The Motivation Behind the New Birth Part 2 - The Work of the Son - John 3:17-18

1:34What's going on? What's driving it? What's that issue? What's the central motive in the Godhead? What is happening? Well, John 3:16 gave us the first part of that answer. We looked at that last week: the Father's love, the Father's love for the world, and the Father's love for His Son. And this is driving the whole process. We can say, and many of you often say this and say it correctly, it is a true statement. To say that God loves me because Christ died for me. Have you ever said that, thought that? God loves me because Christ died for me. Yes, that's a very true statement. But it misses the main point of what's being said in John 3:16. Christ is not the cause of the Father's love, but the result of the Father's love. Do you see that? Christ came into the world as a result of the Father's love. So Christ's mission, Christ's coming into the world, was a result of the Father's love, not the cause of the Father's love. For God so loved the world that He gave His Son.

2:56John 3:17 and 18 gives us a science. Part of this answer. What is the motivation behind the new birth? Well, it is the Father's love. But John 3:6, 17, and 18 gives us the second part: that it's also the saving work of the Son, the saving work of the Son. The motivation behind the new birth is the Father's love and the saving work of the Son. And it's in the saving work of the Son that we see the intentions of the Son. Why did He come? What was He doing? So, this morning, I want you to understand the Son's mission so that you will be drawn to Him. So that as we sang this morning, the name of Jesus would be lifted up, that we would literally feast upon the name, feast upon the person of Jesus Christ, and so nourish our souls and come out transformed and drawn to Him, irresistibly drawn to Him. For this is the Christ of Scripture. And as we see Him, we are drawn. And so, I pray this morning that God will let you see the Son this morning in a fresh way. Well, my sermon outlines very simple, and I'm going to give it to you ahead of time. Something I don't often do, right? Point number one will be the world's need, the second will be the Son's mission, and the third will be the. Dividing line of humanity. The world's need, the Son's mission, and the dividing line of humanity. I'll use those mile markers to navigate through these two verses. Well, first of all, I want to talk to you about the world's need. The world's need. Look back at verse 17 and 18. Three times in two verses, the word judgment or condemnation is used. If you have a New American standard, it uses the word judgment or judge. If you're using an ESV or a King James or an NIV, the word condemnation, which I think is a better translation of this term, three times the same word is used. Three times. And it means to condemn. The word in context means to find fault, to declare guilty, or with the intention of condemning.

5:29First time we see it, look back, look at your text in verse 17. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world or to condemn the world would be a better. He didn't send the Son into the world to condemn the world. He didn't. The mission of the Son wasn't to come down and go find fault, find reason to condemn, and then so do it. Verse 18, see the word used again.

6:04First part: he who believes in him is not judged. That is, not condemned. It's speaking of a present reality. The one who believes in him is not condemned, currently not under the sentence of condemnation. And the second part of verse 18, but he who does not believe has been judged already, a settled state, perfect hence, a state of condemnation. He who does not believe is in a state of condemnation, a permanent state, unless something changes. I want you to get your mind around this. I'm going to show a little more pictures on the screen than I normally do, but to hope with the intention of getting your mind, everybody, getting your mind around this concept of condemnation. We're in a building project, right? Well, how about this for a new sanctuary? How would you guys like to venture into this project? This is a building, needs a little work, right? Here's another one. These buildings, okay, talk to me now. How many of you guys want to launch off into a project like that?

7:24What's wrong with these pictures? Well, it's in the wrong time. Well, maybe, but nothing. Not quite. I got one coming up that's not, what? Yes. Not saved. What? Condemned. Wow. Very good. Whoops. He's got it. They are condemned. That is, they have been determined to be unsuitable for human habitation, that they are more trouble than they're worth, and they're waiting for somebody who will take some money and just come and level them. That's the state of condemnation used in the building industry. Now, here is one in our.

8:06You can walk there. That is, what is the name of that? Bowie Elementary. Did anybody go to Bowie Elementary in here? There's one. Okay, Bowie, you remember the day, right? Well, actually, I did go to this years back thinking about, you know, if we, would this be something we could buy and renovate into a church and started looking into it? You know what? Wow. Run from it, right? It too is categorically condemned. And what that means is that what is needed to reverse this condemnation status, you could probably go and reverse that condemnation status.

