1 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:07,840 Well, good morning. Happy New Year. 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:11,240 Hope you've had a good Christmas, good new Year. 3 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:13,600 It's good to see you guys this morning. 4 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:16,920 Patricia sends her love. She wanted me to make sure I 5 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:19,640 told you that she's home with the kids. 6 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,200 They're all down with sickness. We've had a little bit of ear 7 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:26,160 infection, I think flu, pink eye. 8 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:30,000 And so our goal is to make it through all of it in a week so 9 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:31,960 that we can just enjoy the rest of the year, right? 10 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,280 I feel a bit like Neo and the Matrix just dodging sickness all 11 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,000 around me. But this is where we're at. 12 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,360 So if you have your Bible, please open to Matthew chapter 13 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,400 3. As you know, we've been walking 14 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,240 through the Gospel of Matthew together. 15 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:48,920 We've been doing that in this series. 16 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:50,720 We've called the King and his Kingdom. 17 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:56,080 The Matthew is showing us that Jesus is not merely a teacher or 18 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,440 miracle worker, but that he's the promised king. 19 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,640 He is God's anointed son, and he has come to establish his 20 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,120 Kingdom and the call of people to himself. 21 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:12,680 And so in chapters 1 and 2, Matthew showed us that the King 22 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:14,880 has come. We saw the birth of Christ 23 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,280 there. We saw his royal lineage. 24 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,560 We saw his miraculous birth. We saw God's sovereign 25 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,400 protection of him in the face of hostility. 26 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:29,200 There's a lot that happened in chapters 1 and 2, and the king 27 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,760 enters the world largely quietly. 28 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:37,480 He enters certainly humbly, and he enters all according to God's 29 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:39,440 plan. Matthew's been faithful to point 30 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:43,240 that out to us as he highlights the message of the prophets 31 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,040 throughout. And so now as we come to 32 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:51,800 Matthew, chapters 3 and 4, Matthew turns our attention to 33 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,120 what we might call the King's preparation. 34 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,120 The King's preparation over the next couple of chapters. 35 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:02,920 Now before Jesus begins his public ministry, which is 36 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,840 preaching, healing, calling disciples, before all of that 37 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:11,720 happens, God prepares the way for him and he does so through a 38 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,280 messenger. Now this messenger is said to be 39 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,920 one who is a voice crying out in the wilderness, a voice crying 40 00:02:19,920 --> 00:02:21,600 out in the wilderness. And that's where our passage 41 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,400 takes us today. Matthew introduces us to John 42 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,240 the Baptist. John the Baptist is the 43 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,840 forerunner of the king. He, he's not drawing attention 44 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,160 to himself. John's ministry is not self 45 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:37,480 promotion. It's not about who he is. 46 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:41,880 It's not about his baptism. It's not about those things. 47 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:47,040 His entire ministry is aimed at preparing the people to meet 48 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,360 someone greater. All right, This is what John 49 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,280 wants us to see. And so his message is really 50 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:57,240 simple. His message is very urgent and 51 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,600 his message is searching. And I think that's where the 52 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,440 text is going to land with some weight on our hearts today is, 53 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,960 you know, God's word is said in Hebrews 4 to be living, living, 54 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:11,720 living and active, sharper than any double edged sword that it 55 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:15,240 pierces down to the inner man, the joints, the bone, the 56 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,680 marrow, those sort of things. And it reveals the intentions of 57 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,480 the heart. It it, it searches us. 58 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:26,920 And so that is always true. But sometimes when you read a 59 00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:30,480 text, it's it, it's obviously true, right? 60 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,680 It becomes very obvious. And I think the text today is 61 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,880 that as you hear John the Baptist proclaim, repent for the 62 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:43,160 Kingdom of heaven is at hand. And then we explore the ways 63 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,000 that this is important for us to see. 64 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,600 I think you'll understand how it searches us today. 65 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:52,680 Now the passage is going to force us to ask a sobering 66 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:58,440 question. Are we ready for the king, or 67 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:02,520 are we ready for the king? Not religiously informed, right 68 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:08,880 not, not mere mental ascent, not outwardly respectable, living 69 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:14,680 moral lives, but truly prepared for the king in both heart and 70 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:16,640 life. Are we prepared for him? 71 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,760 As we hear John's message, we will see that the nearness of 72 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:24,880 the Kingdom demands repentance. It demands humility, it demands 73 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:29,520 a life that bears fruits in keeping with that repentance. 74 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,720 So with that in mind, if you're able, would you please stand as 75 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:37,600 we hear God's word from Matthew chapter 3, verses one through 76 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,080 12. Today I want you to listen 77 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:43,760 carefully to the voice of the herald who prepares the way for 78 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,320 the king. As we read this. 79 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:50,640 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness 80 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,080 of Judea. Repent, for the Kingdom of 81 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:59,040 heaven is at hand. But this is he who was spoken of 82 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:03,080 by the prophet Isaiah, when he said the voice of one crying in 83 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:07,240 the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths 84 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,480 straight. Now John wore a garment of 85 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,880 camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food 86 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:19,640 was locust and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and 87 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:23,800 all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they 88 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,800 were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their 89 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:29,040 sins. But when he saw many of the 90 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:32,240 Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, 91 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:37,240 You brood of Vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath, to 92 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,800 come bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 93 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:44,200 And do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as 94 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,920 our father. For I tell you, God is able from 95 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:50,320 these stones to raise up children from Abraham. 96 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,920 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. 97 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:58,240 Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down 98 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:02,280 and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for 99 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:05,120 repentance. But he who is coming after me is 100 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:08,640 mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. 101 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:11,800 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 102 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:14,800 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his 103 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:18,120 threshing floor and gather his weed into the barn. 104 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,400 But the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. 105 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,560 This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. 106 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:29,200 Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you 107 00:06:30,280 --> 00:06:33,640 each week for your word. We thank you, Lord, that we have 108 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:38,120 not been left without revelation, God, that you have 109 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,240 revealed yourself to us through Your Word. 110 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,120 You have revealed your Son to us through your Word. 111 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:47,880 You have revealed your work to us through Your Word, and so 112 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,120 much more. And so, Father, as we come to 113 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:54,240 this passage today in which we examine the ministry of John the 114 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:57,760 Baptist, oh God, would you search our hearts with Your Word 115 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,000 this morning? Would you help us, Lord, to see 116 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:06,680 clearly our own sin? Help us to see clearly our own 117 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:09,640 lives that we might examine them to see. 118 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,360 Are we prepared for the coming of the King? 119 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:17,960 Lord, we ask that you would help us in every way to be obedient 120 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,800 to Your Word. Lord, help us today to be active 121 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,320 listeners of Your Word. And God would you, by the power 122 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,840 of Your Spirit, apply these truths to our lives and help us 123 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,720 to live a life that honors and magnifies Your Son Jesus Christ 124 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,240 in every way. It's in the name of Christ I 125 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:35,400 pray. Amen. 126 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:36,760 Amen. You may be seated. 