Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000530A
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00:01 BREATH OF LIFE MINISTRIES PRESENTS:
00:07 B529 God's Love 00:12 [THEME music] 00:21 PB: The Scripture is one verse: John 3:16. 00:27 "For God so loved the"--what, everybody? 00:31 Aud.: World. PB: "That he gave his only begotten"-- 00:34 Aud.: Son. PB: "That whosoever believes in him should not"-- 00:36 Aud.: Perish. PB: "But have everlasting"-- 00:39 Aud.: Life. PB: Father, bless us. 00:41 Thank You for Your love. Sometimes we don't 00:47 even understand Your love, but thank You 00:49 for Your love. Speak through me as I speak 00:53 to Your people. In Jesus' name. Amen. 00:57 John 3:16 is arguably the greatest verse in 01:02 all the Bible. And if it's not the greatest, 01:05 it has to be the most known or the most loved verse. 01:11 There are only 25 words in this verse, but no other 01:16 single verse in all the Bible has blessed so many 01:20 people like John 3:16. Martin Luther called it 01:25 the miniature gospel. Some have called it the 01:29 gospel in a nutshell. Others have called it a 01:33 love letter from God, written in blood and 01:36 addressed to all. And while John 3:16 is a most 01:40 beloved verse among millions everywhere, 01:43 if there were ever a verse that Satan would 01:46 like to get out of the Bible, it would be 01:49 John 3:16. Because if there were ever a verse 01:54 that makes hell shutter, it's John 3:16. 01:59 If there were ever a verse that makes demons 02:03 tremble, it's John 3:16. But if there were 02:08 ever a verse that has lightened the path to heaven, 02:12 it's also John 3:16. For God so loved the world 02:19 that He gave His only begotten Son, that 02:22 whosoever believeth in Him should not perish 02:25 but have everlasting life. Now this text has 02:29 been preached many different ways. Some have 02:32 divided the verse into parts like God's grace: 02:35 for God so loved the world. God's gift: 02:38 that He gave his only begotten Son. God's gospel: 02:40 that whosoever believeth in Him. God's glory: 02:43 shall have everlasting life. Some have preached 02:47 this text by saying it shows the greatest. For God, 02:53 the greatest One. So loved, the greatest degree. 02:58 The world, the greatest amount of people. That He gave, 03:02 which is the greatest generosity. His only begotten Son, 03:06 the greatest uniqueness. That whosoever, the greatest invitation. 03:11 Believeth in Him, the greatest simplicity. Should not, 03:13 which is the greatest certainty. Perish, the greatest 03:18 possible loss. But, the greatest difference. Have, 03:22 the greatest possession. Eternal, the greatest length. 03:25 Life, God's greatest gift. For God so loved the world. 03:32 But today, let's expand our minds a bit. What if God 03:36 had not loved the world? There would then be no hope 03:40 for the world. There would be nothing to live for and 03:44 no purpose for existence; it would be a world where 03:46 our prayers would be but useless cries to the skies. 03:51 Every death would be the end of personal hope and 03:54 every grave a place of despair. But today, I'm so glad 03:58 that God loved the world. I'm so glad that Jesus loves me. 04:05 I'm so glad that death is not a period but only a comma 04:09 in the story of life. But then, what if God had not 04:13 sent His Son? What if instead of God giving us His Son, Jesus, 04:17 He gave us what we deserved--death. What if instead of 04:21 sending His Son to die for our sins and giving us the 04:24 opportunity for eternal life forever, what if He just 04:26 destined all of us to hell. But not only that, 04:30 what if God's offer of salvation was not for the whosoevers. 04:37 What if God had only offered salvation to the rich. 04:41 I don't know about you, but I know I wouldn't make it. 04:44 What if God had offered salvation only to the healthy. 04:48 What if God had only offered salvation to the educated. 04:52 What if salvation was only offered to the good, 04:55 the righteous and pious people. If He did that, 04:57 then none of us would have any hope of ever seeing Jesus, 05:02 because the Bible says that before God there is none good, 05:05 no not one. But I'm glad today for Romans 5:8, 05:10 that God commended His love toward us that while we 05:14 were yet sinners Christ died for us. Which means, 05:20 friends of mine, God doesn't save us after we get 05:23 rid of our sin. God saves us in our sin. 05:27 God doesn't save us once we clean up our lives 05:31 to be good enough for Him. God doesn't save us 05:33 after we have made ourselves holy or religious. 