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Sermon: The Gospel of Luke: Bearing Fruit in Keeping With Repentance Date: February 26, 2023, Morning Text: Luke 3:7–14 Preacher: Brian Garcia Audio: https://storage.googleapis.com/pbc-ca-sermons/2023/230226-BearingFruitInKeepingWithRepentance.aac
Well again, good morning beloved it's my privilege to bring before you the Word of God this
morning and Today's reading and preaching will be from Luke chapter 3
starting verse 7 7 to 14 and if you have that please do stand for the reading of
God's Word.
Hear ye the word of the Lord this morning from Luke chapter 3 starting verse 7.
He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him.
You brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the raft to come.
Bear fruits in keeping with repentance as you don't begin to say to yourselves.
We have Abraham as our father for I tell you God is able from these stones to raise up children
for Abraham.
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.
Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
And the crowds asked him What then shall we do and he answered them whoever has two tunics
is to share with him who has none.
Whoever has food is to do likewise.
Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him teacher What shall we do.
And he said to them collect no more than you're authorized to do.
Soldiers also asked what and we what shall we do?
He said to them do not extort money from anyone by threat or by act by false Accusation and be
content with your wages.
These are the words of the Lord.
You may be seated.
Let me pray father.
We thank you for your word, which is true and sure In a strong and fixed
foundation for our lives and our souls.
We pray God now as we turn our attention to the preaching of thy word that you'd give us grace from on high to
be able to receive the implanted word of gladness and Lord that we too would heed the warning.
Given by the prophets of the Old Testament the prophets John the Baptist.
Who spoke these truths in such a way that convicted the hearts of the hearers?
May hearts be convicted even now as we read and preach from these words in Jesus name.
Amen well beloved John the
Baptist was not one to mince words.
Can you imagine?
People coming to be baptized and you probably can because you've probably been to church services where you've
seen individuals coming for baptism and you have seen maybe crusades of different types
and varieties and flavors of people making professions of faith in Christ and then coming down the
aisle down to the water to be baptized and Everyone's just filled of excitement and joy
and here comes this one preacher Out from the wilderness and he begins to see
these crowds assemble for baptism.
And he does not say like the other preachers.
Oh joy.
What a beautiful sight.
Instead he says you brood of vipers.
Can you imagine that?
Probably wouldn't make you feel good.
You probably start asking yourself.
Am I at the right church?
Is this guy for real.
Is this guy the right preacher.
I Don't feel comfortable.
I don't feel welcomed.
And yet with such veracity authority conviction
John the Baptist preaches an unconventional message a message that does not tickle the ears of
its hearers.
A message that does not is not meant to invoke emotion and
Comfort but instead he preaches a message of deep
Spiritual conviction.
By saying as we look as we see here at verse 7 and he said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by
him.
That's amazing.
These people came to hear him to see him be baptized by him and instead of a warm welcome
instead of being a comforting guru he instead Confronts them
as a brood of vipers.
And he bears this question he asked this question who warned you to flee from the
wrath to come.
You see why.
What makes John the Baptist so unique is that he's not just a preacher.
He's a prophet and His job as a prophet is not only to declare.
It isn't only to tell truth.
It isn't only solely to comfort God's people, but it's to warn them of the wrath to
come.
That's the Responsibility of a preacher and that's the responsibility of a prophet
to warn the people.
Now brethren, I often wonder Where the alarm is in our voice?
Where the alarm is in our ministry as We understand that there is still yet a
The particular wrath that John was warning of I believe was the impending Destruction of Jerusalem
by the hands of the Romans that were that was fulfilled in the year 70 AD but also pointed to a greater day of
wrath a day that's appointed for all of us a Day in which we will stand before the great
white throne of God and the judgment seat of Christ.
And we will have to give an account for the things done whether good or evil and we will then be partitioned to
eternal destinies one to eternal Damnation and cutting off and one also to eternal life
and to receive the kingdom that has been inherited yet.