127 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:47,680 Well, in the ancient world, when a king was about to visit a 128 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:52,520 city, he he would not arrive unannounced, all right? 129 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:56,560 A herald would come ahead of him, be sent ahead of him. 130 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:01,880 Roads were cleared, obstacles would be removed, ceremonies 131 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:05,680 would be prepared. Be a lot going on. 132 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:10,440 And to ignore the herald was not merely rude, as you might 133 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,880 assume. It was dangerous that the King's 134 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:18,160 arrival demanded preparation. And the presence of the herald 135 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:23,640 was itself an act of mercy. It was a help to prepare the 136 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:25,280 people for the coming of the king. 137 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,160 Now, that is the role that John the Baptist plays in this 138 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:31,960 passage. Now, what we see is he's not 139 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:37,120 entertaining, he's not soft. He's not really even 140 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,320 accommodating. Rather, he's urgent. 141 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:47,000 He's direct and he's unsettling, and that's because the situation 142 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:51,440 demands it, that the king who is coming is unlike any king 143 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:54,560 before. The king is not coming. 144 00:08:54,560 --> 00:08:59,120 Someday, though, I want you to see that the king is at hand, 145 00:09:00,680 --> 00:09:04,040 and that is where the text presses upon us. 146 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,600 If you're taking notes, here's the main point of the sermon 147 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:09,040 this morning. Write it down. 148 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:14,720 The nearness of the king demands real repentance and true 149 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,840 readiness. That the nearness of the king 150 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,880 demands real repentance and true readiness. 151 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,160 And what we don't see here is a demand for religious 152 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:35,560 familiarity. We don't see a demand just 153 00:09:35,560 --> 00:09:40,600 merely for outward association. We don't see anything about 154 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:46,640 inherited privilege. The demand is hearts that are 155 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:52,720 turned, lives that are changed, and people who are prepared to 156 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:55,800 meet the king who saves and judges. 157 00:09:56,560 --> 00:09:59,000 All right, so as we walk through the passage, Matthew's going to 158 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,960 show us four things about this herald. 159 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,880 The 1st is we're going to see the herald's identity, a man 160 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:07,960 sent by God to prepare the way for the king. 161 00:10:08,680 --> 00:10:11,880 Secondly, we'll see the Herald's message, which is a call to 162 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,120 repentance. But because the Kingdom has 163 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:17,840 drawn near, 3rd we will face the Herald's warning. 164 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:23,680 The religious privilege without repentance invites judgments, 165 00:10:23,680 --> 00:10:26,920 not safety. And 4th, we will hear the 166 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:30,520 Herald's testimony, but the coming King will baptize with 167 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:34,720 the Holy Spirit and fire, gathering his people and judging 168 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:38,040 the unrepentance. Now, this is not a gentle 169 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:41,840 introduction to Jesus, but it is a necessary one. 170 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,720 All right. But before grace is received, 171 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:50,160 hearts must be prepared to receive, All right, Before the 172 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,440 King is welcomed, repentance must take place. 173 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:56,480 A heart should be prepared. So the question before us is not 174 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:58,960 simply, do we know about the King? 175 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,920 Again, the question is, are we ready for him? 176 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:06,360 And so we're going to walk through the text now. 177 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:11,480 Point #1 The herald's identity. A man sent to prepare the way. 178 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:13,800 Let me read to you again, verses one through 4. 179 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:17,440 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness 180 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,440 of Judea. Repents, for the Kingdom of 181 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:23,600 heaven is at hand. This is he who was spoken of by 182 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:27,000 the prophet Isaiah, when he said, the voice of one crying in 183 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,280 the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord, 184 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:33,400 make his paths straight. Now John wore a garment of 185 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:36,840 camel's hair in the leather belts around his waist, and his 186 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:42,800 food was locusts and wild honey. All right, so Matthew doesn't 187 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:47,280 begin Jesus's public ministry with Jesus speaking first. 188 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,440 He begins with a herald. But because again, before the 189 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,440 king can be received, the people must be ready. 190 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:58,840 So John arrives in those days, as the text says, as God's 191 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,440 appointed messenger. Now Matthew's phrase in those 192 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:06,640 days may sound like a really quick transition from where we 193 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,800 just were with the birth of Christ, but I want you to 194 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,480 understand that it it covers a long silence. 195 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:16,000 All right. After chapter 2, we step out of 196 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,040 Jesus childhood and into the opening of his public work. 197 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:24,480 And what breaks the silence is not a new program, not a 198 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,040 political movement, not a religious trend. 199 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,560 Rather, God raises up a preacher. 200 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:33,960 He raises up a preacher to prepare the way. 201 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,200 John comes preaching in the wilderness of Judea. 202 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,880 Now that location matters, right? 203 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,320 If you think about wilderness and you think about scriptures, 204 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:48,160 there ought to be a lot of stories that come to mind, 205 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:49,960 especially from the Old Testament, right? 206 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:52,720 The wilderness is the place of testing. 207 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:56,280 Even Jesus will go into the wilderness where He will be 208 00:12:56,560 --> 00:13:02,000 tested after 40 days of fasting. The wilderness is a place of 209 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:07,080 dependence, and throughout Israel's history, the wilderness 210 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,600 has often been a place where God begins again. 211 00:13:10,560 --> 00:13:12,640 Right. So it's as if God is saying, if 212 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,600 you want to meet my King, you must come out of the illusion of 213 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:19,880 self-sufficiency and stand before me with nothing but your 214 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:26,600 need right now. John is a Baptist not because of 215 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:30,360 a denominational identity or a membership at First Baptist 216 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:35,240 Judea, right? Although maybe he was, but 217 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:37,800 because baptism is the hallmark of his ministry. 218 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:41,360 It's an outward sign calling for inward change. 219 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:45,200 John is acting as a public summons. 220 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:48,360 The king is near. You must be ready. 221 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:52,160 He's preparing the way, right? So God's Kingdom, I want you to 222 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:54,920 understand, God's Kingdom is not accidentally drift into our 223 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:59,680 lives. God in mercy sends a herald 224 00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:02,640 before he sends the king in power, right? 225 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:07,520 And Romans 10 explains this to us in some way where it says 226 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:10,760 faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 227 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,680 We understand from that that it's the proclaimed word of God 228 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,120 that powerfully transforms lives. 