Sermon Tone Analysis

Have you changed?

What personal transformations have you made in the past 5 years in your life?

In terms of godliness, I mean – of Christlikeness – in what ways have you become more like Jesus in your life?

If God were to show up tomorrow to take charge of your household, your workplace, this church, your school, your holidays, our town – what would you want to change about yourself before he turned up?

CONTEXT:

Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man is all grown up and about to go public.

He’s the one all of God’s promises have been pointing towards.

Before he shows up God has one final warm up routine – the severe signpost of the life and words of John the Baptiser – he’s gone out-bush, he eats bush foods – and his message to God’s people is wild severe – turn to God! God’s about to take charge!

But be warned – fakers will be destroyed in the fire!

We are not the people of Israel – but we are the people of God.

We live as those joined to Jesus, but need to hear John’s warning too – because we know Jesus is returning – and we know the judgment that happened to him is a judgment he himself is bringing when he returns – for everybody who is not a member of God’s household.

You either join the kingship of heaven – or you get destroyed.

Repent is a word for change.

But not just change - changing how you deal with God - turn to God/return to God.

Why?

Because God is about to take charge.

That’s what the kingdom of heaven means - God taking charge.

He’s in charge, absolutely and always - but here, John is saying, God is about to show up.

So, I’ll ask us again to reflect - have we been changing?

A study of more than 19,000 people showed most people don’t think they need to change - they’re already attractive in character, have admirable values and wise preferences.

And, in this research it was ironically teenagers and grandparents who are most prone to bleieve they’ve changed as much as they need to (or are going to)!

And this warning is not just from John’s mind:

This is God’s word to Israel (and to us).

Turn to God because God’s about to show up and take charge.

This is a gift from God - though a severe one.

John says God is about to take charge - so it’s time to get yourself in order.

For Israel God’s arrival is not a thing in the distant future any more.

If you knew God was showing up tomorrow - what would you change about yourself today?

John is the messenger.

Who’s he announcing?

God himself.

God is coming.

John’s out bush (the wilderness) and he’s eating bush food.

There’s a wildness to him - a simplicity.

He’s not feasting on fancy meals, he isn’t wearing fancy clothes.

And he’s supposed to make God’s people notice something:

John is God’s announcing messenger.

Just like Elijah when the people of God were in trouble, their leadership was a mess and ungodly - Elijah called them back to God.

Now the people of God need to be ready because John is calling them back to God.

There’s more, too:

Are you ready to meet your God?

Is your heart turned to him?

This is quite incredible.

Don’t get too fancy in thinking about baptism - you wash because you’re dirty.

God’s people know their need, and show their need.

Not the same as Christian baptism - though there are shared elements.

Only realy known at this point for outsiders coming in to Judaism, or for ritual holiness washing - but this is “I’m dirty, I have sinned, I need cleansing”.

This is not FOR forgiveness, it doesn’t make them forgiven - but it’s because they want forgiveness.

At the Jordan river, where israel crossed and became a nation entering the promised land, now God’s people are turning to him again.

The sacrificial system didn’t fix sin, didn’t fix hearts, it pointed to sin, taught about judgment and sacrifice.

No quick fix fakes

[cleaning your room - shoving under the bed or in the cupboard; cleaning your house - shoving into the spare room; cleaning your life - airbrushing the difficulties, ]

You can’t pretend with God.

You either know and show that you need cleansing - or you’re a faker (and it can be right up the chain of command.

You’re not in just cos you’re in the right church.

Or you’ve been baptised.

Or you’ve had communion.

The Pharisees were revered and appeared holy, the holiest.

John - with God’s sight - sees right through them to their snakiness.

There’s a lifestyle that matches confessing your sins - there’s a change that comes with putting up your hand to say you need forgiveness and are dirty.

Teenagers, grandparents, and everyone in between need to change when we turn to God.

Much of this year we’ll see what this looks like up close, in detail, in life.

We’re spending close to half the year on the sermon on the mount.

Here’s a snippet of the fruit of change:

Sermon on the mount in summary

5:13-Jesus’ commands are not cordial - Don’t dilute Jesus commands

5:14-[Don’t be a private Christian – there’s no such thing] – if nobody notices you’re probably not a Christian

5:17-20-Don’t crop Jesus’ commands - Don’t minimize Jesus commands

5:21-30-Your heart must be as pure as your hands – serious scrubbing required (like neonatal ward).

What you think and feel are as problematic as what you say and do – just because nobody but God sees doesn’t make it ok.

5:21-26-Anger and insults are as serious as murder

5:27-30-Lust- Sexual desire outside of the person you are married to is as serious as adultery and will send you to permanent judgment – cut it out before you’re cut out yourself

5:27-32-Marriage is not for convenience and neither is divorce – be faithful to your spouse ALWAYS (in your actions and in your heart and imagination)

5:33-37-Tell the truth always – be a reliable honest speaker – and don’t go back on your word.

5:38-42-Don’t retaliate or seek to get even – be generous even to your enemies and people who hurt you

5:43-48-Love your enemies, pray for them, and do good to haters

6:1-4-Be generous even when no one sees how good you are

6:5-13-Talk with God without trying to impress people who are listening

6:14-15-Be properly forgiving | don’t hold grudges

6:16-18-Stop seeking human approval and applause

6:19-24-Look for God to reward and approve and applaud

Don’t focus on feathering your own nest – trust God to provide – focus on being godly

6:25-34-Stop worrying more about your life status than about your godliness

7:1-6-Don’t be a hypocritical criticiser, repent of your own sins and be pure

7:7-12-persist in seeking good things from God and good things for other people

7:13-23-be ready for this life to be hard

Still think you don’t need to change?

God is coming to take charge

God is coming to take charge.

That’s good news, and terrifying.

Every useless tree will be destroyed.

Every fruitless person will be destroyed.

When God takes charge there’ll be a final reckoning.

In Jesus life the reckoning happened by the divison of those who were for him and those against him.

In Jesus’ death and resurrection the reckonining happened in his own body.

John didn’t know this, but Jesus’ life was going to put that judgment on pause.

But John was right that Jesus was going to bring final judgment.

When Jesus returns the reckoning will happen for anybody not truly turned to God with good fruit.

They’ll be destroyed.

The warning comes as good news so you and I (and God’s people back then) could turn back before it was too late.