Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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An elderly man in Italy, who had been secretly carrying a guilty conscience for several years.
Unable to bear it any longer, he went to the local priest and said, "Father, I need to find peace over a private matter in my life."
"What is it, my son," the priest responded.
"Well," the old man said, "during World War II, I hid a refugee in my attic."
"That's nothing to be guilt-ridden over," the priest said.
"What you did actually saved another person's life.
Why, only God knows how great was the good that you have done.
The devil is just trying to torment you for a good deed done to another."
"Yes, Father, I'm sure you're right," the old man replied, "but I charged him rent."
"Oh, I see," said the priest.
"That clearly wasn't the best thing to do, but I'm sure the Lord has forgiven you after all these years."
"Well," the old man concluded, "then do you think I should tell the guy in my attic that the War is over?"
Have you ever wondered if God has REALLY forgiven you for your past?
Forgiven: a word that offers hope and restoration of relationships.
But...ARE you forgiven?
Many people would respond, “I sure hope so.”
Genuine forgiveness is the result of real repentance.
Based on THAT...Are YOU forgiven?
Many people would respond, “I sure hope so.”
But if genuine forgiveness is the result of real repentance...
then WHAT’S THE EVIDENCE of REPENTANCE?
Today we discover how you can KNOW that you are forgiven.
Maybe the better question would be: ‘Is it in your PAST...or PRESENT?’
Some people live as if God’s forgiveness is just a free pass to forgiveness without any expectations on their end.
This is simply not the case as a 1st century prophet is about to demonstrate, John (the Southern Baptist), says about that.
PRAY
Luke 3:2a–3 (CSB)
...God’s word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
God’s word came to John: This doesn’t mean that someone gave John an Old Testament Bible.
Instead, this is a common OT phrase used for God giving a message to a prophet so he can speak God’s words to the people.
This is how John would prepare the way for the Messiah.
He moved up and down the Jordan River, offering to baptize anyone who would turn from their sins.
John preached about repentance & forgiveness - warning of God’s wrath AND offering God’s peace.
He warned of God’s wrath because God is JUST.
He offered God’s peace because God is GRACIOUS.
Luke 3:4–6 (CSB)
as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!
Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth, and everyone will see the salvation of God.
[Is 40:3-5]
John was the one written about 700 years beforehand through the prophet Isaiah, preparing PEOPLE for the Lord’s coming.
John wasn’t doing road construction, filling in holes, blowing up mountains, and moving dirt to prepare an interstate.
This is metaphoric language for the role John would play: to remove obstacles and prepare the people to receive the Messiah & His message.
It would be through the Lord that everyone will see the salvation of God.
And so John baptized those who came [pic of hands coming up out of water].
Baptism did NOT YET represent the death, burial, & resurrection of Jesus, as that was future.
Instead baptism was for Gentiles who were converting to become covenant Jews to follow the one true God.
Jews weren’t baptized...until now.
(* Jews did participate in ceremonial washings where they dipped themselves under the water before entering the temple grounds.)
But Mark’s gospel says:
Mark 1:5 (CSB)
The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
These Jews from all over Israel came to be baptized by John and confessing their sins, acknowledging that they were no better than Gentiles.
They too needed forgiveness and this baptism represented that washing away of sin.
And it wasn’t like folks were making their way to the luxury hotels to be baptized in their pools.
Instead, these people walked away from all the ordinary daily concerns, and walked to the Jordan River to fix their minds and hearts on their spiritual condition, while listening to John’s message of forgiveness.
Have YOU taken the time to get away from the daily distractions and consider your spiritual condition?
Have you considered how your disobedience has caused you to wander - looking for purpose & hope?
But the action of baptism doesn’t force God to forgive.
This washing on the OUTSIDE means nothing without washing on the INSIDE.
There is NO FORGIVENESS without REPENTANCE.
600 years earlier the prophet Jeremiah warned the Jewish people with these words...
Jeremiah 2:22 (NET 2nd ed.)
You can try to wash away your guilt with a strong detergent.
You can use as much soap as you want.
But the stain of your guilt is still there for me to see,” says the Sovereign LORD.
Now the last OT prophet, the one preparing the way of the Lord, gives a similar warning.
Luke 3:7–8a (CSB)
He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance.
God’s forgiveness doesn’t lead us back to the sin He has forgiven.
Proverbs pictures a person who goes back to sin as a dog that returns to lick up his own vomit (Proverbs 26:11).
GROSS!
John isn’t trying to get everyone baptized because baptism doesn’t cleanse the soul of sin.
Baptism - washing the outside - wasn’t enough.
It only symbolized washing on the inside.
Genuine forgiveness is the result of real repentance.
Repentance means ‘change of mind’.
This change of mind leads to a change of action.
We agree with God about what is good and what is evil, and this change of mind results in a change of action.
How do you know if you have really repented?
Or said another way, “What’s the EVIDENCE of Forgiveness?”
The Evidence of Repentance is Obedience
That’s what John is saying.
People who have repented are going to produce fruit consistent with repentance.
Is the sin in your PAST...or PRESENT?
Do you keep going BACK to it...like the dog?
Or, when the desires arise, do you obey out of your gratitude for forgiveness & trust in God’s commands?
Or do you run back into the sin that only satisfies temporarily, but ultimately leaves you empty?
When I ask people about their spiritual condition, some point back to the faith of their parents, their experience in church, or a prayer they prayed.
But none of these are evidences of forgiveness.
Many of the Jewish people in John’s day thought they could lean back and say, “We’re God’s chosen people!
We have special favor simply because of our race.
He MUST forgive us.”
God doesn’t give a family discount...
Luke 3:8b–9 (CSB)
And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.
The ax is already at the root of the trees.
Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
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