8:52But you would have to have the know-how, right? You'd have to come forward with a plan that you know how to reverse that. Status, right? So it's going to take somebody with a certain know-how. It's going to take somebody with a whole lot of resources, right? Because it is actually less expensive to demolish the whole thing and start over. That's really what the status of condemnation means. And so you need somebody with the know-how, and you need somebody that has the time and resources. But thirdly, you have to have somebody who wants to, right?

9:36Somebody, someone who's willing, somebody who sees a goal that's worthy of rehabilitation. Understand the concept of condemnation. In a construction setting, condemned means no one meets all three of the Christ. There is no one that's willing, that has a know-how, has the time, has the resources, and has the desire to come back and fix these buildings up. Let's move it up a notch. You know what all three of these dogs have in common? They're all condemned.

10:22This is, and what does that mean? They are in a state. They are in the dog pound. Right? They are there. And in order for them to have this sentence reversed, somebody has to come in that, number one, has the resources, has a place to take them, to take care of them, somebody who will spend the money, spend the time, and somebody who sees them worthy of rehabilitation. Right? That's why they put these pictures on the internet out there is for somebody to go and redeem them back. Now, the point of this message, kids, don't miss this, is to go home. I see my daughter's already crying up here. You know, it's like, you know, to go convince your dad to go get a dog out of the pound. And maybe, by the time, maybe, just maybe, for all I know, all these dogs have already been redeemed. That's not the point.

11:28But unless somebody steps into the scene and is willing to spend the time, resources, and care, these dogs are gone. Now, let me take it up one more notch. What do all these men have in common? These are all some of the most hardened criminals. Some of these guys have done some of the most insane, unimaginable things. I can't even speak what they did in a crowd like this. I mean, to get on death row today, you have to really go to town. You've got to really be a mess.

12:16They're condemned. They're condemned. Now, what would it take to rehabilitate someone like this? Does anybody have the know-how to take a life like this and wash it clean? Is somebody willing to take the time and the love and redeem someone such as this? Is anybody willing? Does somebody have the know-how? Anybody willing to spend, pay the ransom price, pay the resources and the time, and do they see it as a worthy project anyway? Now be honest with me. How many of you felt more sorry for the dogs than you did for these men?

13:18Yeah. Okay, you can put your hands down. And that's our thought, right? We have more concern about the dogs than we did these people. Made in God's image. Condemned. As God looked down upon the vast expanse of humanity, what John 17, 317, and 18 tells us is: the world stands condemned. That's the status. That's the status. That's the world's need. Look back at verse 18, specifically who, who is condemned? And verse 18 answers it very emphatically: the one settled in a state of unbelief. Verse 18, the one who does not believe has been judged already, has been condemned already.

14:26And I fear this morning that there are some among us today who have this stamp condemned. Maybe you're not as bad as the men that I showed you on death row, but do you know in your heart is the same elements of sin that's in their heart? And what separates you from them is opportunity, conditions. The conditions. Were right, their upbringing and all that kind of stuff, and the situation that they were in, and the things that their hearts pursued, it was all a right storm for them to end up on death row. The difference between you and them is not that you're better, that your human nature is better than theirs, but you have not had the opportunities, or the conditions have not been the same.

15:27The one who is condemned is in the one who doesn't believe. And the good news of the gospel is: you don't have to stay condemned. As long, but as long as the condition of unbelief remains, the condition of condemnation remains. So that's the need. That's the world's need. And it's against this backdrop of the world's need, we are ready to understand the Son's mission, the Son's mission. Look at verse 17. The Son's mission is expressly stated. For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

16:21You can put it in the positive: God sent the Son into the world that the world might be saved through him. And that's that word apostello there, the word for apostle. The idea is to dispatch someone. Jesus was dispatched by the Father for the purpose of saving the world. The world, the cosmos, which he's just said in verse 16: a lost world, the cosmos he loved. He came to this lost world to save the world. And the word for save there is a, it's kind of like the Greek word is, it's a subjunctive. That means it's like that the world might be saved, that the conditions now for salvation are right. Because before the Son came into the world, before the Son was destined for the cross, the conditions for salvation, without the Son, the conditions for salvation are non-existent. And the whole idea behind being saved or salvation or the word save here, it has many uses throughout Scripture. The idea is to rescue.

17:44The rescue in a sense from natural dangers, rescue from natural afflictions. The idea is to save, to keep from harm, to save from death. Sometimes it's used to talk about being brought out safely, like in the A. Exodus, to save is to bring someone out safely, to keep in a good condition. That's the same idea here: to cause to thrive, to cause to prosper, to cause to get on well. And the idea of the Son came to save. He came to save in the fullest sense. He came to save man in the fullest sense of the word, to save from a separation from God. Without union with God, there is no salvation. There is no safety in death. There is no, you're incarcerated in your flesh, in fleshly desire, in fleshly pursuits, and condemned.

