Get Ready
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Introduction
Thank you for hospitality, and warm welcome. Unfortunately I simply wasn’t prepared to meet so many of you so I want to quickly say, “If you approached annie and I last week and are interested in hearing more about the RH plant, or even prayefully considering joining us we’d like to connect with you. So my email is amcclure@cbcsavannah.com and I’d love to connect.
Let’s get into our passage.
Image
Lived overseas for 7 of the last 10 years.
Happy in SA. Abrupt dismissal.
The last 2 years, very aware we were to wait. But God nworks in our waiting, and what I know ow that I didn’t know then is that He was preparing me. Preparing our family. Making me ready for an opportunity like this one.
So we said YES, but our close dates weren’t perfectly aligned, and we decided to let the kids finish school there.
My task was to get the house ready, and man there is a lot that goes into that process.
The closing documents were constant, and served as a constant reminder of how little know and for better or worse half way thru I stopped reading and just started signing.
Made good money off the sell and then immeditely threw that away.
Had to close.
Had to get it cleaned.
Fridge
Baseboards.
Yard.
Had to coordinate with our moving company. Hire the movers.
Get it moved. Which was awesome.
Had to build a ton of furniture, some of which served as a great sanctifiying experience for myself and many of the RH people.
Had to dig into the neverending boxes.
Had to get the Christmas tree up and stockings.
Had put sheets on.
Have dinner ready.
But then the reunion occurred. And all the preparation, all that I had to get ready… was worth it.
Need
As I needed to get the house ready for the arrival of my family, we too must be a church that is ready for the arrival of Christ. We have celebrated his advent, and what we will see from today’s passage is that as He comes, we need to be sure we are ready. Are we ready? Are we living as a people made ready? So this morning, as we look at our text I hope to show How we can leave ready today.
Subject
Go ahead and turn with me to Matthew 3.
remember where we have been thus far in our series on Matthew.
Matthew is writing to a largely Jewish audience, and in each chapter has been consistently showing his audience/and us, that Jesus is thie promised Christ or annointed one and the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies.
In like fashion, what we will see today in Matthew 3 is that the ministry of John the Baptist also serves to show that All Authority belongs to Jesus the Christ, and we need to be prepared in order to live for him.
Let’s begin by looking at vs 1-5.
Repent (Matthew 3:1-5).
Repent (Matthew 3:1-5).
In those days…
John the Baptist Came
We have looked at the foretold, and miraculous birth of Christ.
here we have another character whose birth was surrounded by supernatural events as foretold in the OT.
His Birth (Luke 1)
Mother was Barren
Gabriel appeared to announce his birth.
Said he would be great before the Lord, Luke 1:16-17, “go before the Messiah in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
Just as I went before Annie and the kids to make ready the house, John was to go before Christ to make ready a people.
His birth was also foretold:
400 years earlier
“See, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the Messenger of the covenant you delight in—see, he is coming,” says the Lord of Armies.
Malachi 4:5-6
We see that same statement in vs 3 quoted from Isaiah 40...
“Prepare the way.”
Gabriel made it clear.
These OT prophecies of Malachi and Isaiah find their fulfillment in John. But if you aren’t convinced yet, just look at his attire.
Not preachers and sneakers.
2 Kings 1:8.
John was to prepare people for Jesus, so how did he do that?
Preaching Repent
Preaching
That word is herald.
That word is before a King would travel a hearld would go before him to announce his arrival as well as fill pot holes and make the way ready.
John was the herald. He was preaching. He was announcing. But what?
Repent
We don’t like this word. By definition it means to “turn” to “change”. More than changing one’s mind, it references changing the heart.
A MESSAGE WE ARE LOSING TODAY…
Training College Students
But this was John’s message, and repentance is essential for us to be a prepared people. To be a ready people.
Now allow me a little grace to go on a tangent for a second.
***I had the luxury of living cross-culturally for most of the last decade , which means I only came in contact with the Western Church every few years. I’m well aware that the global Church has its’ blemishes regardless of continent, nation, or region so I do not desire to be critical or judgmental, especially of something so beautiful, called, and anointed as the local church. But when I look at the church of the West I sometimes wonder if prestige, presence, and power have been attained by time spent in the “cloud” (Moses), or the “fields” (David), or by simply having a good PR strategy, a recognizable brand, and a message that attracts the masses.
This type of message… repent may not attract the masses but it is the message we need in order to be a people prepared for Christ!
From prosperity theology, to pop-psychology, to using the pulpit to promote self-esteem. This PR Preaching is everywhere.
Confess
The last thing I want us to see here is that their repentance was demonstrated in two actions.
Vs 6
Baptized
They were demonstrating their repentance by being baptized. They were not being saved by baptism, only demonstrating desire to change.
Even though John says in vs 11 I baptize for repentance...
this is not a meritous act.
It is faith in action.
A symbolic act that is outwardly demonstrating what we are inwardly believing
THat I am dirty and need to be cleansed.
That I need to die to the old, and raise to the new.
They were confessing their sins.
plural. Not just sinners.
Confession is the first step of repentance.
A free admission of sin.
Confessing is part of the cleansing. Be real with the old.
But we don’t just need to confess we need to change or repent in order to be a people ready to host Jesus in our hearts and follow him with our lives.
So we are a people prepared, as we repent!
And we demonstrate that repentance thorugh baptism and confession.
Don’t Presume, Examine
Don’t Presume, Examine
Read Matthew 3:7-10
When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
Many were listening. Many understood the significance of this Elijah like figure...
