Services | Saving Faith

Bulletin

Hymn # 435 “He Keeps Me Singing”
SCRIPTURE READING – Colossians 3:16 & 17

Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate

Praise and Worship
“Great Are You Lord”​​
“Echo Holy”
“Way Maker”

Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Saving Faith”

PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“God You Are”



Acknowledgements and Announcements
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Benediction “There Is Freedom”



Sermon Notes
John 3:16 God loved, God gave, whoever believes shall not perish
John 3:17 God did not send Jesus to judge the world, but to save it
John 3:18 If you believe your are not judged, if you do not believe you are judged already
John 3:19 Judgment – The Light was sent, but people love darkness
John 3:20 Those who love evil hate the Light and will not come to it
John 3:21 Those who practice the truth come to the Light so that they may be shown created in God

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Scritpures

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Transcript of Service

If you have your Bibles, please turn to. John, 316 and we will be going from there, John 316 probably the best known address in the world. If you are a. Sports fan of any sports. Over the decades, you probably saw somebody holding up a cardboard sign that says John 316. There have even been ballplayers, whether it's football players or basketball players or baseball players will have black under their eyes and then say John 316. Now most Christians know what that address says and means, but I'm not too sure. The rest of the world does, because all they ever saw was the address John 316. And so we're going to take a look. At that address, because it's an important address. And it's something that we should. Pay attention to and since we are on a journey to make sure that we find and strengthen and increase faith, we're going to see how valuable this journey is to find faith. So in John 316 it says for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. That whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. So I want you to notice a few things here in this one compact, meaningful, insightful verse. It starts off for God. God starts the process of faith and salvation. It isn't us trying over new leaf. It isn't us deciding to be a better person isn't in US deciding to be holy. It is God who starts, so for it's God who love the world, it's God who loves. It's not a God. It's not a God. Is angry, is not a God who's vindictive and can't wait to just cause you pain he loves. God is love. And it's funny.

We live in a world that everybody wants to talk about love and we sing about love and we all, but we don't really appreciate true love because we don't see how God loves. We see how we want to be. May feeling better, but God gives God's love. Is that which? Reaches out to those who are in need, so it is so God love the world. Now the world is not just the Jews. It's the Greeks. It's the Turks. It's even Americans. Of the world. All the ethnicities throughout the world, no matter what geographic location you are. God loves you. So God, who loves. Again, it is God who is the one who is giving. He gave his son his only begotten son. And again, it shows that we who are in need. God does something that is love. It is not something that cause. Oftentimes we say I love you, but then we don't match whatever need is there or in that person's life. But God sees our need. So he gave his only begotten son. Which again shows the difference between God. And lease B. Throughout my trip. This day I. Saw a lot of different people. Of different people. Just confirm why I don't like people. They'd be rude. They wouldn't be courteous.

There would be a number of things and. I just go and. I you know, but thank God I'm not God. Because I would have not given any of my children. But God gave his only begotten son for us, and quite frankly, we are a lot worse than the people. I just didn't like. So God in his love gave and saw the need that we have, which is we are sinful people. But he gave his only begotten son so that whoever. It is not restricted in whether you're a Jew or a Gentile, or a Greek or an American or Canadian or Chinese, whatever your ethnicity is.

Whoever believes in Jesus in God. Shall not perish. You see, faith. Has its own rewards. Because we will not purge, but we will have eternal life now. Eternal life is not just a long life. Because let's face it. If I said under the present conditions, especially as we get older and we have more aches and pains and illnesses and and whatever, we're not too thrilled with another, let's say 80 years of heartache and pain and cancer and chemo and whatever the situation may be, just extending life. But God gives us eternal life is not life, death, life, but it's an eternal life that is filled with joy and hope and his presence. And peace and all the things that God has and love all of those things that God is, and that it provides for us. It'll be that kind of eternal life.

