1 00:00:06,510 --> 00:00:10,220 But as we come before you, we like to commit Burrell's family 2 00:00:10,230 --> 00:00:11,960 a lot. Into your hands, into your 3 00:00:11,970 --> 00:00:14,530 presence. Well, we pray that you will 4 00:00:14,540 --> 00:00:19,970 comfort them, knowing for sure that your promises are for sure. 5 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:24,210 It stands forever. The Lord God has promised that 6 00:00:24,220 --> 00:00:27,700 those who are His, those who have died in Christ, will one 7 00:00:27,710 --> 00:00:31,080 day rise again. And those who are yours, Lord, 8 00:00:31,090 --> 00:00:32,950 has gone from this earth, are with you. 9 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,350 And Father God, that's a promise on which we stand. 10 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,790 And we pray, our Lord, that this promise of yours, the word of 11 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,410 God that stands forever, would come for the hearts of burials 12 00:00:43,420 --> 00:00:45,480 family. So we commit them and bring them 13 00:00:45,490 --> 00:00:49,150 before your Lord. And we also pray for whatever 14 00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:52,610 the preparations that are made with regards to the funeral, 15 00:00:53,350 --> 00:00:56,040 with regards to A10 time of Thanksgiving and remembrance 16 00:00:56,050 --> 00:00:58,170 this coming Tuesday. Father, we pray that you would 17 00:00:58,180 --> 00:01:00,940 help them through all of these process, but more importantly, 18 00:01:00,990 --> 00:01:04,160 that they'll draw comfort. They'll draw Lord God in this 19 00:01:04,170 --> 00:01:08,920 time of sorrow to know for sure not only that your word stands, 20 00:01:08,930 --> 00:01:12,820 but burial at the moment is in a better place is with you. 21 00:01:12,890 --> 00:01:16,220 We thank and praise you for that, but we also pray for those 22 00:01:16,230 --> 00:01:19,760 amongst us who are not well. Many are Lord God are suffering 23 00:01:19,770 --> 00:01:23,440 in terms of physical health. Some have gone through surgery 24 00:01:23,510 --> 00:01:25,060 and are in the process of recovery. 25 00:01:25,780 --> 00:01:28,630 Father God, we pray that you be with them, each and everyone of 26 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,710 them, knowing for sure, Lord, that your word says that. 27 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:35,010 Cast all your cares and worries upon you, that you care for 28 00:01:35,020 --> 00:01:36,650 them. And we pray for that, Lord, 29 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:40,460 they'll stand on those promises. And so far the God we thank you 30 00:01:41,150 --> 00:01:44,480 then in spite of all what's happening around us that we can 31 00:01:44,490 --> 00:01:48,130 draw comfort on you that our foundation in new issue and its 32 00:01:48,140 --> 00:01:51,360 steadfast and we thank and praise you for that. 33 00:01:51,710 --> 00:01:55,160 And for that this time we also pray for our Sunday School kids 34 00:01:55,170 --> 00:01:58,580 as they go to their respective Sunday school classes that you 35 00:01:58,590 --> 00:02:00,040 will bless all the little children a lot. 36 00:02:00,050 --> 00:02:02,900 And the teachers were especially those who have committed their 37 00:02:02,910 --> 00:02:05,700 time and were involved in this wonderful ministry. 38 00:02:05,710 --> 00:02:07,920 Father, we pray for your blessings upon them too. 39 00:02:07,970 --> 00:02:11,500 We pray for every kid who Lord in our church here that as I 40 00:02:11,510 --> 00:02:15,480 hear the word of God, that your word the Lord would stand sure 41 00:02:15,490 --> 00:02:18,410 in their lives that they'll grow up one day with tremendous men 42 00:02:18,420 --> 00:02:21,610 and women for the Lord. We also pray at this time that 43 00:02:21,660 --> 00:02:25,630 as your word is brought by Billy, Father God, we pray that 44 00:02:25,640 --> 00:02:28,870 your word would not return void. We pray our Lord God, that you 45 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:30,910 will open our hearts to receive your word. 46 00:02:31,220 --> 00:02:33,970 And so we commit this time once again into your hands and save 47 00:02:33,980 --> 00:02:36,740 your precious. And in his worthy name we pray, 48 00:02:37,550 --> 00:02:42,300 I mean. Thank you, Peter, as the kids 49 00:02:42,310 --> 00:02:45,700 hit out for Sunday school, would you open with me to loop Chapter 50 00:02:45,710 --> 00:02:53,750 3, Luke Chapter 3 as we continue going through the book of Luke? 51 00:02:55,730 --> 00:02:58,460 Well, we're gonna read the passage and then we will jump 52 00:02:58,470 --> 00:03:01,180 into it together. This is the Word of God. 53 00:03:01,190 --> 00:03:05,950 Luke chapter 3, in the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius. 54 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:10,190 Caesar punches Pilot being the governor of Judea, and Herod 55 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:14,150 being tit track of Galilee and his brother Phillip tit track of 56 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:18,340 the region of Iturria, and Trigonitis in Lithuania's 57 00:03:18,350 --> 00:03:21,820 Tetrick of Abilene during the high priesthood of Ennis and 58 00:03:21,830 --> 00:03:24,280 Caiphus. It will get easier from there, I 59 00:03:24,290 --> 00:03:29,120 promise. The Word of God came to John the 60 00:03:29,130 --> 00:03:32,970 son of Zechariah in the wilderness, and he went into all 61 00:03:32,980 --> 00:03:36,210 of the region around the Jordan proclaiming a baptism of 62 00:03:36,220 --> 00:03:41,450 repentance for the forgiveness of sins as it is written in the 63 00:03:41,460 --> 00:03:43,930 book of the words of Isaiah the prophet. 64 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,290 The voice of one crying in the wilderness. 65 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:49,380 Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 66 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,150 Every valley shall be filled, every mountain shall be made 67 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,330 low, the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places 68 00:03:56,340 --> 00:03:59,650 shall become live always, and all flesh shall see the 69 00:03:59,660 --> 00:04:03,100 salvation of God. He said therefore to the crowds 70 00:04:03,110 --> 00:04:05,170 that came out to be baptised by Him. 71 00:04:05,220 --> 00:04:09,070 You brood of Vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to 72 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:14,300 come, bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not 73 00:04:14,310 --> 00:04:17,560 begin to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as our father. 74 00:04:17,790 --> 00:04:21,019 For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up 75 00:04:21,029 --> 00:04:25,480 children from Abraham. Even now the Acts is laid to the 76 00:04:25,490 --> 00:04:29,200 root of the trees. Every tree, therefore, that does 77 00:04:29,210 --> 00:04:32,810 not bear good fruit, as cut down and thrown into the fire. 78 00:04:33,870 --> 00:04:36,180 And the crowds asked him What then shall we do? 79 00:04:36,870 --> 00:04:39,540 And he answered them, Whoever has two tunics is to share with 80 00:04:39,550 --> 00:04:43,030 him who has none and whoever has food is to do likewise. 81 00:04:44,190 --> 00:04:46,880 Tax collectors also came to be baptised by him and said, 82 00:04:46,890 --> 00:04:49,700 teacher, what shall we do? And he said to them, collect no 83 00:04:49,710 --> 00:04:51,210 more than you're authorised to do. 84 00:04:52,170 --> 00:04:55,340 Soldiers also asked him and we what shall we do? 85 00:04:55,390 --> 00:04:58,360 And he said to them, do not extort money from anyone by 86 00:04:58,370 --> 00:05:02,140 threats or by false accusation and be content with your wages 87 00:05:03,920 --> 00:05:06,410 as the people ruined. We're in expectation. 