But what tends to happen when the Holy Spirit either through a friend, spouse, child, or even enemy makes us aware of sin in our life… we justify.
2 Groups of People singled out by John.. called brood of vipers.
these guys didn’t like each other. Acts 23.
Old adage rings true.
Pharisees
Viewed themselves as the guardians of OT Law
Placed a plethora of additional practices to really guard themselves.
Paul— regarding the law, blameless.”
So, they were so justified in their own eyes due to their self-righteouesness they didn’t view themselves as in need of repentance.
Now imagine what was going on in their hearts and minds when this Elijah type wild man called them a sinner and a brood of vipers.
Presumed that because of their strict adherence to the law they were not in need of repentance.
Saduccees
Not in self-righteousness, but familial connections.
Line of Zadok
We don’t need to repent because of the long line of faithfulness in our family.
Verse 9--- Don’t presume.
The truth here:
We are all sinners. Fallen short of God’s standard. By nature children of His wrath, and in need of repentance… But some instead of heeding this truth will justify.
We will presume that that’s true for others, but we are all good.
As a dad it blows my mind
Kids are a good example of this. Son will punch somebody in the face and say, “Its because they looked at me.”
I don’t need to repent, but look at Him!
We do this too… Why do we gossip? Oh I’m sorry in christianity we call it “venting”. Because psychologically when we can highlight a negative quality about somebody else, it makes us feel a little more superior. A little less broken. A little more self-righteous.
Be careful not to presume.
You may say. I’m not a strict adherence to the law. I’m not of the tribe of Levi, and a Zadok heir.
But we still resist our need for repentance with statements like this:
I was raised a Christian. I grew up in church. I was baptized when I was young.
Don’t presume.
One of my greatest fears is that people all across this nation this morning presume they are saved when they are in reality still seperated from God.
Walking an aisle, praying a prayer, even being baptized is not the guarantor of your faith. Don’t presume.
Instead
Examine Yourself.
Vs. 8 bear fruit
Is your life marked by a change with your faith in Christ?
My intent is not to create unnecessary doubt regarding your salvation; however, Paul commands Corinthians
1 Corinthians 13:5- “Examine yourselves to see whetehr you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you.”
John says it: Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
From an apple tree we expect apples. From an orange tree, oranges .From a Christian: Christ!
The fruit of Christ are against sinful desires. They are opposed to each other.
The Fruit of the Spirit:
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22.
Now does examining yourself mean that I am a follower when I am 100% patient? Never impatient? Never overbearing. Never unkind.
NO! It just means that when I examine my life and see that I have been impatient with my children the response isn’t justifying it, but confessing it. Repenting of it.
Are you a people made ready? Does your life reflect the fruit of Christ? Examine yourself!
Believe in Jesus
Believe in Jesus
Read Matthew 3:11-17
Mightier than I
Rabbinical saying, ““Every service which a slave performs for his master shall a disciple do for his teacher… except the loosing of his sandals.”
John takes it a step further.
Baptism is mightier.
His Baptism isn’t to symbolize repentance. It isn’t a washing of the outside. But of the spirit and of fire.
Now many argue that this means judgement and the fire of hell or eternal damnation. But I disagree, and let me share why.
Baptism with Spirit
Acts 1:8— spirit of power
How many of you are repentant. Aware of sin. Confessing it. Examining for fruit, but seem to lack the power to change?
welcome to humanity.
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am serving the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin.
We need His baptism! Jesus who was promised to save people from their sin, not only made atonement for our sin, but is willing to give you his spirit! The only spirit powerful enough to destroy the power of sin in your life.
Baptism with fire.
Pentecost--- fire.
Purifies. It cleanses.
Church, one cannot be a Christian without having a changed life; a life that looks like Christ!
yet we are powerless to change. It is the Spirit that indwells us through faith in Christ that guarantees the power required to change!
John came to make us ready. Told us to repent. To not presume but examine, but ultimately to be a ready people we must Look to Jesus!
Came to be baptized.
John’s objection.
You don’t need this baptism. You’re sinless! You have nothing to repent of. But I do! I am a sinner. I need your baptism!
But then Jesus makes this interesting statement Matthew 3:15.
Fitting to fulfill all righteoueness.
Not OT Law.
Undoubtedly difficult, but the key is found in how Jesus viewed Himself.
After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied.
By his knowledge,
my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will carry their iniquities.
He is showing his solidarity with mankind.
The purpose of His advent. To identify himself with those he came to rescue.
Here in the Jordan, is Immanuel.
2 Cor 5:21, FOR OUR SAKE HE MADE JESUS TO BE SIN, WHO KNEW NO SIN, SO THAT WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUENESS OF GOD.”
Jesus was baptized.
John consented
And immediately...
The Spirit descends.
“This is my servant; I strengthen him,
this is my chosen one; I delight in him.
I have put my Spirit on him;
he will bring justice to the nations.
A Voice declares
All three members of the Trinity are involved in this moment. God the Son, in human form, is joined by God the Holy Spirit in dove-like form, while the voice of God the Father calls down from heaven. This is one of the most potent examples of the mystery of the Trinity in the Bible.
Spoken to fully confirm that this is indeed the Christ, the Son of God…
And all who look to him, and cling to him, and believe in him will not perish but have eternal life through faith in His name.
Jesus is fully, and divinely qualified to be the Christ. The Messiah, the one who takes away the sin of the world.
Are you prepared to host him in your heart? Are you prepared to follow him with your life?
Repent. Don’t Presume, Examine, and Believe in Jesus.
Let’s Pray