Truth in Love: Matthew 3:7-9

Hey, good evening. This is a truth in love. Welcome. Greetings. Glad you could be with me. It's so glad to spend time with you. I Was just praying to the Lord Thanking him for an opportunity to spend time together with other people in his word.

To learn about him to talk about him to rejoice in him and so I'm so thankful to have this opportunity to be with you and with that being said There's something I wanted to say at the forefront of spending time together with you.

Something that I was thinking about just a few moments ago. And it's this. The kingdom of Christ the kingdom of God the kingdom of heaven. All the different titles that we see in the Gospels and to explain What it is and whose it belongs to but but this kingdom that that we are in that Christ has brought us into We are in it together this kingdom of God is so important.

It's it's above every kingdom. It's really the only true kingdom there is and and we're in it and it's so important and it's so lovely and it's so wonderful and We as Christians That that are in this kingdom.

I want to know that that you're with me. I want to know that that you were there. Um. Being a part of this kingdom is so wonderful and it's so important for our lives. I want to know That you my brother you my sister are With me in this kingdom that that you spend time with me in God's Word.

And I want to get to know you. I want to know more of my brothers and sisters. I was just speaking about how wonderful this this kingdom of God that we're in the kingdom of Christ how wonderful it is and it's it's really the only true kingdom that there is and It our eyes need to be open to this reality of the kingdom that we're that we're in and hey Habs.

Thank you. Thank you for joining me. Yeah this kingdom that we're in We need to come together we need to know who each other are.

And.

Speaking of this Also We begin to think about what's going on in the world with.

The.

Racism keeps coming back up and you and you know what? Here's the cure. Here's the cure. We want to talk about racism. We want to talk about critical race theory. We won't talk about all these things.

But here's what needs to happen. We as Christians.

From.

Every denomination. Now, let me make a qualify here. I believe totally in Distinctions between our denominations. I think they are good not because they separate us. But because they they sharpen us. We need to come together In in certain ways with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter what denomination that we come from.

Not not forsaking our differences for the sake of Whatever commonality we might have. We need to bring our differences in and not be afraid of our differences because they are going to sharpen us to the truth of God's Word.

Our aim needs to be to come together so that we can Coordinate this this truth of God's Word so God can teach us from each other not leave our Distinctions behind and our distinctives behind but bring them together.

So I believe in the different denominations. I believe in the distinctives that we have but we as brothers and sisters. We need to we need to begin to come together and We need to know each other. We need to know who each other are our brothers our sisters.

Our young brothers and sisters. Our older brothers and sisters.

And.

How. How this is a cure for These other things that Ellis the L us in in our society these separations that we see in our society. How does that cure us. Because if we begin to open our eyes to the realities of This kingdom that we live in the kingdom of Christ and begin to come together Instead of pushing each other away You know, I spoke of this last time that I did a video about how my heart breaks Because of even even ministers that that I come across in my path.

You know.

Turn me away. They they don't want to talk about theology. They don't want to talk about the Bible. They they don't want fellowship one with another and it breaks my heart when we need to be coming together ministers elders lay Members everyone we need to be coming together.

How in the world can we Solve any kind of racial issue or any other any other type of issue in our society that Separates us if we continue to separate ourselves and remain separated and and not bring.

Absolutely, there there's many out there and and and I see your post and I'm thankful for the the guys that you're hanging out with and the ministry that you guys haps are doing. And what do you prefer do you prefer happy or haps.

Obviously, I guess haps is acceptable because that's That's your name. So so we'll go with that unless you tell me different but uh Thanks for chiming in and anybody else that's watching. Let let me know that you're watching.

I want to get to know you. I want to I want to have fellowship with you. I want this this kingdom I want to be an example of how the kingdom of Christ the the people in it come together. Um, we come together as an example to the world these these separations in our society will will take care of themselves if we as the people will come together and and Forget about this this separating from ourselves and and living these long lives Nestled away keeping this dualistic idea of I have my faith and and I fellowship with my fellow church members on Sundays and and Possibly Wednesday nights or whenever but we don't get together.