05:36 It's the opposite. God--thank You, Jesus--saves 05:38 us in our sin, just as we are, and then He saves 05:43 us from our sins and makes us what we ought to be. 05:47 So then, I may not be all that I should be, 05:50 but praise God I'm not what I used to be. 05:54 I'm so glad that God's love is for whosoever. 05:59 God loves Christians, but God also loves Jews, 06:03 Buddhists and Hindus. God loves believers, 06:07 but God also loves agnostics and atheists. 06:11 God loves Americans, but God also loves Africans 06:15 and Asians and Australians. God loves black people, 06:20 but God also loves white people, red people 06:24 and yellow people. God loves city folk, 06:27 but God loves country folk, too. God loves 06:31 the civilized, but God loves the heathen. 06:34 God loves preachers--yes, He does--but God 06:38 also loves prostitutes. God loves doctors and 06:42 lawyers and accountants and teachers but 06:44 He also loves murderers and cheaters and 06:47 gamblers and drug abusers. God loves us all. 06:50 God didn't just love a world of saints--no, 06:52 God loved a world of sinners, too. 06:55 But don't get it twisted today. God loves the 06:59 sinner not the sin. The criminal not the crime. 07:03 The rebel not the rebellion; the liar not the lie; 07:07 the idolater and not the idol. God loves us all. 07:11 Because see, the reality is a sinner may go 07:13 to heal unsaved, but a sinner cannot go to 07:16 hell unloved. God loves us all. All colors, 07:22 all shapes, all sizes. And because God 07:26 loves us all, God died for us all. 07:30 And because God's love is for whosoever, 07:33 God's salvation is for whosoever. 07:36 That means anybody. That means young and old, 07:40 smart and average, educated, uneducated; 07:45 lower class to the upper class; adventurer 07:49 and the adulterer. The deacon and the dope dealer; 07:52 church singer but the blues singer as well. 07:56 Wicked sinners and wretched and wannabe saints, 07:59 God's salvation is for whosoever. So don't walk 08:03 around Oakwood like you've got the big head. 08:06 That you're better than somebody else. 08:09 Pointing your finger at somebody else and you've 08:12 got three fingers pointing back at you. 08:13 Talking about somebody else but you've got 08:15 skeletons in your own closet. Nobody lives 08:17 in a glass house. Don't judge somebody 08:20 just because they got caught and you didn't. 08:23 [Aud. reaction] PB: And on the flipside: 08:25 don't judge someone else just because they 08:28 sin differently than you do. [Aud. reaction] 08:32 PB: Sin is sin. All have sinned and come short 08:37 of the glory of God. We are all sinners saved by grace. 08:42 God loves us all, God died for us all, for God so 08:47 loved the world. Which means, God loves you. 08:50 If you were the only person on planet earth, 08:52 God would have sent Jesus to die just for you. 08:55 That's how much Jesus loves you. God sent His 08:57 Son to die for our sins. You know that His blood 08:59 that He shed on the cross is the only thing that 09:01 can save us from our sins. Let me be clear today: 09:03 not this church, not the preacher, not your ushering, 09:11 not your singing in the choir, not your teaching 09:15 Sabbath school, not your tithe, not your offering, 09:18 not your amens, not your hallelujahs. 09:22 There's only name under heaven whereby we 09:26 can be saved. What can wash away my sins? 09:30 Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make 09:33 me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 09:36 Jesus was our substitute who paid the penalty for 09:40 the sins that we deserved to pay. Jesus gives 09:42 us everlasting life, and He gives it to us free of charge. 09:46 Jesus gives us the opportunity for life with Him. 09:49 All we've got to do is ask, believe and receive. 09:51 But it was back in 1830. The illustrated story says 09:54 that George Wilson was convicted of robbing U.S. mail, 09:57 the U.S. Postal Department. He was sentenced to be hanged. 10:00 President Andrew Jackson, president of the United States 10:02 at the time, issued a pardon for Wilson. But Wilson 10:05 refused to accept it. It was Chief Justice Marshall, 10:09 who was Supreme Court Chief Justice at the time, 10:11 who concluded that Wilson would have to be executed. 