Heartland Christian Church
Main - HCC Sunday Service - January 29, 2023
Matthew 25NIV2011
- Bible TriviaLoading...
Psalm 146HBEHV
- Who You Say I Am
- How Great Is Our God
- Jesus Paid It All
Matthew 25NIV2011
- Title: Repent to be ReadyText: Luke 3:1-14INTRODUCTIONLet’s turn togetherin our Biblesto Luke’s gospel.Luke, chapter 3.& we’re gonnaread verses 1-14.Luke 3:1-14.& when you find thatin your BiblePls stand for the readingof God’s Word.The title oftoday’s teaching is:Repent to be Ready.In Luke 3:1-14the Scriptures say:Luke 3:1–14 (EOB: NT)Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.He came into the entire region around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins.As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: The voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.Every valley will be filled. Every mountain and hill will be brought low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth.All flesh will see God’s salvation.”To the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, John said, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?Therefore, bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father;’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones!Even now, the axe also lies at the root of the tree, and so every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire.”The multitudes asked him, “What then must we do?”John answered them, “Whoever has two coats should give to the one who has none. He who has food should do likewise.”Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what must we do?”He replied, “Do not collect more than what is appointed to you.”Soldiers also asked him, “What about us? What must we do?” He said to them, “Do not accuse anyone wrongfully, and extort from no one by violence. Be satisfied with your wages.”You may be seated.Are we readyto enterthe Kingdomof God?How can we knowwe’re ready?What must we doto get ready?In a WordRepent.Repentwas the 1st wordJohn the Baptizerspoke when hebegan hispublic ministry.& repent was alsothe 1st wordthe Lord Jesus spokewhen He beganHis public ministry.Repentanceis vitalto salvation.Repentance isnecessary tomake us readyfor the Lord.& in today’s passageAs Luke walks usThru the ministryof John the BaptistLuke teaches usat least twoImportant truthsabt repentance.We’ll talk abtthose truths& see how theymake us readyfor God’s kingdom.PRAYERLet’s pray.Father we thank Youfor your Word.Open our earsto hear the truth.Open our minds& heartsto accept the truth.& give us the will& abilityto obey the truth.In Jesus name.Amen.[Transition:The 1st truth we learn abt repentance is...]The CALL to repentance.The year is around27 A.D.We know thisbcs in Luke 3:1Luke tells uswho the secular& religious rulers wereat the time.Luke does thisto emphasizethese are realhistorical events.Events his readerscld verify.This is important bcsas Luke saysin Luke 1:1-4Luke 1:1–4 (EOB: NT)Many have undertaken to set in order a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us,even as those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word since the beginning have delivered them to us.For this reason, it seemed good to me also, after reviewing the course of all things accurately from the beginning, to write an ordered account to you, most excellent Theophilus,so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.Luke writes so thatTheophilus—Which meansfriend of God—Luke writesso that God’s friendscan knowthe certaintyof the Faiththat was deliveredor handed dwnby the Apostlesto the Church.Sothe year isaround 27 A.D.& in that yearLuke tells us inLuke 3:2...Luke 3:2 (EOB: NT)...the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.The John hereis Johnthe Baptizer.Luke has alreadytold usJohn wasborn miraculouslyto Zacharias orZechariah &Elizabethwho were bothvery old.Elizabeth was unableto conceive children.But the Lordopened her womb.& nine months laterlittle John the Baptizerwas born.& at some point—We don’t know whenthis happened—At some pointJohn left Zechariah& Elizabeth& went to live alonein a wildernessor deserted place.As Luke tells us inLuke 1:80 (EOB: NT)And the child grew up and became strong in spirit, and he was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.30 years afterJohn’s birththe Word of Godcame to Johnin the desert.& here Lukeechoes the languageof the OT.When God spoketo & thruHis prophetsthe Scriptures saythe Word of the Lordcame to them.The Word of the Lordcame to Johnthe prophetin the dessertBcs his timeto appear publiclyhad come.It was time for Johnto fulfillhis mission.& John wasabt to gofrm unknownDesert dwellerTo a prominent public figureBcs of that mission.What wasJohn’s mission?The Lord sent Johnto preachthe good news.On both sidesof the Jordan riverJohn preachedthe good news—The kingdom of Godwas coming.The Kingwas coming.