And in fellowship, we don't get together and evangelize. We don't get together and sing. We don't get together and and have devotions. We don't sharpen iron with one another. We're not praying with one another.

And it and it doesn't doesn't just have to be members of our own church it can be members of different churches that can be members of different denominations again bringing our distinctives and and Differences with us so that we are sharpening each other not pushing each other apart because of our differences but growing to understand the truth of God's Word and when we begin to come together as people of God's kingdom.

Will be an example to the world.

You know.

God is bringing all Nations all tongues all tribes together in his kingdom. Christ has broken racism. Christ has broken sexism. Christ has broken all the other isms. That's out there and we need to Show that as an example.

But we can't even get to that point because We don't want to spend time together. We don't want to evangelize devotion saying pray. Just even talk with one another. But that was that was on my mind. That was on my heart that I wanted to speak about at the forefront of spending time with you tonight.

So I want to encourage you that we you and I will be examples of coming together. Coming together. Having unity in Christ and unity in his word. And praying together evangelizing singing together having devotions together and just even just talking together.

And we will see the scales of Separation from all angles begin to fall off of us when our eyes are set on Christ. So let's do that together. If I can pray for you. I always try to pray at the end if I can pray for you.

Oh, yeah.

All you have to do is is type me and I'll see that if you listen or watch later. Just type me and I'll see the notification and I'll pray for you then. I've got a lot of Bible reading plan tonight as we look at Matthew.

Our next section in Matthew. Matthew if you follow along if you want to open up your Bibles. Matthew chapter 3 verses 7 through 9. That's what we're gonna be. Happy says I'm trying to do that, but everyone hates us Calvinist.

There's there's a lot of animosity and and that's one of the things that I was speaking of. Happy is that animosity that.

People.

Want to believe that if you don't believe like I do you you're a heretic you're even going to hell. We don't need to have any association with each other. I was speaking to a brother and sister last last week last weekend.

And I recall growing up and Hearing sermons that if and this is coming from the pulpit and Maybe you've heard this as well in your past or maybe even today but this this is something that I heard from the pulpit that That if your church if you and your church do not sing from a certain hymn book Then you're in sin.

You're you're in the wrong and So that there was another cause of separation, but what we need to do is not come together.

But.

Leaving our differences aside but coming together to learn and grow from one another keeping our eyes on Christ. And and that those differences will be like Ways to sharpen us. To grow together and influence us in in the Word of God the Holy Spirit.

Christ has won the victory the Holy Spirit will will cause truth to move forward and we need to be wise and and have discussions with an open Bible not an open mind but an open Bible and Be willing to admit that I am I have room to grow.

I have room to grow and I need my brothers and sisters. I need the Holy Spirit and I need the Word of God and we can do that and we can be an example of what It means to come together letting the scales of separation fall off and then all these other things will fall right in line.

Well, we don't have to speak of critical race theory or racism or sexism or any of these other things. We can be that example. And Christ is is working toward that in his kingdom and we're gonna we're gonna see that movement.

We're gonna see that grow and we want to Be in that and not be a hindrance to it. But yeah, Matthew chapter 3 verses 7 through 9. I'm doing this series on Jesus is King and living in that victory. And we're going through Matthew because Matthew is showing to us revealing to us.

His theme is Showing us that Jesus is King and so We want to we want to lift high Christ and see how he is King how the Word of God reveals him as King how we can live in that victory and Live in that victory in in two areas inwardly.

We want him to rule and reign in our hearts and Outwardly how we live our lives with one another. Of course, that's what I was just speaking of but we're in Matthew chapter 3. Hope you can can stick around and spend time with me if it gets too long if you have to leave I totally understand I just enjoy spending time together with you.

Let me know that you're watching let let's get to know each other and And if I can pray for you, let me know so here goes Matthew chapter 3 verses 7 through 9 but when he John the Baptist saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism He said to them you brood of vipers who warned you to flee from the wrath to come.

Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves We have Abraham as our for our father for I say to you that God is able to From these stones raise up children to Abraham.