10:15 He said a pardon is a slip of paper the value of which 10:19 is determined by the acceptance of the person to be pardoned. 10:24 He said, if it is refused, it is no pardon. 10:27 George Wilson must be hanged. Two thousand years ago, 10:35 God the Son, Jesus the Christ, issued a pardon. 10:42 But just like in the case of George Wilson, 10:46 the value of the pardon is determined by the 10:49 acceptance of the person to be pardoned. 10:51 If it is refused, it is no pardon. We don't have to 10:56 accept Christ's sacrifice and love for us. We can refuse. 11:03 But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just 11:08 to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from 11:11 all unrighteousness. I don't know if you understand like me, 11:14 but we're living in some perilous times. 11:17 We say that all the time. Every week, 11:19 I stand up here and I say that. But maybe 11:22 with all that is going on in the world, 11:24 maybe just maybe we'll start believing it. 11:28 Two weeks ago, was the worst mass shooting in 11:31 U.S. history. One week ago, wildfires began 11:35 to erupt in Southern California and chase 11:37 people from their homes as an intense heat wave, 11:39 stretching from the West Coast to New Mexico, 11:42 is blistering the southwestern portion of the 11:44 United States. And just this week, I don't 11:48 know if you realize what's going on, we have 11:52 seen the United Kingdom vote to leave the European Union. 11:58 In the wake and aftermath of this, David Cameron, 12:02 prime minister, he's resigned. The Dow Jones 12:07 has plunged 600 points. The S&P has fallen 3.6 percent. 12:13 The Nasdaq competent index has dropped to 4.12 percent. 12:17 The value of the pound, United Kingdom currency, 12:21 has plummeted close to one dollar 33 cents. 12:24 It's the lowest level in more than 30 years. 12:27 The Euro has fallen heavily. Investors are 12:31 concerned about cash drying up in global 12:34 financial markets. Jean-Claude Trichet, 12:37 former president of the European Central Bank, 12:39 called a vote to leave the European Union 12:41 in an earthquake. So you're sitting here and 12:43 talking about what does this have to do with 12:46 the love of God. Pastor, what's the big deal? 12:48 Friends, we're in a financial crisis. 12:50 Somebody says, well, what's the big deal? 12:52 We've seen this before; we'll weather the storm. 12:55 Oh, but good ol' Christians, people of the Word: 12:59 Do you really see what's going on? Do you see 13:03 that prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes. 13:07 Don't you remember studying back in the day, 13:09 Daniel chapter 2, when King Nebuchadnezzar had 13:13 a dream, and in that dream he sees a huge statue. 13:16 And on this statue there are different metals, 13:19 which were used to identify different kingdoms. 13:22 It starts off with the head of gold, which 13:24 represents Babylon. It continues with breasts 13:26 and arms of silver, representing Medo-Persia. 13:29 The belly and thighs of brass represent Greece. 13:32 The legs of iron represent Rome, and at the 13:34 bottom of the statue are feet and toes mixed 13:37 of iron and clay. Each metal represents a 13:41 different European country in Earth's history, 13:43 which each country being inferior to its 13:45 predecessor. Now, when the Bible talks about 13:47 the fact that the feet and the clay will not 13:52 stick together, this is symbolic of countries 13:56 that will not stick together. They will not 14:00 cleave together. Why? Because some are strong 14:05 and some are weak, and that seems to be the 14:08 story of Europe. Some countries are strong, 14:12 and some countries are weak. But Scripture 14:14 already told us that there will not be another 14:18 unified kingdom. That there will not be 14:20 a unified Europe. Europe will not cleave and 14:23 stick together, but it will break apart. 14:25 And we're seeing that prophecy come to 14:28 pass right now. Church, wake up! With the 14:31 United Kingdom breaking away from the 14:33 European Union, God's Word told us it 14:35 would happen. I don't know why we as 14:37 Adventists walk around here surprised. 14:39 We're living in the time of the end. 14:44 Babylon has already ruled. Medo-Persia 14:48 has already ruled. Greece has already ruled. 