19:00That's why he came. He came to save in the fullness sense, so that he could remove the conditions would be right for the status of condemnation to be removed. And he came. He came. And he came, he understood what it was like to be under authority. He was a sent-out one, the one sent by the Father. And he came as a living demonstration. Of the God we see in Scripture, the compassion nature of God. He was moved. He was moved.

19:41You remember in Exodus 34, 6, when the Lord passes in front of Moses and he says this, the Lord, the Lord God, compassion and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness and truth. That's who Moses first sees God to be. And this theme, as this becomes such an anchor for Old Testament theology, Nehemiah will find great comfort in the fact that God is a God who abounds in loving kindness. The psalmist will sing in Psalm 108 about the compassion and graciousness of God. He was slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness. Joel will find great refuge in this. Jonah will be, as you remember, jealous. It's like I knew you were compassionate. That's why I didn't want to go to Nineveh.

20:48But Jesus steps on to the scene, sent as a living demonstration of the compassionate nature of God. Get this picture of Christ. This is why he came. Jesus' mission is a testimony to the truth we see in Ezekiel 18, 23, where God says, Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked? Rather that he should turn from his ways and live, that's what's on my heart. This is the heart of the Father. Says it again in Isaiah 1, Come now, as he speaks to Israel, come now and let us reason together. Come, come to the table, let us talk. Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. If you will consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. Truly, the mouth of the Lord has spoken. This is who God is. Let me bring this down to a more personal level here.

22:04He came to save you from everything that harms your soul and body and to bestow upon you a complete and everlasting satisfaction in God. Where's your satisfaction? He came. He came to save you from everything in the full sense of the word. He came to provide a new Destiny for humanity. Do you see the mission? This is what's driving the new birth as we put this in its theological place in this text, this wonderful text. He came to provide a new destiny, and without his incarnation, there would be only one destiny for humanity. What is it? Condemnation.

22:58But keep in mind, he didn't have to become flesh to condemn the world. He didn't have to, if he wanted to condemn the world, he didn't have to come in the flesh. But if he wanted to save the world, guess what he had to do? He had to leave his eternal throne, take upon himself human flesh, humble himself even to the cross. This was the purpose of his first Advent. He didn't come to condemn the world. He did not come to a neutral world that was wavering between two opinions. He didn't come to a neutral world and then decide to judge and save one and the other. No, no. He came to a lost world under the sin. Of condemnation to save some. That was the mission of the Son.

24:12That's the motivation, the love of the Father, and the mission, the Son's mission. Next, I want to talk to you about the dividing line of humanity. The dividing line of humanity. If you've been in my hermeneutics class, you've actually seen this before, right? I want to talk to you a little bit about the continental divide, just so you have this image in your mind. What is that continental divide? Well, first of all, there's the capital of Texas, or where it should be, right?

24:57It's college station. It's where the star is. There's that continental divide up there. You see that? The Rocky Mountains run north and south. And what that basically means, and I grew up there in the northern New Mexico, close to the continental divide there, that the water to the west flows into the Pacific Ocean, and the water that flows to the east flows into a whole other body of water, the Gulf of Mexico, and ultimately. The Atlantic, right?

25:33That's the idea of a dividing point. And we talk a lot about this in certain avenues, but there's certainly something you need to see here. In this text, John gives us the real dividing line of humanity, the dividing line of humanity. Look at this. Back at verse 18. Notice the division, notice the two categories. There is the believing one, the one believing in him is not condemned. And then there is the one who is not believing, who is condemned already.

26:18This is the big watershed of humanity. The ones who believe in Christ, who believe his words, and follow those words where it takes them, end up in a whole different way of life, a whole different set of tributaries. They go down life very differently and end up into a whole different destination than those who don't believe or who set them aside. And that's the continental divide of life. And it shows up in everything. This fundamental thing, fundamental difference. Do you believe or do you not believe? Dramatically impacts the Flow of your life and the ultimate destination.