We as Christians today We also recognize that this day does wrath to come is appointed and is
assuredly as Christ came this first time He shall also come the second time not bearing
salvation but instead wrath to those who disobeyed the gospel of
Jesus Christ and.
So brothers and sisters we must ask the question Where is the urgency
in our ministry?
People are dying and going to hell.
People are living as the proverb says in a way that seems right to a man, but the end
is the way of death.
Where's the urgency and your hearts and your voice and your preaching
and my preaching?
I don't speak these words simply to convict You but to convict me as well.
It's impossible to read these words from John the Baptist and not be convicted.
That this man was not afraid to speak truth.
Even to those who seemingly were on his side to those who seemingly Had the
right convictions and right frame of mind and maybe even the right heart to come.
Knowing that there's a wrath to come knowing that that this baptism is necessary and it's good and it's for my
spiritual well -being.
And yet he confronts them with such a deep sword.
By calling them Brood of vipers.
So when John the Baptist called the crowds coming to him to be baptized brood of vipers.
Would you write this in the notes if you're following along a brood of vipers?
He's signifying that they were the spiritual offspring of the original serpent.
The original serpent being Satan the devil who we see encountered
embodied as a as a serpent in the garden in Genesis chapter 3.
Who misleads the woman who misleads the man they go off into sin?
You know several months from now is when's the next forum calmly that we're gonna be having the Mormon May
13th on May 13th.
We're gonna have a Forum discussion here with former Mormon Mormon bishop and a Christian.
Discussing are we all God's children?
Are we all God's God's offspring?
And let me just give you the answer now.
The answer is no.
No.
We are not all God's children.
How do we know this?
Well, first and foremost, we're all his creatures.
We're all his his his creation.
You have on you the mark of his image this this beautiful Mark
of being made in God's images for all human beings yet The Bible teaches very
clearly.
Starting in the very opening chapters of the Bible in Genesis chapter 3 that there are
two families on the earth one who's the offspring of the
woman signifying God's kingdom and Then there's the offspring of the serpent
and these two Offsprings are in conflict with each other all the way into the
climactic end of human history at the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and.
So when Jesus confronts the crowds in John chapter 8 the Pharisees He
says you are the offspring of your father.
He wasn't speaking about Yahweh.
He was speaking about Satan he says you are the offspring of your
father Satan the devil the father of lies.
John the Baptist here is proclaiming the same.
He sees these religious Jews coming to him to be baptized and he says this to them.
You are of the offspring of Satan.
You brood of vipers.
Brood meaning a young offspring or a young family the infants your little
snakes.
Essentially your little Satan's he says to them.
You probably wouldn't like it if I said that to you.
But he's he comes with this warning who warned you to flee from the wrath to come.
If you're following on the second part of the teaching the answer who warned you to flee the wrath to come
again that wrath being the incoming judgment upon the lawbreakers a come upon the
covenant breakers in Israel coming to its fruition in the destruction of the temple and of the city
that this disbursement of of the Jews from Jerusalem and 70 AD
under the Roman legions that came to destroy it this is the immediate wrath
that John is pointing to and Ultimately, there's a greater wrath that is also being
Looked at here as well being the wrath ultimately of the final judgment but prior to
The final judgment there is the day of the Lord that was coming upon Israel and in the Bible you see throughout the
minor prophets This discussion of the incoming day of the Lord some of which was fulfilled.
Many days there are more than just one day of the Lord in the Bible one of which was fulfilled when the Babylonians
destroyed the city in 587 BC and then again when the Romans
destroyed the city of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD both times were
Climactic days of the Lord days in which the Lord visited his people in judgment and destroyed the
covenant breakers.
Destroyed and dispersed the people for his end for his glory and Ultimately even in the
regathering of the people of Israel the first time and then the second time the regathering of Israel
in the church pointing now towards the final Conclusion the final day of the Lord
that is yet to come.