14:52 Rome has already ruled. And now the 14:56 countries representing the feet are 14:58 breaking up, and when they break up there's 15:01 nothing left to the statue. Oh, but here's 15:05 the good news. Daniel--you know I love preaching this. 15:10 [Aud. reaction] PB: Daniel, chapter 2, 15:11 does not end just with the story of mixed 15:15 iron and mixed clay breaking away. 15:18 The Bible says there is a rock. [Aud. reaction] 15:21 PB: This rock is small at first, but soon 15:24 this rock gets big. And it smashes the 15:28 entire statue. That little rock becomes 15:31 a big rock, because that big rock is Jesus. 15:34 ON Christ the solid rock I stand, all other 15:39 ground is sinking sand. Jesus tears down 15:43 the old kingdom, because Jesus is coming back, 15:46 friends, to set up a new kingdom. Jesus is 15:49 going to smash down earthly kingdoms, 15:51 because Jesus is going to set up God's kingdom. 15:54 Because Jesus is King of kings, and He's 15:58 Lord of lords. And God wants you to be 16:01 a part of this new kingdom. [Aud. reaction] 16:03 PB: God's kingdom. He loves you. He's not willing 16:07 that any should perish but all should come 16:10 to repentance. God pardoned you. He pardoned me. 16:13 But we've got to accept His pardon. God's 16:18 kind of love is unselfish, which results 16:20 in doing the best for another even at the 16:22 highest personal cost without requiring or 16:25 expecting payback. For by grace are we saved, 16:30 through faith and not of ourselves. It's a gift 16:34 from God. For God so loved the world that 16:40 He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever- 16:44 -that's everybody--believes in Him should not 16:47 perish but have everlasting life. God loves you 16:51 no matter what. God loves you despite what you 16:55 did last night, last week, last month and last year. 16:57 God died for you, and God wants you to be a part 17:01 of His kingdom. There's nothing we can do to 17:03 make God love us more. But there's nothing 17:06 we can do to make God love us less. 17:10 Adultery. God doesn't love you any less. 17:14 Divorce. God doesn't love you any less. Deceit. 17:22 God doesn't love you any less. Drugs. 17:28 God doesn't love you any less. Lying. 17:33 God doesn't love you any less. Because He 17:37 loves you when you are unlovable. He loved 17:41 you when you didn't love Him. He loves you 17:44 when you are strung out somewhere. He loved 17:48 you when you didn't want to come to church. 17:50 He loved you when you didn't want to pray. 17:52 He loved you when you didn't love yourself. 17:54 God didn't wait till you got right to love you. 17:58 [Aud. reaction] PB: But God loved you, when 18:01 you didn't do right. He loves you when you weren't 18:04 acting right. He loved you when you weren't living right. 18:08 Greater love hath no man than this, who would 18:10 lay down his life for a friend. Let me close 18:15 this way. This story brings tears to my eyes. 18:21 The story is told of a grandfather who found 18:28 his grandson. The grandson was jumping up 18:32 and down, playing in his playpen. The grandson, 18:37 the little boy was crying at the top of his lungs. 18:42 When this little boy--let's call him little Johnny- 18:44 -saw his grandfather, little Johnny reached up 18:49 with his chubby little hands and chubby cheeks 18:52 and said, "Out, Grampa, out." It was only 18:56 natural for the grandfather to reach down, 18:59 to lift the little boy, little Johnny, 19:03 out of his predicament. But just as granddaddy 19:07 reached down to lift up little Johnny, 19:09 little Johnny's mother walked in, and she 19:12 said no, Johnny. You're being punished, 19:16 so you must stay in. The grandfather was 19:22 at a loss as to what to do. The child's 19:25 tears and his chubby hands reached deep 19:29 into his grandfather's heart, but the mother's 19:32 firmness in correcting her son for misbehaving 19:35 couldn't be taken lightly. Here was the problem- 19:40 -of love versus law. Justice versus mercy. 19:53 But love found a way. The grandfather could 20:01 not take his grandson out of the playpen, 20:04 so what did he do? He crawled in with him. 20:13 [Aud. reaction] PB: God didn't spare Paul 20:15 and Silas the suffering imprisonment in that 20:19 Philippian jail. But He came down in the 20:25 jail with them. God did not keep the three 20:29 Hebrew boys out of the fiery furnace, 20:32 but God went down in the fiery furnace. 