88 00:05:06,470 --> 00:05:09,150 And all were questioning in their hearts concerning John 89 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,590 whether he might be the Christ. John answered them, saying, I 90 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,940 baptise you with water, but he who was mightier than I is 91 00:05:16,950 --> 00:05:20,190 coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to 92 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:23,580 untie. He will baptise you with the 93 00:05:23,590 --> 00:05:28,070 Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his 94 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:32,150 hand to clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into 95 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:35,520 his barn. But the chef, he will burn with 96 00:05:35,530 --> 00:05:39,650 unquenchable fire. So with many other exhortations, 97 00:05:39,660 --> 00:05:41,450 he preached good news to the people. 98 00:05:41,840 --> 00:05:44,810 But here are the Tetrarch who'd been reproved by him for 99 00:05:44,820 --> 00:05:48,230 Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that 100 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:52,410 Kieran had done, added this to them all, and he locked up John 101 00:05:52,580 --> 00:05:55,690 in prison. This is the word of the Lord. 102 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:01,610 Well, we are continuing our journey through this letter, 103 00:06:01,780 --> 00:06:08,610 this gospel written by Luke, and it's written to this man named 104 00:06:08,620 --> 00:06:10,330 Theophilus. So we've been talking about that 105 00:06:10,340 --> 00:06:14,520 as we've been going through to give Theophilus certainty. 106 00:06:14,570 --> 00:06:17,240 So by all means, he was a, he was an outsider. 107 00:06:17,250 --> 00:06:19,600 He wasn't a Jew, he was a Gentile. 108 00:06:19,830 --> 00:06:23,240 And this is a written account, an orderly account of the life 109 00:06:23,250 --> 00:06:28,220 of Jesus Christ to give Theophilus certainty about who 110 00:06:28,230 --> 00:06:31,220 Jesus Christ is and about the Christian message and the 111 00:06:31,230 --> 00:06:34,220 Christian faith. And so because of that, I guess 112 00:06:34,230 --> 00:06:36,770 as we've been journeying through Luke, we've been asking some 113 00:06:36,780 --> 00:06:40,690 really foundational questions. So far we've asked the question, 114 00:06:40,700 --> 00:06:44,070 hey, who is Jesus? How does the birth of Christ, 115 00:06:44,140 --> 00:06:47,150 How does the childhood of Christ tell us about who Jesus Christ 116 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,190 is? We're asking the question, what 117 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:53,050 is God doing in the world? What is God's plan to make 118 00:06:53,060 --> 00:06:54,810 everything right? We look around, we see things 119 00:06:54,820 --> 00:06:56,950 are not right. What's got actually doing? 120 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,670 And when we come to this passage this morning, we're coming to 121 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,230 another very foundational question, a question that really 122 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:05,050 comes to the foundation of Christianity. 123 00:07:05,060 --> 00:07:07,590 So this morning I'll just say to you, if if you've come and 124 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:11,270 you're seeking you, you don't know Christ, maybe you're you're 125 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:15,050 curious, you're interested. What John has to say is, is a 126 00:07:15,060 --> 00:07:18,850 message for you. It is foundational, but also for 127 00:07:18,860 --> 00:07:22,020 for those of us who know Christ, this is one that really cuts to 128 00:07:22,030 --> 00:07:26,450 the heart as well for us because the question is, what does it 129 00:07:26,460 --> 00:07:32,730 look like to receive Christ? What does it look like to 130 00:07:32,740 --> 00:07:36,810 receive Christ? We're gonna find that answer in 131 00:07:36,820 --> 00:07:41,710 the words of John the Baptist. And I guess as we do that, I 132 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:44,880 wanna ask the question firstly, why did John the Baptist come? 133 00:07:44,940 --> 00:07:46,710 What was his purpose? What? 134 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:50,170 Why do we have John the Baptist? He was the last prophet. 135 00:07:50,500 --> 00:07:52,870 So in the Old Testament, if you look through the Old Testament, 136 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:56,610 you have plenty of profits. You'll have Elijah, Isaiah, 137 00:07:56,620 --> 00:08:00,610 Zachariah, people like that who came to speak God's word to the 138 00:08:00,620 --> 00:08:04,080 nation of Israel to call them back to God. 139 00:08:04,950 --> 00:08:08,040 He spoke on behalf of God to Israel. 140 00:08:08,050 --> 00:08:10,520 And we know John, we're speaking about a prophet here because 141 00:08:10,530 --> 00:08:14,060 it's showing the same pattern. The Word of the God and Word of 142 00:08:14,070 --> 00:08:18,320 God in verse 2 came to John. Now that's the same pattern. 143 00:08:18,390 --> 00:08:22,000 At the start of each prophet, the Word of God came to Isaiah 144 00:08:22,010 --> 00:08:26,230 or Elijah. And so let's see, okay, Why did 145 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:28,390 John come? What was his purpose? 146 00:08:29,130 --> 00:08:32,340 We're going to see it in verses 4 through 6, and I'm gonna read 147 00:08:32,350 --> 00:08:34,980 it again. This is quoting from Isaiah 148 00:08:34,990 --> 00:08:39,809 chapter 40. The voice of one crying in the 149 00:08:39,820 --> 00:08:44,260 wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord, 150 00:08:44,310 --> 00:08:48,090 Make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, 151 00:08:48,890 --> 00:08:52,770 every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall 152 00:08:52,780 --> 00:08:55,590 become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, 153 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,600 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 154 00:09:00,350 --> 00:09:06,140 So this has come on the back of 400 years of silence in Israel, 155 00:09:06,610 --> 00:09:09,840 from the time that the last prophet died, the time the last 156 00:09:09,850 --> 00:09:12,520 prophet spoke to. Now, when the word of God comes 157 00:09:12,530 --> 00:09:15,800 to John and he's speaking to the people of Israel, you've had 400 158 00:09:15,810 --> 00:09:19,750 years of silence. You can imagine the people in 159 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:22,620 Israel, they've got all of these promises that the prophets have 160 00:09:22,630 --> 00:09:25,240 brought. Hey, one day God is gonna make 161 00:09:25,250 --> 00:09:26,800 away. He's gonna bring one who's who's 162 00:09:26,810 --> 00:09:29,930 gonna make everything right. He's gonna bring redemption. 163 00:09:29,940 --> 00:09:33,160 He's gonna bring restoration. He's gonna bring reconciliation. 164 00:09:33,230 --> 00:09:35,860 And you can imagine 400 years. I mean, that's a long time. 165 00:09:35,870 --> 00:09:39,400 We're talking back to the 1600s. If we're going from our time, 166 00:09:39,710 --> 00:09:41,180 that's before New Zealand was a thing. 167 00:09:41,190 --> 00:09:44,460 It's before the USA was a thing. That's a long time, right? 168 00:09:44,470 --> 00:09:46,480 You can imagine the people in Israel, they're starting to 169 00:09:46,490 --> 00:09:48,160 wonder, is this actually going to happen? 