The day of the Lord in which he will come in glory to judge the living and the dead.
And so this wrath to come Is still coming for all of us.
And it's not something that was just fulfilled in 70 AD.
We too Have to bear a day of wrath a day that is terrible and dreadful
according to Zephaniah chapter 1 verse 14 the Bible says that it is a dreadful thing the day of the Lord
is and John the Baptist is pointing to the dreadfulness of that day.
He's not saying oh, it's gonna be a great day.
Sometimes in our hymns, we seem to indicate what a wonderful day that will be and into some extent It will be a wonderful
day.
But not for everyone.
It depends on who your father is who are you an offspring
of will determine or that will be a day of jubilation and of praise and of
salvation or if that will be a day of condemnation and of great dread.
So consider your consider for yourself Where your spiritual state is today?
Are you a child of God or are you a child of?
The father of lies Satan the devil.
You see we have to be able to have this conversation in order to be real about that wrath.
Which is to come and so many churches out of fear for being
Sensitive to being seeker sensitive to being politically correct will not touch this
subject because the idea behind it is to get as many people in the door as possible to feel as
comfortable as You can be that the ambience is right that the lighting is just perfect that that soothing
music is played in just that right harmony so that you feel as comfortable as you can be.
And yet so many people sitting in pews today in this country are as Comfortable as can be and are going
to hell.
Does that not?
Cause you fear.
Does that not motivate you to be an even more bold proclaimer of God and his kingdom?
Brothers and sisters that people are hell -bound and they're comfortable in the pews as they go
there brothers and sisters our aim ought not to be is not to be comfortable,
but it's to be Truthfully proclaiming the Word of God.
John the Baptist holds no punches.
And he warns them and he asked him who warned you to flee the wrath to come and you know.
What's interesting about this is that these Jews who are coming to John?
Understand have a concept that there's that the John's a prophet that there's a judgment coming and That what
he is doing by means of baptism is And can be a means of
escape.
So once you write this in the notes some saw the right of baptism as a means of escape.
They say if we just go to this guy named John you'll have the right fix for us.
He'll have the right formula in order for us to escape the wrath to come similarly to
how many people today around the world use religion as a means to
escape the coming wrath.
Because people believe it or not believers and unbelievers have a personal
eschatology believe that things are not getting better when you look at the
Statistics that are provided by groups such as the Barnard group, and they ask people today living
today.
What do you feel about the future?
Are you optimistic or pessimistic?
Which is to say are you happy?
Do you think that things are gonna get better, or do you think things are gonna get worse and the vast majority
88 of people believe things will get worse.
People don't feel optimistic about the future.
People know and feel internally that things are going to get worse.
They know that there's a wrath that's coming.
There's a day of reckoning.
That's coming.
Whether it's just for this country or for the world is yet to be seen but everyone seems to have
this indication that there's a wrath that is coming and.
So what do they do?
Many turn to religion.
Many turn to religious rites in rituals.
Many turn to things that ultimately cannot save.
To idols and broken idols.
That cannot even see and save.
I'm reminded of what the Prophet Jeremiah encountered early in his ministry in
Jeremiah chapter 2.
He receives this word from the Lord.
The Lord speaks to Jeremiah.
He says be appalled.
Be appalled all you heavens.
For my people Israel have committed a double sin.
They've committed two evils.
The prophets received this word from the Lord and the two evils.
Was it is of great interest?
It says that you have forsaken the Lord the fountain of
living water and you've hewn up for yourselves cisterns broken cisterns.
That cannot contain the water.
The two sins of Israel that brought upon their judgment the wrath of God.
Was that they abandoned the fountain of living water and that only did they abandon him they?
Drone up for themselves.
They created these Cisterns now if you know what a cistern is it's kind of a place where it contains water.
It's like it was a runoff of water and it catches the water.