229 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:21,920 There must be a herald, there must be someone who goes and 230 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,080 preaches, There must be someone who goes and evangelizes, one 231 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:29,640 who goes and spreads the gospel of Jesus Christ for lives to be 232 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:32,640 transformed. All right, So we should not 233 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:37,080 despise the wilderness. Let's say it this way. 234 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,120 We shouldn't despise the wilderness seasons of our lives, 235 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:42,280 all right? Those moments where you feel 236 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:47,440 dry, where, where you wonder if the Lord is still active in your 237 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,280 life. We shouldn't despise moments of 238 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:54,200 disruption, all right, where schedules get out of whack and 239 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,360 you know, we, we don't quite understand how to put our lives 240 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:00,760 back together. There's a lot of disruption, all 241 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:03,440 right. We shouldn't despise moments of 242 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:08,440 conviction where God is dealing in grace with our hearts by his 243 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:11,320 spirits. We shouldn't even despise 244 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:14,960 moments of humbling where the Lord brings us low. 245 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:20,000 As we saw last week with the story of King Uzziah, God often 246 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:25,840 does his best preparatory work in those moments of wilderness. 247 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:30,480 He's preparing us, right? We want to understand that God 248 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:35,280 is not being cruel. He's clearing the brush, so to 249 00:15:35,280 --> 00:15:38,280 speak, so that you can see Christ clearly. 250 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,960 And so wilderness is not often a bad thing. 251 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:46,280 It's often very good for us. What we see also is that John's 252 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,960 life embodies his message. He's simple, he's serious, he's 253 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,040 set apart. And we see that there in verse 254 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,400 four that he wore a garment of camels hair and a leather belt 255 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,840 and all the men said ha ha ha, right. 256 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,480 And then he might lose us where he eats locusts and wild honey, 257 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:05,960 like have you ever heard of a cow? 258 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:12,480 But what we see is that Matthew describes John's clothing and 259 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:17,880 his food not as some sort of quirky trivia, all right? 260 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:22,200 It's not just meant for us to look, look at and kind of gawk 261 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,960 and think, yeah, that's interesting or weird or, you 262 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:29,200 know, I need to keep that here for when I'm playing trivia with 263 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:33,440 the youth Group One day. Right now, John, John looks like 264 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:38,120 a prophet. He's in the wilderness preparing 265 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:41,880 the way, the Lord crying out, He's echoing the ministry of 266 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:46,760 Elijah and both appearance and posture and he's a living 267 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:49,880 rebuke. He's a living rebuke to the 268 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:55,760 generation that is drunk on comforts, image and applause and 269 00:16:55,760 --> 00:17:01,000 he looks nothing like them. And John's whole life says this 270 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:07,839 world is not ultimate. God is near repent, prepare and 271 00:17:07,839 --> 00:17:11,599 his whole life is saying that now when God prepares a people 272 00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:16,720 for Christ, he often confronts them with a messenger and that 273 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:21,119 messenger typically lives a life that refuses and he preaches a 274 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:24,359 message that refuses to flatter their idols. 275 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:29,320 Right. And often this is how God does 276 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:33,920 his work is he tears down the idols of the day through the 277 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:36,880 messengers. It's it's good and right. 278 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:39,480 It's a good and right work, all right. 279 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,040 So we need to ask, as we look at John and we look at the people 280 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:47,800 coming out, what what dulls our readiness? 281 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:51,760 Like what? What hinders our readiness? 282 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:56,440 Comfort can numb us. All right. 283 00:17:56,440 --> 00:17:58,960 If you're living a comfortable life, you might think I don't 284 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:03,680 really need the Lord. We saw this again last week with 285 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:08,600 King Uzziah. If success is happening around 286 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:12,360 us, if we're prospering, we might think, well, the Lord is a 287 00:18:12,360 --> 00:18:16,240 nice addition to the rest of my comfortable life. 288 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:19,920 All right, so comfort can numb us. 289 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:22,880 I think busyness can desensitize us. 290 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:28,320 We, we can be so busy with life and all of its things that we 291 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:33,080 can become desensitized to our need for a king, to our need for 292 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:36,680 the Lord, right? Our heads just spinning in the 293 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:39,480 busyness and the whirlwind. And we're not really giving 294 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:43,160 thought to eternal matters, not really giving thought to the 295 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,880 condition of our heart or the condition of the hearts of those 296 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,200 in our household. And so we should be careful with 297 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:53,000 busyness. Respectability is another thing. 298 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,520 It can often disguise our need, right? 299 00:18:56,520 --> 00:19:00,360 If you're a respectable person, right, you live a morally 300 00:19:00,360 --> 00:19:02,440 upright life. For the most part. 301 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:06,160 You're looked on well by your Co workers and your boss and your 302 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:10,320 friends and your family. That respectability can disguise 303 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:11,920 your need. You can begin to convince 304 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:17,760 yourself and even become convinced that I'm not really in 305 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:22,240 need of anything and I'm not in need of a king. 306 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:30,560 But John, his severe life, reminds us that eternity is 307 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:35,680 real, right? That eternity is coming, The 308 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:40,760 King will come again. John's life reminds the people 309 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:47,000 then, and it really reminds us now that the King is near. 310 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:52,600 And so we ought to wake up, but we ought not be desensitized. 311 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:57,000 We ought not think that we're not in need, right? 312 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,080 Another thing that we see here about John is that he's not the 313 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:04,440 word. He's the voice, right? 314 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:09,240 Scripture defines his identity. Look at verse 3 again. 315 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:13,560 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he 316 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:17,160 said the voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare the way 317 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:20,040 of the Lord, make his paths straight. 318 00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:24,160 So Matthew is very quick to anchor John's identity in 319 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:27,000 prophecy. For this is he who was spoken of 320 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,640 by the prophet Isaiah. What does that tell us? 321 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,200 John is not self appointed, right? 322 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,520 You can look at the Gospel of Luke and see that John is not 323 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:41,360 self appointed. It was chosen by God to be a 324 00:20:41,360 --> 00:20:45,920 forerunner. We also see that he's not self 325 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:50,600 branded, right? He didn't create this image or 326 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:55,360 this brand of ministry. No, he's, he's just imaging the 327 00:20:55,360 --> 00:20:56,840 prophets who have gone before him. 328 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:01,000 He's doing the work of the Lord that God had given to him. 329 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:06,760 And so he is scripture shaped. He is scripture sent even. 330 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:11,160 All right, so Matthew quotes Isaiah, the voice of one crying 331 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:12,880 in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord, 332 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:18,920 make his path straight. So John is not the Word. 333 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,800 You know, in the Gospel of John, chapter 1, we see that Jesus is 334 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:26,520 the word and that the word became flesh. 335 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:31,920 John is not the word. John is called a voice and he's 336 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,840 a voice. And so that means he has one job 337 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:38,280 and that's to make another heard. 338 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:42,480 His his job is to prepare the way of the one who is coming, 339 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:46,280 who is the word and who will speak so that people are ready 340 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:51,480 to hear him right. So Matthew Henry nails the 341 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:55,200 humility and the authority of it when he says that John is the 342 00:21:55,200 --> 00:22:00,000 voice and that is all God is the speaker. 343 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,000 Amen. All right, so the Gospel of 344 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,960 John, even John the Baptist says there in the Gospel of John 345 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,240 chapter 3. He must that Speaking of Jesus, 346 00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:12,360 he must become greater. I must become less. 347 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:21,240 He is greater than I, and so His very clearly His ministry was to 348 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:25,560 announce the coming of the One who is great to not be great in 349 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:29,040 himself. Spurgeon says it similarly when 350 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:32,960 he says that John the Baptist is not. 351 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,200 I am the Word, but I am the voice, right? 