170 00:09:49,260 --> 00:09:52,490 Should I stay true to these promises that God has given me? 171 00:09:52,560 --> 00:09:54,890 Or maybe should I just kind of look for something else? 172 00:09:55,180 --> 00:09:59,250 400 years. But nestled in this, in the Old 173 00:09:59,260 --> 00:10:02,710 Testament, there there's a promise that when this Messiah, 174 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:09,130 when the Saviour comes, one will come before him to prepare the 175 00:10:09,140 --> 00:10:13,420 way of the Lord. And the illustration used here 176 00:10:13,430 --> 00:10:15,860 in Isaiah is really helpful for us to understand the purpose of 177 00:10:15,870 --> 00:10:18,480 John. The picture here is if if you've 178 00:10:18,490 --> 00:10:22,060 got a king and, and in olden times, in ancient times, and the 179 00:10:22,070 --> 00:10:25,760 king is going to travel to a city or to a town. 180 00:10:25,770 --> 00:10:29,480 Now, now the roads are nothing like there's no state highway 1. 181 00:10:29,590 --> 00:10:32,980 The roads are horrible. They're hilly, there's valleys, 182 00:10:32,990 --> 00:10:35,110 there's mountains. If there's a big boulder in the 183 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:37,840 way, you've got to go around it. It's not a good journey. 184 00:10:38,450 --> 00:10:41,720 But when a king would go and travel, his servants would go 185 00:10:41,730 --> 00:10:44,670 out before him and literally prepare the way for the king. 186 00:10:45,330 --> 00:10:48,120 That would be breaking down boulders that are in the way, 187 00:10:48,190 --> 00:10:52,150 trying to make the the road smooth, make the path easy for 188 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:54,730 the king to travel. So that's kind of the picture, 189 00:10:54,740 --> 00:10:57,280 that illustration, prepare the way for the king. 190 00:10:58,730 --> 00:11:01,800 So John the Baptist purpose using that illustration, using 191 00:11:01,810 --> 00:11:04,980 that imagery, he is not preparing the way for a king. 192 00:11:04,990 --> 00:11:07,660 He is preparing a way for someone much greater for the 193 00:11:07,710 --> 00:11:10,340 Messiah. And he's not, he's not on the 194 00:11:10,350 --> 00:11:13,320 road literally paving roads. He's preparing the way and the 195 00:11:13,330 --> 00:11:18,080 hearts of the people of Israel. So, so he to the people of 196 00:11:18,090 --> 00:11:22,580 Israel, John the Baptist is coming before Jesus Christ to, 197 00:11:22,650 --> 00:11:26,600 to breakdown the boulders that are in the way to, to flatten 198 00:11:26,610 --> 00:11:30,440 out the roads in their hearts so that when Jesus Christ comes and 199 00:11:30,450 --> 00:11:32,780 when Jesus Christ comes and brings his message, they are 200 00:11:32,850 --> 00:11:36,500 prepared, they are willing and they are ready to hear it, to 201 00:11:36,510 --> 00:11:41,510 respond and to receive Christ. You can think about it like if 202 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:45,390 you go to any concert, any big concert, there's the main act, 203 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:48,820 but there's the opening act. And so the opening act comes 204 00:11:48,830 --> 00:11:50,210 out. They're not the main thing, but 205 00:11:50,220 --> 00:11:53,320 they're coming out to warm up the crowd to kind of get people 206 00:11:53,390 --> 00:11:56,570 in the mood, get people excited and to build the anticipation so 207 00:11:56,580 --> 00:11:59,680 that when Coldplay walks up on stage after an hour and a half 208 00:11:59,750 --> 00:12:03,130 of a not very good opening act. I went to Coldplay and did not 209 00:12:03,140 --> 00:12:06,450 like the opening act at all. But but when Coldplay comes out, 210 00:12:06,460 --> 00:12:09,150 when the main act comes out, people are really the 211 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:11,320 anticipation has built. They're warmed up, they go 212 00:12:11,330 --> 00:12:14,030 right, let's go. You think about that more or 213 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:16,540 less like the purse. The the purpose of John the 214 00:12:16,550 --> 00:12:19,560 Baptist. He is preparing the way in the 215 00:12:19,570 --> 00:12:23,790 hearts of the people of Israel so that when Christ comes they 216 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:27,030 are really the barriers are taken away. 217 00:12:29,020 --> 00:12:34,090 And so in his preparation is he preparing the hearts for Christ. 218 00:12:34,100 --> 00:12:36,170 And in the hearts of the people of Israel. 219 00:12:36,460 --> 00:12:42,840 There has to be a reorientation of perspective and of mindset. 220 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:46,230 And I mean, we just read it. It is a he doesn't pull his 221 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:49,850 punches. It is a blunt message. 222 00:12:50,340 --> 00:12:55,350 He is up front. I'll try be upfront myself in 223 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:59,130 his tone, but his purpose here is to prepare the people of 224 00:12:59,140 --> 00:13:03,100 Israel for the coming King. He's preparing the people of 225 00:13:03,110 --> 00:13:07,130 Israel so that they can receive Christ when Christ comes. 226 00:13:09,420 --> 00:13:10,830 And so that's the message of John. 227 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:12,900 And, and that's why I want to come to it this morning and ask 228 00:13:12,910 --> 00:13:15,350 the question, well, what does it look like to receive Christ? 229 00:13:15,420 --> 00:13:18,030 That's what John is wanting to get ready for here. 230 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:19,290 Get ready. Christ is coming. 231 00:13:19,300 --> 00:13:22,130 Get ready to receive him. What does it look like to 232 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,930 receive Christ? And it's a simple message, but 233 00:13:25,940 --> 00:13:29,910 it is up front. It's twofold. 234 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:37,500 Firstly, to receive Christ is to turn from sin to to receive 235 00:13:37,510 --> 00:13:42,990 Christ as to turn from sin. If I could boil the message of 236 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,970 John the Baptist down to one word, it would be the word 237 00:13:45,980 --> 00:13:50,570 repent. Verse 3 it kind of summarises 238 00:13:50,580 --> 00:13:52,560 his message. It says he was proclaiming a 239 00:13:52,570 --> 00:13:56,920 baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and the key 240 00:13:56,930 --> 00:13:59,100 command that he has is in verse 8. 241 00:13:59,250 --> 00:14:03,160 He tells them bear fruits and keeping with repentance. 242 00:14:04,340 --> 00:14:06,790 This is also covered in the other gospels that talk about 243 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:09,070 John the Baptist. Matthew 3 verse 2 it says John 244 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:12,670 the Baptist said repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. 245 00:14:12,740 --> 00:14:14,970 Mark one verse 4. It says he was proclaiming a 246 00:14:14,980 --> 00:14:18,730 baptism of repentance. So the message of John the 247 00:14:18,740 --> 00:14:22,120 Baptist is to repent. So what does that word repent 248 00:14:22,170 --> 00:14:24,260 mean? It comes from a Hebrew root word 249 00:14:24,270 --> 00:14:29,220 which literally means to turn. So you picture it literally to 250 00:14:29,230 --> 00:14:32,960 repent. I'm turning 180° from this way 251 00:14:33,030 --> 00:14:34,820 to this way. I'm turning from this pillar 252 00:14:34,890 --> 00:14:39,020 from this side of the stage, and I'm turning to this side of the 253 00:14:39,030 --> 00:14:42,970 stage. Pictures 180° turn 1. 