And so the Israelites instead of going to the fountain they make for themselves Cisterns to contain the water and yet
the Prophet says receives this word saying that the Israelites made cisterns broken cisterns
that could even contain the waters and.
This was a double sin of Israel in Jeremiah chapter 2.
And yet so many of us today do the same by virtue of religion religion is
that broken cistern that cannot contain the water and.
So many people are under the false illusion that their religion will save them that whether they're Catholic
whether they're Muslim whether they're Hindu.
Whether the Jehovah's Witness whether they're a Mormon that their religious Association will save
them and can I tell you John the Baptist is throwing that notion out the door.
By saying it doesn't matter if you think you're a son of Abraham.
It doesn't matter that you're Jew.
There's a wrath that's coming and your religious association will not be enough on that great day.
There's only one association that saves and it's your association with Jesus Christ.
That's the only association that will save you.
It's not whether you're a Baptist.
It's not about your confession.
It's not about what you believe and in terms of whether you have the right formula for everything.
It's do you know Jesus?
Are you in him?
Is he your Savior?
Is he Lord over all?
Jesus is Enough to save and Jesus is the only one who can save
and deliver us from the wrath to come it's all about Jesus and
So religion will not save you.
It will not be enough on that great day to Save you from that coming wrath.
But there is one whom God has provided for us who is the deliverer who's the Redeemer?
Who's the Savior and it's Jesus Christ.
He will save you from your sins.
I Love what John continues to say here in verse 8 and this is the the title of the message today
he says bear fruits in Keeping with repentance
and do not begin to say to yourselves We have Abraham as our father for I tell you God is able
from these stones to raise up children for Abraham notice what the Jews Will
likely say in this scenario, but John we are Israelites, we're
Jews our father is Abraham and He says by the preceding
verse you brood of vipers know your father is not Abraham.
It's Satan the devil.
Your father is not Abraham your association with Abraham because of the blood that's running in your veins will not be sufficient
on that great day.
And yet even today if you've ever spoken to a Jew, I Grew up in New England
and I have family in New York and where I would go to upstate New York with my family.
They lived in essentially what was like in a Jewish community and there was more Jewish people there than there are
you know any other type of individual and we would try as when we were I was Jehovah's Witness at the time and I was
trying to Evangelize the Jewish people in that community and we'd have try to have faith dialogues.
It was always very difficult to talk to a Jew because they almost go to the same thing every single time.
It says and their argument for the last 2 ,000 years has been this we have Abraham.
We have Moses.
We don't need your Jesus.
We don't need your Yeshua and yet Jesus is greater
than Abraham.
Jesus is the greater Moses.
We have something in Jesus.
That's greater than what they have received and Yet they fail to recognize that
grand truth as many failed in the first century.
To receive this great truth that Jesus was the greater Abraham the true father of our faith.
Which is why in Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6 and 7 Jesus is called the eternal father.
Not because he's God the father but because in Christ, he's the father of a new humanity in
Jesus we have now Something greater than Abraham
and so in Christ and in Christ alone.
Do we have escape from the wrath to come?
This is why John says to those coming to him.
He says bear fruits in keeping with repentance.
What an important phrase that is bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
In other words Don't just come to receive this religious, right?
Don't just come and think that this baptism will solve all of your problems rather
Let this baptism be the beginning of a new way of life.
Let this baptism signify that you will continue to live a life bearing
fruits spiritual fruit.
Fruit of righteousness the fruit of peace the fruit of love the fruit of joy the fruit of
the spirits so that you demonstrate that you are keeping with
repentance.
Repentance being a Turning from sin a turning to that which in which causes
wrath.
Sin causes wrath.
There is a there is a right a wrath that abideth upon those who are disobedient is what we see in Ephesians
chapter 1 our Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1.
And this wrath that abideth on man is only
alleviated through faith and repentance upon Christ.
And John is saying keep bearing fruits keeping with
True Christian fruit what you write this in the notes if you're following along true Christian fruit or evidence
must be evidence by repentance.
