John Chapter 3:16-20

Can you imagine a more noble at AAA higher calling. We get to do this you when I get to do this. This is just something that investors are the only ones really conjure the gospel going to the growth we all are qualified to share the gospel. We get to share the good news. We get to tell others that their sins can be forgiven. What an awesome thing when they find out they get hope they find peace they fund. Love and eternal life. We get to help people find Jesus asked for forgiveness and receive welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is a senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina, and were glad to have one of the McGee's associate pastors DA Brown here with us as Pastor Dave continues through the book of John Bob. As Christians we get to take part in something that's amazing we get the joy of helping other people find God, I know what you BDA.

That's one of the most exciting and fulfilling parts of the believer in Jesus is to help others to find the light and point them to the light just as we Bob when you see someone you love someone you met your life to Christ and receive the forgiveness of their sins. And you know that the go live forever in heaven may nothing compared to that delicious jump in so our listeners can hear David McGee explain how to do that as he continues teaching in the gospel of John chapter 3 verse 17 says for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. For God did not send his son in the world to condemn the world know a lot of us read that verse may go well you know know he didn't come into the world to condemn it. That's my job. I'll do that for him, so you don't have to worry about that.

We actually think that's a calling of a Christian to go around condemning everybody is not a calling. Absolutely not.

I question some of these well-intentioned but mistaken people that go around condemning everybody when the reality is the reason they act like that is I don't know Jesus.

And if you can introduce somebody to Jesus, you can bet that that's going to change your life. Now my saying we are not were not to be watchmen. Among the towers are. We certainly are, but I think there's many people who have mistakenly thought that they've got this ministry of condemnation you won't see that in Scripture actually what Scripture says is that we've been given the ministry of reconciliation. I like that second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 18 is now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation that is that God was in Christ reconciling the word world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them and is committed to us the word of reconciliation that some good stuff there and so what happened God reconciled us to himself and then he gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Now if somebody gives you something can you really take pride or credit for now. The gift and that's what the ministry reconciliation that we've been given is it's a gift to us where we can share with other people's nothing to take pride or take credit for.

This is something we've been given and and how dare anybody take pride in doing that in a seat for me.

It's easy not to take pride because when I was born as some of you know I was born a deaf-mute. I was born 95%, death, and my tongue was attached to my gums and even after nine different operations. I wasn't able to speak when I was five years old. I still can speak so with the four years of speech therapy being taught how to speak now is as you know is reasons or excuses go for not serving the Lord be in a deaf-mute those pretty good but you know the Lord healed me in and gifted me in ministry and he's perhaps gifted you in ministry is nothing we take about four it's an awesome honor and privilege to serve the Lord to help people find God. Can you imagine a more noble at AAA higher calling.

We get to do this you when I get to do this. This is just something that full-time pastors are the only ones really conjure the gospel throwing ones of the growth we all are qualified to share the gospel. We get to share the good news. We get to tell others that their sins can be forgiven when an awesome thing when they find out they get hope they find peace they find love and eternal life to life lesson number one we get the joy of helping people find God we get the joy of helping people find God we get to help people find Jesus asked for forgiveness and receive when people reject Jesus they choose condemnation, God's not. He's not to be held guilty for condemning people because he provides the way out.

He provides the answer. You see that's that's one of the unique things about our Lord.

You look at other religions. And yes, Boudin Mohammed and all the things they would tell you how to live and how to reach this unattainable plateau, but only Jesus all these others are telling you how to reach up to heaven. Only Jesus gives us the answer and reaches down from heaven to earth to provide the way and that is the distinctive difference about Christianity. He pulls us out of the quicksand of sin and noticed God didn't send his son just to give us some cute sayings or some mantras and if we say over and over and enough they become true and to make us feel better because of our spiritual inadequacy. The purpose of God sending his son singular in nature. It was to save us to save us so glad it did. Verse 18. He who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God seen this is what we need to explain the people. People that reject Jesus. We need to explain to them the cost of rejecting Jesus is that at some point in your life. You stand before a holy God, and you will be judged and when you reject Jesus you're saying you know what I want to stand in my own strength in my own power.