It's not just life as it is continuing, but the life that God intended us to live. 1 Where there's no anxiety. And no tears. Cause he's going to wipe those away. He's going to comfort those. He's going to give us that rest and that peace, his eternal life is worth it. It's not just continuing on in the misery and pain of this life. It is one. Or the eternal. Presence with him. For God did not send the son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be safe through him. Now I want you to see something here. It says God didn't send Jesus. To judge us. Which is an important fact. I want you to understand, because people will say, well, it's the rejection of Jesus that sends you to hell. No, it's the refusal to accept him that. Sends you to hell. And so people will say, well, you know, if we don't send missionaries to the hot and tots and wherever or or some other ethnicity that's ever hurt, if we if we send them and we tell them about Jesus and they reject Jesus, then they're gonna go to hell. No, they're going to go to hell because they would have been judged. God didn't send. Jesus to judge. God sent him that we might be saved. But once you understand Jesus didn't come to condemn, Jesus came. To relieve us of that, that we might be saved is that saving faith, we believe. Hate to be judged. You know it. And you've heard. People, even when you weren't judging them.

You will hear people say. Well, don't judge me. I didn't condemn you. You said what you're doing isn't right. But there's a sense of don't judge me. And so whatever people want to do, they do and they think if you don't. Condone it that you are judging them. We don't like it and most of the time, let's be fair. Most of the time when we feel judged. We're not as bad off as and because they don't have all the facts. They don't understand our intentions, they don't understand our true. Meaning they see the outside and then they judge and then they oftentimes end them. God didn't see Jesus. To condemn us. A matter of fact, the scriptures again say. But God demonstrated his love towards us, and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Doesn't wait for us to be perfect. To save us. He saves us in the exact condition we're in. And so there's and also the scripture says. That those who are in Christ Jesus. There is no condemnation. So again, the fact that we come to saving faith. Avoids judgment by God. Who is a righteous judge?

Who knows not only all the facts, but our thoughts and our intentions and all that our and we will not be able to counter his judgment. So that is why it is better not to be judged by God. Better to have faith in Christ so that we are no longer judged, but we are saved through him. He who believes in him is not judged. He does not believe, has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. See again, it's not a matter of whether you reject Jesus, it's a matter whether you don't accept him. And what God has done. Now I want you to understand. I wouldn't offer my children or grandchildren or any of y'all who I lot I like or love. Let alone the people I don't like. But let's face it, if God so loved us. Did he send Jesus? Not only to be a human.

Which is far below who he is. It would be like it would be worse than you and me becoming an Ant. And he comes and he takes on the clothing of a human. And he suffered rejection. And our position. And beating and flogging. And spit upon. And nailed to a cross. Now spear is thrusting his side and he die. I've sent my children for you and you walked on their blood. I will be very angry. I suspect God will too, but God will have a holy wrath. But he's trying to tell us. Instead of concentrating on God's judgment and condemnation. Look at the fact. That he sent his son because he loves us. Now why he does? That's God's business because he's God and I'm not. But it says God is love and so no. As I've I've I've shared with some of my family members. There's a song that that says that he loves. Me, even in my worst day. I'm amazed he loves me even in. My best day. He's God, he does. He doesn't just love me from afar. He doesn't just love you from afar. He sent his son to you with our most pressing need sent. So that we might be forgiven and that we might be wholly we might be sanctified, and that we might well in heaven in his presence forever. So if you believe. If you don't like to be judged by your friends and your peers and and people you don't know. Let me tell you, it is not a good thing to be judged by. So I would much rather. So for your judgment and be. Wholly in his sight. And to be wholly. In your sight be condemned by him. So faith gives us that. Of not only having eternal life that is renewed and joyful, but that we will dwell in his house forever. This is the judgment that the light has come into the world and men love the darkness rather than the light for the deeds were evil. And we can see that in the world.