Not just mere religious right or association.
You see true Christianity is marked by repentance and fruit.
Church attendance Will not save you.
Communion will not save you.
Baptism will not save you.
But these are marks of repentance.
These are marks that demonstrate That we are living a life and according
to God's will and purpose for us.
So in that these things in alone these religious rights or associations do not save us.
They can act as markers of true biblical Christianity
so that we're not saved by them.
We have to bear fruit in keeping with them.
The Jews for instance.
Thought that because they were descendants of Abraham that they were secure.
That they had nothing to lose that they were they had a Election that
was secure in Abraham not realizing that they were under wrath.
For the Christian Salvation is by believing on Christ and daily turning from sin.
It's not just I got baptized one time a long time ago.
It's not just that I believed on Christ one time a long time ago and that that's it but instead.
That I chose to follow Christ and that Christ through his grace elected me.
To be his follower to be his to be a son of God and that I now choose to walk with him daily.
Paul puts it this way in Colossians chapter 2 verse 6 now that you have received Christ the Lord now go
on walking in him being firmly and rooted established in him.
That's the call.
It's not just to believe on Christ once.
But it's now that you believed on Christ you go walking in him being rooted and established in
That's the fruit.
That's the evidence.
It's that you not only profess Christ, but that you walk with Christ.
That's the evidence of true Christianity.
You walk with your Savior.
Do you walk with him daily, you know one of the interesting things about certain
people in Scripture.
Noah is one of them of which it says that Noah walked with God.
Noah walked with God.
Enoch walked with God.
There are certain men in Scripture.
It says that they walked with God now.
What does that mean to walk with God?
They didn't literally hand -in -hand walk down the streets together.
But what that means and signifies is that they lived in step with God's law.
They lived in step with God's Word.
They walked hand -in -hand with their Creator.
And what does God require of you?
But to love justice and mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
That is what he requires of us today that we walk with him.
Knowing that it's only in Christ that we have true salvation from this wrath.
But just unfortunately as a Jews thought that their association with Abraham made them secure.
Unfortunately, many Christians today are under the same illusion.
And can I tell you this?
This may hurt your feelings a bit, but God doesn't need you.
He has no need of you.
He is himself Glorious and does not need any
glory from you though.
He demands it and though he's worthy of it.
There's nothing that you can do to add or to take away From his glory.
He is glorious.
He doesn't need you.
You know why he doesn't need you notice what he says what.
What John the Baptist says in verse 8 again, it says for I tell you God is
able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
So you think you have Abraham and you think you're secure you think you're safe because you have Abraham.
I'll tell you what God can raise up stones in your place and you know, what's
amazing about that.
He said it's true of us as well.
God doesn't need you.
He can raise up stones and he would be more convincing Than you.
If you heard stones talking that would be pretty convincing wouldn't it or you think you'd be going crazy.
We're in the other.
The stones could speak and witness on God's behalf and he would be more convincing than you.
What does that say and speak about our condition?
What does that say and speak about what God wants and requires of us today?
God though he can raise up stones.
Has instead chosen to raise up people.
To raise up men women and children.
To believe on Christ to look upon Christ as that final escape from the wrath to come.
To look upon Christ and to speak of his glory to speak of his mercies to speak of his good news.
And that's what he has called us to do today to speak of him.
So if you have a mouth if you're Christian you must speak of him who saves because the
wrath of God is coming and abideth upon sinners and
Unfortunately.
What we see today in the culture what we see today in the American Church is a weak
feckless fruitless repentance lists Christianity
that in reality is no better than first century Judaism.
It's no better.
That's what we see in America today in our churches in our conversations.
Even as we encounter other people who are so -called Christians who say they believe on Christ and yet there's no fruit.
There's no evidence.
There's no repentance.
Such religion God abhors and God will destroy.
God will destroy every religion and every religious person.
Who does not look to Christ in Christ alone as the rock of their salvation?