254 00:14:42,980 --> 00:14:46,660 Commentator summarises repentance as a change of mind. 255 00:14:46,940 --> 00:14:50,210 It's a change of heart and it's a change of direction. 256 00:14:51,490 --> 00:14:55,510 It is a tune and it's very common, I guess in the Old 257 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:59,470 Testament for the prophets to call Israel to repent. 258 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:04,250 Often they use the word return to the Lord, right? 259 00:15:04,260 --> 00:15:07,390 You've been living in sin, you've been living in idolatry, 260 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:09,470 whatever it's looked like. And he says, hey, you need to 261 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:14,690 return, you need to repent, you need to turn from your sin, and 262 00:15:14,700 --> 00:15:19,950 you need to turn to God. So if we are to repent, we are 263 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,920 turning from something and we are turning to something. 264 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,220 They're flip sides of the same coin. 265 00:15:27,190 --> 00:15:30,760 If we are to turn to God, we are to turn from sin. 266 00:15:32,490 --> 00:15:34,320 You cannot have one without the other. 267 00:15:34,330 --> 00:15:36,220 There are flip sides of the same coin. 268 00:15:36,230 --> 00:15:40,210 Let's read from verse 7 to see how John describes his message. 269 00:15:42,300 --> 00:15:45,970 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptised by 270 00:15:45,980 --> 00:15:49,030 him. You brood of Vipers who warned 271 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,790 you to flee from the wrath to come bear fruits and keeping 272 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:56,140 with repentance. And it's interesting, Rod. 273 00:15:56,150 --> 00:15:58,720 I mean, these crowds, they're not it doesn't say that they 274 00:15:58,730 --> 00:16:00,890 came out. They were they weren't sussed. 275 00:16:00,900 --> 00:16:03,240 They weren't going. What's this guy up to? 276 00:16:03,330 --> 00:16:05,460 They came out to be baptised, right. 277 00:16:05,550 --> 00:16:09,000 So at least they had some level of religious interest. 278 00:16:09,470 --> 00:16:12,980 But John's messaged them as not like, man, good on you. 279 00:16:13,150 --> 00:16:15,180 Come, come. He's saying repent. 280 00:16:17,660 --> 00:16:20,950 John was not out to win friends and influence people. 281 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,080 He's saying repeat. That's a harsh message. 282 00:16:25,980 --> 00:16:29,190 Matthew's account here shows us that he's especially looking at 283 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:31,010 the the Pharisees and the seduces. 284 00:16:31,020 --> 00:16:36,560 So the religious elites in Israel and I thought, I guess, 285 00:16:36,570 --> 00:16:39,110 and in themselves, they thought that they were good. 286 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,230 They thought that they were right before God. 287 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,610 But John wants to confront them about their spiritual standing 288 00:16:44,620 --> 00:16:47,770 before God. And really, you think about it 289 00:16:47,780 --> 00:16:51,980 when, when, when John's purpose is to prepare the way of the 290 00:16:51,990 --> 00:16:55,950 Lord and we're thinking about a boulder and the path of ohh, do 291 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:59,170 I need Christ? John needs to show these people 292 00:16:59,180 --> 00:17:02,270 actually. And John needs to show us as 293 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:06,470 soon as a problem at a very foundational level, our sin that 294 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:08,770 that that's an Archers term. You've missed the mark. 295 00:17:08,859 --> 00:17:13,089 All of us have rebelled against God and it's a problem and 296 00:17:13,099 --> 00:17:15,430 unless we realise that, we're not gonna realise that we 297 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:20,040 actually need to be saved, we actually need a saviour. 298 00:17:20,130 --> 00:17:26,109 And John is trying to show them your sin is a problem, and he 299 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:29,740 tells them to bear fruit and keeping with repentance. 300 00:17:31,580 --> 00:17:33,670 So in a sense his message is simple. 301 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,120 Christ is coming. The Messiah is coming. 302 00:17:36,900 --> 00:17:40,470 You need to repent. You need to turn from your sin. 303 00:17:41,900 --> 00:17:44,290 That's his motivation. He wants them to recognise their 304 00:17:44,300 --> 00:17:46,820 spiritual state. He wants them to repent. 305 00:17:48,330 --> 00:17:50,340 Now John's gonna. He's gonna address, like he 306 00:17:50,350 --> 00:17:52,090 said, barrier to this recognition. 307 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:57,300 Let's read second-half of verse 8 and do not begin to say to 308 00:17:57,310 --> 00:18:00,350 yourselves, we have Abraham as our father. 309 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,940 You don't understand, John. I'm a Jew. 310 00:18:07,310 --> 00:18:11,410 I'm an Israelite. Abraham's my father. 311 00:18:11,740 --> 00:18:14,630 My, my, my dad was due. My dad's dad was a Jew. 312 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:17,330 I obey the law. Tell you what, I've memorised 313 00:18:17,340 --> 00:18:19,400 the Torah. You don't get it, John. 314 00:18:20,790 --> 00:18:22,280 See, John actually gets out ahead of them. 315 00:18:22,290 --> 00:18:24,660 He goes, don't even think about saying that. 316 00:18:24,670 --> 00:18:31,730 Don't play the the Israelite card salvation to to to stand 317 00:18:31,740 --> 00:18:32,930 before God. It's individual. 318 00:18:32,940 --> 00:18:39,650 It's not corporate. Yes, I ohh, Billy my I'm church 319 00:18:39,660 --> 00:18:42,290 maybe 48 out of 52 weeks. That's pretty good. 320 00:18:43,070 --> 00:18:46,510 Ohh, hey, I'm, I'm at Home group every week. 321 00:18:47,970 --> 00:18:50,820 I mean, it's, it's simple stuff, but it's stuff that we can 322 00:18:50,830 --> 00:18:53,680 easily try rely on. When we look at the group that 323 00:18:53,690 --> 00:18:55,640 we're surrounded with, we look at the group of friends that 324 00:18:55,650 --> 00:18:58,820 we're surrounded with and we assume all they all know Christ, 325 00:18:59,030 --> 00:19:02,520 they all read their Bibles. I can kinda just get and be 326 00:19:02,530 --> 00:19:04,980 right with God because I'm mixed in with that group. 327 00:19:05,950 --> 00:19:09,410 That's like trying to go to a a sports event with with a bunch 328 00:19:09,420 --> 00:19:11,880 of your friends and they've all got a ticket to get in and you 329 00:19:11,890 --> 00:19:13,750 just assume, well, they've all got a ticket, they'll let me in 330 00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:15,230 as well. Well, no, the person at the 331 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:16,560 ticket door is gonna scan each ticket. 332 00:19:16,570 --> 00:19:19,150 If you don't have a ticket, you don't get in. 333 00:19:21,450 --> 00:19:24,780 Each of us have to stand before God and we cannot rely on 334 00:19:24,790 --> 00:19:26,440 heritage. We cannot rely on our family 335 00:19:26,450 --> 00:19:28,950 name, we cannot rely on what church we went to. 336 00:19:30,060 --> 00:19:31,950 It is where do we stand before God? 337 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,770 Have we put our trust in Jesus Christ? 