Every generation thinks. That the next generation is going to. Hell in a handbasket. But you know, throughout the generations. They were right. It doesn't seem even even even in the greatest generation. They weren't perfect. We seem to be on a path that always would rather. Because when we are exposing the like. What we do, whether it's good. Or bad is exposed. And we don't want that exposure. We'd rather to be hid. And so in today's world. One of the reasons we think it's. Getting so bad. It used to be when people. Conducting themselves immorally. There was shame. There was acceptance, but there was shame. In today's world. There is no immorality. You do whatever you want. And is celebrate. Your truth is your. Truth and my truth is my truth. But the reality is. It's not his truth. He is true. And so instead of coming to the light, most people avoid it. And so one of the things when we are being his witnesses and we're sharing that you should come to the light, that you should get this saving faith that you should no longer have to be judged and condemned but have eternal life.

They will avoid it. Or they will struggle as mightily as they can to prevent it for another day. For everyone who does evil hates the light. And does not come to the light or fear that his deeds will be exposed. And it's obvious in the world today. You can have any. Philosophy, religion, spirituality. You name it. Except to be an evangelical Christian. And it's OK to fun. And mock you. As they don't want to come to the light. They don't want to see and be. Responsible to God. But he who practices the truth? Comes through the line. So that his deeds may be manifested as having been walked in God. This in the phrase Jesus will talk about. When he talks about burying flute. There are a lot of people who will. Say that they are Christians. And I'm not judge got it. I don't know whether they are or not. But God has told us. To be fruit and spectre. And if I don't see fruit, it's hard for me to believe that you're a Christian. Now again, it's not up to me. I I'm I'm. Not, you know, even the joke about Saint Patrick St. Peter doesn't let you. In or out? The only access you have to God is through his son. He is the gateway to heaven. So I am not and so, but when we look at, it's a. So what he's saying is if you are a true believer, if you have come to the light in your actions, your deeds are to show that you've.

Come to the light. So you ought. To be more loving now, it doesn't mean that you're perfect, that you move along and I'm now, as as you hear, I complain about people and will, you know, and I'm hoping to complain. Less and less. But you know, every day I find a new idiot. So you know it, but. I I try. I'm trying to have good fruit, but sometimes it's a little harder in certain areas than others. So for instance, I don't have a lot of difficulty in believing the word of God. Have a little difficulty doing it, but I don't have as much. If God says it. Then it's true. And I'm not going to argue with him because I wasn't there when he created the heavens into your I wasn't even there. 1951 so I mean, you know, he says what he does and and and I have no problem with that. Have a little more difficulty with other aspects of the scriptures and and whatever, but we're maturing on and we're moving, but I'm trying to produce fruit. In relationship to what he's done for me. Says but again, but if he who practices the truth comes to the light so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.

Which again is like another passage in the scriptures that said, for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God. And that we are God's workmanship. Prepare beforehand to do good deeds. We don't do good deeds to be saved. We do good deeds to manifest that he's saved us. Don't get it backward. You get saved through faith. Then you demonstrate that saving grace. Through your action. But that's the kind of God we have. Kind of God. Who doesn't say? You got to do 5 things before you go to heaven. Or that you have to never swear. Between from this date until you die and. If you do oops, you blew it. Or that you always say a kind word or whatever, whatever struggle you have with sin. God doesn't say you gotta overcome that, and then we'll talk. It says I loved you. Even in your current condition. I'm just simply asking you one thing. Believe in your heart. Ranged from the dead. And confess with your mouth. Jesus as Lord. And you're saying? That's the kind of God we worship. You don't have to be different. You don't have to turn over another leaf. I'll give you a whole new treat. I am the type of God. And restore us and redeems and heals. And even resurrects the dead. That's the kind of God that we come to, and that's the kind of God who simply says.

Believe in my son. And you shall be sick. It's not just. Looking for gold, not looking for pearls. It's looking for something that is. Infinite in value. And all he offers it. By saying come to me. And let your life shine.

And all God's people set.