Baptism, Repentance, and the Trinity

Intro

Question: What fruit do you bear? Everyone bears fruit. What is the fruit of your behavior? Work ethic? Spiritual walk? What are the actions that follow the state of your heart?

Need: We have become ok not bearing fruit Scripture tells us to bear. For some reason, we grow complacent with not pursuing the things of Christ. We produce rotten fruit.

Main Idea: Bear the fruit of repentance

Skipped several years.

Luke 3:1-20

Truth #1: Repentance is symbolized by baptism (1-9)

Exp. After Luke gives historical detail, we see John preaching. Verse 2-3. Jordan River area. Proclaim = preaching. Phrase: baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Let’s break it down:

Baptism of repentance - baptism is full immersion. Associated with ritual repentance and washing. Essenes did it. Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah speak to it. Baptism is a sign of repentance. Not salvific, but intentional. Repentance = rational decision and willful act to turn away. Literally changing one’s mind.

Forgiveness of sins - One follows the other. Forgiveness comes after repentance. There is no forgiveness unless there is repentance. One must precede the other.

Ill. If you don’t put gas in your car, it won’t go. Just as a gasless car can’t run, an unrepentant sinner cannot be forgiven.

Exp. John then quotes OT. Verse 4-6. Coming out of wilderness = John. He is preparing the way for Jesus. He is coming to redeem all of creation. Everyone will see the salvation of God. Speaks to the crowds in verse 7. Multiple crowds. Wrath is future wrath. Gets to his point: Verse 8. Bear the fruit of repentance.

Repentance is accompanied by good works. Not emotive. Baptism is the symbol of repentance but there’s more to it than that.

Christ - Our repentance is necessary for our sins to be forgiven. Jesus is the one who brings about forgiveness.

App. What do we do? Repentance is symbolized in baptism.

Be immersed in baptism. This is for those who have put their faith in Jesus and are repentant.

Consider your fruit of repentance. Are good deeds associated with your repentance?

Truth #2: Repentance is lived out daily (10-14)

Exp. We get to the response of the crowds. How do we do this? Three groups mentioned. Verse 10 = crowds. Verse 12 = tax collectors. Verse 14 = soldiers.

Crowds - Verse 11. Give a tunic to those who don’t have one. Generosity.

Tax collectors - Verse 13. Do your work honestly. Don’t take money. He doesn’t say stop tax collecting, but to do it fairly. Zacchaeus becomes an example.

Soldiers - Verse 14. Be content with wages. Stop extortion and false accusation.

All of this is proof that repentance is associated with good deeds. And it’s unique to each person.

Ill. These instructions were about daily life. These weren’t separate church events to volunteer at.

App. How do we do this? Repentance is lived out daily.

Generosity. Are you generous? Value: Joyful Generosity. We display that by giving 12% of budget to missions. Generosity unburdens you.

Work honestly. Don’t cheat to get more. Gives off image of success. Living a lie. Do your job fairly. Treat others with dignity and respect.

Live in contentment. Contentment is hard to explain, but discontentment is not. God has placed you, be content.

Christ - Need a model. Their lives are to model repentance, and the model is Christ.

Truth #3: Repentance is rightly seeing ourselves (15-20)

Exp. After he tells them this, they wondered if he was the Christ. Verse 16. Greater than I. Can’t even untie his sandals. Servants did that. I baptize with water, but he is coming to baptize with HS and fire. Spiritual baptism. Fire is defined in verse 17. Just as told to Mary, Jesus will search the heart of man. Judgement will come to the unfaithful. Look at John’s positioning of himself in relation to Christ. My baptism is merely water, his is wholly spiritual. John models a humble state of the heart.

Ill. If I asked you if you were good at basketball. You might say yes, but play Lebron. You’d say no. You may win in church league, but could you face the best? No. Jesus is in a different league.

Christ - Jesus is the Messiah. Son of God. God in flesh. Word of God. Creator. By him, through him, for him. Salvation comes through him. Mercy by him. Grace because of him. Help from him. Redeemed by him. Rescued by him. Raised with him. Given light from him. New life because of him. Eternally secure in him. There is a greater gap between you and Jesus than you and Lebron, but Lebron can’t give you what Jesus can.

App. What do we do? Repentance is seeing ourselves in comparison to Christ.

Look at Christ. See him in his beauty. Majesty. Strength. Compassion. Humility.

Humble yourself. Not thinking less of yourself. The opposite of pride is not thinking your garbage. That’s just as prideful. Jesus doesn’t think your garbage.

Humility is one of the chief of all the Christian virtues; it is the hallmark of the child of God.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Conclusion

To follow Christ is repentance. Pains me to continue to preach it, but the need will always be there.