Daily Dose of the Word of God - John 3: 16-17

Erin Pacheco, Director of Worship

Transcript

Erin Pacheco 0:08 

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s Daily Dose of the Word of God. It’s Friday, September 20, and Sunday is coming! I’m Erin Pacheco. It’s the season of green and growing things, because God is on a mission to keep us growing Up, In and Out. Today’s reading is from John 3:16-17, words of Jesus that are familiar to many of us: 

Erin Pacheco  0:34 

“For God so loved the world,  that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  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.”

Erin Pacheco  0:53
 
How would you describe the gospel? If a friend or stranger asked what Christians believe, how would you respond? How would you tell the story of Jesus? John 3:16 isn’t a bad place to start. There’s a reason we often commit it to memory. It’s helpful to have it mentally tucked away, ready to pull out in conversation. This is the gospel, the good news! “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son…”  But sometimes John 3:16 gets watered down into something like “Jesus died on the cross for your sins and has a wonderful plan for your life!” —in a way that doesn’t really connect for those who don’t know Jesus or care about his plan for their lives. Maybe they don’t even feel particularly sinful so hearing that someone died for their sins is just weird. Sometimes sharing the gospel is like offering somebody a solution for a problem they’re not really facing. You end up talking past each other.

Erin Pacheco  1:58 

So I’ve been struck lately by the power of stories. Like, it’s one thing to know something about God, or about the Christian life, but when someone testifies about how that showed up in their actual life, it hits different. I’m often reminded again of the power and goodness of God, the way Jesus really does join us in our moments of suffering, and how, in countless ways, both tiny and cosmic, God is in the business of hope and resurrection.   What is the gospel? I wonder if sharing the gospel sometimes looks like just sharing the good news of your story, however unfinished it is — your story of how God so loved the world and sent his Son, your story of how the love of God, the healing work of Jesus, and the hope of eternal life is showing up in your little life. Your story of how God is currently meeting your need and moving in your circumstances and drawing you to himself.   I wonder what power those stories would have when we’re bold enough to tell them. 

Erin Pacheco 3:15  

Let’s pray. Creator God, thank you for not giving up on this beautiful world that you’ve made. Thank you for your relentless mission to redeem and transform this broken world through Christ. Help us to join you on that mission, and to look for opportunities to share our stories of your faithfulness and goodness and grace. Amen.