338 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:40,470 And at the foundational level we need to recognise the reality of 339 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:45,610 our sin, the problem of our sin, that we stand beer before a holy 340 00:19:45,620 --> 00:19:50,710 God who is completely good and we are sinful and that's a 341 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:56,940 problem. And as we recognise the reality 342 00:19:56,950 --> 00:19:59,930 of our sin, the proper response is to turn. 343 00:20:01,470 --> 00:20:03,480 Now, we've already seen an example of that this morning. 344 00:20:03,490 --> 00:20:07,350 David, second Samuel 12. He's confronted by Nathan for 345 00:20:07,360 --> 00:20:12,170 committing adultery, for committing murder, horrible 346 00:20:12,180 --> 00:20:16,790 sins, and David confesses that before God and Psalm 51. 347 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:18,970 What does he say? The sacrifices of God are a 348 00:20:18,980 --> 00:20:22,390 broken spirit are broken and contrite heart. 349 00:20:22,460 --> 00:20:24,610 Ohh. God you will not despise. 350 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:31,190 So at a foundational level we need to recognise, and John 351 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,150 wants the people of Israel to recognise, that before God our 352 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:39,830 sin is a problem, our sin as a problem because God is holy and 353 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:42,310 we are not and our sin stands an offence to God. 354 00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:46,410 We need to confess that to God. When you say God, I am sinful 355 00:20:46,420 --> 00:20:56,300 and I need a Saviour, but John has more in mind than that but a 356 00:20:56,310 --> 00:20:59,810 life of repentance. Martin Luther said this. 357 00:20:59,820 --> 00:21:04,040 When the Lord Jesus said repent, he whirled that the entire life 358 00:21:04,050 --> 00:21:07,000 of a believer is to be 1 of repentance. 359 00:21:08,470 --> 00:21:12,900 It is a continual life that is embodied by this attitude, 360 00:21:12,950 --> 00:21:15,370 mindset and action of repentance. 361 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:20,570 Now this doesn't mean that we should be walking around every 362 00:21:20,580 --> 00:21:23,710 10 seconds and going ohh I'm sorry God, I'm sorry. 363 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,190 I'm sorry. But repentance doesn't mean 364 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:28,900 firstly to to repent. It doesn't mean that we will 365 00:21:28,910 --> 00:21:34,560 then be sinless to repent. Doesn't mean that we will never 366 00:21:34,570 --> 00:21:37,260 commit that sin again. If that's the case, I don't know 367 00:21:37,270 --> 00:21:44,240 if anyone has truly repented, but to repent is an attitude 368 00:21:44,300 --> 00:21:46,780 change which leads to an action change. 369 00:21:48,490 --> 00:21:50,350 It's a change of our mind where we go. 370 00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:53,880 Actually, this sin that I used to live for, that used to to 371 00:21:53,890 --> 00:21:58,520 rule over me, that I used to love, I'm actually recognising 372 00:21:58,530 --> 00:22:02,910 before God that that sin is wrong in the eyes of God. 373 00:22:03,180 --> 00:22:07,070 And more than that, because I know it's wrong, I am going to 374 00:22:07,140 --> 00:22:10,250 turn from it. I'm going to seek to fight it. 375 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:12,740 I'm gonna seek to run away from it. 376 00:22:15,550 --> 00:22:18,740 That's what John means. Bear fruit and keeping with 377 00:22:18,750 --> 00:22:22,060 repentance. It is not just saying, yeah, OK, 378 00:22:22,070 --> 00:22:23,340 I'm sorry. It's actually going. 379 00:22:23,350 --> 00:22:25,960 No, no, that that that true remorse over sin. 380 00:22:25,970 --> 00:22:27,960 It needs to be a fruit in our lives. 381 00:22:28,210 --> 00:22:29,900 And that fruit will not be perfect. 382 00:22:30,740 --> 00:22:32,780 You need to hear that that fruit will not be perfect. 383 00:22:33,470 --> 00:22:37,020 We will miss up and I'm really gonna stress that because there 384 00:22:37,030 --> 00:22:40,800 is hope in the gospel, but the Christian life is one that seeks 385 00:22:40,810 --> 00:22:47,060 to turn from sin. This is not an optional add on 386 00:22:48,850 --> 00:22:53,730 to the Christian life and to to show this and to show the 387 00:22:53,740 --> 00:22:57,240 importance of this, John is going to give us a picture in 388 00:22:57,250 --> 00:22:59,220 verse 9. He says this. 389 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:03,940 Even now the ex is laid to the root of the trees. 390 00:23:05,130 --> 00:23:09,200 Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down 391 00:23:09,210 --> 00:23:13,860 and thrown into the fire. What he's saying here, the axe 392 00:23:13,870 --> 00:23:15,770 has laid at the root of the tree. 393 00:23:15,980 --> 00:23:22,030 Judgement is coming. The life that shows no evidence 394 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:24,920 or fruit of repentance is cast into judgement. 395 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,550 And notice how the acts of repentance there is described as 396 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:33,230 fruit. And I think that's a helpful 397 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:39,090 analogy for us to think through this repentance, a life that is 398 00:23:39,100 --> 00:23:44,330 seeking to turn from sin and, and, and fight sin and not just 399 00:23:44,340 --> 00:23:47,930 dwell in it, but turn from it. That those acts of repentance is 400 00:23:47,940 --> 00:23:51,750 the natural outflow of a life that is turned to Jesus Christ. 401 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:56,470 It is not a work, it is a natural outflow. 402 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:59,330 It is a fruit. Like a fruit grows on a healthy 403 00:23:59,340 --> 00:24:02,390 tree, acts of repentance flow from a life that is turned to 404 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:06,650 Christ. When that fruit is not there, 405 00:24:06,700 --> 00:24:10,510 when there is no evidence of that fruit, John says. 406 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:12,220 We have calls to look at the route. 407 00:24:16,130 --> 00:24:19,540 So what that's saying if I say to you, if I claim to know 408 00:24:19,550 --> 00:24:27,590 Jesus, but my life is defined by continual, habitual, unrepentant 409 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:31,100 sin without sorrow, without effort to fight against it. 410 00:24:32,450 --> 00:24:35,420 The Bible says we would have reason to ask whether our truly 411 00:24:35,430 --> 00:24:44,150 know Jesus Christ with I truly genuinely know Christ, because a 412 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:47,690 life that knows Christ shows evidence of fruit, of 413 00:24:47,700 --> 00:24:51,470 repentance, of a desire to turn from sin, a desire to fight 414 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,500 scene, and we need to take some seriously. 415 00:24:54,510 --> 00:24:58,840 We need a desire to fight it, not live in it, not dwell it, 416 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:02,770 because our allegiance has changed from sin to Jesus 417 00:25:02,780 --> 00:25:08,420 Christ. That repentance, that fighting 418 00:25:08,430 --> 00:25:13,660 of sin does not save us. It is the outflow, it is the 419 00:25:13,670 --> 00:25:17,500 evidence, it is the fruit of a relationship with Jesus Christ. 420 00:25:18,550 --> 00:25:20,860 This is consistent with the teaching of Jesus Christ 421 00:25:20,870 --> 00:25:25,320 himself, he says in John 15, using a similar similar analogy. 422 00:25:25,330 --> 00:25:28,480 I am the true vine. My Father is the vine dresser. 423 00:25:28,590 --> 00:25:31,700 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. 