God’s Story Shared with Us

2 Big Truths from the Bible

Aaron Lee | January 12, 2024 | AWANA | John 3:17

Introduction

What is the Bible all about? One of the hardest things about learning about the Bible is that there are so many people. Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, his disciples, Paul, Timothy, and more. Of course, ultimately, the Bible is about God. Our verse today will help us see two big truths from the Bible, and this will help us see what it’s all about:

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:17)

1. The Person of God

The first big truth from the Bible is the person of God. When I’m talking about the person of God, I’m talking about who he is. I’m talking about his character. You might already know that God is three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That’s not what I’m talking about. Right now, I’m talking about what God is like. You might think of this as his personality or his nature. 

Notice what God is not. God did not send His Son Jesus to condemn the world. God is not a condemner, per se. Our condemnation comes because of our sin. To be condemned means to be guilty and going to be punished. This is the same type of language that we use when we talk about accusations and judgment. It’s like you are in a courtroom, you are put on trial, and you are found to be guilty and you need to be punished. We do bad things. We think bad things. We sin against God and we sin against others. Our sin condemns us. We need to be punished for our sin.

God is not like us. God is holy. He is totally separate and in a different category than us, and he is without sin. He is perfectly good. He does nothing wrong. You can say that the person of God is to be holy, blameless, righteous, and just. In the previous verse, John 3:16, we see that God loves the world. So not only is he holy, but he is also a loving God. This is a big deal! People will say that God could not possibly be a loving God. This is not true. The Bible helps us understand more of who God is.

So, will you read the Bible to learn more about the person of God? Some of you have been going to church for a long time. You might know about God, but maybe you really know him. I challenge you to read the Bible to see God’s character come alive. Listen carefully to the sermons at church to see God and study about who he is. Knowing who God is will help us to be more like him.

2. The Plan of God

The second big truth from the Bible is the plan of God. Our holy, loving God planned that the world might be saved through Jesus. This is God’s plan of salvation. Even though you are guilty of your sin, standing under condemnation, and you need to be punished — our loving God has made a way to save you. 

Our text tells us that God actually had a plan in place to save us. God did not have to scramble to find a solution for our sin. Our verse says that God sent his Son to save us. Jesus knew what he was doing when he went to the cross. He was in total control the entire time. Jesus actually let his captors take him to the cross. If Jesus really wanted to, he could have commanded legions of angels to come down and save him. But he did not, because he had a mission — a plan of salvation for God’s people.

Some say that there are many ways to be saved. Some say that you can just be a good person and save yourself. Some say you can believe in other religions and be saved. This is not true. The Bible says that Jesus is the only way to be saved. This was God’s perfect plan from the beginning. While we might not say it, some of us think we have a better plan than God’s plan. We try to be saved by doing good works. We think that doing well in school will make us a good person and then God will save us. Or we think that if we say the right thing to our parents and know how to follow the rules then that means we’re good and that we can be saved. Or we think that if we are stronger, prettier, have more skills, or are just overall better than other people then that makes us worthy to be good and to be saved by God. The Bible tells us that trusting in Jesus is the only way to be saved. It is God’s perfect plan.

So, will you read the Bible to learn more about the plan of God? I want to challenge you to start piecing together the different stories of the Bible. How does King David connect with King Jesus? Why does Jesus quote so many Psalms? What happens to the Serpent in the Garden of Eden? Why is there a dragon in the book of Revelation? Knowing God’s plan will help us better understand how we fit in it and how we are to live within it.

Big Idea

The Bible is God’s story that reveals who He is and unveils His perfect plan.

Gospel

Many people think that the Bible is a set of rules to be followed or just a collection of good sayings. The Bible contains the Gospel message, and you might be hearing this for the first time. Admit that you are a sinner, believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died on the cross for your sins, confess him as the resurrected King over your life. Follow him now and you will follow him into Heaven. 

Sharing

When did you first understand that God is holy but also loving?

Conclusion

Let’s go back to the beginning again for our conclusion. I asked you: What is the Bible all about? The Bible is God’s story that reveals who he is and unveils his perfect plan.

I listed so many Bible characters, but I forgot to mention something else: God’s children are also in the Bible! People like you and me - if you believe. This is a beautiful thing, and I pray that you would see yourself truly sharing in God’s story.