Hey Roger. Thank you for watching. I hope you can spend a little bit of time with me tonight. I appreciate you Chumming in.

So.

Just a little background from from where we were last time. Matthew has transitioned into Jesus beginning his ministry, but the beginning of his ministry. The following prophecy starts with John the Baptist.

So Matthew starts with John the Baptist. John the Baptist is wearing this camel hair a leather belt eating locust and wild honey. It says that he is in the wilderness of Judea and baptizing in in the Jordan River.

And you have these folks from from Jerusalem All Judea and the districts around the Jordan they they are coming to him. And what we talked about last time is is how that Is a picture these folks are are leaving.

This.

It's a picture of leaving this this false religion that has been made and Turning from it and coming and that's that's the picture of repentance that we see.

Baptizing a.

Baptism of repentance and that's what John the Baptist is preaching and it's a picture of leaving the this Jerusalem is is the You know as a picture. It's the seat the capital The the Jewish nation where the Jewish people live and it's the center of that religion the religion that they have hijacked and and made of their own making and so it's a picture of Turning away from that and and coming to be baptized In repentance confesses confessing their sin.

And then what we have next in verse 7 is He said but Matthew says but so all these all these folks were coming To John the Baptist and they were being baptized and they were confessing their sin. But when he John the Baptist saw Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees, so not only do you have That you I guess for lack of a better term the the common folk You have now the those representative of the Jews the Jewish leaders the the spiritual leaders the leader of the people of This Jewish religion the Jewish people have come now to John the Baptist.

The.

Pharisees and Sadducees and it says they're coming for baptism. So they themselves are are coming from Jerusalem to The wilderness and I think that's important to remember and we're going to see that and what I'm trying to do.

My aim and my goal is not to.

Put.

What I want the Bible to say and put those things in there what I want to do is is piece together and and see the harmony of Scripture and draw from it what it says and I can I still have room to grow and I'm still open to correction.

And so. But with that being said, that's my aim I don't want to I don't want to interpret with in the lens of a certain Certain topic of theology that I'm hammering on right now at this moment or through the lens of a Bias that I have from society.

I want to read God's Word and interpret it in Such a way that I'm seeing the harmony of Scripture from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Reading from it what it says what it's telling me what God wants me to know and so We do that by looking at the Old Testament and New Testament and that's what we're gonna do tonight Is looking at these different passages looking for the harmony of Scripture.

So the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to John for baptism and he sees them. So there's a transition there when you have all this this multitude this crowd coming and Matthew says but so there we have a transition in in what's going on and that transition is is going from these people this crowd this multitude coming to a distinct a distinct part of that crowd, which is the Pharisees and Sadducees and he said to them.

And this is interesting. You brood of vipers. You brood of vipers. Jesus also uses this same language when he speaks to to these these Jewish leaders Elsewhere in the Gospels, but John speaks to them and this is not politically correct.

This is not um, I Mean, he's not sugarcoating anything. He sees these this group of individuals. He knows who they are and he says to them you Brood of vipers and we it should be common knowledge. I believe it to be common knowledge that vipers is a term for snakes and Then brood is going to mean a family so he is calling them a family of snakes and when we think about family and how we how we make family and how The terminology that scripture used when when we're talking about family and and generations and children and grandchildren.

We think about the word seed. So they they are the seed of The viper the the snake and that goes back to Genesis where There will be enmity between the seed of woman. Which is of course Christ and then the seed of Satan and so anyone who is Antichrist to anyone who is Doubting or not trusting in or changing or believing something other than God's Word, which is what Satan did in the garden with Adam and Eve has God really said so he's wanting them to Not trust in God's Word that it's it's not reliable.

So Here's a group of people who are and elsewhere Just just to bring these two ideas together. They are known as. Or it is said that you are of your father the devil father that that family language The devil here being the serpent of old and so you are of your father the devil.

You're of his seed. You are a family of vipers And so they're they're believing The the word of Satan rather than the Word of God. Where they should doubt God that God is unreliable that we should not trust in his words that we should do this Do this religion in our way in our image and how we want to do it and so that is.