424 00:25:32,540 --> 00:25:35,230 Every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may be 425 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:39,400 a more fruit. Crosses and Matthew chapter 6. 426 00:25:40,670 --> 00:25:44,300 You cannot have two masters. Matthew 624 You can either serve 427 00:25:44,310 --> 00:25:45,760 God or money. Money. 428 00:25:45,770 --> 00:25:49,060 An example of that. Either you love one or despise 429 00:25:49,070 --> 00:25:52,680 the other. Cannot serve 2 masters. 430 00:25:52,730 --> 00:25:54,780 Mark 115. Christ's first words on the 431 00:25:54,790 --> 00:25:56,980 scene. Repent for the Kingdom of God is 432 00:25:56,990 --> 00:26:00,630 at hand and Luke chapter 13 and incident happened. 433 00:26:00,700 --> 00:26:04,570 Jesus is referring to where a tower in Siloam fell down and 434 00:26:04,580 --> 00:26:07,480 killed 18 people. And Jesus essentially says, 435 00:26:07,490 --> 00:26:12,480 well, what's the moral of that? The moral is, unless you repent, 436 00:26:12,690 --> 00:26:17,270 you will all likewise perish to show a heart of repentance, 437 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:20,770 desiring to turn from sin as a natural outflow of the life that 438 00:26:20,780 --> 00:26:23,550 has turned to Jesus Christ. That is the flip side of the 439 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:28,290 same coin. So what does this repentance 440 00:26:28,340 --> 00:26:33,110 look like where we have these crowds asking Him Then verse 10, 441 00:26:33,180 --> 00:26:37,720 What then shall we do? And I think in verse 11 is gonna 442 00:26:37,730 --> 00:26:41,470 go and give them a general principle and then versus 12 443 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:45,220 through 14 is going to look at some specific instances. 1st 11 444 00:26:45,590 --> 00:26:48,240 he answered them who were they has two tunics is to share with 445 00:26:48,250 --> 00:26:52,620 him who has none and whoever has food is to do likewise. 446 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:56,040 So the general principle then is as a life that is saying sin is 447 00:26:56,050 --> 00:26:59,800 no longer my master. I've turned to Jesus Christ will 448 00:26:59,810 --> 00:27:03,430 then desire to live out the good news of the gospel in everyday 449 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:09,910 life, showing a generous heart, displaying care for one another. 450 00:27:10,360 --> 00:27:12,790 I, I guess as a general principle, the Christian life as 451 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:15,800 a change life, one who looks outside of themselves. 452 00:27:17,130 --> 00:27:19,700 But then I just wanna look. He's going to give a few 453 00:27:19,710 --> 00:27:22,880 specific examples here where you have a tax collector and then 454 00:27:22,890 --> 00:27:26,100 you have a Roman official soldier coming to him and 455 00:27:26,110 --> 00:27:29,970 saying, well, what should we do? He says to the tax collector 456 00:27:31,240 --> 00:27:33,960 that collects no more than you're authorised to do. 457 00:27:35,010 --> 00:27:38,610 And he says to the soldier, do not extort money from anyone by 458 00:27:38,620 --> 00:27:42,510 threats or by false accusation and be content with your wages. 459 00:27:43,580 --> 00:27:46,190 Now, these are specific instructions based off their 460 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:47,580 sitting. And really what you're seeing 461 00:27:47,590 --> 00:27:49,850 here is John is looking at these two professions. 462 00:27:49,860 --> 00:27:52,830 You've got a text collector. So you've got a Jew who is 463 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:57,770 collecting taxes against his own people for the Roman occupiers. 464 00:27:57,900 --> 00:28:00,790 And they're collecting more than they should so they can fill up 465 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:03,590 their own pockets. And then you've got the soldiers 466 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:07,130 who are looked down on and and often treat people harshly. 467 00:28:07,140 --> 00:28:09,830 And so he's looking at these specific instances and he's he's 468 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:12,570 showing this is what repentance looks like in your sitting with 469 00:28:12,580 --> 00:28:16,340 the sins that particularly the set you. 470 00:28:18,730 --> 00:28:23,060 So he's saying, hey, a part of living a repentant life is 471 00:28:23,070 --> 00:28:27,360 knowing in our life which sins we are vulnerable to and what 472 00:28:27,370 --> 00:28:31,780 areas of our life are we vulnerable and desiring to fight 473 00:28:31,790 --> 00:28:35,300 it and acting on it. So for a tax collector going 474 00:28:35,310 --> 00:28:39,310 actually, if I wanna know Jesus Christ and walk with Jesus 475 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:41,970 Christ as a part of my turning from sin, I'm gonna look at my 476 00:28:41,980 --> 00:28:44,480 occupation and go. That's gonna show itself and 477 00:28:44,490 --> 00:28:46,210 that I'm not gonna collect more than I should. 478 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:50,430 And for a soldier, he saying. That's going to show itself. 479 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,010 I'm not gonna extort money. I'm not gonna threat people. 480 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:55,340 I'm not gonna use my power to wield it over people. 481 00:28:59,740 --> 00:29:02,170 So for us, I mean, I think that looks very practically like 482 00:29:02,180 --> 00:29:09,110 looking at our life looking Hey, where am I most basic person and 483 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:12,350 out of our love of Jesus Christ. So you remember this is not a 484 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,780 work out of our love for Jesus Christ and what He has done for 485 00:29:15,790 --> 00:29:17,460 us on the cross. We go, man, what can I do to 486 00:29:17,470 --> 00:29:22,850 fight that sin? If I recognise that I'm 487 00:29:22,940 --> 00:29:28,620 especially prone to anger, I go. When am I most prone to my 488 00:29:28,630 --> 00:29:32,430 anger? Maybe it's when I get home from 489 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:34,980 work and I'm tired and frustrated. 490 00:29:35,770 --> 00:29:38,820 OK, what would it look like for me in the car ride home to be 491 00:29:38,830 --> 00:29:41,030 intentional and going? Hey, I know I'm prone to anger 492 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:43,100 when I get home. How can I prepare my heart? 493 00:29:43,110 --> 00:29:47,830 How can I work on that and grow to hates and and and and love 494 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:53,010 Jesus Christ? It is not just a one time 495 00:29:53,020 --> 00:29:56,440 confession, it is a a continued call in the life of a believer 496 00:29:56,450 --> 00:30:02,930 to turn from sin to fight sin. So does our life as Christians 497 00:30:02,940 --> 00:30:07,740 look different to an unbeliever? Are we fighting sin or are we 498 00:30:07,750 --> 00:30:14,190 just giving in to every desire? Now I guess I recognise as as 499 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:16,490 I'm Speaking of this, it can sound hopeless. 500 00:30:16,500 --> 00:30:23,680 It can sound harsh, and I think this is where we turn to the 501 00:30:23,690 --> 00:30:26,860 good news that and the Christian life. 502 00:30:26,870 --> 00:30:29,640 What we're calling us to and what the Bible calls us to is 503 00:30:29,650 --> 00:30:33,560 not just be good, be good, be good and, and, and if we mess up 504 00:30:33,570 --> 00:30:36,100 to go. Have I done enough? 505 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:41,930 Because not only are we called to turn from sin, but we are 506 00:30:41,940 --> 00:30:44,420 called to turn to the true Messiah. 