The Message: Brings Peace

INTRODUCTION:

Joke: Children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Christian school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. Someone had written a note and placed it next to the apples. It read, "Take only one, God is watching."       Moving through the line, to the other end of the table, was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.       One little boy wrote his own note and snuck it next to the cookies, "Take all you want, God is watching the apples."

We know that God sees everything!

Today, God is not just watching us ...... As a believer, He is living within us!

And this occupation of the divine brings us PEACE!

2nd week of Advent and this Sunday we will be looking at Peace.

Divine Peace is brought about by Christ.

When John the Baptist announced that the one coming before Him will baptize you with a greater Baptism than the one he was doing.

PEACE was a component of this baptism.

Scripture: Matthew 3:1-12

3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ”

4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume 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. 10 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.

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Sermon: “The Message: Brings Peace”

SEGWAY:

Almost 30 years has passed since the end of Chapter 2

Time reference is “In those days” which is the days of John the Baptist.

Location is made reference to the Wilderness of Judea

Nickname of a town “Wilderness”

More important for Matthew was the reference “of Judea”

Same reference as the town of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,”)

Matthew, now, introduces John the Baptist

Who was He?

Dad and Mom: Zack and Lizzy

Cousin to Jesus (Mary and Lizzy cousins)

Some scholars believe he was a prophet of that day. (Elijah)

How he dressed & ate?

Camel Hair and a leather belt

(2 Kings 1:8 They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”)

(Matt. 17:12) 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased.

Locus and (WILD) Honey

A diet resembling that of desert dwellers of the day.

His Occupation?

Matthew calls him a preacher.

Isaiah 40:3 in the OT tells us what his job was.

Matthew 3:3 “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ””

BODY:

What is the most important thing to share about John the Baptist?

His Message

“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Vs 2)

This was the call for people before the Messiah came.

It is the call for people before the 2nd coming as well.

Repentance in Greek traditionally implied a “change of mind or attitude.”

In Hebrew means to “turn back” or “return.”

But under O.T. influence it took on the sense of a change of action as well.

John preaches, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near (v 2).

This call parallels the preaching of Jesus (4:17), showing the close link between the two (3:11).

If Israel’s exile has not ended, and it is sin that brings about exile, it is fitting that John calls Israel to repent.

Repentance involves the whole person: heart, head, and hands.

Turning to God results not only in trusting the Lord and his faithfulness but also in living lives of holiness and purity that reflect such a trusting relationship.

However, judgment awaits those who refuse this call (Matt 3:7–10) and that of Jesus as well (Matthew 11:20–21 (ESV)

20Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent.

21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.).

This was a very passionate message for John the Baptist.

We see this when we read (Vs 7-10)

This message was to ALL

He speaks bluntly to the religious leaders

“Brood of Vipers”

Matthew uses the term “vipers” two more times (12:24–37; 23:29–36) to portray the Pharisees as those who have the appearance of devotion but only speak and practice evil.

He asked them “who warned you?”

He commands them ….

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (VS 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.)

True faith or True repentance will produce a life-style and behavior that demonstrate the reality of a changed heart.

He tells them to not make excuses (The Promise to Abraham) (Vs 9-10 9 And do not presume 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.)

Matthew helps us to see that John’s call is for a fundamental change of life’s direction.

That call is for the world today as well.

The next most important thing to share about John the Baptist ….

His Announcement

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

CLIMAX:

How does this speak to us today?

It would be fair to say there is still a need to “REPENT.”

We are living in a world that is in need of a savior and so there is still a need to repent.

Christ tells us in John 14:3-4 he is going to prepare a place for us and he will return to take us there.

So the Kingdom of Heaven is still near.

Let us repent!

Have a change of mindset.

A change of attitude.

A change of action

Let’s not stop there …….

There is a second works of grace …

Becoming entirely sanctified

Set apart, completely surrendered to Christ.

This is that baptism of the Holy Spirit that John tells of that was coming.

(We read about this in Acts 2)

Not that we will never sin again but the fact that we don’t have to anymore.

We are given the power to turn from sin and run.

CONCLUSION:

Today we can repent of those sins we have committed or are committing.

For the kingdom of God is near.

Today we can also totally surrender to Christ and be baptized by the Holy Spirit.

No longer being pulled by the sins of the world

NOW having the power to rebuke the sin and walk a victorious life with Christ.

Today we are reminded of this story of John the Baptist.

It is a story of peace that came upon the world.

This peace is available for you and me today.

Through faith in Christ

Repenting (Salvation)

Total surrender (Sanctification)