That see that family of vipers is moving and separating from the ways of God and And his word and so this is very strong language that the John the Baptist is using here saying that you are. You know the same thing that it was said that said later you were of your father the devil you family you brood you family of vipers of the snake of Satan what strong language and Of course, they are representing This religion.

So this is a huge deal what's going on?

Um.

Who warned you he says Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Now what's going on here and remember? I'm not trying to to read into or put into what's what's not in here. So so that it says what I wanted to say I'm trying to see what God's Word says for itself and see the harmony of Scripture.

You see in the verses Above here that they were coming all these people from the district of Judea Jerusalem and all Judea they were coming to John for baptism confessing their sin. And then here John after he calls them a brood or family of vipers.

He says who who warned you? So there's There's something Something going to happen in the future that that is that is a negative that's bad that That necessitates a warning. Okay, that's that's relevant.

That is that is the case that is true. That's something that is going on who warned you to Flee. So what he is saying what John the Baptist is saying is that they aren't just coming from Jerusalem he sees them as as Fleeing to take flight the definition says to take flight to flee away from.

He sees them as fleeing from Jerusalem because of the warning and that's Now we're building on more Than just this is a this is a message of or a spiritual message that Who warned you of your your spiritual sins that you need spiritual forgiveness.

That you need a Savior, you know that type of spiritualization of this passage where that was. That was what John the Baptist was speaking of and of course that is that is part of the kingdom of God Salvation that we find in Christ when we repent of our sins and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

But looking at the harmony of Scripture. They were they were physically. John was physically seeing a physical fleeing from Jerusalem because there was Something negative something bad going to happen.

So who warned them who warned you to flee to take flight and flee from Jerusalem to come out? And what are they fleeing from? John the Baptist says who warned you to flee from the wrath to come so there's this.

The negative thing the bad thing that's going to happen is the wrath. The wrath is going to be poured out wrath is going to come against where they're fleeing from. And that's the scenario. That's what's going on here.

Where are other places that we see that and and I've done this before and Thank you for following along with me.

But I.

Hear sirens and when I hear sirens, I just want to take a moment and pause if you'll pray with me Father you have put us in a place now where we we hear sirens more often emergency workers emergency vehicles and Father it's a reminder that we still live in a fallen world and there are Negative things that happen to us and to our loved ones to our friends and our family and we just heard or at least I just heard sirens Outside in the background and we want to pray father that you would protect.

We want to pray for the safety of the emergency workers. We want to pray for those that they are going to see that You you would be in their midst. For your glory for salvation for the gospel for healing if it be your will for protection for everyone involved.

Father, we just pray for that situation in Jesus name. Amen. All right. Thank you for pausing with me as we pray. So as We begin we want to see the harmony. We want to see how how God has put this story together.

So one of the first places that I wanted to go to is Matthew 24. Matthew 24 15 to 28 and this is Jesus speaking and He's he's talking about signs. He's talking about his return. He's talking about those type of things and he says in Matthew 24 15 through 28 he says therefore when you see that abomination of desolation and Which was spoken of through the prophet through Daniel the prophet what?

Standing in place. And we're gonna see that later. We're gonna look at the Old Testament, we'll see that later what does he mean what is Abomination of desolation this that's gonna bring desolation. What is this abomination standing in the holy place?

Verse 16 then let those who are in Judea.

Hmm.

So John was seeking these Pharisees and Sadducees.

Fleeing.

Leaving and coming out into the wilderness. Is that interesting? Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains let him who is on the housetop Not go down to get things out that are in his house and let him who is in the field not turn back to get His cloak but woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babies in those days.

But pray that your flight Might not be in the winter or in the Sabbath hear that similar language a flight. For then there will be a great tribulation wrath. As we saw earlier in Matthew such as has not Occurred since the beginning of the world until now nor ever shall and unless those days be cut short No life would have been saved but for the sake of the elect those days Shall be cut short.

Then if anyone says to you Behold here is the Christ or there he is do not believe him for false Christ and false Prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders so as to mislead if possible even the elect.