507 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:51,690 You see, in these first verses, John has has, I guess, shown and 508 00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:56,330 pointed his audience to the things that accompany salvation, 509 00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:59,490 the outflow of salvation. But but he, he's not leaving 510 00:30:59,500 --> 00:31:00,850 them there. And I'm not gonna leave you 511 00:31:00,860 --> 00:31:04,470 there, but point you to the core, the source of salvation. 512 00:31:04,540 --> 00:31:06,650 You see, repentance will not save us. 513 00:31:06,820 --> 00:31:10,870 JC Ryle says this. No quantity of repentance can 514 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:14,290 ever justify us in the sight of God. 515 00:31:15,530 --> 00:31:16,980 That's not the take home for today. 516 00:31:16,990 --> 00:31:21,040 Hey hey, go and try, be bitter and and if you miss up, be 517 00:31:21,050 --> 00:31:24,900 scared. That's not the gospel that the 518 00:31:24,910 --> 00:31:29,560 good news that Jesus Christ offers is that we are saved if 519 00:31:29,570 --> 00:31:32,580 we put our trust in Jesus Christ, our sins, past, present, 520 00:31:32,590 --> 00:31:36,800 future, forgiven, gone, nailed on the cross with Jesus Christ 521 00:31:36,870 --> 00:31:40,000 as a response and as an outflow. When we've put our faith and 522 00:31:40,010 --> 00:31:43,490 hope in Jesus Christ, we live a life that because we've turned 523 00:31:43,500 --> 00:31:45,160 to Christ, we've turned from sin. 524 00:31:46,460 --> 00:31:50,770 And, and if we point in our life, we seek to fight, fight 525 00:31:50,780 --> 00:31:52,830 against sin. We will not dwell in sin because 526 00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:56,520 we've died to sin. It is an outflow. 527 00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:00,810 It's really verse 15. You gotta turn to the true 528 00:32:00,820 --> 00:32:05,960 Messiah as the people were in expectation and all the 529 00:32:05,970 --> 00:32:09,180 questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he 530 00:32:09,190 --> 00:32:11,430 might be the Christ. You see, through John's 531 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:14,560 preaching, he's preaching so boldly, people are starting to 532 00:32:14,570 --> 00:32:16,340 wonder. It's building expectation. 533 00:32:16,450 --> 00:32:18,110 And is this the one we've been waiting for? 534 00:32:19,310 --> 00:32:23,110 Maybe John is the Christ. Maybe John is the Messiah but 535 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:26,420 John quickly says no I am the opening act, I'm not the main 536 00:32:26,430 --> 00:32:29,440 event. Verse 16 John answered them all, 537 00:32:29,450 --> 00:32:35,010 saying, I bet ties you with water, but he who is mightier 538 00:32:35,020 --> 00:32:39,960 than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to 539 00:32:39,970 --> 00:32:43,460 untie. He will baptise you with Holy 540 00:32:43,470 --> 00:32:47,720 Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his 541 00:32:47,730 --> 00:32:51,240 hand to clear the threshing floor and gather the wheat into 542 00:32:51,250 --> 00:32:53,340 his barn. But the chef, he will burn with 543 00:32:53,350 --> 00:32:56,900 unquenchable fire. So John is saying hate. 544 00:32:56,910 --> 00:32:59,400 No, I am not the one you've been waiting for. 545 00:32:59,410 --> 00:33:01,380 I'm not the one who's gonna bring you salvation. 546 00:33:02,290 --> 00:33:06,290 And the way he shows this is as as he compares his baptism with 547 00:33:06,300 --> 00:33:08,320 the baptism that Jesus Christ is going to bring. 548 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:12,430 So we've seen so far throughout this, John is baptising people. 549 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:14,910 And if we saw it, it would look very similar to the kind of 550 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:18,340 baptisms that we would see here on a baptism warning into the 551 00:33:18,350 --> 00:33:21,510 water, out of the water. But John is saying, hey, my 552 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:23,370 baptism, that's all it is. What you see. 553 00:33:23,380 --> 00:33:26,740 It is water. It was an act. 554 00:33:26,750 --> 00:33:28,700 When he's preaching this repentance, people would be 555 00:33:28,710 --> 00:33:30,570 baptised as a physical act to go. 556 00:33:30,580 --> 00:33:33,740 Yeah, I actually want to take my repentance seriously. 557 00:33:33,830 --> 00:33:36,700 I want to turn from my sin. I want to be prepared for Jesus 558 00:33:36,710 --> 00:33:39,480 Christ to come. But John saying my baptism, that 559 00:33:39,490 --> 00:33:45,310 I was doing, that's all it was. It was a symbol, but Jesus 560 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,450 Christ is coming, one who is coming, who is greater. 561 00:33:48,540 --> 00:33:50,670 He's saying I can't even, I'm not even worthy to untie his 562 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:54,510 sandals, the lowest of tasks. And he compares and he sees 563 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:58,090 Jesus Christ's baptism, and mine was physical Jesus Christ the 564 00:33:58,100 --> 00:34:02,820 baptism. He brings us spiritual it. 565 00:34:02,830 --> 00:34:04,940 It's not of the body, it's of the heart. 566 00:34:06,510 --> 00:34:10,550 You think if I, if I get a, a Weetbix card and I've got the 567 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:14,980 boat and Barrett Wheatbix card and I say, hey, I've got Boden 568 00:34:14,989 --> 00:34:18,270 Barrett here, it's a far different thing than actually 569 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:21,489 having Bowden Barrett and the flesh right here. 570 00:34:21,500 --> 00:34:24,550 See, the Weetbix card is a symbol of something that is 571 00:34:24,750 --> 00:34:26,730 real, but it's not the real thing. 572 00:34:26,739 --> 00:34:28,889 John is saying my baptism was a symbol. 573 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:35,320 The real thing is coming, and it's in the heart Speaking of 574 00:34:35,330 --> 00:34:37,260 the salvation that Christ offers. 575 00:34:37,270 --> 00:34:41,449 Because although John's baptism is with water, Jesus baptism is 576 00:34:41,460 --> 00:34:47,110 with the Holy Spirit and fire. You see, the good news of 577 00:34:47,199 --> 00:34:49,770 Christianity, the good news of the Bible, of what we call the 578 00:34:49,780 --> 00:34:54,300 Gospel, is that for those who say no, I don't wanna live in my 579 00:34:54,310 --> 00:34:56,000 sin. I don't wanna follow my sin. 580 00:34:56,010 --> 00:34:59,190 I wanna turn from my sin and accept Jesus Christ. 581 00:35:01,950 --> 00:35:07,810 Jesus Christ forgives us of our sin and as we'll see, it will 582 00:35:07,820 --> 00:35:09,720 develop as we journey through the book of Luke. 583 00:35:09,730 --> 00:35:14,460 He came and lived a perfect life and willingly went to a cross to 584 00:35:14,470 --> 00:35:19,370 be executed, bearing the weight and the wrath of God, the 585 00:35:19,380 --> 00:35:24,980 punishment against sin, and then that all who accept Jesus Christ 586 00:35:24,990 --> 00:35:30,350 are given the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit that Ephesians 1 587 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:31,850 describes it. It's a seal. 588 00:35:32,340 --> 00:35:34,340 It's a guarantee of our inheritance. 589 00:35:35,110 --> 00:35:38,680 If we have the Holy Spirit, we are sealed and Jesus Christ and 590 00:35:38,690 --> 00:35:42,230 you know that same Holy Spirit is what works in us to draw us 591 00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:47,060 to fight sin, to hate sin, to live a life that is repentant 592 00:35:47,070 --> 00:35:49,450 and continuing to turn to Jesus Christ. 