352 00:22:36,360 --> 00:22:39,920 Christ is the essential Word. Servants are only the voice that 353 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:43,400 carry Him. And notice what the voice cries. 354 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,680 Prepare the way. Make his path straight, right 355 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,240 the the picture is not mainly road construction, but heart 356 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:56,720 preparation. Obstacles are being removed. 357 00:22:56,720 --> 00:23:00,000 Crookedness ought to be confessed, resistance to the 358 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:06,840 Lord ought to be laid down, and Calvin captures the idea when 359 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:11,560 the spiritual reality appears. John has, since Calvin says, to 360 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:16,920 remove obstacles, right? So preparation for Christ is not 361 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:21,560 simply cosmetic, it's not road construction, it's moral and 362 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:23,280 spiritual. It's hard work. 363 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:25,880 God does not merely ask for attention. 364 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:30,920 He is demanding full surrender, right? 365 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:34,120 A surrender to the lordship of Christ. 366 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:38,400 So this is where the main point again begins to press on us, 367 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:41,280 where we see that the nearness of the King demands real 368 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:45,120 repentance and true readiness. Straight paths are not about 369 00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:49,320 tidying up your image. Right here in the Bible Belt, we 370 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:52,600 can be really good about thinking that things are mostly 371 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:59,320 moral and about our good works and about tidying up our image. 372 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:03,520 Straight paths are not about tidying up your image. 373 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:06,720 They're about turning from sin. They're about laying down 374 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:08,840 excuses. They're about yielding to the 375 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:12,360 lordship of Christ. So again, before we ever hear 376 00:24:12,360 --> 00:24:15,280 John's sermon in Fool, Matthew has already told us what kind of 377 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:21,000 moment this is. God is keeping his promises. 378 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:23,920 Yet again, God is keeping his promise. 379 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:27,880 He's sending his herald, and he's clearing the way for his 380 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:30,880 King. And now the question becomes 381 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:34,240 unavoidable. If this is who John is, then 382 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:39,160 what is John saying? And that takes us to point #2 383 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:45,120 the herald's message. Repent for the Kingdom is at 384 00:24:45,120 --> 00:24:47,040 hand. Look at verses 2 and then five 385 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:51,600 through 6. Repent for the Kingdom of heaven 386 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:53,440 is at hand. Verse 2. 387 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:56,200 And then verses 5 through 6 in Jerusalem and all Judea and all 388 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,720 the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were 389 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:03,960 baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 390 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:09,840 So .1 showed us who John is, .2 now confronts us with what he 391 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:13,600 says, Right? And Matthew wastes no time 392 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:17,360 getting to the heart of it. John sermon is short. 393 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:20,840 I know many of you are like, why can't we just do this each week? 394 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:23,120 All right? Yeah, that's supposed to laugh 395 00:25:23,120 --> 00:25:25,000 at that. That's that's like an Amen right 396 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:31,560 now I don't wear camel's hair and or camel's fur and eat wild 397 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:33,520 locusts either. So here we go. 398 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:36,480 John sermon is short, it's sharp, it's unforgettable. 399 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:39,600 There is no warm up. There's no introduction. 400 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:42,040 There's no let's get the people on board. 401 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:49,960 No, it's just direct and it's, he's proclaiming repentance, but 402 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,600 he, he gives the action and then he gives the reason for the 403 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:56,240 Kingdom of heaven is at hand, right? 404 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,040 There's no pleasantries, there's no attempt to soften the blow. 405 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,040 Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. 406 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:08,200 Now, this is not a suggestion. I don't want anyone in the crowd 407 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:11,040 today to hear this as a suggestion. 408 00:26:12,120 --> 00:26:16,960 This is a summons from God through his preacher. 409 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:22,160 Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand all right now. 410 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:26,120 Repentance is the necessary response is what we see here. 411 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:29,480 It's the necessary response to the nearness of the king. 412 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:31,960 But the command is clear. Repent. 413 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:33,920 The reason is urgent. The Kingdom of heaven is at 414 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:36,320 hand. Repentance here is not merely 415 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,840 feeling sorry or resolving to do better. 416 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:48,960 Sorry, Lord. I'm sorry and I'll do better 417 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:54,280 next time. Repentance. 418 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,640 That the word literally means a decisive change of mind that 419 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:04,120 leads to a changed life. It's transformation. 420 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:11,200 It's turning from sin and self ruled living toward God and his 421 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:15,160 rule over your life. That's repentance, right? 422 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:18,040 John is not calling for religious adjustment. 423 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:22,040 Just change a few things about your life, change a few things 424 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:23,920 about the way you're living, then you'll be ready for the 425 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:27,400 king. No, he's saying be transformed. 426 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:30,880 He's calling for heart level transformation. 427 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:33,480 Right. And notice the logic doesn't 428 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:36,960 John does not say repent so that the Kingdom might come. 429 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,840 No, he says repent because the Kingdom has drawn near. 430 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:45,520 It's here. Repentance is not what brings 431 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:49,280 the King, brothers and sisters. It is what prepares us to meet 432 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:52,840 the King who has come right. This is where the main point 433 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:55,520 again comes into short focus. The nearness of the King demands 434 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:58,200 real repentance and true readiness. 435 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:01,880 John Piper once observed that repentance is not just the first 436 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:05,760 step into the Christian life, but the daily posture of the 437 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:08,880 Christian life. We daily repent. 438 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:12,040 We daily confess our sins to God. 439 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:19,080 We daily seek the mercy of the Lord, that the closer God comes, 440 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:23,160 if you've lived for the Lord, for, you know, just a even a 441 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:27,440 short amount of time, what you find is that the closer God 442 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:31,000 comes to you, the more clearly you begin to see him, the more 443 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:32,960 clearly you begin to see your own sin. 444 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:39,280 It's exposed, right? And so the more urgently 445 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:44,520 repentance is required, You've heard me quote Thomas Watson 446 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:46,320 before. Be as quick to repent as you 447 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:50,440 would be to have the Lord show you mercy, right? 448 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:54,960 So God's grace does not eliminate repentance. 449 00:28:55,720 --> 00:29:00,640 It it makes repentance necessary and it makes it possible. 450 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:04,760 If not for the grace and mercy of God, there would be no 451 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:08,080 repentance. We we should understand that 452 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:12,920 clearly. So nearness to the King 453 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:17,440 intensifies your responsibility. It does not excuse your 454 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:21,000 responsibility. It doesn't take it away, right? 455 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,200 We often want nearness without change. 456 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:27,680 We, we want to be near to God and not have to transform our 457 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:30,680 life. This is why churches are filled 458 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:37,040 with people who will proclaim Christ and yet never live for 459 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:41,600 him, yet never live a life that honors God. 460 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:46,080 They they want the nearness to the miraculous. 461 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:49,600 They, they want the nearness to the holy right. 462 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:51,640 They want the nearness to the people of God and the 463 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:53,720 association that comes with that. 464 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,800 But they do not want to transform their lives. 