Behold I have told you in Advanced if there if therefore they say to you behold he is in the wilderness. Do not go forth or behold he is in the inner rooms do not believe them for just as the lightning comes from the east and Flashes even to the west so shall the coming of the Son of Man be wherever the corpse is There the vultures will gather.

That last verse is so interesting wherever the corpse is There the vultures will gather. What's the corpse. The corpses is dead Religion. Jesus says to the Pharisees and the Sadducees you are making you you may go out and make Converts but you are making people twice the sons of hell that you are.

This this religion is a corpse. It's dead. And that's where the vultures gathered. That's where the wrath is coming upon and There's a warning out there about it. And it's been coming this warning has been coming for many years.

Where we want to go to next. Let's see. Let's go ahead and go to Ezekiel. Ezekiel chapter 7. We talked about the abomination of desolation, let's go to Ezekiel chapter 7. Let's look at verses 1 through 6.

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me saying and you son of man thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel and end. The end is coming on the four corners of the land. Now the end is upon you and I shall send my anger against you.

I shall judge you according to your ways and I shall bring all your Abominations upon you for my eye will have no pity on you nor shall I spare you but I shall bring your ways Upon you and your abominations will be among you.

Then you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord God a disaster unique disaster behold. It is coming and end is coming. The end has come. It has awakened against you behold. It has come and you're gonna see.

You're gonna see a thread here listen for that thread. And then we're going to go to work. We can read the whole thing, but I'm gonna try to to break it up into two more sections verses 20 through 22.

Ezekiel chapter 7 says. And they transformed The beauty of his ornaments into pride and they made the images of their Abominations and their detestable things with it. Therefore. I will make it an abhorrent thing to them and I shall give it into the hands of the foreigners as Plunder and to the wicked of the earth as spool and they will profane it.

I shall also turn my face from them and they will profane my secret place. Then robbers will enter and profane it. Make the chain for the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence.

Therefore I shall bring the worst of the nations and they will possess their houses. I shall also make the pride of the strong ones cease and their holy places will be profane when anguish comes. They will seek peace, but there will be none disaster will come upon.

Disaster and rumor will be added to rumor then they will hear that rumor and rumors of wars. And then they will seek a vision from a prophet. But the law will be lost from the priests and councils from the elders.

The king will mourn the prince will be clothed with horror and the hands of the people of the land will tremble According to their conduct. I shall deal with them and by their judgments I shall judge them and they will know that I am the Lord.

Now listen to chapter chapter 8 and we're going to hear that thread that common thread a little bit more. And it came about starting a verse when it came about in the sixth year on the fifth day of the sixth month I was sitting in the house in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me.

That the hand of the Lord God fell on me there. Then I looked and behold a lightness as the appearance of a man. From his loins and downward there was the appearance of fire and from his loins and upward appeared the appearance of brightness like the appearance of glowing metal and he stretched out the form Of a hand and caught me by a lock of my head and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem to the entrance of the north gate in the inner court where the seat of the idol of jealousy which provokes to Jealousy was located and behold the glory of God of Israel was there like the appearance which I saw in the plain.

Then he said to me son of man raise your eyes now toward the north. So I raised my eyes toward the north and behold to the north of the altar gate. Was the idol of jealousy at the entrance and he said to me son of man Do you see what they are doing the great abominations?

Which the house of Israel are committing here that I should be far from my sanctuary. But yet you will see still greater abominations. Then he brought me to the entrance of the court. And when I looked behold a hole in the wall and he said to me son of man dig through the wall.

So I dug through the wall and behold an entrance and he said to me go in and see the wicked Abominations that are that they are committing here. So I entered and looked and behold every form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things.

With all the idols of the house of Israel are carved on the wall all around. And standing in front of them were 70 elders of the house of Israel with J. Asana J as.

As.

Anaya the son of Shefa and standing among them each man with his Censor in his hand and the fragrance of the cloud of incense rising. Then he said to me son of man. Do you see what the elders of the house of Israel committing in the dark in?

The dark. Listen to this. Hold on to this language right here. Do you see what the elders of Israel are doing in the dark each man in the room of his carved images for they? Say the Lord does not see us.