Now in verse 9 of Luke 3 John says.
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees and every tree therefore that does not bear
good fruit.
It's cut down and thrown into the fire.
Can I just tell you as I'm preaching this I'm quite terrified.
It is a terrifying thing to speak of the wrath of God it is a terrifying thing as
As Jonathan Edwards put it to and as the scripture puts it to fall into
the hands of the living and Angry God because God is angry towards sin.
As a wrath abides upon sin present tense.
Jesus says in John 3 the wrath of God abideth present tense it abides on sinners.
And yet with this terrifying
Warning from John He says even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.
Think about what that looks like if you're cutting down a tree you're cutting down a vine.
You first you bring the axe to it so that you prepare to make sure you hit your mark and at
that moment It's just one swing and it's chopped off and it's gone.
It's destroyed.
It's gone and John is warning the people as they come
now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.
Judgment is coming.
Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into
the fire.
You see John had a special ministry and his ministries proclaiming the imminent arrival of God's kingdom.
Would you write this in the notes?
John's ministry is proclaiming the imminent arrival of God's kingdom the axe.
That he pictures here and he speaks of represents God's judgment.
It represents God's judgment.
We see this elsewhere in the Bible.
We see this in Ezekiel.
We see this in the book of Daniel this imagery of the axe cutting down to the root of the tree representing
God's judgment upon a nation.
So we see the same imagery throughout scripture.
It always depicts God's judgment against a nation.
So John is proclaiming God's.
God's kingdom is the imminent arrival the fruition of God's promised kingdom and the axe represents God's
judgment.
The trees represent professing believers and nations.
The trees represent professing believers.
People who claim with their mouth to believe and yet there's no fruit.
Nations that claim to believe yet.
There's no fruit and a fruitless tree Will be
thrown into hell.
That's the last part.
I want you to write in the notes a Fruitless tree will be thrown into the fires
of hell brothers and sisters.
Every tree does not bear good fruit.
He says It's cut down and thrown into the fire.
It's to be destroyed.
There is a true hell that Jesus talks about a true hell that is
taught in the scriptures.
And I don't know about you, but I haven't heard a good message on hell in a long time.
It's not a topic that is often spoken of in churches.
It's not a topic that we like talking about.
I'll tell you why I don't like talking about it.
Because I know I have people in my life who I love dearly who are hell -bound even now I
Don't want I don't want to think of that unspeakable horror that unspeakable
Destiny that awaits people who I love and care about.
It's a terrifying thing.
In fact when I became a Christian hell was the last major Doctrine that I
accepted as true because I didn't want it to be true.
Who wants it to be true.
And yet what we know about the character of God and His
absolute holiness his absolute justice his absolute mercy and
kindness and love requires a just an eternal
punishment for transgressing the one and true Creator
God.
You see what happens inevitably?
When we begin to attack the doctrine of hell is that we elevate man.
We then decrease the severity of sin and we also in by doing so
make less of a holy and awesome God and that's the
fatal error of denying even in faith for practice the doctrine of hell
is That we make less of the glory and majesty and holiness of the
one true God and yes.
It is fearful.
Brothers and sisters the axe is laid to the root.
It's laid to the root therefore an expectation of all this the the Apostle
Peter.
Speaking also of the wrath of God in 2nd Peter chapter 3.
He says now that all these things are to be done.
Knowing then that the heavens and the earth will be dissolved by fire.
He asked the question what lives all you to live and godliness and
holiness.
What kind of lives all you to lead?
Personally and then also in the context of the church.
That we should be proclaiming this message to those who are on their way to perishing.
It is the most loving thing that we can do is to warn people of this wrath to come.
And so brothers and sisters when we look at this topic of hell, we are not shrink back.
We ought to accept the whole counsel of God.
Jesus Christ spoke more about hell than he did heaven.
Astonishing as that is.
He spoke more about hell than heaven and the only thing that he spoke more about was the kingdom of God.
