God So Loved the World
Leave it to the theologians to exegete the original Greek to the most ultimate, infinite and finite micro detail of the meaning of the title of this letter. Particularly, what are the distinctives that explicate “world”?
We will take the simple route. God loved the entire world, i.e., the countries, the people, the birds, animals, plants. He not only made the world, He liked what He made (Gen 1:31).
Love was the reason Jesus came to earth -- Love that sought redemption, Love that believed that given a chance, man would call upon the name of the Lord and be saved (Acts 2:21).
One of hell’s greatest deceptions is to convince man that his world is still small. If a person can be convinced of smallness, then drowning in selfishness is inevitable. I have heard people say: “I just love a small church.” I wonder if they have any passion for lost souls. I wonder what would happen if a stranger, not smelling good, were to walk in to worship with them.
Pastor Mark Miller has called both Sundays he has been pastoring. Last night he shared that attendance went from 17 to 40 on the second Sunday. Three persons were homeless, smelling so bad that it was difficult to approach them. So, what do we advise Pastor Miller to do: “Post an usher outside the door, and tell them to go away?” Or, do we say: “Pastor Miller, find a way to minister to them. One of them will be a deacon, one a choir member, and one a preacher.”
A few weeks ago I talked with three men from Greene County. One I knew. He introduced me to the other two, of which one was a farmer. I mentioned to one about doing a missionary farm in a Third World country. He good-naturedly said, “There are no roads that lead from Greene County to that country.” A second man joined in, “When I get more than 10 minutes away from Route 33 I get homesick.” The final comment was: “Once I saw a beautiful woman leaving Greene County going into Madison County. I crossed the river chasing her and got lost -- took me three days to find my way home.” We all chuckled.
Smallness: it is a sickness -- sickness of hell. On lofty heights there are dreams that suggest possibilities, possibilities that drive ambition, and prayer, and partnership that make things come to reality. Angels sing. Man rejoices. And the Heavenly Father is pleased. But the sickness of smallness pulls down those like Lot’s wife who love the small things in life. Down, down, down, falls the victim into vertigo of destruction.
Tobey and Brandy Bouch are one of our fine young couples. Brandy was saved in Covenant Church, served in the Peace Corp in Ghana, and simultaneously was a missionary to the people of Ghana. Tobey chased Brandy all the way to Ghana and convinced Brandy that he loved her. They married and now head our Missions Committee. God has blessed them with two fine children. Levi is age 2 and Benjamin is several months old.
Recently, Tobey shared with me that he and Brandy are determined to instill in their children a worldview. They have a globe in their home and regularly tell Levi about different countries, the people, God’s love for the people, culture, geography, etc. Ask Levi and he can roll the globe, search Africa, and put his little finger on Ghana where his mother served.
Thirty years of being a pastor are behind me. Most of the challenges I have faced as a pastor dealt with small issues. It is a common story of pastors and church leaders to feel that too much energy is spent on small things that have little weight against “God so loved the world” (John 3:16).
Oh, you are right; this smallness syndrome is not restricted to church. It frustrates teachers, doctors, families, employers, and all of society.
Of this I am sure: If we would all just sit down and have a good meditation about how big God is, what a loving God he is, and how he loves the WHOLE WORLD, I feel confident we would be more like King David. We would sing psalms of praise and thanksgiving.
Why don’t we agree to climb a little higher and look at the world as God sees it—with love?
Praying for partners who will believe for big things,
Pastor Bare
“Without a vision people perish” (Proverbs 29:18).