465 00:29:56,800 --> 00:30:00,080 They don't. They don't want to live 466 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:04,040 altogether different. They don't want to submit 467 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:07,960 themselves to the Lord right. They want comfort without 468 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,680 conviction. But John will not allow that. 469 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:14,440 John's message doesn't allow for that. 470 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:16,680 If Christ is near, something must give. 471 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:20,800 Either our sin will go or we will go. 472 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:27,080 Something must give. We also see here that repentance 473 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:29,400 is public, humble, and honest before God. 474 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:32,040 All right. Matthew tells us that people 475 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:35,120 from Jerusalem, Judea, and the region around the Jordan went 476 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:38,480 out to John. This is remarkable. 477 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:44,720 The religious center, the religious hub goes out to the 478 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:49,480 wilderness that the crowds leave the familiar, leave what seems 479 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:54,960 spiritually right, leave all of that to respond to God's call, 480 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:58,080 right? And how do they respond? 481 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:02,080 Well, they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing 482 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:05,680 their sins. Now, it's important for us to 483 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:09,600 understand what is happening here and what is not happening. 484 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:14,280 John's baptism was not the final Christian baptism that we know 485 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:17,320 today. Acts 19, one through 7. 486 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:18,480 You may just write that in your notes. 487 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:25,640 You can read it later, but but you see that in real time, the 488 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:29,720 conflict of John's baptism with Christian baptism that had been 489 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:35,040 instituted in that day. What we know about John's 490 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,440 baptism is it was a baptism of repentance. 491 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:41,120 It was a preparatory sign calling people to turn from sin 492 00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:43,560 and make themselves ready for the coming king. 493 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:48,400 It pointed forward. It did not yet impart new life. 494 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:51,280 It just pointed forward to the one who would come to give new 495 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:54,080 life, right? John is washing repentance, 496 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:58,040 sinners, and anticipation of someone greater who is about to 497 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:00,720 arrive. And as we'll see John himself, 498 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:04,000 we'll be very clear that what he's doing is temporary and 499 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:08,640 preparatory because the king who is coming will baptize in an 500 00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:12,280 altogether different way with Spirit and fire. 501 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:18,400 So what we see here in the text is that confession becomes the 502 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:24,000 companion for repentance, right? These people are not defending 503 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:26,560 themselves. They're not going out to John 504 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:29,400 and and arguing their case. Well, you don't understand. 505 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:32,640 I've attended the temple week in and week out. 506 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:34,360 I've heard the teachings. I believe them. 507 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:36,960 I've tried to live a moral, upright life. 508 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:39,840 All right. They're not the rich young ruler 509 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:42,280 who stands before Christ and says I've obeyed every one of 510 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:48,760 the commandments. No, they go out not defending 511 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:51,800 themselves, not minimizing their guilt, not blaming others for 512 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:54,400 who they are. They go out agreeing with God 513 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:58,120 about their sin. They're coming down into the 514 00:32:58,120 --> 00:33:00,960 water as a visible acknowledgement that we are 515 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:05,800 unclean. We need cleansing, all right. 516 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:10,040 Matthew Henry helpfully notes that confession is the necessary 517 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:16,560 preface to pardon. Not because confession earns 518 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:21,000 forgiveness, We are not Roman Catholics, right? 519 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:25,280 But because forgiveness is only meaningful to those who know 520 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:30,440 they need it. True repentance brings sin into 521 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:34,560 the light because it trusts God's mercy more than it fears 522 00:33:34,560 --> 00:33:40,040 exposure. All right, The apostle John and 523 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:45,560 his first letter, first John 1, five through 10, he writes this. 524 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:48,640 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaimed to 525 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:53,320 you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. 526 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:55,880 If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in 527 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:59,320 darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 528 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:03,560 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have 529 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:06,240 fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us 530 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,760 from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we 531 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:13,159 deceive ourselves and the truth is not in US. 532 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:19,239 Verse 9 Listen closely. If we confess our sins, He is 533 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:22,480 faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from 534 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:27,239 all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we 535 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:31,880 make Him a liar and His word is not in US. 536 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:41,239 Brothers and sisters, we live in an age that is highly skilled at 537 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:46,520 concealment. We live in an age that is highly 538 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:53,120 skilled at image management. All right, there are people 539 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:58,600 again professing Christ, who are just seeking to manage their 540 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:03,360 image and not really surrender themselves to the Lord. 541 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,640 Now, it's true that we live in an age that cares nothing about 542 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:13,240 concealment or image management as it pertains to right and 543 00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:17,120 wrong and what is sinful and what is righteous. 544 00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:21,720 But those people are not also confessing Christ typically. 545 00:35:21,720 --> 00:35:25,240 All right. John's baptism reminds us that 546 00:35:25,240 --> 00:35:31,360 readiness for Christ begins with honesty before God, a confession 547 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:40,920 that I am not God, I am not the Lord, I have no rights of my 548 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:43,000 own. I've sinned against the holy, 549 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:46,240 just, righteous God, and I deserve hell. 550 00:35:52,690 --> 00:35:56,810 So hidden sin, if you're carrying hidden sin in your 551 00:35:56,810 --> 00:36:01,050 heart today, if you're trying to conceal that thing and keep it 552 00:36:01,050 --> 00:36:04,410 for a little while, I want you to understand that hidden sin is 553 00:36:04,410 --> 00:36:07,650 not a small problem. You might think it's small 554 00:36:07,650 --> 00:36:11,210 because you feel like it's only affecting you and you can kind 555 00:36:11,210 --> 00:36:14,400 of get away with it. But hidden sin is not a small 556 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:17,240 problem. It's a preparedness problem. 557 00:36:17,240 --> 00:36:20,360 All right? We need to make straight the 558 00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:23,160 path. We need to confess our sin to 559 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:27,480 God, bring it into the light, and trust that He is merciful 560 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:31,400 and just and will forgive us all sin. 561 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:38,880 I think what this passage also shows us is that repentance is 562 00:36:38,880 --> 00:36:43,200 not merely an emotion, all right? 563 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:45,840 It's a turning that prepares the heart. 564 00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:50,000 Look at verse 6 again. And they were baptized by him in 565 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:52,600 the river Jordan confessing their sins. 566 00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:57,880 So John's ministry shows us that repentance is not merely inward 567 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:01,000 or momentary. It is decisive. 568 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:08,040 And hear me, it's directional. It transforms the heart. 569 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:12,000 It transforms the life all right, the the people come out, 570 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:17,040 they confess, they submit to baptism and and that movement 571 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:22,800 accompanies conviction. Now later in the message or the 572 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:26,480 passage, John will demand fruit in keeping with repentance. 573 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:30,320 But but even here the shape of repentance is clear. 574 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:33,680 It moves a person from comfort and what they think is 575 00:37:33,680 --> 00:37:36,560 stability. It moves them out of that toward 576 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:43,000 God and away from sin. John Calvin warns that 577 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:49,520 repentance without life change is a contradiction where where 578 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:53,880 repentance is real, readiness follows, obedience follows. 579 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:56,440 The heart is being cleared, it's being leveled, it's being 580 00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:59,840 straightened to receive the king in our repentance. 581 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:02,920 So repentance again is preparation. 582 00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:06,280 It clears the rubble so that Christ might reign over our 583 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:10,440 lives. What should I ask yourself 584 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:13,400 plainly? What is repentance costing me 585 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:20,720 right now? What is repentance costing me 586 00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:26,760 right now? Ask yourself, if it costs 587 00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:35,440 nothing, then it may be nothing all right. 