27:04Worlds apart. And this is exactly why there is a command in Scripture for unbelievers not to yoke themselves with believers, or believers not to yoke themselves with unbelievers. You're on two different sides of the watershed, going down two totally different paths into two totally different destinations. But I want you to appreciate the one believing in him. This is the it's the one who is presently believing in him, is the one who is not under the sentence of condemnation. And who is the one who is presently believing in him? The one who has been born again. Born again with the faith that doesn't originate out of the fallen heart of humanity, but out of the wisdom and the beauty and the power and the new creation that the Holy Spirit works.

28:15You notice that they believe in him. That is, there involves their knowledge, they have a knowledge of Jesus, who he is. They believe in him, who he is. They believe in what he says. Says. They believe specifically that he is the only unique manifestation of God Himself, the only begotten. It also implies a belief and a knowledge of what He has done. You see, those who have faith in Him, those who are believing in Him, are the ones who have received Him. God gave a gift.

28:59Those who believe are the ones who have received. There's no other side of the watershed. There's not three watersheds, four, there's two. And on the contrary, there's the one who is not believing in Him. And this category describes those who are not believing, in a state of disbelief or neglect. But look back at verse 18 and see what it is that they don't believe in. They have not believed in the name, in the name of the only begotten Son of God. He has a name, Jesus, the only unique one of God, the only begotten. There isn't another one like Him on in earth's history, nor will there ever be one. Take all the religious leaders, take all the great minds, take them all. There is not even a category that they can be placed in with Christ. He is so unique.

30:14You know what man's fundamental problem with God is, or one of our fundamental problems? Is that our conception of God is totally flawed at one point? And that is, we think of God that he is like us. We think of God, and this is why man was not to make images and worship him, because all he would do would be make a God after his own liking. But it would really be man worshiping himself. Psalm 50:21 says, God rebukes him and says, You thought I was altogether like you. Wrong.

31:05I am not like you. I am holy. I am very different from you. And Christ is the only unique one of God. Let me tell you why someone like me is not a good candidate to be the only unique one of God. I almost hate to talk like this because I feel like you even get. Struck just talking like this, but why? Why is it that someone like us is not the only unique one? Well, let me tell you: I could imagine if God the Father had come to me and said, Okay, the world stands condemned. I need you to go down.

31:54What? Leave all this? Go to the cross? What are you nuts or something? Wouldn't happen. The whole plan of salvation wouldn't even get out of the gate if someone like us was there. Could you imagine coming out of the temptation after 40 days of out food? And here comes Satan and says, Hey, turn that bread or turn that stone into bread. Got it. Good idea. Pow. And that one's going to be a cheeseburger. Pow. That one's going to be french-fried pow. And that one's going to be a milkshake.

32:34But when you look at Christ, he never used his power for himself like that. That is how he is altogether different from us. Imagine, imagine standing before there and hearing this guy hit you and then say, prophesy, who hit you? Okay, I'll tell you who hit me. You over there. Let me tell you about your family. Let me tell you about your kids. And you standing right next to him, let me tell you about you. Let me tell you where you, you know, I'd have them so wigged out that they'd just pick up and walk out, right?

33:09Cross wouldn't have happened. Or when they said, if you're the Christ, come down off the cross. Yeah, I'll come down. What I'm saying is, in every juncture, the cross would never have happened if Christ was like us. But he is altogether different. And his name is Jesus. It is good that he's altogether different. Let us not ever try to make him like us because to do so is to profane his name. He is unique in power, he is unique in beauty, he is holy. And that's why we are to follow him and not try to make him like us.

34:02Out of the Father's love, this is what salvation is. He gives us a son, his son, and he gives us the pattern of what good humanity is. And he says, I'm going to transform you into this. Listen, if you're not a follower of Christ today, become one. Become a learner and follower of him. Take an honest look at him. You will find him incredibly wise, incredibly beautiful, ready to receive you. Come, go, follow him. But if you do not believe in the one that God has sent to you, here's the reality: you do not believe in God himself.

34:58If you do not believe in the one that God sent to you, you do not believe God Himself. And here is the guilt of the unbeliever. Here's the guilt. The guilt is: number one, they have not accepted God in his Son. That's what's going on here. They have rejected God. God and His Son has come and they've rejected the Son, and therefore they have rejected God. Think about this: if I was given a jury summons, and the mail carrier came up and gave me a jury summons in the mail, and I took it and tore it up and said, Oh, I ain't receiving this from you. Who have I really rejected? The mail carrier or the one who sent the mail?