So when you look at the ministry of Christ he spoke about God's kingdom.
Principally and then second to that would be hell and then the third thing that he spoke most about was the topic
of money and.
So we see these are a priority in our Lord's ministry.
It was a priority in John's ministry as he warns the Jews of the incoming wrath.
Not just the destruction of Jerusalem by the hands of the Romans in 70 AD.
But also the coming wrath of God upon all sinners.
On that great and terrible day of the Lord.
Now in verse 10 and 11, we see these questions that are raised by the crowds.
Then the crowds asked him.
What then shall we do?
Perfectly fair question.
I'd be asking the same question if I was in their shoes.
And he goes on to say he answered them.
Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none and whoever has food is to do
likewise.
What shall we do Brothers and sisters with this incoming wrath this wrath that it
comes in the bite of this wrath at which the axe is laid at the root.
Here's what we ought to do brothers and sisters.
I want you to write this in the notes we are to
Demonstrate our saving faith.
By doing the works of the kingdom.
We're to demonstrate our saving faith in Jesus Christ.
By doing these kingdom works.
What do these kingdom works look like?
We'll notice again.
And he answers them whoever has two tunics is to share of him who has none and whoever has food is to do
We're not just to say that we're Christians.
And Then when one is struggling in the context of the church or in the world.
We don't do anything and we just stand by and say well.
Good luck be happy before be clothed.
But as for you not partaking in that work How could you?
How could you not do this work?
The Bible is expressing it very clearly.
There is a fruit that must be accompanied with your repentance.
It's not just repenting of sin and believing on Christ.
It's now living an outrageously Selfless life for the cause of the
kingdom being outrageously selfless.
Charitable.
Being sacrificial in your giving so that if you have a tunic and someone is in need you readily give to
them.
Without keeping a record of account and saying well, I gave you this therefore, you know.
You're gonna you're gonna owe me this at some point later on but rather being Selfless
and providing the needs of others.
Which is why church I think I think we have a wonderful church here.
Because we are a selfless people.
We are people who opens our doors to anyone and everyone in this community.
We're a church that has on Saturday mornings a food ministry that serves and blesses the underserved in
our community.
And we open our doors to anyone in our biblical counseling ministry.
We try to reach out to those who are heading into Destruction at the abortion mills.
There are so many things that we are partake participating in doing here.
But the aim ought to always be in the midst of those ministries to proclaim the gospel.
Because what inevitably happens as well is that there is a form of Christianity that focuses solely on the works aspect
and not the repentance Aspect so there are a lot of churches who do a lot of good things in the community.
Churches that do wonderful things who who do food drives and and help the homeless and the addicts and the
poor and the underserved and.
Yet, there's no gospel.
What good is those works.
Are those works if there's no gospel?
Filthy rags according to Isaiah 64.
But we have to accompany the gospel proclamation With these kingdom
works and we marry the two.
Demonstrating that we are bearing fruit keeping with repentance.
And so when it's these two merge when they come together, that's when you see a true Christianity a
Christianity that not only loves God but loves our neighbor as ourselves where we're giving
regularly and selflessly to Advance the cause of the gospel and to
be generous to those who are in our community.
Which is again why John says whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none.
And whoever has food is to do.
Likewise tax collectors also come to be baptized and said to him teacher What shall we do.
And he says collect no more than what you're all tries to do.
Which is in other words to say in your profession be honest have integrity.
Do the work that is required of you and do so in a way that is authentic.
And that is that brings honor to our God and Father.
And so it's not just a Christianity for the weekends.
But it's a Christianity that affects the way that we do life Monday to Friday as well in our vocations.
Whatever vocation we find ourselves in whatever job we have we ought to do all that we can to be honest.
To be hard workers to be people who are upright citizens in whatever field that we are
in.
Know this about kingdom fruit.
Works are a fruit of salvation.
Not the root of it.
We're not saved by works.