588 00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:43,360 Real repentance loosens that grip that you have on your sin 589 00:38:44,720 --> 00:38:47,920 and it tightens your submission to Christ. 590 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:54,160 Imagine that you're told a surgeon is about to enter the 591 00:38:54,160 --> 00:39:01,440 room for a life saving procedure that you need, but you refuse to 592 00:39:01,440 --> 00:39:05,320 remove the infection. You welcome the surgeon's 593 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:06,760 presence, He's allowed in the room. 594 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:10,240 Why not? But you reject the necessary 595 00:39:10,240 --> 00:39:14,440 operation. Well, let's not trust. 596 00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:19,640 That's self deception, right? John is saying the great 597 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:24,600 physician has arrived. He's here, repent, let him do 598 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:28,560 his work. But not everyone who heard John 599 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:33,200 welcomed this message, right? Some came confidently, secure in 600 00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:36,720 their heritage, their status, their religious credentials. 601 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:43,320 And to them John delivers his sharpest words. 602 00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:46,960 Which leads us to point #3 the Herald's warning. 603 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:53,120 Religious privilege cannot replace repentance. 604 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:57,800 Look at verses 7 through 10 yet again. 605 00:39:59,240 --> 00:40:01,600 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming 606 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:06,680 to his baptism, he said to them, You brood of Vipers, who warned 607 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:08,400 you to flee from the wrath to come? 608 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:11,440 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 609 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:15,000 And do not presume to say to yourselves, we have Abraham as 610 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:18,080 our father. For I tell you, God is able from 611 00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:21,160 these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 612 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:24,080 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. 613 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:27,480 Every tree, therefore, that bears or that does not bear good 614 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:31,640 fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 615 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:36,000 Hope. To this point, John's ministry 616 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:38,880 has drawn crowds. It's stirred conviction. 617 00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:44,920 But now the tone sharpens. Matthew tells us that the 618 00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:48,120 Pharisees and the Sadducees, those religious leaders of the 619 00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:51,800 day, they come out to John's baptism and instead of welcoming 620 00:40:51,800 --> 00:41:01,320 them, John confronts them. This is a reminder, just kind of 621 00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:03,640 a side note here. This is a reminder that the 622 00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:10,200 Gospel does not only comfort the broken, it also exposes the self 623 00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:17,720 assured. John exposes false confidence 624 00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:21,760 with prophetic clarity. He sees the religious leaders 625 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:24,600 coming to his baptism and immediately addresses them in a 626 00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:27,360 really nice way. Brood of Vipers. 627 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:33,400 It's not name calling for shock value. 628 00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:38,200 I do want you to understand that it's, it's not the Christian's 629 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:43,240 job to name call for shock value, but it is the Christian's 630 00:41:43,240 --> 00:41:50,040 job to proclaim truth and to confront evil and to call 631 00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:55,720 evildoers to repent. And sometimes that requires a 632 00:41:55,720 --> 00:41:59,160 really sharp diagnosis of the problem. 633 00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:06,920 It's a spiritual diagnosis. Snakes flee danger 634 00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:10,120 instinctively. And so John is saying you were 635 00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:16,240 running from judgments, you're not running to God, right? 636 00:42:16,240 --> 00:42:19,280 They, they want the symbol without the substance. 637 00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:21,880 They they want safety without surrender. 638 00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:26,160 They want external participation that does not equal internal 639 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:29,320 transformation. Again, just think Bible Belt 640 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:36,680 culture. We must ask ourselves honestly, 641 00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:40,520 why do I come? Why do I come out to the Lord? 642 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:43,960 Why do I come to see the Lord? Why do I show up to worship week 643 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:47,920 in and week out? Why do I attend a Home group or 644 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:49,920 Sunday school or participate in biblical manhood? 645 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:56,200 Or why do I do any of what I do? Is it because I want God? 646 00:42:58,240 --> 00:43:03,160 Or is it because I want what God can give without repentance? 647 00:43:05,320 --> 00:43:09,200 The the warning is clear. Religious proximity can mask 648 00:43:09,200 --> 00:43:12,600 spiritual danger. We can begin to feel comfortable 649 00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:14,440 because we're around religious people. 650 00:43:16,120 --> 00:43:20,160 This is why you you cannot in your mind right now, immediately 651 00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:23,080 start pointing fingers and thinking of someone. 652 00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:26,760 You know who this is talking about. 653 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:31,680 You have to, brothers and sisters, examine your own heart 654 00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:34,560 against the word of the Lord. You. 655 00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:41,480 You have to start there. John goes on to say that true 656 00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:47,880 repentance is evidenced by fruits, not pedigree, right? 657 00:43:47,880 --> 00:43:50,520 John commands them plainly bear fruit in keeping with 658 00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:53,960 repentance. Repentance is not proven by 659 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:56,720 claims. It's not proven by credentials 660 00:43:56,720 --> 00:44:00,120 or connections, right? My grandmother was a Baptist. 661 00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:04,640 My grandmother wasn't literally. But I'm just saying we can't say 662 00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:07,520 religious pedigree. We can't use religious pedigree 663 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:12,240 as something that makes us welcome before the Lord. 664 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:18,120 You can't stand on the shoulders of other Saints in this way. 665 00:44:22,280 --> 00:44:24,880 Repentance is not proven by any of those things. 666 00:44:24,880 --> 00:44:29,840 It's proved by a changed life. How do we know when someone's 667 00:44:29,840 --> 00:44:32,120 truly repented and given their life to Christ? 668 00:44:32,440 --> 00:44:34,520 Is it because they go into the the waters? 669 00:44:35,400 --> 00:44:38,720 No, that's just the outward sign of something they're saying has 670 00:44:38,720 --> 00:44:43,000 happened inwardly. It's a confession before the 671 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:44,720 church that I was once a Sinner of. 672 00:44:44,720 --> 00:44:47,160 Christ has saved me and I'm committed to live for him. 673 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:50,480 But when we know that they've truly repented, you might see 674 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:53,280 some of it in that. But true repentance is observed 675 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:54,760 in the life that they live after. 676 00:44:57,160 --> 00:44:58,960 This is why we have the Lord's Supper weekly. 677 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:01,720 This is why church discipline exists in the Scriptures. 678 00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:06,360 There's all sorts of reasons for that, right? 679 00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:09,040 So John strikes at the heart of their false security. 680 00:45:09,040 --> 00:45:12,800 He says, do not presume to say to yourselves, we have Abraham 681 00:45:12,800 --> 00:45:16,480 as our father. They're trusting their lineage, 682 00:45:17,440 --> 00:45:19,360 right? That their confidence rested in 683 00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:22,720 covenant heritage rather than in covenant faithfulness. 684 00:45:24,040 --> 00:45:28,560 They're looking backward at what they come from rather than 685 00:45:28,560 --> 00:45:32,200 forward at what all those things they came from are pointing to, 686 00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:36,600 which is Christ. And they're not living a life 687 00:45:36,600 --> 00:45:40,960 faithful to the Lord at all. They're living a life faithful 688 00:45:40,960 --> 00:45:43,480 to themselves, faithful to what's best for them. 689 00:45:45,720 --> 00:45:48,840 So John's response is devastating. 690 00:45:49,720 --> 00:45:53,680 But I'll, I'll have you know, it's not even as clear as what 691 00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:59,040 Christ will be later in Matthew. It's going to get worse for the 692 00:45:59,040 --> 00:46:04,720 Pharisees and Sadducees, but it is this, it is devastating in 693 00:46:04,720 --> 00:46:07,400 the moment. God, He says God can raise 694 00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:12,640 children for himself from stones. 695 00:46:15,240 --> 00:46:19,280 In other words, ancestry does not impress God. 696 00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:23,960 He is not dependent on bloodlines or traditions to 697 00:46:23,960 --> 00:46:27,800 accomplish his purposes. Charles Spurgeon once warned 698 00:46:27,800 --> 00:46:29,120 this. He said that resting in 699 00:46:29,120 --> 00:46:35,920 religious privileges, like leaning on a shadow, it cannot 700 00:46:35,920 --> 00:46:39,720 bear weight. Matthew Henry notes that many 701 00:46:39,720 --> 00:46:43,880 who make a fair show in the flesh still remain strangers to 702 00:46:43,880 --> 00:46:46,280 repentance. Right. 703 00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:50,920 So God's promises are never an excuse for complacency. 704 00:46:51,800 --> 00:46:55,160 Covenant privilege increases responsibility from us. 705 00:46:55,160 --> 00:46:58,240 It does not diminish it. It does not eliminate the need 706 00:46:58,240 --> 00:47:03,240 for repentance. Again, this word lands close to 707 00:47:03,240 --> 00:47:08,200 home in the culture that we live in and the county that we live 708 00:47:08,200 --> 00:47:13,160 in. Church membership, baptism, 709 00:47:13,160 --> 00:47:18,240 history, faithful parents, years of attending church, these 710 00:47:18,240 --> 00:47:22,320 things cannot substitute for a repentant heart. 