20:37 God didn't release us from the pain, 20:42 the perplexities and the problems of life, 20:49 but God came down in this life. He came in 20:55 this world because He loved us, and He died 21:00 to save us. In the beginning was the word, 21:07 and the word was God and the word was with God, 21:14 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. 21:22 For God so loved the world that He gave His 21:33 only begotten Son, that whosoever--that means 21:40 those that have been in this church 50 years 21:43 and those that have been in this church 5 days- 21:47 -that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish 21:53 but have everlasting life. I'm so glad that I 22:03 serve a God who didn't stay out of the playpen. 22:09 He got in it; He got in it with me. He got dirty 22:20 with me. He got bloody with me. He was talked 22:30 about but He still got in it with me. And if you 22:38 don't praise Him and you don't celebrate Him, 22:40 that's okay. God got in it with me. 22:50 (song) Jesus went to Calvary 23:01 [sounds of typing] >: Hello, Pastor. 23:20 My name is Tamar. I grew up in church but 23:41 after I went away to college, I stopped 23:51 attending. Well, that's to say the least. 23:55 I can't remember the last time I prayed. 23:58 All of my life I placed everything ahead of God. 24:01 I turned my back on Him. That's the ultimate 24:04 act of betrayal. So, I guess my question is: 24:09 how do I come back to Him? After I've denied 24:11 Him and desecrated all His commands, 24:14 will God surely forgive me? 24:17 PB: Hello, Tamar. I read your email thoroughly. 24:32 I understand that this is a tough time for you 24:36 right now, but I would like to tell you that 24:40 God never stopped loving you. His love for you, 24:44 as well as His love for all of us, is unconditional. 24:47 In Luke chapter 15, verse number 11, Jesus teaches 24:51 about God's unconditional love through the 24:54 parable of the prodigal son. As told in the parable, 24:58 the younger son squandered his wealth and only 25:01 came to his senses after he was in great need. 25:05 He was broke; he was starving and living 25:07 among animals. But after realizing the errors 25:11 of his ways he decided to return home to his 25:15 father's house. The Bible puts it this way: 25:18 While he was still a long way off his father 25:21 saw him and was filled with compassion for him, 25:25 and he ran to his son, threw his arms around 25:28 him and kissed him. The father said to his servants, 25:31 quick! Bring forth the best robe and put it on him. 25:35 Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 25:38 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a 25:41 feast and celebrate, for this son of mine was dead 25:44 but is alive again. Was lost and is now found. 25:49 Tamar, what God is trying to tell you is simply this: 25:53 He loves us in spite of us. He loves us in spite of everything. 25:59 And if we're willing to return to Him, He's compassionate. 26:04 And He's just to cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness. 26:08 Tamar, I would love to pray with you. Here's my office number. 26:12 Please feel free to call. (256) 837-1255. 26:29 [music] [sound of phone ringing] 26:39 PB: Hello, Tamar. Thank you for calling. 26:43 You've made the first step. Let's pray together. 26:46 Our kind, loving heavenly Father, thank You very 26:50 much for impressing Tamar to call. Father, 26:55 You love us in spite of us, and we just want 26:57 You to know we love You because You're a 26:59 loving and You're a gracious God. 27:04 [music] >: The Desire of Ages, 27:09 the life story of the greatest spiritual leader 27:12 the world has ever known, Jesus Christ. 27:16 Desire of Ages goes in depth into events 27:18 surrounding the life of Jesus, giving you 27:21 more meaning and the clear picture of His 27:23 impact on the world and on those who choose 27:25 to follow Him, even to this day. 27:28 In these uncertain times, Desire of Ages 27:31 gives direction for all who seek it. 27:33 The book answers hard questions confronting us all. 27:36 It examines basic spiritual truths, 27:38 gives hope and encouragement for tomorrow, 27:40 and brings you face to face with the Savior. 27:42 Get to know Him like never before. 27:45 Desire of Ages has been acclaimed by 27:47 many to be the most significant and 27:49 deeply spiritual story of the life of 27:52 Christ ever written. 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Revised 2016-08-19