You Are Invited... Love
You Are Invited • Sermon • Submitted
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· 7 viewsGod gave Jesus to the world when we needed Him the most... Why not the church?
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I want to introduce you to Ben Weaver… Andy Griffith Christmas Episode
I want to help you grow in your understanding of Christ’s love by learning about the life of a fictional character from a television program.
Ben is wealthy. Owns his own department store.
Has no family.
Wanted Sam Muggins thrown into jail on Christmas Eve.
Sam is miserable.
He tried to have himself arrested so he could join the party.
All of his negativity was a front. He was sad, miserable, and alone. He just wanted in no matter how hard he tried to like he didn’t.
We have no way of knowing why Ben is bitter towards people.
Even the most bitter and lost need a family.
READ John 3:16-21
This verse presents a concise summary of the gospel message, tying the events of Jesus’ death to God’s love for the world He created.
Divine care for everyone, not just the Jews.
“One and only song” (monogenes) - One of a kind.
uniqueness
He loved the “world” (humanity). “To perish” is to miss out on God’s blessing.
Jesus did not come to “separate” the world. Condemnation was not the object of Christ’s mission.
Jesus did not come to pass judgment on the world, but to save. Allowing Jesus to be lifted up on the cross allowed salvation to happen through Him.
Rejection of Jesus results in condemnation. The only way to achieve a right standing with God is grace through faith.
“hath been judged already”
Unbelief, in separating from Christ, implies judgment. He has been judged in virtue of his unbelief. Belief is “passing from death into life” (John 5:24)
The root cause of condemnation of believers is their rejection of the light because of their love for darkness.
Jesus wasn’t satisfied with leaving Ben out in the dark without offering him an opportunity to come inside where the party is.
“Through the birth of Jesus, God essentially said: “I see you where you are and I’m coming after you!” Caring for vulnerable children and families is a beautiful echo of that same declaration. Because God moved towards us in Jesus we want to be the kind of people who move toward others… And while we’re not all called to do the same thing, we are capable of doing something. Now, let’s find your something!” - Jason Johnson.