There's no amount of works that you can do to possibly earn God's love to earn God's favor.
It is again fruit not the root.
We are saved by grace through faith not of works and works.
However do demonstrate saving faith and grace.
God's grace Over flows into good works.
That's the way it works in the Christian economy in the Christian life and John
begins to mark what it looks like to be one who lives.
Bearing fruit keeping with repentance.
He goes on to say again In verse 14 soldiers also asked him what?
We What shall we do.
And He said to them do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation and be
Obviously if you were a Roman soldier just as an a soldier in any corrupt state can
often at times lead to corruption by Enforcing a heavy hand and saying that for instance if
you go down to places in South America The police or the military there will often
be working in hand with the corrupt cartels and they'll often try to extort money from
Citizens and from people and travelers and so what John the Baptist is saying this practice was even being done back
in those days.
He says be honest.
Don't do things by False gain don't gain things by extorting money by
making threats by false accusations.
Be content in your wages be content in Being a person of honor and
integrity.
See, here's the here's the key to all this and I want you to this is the last part of the teaching this this afternoon.
True repentance produces character and honesty.
Which leads us to treat others the way that we would want to be treated and that's the golden
rule, isn't it?
Treating others the way you would want to be treated.
This is a mark of true Christianity.
That we treat others with the dignity the image of God that they bear.
Loving them and not only loving them in words.
But also in actions and we can love our neighbor by telling them the truth proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The death burial resurrection that only through Christ There's an escape from the wrath to come
and it's only through Jesus that we have the hope of eternal life.
There's no other name under heaven given to us by which we may be saved.
But the name of Jesus and that may cause some people to be uncomfortable.
That may call some people to not like you or not want to speak to you maybe at your job you've told
people about the gospel and now you've been marked as.
That person that weirdo that Jesus freak brother and sister you wear that badge
proudly.
You be that Jesus reek you be that person that's marked set apart different.
Because guess what when that wrath comes?
Or it's those who are marked.
Those who have the Passover blood of Jesus over the doorpost of their hearts that will escape the
wrath to come we ask and we proclaim to you this message to you this morning if you have not yet made a
Profession of faith in Jesus Christ the scripture commands men everywhere to repent of sin
to turn away from lawfulness from unlawfulness to from sin from from
rebellion and to turn and trust in Jesus and By trusting in Jesus for the redemption
of your of your body and of your sins.
You can have eternal life.
So friends we encourage you if you have not yet come to know Jesus that you'd not Terry that you would not wait another
day for tomorrow is not promised to you.
There's a date It's appointed in which we will all stand before God and may you stand on that day
on the righteousness?
And the perfect and finished work of he who says on that cross it is Finished
may you know him and the powers resurrection?
Let me pray Lord indeed.
We ask that you would grant us repentance a turning from sin.
That would produce in us character honesty integrity.
That we would be a people of faith in a people Known for our distinct and good works
amongst the nations.
We asked Lord that you would help us to demonstrate our faith our saving faith.
Not as a means by which we can be saved but because we are saved and we have this gratitude in ourselves.
Because of the redemption that came through Christ Jesus that we have eternal that we were children of God no longer children
of the enemy.
No longer children of the original serpent Satan the devil, but instead now we have been transferred
from darkness to light.
Translated from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of our beloved Savior.
Even the beloved one himself Jesus Christ.
Lord, we pray that you'd work in us that which is pleasing your sight producing in us Christian fruit fruit that will
last and evidence of our repentance and faith in you not just by mere religious association
not just by outward religious works.
But Lord by a transformed inward heart that new heart that you promised through the prophet
Ezekiel the prophet Jeremiah in which you said that you will give your people a new heart a
Heart that would love to obey thy commands and a heart That has been regenerated
through saving faith in Jesus Christ.
May we walk in that newness of life and may we proclaim this message before the end
Before this coming wrath and we pray these things Onto the name and glory of the
one true and everlasting God even Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.