I want to be responsible for my own righteousness and people need to understand that when they reject Jesus Christ what it is that there rejecting not in a hateful way. Not in a condemning way, but in the brokenhearted way because if you reject Jesus's call cost you everything at some point all that you have all that you know you will lose if you reject Jesus and that should break our hearts and now maybe you shouldn't have it.

Some people are just willfully sinful. All you mean like you used to be and I used to be you know of anybody deserved judgment. It was those who crucified the son of God. But Jesus is our model. What he do, he sat on a hill overlooking Jerusalem and wept for those who are about to crucified. We should be brokenhearted over people who reject Jesus. I don't want to see people pay such a high cost. He who believes in him is not condemned. Glory to God. He who makes an application who qualifies who is qualified for membership and is a member long and often does things right enough for long enough, is not condemned that what your sis no says he who believes he who trusts man, you gotta love the simplicity of the gospel. You have got to love this. It's not if you do this if you jump to this soup and then you jump to that open it. If you do this and if you don't do that, then you can make it in. That's why some people think the good news you understand we can do this can wear that can look like that think that hearing out to get dressed like that you're not getting.

He who believes you take that little too far, I don't think so. They asked Jesus in John 628 then said they unto him, what shall we do that we might work the works of God what a human question what we got to give some do we gotta have some Jesus answered and said another.

This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he is sent last will. Jesus obviously was oversimplifying no Jesus was given us the real deal. The real answer. This is the work of who of God old so your salvation is not your work, not according to Scripture, not according Ephesians 2896 report grazers like the work of God and believe on him, who is believed is not.

It doesn't mean that you know about Jesus. You have a hard time in this country find in somebody that didn't know about Jesus. It's not about knowing about Jesus. It's not academically understand and or historically understanding it means. Jesus is the one that you're trusting in to gain entrance into heaven. That nothing else he gave his life for us. We should give her life to him went to all this stuff all these things for us so there's only two options according to this verse to believe or not to believe the two choices, and again when I say believe I'm not just saying yeah believe God exists, takes more than that to be safe. When I ask people you know are you going to heaven yeah yeah yeah by North Carolina is going to heaven on the renewal you then you go will you know why why you believe that then you get the wacky answers well because I'm basically good person well well it's contrary to Scripture which is none righteous, no not one. We've all fallen short of the glory of God. Why go to church will be dealt with at one talked about that last week things last week. You know, going to church major Christian. I guess going to Krispy Kreme them like Sedona see going to church doesn't make you a Christian.

Well, you know, and on and on. The replies go and the classic one well I believe in God, let's get you believe in God, but you understand a belief in God is not sufficient for salvation.

According to the word of God. Don't take my word for James chapter 2 verse 19 says you believe that there is one God. You do well, even the demons believe, and tremble so theologically, you think it's enough just to have a belief in God.

According to that theology demons are Christians are like no I'm glad we deal with them enough down here.

I don't have to deal with them when we get to heaven a man old demons are real there in the book and you show me a person here that says at some point demons will no longer bother us and I believe your theology.

Until then, I believe the book so obviously it's more than a belief.

It's a trust that he is the Messiah that he is the Savior, and you turn your life over to him and you repent you change your mind is what that means in the Greek you change your mind about Jesus is will be right back with more from David McGee on cross the bridge right now there's a word from associate pastor DA Brown hey Bob will take a minute to pray for a listening audience.

Those living in these cities in California. Orville Paso Robles Pine Grove courts Hill Red Bluff Reading and Ridgecrest God, we thank you for those listening in these cities and the surrounding areas. We pray that you would speak or write to them right where they're at today that they would be excited about following you, that they wouldn't fear that they're going to fall short because you're going to do the work in God.