& God’s ppl neededto get readyto meet their King& enter His Kingdom.& in Luke 3:3John tells ushow he expectedppl to respondto this message.He says John wasLuke 3:3 (EOB: NT)...preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins.Notice thosetwo words.Repentance& Remission.Let’s talk abtwhat thosewords mean.FirstLet’s talk abt the word:Remission.Most modern translationstranslate this word“forgiveness.”This word isthe same wordJesus reads laterin Luke frmthe book of Isaiah.Jesus readsLuke 4:18–19 (EOB: NT)“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach Good News to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed, and to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”That word in greenis the sameGreek Wordtranslated remissionin Luke 3:3.In Acts 2:38Luke tells ushow theApostle Peterused similar languageAs Johnon the dayof Pentecost.Acts 2:38 (EOB: NT)Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the Name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.The good news is& always will be:If you & I willrepent & be baptizedwe will be releasedfrm our sins.Released frmthe penaltythe power& the practiceof sinas we followthe Lord Jesus.That’s thegood newsJohn cameto tell his audience.& that’s stillthe good newswe needto hear today.If we repent& are baptizedwe will be releasedfrm our sins.The penaltyfor our sins willbe taken away.The power of sinwill be broken.& as we follow Jesuswe will no longerpractice sin.So we’ve gottarepent & be baptizedfor the remissionof our sins.But what isrepentance?The Greek wordbehind repentancemeans totransform our minds.To transformthe way we thinkabt the Lordabt ourselves& abt sin.& this causes usto transformthe way we behaveto match thisnew way of thinking.True repentancealways leads toturning away frmthe kingdom of darkness& all the sinful waysof the world.& turning twdthe kingdom of light& the righteous waysof the Lord.& this isone reason whyJohn—& later Peter—preached a baptismof repentance.This is how weshld all respondto thegospel message.Ppl hear the good newsthat Jesus isthe Kingof God’seternal kingdom.& this King cameto saveall of humanityfrom bondagein the kingdomof darkness.Thru repentance & baptismGod takes awayour sinswe’re born again& transferredinto God’s kingdomwhen we’re unitedto Christ in baptism.That alwayshas been& always will bethe only wayto respondto the gospel.So, John preacheda baptismof repentance.& in Luke 3:4-6Luke tells usThru John’s preachingJohn fulfilledthe words ofIsaiah the prophet.Luke saysJohn wasLuke 3:4–6 (EOB: NT)The voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.Every valley will be filled. Every mountain and hill will be brought low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth.All flesh will see God’s salvation.”400 yearsbfr it happenedIsaiah the prophet preachedThat a forerunnerwld come& make readythe wayfor the Lord.This forerunnerwld be a voiceCrying out in the desertCalling God’s pplto prepare themselvesfor the comingof the Lord& the Lord’s Kingdom.& afterthe forerunner cameGod’s glory & salvationwld not only be seenby Israel…......But all flesh—All nations—Wld see the glory& salvation of Godthru thecoming Messiah.John cameto call the world toTransform their mindsTransform their behavior& be baptized.So they wld bemade readyfor thecoming kingdomof God.APPLICATION& this callto repentancestill goes out today.God’s kingdomhas comein the Personof Christ.& to enterthis kingdomwe’ve all gotta repent& be baptized.& then we’ve gottaspend the restof our livesmaking ourselvesready for the Lord—Making ourselvesready to enterHis kingdom.So, John cameto call pplto repentance.He preached abaptism of repentancefor the remissionof sinsto make God’s ppl readyfor God’s kingdom.& Luke goes onto give us somepractical examplesof what repentancelooks like.[Transition: We’ll talk abt thatAs we talk abt...]The FRUIT of repentance.In Luke 3:7 & 8Luke tells uswhat John saidto the crowdswho cameto be baptized.He says:Luke 3:7 (EOB: NT)“You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”In Matthew’s gospelMatthew emphasizesJohn was speakingspecifically tothe religious leaders.But Luke expandsJohn’s wordsto includethe whole crowdwho were comingto be baptized.John calls them allSons & daughtersof snakes.But whywld John say somethingthat seemsso harshto ppl whowant to knowhow to get intoGod’s kingdom?John knewmost in this crowdWere comingto be baptizedfor the wrong reasons.They didwant to avoidGod’s wrath—God’s judgment—But they did notwant to changetheir lives.They wanteda little fire insurancew/o repentance.They were relyingon baptism& their national heritageTo save themfrm God’s judgment.They thought thatBcs they wereAbraham’sphysical descendantsthey were assuredof salvation.So, they sawno needto change.