593 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:54,170 So to those who who believe in Jesus Christ and accept this 594 00:35:54,180 --> 00:35:56,910 free gift, we are given the Holy Spirit. 595 00:35:56,980 --> 00:36:02,350 We are forgiven, but to those who reject it, here is the fire 596 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:04,610 of God's judgement. You have the baptism of Spirit 597 00:36:04,620 --> 00:36:08,400 and fire. It's meaning how we respond to 598 00:36:08,410 --> 00:36:10,870 the baptism, meaning the salvation that Jesus Christ 599 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:13,770 offers. It is determinative. 600 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:19,690 It determines what happens. Are we saved or are we 601 00:36:19,700 --> 00:36:21,300 condemned? It depends whether we put our 602 00:36:21,310 --> 00:36:26,470 trust in Jesus Christ, and that needs to come from a foundation 603 00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:28,140 of recognising that our sin is a problem. 604 00:36:29,270 --> 00:36:33,160 A sin must be dealt with, it must be confessed before God, 605 00:36:33,230 --> 00:36:36,140 and not paid for by us, but paid for by Jesus Christ on the 606 00:36:36,150 --> 00:36:42,320 cross. So John showed them their need 607 00:36:42,330 --> 00:36:45,300 for Christ, the reality of their sin, and all of this is 608 00:36:45,310 --> 00:36:46,850 preparing them for the coming of Christ. 609 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:51,850 He's saying Christ is coming and you're not ready. 610 00:36:54,710 --> 00:36:57,890 But the great news is that we have the baptism of Jesus 611 00:36:57,900 --> 00:37:00,140 Christ. We have the salvation offer of 612 00:37:00,150 --> 00:37:05,240 Jesus Christ. And if you've come this morning 613 00:37:05,250 --> 00:37:08,000 and you're curious, you're on the fence, you don't quite know 614 00:37:08,010 --> 00:37:11,820 about Christianity, I'll plead you to, to, to look at this 615 00:37:11,830 --> 00:37:14,720 offer that John brings. Hey, I was just baptising you in 616 00:37:14,730 --> 00:37:16,570 water. But but Jesus Christ has come 617 00:37:16,580 --> 00:37:20,440 and He's offered you complete full cleansing of sin, 618 00:37:20,530 --> 00:37:23,400 forgiveness, a right relationship with God, and He's 619 00:37:23,410 --> 00:37:27,190 going to seal you with His Holy Spirit, which will equip you and 620 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:31,490 allow you to live a life that continues to fight soon and turn 621 00:37:31,500 --> 00:37:36,290 to God. And as Christians, we have the 622 00:37:36,300 --> 00:37:39,870 physical act of baptism, which their physical active baptism in 623 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:42,790 itself doesn't save us, but it is a symbol of the cleansing 624 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:45,250 that we have in Jesus Christ, the forgiveness in Jesus Christ. 625 00:37:46,180 --> 00:37:48,970 And so just a side note, I, I would and urge you and encourage 626 00:37:48,980 --> 00:37:54,130 you, if you know Christ and you haven't taken that step, that 627 00:37:54,140 --> 00:37:57,620 baptism is this beautiful picture that is greater than 628 00:37:57,630 --> 00:37:59,160 John's. It is a beautiful picture of 629 00:37:59,170 --> 00:38:01,640 what has happened in our heart. It is an expression of what 630 00:38:01,650 --> 00:38:09,220 Jesus Christ has done. So what does it look like to 631 00:38:09,270 --> 00:38:12,380 receive Christ? To receive Christ is to turn 632 00:38:12,390 --> 00:38:17,840 from sin and to turn to Him. To receive Christ as to turn 633 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:22,510 from sin and turn to Him. Jesus is coming, John says. 634 00:38:24,300 --> 00:38:26,950 You need to be ready, and that's true for us today. 635 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,450 Although Christ came the first time, the Bible tells us that 636 00:38:30,460 --> 00:38:33,730 Christ is coming again as judge and as king. 637 00:38:35,450 --> 00:38:37,090 Are you ready for the coming of Christ? 638 00:38:40,830 --> 00:38:42,920 Have you turned from your sin and turned to Christ? 639 00:38:47,280 --> 00:38:49,390 If you know Christ, does your life display it? 640 00:38:52,780 --> 00:38:55,800 Is that our our lives bearing the fruit of repentance? 641 00:38:56,790 --> 00:38:59,820 Are our lives showing the fruit that comes from loving God and 642 00:38:59,830 --> 00:39:02,350 growing to hates? And what would it look like this 643 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:06,280 week in your home and your workplace and the setting that 644 00:39:06,290 --> 00:39:12,130 God has put you to live a repentant Christian life to, to, 645 00:39:12,140 --> 00:39:16,370 to seek to understand the sins that so easily entangle us as 646 00:39:16,380 --> 00:39:21,220 it's described in Hebrews 12, and seek to fight them and seek 647 00:39:21,230 --> 00:39:22,420 to go. No, no, no, I don't want to be a 648 00:39:22,430 --> 00:39:24,610 slave to sin. I've been purchased by Jesus 649 00:39:24,620 --> 00:39:30,190 Christ. I think a helpful way for us to 650 00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:34,050 frame this, and as we close is the way Paul puts it in Romans 651 00:39:34,060 --> 00:39:37,450 chapter 12. You see our repentance. 652 00:39:38,090 --> 00:39:41,040 This flows not from an active duty. 653 00:39:41,050 --> 00:39:46,090 This flows from a love of God. See, we've got a King who loves 654 00:39:46,100 --> 00:39:49,450 us, who who created us and he sent his Son to die for us and 655 00:39:49,460 --> 00:39:52,440 rescue us. And so the Christian life is 656 00:39:52,450 --> 00:39:55,780 looking at the glory of God and what he's done for us. 657 00:39:58,140 --> 00:40:02,510 And as Paul says. By the mercies of God, present 658 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:06,960 your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable 659 00:40:06,970 --> 00:40:09,470 to God, which is your spiritual worship. 660 00:40:11,030 --> 00:40:14,360 Deliver a repentant Christian life seeking to fight sin. 661 00:40:14,430 --> 00:40:18,390 Turn from sin. It is our spiritual wishes for 662 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,490 our God and our King who has saved us. 663 00:40:21,980 --> 00:40:25,920 So may we go out this week and live those lives empowered by 664 00:40:25,930 --> 00:40:33,210 God's Holy Spirit for His glory. This pray Almighty God, we thank 665 00:40:33,220 --> 00:40:35,950 you for your word, we thank you for your message, and we thank 666 00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:38,600 you for the message brought by John the Baptist pointing us. 667 00:40:38,610 --> 00:40:42,590 What does it look like to receive Christ Load? 668 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:46,970 My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit would just equip us and 669 00:40:47,180 --> 00:40:51,950 help us this week, Lord, powered by our love for You, to seek to 670 00:40:51,960 --> 00:41:00,230 fight sin, turn from sin, to live repentant lives with our 671 00:41:00,240 --> 00:41:02,020 lives. Just display the fruit of our 672 00:41:02,030 --> 00:41:06,160 relationship with you, God. Yeah. 673 00:41:06,220 --> 00:41:10,820 My prayer Lord is that for those who do not know you, Lord, that 674 00:41:10,830 --> 00:41:13,500 you were just working there hard as they they read your word to 675 00:41:13,510 --> 00:41:17,200 understand the goodness of the gospel and be moved to then turn 676 00:41:17,210 --> 00:41:21,710 from sin and turn to you. God, we thank you for your word 677 00:41:21,720 --> 00:41:23,360 and for your goodness, Lord Jesus name.