711 00:47:24,040 --> 00:47:29,680 The question is not where have you been or where do you come 712 00:47:29,680 --> 00:47:34,360 from? No, the question is what fruit 713 00:47:34,360 --> 00:47:40,800 is being borne in your lives now? 714 00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:43,720 The urgency of repentance is underscored by impending 715 00:47:43,720 --> 00:47:49,880 judgments. John doesn't just provide this 716 00:47:49,880 --> 00:47:54,680 urgent message of repentance, he underscores it with impending 717 00:47:54,680 --> 00:47:57,520 judgments. John closes the warning with a 718 00:47:57,520 --> 00:48:01,240 sobering image. Even now, the axe is being laid 719 00:48:01,240 --> 00:48:05,840 to the root of the trees. It's not being laid to the 720 00:48:05,840 --> 00:48:09,760 branches. It's being laid to the root. 721 00:48:11,360 --> 00:48:14,080 Judgment is not hypothetical, brothers and sisters. 722 00:48:14,080 --> 00:48:18,680 It is imminent. A fruitless tree is not merely 723 00:48:18,680 --> 00:48:22,560 unhealthy. A fruitless tree is condemned, 724 00:48:24,040 --> 00:48:26,920 and John makes the standard unmistakably clear. 725 00:48:26,920 --> 00:48:30,600 Every tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down 726 00:48:30,760 --> 00:48:35,560 and thrown into the fire. Now, this is not a denial of 727 00:48:35,560 --> 00:48:39,640 grace. It is a proclamation of reality. 728 00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:42,920 Grace does not make fruit optional. 729 00:48:43,720 --> 00:48:48,080 It makes fruit possible. Amen. 730 00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:54,120 And where there is no fruit in the life of a professing 731 00:48:54,120 --> 00:48:59,600 believer, there is no evidence of true repentance and new life. 732 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:04,800 Martin Lloyd Jones, my grandfather? 733 00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:09,120 Not really, but he often emphasized that the Gospel never 734 00:49:09,120 --> 00:49:15,080 leaves a person unchanged. The gospel never leaves a person 735 00:49:15,080 --> 00:49:19,760 unchanged. If Christ is near, neutrality is 736 00:49:19,760 --> 00:49:25,040 not an option. That the nearness of the Kingdom 737 00:49:25,040 --> 00:49:32,320 brings both opportunity and accountability, right? 738 00:49:32,320 --> 00:49:38,080 Delay is dangerous when the King is at hand, so this is not meant 739 00:49:38,080 --> 00:49:41,200 to drive the repentance to despair. 740 00:49:42,360 --> 00:49:47,160 Not at all. It's meant these words here are 741 00:49:47,160 --> 00:49:53,440 meant to be an awakening for the self sustained right That the 742 00:49:53,440 --> 00:49:56,360 question before us is simple, but it is searching. 743 00:49:56,360 --> 00:49:59,160 It's it's it's this is where I said earlier, the text is going 744 00:49:59,160 --> 00:50:03,080 to search your heart this morning, if you'll allow it. 745 00:50:07,360 --> 00:50:12,760 Is there fruit in my life in keeping with repentance? 746 00:50:14,440 --> 00:50:17,560 Is there fruits in keeping with repentance? 747 00:50:19,960 --> 00:50:26,960 Not perfection, not perfection, but direction. 748 00:50:28,640 --> 00:50:34,200 Is it clear in my life that I'm living a life unto the Lord? 749 00:50:35,960 --> 00:50:40,560 Again, Not sinlessness, not perfection, simply submission. 750 00:50:42,240 --> 00:50:44,840 Have you submitted your life to Christ? 751 00:50:44,840 --> 00:50:47,600 And is that evident by the fruit that it bears? 752 00:50:50,960 --> 00:50:56,560 Think of an apple orchard. You think long enough, you get 753 00:50:56,560 --> 00:51:02,400 kind of hungry. An apple orchard does not argue 754 00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:06,760 its case. All right, How do you know it's 755 00:51:06,760 --> 00:51:09,400 an apple orchard? There's apples on the trees. 756 00:51:10,480 --> 00:51:15,520 There's fruits. A tree does not explain its 757 00:51:15,520 --> 00:51:21,440 intentions, right? It just becomes what it was 758 00:51:21,440 --> 00:51:28,320 created to become. And so fruit tells the truth. 759 00:51:29,440 --> 00:51:37,080 And over time, the absence of fruit speaks just as loudly as 760 00:51:37,080 --> 00:51:42,440 there being fruit presents. The absence of fruit speaks just 761 00:51:42,440 --> 00:51:44,600 as loudly as there being fruit present. 762 00:51:46,280 --> 00:51:49,040 John is saying God is not fooled by your appearances. 763 00:51:50,920 --> 00:51:54,440 He inspects your roots, not your leaves. 764 00:51:56,240 --> 00:51:59,880 And so John's warning leaves us unsettled and intentionally so. 765 00:52:00,720 --> 00:52:03,440 If repentance is necessary and judgment is near, then we must 766 00:52:03,440 --> 00:52:11,840 ask, is there any hope? If the king has come near, and 767 00:52:11,840 --> 00:52:17,960 judgment is imminent, and my religious pedigree is not 768 00:52:17,960 --> 00:52:24,560 enough, my good works are not enough, then is there any hope? 769 00:52:27,440 --> 00:52:29,800 And if so, where does the hope come from now? 770 00:52:29,800 --> 00:52:33,600 That is where John turns our eyes away from ourselves and 771 00:52:33,600 --> 00:52:38,520 toward another, the one who is coming after him, who will not 772 00:52:38,520 --> 00:52:43,880 merely call for repentance, but he will bring salvation and 773 00:52:43,880 --> 00:52:52,800 judgment in full point #4 the Herald's testimony the coming 774 00:52:52,800 --> 00:53:01,920 King will save and judge. Having confronted false 775 00:53:01,920 --> 00:53:05,400 confidence and warned of coming judgment, John now does what 776 00:53:05,400 --> 00:53:09,040 every faithful servant of God must do. 777 00:53:10,160 --> 00:53:15,640 He points away from himself and toward Jesus Christ. 778 00:53:17,960 --> 00:53:21,080 This is the high point of the passage, brothers and sisters, 779 00:53:22,160 --> 00:53:28,160 that the herald fades to the back so that the king might rise 780 00:53:28,160 --> 00:53:33,880 on the horizon. John's warning was severe, but 781 00:53:33,880 --> 00:53:37,400 it was not hopeless. Judgment is coming, but 782 00:53:37,400 --> 00:53:41,640 salvation is coming with it because the King himself is 783 00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:43,840 coming. Now John, you'll see in verse 784 00:53:43,840 --> 00:53:49,080 11, he gladly diminishes so that Christ may be exalted. 785 00:53:49,600 --> 00:53:52,280 John begins with humility and clarity. 786 00:53:52,280 --> 00:53:56,040 He says I baptize you with water for repentance. 787 00:53:57,760 --> 00:54:00,560 John here is stating the limits of his ministry. 788 00:54:02,360 --> 00:54:05,680 He's clear about it. His baptism is real, it's 789 00:54:05,720 --> 00:54:09,840 meaningful, it's necessary, but it is not ultimate. 790 00:54:09,840 --> 00:54:13,680 It is preparatory. It can call people to 791 00:54:13,680 --> 00:54:16,640 repentance, but it cannot give them new life. 792 00:54:19,120 --> 00:54:22,440 And then comes the contrast. But he who is coming after me is 793 00:54:22,440 --> 00:54:25,720 mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. 794 00:54:30,160 --> 00:54:35,320 Now, in the ancient world, carrying sandals was the work of 795 00:54:35,320 --> 00:54:40,880 the lowest servant. And just think about it, all 796 00:54:40,880 --> 00:54:43,240 right? Doesn't seem like a job a lot of 797 00:54:43,240 --> 00:54:48,640 people sign up for. Leather sandals. 798 00:54:49,080 --> 00:54:52,280 Dusty feet. Sounds stinky. 799 00:54:55,800 --> 00:54:57,360 It's the work of the lowest servant. 800 00:54:58,640 --> 00:55:00,240 Here's my sandals. You carry these. 801 00:55:00,240 --> 00:55:03,520 John is saying. I am not even qualified to take 802 00:55:03,520 --> 00:55:06,320 the lowest place in the presence of this king. 803 00:55:09,720 --> 00:55:11,480 I can't. Not qualified. 804 00:55:14,280 --> 00:55:18,520 I want you to know this is not false humility from our dear 805 00:55:18,520 --> 00:55:22,240 brother. This is theological accuracy. 806 00:55:23,920 --> 00:55:28,320 The closer a servant stands to Christ, the more clearly he sees 807 00:55:28,320 --> 00:55:31,720 Christ's greatness and his own smallness. 808 00:55:35,840 --> 00:55:39,960 Big headed, egotistical Christians ought to be an 809 00:55:39,960 --> 00:55:48,000 oxymoron. A church is healthy when it's 810 00:55:48,000 --> 00:55:54,200 leaders, it's preaching, and it's ministries consistently 811 00:55:54,200 --> 00:55:57,720 point beyond themselves to Christ Jesus. 812 00:55:58,640 --> 00:56:00,240 That's where churches become healthy. 813 00:56:01,480 --> 00:56:06,040 If people leave impressed with the preacher, if they leave 814 00:56:06,040 --> 00:56:10,640 impressed by the ministry or by the songs or by whatever, if 815 00:56:10,640 --> 00:56:13,840 they leave impressed with anything other than Jesus 816 00:56:14,120 --> 00:56:17,120 Christ, then something has gone wrong. 817 00:56:20,520 --> 00:56:25,040 Now the crucial distinction is that John's baptism prepares. 818 00:56:25,040 --> 00:56:29,200 Jesus's baptism gives new life. Now here's where John makes the 819 00:56:29,200 --> 00:56:31,720 distinction explicit. And this is where we must be 820 00:56:31,720 --> 00:56:34,440 clear for the sake of the church. 821 00:56:35,360 --> 00:56:39,280 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire, John says. 822 00:56:39,960 --> 00:56:42,680 So John's baptism was by water for repentance. 823 00:56:42,920 --> 00:56:46,000 Jesus's baptism is with the Spirit unto new life. 824 00:56:47,280 --> 00:56:49,280 John's baptism called sinners to turn. 825 00:56:49,520 --> 00:56:52,680 Jesus's baptism literally transforms sinners from the 826 00:56:52,680 --> 00:56:59,200 inside out through regeneration. You may write Titus 35 in your 827 00:56:59,200 --> 00:57:08,110 margin. So John could wash the body as a 828 00:57:08,110 --> 00:57:11,830 sign, but only Christ can give the Spirit who regenerates 829 00:57:11,870 --> 00:57:16,990 hearts. This is why we must not confuse 830 00:57:16,990 --> 00:57:20,230 John's baptism with Christian baptism today. 831 00:57:21,560 --> 00:57:25,080 John's was forward-looking and preparatory. 832 00:57:25,440 --> 00:57:29,200 Christian baptism looks back to the finished work of Christ and 833 00:57:29,200 --> 00:57:34,000 testifies that a person has been united to Christ by faith 834 00:57:34,200 --> 00:57:36,800 through the Spirit. Right. 835 00:57:37,160 --> 00:57:40,160 So repentance prepares us for Christ. 836 00:57:42,320 --> 00:57:49,360 You're doing good, brother. But only Christ gives life. 837 00:57:49,880 --> 00:57:52,160 Only the Spirit can make us new, right. 838 00:57:52,840 --> 00:57:59,520 This protects us from 22 errors. All right, This protects us from 839 00:57:59,520 --> 00:58:01,840 2 errors. First, we do not trust in 840 00:58:01,840 --> 00:58:06,360 outward rights to save us. Wait. 841 00:58:06,360 --> 00:58:08,840 We don't trust in baptism to save us. 842 00:58:08,840 --> 00:58:10,560 We don't trust in the Lord's Supper to save us. 843 00:58:10,560 --> 00:58:13,600 We don't trust in our attendance to weekly worship to save us. 844 00:58:15,280 --> 00:58:16,760 We don't trust in our own good works to save us. 845 00:58:16,760 --> 00:58:19,280 We don't trust in outward rights to save us. 846 00:58:20,600 --> 00:58:24,080 But second, we do not minimize repentance as optional. 847 00:58:25,720 --> 00:58:30,720 Repentance is not optional. John prepares the way Jesus does 848 00:58:30,720 --> 00:58:35,200 the saving. And notice the word fire here. 849 00:58:35,640 --> 00:58:37,480 Baptized with the Spirit and fire. 850 00:58:39,120 --> 00:58:42,000 Fire speaks both of purification and judgments. 851 00:58:42,720 --> 00:58:46,080 But the same Christ who pours out the Spirit on his people 852 00:58:46,160 --> 00:58:52,400 will also execute judgement on the unrepentance the the King 853 00:58:52,400 --> 00:58:57,320 brings final separation, salvation for some, judgement 854 00:58:57,320 --> 00:58:58,920 for others. Look again at verse 12. 855 00:59:00,120 --> 00:59:03,320 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his 856 00:59:03,320 --> 00:59:05,960 threshing floor and gather his weed into the barn. 857 00:59:06,080 --> 00:59:09,880 But the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. 858 00:59:12,440 --> 00:59:15,840 So John ends with this sober agricultural image. 859 00:59:16,720 --> 00:59:20,040 His winnowing fork is in his hand. 860 00:59:23,800 --> 00:59:29,280 Now the the image is clear. Wheat and chaff grow together 861 00:59:29,280 --> 00:59:34,560 for a time, but separation, separation is inevitable. 862 00:59:35,640 --> 00:59:38,480 The wheat is gathered into the barn with the winnowing fork. 863 00:59:39,040 --> 00:59:43,720 It's tossed. The chaff falls out until the 864 00:59:43,720 --> 00:59:47,360 chaff is burned. Now, this is not some harsh 865 00:59:47,360 --> 00:59:52,640 rhetoric from John. It's loving honesty, right? 866 00:59:52,640 --> 00:59:57,120 The king does not merely invite, He decides. 867 00:59:57,680 --> 00:59:59,400 He does not merely warn. He judges. 868 00:59:59,400 --> 01:00:04,280 Jesus is not only the Savior, He is the judge. 869 01:00:06,160 --> 01:00:08,640 And Grace does not cancel judgment. 