The Greatest Verse

TEXT:  John 3:13-18

INTRODUCTION:

A.  SOME SAY THE GREATEST VERSE IS John 3:16.

B.  CERTAINLY ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN AND MOST QUOTED.

C.  IT CONTAINS SOME OF THE GREATEST THINGS.

I.  THE GREATEST BEING – GOD.

A.  CREATOR OF ALL THINGS (Acts 14:15-17;  17:24-25, 28).

B.  Gen. 1:3.  THE POWER OF HIS WORD.

          1.  To Create (Heb. 11:3;  Psa. 33:6-9).

          2.  To Change Us (1 Thess. 2:13).

          3.  To Save us (Rom. 1:16-17;  Jas. 1:21).

II.  THE GREATEST THING – LOVE.

A.  GOD IS LOVE (1 John 4:8;  3:1).

B.  A LOVE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING (Eph. 3:17-19).

C.  THE GREATEST GIFT (1 Cor. 12:31;  13:13).

          1.  We must love God (Matt. 22:36-40;  1 John 5:3).

          2.  We must love each other (1 John 3:16-17).

III.  THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE – THE WORLD.

A.  ALL PEOPLE HAVE A COMMON NEED (1 Cor. 10:13;  Rom. 3:23;  6:23).

C.  GOD LOVES ALL THE SAME (2 Pet. 3:9;  Titus 2:11-12;  Acts 10:34-35).

D.  ALL MUST GIVE ANSWER (Rom. 14:10-12).

IV.  THE GREATEST SACRIFICE – HIS SON.

A.  GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS (John 15:13).

          BUT GOD GAVE HIS SON (John 3:16;  Rom 5:8).

B.  JESUS DID GIVE HIMSELF TO DIE (John 10:17:18).

C.  JESUS DIED FOR ALL – THEREFORE ALL DIED (2 Cor. 5:14-15).

          1.  All have access – but it is conditioned (Rom. 6:3-7).

          2.  Every man (Heb. 2:9;  1 Tim. 2:3-4).

V.  THE GREATEST RESPONSE – WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH – FAITH.

A.  WHAT IS FAITH? (Heb. 11:6).

          1.  Belief that HE is.

          2.  And the he is the REWARDER (2 Tim. 2:11-13). – TRUST.

B.  CAN’T BE SAVED WITHOUT IT (Heb. 11:6;  Mark 16:16).

C.  Rom. 10:17.  PRODUCT OF PERSUASION FROM THE BIBLE (Acts. 17:2-3;  18:4).

D.  THE CHARACTER OF OUR FAITH (2 Tim. 1:12;  Heb. 11:1). No room for doubt.

E.  NOT BY FAITH ONLY (James 2:26, 24).

VI.  THE GREATEST TRAGEDY – PERISH.

A.  WHAT IT MEANS TO BE LOST (Rom. 6:23;  Eph. 2:1, 12).

B.  SUFFERING (Mark 9:47-48).

          1.  Worse than “down in the dumps.”

          2.  A lake of fire (Rev. 20:14-15, 10) FOREVER!

C.  A RECKONING (2 Cor. 5:10).

VII.  THE GREATEST BLESSING – ETERNAL LIFE.

A.  A RESURRECTION (John 5:28-29;  1 Pet. 1:3).

B.  A BETTER “BODY” (2 Cor. 5:1;  1 Cor. 15:53;  Phil. 3:20-21).

C.  A GREAT REUNION (1 Thess. 4:13-18).  EVER WITH THE LORD.

D.  BUT WE MUST OBEY (Heb. 3:18-19;  4:11;  5:8-9).

CONCLUSION:

A.  A WONDERFUL VERSE.

B.  A FAVORITE OF MANY.

C.  MEANS NOTHING IF WE DON’T TRUST AND OBEY.