Grace Lutheran
Sunday 2025 December 7 Setting Advent
      • Bible Trivia
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      • Isaiah 11:1–10ESV

      • Romans 15:4–13ESV

      • Matthew 3:1–12ESV

      • Psalm 72:1–7ESV

      • Psalm 72:1–7ESV

      • John 20:1–18ESV

      • Isaiah 11:1–10ESV

      • John 20:1–18ESV

      • Romans 15:4–13ESV

      • John 20:1–18ESV

      • Matthew 3:1–12ESV

  • Texts: Isaiah 11:1–10; Psalm 72:1–7; Romans 15:4–13; Matthew 3:1–12
    Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

    THE WORLD LOVES SELF-HELP, BUT REPENTANCE IS GOD’S HELP

    Walk into any bookstore today—if you can still find one—and you’ll discover the largest, shiniest section in the whole building: the Self-Help aisle.
    It’s a monument to the world’s favorite philosophy: “Look within. Trust yourself. Follow your heart.”
    Which is odd advice, considering Scripture says the heart is “deceitful above all things” (Jer. 17:9). But who’s counting?
    The self-help aisle is full of promises— “Unlock your potential.” “Manifest your destiny.” “Become the best version of you.”
    It’s navel-gazing at Olympic levels.
    And here’s the sad thing: most Christian books don’t do much better. They slap a cross on the cover, sprinkle in a verse or two, but the message is the same: “Try harder. Improve yourself. Fix your life with these seven biblical steps.”
    Self-help wrapped in Christian gift paper is still self-help.
    John the Baptist didn’t preach self-help. He preached repentance. He preached the Word of God, not a spiritual improvement plan. And because of that, he preached hope—not the fragile hope born from self-trust, but the sturdy, unshakeable hope that comes only from God’s intervention.
    Today, God’s Word teaches us that real hope begins where self-help ends. Real hope is born when God turns us—away from sin, away from self, and back toward Him.
    Which brings us to the heart of our sermon:
    We have hope because the Word creates repentance. And the Word creates repentance so that Christ may give us life.
    Let’s walk through that.

    THE WORD CREATES REPENTANCE

    (Matthew 3:1–3, 7–10)
    John the Baptist didn’t create his message. He wasn’t a wild-haired entrepreneur trying out a new spiritual brand.
    Matthew quotes Isaiah:
    “The voice of one crying in the wilderness.” A voice—not the writer, not the composer, not the originator.
    Just a messenger.
    God supplied the message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 3:2)

    Repentance Isn’t “Try Harder”

    Our English word “repent” gets dragged into the self-help world. People hear it and imagine:
    “Clean yourself up.”
    “Feel really bad and maybe God will take you back.”
    “Hit the reset button and give it another go.”
    But the biblical word is metanoeō—a complete change of mind, heart, and direction. A turning away from sin and pride and toward God and His mercy.
    And here’s the key point:

    Repentance is not self-produced.

    You don’t repent because you woke up emotionally inspired. You don’t repent because you discovered your “inner strength.”
    You repent because God’s Word hits you like holy lightning and the Spirit turns your heart.
    Paul says, “Faith comes from hearing,” and repentance, like faith, comes from the same place: the Word (Rom. 10:17).
    John doesn’t suggest repentance as an option. He proclaims it—because the Word does what it says (Isa. 55:11).

    Repentance Destroys False Hope

    Enter the Pharisees and Sadducees—the kings of self-help religion. Their message was essentially:
    “Look at us. Look at our pedigree. Look at our performance.”
    John’s response? “You brood of vipers.” (Matt. 3:7)
    Nothing shuts the door to repentance faster than self-trust.
    The Law exposes their false confidence: “Do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’” (Matt. 3:9)
    John drives the point home:
    “The axe is already laid to the root.” (Matt. 3:10)
    Not trimming the branches. Not reshaping the leaves. God goes after the root—the heart.
    Repentance is God tearing down false hope so He can plant true hope in Christ.

    THE WORD CREATES HOPE

    (Isaiah 11:1–10; Romans 15:4–13)
    When God tears down, He doesn’t leave you in the dust. He clears the ground to plant something better.
    Isaiah promises:
    “A shoot shall come forth from the stump of Jesse.” (Isa. 11:1)
    Notice the imagery: A stump—cut down, dead, lifeless. That’s us under the Law.
    But out of death comes life. Out of hopelessness comes the Messiah.
    And what is His work?
    Righteousness (Isa. 11:4)
    Peace (11:6–9)
    Rest for the nations (11:10)
    Paul picks this up in Romans:
    “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4)
    How does Scripture give hope?
    By proclaiming Christ— the One who fulfills the promises, the One who bears our sin, the One who turns our hearts by His grace.
    Repentance clears the rubble. Jesus plants the kingdom.
    Repentance kills the old self. Jesus raises the new.
    Repentance empties the hands. Jesus fills them.
    This hope is not “I’ll try harder tomorrow.” It is Christ Himself, our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30).