870 01:00:09,520 --> 01:00:11,960 It provides a way for us to escape it. 871 01:00:14,400 --> 01:00:21,920 So again, neutrality toward Christ is impossible To refuse 872 01:00:22,520 --> 01:00:28,280 repentance, to say I do not need the Lord, I do not need to 873 01:00:28,280 --> 01:00:31,920 submit my life to Him. I will carry on as I am. 874 01:00:32,080 --> 01:00:38,680 I'm doing fine, preacher. To refuse repentance is to 875 01:00:38,680 --> 01:00:46,320 remain chaff, but to turn to Christ in repentance through 876 01:00:46,320 --> 01:00:51,160 faith is to be gathered as wheat into his barn. 877 01:00:53,960 --> 01:00:58,080 So you might think of John like a signpost on a road that says 878 01:00:58,640 --> 01:01:04,520 bridge ahead. The sign is necessary, but the 879 01:01:04,520 --> 01:01:12,080 sign will not carry you across. Christ is the bridge Himself. 880 01:01:13,760 --> 01:01:19,720 If you stop at the sign and you never crossed the bridge, you 881 01:01:19,720 --> 01:01:26,160 miss salvation entirely. John has done his job. 882 01:01:26,960 --> 01:01:29,560 He is prepared the way, He is warned the proud. 883 01:01:29,560 --> 01:01:32,760 He's called the Sinner, and he is exalted, the coming King. 884 01:01:32,760 --> 01:01:38,560 And now the question comes to us with full force, If the King is 885 01:01:38,560 --> 01:01:45,880 this great, this holy, this near, am I ready for him? 886 01:01:49,520 --> 01:01:52,880 Because the nearness of the King still demands real repentance 887 01:01:53,280 --> 01:01:56,600 and true readiness, and Christ himself is the only one who can 888 01:01:56,600 --> 01:02:04,320 save us and make us new. So John's voice fades from the 889 01:02:04,320 --> 01:02:07,400 scene in Matthew's Gospel, but his message does not fade with 890 01:02:07,400 --> 01:02:10,040 him that the herald has done his work. 891 01:02:10,040 --> 01:02:13,320 He's announced the king. He's exposed false confidences. 892 01:02:13,480 --> 01:02:16,440 He's made clear what is required to meet the King. 893 01:02:16,680 --> 01:02:20,000 And now the message stands before us with the same force it 894 01:02:20,000 --> 01:02:24,080 carried in the wilderness. The King is near. 895 01:02:26,400 --> 01:02:33,120 And that reality leaves no one unchanged because the nearness 896 01:02:33,120 --> 01:02:36,280 of the king always demands a response. 897 01:02:40,800 --> 01:02:47,240 So my call from the text today to believers is this Live as a 898 01:02:47,240 --> 01:02:52,120 prepared people. If you belong to Christ, if 899 01:02:52,120 --> 01:02:55,320 you've been brought from repentance to new life by the 900 01:02:55,320 --> 01:02:58,960 Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus, then this passage calls 901 01:02:58,960 --> 01:03:03,880 you to live as a people who are ready for Christ to come again, 902 01:03:04,040 --> 01:03:12,920 not complacent. Repentance, brothers and 903 01:03:12,920 --> 01:03:16,360 sisters, is not something you leave behind at conversion. 904 01:03:18,680 --> 01:03:22,520 It's not something that stays back there in the distance. 905 01:03:23,280 --> 01:03:25,400 It becomes the rhythm of the Christian life. 906 01:03:25,400 --> 01:03:29,960 A prepared people are a repentant people. 907 01:03:32,040 --> 01:03:35,360 And John's warning reminds us that fruit matters. 908 01:03:37,520 --> 01:03:39,800 It doesn't matter as the root of your salvation. 909 01:03:40,520 --> 01:03:42,760 It matters as the evidence of your salvation. 910 01:03:43,880 --> 01:03:46,640 So the question doesn't become again whether we are perfect, 911 01:03:46,920 --> 01:03:50,160 but whether our lives are being shaped by the reign of Christ 912 01:03:50,160 --> 01:03:57,400 Jesus as Lord. So let me ask you a few 913 01:03:57,400 --> 01:04:00,320 questions. Just introspective style. 914 01:04:04,160 --> 01:04:10,600 Are there sins that you excuse instead of confess? 915 01:04:17,040 --> 01:04:20,560 Are there paths that you refuse to straighten? 916 01:04:23,320 --> 01:04:28,320 Are there comforts that dull your alertness to eternity? 917 01:04:34,080 --> 01:04:36,360 Believer, let me encourage you with this. 918 01:04:37,760 --> 01:04:44,840 The King you love as both Savior and Lord live in such a way that 919 01:04:44,840 --> 01:04:48,720 His coming would not embarrass you, but delight you. 920 01:04:51,400 --> 01:04:55,040 Bear fruit in keeping with your repentance. 921 01:04:56,000 --> 01:05:01,360 Walk humbly with your God. Confess quickly so that you 922 01:05:01,360 --> 01:05:06,920 might receive mercy quickly. Obey Him gladly, cheerfully. 923 01:05:07,560 --> 01:05:11,760 Let your life testify that Christ truly reigns. 924 01:05:16,520 --> 01:05:20,000 But if you are not in Christ, you're an unbeliever. 925 01:05:21,280 --> 01:05:25,560 If you're relying on familiarity with Christianity, I know the 926 01:05:25,560 --> 01:05:28,120 name Jesus. I know that Jesus died for my 927 01:05:28,120 --> 01:05:29,520 sins. I know that there's probably a 928 01:05:29,520 --> 01:05:31,920 God in heaven who sent him to do that. 929 01:05:33,880 --> 01:05:36,800 Unfamiliar with the terms repentance and faith. 930 01:05:41,320 --> 01:05:45,000 If you're relying on familiarity, if you're relying 931 01:05:45,000 --> 01:05:52,120 on moral efforts, look, pretty sure I'm not, I'm not like a 932 01:05:52,120 --> 01:05:57,040 great man or woman, but you should see some of the people I 933 01:05:57,040 --> 01:05:59,240 work around. I, I do better than they do, 934 01:05:59,240 --> 01:06:02,880 right? I, I give occasionally to 935 01:06:03,000 --> 01:06:06,720 ministries. I, I take my family to church 936 01:06:06,720 --> 01:06:13,440 most of the time. I was even baptized as a child. 937 01:06:13,440 --> 01:06:22,880 All right, you've got moral efforts if you're relying on 938 01:06:22,960 --> 01:06:27,240 religious background. My grandparents were Christians, 939 01:06:27,240 --> 01:06:31,840 my parents were Christians. I was raised to to live this 940 01:06:31,840 --> 01:06:36,760 life. If you're relying on association 941 01:06:36,760 --> 01:06:40,840 with the church, I've attended church most of my life. 942 01:06:40,840 --> 01:06:42,400 I've always been a part of the church. 943 01:06:43,320 --> 01:06:46,120 I understand that I should show up for weekly worship and 944 01:06:47,160 --> 01:06:51,880 participate in some fashion. If you're relying on those 945 01:06:51,880 --> 01:06:55,640 things and John's message comes to you with urgency and with 946 01:06:55,640 --> 01:07:03,680 mercy, Brother and sister, repent, for the Kingdom of 947 01:07:03,680 --> 01:07:07,440 heaven is at hand. This is not a call to clean 948 01:07:07,440 --> 01:07:09,800 yourself up before God will receive you. 949 01:07:12,160 --> 01:07:13,360 How many times have we heard this? 950 01:07:13,360 --> 01:07:16,800 How many times have we said it? There's still time. 951 01:07:17,600 --> 01:07:20,880 I'll get myself cleaned up, then I'll show up. 952 01:07:21,600 --> 01:07:26,640 No, this is not a call from John, from the text to clean 953 01:07:26,640 --> 01:07:28,440 yourself up before God will receive you. 954 01:07:29,440 --> 01:07:32,640 It is a call, a very clear call, for you to turn from your sin 955 01:07:32,800 --> 01:07:34,880 and turn to Christ while there is still time. 956 01:07:36,040 --> 01:07:39,680 Let Christ do the cleaning through his spirits. 957 01:07:39,960 --> 01:07:43,280 Let him wash you in the waters of regeneration and 958 01:07:43,280 --> 01:07:49,080 sanctification. The King who is coming is 959 01:07:49,080 --> 01:07:54,840 mighty, and he is merciful. He baptizes with the Holy 960 01:07:54,840 --> 01:07:57,000 Spirit. He gives new life so that you 961 01:07:57,000 --> 01:08:01,120 become new creations in Christ. Old man passing away, Newman 962 01:08:01,120 --> 01:08:03,920 becoming more evidence. As you look to Christ, you 963 01:08:03,920 --> 01:08:08,560 become more like Him and he welcomes to himself repentant 964 01:08:08,760 --> 01:08:13,360 sinners. Christ says if you seek me, you 965 01:08:13,360 --> 01:08:21,760 will find me, so do not delay. John has told us the axe has 966 01:08:21,760 --> 01:08:25,760 already been laid to the roots. The winnowing fork is already in 967 01:08:25,760 --> 01:08:28,640 his hand. Today is the day of repentance. 968 01:08:28,800 --> 01:08:36,600 Today is the day to flee from judgment and run to Christ, my 969 01:08:36,600 --> 01:08:39,960 final word for all of us. John has prepared the way. 970 01:08:41,760 --> 01:08:46,279 Christ has come, and one day Christ will descend the heavens 971 01:08:46,439 --> 01:08:49,720 and he'll come again. So hear the herald's voice this 972 01:08:49,720 --> 01:08:57,000 morning and respond rightly. The nearness of the King demands 973 01:08:57,000 --> 01:08:59,680 real repentance and true readiness. 974 01:09:00,359 --> 01:09:07,560 And may you and I, may we, be found ready by grace, through 975 01:09:07,560 --> 01:09:10,760 repentance, and by faith in the King who saves. 976 01:09:11,840 --> 01:09:13,439 Would you bow your heads with me as we pray? 977 01:09:13,640 --> 01:09:19,560 Heavenly Father, we come before you today, having been humbled 978 01:09:21,359 --> 01:09:28,000 by your scriptures. We've seen clearly the call of 979 01:09:28,000 --> 01:09:31,439 John the Baptist as he prepares the way for the coming King. 980 01:09:35,319 --> 01:09:39,120 And so, Lord, would you help us faithfully respond to your word 981 01:09:39,120 --> 01:09:44,240 today, Whether that's as believers as we seek to live 982 01:09:44,240 --> 01:09:49,279 lives or we do not hide our sins where we do not try to protect 983 01:09:49,319 --> 01:09:56,960 those hidden diseases within us, But we welcome the surgeon's 984 01:09:56,960 --> 01:09:59,560 scalpel. We welcome the work of the 985 01:09:59,560 --> 01:10:04,040 Spirit in our life. We welcome true change, 986 01:10:04,040 --> 01:10:06,560 transformation from the inside out. 987 01:10:08,560 --> 01:10:12,480 God, would you help us to live as those who are ready for the 988 01:10:12,480 --> 01:10:17,600 King to come again. Help us to not be complacent in 989 01:10:17,600 --> 01:10:22,320 our lives, but help us every day, every day to take up our 990 01:10:22,320 --> 01:10:31,610 cross and to follow Him. Father, I pray for any 991 01:10:31,610 --> 01:10:36,920 unbelievers in here. I pray that it is true that You 992 01:10:36,920 --> 01:10:39,840 have shown them Christ through the Word today. 993 01:10:41,960 --> 01:10:45,120 I pray that it is true that you are calling them through Your 994 01:10:45,120 --> 01:10:49,280 Word by Your Spirit unto repentance and faith. 995 01:10:51,040 --> 01:10:53,600 And Lord, I pray that nothing would hinder them from coming. 996 01:10:53,600 --> 01:10:57,280 Not self assurance, not self-reliance, not good works 997 01:10:57,280 --> 01:10:59,840 theology, not any of those kinds of things. 998 01:11:01,360 --> 01:11:04,560 Lord, may they humble themselves before you, seek your face, be 999 01:11:04,560 --> 01:11:08,080 found by you, and be saved eternally from their sins. 1000 01:11:08,080 --> 01:11:15,310 Today. Let me give you a moment. 1001 01:11:15,310 --> 01:11:21,590 Now they're in your seat to seek the Lord in prayer, to respond 1002 01:11:21,870 --> 01:11:26,870 to the word preached and the word read, to respond with 1003 01:11:26,870 --> 01:11:31,710 faith, with obedience. Maybe you need to confess your 1004 01:11:31,710 --> 01:11:39,000 sins this morning. Maybe you need to seek Christ in 1005 01:11:39,000 --> 01:11:44,680 obedience to Him in a new way. Maybe it's sure of you that you 1006 01:11:44,680 --> 01:11:48,600 have an unbelieving heart and the Lord is showing you, 1007 01:11:48,600 --> 01:11:52,320 revealing Himself to you, the way of salvation. 1008 01:11:54,080 --> 01:11:56,800 Would you respond in faith and repentance this morning? 1009 01:12:44,880 --> 01:12:47,400 Heavenly Father, again we come before you and we thank you for 1010 01:12:47,400 --> 01:12:51,720 your mercy and your grace. We thank you for the forgiveness 1011 01:12:51,720 --> 01:12:58,160 that belongs to us in Christ Jesus, that you send him to die 1012 01:12:58,160 --> 01:13:01,760 the death that we deserved. He incurred on himself the wrath 1013 01:13:01,760 --> 01:13:07,000 that was rightly ours, so that we might become the 1014 01:13:07,000 --> 01:13:11,280 righteousness of God, so that we might inherit Christ. 1015 01:13:12,720 --> 01:13:15,520 So, Lord, today, would you help us to believe in Him? 1016 01:13:15,520 --> 01:13:18,800 Would You help us to trust Him with all our heart and all our 1017 01:13:18,800 --> 01:13:20,480 mind and all our soul and strength? 1018 01:13:20,480 --> 01:13:23,920 Would You help us to be committed Christians, men and 1019 01:13:23,920 --> 01:13:27,160 women and boys and girls who love the Lord above all else and 1020 01:13:27,160 --> 01:13:30,440 strive to live a life that would honor and glorify Him unto the 1021 01:13:30,440 --> 01:13:34,520 good of those around us and His glory forever? 1022 01:13:39,640 --> 01:13:40,960 It's in the name of Christ I pray. 1023 01:13:41,360 --> 01:13:41,800 Amen.