The Lord has forsaken the land. And he said to me yet you will see greater Abominations which they are committing. And he goes on and shows shows Ezekiel greater abominations greater abominations. And then a verse 9.

Chapter 9 verse 1. Then he cried out in my hearing with a loud voice saying draw near Oh executioners of the city each. With his destroying weapon in his hand. So Ezekiel saw all these abominations over and over and greater abominations and greater abominations.

And then the Lord sent the executioners the four corners of the land and He and Ezekiel was shown what they were doing in the dark. You hear that language if we go back to the Old Testament. We can hear that language.

We see that language and we can we can see the harmony that's in Scripture of what Matthew what the gospel is. What Jesus was speaking of? What the hearers what the original readers what they were hearing?

They were hearing the Old Testament. And so let's go back to Matthew so we. We know about the warning. We know about the fleeing. The fleeing from Jerusalem fleeing from Judea. John saw them as fleeing from.

From Jerusalem who warned you from the wrath to come. Why is there wrath coming? What's going on here? There's there's an abomination of desolation sitting in the holy place.

And.

When you see it coming flee to the mountains Jesus said in Matthew 24 and Woe to you who are pregnant and nursing it it will be bad for you. Pray that it's on the Sabbath. You hear that language. And who was this abomination sitting in the holy place?

What Ezekiel is showing us and telling us. He's showing Ezekiel. Go in and look. Look at the elders of Israel. Look at the abominations they're doing now. Let me show you greater abominations. You see this abomination.

Let me show you greater abominations. He goes on and on showing them greater abominations. I'm gonna come against the four corners of this land. And then in chapter 9 verse 1 Executioners with your weapons come against them.

Amazing stuff. And so there's more to it than what we we simply have been have been taught there.

So.

There in verse 8 or verse 7 Flee from the wrath to come in verse 8 therefore. Still speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees. Bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance. And now I wanted to also transition.

I wanted to transition to Continuing to see this on the Old Testament drawing Old Testament Old Testament imagery Old Testament scenes, but also wanted to transition to a place of hope too. So that's where we're going.

But we've got to go back to a place of darkness because that's where we still are. He's wanting them to to bring forth fruits in keeping with repentance. What does that look like? He called them a family of vipers.

They are they are the seed of the snake. They are of their father the devil. People who do not think God's Word is reliable. So we're gonna do it ourselves do it our own way and oppress the people to make them do it our way and.

They made a.

Travesty. Of what what God had commanded them to do. They broke his covenant over and over again. So, what is this bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance? This offer Was made over and over in the Old Testament.

The Lord said I'm making this covenant with you. Do these things and you will be blessed. Do these things or don't do these things and and you will have broken the covenant. And they did break the covenant and his promises.

Were fulfilled to them.

The.

Consequences of breaking the covenant. Over and over. And then he would he would call out to them. Give them prophets give them judges. That would call them to repentance. Bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance.

Keep the covenant. Do away forsake these idols. Get rid of the peoples of this land and get rid of their idols. Do not marry intermingle and marry. But be pure and separate and dedicated to me as holy but they continue to break the covenant and and just.

I Wanted to read verse 9 because verse 9 verse 8 and verse 9 are going to Come up in this next section that we're going to read. He says therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance and then verse 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves.

We have Abraham for our father for I say to you that God is able to From these stones raise up children from Abraham. So where do I want to go? I'm gonna go all the way back to the beginning close to the beginning Genesis Exodus Leviticus numbers and then Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy chapter 9. If you're flipping through your Bible with me flip over to Deuteronomy chapter 9. Now see if you hear what what. I hear John after all that we just discussed and John is saying bring forth fruit of Repentance, so we're we're going back to the scene of decision which is part of the title that I gave it tonight going back to the scene of decision a place they were at before.

They were in the area of the Jordan they were invoking the name of Abraham and They could follow the Lord and keep his covenant keep keeping fruits or or bringing forth fruits of repentance. Or they could continue to choose to break the covenant.