We pray that they will get plugged into a Bible teaching Bible believing church father.

Did you get the pastors in those churches wisdom and how to encourage those whom God brings in Jesus name, amen, amen. Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse, verse 19. This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. That's convicting let's move on the lecture for a quick first point, no verse 19 see, we want to run from Jesus.

Why because we want to hide their sins. We do pastor all you must be honest. Every one of us in here. We make bad decisions bad choices, even after we get saved we still mess up. We still make bad choices. We still choose the dark.

Sometimes what makes us do that sooner unbelief now probably both what the theologians discuss that for the rest of their lives. And there are some people that won't believe in Jesus simply because they love their sin. They would rather not have their life changed. Then to give their life to the Lord understand what I'm talking about darkness. Perhaps you're sitting in your new thinking, oh no no no no, not you know I don't I don't send that much anymore really know what's happening in my life as a believer, the closer I get to Jesus, the more dust in my life I see the more stuff you can see this in the New Testament because Jesus would do something really miraculous and and like Peter, we go you know what the part for me. I am in on holy man or you take the life of Paul.

After Paul does all these things.

He's living for the Lord is getting beat up for the Lord is sharing the gospel and and towards the end of his life. He says among the centers. I am chief. See there's two types assume there's the sin of commission and were familiar with that. That's what we really think about simply think those are things sins that you commit equally or maybe even more so are the sins of omission commission and omission omission from the word omit the things you don't and you realize that there's probably more sins that we don't do when we do when we don't live for the Lord, we don't love others, we don't forgive others when we don't share the good news is wrong. Sins of omission and understand something people will not be condemned to an eternity without Jesus because of what they did, they will be condemned because of what they didn't do. It's not the sins they committed, but what they omitted and that they did not receive Jesus Christ as their Savior somehow somehow guys when we become. If you're sitting here this morning. If you receive Jesus as your Savior. Somehow when we get to that point.

We think we got it all figured out how amazing the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know about the Lord. This word this term judgment is the Greek word crisis, it means a judicial decision of condemning or declaring guilty see we've all been declared guilty. We've all been waiting the scales of justice and righteousness.

And we've come out wanting. That's the bad news. The good news is Romans chapter 5 verse six is and when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

I love that verse it says while we were yet without strength. We were yet without strength. So when you're talking to someone you say well this is the good news they go you know what, I don't think that I can do those things that you know what your right you can't do those things.

That's why died for you because while you were yet without strength without strength and ungodly that described all of us before a commitment to the Lord.

Sadly enough, sometimes in our weakness.

We allow it to drive us away from the cross we allow it to drive us away from Jesus because when we sin. What we do.

We tend to run with and is not just you, friend. That's all of us. There's a part of us. When things happen. We don't want to be in prayer. We don't want to be in the word of God.

We don't want to be in the church's were reminded of how how inadequate we are. That's okay it's okay and it's understandable to feel like that, but to act on those feelings is wrong is easy. Our weaknesses shouldn't keep us from Jesus, our weaknesses should drive us to Jesus. When you mess up going you know what Lord I need your help. Here again, I'm looking at myself needing your help because if you ever think as a Christian you don't need the help of the Lord about that far from fallen to be reminded that you do need 12 or told pride comes before a fall. Some people have they have the impression that they in themselves have the strength to live for the Lord any strength that you have to live for the Lord is been given the and you can't. You know sometimes we we tell people who don't know the Lord who are weak in their ungodly we say well you know what you just need to live for the Lord, you might as well speak Greek or Hebrew to they can understand what you're saying you can't. You don't you're not given the strength to live the Christian life before you come to Jesus you come to Jesus and Jesus gives you the strength to live the Christian life. But then now you're in here and I know many of you have made a commitment to Jesus Christ. What happens when you mess up now course, I'm assuming that you do occasionally mess up, but going out on a thin branch here but what happens when you do what you do. Do you run Jesus or do you run from them does end up having to search for you. Like Adam in the garden, calling out your name, asking where you are very dear until it I used to think as a young Christian that you know that I had to have to feel bad enough for long enough before I asked for forgiveness for some and then realize one day that the support of the enemy because the longer I waited in the worse I felt, the less likely I was to come back to the Lord as I suffered on the weight of condemnation. Life lesson number two. We can either run the Jesus for their sins, or run from them with our sins we can either let Jesus represent us, or we can defend ourselves at the end of this life.

