• John 3:16
• The Bible teaches that believers will be saved.
  • Be saved - Romans 1:16
  • Is justified - Romans 5:1
  • Has access to God’s grace - Romans 5:2
  • Has a purified heart - Acts 15:9
  • Shall receive remission of sins
  • Is born of God - I John 5:1
  • These are all the same kind of believers - the kind mentioned in John 3:16
    • Should not perish - John 3:16
    • But (should) have eternal life - John 3:16
• The Bible teaches that believers will be lost.
  • No believers _should_perish, but these will … why?
    • The devils believe but are lost - James 2:19
    • Some believing rulers are lost - John 12:42-43
    • Erring believers are lost - II Timothy 2:15-19
    • Those who shipwreck the faith - I Timothy 1:19-20
    • Those who depart from the faith (become unbelievers) - I Timothy 4:1-2
  • These are all believers - but not the kind of John 3:16
• What sort of believer is the John 3:16kind?
  • One who comes to God by faith - Hebrews 11:6
  • One who has a pure heart - Matthew 5:8
  • One who is justified - Romans 5:1-2
  • One who works by love - Galatians 5:6
  • One who has his sins remitted - Acts 10:43
  • One who is baptized - Mark 16:15-16
• To be a believer who only believes … who perverts scripture … who shipwrecks the faith … is to be a believer who will not be saved.
• God’s plan for saving man:
  • Hear the gospel - Romans 10:17
  • Believe Jesus is the Son of God - Mark 16:16
  • Repent from sin - Acts 17:30
  • Confess faith in Christ - Romans 10:9-10
  • Be baptized - I Peter 3:21
  • Live faithfully unto God - Revelation 2:10

• Revelation 7:13-17
• Two extremes
  • Tears show there is sadness
  • Removal shows comfort
• Whose tears and why?
  • Those in white - God’s people
  • “Out of tribulation”
    • Hunger
    • Thirst
    • Exposure
• The tears of God’s people have been plenty
  • Tears of pity
    • Compassion weeps for doom of lost - Luke 19:41-44
  • Tears of sympathy
    • Weeping with others - Romans 12:15
  • Tears of bereavement
    • David over Absalom - II Samuel 18:33
  • Tears of penitence
    • Crying over knowledge of wasted life - Luke 7:36-38
    • Crying over sin and punishments - Psalms 6:1-2
  • Tears of anxiety
    • A worker concerned with moral and spiritual wellbeing of those among whom he labored - Acts 20:31
    • An anxious father for his child - Mark 9:24
  • Tears of sacrifice
    • Of saints who suffer great loss for furthrence of the gospel - Psalms 126:5-6
• Our tears and the nature of God
  • God of pity - Psalms 103:13-18
  • God of love and peace - II Corinthians 13:11
  • God of mercy and comfort - II Corinthians 1:3
  • God of consolation - Romans 15:5
• God wipes away all tears
  • Hand or finger are not named bu understood here
    • Hand and fingers: symbol of God’s work, ability, and power
      • Hand of supplication - Isaiah 65:2
      • Hand of deliverance - Exodus 13:3
      • Hand of protection - John 10:28-39
      • Hand of guidance - Psalms 23:1-2
      • Hand of correction - Psalms 38:1-2
      • Hand of comfort - Revelation 7:17
  • The Promise: God removes the cause of sorrow. People beyond reach of harm.
• God’s plan for saving man:
  • Hear the gospel - Romans 10:17
  • Believe Jesus is the Son of God - Mark 16:16
  • Repent from sin - Acts 17:30
  • Confess faith in Christ - Romans 10:9-10
  • Be baptized - I Peter 3:21
  • Live faithfully unto God - Revelation 2:10

• Matthew 5-7
• Unique composition of citizens of the Kingdom - Matthew 5:3-12
  • Blessed are:
    • Poor in spirit - humility
    • Mournful
    • Hungry and thirsty
    • Merciful
    • Pure in heart
    • Peacemakers
    • Persecuted for righteousness
    • Persecuted for Christ
  • You are:
    • Salt of the earth
    • Light of the world
• God’s plan for saving man:
  • Hear the gospel - Romans 10:17
  • Believe Jesus is the Son of God - Mark 16:16
  • Repent from sin - Acts 17:30
  • Confess faith in Christ - Romans 10:9-10
  • Be baptized - I Peter 3:21
  • Live faithfully unto God - Revelation 2:10
• Superior righteousness of the Kingdom - Matthew 5:17-48
  • Must be inward, spiritual, and real - not outward, routine, and ceremonial
    • Six illustrations
      • Law of anger/hate in heart - Matthew 5:21-26
      • Law of lust in heart - Matthew 5:27-30
      • Law of oath-breaking in heart - Matthew 5:31-32
      • Law of oath-taking - Matthew 5:33-37
      • Law of retaliation - Matthew 5:38-42
      • Law of merciful kindness - Matthew 5:43-48
• The secret of the practice of true religion - Matthew 6:1-18
  • Performed to please God, not man
    • Almsgiving - Matthew 6:1-4
    • Prayer - Matthew 6:5-15
    • Fasting - Matthew 6:16-18
• Pitfalls to avoid - Matthew 6:19-7:6
  • Hoarding - Matthew 6:19-34
    • Anxious grabbing for things of this life
      • Learn to trust God
      • Seek the kingdom
  • Faultfinding - Matthew 7:1-5
    • Passing unwarranted severe, critical judgments
      • Self inspect and correct
      • Practice mercy
  • Wasteful spending - Matthew 7:6
    • Giving the precious to the uncouth
• Two great sources of power and usefulness to be sought - Matthew 7:7-12
  • Prayer - Matthew 7:7-11
    • Towards God
  • Golden rule - Matthew 7:12
    • Towards man
• Hope’s one foundation
  • Hear and heed the Word - Matthew 7:13-27
    • Destruction of those who won’t
    • Production of those who will

• Three things which qualify something as precious:
  • Rarity: the only begotten Son of God - I John 4:9
  • Usefulness: that we might live through Him, a propitiation - I John 4:9-10
  • Intrinsic value: purity, He did no sin - Hebrews 4:15
• Precious to us in life
  • As a sacrifice for sin - John 1:29
  • As a sure foundation - I Peter 2:4-7
  • As food for the soul - John 6:48-57
  • As a guiding influence - John 8:12
  • As an intercessor, advocate - Romans 8:34
• He is precious unto us in the hour of death
  • Because of His promise - Revelation 2:10
  • Because of His presence - Hebrews 13:5,6; Luke 23:43
• He is precious to us in the day of Judgment and throughout eternity
  • Because of His rich rewards:
    • To eat of the tree of life - Revelation 2:7
    • To not be hurt of the second death - Revelation 2:11
    • Name retained in the Book of Life - Revelation 3:5
    • Be a pillar in the temple - Revelation 3:12
    • Sit with Him in His throne - Revelation 3:21
    • Abide where joy is unmixed with sorrow - Revelation 21:4
    • Live in the city of no night - Revelation 21:25
  • Because Heaven is more than just a place, it is being with Him who is there
    • To be at home with the Lord - Philippians 2:21
    • Where Jesus is we will find Heaven

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