    THE WORD CREATES FRUIT

    (Matthew 3:8; Galatians 5:22–23)
    John the Baptist delivers a critical line to the Pharisees and Sadducees:
    “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Matt. 3:8)
    Take note of what he does not say. He does not say:
    “Bear fruit so that God will love you.”
    “Bear fruit so you can prove yourself.”
    “Bear fruit to show the world how spiritual you are.”
    No. John is no salesman. He’s no motivational speaker trying to get his crowd to improve themselves.
    He is proclaiming a simple but profoundly theological truth:

    **Fruit follows repentance.

    Repentance never follows fruit.**
    Or as the Lutheran Confessions put it: “Good works certainly and without doubt follow true faith.” (Augsburg Confession VI)
    Fruit is the result, not the cause. It’s evidence, not currency. It’s growth, not payment.

    Fruit Comes From the Spirit’s Work, Not Human Willpower

    Paul clarifies it even further in Galatians:
    “The fruit of the Spirit is…” (Gal. 5:22)
    Stop right there.
    Not “the fruit of your personality.” Not “the fruit of your discipline.” Not “the fruit of your upbringing, effort, or your impressive determination.”
    The fruit of the Spirit. The fruit He produces. The fruit He grows. The fruit He nourishes.
    And notice that Paul doesn’t say fruits (plural), as though you could pick your favorites. It’s fruit—one cluster, one bouquet, one living unity:
    Love – because God first loved us (1 John 4:19).
    Joy – rooted in Christ, not circumstances (John 15:11).
    Peace – peace with God through Jesus’ blood (Rom. 5:1).
    Patience – because God Himself is patient toward us (2 Pet. 3:9).
    Kindness – the kindness God showed in Christ (Titus 3:4–5).
    Goodness – a life shaped by God’s goodness (Ps. 23:6).
    Faithfulness – because God is faithful and cannot deny Himself (2 Tim. 2:13).
    Gentleness – the gentleness of Christ who will not break a bruised reed (Matt. 12:20).
    Self-control – not willpower, but a heart re-ordered under Christ (2 Tim. 1:7).
    None of this is humanly manufactured. This is not the result of turning over a new leaf. This is not spiritual behavior modification. This is Christ living in you (Gal. 2:20).

    Repentance Isn’t the Finish Line—It’s the Starting Line

    Some imagine repentance as the final step: “You repent, you’re forgiven, and then you're done.”
    But biblically, repentance is the doorway, not the destination.
    Repentance is the tearing down of the old house— so the Spirit can build a new one.
    Repentance is the pruning of the dead branches— so new life can grow.
    Repentance is God saying, “This must die,” so He can say next, “Now watch what I will make alive.”
    The pattern is everywhere in Scripture:
    “Those whom the Lord loves He disciplines.” (Heb. 12:6)
    “Put off the old self… and put on the new.” (Eph. 4:22–24)
    “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone.” (John 12:24)
    When God kills the old, He raises the new. When He turns your heart back to Him, He fills that same heart with faith, hope, and love (1 Cor. 13:13).
    This is the holy rhythm of the Christian life: death and resurrection every day through the Word.

    The Word Tears Down—But Only to Rebuild

    John’s preaching sounds harsh to modern ears: axes, fire, and winnowing forks.
    But God never tears down to leave you ruined. He tears down to rebuild— as a master craftsman who removes rot so the house can stand.
    The Law wounds, yes. But the Gospel heals.
    The Law exposes the sin. But Christ covers the sinner.
    The Law empties your hands. Christ fills them.
    The Law drives you to repentance. Christ drives you to hope.
    This isn’t a cycle of despair— it is the cycle of grace.
    Repentance is not humiliation for humiliation’s sake. It is God clearing away the rubble so that the life of Christ—real fruit—can flourish in you.
    Where Christ is, fruit grows. Where the Spirit is, hearts change. Where the Word is preached, lives are renewed.
    Repentance clears the ground. Hope takes root. Fruit grows.

    HOPE THROUGH HOLY TURNING

    The world shouts, “Look within!” But Scripture says the opposite: “Look to Christ.”
    The world says, “Trust yourself!” Scripture says, “Die to yourself—and live in Him.”
    Self-help tells you to fix your own life. Repentance tells you the truth: you can’t. But Christ can. And Christ does.
    Today, John the Baptist calls out across the centuries, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
    Not because God wants to shame you— but because He wants to save you.
    Because repentance is how God clears away the rubble of false hope so He can plant the living hope of Jesus Christ in your heart.
    And when Christ plants His hope in you— nothing in heaven or on earth can uproot it.
    Closing prayer
    Heavenly Father, You alone are the source of true hope and lasting change. We confess how often we have trusted in ourselves, in our efforts and plans, instead of turning fully to You in repentance and faith. By Your Word and Spirit, soften our hearts and uproot the false hopes we cling to. Plant in us the living hope of Christ— a hope that does not fail, a hope that transforms, a hope that bears fruit through Your Spirit’s work in our lives. Lead us to daily repentance, not as a burden, but as the path to new life in Jesus. May Your grace sustain us, Your peace guard us, and Your love empower us as we walk forward in faith. In the name of Jesus, our righteous Savior, we pray. Amen.

      • Matthew 3:2ESV

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