35:49Obviously, the one, the sender. Same is true about the son. He deserves an honest look. And here is the guilt. Number two, the guilt of the unbeliever. I'll give you two points. Number one, he's not accepted God and his Son. And number two, he has refused to even look upon the Son with an honest inquiry. You see, God has, by unmistakable proofs, shown that Jesus is the only begotten. He is the person in whom all the fullness and the manifestation of God is concentrated.

36:34Let me tell you his name, Jesus. Eternal God. Stop thinking of Jesus as a mere historical figure. He is eternal God. This one came. He is the life giver. Jesus, life giver. The one who gave you life. Your Creator, this one. His name is Jesus. This is the one that came. This is the one who is circumcised. Life sustainer, the one who gives you every breath right now. He gave you life. He sustained your life. He is Jesus, perfect righteousness. Jesus, perfect substitute for sin.

37:19Jesus, crucified one. Jesus, the resurrected one. Jesus, the exalted one. Jesus, the Redeemer. He is there. The perfect in the intercessor, defending you against the accuser of the brother. He is Jesus, king, Jesus, priest, Jesus, teacher, Jesus, the good shepherd. Expand your understanding of Christ and so be transformed by Him. He is a good shepherd, he knows how to satisfy the souls of everyone who comes to Him. He is Jesus, judge, Jesus, creator of a new heavens and a new earth, where He will dwell forever with those He has redeemed. This is Jesus.

38:18You remember back in verses 14 and 15, it speaks about the serpent being lifted up, and that those who looked at the serpent were healed, right? And what God is showing us here is that it's not the serpent in the wilderness, but Jesus crucified, eternal God crucified, is the object of faith. And he holds such power and such beauty that even the slightest look at him, the slightest look in faith, completely transforms. That's the power. You see the image?

39:05The serpent was lifted up. It wasn't about the look. It was about the power that was coming in a look at the eternal God, the life giver, the life sustainer, perfect righteousness on the cross, has a cleansing and a transforming effect on the sinner. And that's why you are to look to him. That's why the whole exhortation of John is believe in him. That's why the exhortation today is to look to him. But you know, not all people see him this way, do they?

39:44They see him as nothing special or even an object of offense. How do you see Jesus today? Honestly, stop and ask yourself the question: how do you see him today? Is he lovely? Is he beautiful? Is he magisterial? Or are you distracted by other things? Well, there are many who don't see him as anything special. And I would liken them to Barclay's visitor to a museum, to an art gallery that he tells about a visitor who went into this really high-end art gallery. And I'll just read you the story.

40:32It says a visitor was being shown round an art gallery by one of the attendants. In that gallery, there were certain masterpieces beyond all price, possessions of eternal beauty and unquestioned genius. At the end of the tour, the visitor said, Well, I don't think much of your old pictures. The attendant answered quietly, Sir, I would remind you that these pictures are no longer on trial, but those who look at them are. You see, the reason the visitor saw no beauty in the masterpiece was due to his own blindness.

41:14And look, unbeliever, today, if you see no beauty in Jesus, if you are not drawn to him, you are an unbeliever. And it is not because he is lacking beauty, but because you are blind. And my prayer, and I hope your prayer will be that God will show you Jesus. Just say, God, show me Jesus. God, help me take an honest look. God, please. And he'll show you. And then to the believer, to you who have walked with Christ for some time, if you are not satisfied in Jesus alone, it is not because he is lacking in the ability to satisfy, but Because of your relentless pursuit and distraction by other things. And I would call you to again realign your focus upon the eternal God, your creator, life sustainer, king, priest, innocent, the one who lovers the lover of your soul.

42:19Look to him in faith. And you will find that he will satisfy your soul to the deepest and most fullest level. All other earthly things cannot. Well, the state of condemnation is real. How does one get out of this state of condemnation? And the answer that John gives over and over is: come to Jesus. Come to Jesus. How do you do that? Number one, you listen to the word, listen to the preached word today, listen to the word that was expounded on, listen to the words themselves. Go and listen, let them listen, take them in, and believe the Father's love for you. Believe not only that the Father sent his Son, but the Son sent us, sent this church to proclaim these things. Believe that. He sent me to speak to you today to tell you about the Father's love. Believe it. And believe in the saving work of the Son.

43:30And that state of condemnation is gone like that. Heavenly Father, it is beyond our ability to even approach you, to even muster up faith of our own. So we look to you. We call upon your Holy Spirit. Father, that you would dispatch your Spirit to this place, that you would bring about and awaken a real interest, a real genuine interest to know you and to look upon your Son. In Jesus' name.