ends up in the clouds someplace and oh yeah well that was some sort of a no no God put it in the terms that he put it in so we would get the message God loved his son as much as we love our sons and he sent his Son into this world and he not only sent him into the world he sent him knowing he would suffer and die so that you and I could be set free because the wages of sin is death and somebody has to die and if it's not Jesus it's us he took our place willingly because his father loved us so much he gave up Heaven's best and sent Jesus Christ down here to be our substitute so that through him the infinite God we could be set free. The sacrificial cost of God's love. And then. There's the serious offer of God's love. As the words continue to unfold in John 316 we learn that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever whoever means you and me and according to Scripture Jesus died for the sin of the entire world there's enough grace and Calvary to cover ever single person who's ever lived in all the past errors of history or who will ever live as long as the planet indoors or who is ever living now. He offers eternal life to everybody in North America South America Asia Europe Antarctica oceanic Africa Australia uttermost parts of the world. You might be saying but Pastor Jeremiah you don't know how bad I am. You don't know how much baggage I have or how messed up I am I don't make any difference whoever means you. Know conditions on that word fact here's a good thing for you to do go back and read it put your name in there for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that if David Jeremiah would believe. He could have eternal. That's all person that is appointed it is. Or you know it shout amount church where I am the pastor we have baptisms quite often in people always shared their favorite verse I would say without any question the verse that shared most often is John 316 and that we love this verse because it captures in just a few words the nature of the Gospel the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ and we're talking about knowing a loving God We couldn't be any better territory than in John 316 and we'll conclude that tomorrow when we meet again for the last message in this series by the way there's a study guide and a set of C.D.'s along with the book that you can get for the series The guide you may not know the study guide and the C.D.'s are available from our website you can go there it tells you how to order them the book is available if you send a gift a turning point of any size you can just ask for it and this 270 page book is our way of saying thank you for your investment during the month of August in the ministry of turning point the book will help you because it contains every word that I've spoken and many that I didn't have time to speak and it's captured in a very beautiful style you'll be able to read it there's a study guide you can get for it as I've mentioned and you can share it is a small group curriculum it's a wonderful way to get involved in the Scripture and to encourage one another in the Lord be sure. To ask for your copy of the book The God you may not know when you send your gift Stand this week as he looks forward to Labor Day This Monday the president Broadcasting Company Dawn Crawford is extolling the virtues of we who work and of the. Work itself were produces much more than money those who understand the value of work realize full well that the doing well anything is the reward itself the satisfaction of fulfillment the full expression of the self among mankind and before God are the best rewards best they are indeed more valuable than money for money comes and goes but the rewards of work well done last a lifetime and in some cases are in fact eternal eternal we create an earthly balance sheet do we not personal financial and last statements here and now but it is the eternal balance sheet which really counts nothing goes with you no matter what you leave behind but only the heavenly balance sheet you create for there is always something more often much more than the work itself or the profit therefrom there is good there is good often enormous good in work well done and even very spiritual good see that clearly as part of the goal of your calling and work which only adds to the return and the enjoyment so the work we do can be not only for money or profit but for non profit for worthy causes for the good of society the so called give back for the good of society in which we live for all humanity especially those in need for the Christian church and for the Christ we love and serve for blood drives for h.i.i. Xeni awareness and treatment for feeding and sheltering the homeless for carrying the message of the gospel to forsaken and needy parts of America and the world shepherding and guiding children tending to the needs of the elderly visiting and comforting those in prison have you done that the work of the Lord at work for all mankind as we are called all of these things make us what we should be. Before the Lord and our fellow man so many of us our people face but our faiths say if the scripture without works is dead whatever you believe whatever your faith there is no way for anyone to know whether or not is real except by your works talk is cheap real cheap but by the fruits of your labors your fellow human beings will know you if there is a fact a work of God and you are calling a life objective the work that you do will prove to others who you are what you and I do not do also proves who we are the great thinker Dietrich Bonhoeffer said that not to act is to act again not to act is to Hax negative actions doing nothing can be as potent negatively as actual action itself unfortunately there are those who do deceitful works and works of iniquity they are known for their fraudulent and deceitful acts they work not for the good of mankind but only for themselves for ego for you listen again in a deceitful way their works and their lives are in vain William Shakespeare said that the evil that men do lives after them the legacy they make and that evil is the only thing remember here and in eternity if that's what you did so my fellow Americans it is our duty to study to grow ourselves in our career and constantly make ourselves better so that we can show ourselves approved as working men and women understanding the objectives the values and priorities which are ours always growing in our understanding especially the Scriptures so that we can be approved before God and as well before man and tomorrow Mr Crawford encourages us to work while we can before night is coming when no one can work. Infusing your morning little light if guns were here to to am 67 pale t.j. Calle t. Th do come or city didn't and don't f. It at 95 point one and streaming world was at 670 calle t.t. Got come. To a Houston slow food. 000-000-0000 extension 008 . Were close is. Through view soon to prove all over. You soon she. Will. Be close to that oh in his difficulties King David trusted God and found that he is true to his word as a result David could on Asli say Oh taste and see that the Lord is good that's what our teacher Dr j. Vernon McGee calls putting Christianity and issue other taking our experiences with god and then sharing it in the marketplace the schoolroom the office in the workshop welcome to through the Bible or in Psalms 34 and 35 as we listen to David's beautiful reflections on some of the most trying times of his law.