& this is whyJohn goes onto warn them:In Luke 3:8Luke 3:8 (EOB: NT)Do not begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father;’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones!John’s pointwld’ve been crystal clearto his Jewish audience:Being baptized& being Jewishare not enoughTo get you intoGod’s kingdom.Being baptized& being Jewishare not enoughTo save youfrm the comingjudgment.You must change.Everyonewho comes intothe kingdomwhether your Jewor GentileWe all get inthe same way.We’ve allgotta change.As John saysat the beginning ofLuke 3:8—We’ve all gottaLuke 3:8 (EOB: NT)...bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.What doesJohn mean by that?John means:True repentanceAlways leadsto action.Repentant pplchange their behaviorTo showthey’ve repented.Their repentanceis evidentIn the waythey live.Repentance is notjust abt saying“I’m sorry.”& It’s not just abtconfessingour sins.True repentancemakes us sorry enoughto stop sinning.When we truly repentWe proveour repentanceby the waywe live.As the NLTputs John’s wordsin Luke 3:8Luke 3:8 (NLT)Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.When we move overto the book of Acts—we see that Paultaught the sametruth.While tellingKing Agrippawhat Jesus saidwhen He appearedto PaulIn Acts 26:17-20...Paul saysJesus told himActs 26:17–20 (EOB: NT)I will rescue you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to themto open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and receive remission of sins as well as an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’Paul goes on to sayTherefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,but I proclaimed this to the people of Damascus first, and Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea.Then I also proclaimed it to the Gentiles—that they should repent, turn to God, and do works worthy of their repentance.Notice Paul’s missionlike John’s—was to turn pplfrm Satan’s power& kingdomto the Power& kingdom of Godso they cld receiveremissionrelease frm their sins.They do thatby repenting& doing works—or bringing forth fruit—that’s worthyof repentance.Again the NLTof Acts 26:20.brings outLuke’s meaning:Acts 26:20 (NLT)I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.So, Johntold his audiencethey needto repent& bear the fruitof repentance.They neededto prove by the waythey livedthat they weretruly turning awayfrm sin& turning to God.& John goes onTo tell his audiencethe awful resultIf they don’t repent& produce the fruitof repentance.In Luke 3:9.John says:Luke 3:9 (EOB: NT)“Even now, the axe also lies at the root of the tree, and so every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is to be cut down and thrown into the fire.”This isscary stuff.This is imageryof what thecoming judgmentof Godwill look like.Fruitless trees—Trees thatdo not produceThe good fruitof repentance& do the good workswe’re called to doin Christwill be cut down& throwninto the fire.Jesus talks abtthis awful dayin Matthew 13:40-42Matthew 13:40–42 (EHV)...just as the weeds are gathered up and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the world.The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will pull out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and those who continue to break the law.The angels will throw them into the fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.Only thosewho producethe good fruitof repentance—Only those whothru God’s gracestop breakingGod’s Lawwill enterthe kingdomof God& avoid beingthrown intothe blazing furnace.Nowpreaching a messagelike thathas a way ofmaking ppl questiontheir life choices.& that’s exactlywhat John’saudience did.Their like“What shld“we do?”They wantsome specifics.“Yeah...“John“We get it“We need to repent“& show we’ve“repented by“the way we live“But ‘how’“do we do that?”Luke goes onto tell usHow three groupsof ppl respondedto John’s preaching.& thru their questions& John’s answersLuke gives usthree practicalexamplesof what it looks likeTo bear the fruitof repentance.Some ofJohn’s audiencethat daywere common ppl.They werethe 1st groupTo ask Johnwhat they shld do.& in Luke 3:11John answered them:Luke 3:11 (EHV)“Whoever has two shirts should share with the person who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”BasicallyJohn’s saying:“Use the excess“you have“to serve others.“You’ve got“two shirts;“Give one to“someone who has“no shirt.”& this obviously appliesto more than justclothing.If we havewhat we need& more& we see otherswho do not havewhat they needWe shld sharew/ those in need.APPLICATIONThe fruit of repentance iswe will loveour neighboras ourselves.Just aswe wld want othersto share w/ usout of their abundanceif we were in needso we shld sharew/ others in needout ofour abundance.APPLICATIONCld we bemore generousby sharing moreof what we havew/ others?Only youcan answerthis question.But it wld do usall some goodto ask ourselves:“Do I need to“transform my“mind abt the way“I use the things“the Lord allows me“to gain?”