“Our hope is to partake in God’s redemptive work at the University of Richmond and see students find their identity in Christ and their call to Him, as they’re connected to the local church.”
Each week we will open up God’s word for a few minutes after dinner and delve into how scripture applies to this hope. We’ll slowly observe this vision and study the scriptures as we discover God’s Kingdom together.
So tonight, we’re going to dive into John 3:16-21.
John 3:16-21 - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
When I was a student at UofR. My life changed. Much of my freshman year, I was lost and not walking with God. However, during the summer after my freshman year, I experienced the love and grace of God like never before. I was revived in the hope that I was one whom God loved and had forgiven. I still experienced fear and doubt and still have fallen short, but I was now secure in God’s love and grace for me as I received His salvation.
This may be your story, or it may not be. Maybe you have already placed your hope in God, maybe you have not … maybe you’ve been forgiven, but can’t forgive yourself, maybe you’re struggling with fear, or perhaps in this season you’re quite joyful, but wherever you’re at in your journey - I’m glad you're here.
Our text tonight is probably a familiar one. It gets right at the main idea of the Christian story. A word used to describe this main idea is redemption. However, in order to have arrived at redemption, we need to know that the story began elsewhere. It began with the creation of the world, when God out his great love chose to create and form the world and man into being. Then, in desiring to take things into their own hands, neglecting the creator God, man introduced darkness, sin and death. For many, many years, there were glimmers of hope. In the Old Testament, we see God make promises with people and some hold on for a little while, only to slip back into darkness. This pattern continued, until some folks came along saying that someday, the darkness would be eradicated, gone forever. That this process would begin when a man came into the world, whom they’d call the Christ, the chosen one.
We know where to pick up from there. Jesus Christ has come as many of us celebrated over Christmas. He is the main character and displays the main idea of redemption...
From our passage tonight we can find three simple points. First, God loves you and the world. Second, through Jesus, He offers salvation from sin & condemnation. Third, we can believe in Him, have eternal life, and choose light over darkness.
First, God loves you and the world.
From the very beginning God begins with love. That’s simple and clearly stated. As I shared earlier, he created the world as an act of love, and even when things got dark, he still chose, out of love, to make promises with man. Since love is not a feeling, it’s an action, the greatest demonstration of God’s love was an offering. It’s something He gave away. His only Son. In this message translation of this passage it says “this is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son”. God shows His love through an action of loving sacrifice.
Second, through Jesus, He offers salvation from sin & condemnation. In giving His son away, out of love, God offers salvation from sin and condemnation. This mission of God and sacrifice is serving a purpose. The purpose is to save people from death. Later on the passage, it says that some “do not believe in the name of the only Son of God”, which in turn has led to condemnation. For generations, darkness has loomed over the world and people have chosen to worship their own gods, themselves, and observe the law. This has led to their condemnation and death. Therefore, Jesus was sent, to reveal who God really is. His glory and his goodness. So that people may believe in Him.
That brings us to the last point of this passage. We can believe in Him, have eternal life, and choose light over darkness. If you’ve chosen to believe in Him and received his offer of salvation, you’ll experience eternal life. Now here’s an important point to make. Many of you, perhaps all of you have been told that eternal life means going to heaven when you die. I’d love to propose an alternative end to the story. Eternal life can be had here and now. God’s offer of salvation through Jesus does not just save us from this world, but saves us for this world. You and I have become saved by God, received eternal life, to be what Jesus calls the 'light’. We are called by God to represent the ‘light’ to this dark world and those who walk in it. Which is the very last point - that in Jesus we have a choice to make. Will we choose the light? Will you be the people that God is calling you to be?
Well, Tee it’s really hard to choose the light when…the culture of campus pressures me to drink and sleep around or the job/internship process is taking too long and God isn’t providing, or you’ve come back from abroad and life with Jesus seems narrow minded and non inclusive, or you’re tired and want to cope in unhealthy ways
I totally understand each of these temptations and struggles. I’ve been there. Tori’s been there. But I believe, we believe that there is great hope and comfort, because God loves you. He forgives and is patient with you. He invites us to simply believe in Him, come to Him and choose light over darkness.
Now back to that redemption word. I said that it’s the main idea of the Christian story, and that Jesus is the main character displaying it. Redemption is taking something that once was beautiful, became ugly, and making it beautiful again. It’s picking up the pieces of a broken vase and carefully piecing it back together till it holds a full bouquet of flowers again. Jesus is redeeming us in the same way, but also in loving the world. He’s redeeming all of creation.
Later on in Jesus life, he invites a mysterious thing to come to the world. God’s kingdom. He asks us to pray, ‘thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven’. In redeeming the world, He has brought the Kingdom of God - through His death and resurrection. Whether the world or anyone likes it or not, it will reach every part of this earth.
God’s redemption through Jesus has brought the Kingdom of God into this world. He’s brought it here to Richmond and to your campus.
Over the course of this semester, I invite you to come back on Monday and hear about how God’s Kingdom has come what that means for you and me and for the University of Richmond campus.
Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this evening. Thank you for these dear brothers & sisters. Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.