Those are the choices. Those are the choices I choose to run Jesus with all my inadequacies with all my weaknesses with you with all my frailties. I choose to run the Jesus and every time Jesus as his arms open wide weight on ever seen a three-year-old run them to the daddy's arms is a beautiful thing. They just run with abandon.

They know that is they know dad is gonna grab him and hug him. They know daddy loves to hug him. They know daddy loves him if everything is three-year-old get ready to run to their father's arms and go women's mature quick write on a loose stricter here.

Okay. All right think I'm ready right now going to hug the daddy run the daddy nugget is three-year-olds do that no then why do we do it. Why do we do that with the Lord we make religious pretensions when he just wants us to run to you want your heart. You want your life.

Some of us think he's interested in our righteousness understand what I'm saying here the Lord's interested in our sanctification. But if you think you have something to offer God through your righteousness about was very clear you don't have any any that you do half is been given to you see this is the kind of stuff guys in and man I know that I'm speaking to some people in here because again I'm way off on the rabbit trail. I'm completely out of my notes but I guarantee you that your some people sit in here this morning that are bound up by religion and you need to be set free.

You need to realize that Jesus loves you so much that he died for you and he just want you to come to all who clean your pill change your life but that happens is you come to not before verse 20 for everyone practicing evil hates the light does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed as interesting to know how much the Pharisees and the scribes argued with Jesus. They argued with them. Why because they had. They thought they were righteous in and of themselves. That's why they argued with Jesus Matthew question how many sinners do you see arguing with Jesus in the Gospels. I don't see any fall at his feet, amazed that he's extending mercy to them in the spiritual, religious leaders, some of them follow Jesus and then some of them argued with them until they crucified him as a light.

The light that it speaks up. This is Jesus is the light of the world you don't have the light within.

Don't believe that good lights within growth upper don't believe that stuff man. And then people that say I'm looking for the truth within what the world is that I'm looking for peace within.

Why are you looking for peace is that I'm not at peace. Okay.

And where is it you're going to find this piece I'm looking within.

Is anybody else in this room see a problem that you don't have any piece how can you look inside for guys. Jesus is the light of the world and is the light that has shown the way to salvation for 2000 years, and let me promise you friend that many people have even darker things in their lives have come to him and been set free, but what happens. Well we get religious and we want to come to the light on her own terms. I'm just glad there is a light that we don't have to suffer and stumble in darkness so when Jesus says there is a way I'm I'm grateful man. Praise God. There is a way of not considering it was only one know I'm just grateful.

There is friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Jenna short, simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have send and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things.

Please give me the power to live for you.

All of my days in Jesus name, amen it friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again.

So congratulations free and you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ.

Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working in your life will DA before we go. What are some ways that we can bless our listeners each day. You can wake up with encouragement from Pastor David to the word of God with his email devotional life lessons to consider a daily reading plan and a thought to meditate on throughout your day. From the heart of David McGee. That sounds good Pastor day and again. It's been great to have you with us on the program today but tell us what else can a listers find on cross the bridge.com. If you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday. Why not join us for our lifestream at 10 AM Eastern time or on Thursday night at 7 PM Eastern time.

This visit, cross the bridge.com and click on our lifestream link. There you will experience a live service from David's home church. The bridge in North Carolina again.

That website is cross the bridge.com. Thanks again for listening and join us next time.

As David McGee continues teaching verse by verse in the gospel of God