“Do I need to be“more generous?”“Am I bearing“the fruit“of generosity?”The nxt groupof pplwho ask Johnwhat they shld doTo producethe fruitof repentance arethe tax collectors.Tax collectorsworked forthe Romangovernment.Most Jewsdespisedtax collectors& especiallyany fellow Jewwho was atax collectorfor at leasttwo reasons:Firstthey were workingfor the enemy.Jews wereunder Roman rule& Jews whocollected taxesfor Romewere consideredtraitors.But I think it’s interestingThat whentax collectors ask Johnwhat they shld doTo showthey’ve repented.John does not say“Stop being“a tax collector.”Being a tax collectorwas notthe problem.In Romans 13:7the Scriptures sayRomans 13:7 (EOB: NT)...give to everyone as you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due; revenues to whom revenues are due; respect to whom respect is due; honor to whom honor is due!Taxes area part of life.They alwayswill be.& somebody has tocollect those taxes.So, Johndoes not say:Stop beinga tax collector.In Luke 3:13He does tell the taxcollectors...Luke 3:13 (EOB: NT)“Do not collect more than what is appointed to you.”This is the2nd reasonmost Jewshated tax collectors.Dishonesttax collectorscreated their ownlittle side hustle.They wld charge pplmore thanthey owedSo thatthe tax collectorcld keep the extrafor themselves.So John saysto thetax collectors:“What you’re doing“is wrong.“You’re oppressing“others“Thru your“dishonest practices.“If you want toflee frmGod’s judgment“You need to produce“the fruit…“of repentance“By collecting only“what the“Romans require.”“Stop being dishonest“& talking advantage“of others“to make money.”APPLICATIONWe may not betax collectors.But we stillneed to be honestin all our dealingsw/ others.We need to avoidany temptationto be dishonestto help ourselves outat the expenseof others.That’s whatthese tax collectorswere doing.To producethe fruit of repentanceWe must be honestin all we do.We come nowTo the finalgroup of pplwho cameto John the Baptizer.Soldiers come toJohn & ask whatthey must doto bear the fruitof repentance.In Luke 3:14...John says:Luke 3:14 (EOB: NT)“Do not accuse anyone wrongfully, and extort from no one by violence. Be satisfied with your wages.”John tells the soldiersthey’ve gotta give uptheir Blackmail& Beatdowns.Soldiers didthose thingsBcs they werenot contentw/ their wages.Roman soldierswere paidterribly low& unfair wages.So theyabused their poweras soldiersby forcing pplto give them money.& if you refusedto give them moneythese soldiersmight threatento accuse youof a crimeyou did not commit—a crime that wldget youthrown into prisonor worse.They also might threatento beat you dwnor actuallybeat you dwnif you did notgive themwhat they asked for.So, John says“You want to produce“the fruit“of repentance?”“Stop blackmailing ppl“for money.”“Stop shaking ppl dwn“for money.”“Be content“w/your wages.”APPLICATION& how does thisapply to us?We need to be contentw/ makinghonest wages.We must nevertry to get aheadat the expenseof others.We must neveruse anydishonest meansto make money.To bear the fruitof repentanceWe mustbe contentw/ makingan honest living.Nowas we close.Repentance is vitalto our salvation.& today we’ve learned two truths…Abt repentance.We’ve talked abt…The callto repentance.& the fruitof repentance.Just like in John’s day…God is stillcalling all of usto repentance.God calls us…To turn frm our evil ways;To turn to God;& To live a righteous life…Worthy of King Jesus…& His heavenly kingdom.Repentancewill alwayslead to action.Repentance willalways produce fruit.Repentance will produceA changed mindThat leads toa changed life.& in many waysThe Christian lifeIs a life ofcontinual repentance.As we learnGod’s good pleasing& perfect will for usthru His WordWe see where we’reNot quite conformedto Christ’s image.& we seek God’s graceTo transformour minds& our behaviorUntil every part of our livesIs shaped by obedienceTo Christ’s commandments.That’s repentance.PRAYERLet’s all standfor prayer.Father help usall to better understandThe meaningof repentance.That repentanceleads to a changed life.That when we truly repent…We produce fruit…That shows we’ve repented.Point out to us…The areas in our lives…Where our minds need to change.Where our lives need to change.Where we may be falling short…Of the image of Your Son.& continue to give us the grace…To prove by the way we live…That we are turning frm sin…& turning to You.In Jesus name.Amen.
- Jesus Messiah
Matthew 25NIV2011
- Bible TriviaLoading...
Heartland Christian Church
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