Introduction
What makes a great gift?
How many of you were alive in 1975? How many of you remember? How many of you dressed up like the 70s for Halloween?
Christmas 1975 was my most memorable Christmas. I had just turned 10 years old. Most of you know that I was born in and grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. My dad was pastor of a small local church in Kalihi and in 1975 he was working on finishing his seminary at Golden Gate Theological Seminary across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco in Marin County. The church he served was a smaller church and money was tight. We had been prepared for a lean Christmas.
I remember getting up on Christmas morning and finding that my parents had taken the 10 speed bike that my dad had used while he was on campus at seminary. They had put on cool handle bars and a new seat and it was mine.
Why was that gift so special to me?
My parents had to go to a lot of trouble (my dad had to bring it back from California on the plane, they had to figure out handle bars and a seat that would work with it, they probably could have sold it instead).
But there was also a risk that I would reject the gift. I could have thrown a fit and said that I didn't want a hand me down bike.
We're in week 3 of our study of "3:16 The Numbers of Hope." Today in your small groups and in worship today we are focusing on the part of John 3:16 where the Bible tells us that Jesus loved us, so He gave.
Would you read John 3:16 with me this morning?
I want to deal with today what it cost, what it changed, how to receive it.
Can I spring board from two things that Max deals with on the DVD then move on to something deeper?
I hope you are benefiting from this series. I know I'm enjoying getting to watch Max Lucado, I'm enjoying the daily sessions, and I enjoy the discussions.
What did is cost for God to give? Max Lucado talks about how it cost God his "only begotten son" Jesus. God gave by offering his sacrifice - himself, humility, Jesus endured pain, endured the cross.
What does it change? Max Lucado talked about the fact that by making this sacrifice, Jesus offers you a new heart, forgiveness. Jesus took my unholy heart and died for my sins and He gave me a new heart.
How do we receive what He gave (this gift)? Bruce talked about the prodigal son a couple of weeks ago, The son finally came to agree with his father and confess his agreement, "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.'" Luke 15:21 (HCSB)
Story of David and Bathsheba and Nathan 2 Samuel 11-12
Confession
The word in the Greek New Testament for confess means to speak the same thing God speaks. T.W. Hunt dealt with this in part of a study called The Disciple's Prayer Life: Walking in Fellowship with God. He says we must agree with God.
Acknowledge sin – agree with God
Repent – turn away
Accept God's forgiveness
King David uses four different words for sin in the first couple of verses of Psalm 51.
Four words for sin
1. Transgressions
Acts of revolt or rebellion, choosing your own way; v. 1) pesha' (peh'-shah)
Literally means overstep, trespass to step across the line. (Gk. Parabasis). If you step over a property line you have trespassed on another person's land; the person who steps across God's standard of righteousness has committed a trespass or transgression.
God has put up certain boundaries in this life to protect us and to protect others.
He has certain physical laws.
He has certain moral laws.
He has certain spiritual laws.
Any time man attempts to step over any of them, he'll have to suffer the consequences. (J. Vernon McGee)
David crossed the line not when he noticed Bathsheba on the roof but when he sent someone to check her out,
2. Iniquity
Moral crookedness or perversity; v. 2) 'awon (aw-vone')
Iniquity means that which is altogether wrong. You can't excuse it; you can't offer some sort of an apology for it; you can't in any way condone it. That's iniquity.
3. Sin
To miss the mark, fail to measure up to God's standards; v. 2) h?at?t?a't (khat-taw-aw')
In verses 2 and 3 it is the Hebrew word chattath, meaning "sin offering.'' In verse 4 it is chata, translated in the Septuagint by the Greek word hamartia, meaning "to miss the mark.'' That's all - just miss the mark.
4. Evil
Wickedness; v. 4) ra'
The word evil that is used here by David means that which is actually wrong. Bible is still very clear on what is right and what is wrong. God is unmistakably certain on these things. Evil is that which is actually wrong.
David uses this word to speak of the fact that he was wrong. He admitted it. (J. Vernon McGee)
In the time of David it had become commonplace for kings to do the types of things that David did.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God'' (Rom. 3:23).
With those definitions, do any of you want to say that you are without sin? So, we have to agree with Jesus when we transgress or trespass, when we behave immorally, when we miss the mark, or when we do evil.
So what do we do? Do what David did.
Things to ask God to do
1. In the first part of verse one, David asks God to "Be merciful" " Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love"
2. In the 2nd part of vs. 1 he asks God "according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions."
3. In verse 2 he asks God to "Wash and cleanse" him. "Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin."
4. He asked God to Purify him in verse 7. "Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Hyssop was a plant whose twigs are described in the Bible as being used to sprinkle water during Hebrew religious ceremonies.
5. In verse 14 he asked God to "Deliver him from guilt."
6. And in verse 15 he asks God, "Open my lips."
You can ask God for these same things because God gave. But it's not an outward change. He's talking about an inner change that only God can do. In another book by Max Lucado he shares a fun story that illustrates this.
He tells a story of how he unplugged his freezer just before leaving for a weeklong trip. He and his family returned to their home a week later. When the freezer was opened for the first time it was unbelievably rancid. They were faced with how they were going to clean the interior.
Lucado suggested several ways. First, he got a rag and some soapy water and began to clean the outside of the appliance. He was sure that the odor would disappear with a good shine, and so he polished and buffed and wiped. But upon opening the freezer door the smell was still revolting.
In light of that failure, Lucado tried throwing a freezer party, and he invited other appliances from the neighborhood kitchens. But improving the social life of the freezer didn't help - the stench was still oppressive. His next plan was to give the freezer some class, and he put a Lexus sticker on the outside and replaced the grill with spinners. But it still had that putrid interior when the door was opened.
He could think of only one other option. His freezer needed some high voltage pleasure, and so he bought it some copies of "Playfridge" magazine, the publication that displays its freezers with its doors open. He rented some films about foxy appliances, and after two days of super-charged, after-hours entertainment he opened the door and nearly got sick.
The point of his sarcasm is obvious. It is not going to help to try to deal with exterior when the rotting food is on the inside. What a message for our contemporary age! We like to address our exterior, but God is in the business of changing what really matters-our heart.
So how does God go about this process of cleaning us out inside?
Changes to expect and to ask from God
(From T.W. Hunt's Disciple's Prayer Life: Walking in Fellowship with God.)
Know wisdom (v. 6)
Be cleansed whiter than snow (v. 7)
Hear joy and gladness so that you can rejoice again (v. 8)
Receive a clean heart (v. 10)
Receive a right spirit (v. 10)
Know once again the joy of God's salvation (v. 12)
Have a willing spirit (v. 12)
"You were dead because of your sins ... Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross." Col. 2:13-14 (NLT)
Make clear that this is something that we do once when first come to Christ, and we are permanently made right with him.