Prepare the Way

In an article titled "Whatever Became of Repentance?" Christianity Today's Mark Galli writes:

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther is said to have posted 95 theses, or "Disputation on the Power of Indulgences," on the door of All Saints Church. The professor of moral theology at the University of Wittenberg was proposing an academic debate about indulgences—the practice of doing good works or offering money in order to remove punishment for sin. Luther was disturbed by how indulgences encouraged people to pay for forgiveness rather than repent. Instead, Luther argued: "Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when he said 'Repent,' willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance."

That is as hard to swallow today as it was then. We are not the first to notice how absent the theme of repentance is today. Karl Menninger's 1988 bestseller Whatever Became of Sin? could have easily included a sequel, Whatever Became of Repentance?

Galli notes that repentance is unpopular because we're "addicted" to justifying our own actions and pointing out the evil in others. If I really looked at my own self-centeredness and pride, Galli argues, I'd have to admit that I am also a hypocrite and a moral failure. He concludes:

Well, yes. Aren't we all? That's precisely why Jesus came, to save the world from itself and to save us from ourselves. That's why the word repentance is usually connected to the phrase "good news," as Mark highlights in his summary of Jesus' early preaching: "Repent and believe the good news!" (1:15).

Repentance is a word we are hearing less and less of in modern evangelicalism. And it makes sense. Many churches are exhorted by church consultants to do all that you can to keep from saying the word sin. To tell people that they sin is bad for their self-confidence and assurance. I was at a SBC pastors gathering where the speaker even told us this very thing. I questioned and questioned him with scripture. Well Shane you will be faithful to the Bible, but nobody will want to come to your church. He’s probably right. People love to hear what their itching ears want to hear. Not what we need to hear. Thankfully, many of the pastors who were there supported me and made it clear that he was waay off. One of the things I kept pushing was the Bible’s constant urging to repent. Even as Christians we are encouraged to live a life of constant repentance. But why? Why do we even repent if it was clear that we do not sin or that sin is not a subject to talk about? Why are we even talking about turning from sin if we don’t even mention sin? If sin was not an issue why in the world was it the primary message of John the Baptist when he began his ministry.

Matthew 3:1–12 NLT

In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’ ” John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”

The grass withers the flower fades but the word of our God stands forever. He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse.

The Herald

Repentance

The first thing we will look at today is the identity and fulfillment of the herald of the King of kings. The second thing we will explore is the nature of the message of repentance coming from John and how it is that the coming King came to seek and to save that which was lost.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world causes us to diminish what is important in the sight of God, it is the truth of the scriptures and the power of the Holy Spirit that will cause us to see the gift of God that is called repentance that leads to salvation.

I. The Herald

-It is Christ’s silver surfer.

A. A popular comic book character that I grew up reading. Was the silver surfer. Galactus was this supreme being that was always hungry but he could only satisfy his hunger by eating entire worlds. Silver Surfer would search the universe to find planets that Galatus could eat and then he would call him over for dinner and prepare the planet for his coming. This is the idea that we get from Isaiah.

Isaiah 40:3–5 NLT

Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”

B. The idea here is signifying the coming of the Lord. And in like manner a herald is telling the town that the king is coming and you need to get everything together. Clean up the town and if the roads need fixing make sure its fixed so that the arrival of the king will be a smooth one. The king is coming and you do not want this to be a bad experience and the king have a bad taste in his mouth when he comes.

C. Im sure if the president or any guest for that matter comes to your house, I would guess that you would probably clean it up as best as possible? Maybe? We even think that about others. Like if John MacArthur said he wanted to come over to the house to talk about central baptist church, you would want me to clean up the house before he comes.

D. Regardless, its not a matter that someone is coming. It is a matter of who it is that is coming. This is not just anyone… Matthew is showing how this again is the ultimate fulfillment of what was declared in Isaiah. The scriptures are all about Christ. Here is another one. This is showing that there would be one coming who would announce the coming of the Lord. The coming of the Messiah. This is the coming of Word made Flesh. And when you look at Him you will see the Father.

E. And even the birth of John the Baptist was covered with the supernatural. Zechariah and Elizabeth, who were both of priestly descent, did not have children for Elizabeth was barren and they were bth old. Too old to have children.

F. He wore clothes that were woven of corse camel hair. It was rugged and economical for life in the wilderness. The clothes of the prophet. Like Elijah…

2 Kings 1:8 NLT

They replied, “He was a hairy man, and he wore a leather belt around his waist.” “Elijah from Tishbe!” the king exclaimed.

G. He would eat honey which would be plentiful in the wilderness found in trees and under rocks. This was not used as a sweetner for tea, but it was an actual staple for food. Also, he ate locusts, which was permitted by the Lord…

Leviticus 11:22 NLT

The insects you are permitted to eat include all kinds of locusts, bald locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers.

H. Many today who live in the desert areas still relish the locust as a delicacy. It is a simple appearance and simple food. It is a man who lived simply. Hendrickson beautifully writes…

“The main point is that by means of his simple mode of life, evident with respect to both food and clothing, he was a living protest against all selfishness and self-indulgence, hence also against that frivolousness, carelessness, and false security with which many people were rushing toward their doom, and were doing this with the judgment so near at hand.”

I. And the message would come. And what was it?

II. Repentance

-Repent of your sins and turn to God.

A. A change of mind and heart that is so radical that there will be a complete turnabout in life. Not just a change of mind, but a change of mind so much so that it changes our lives in that we return to God and his decree. The OT helps us to understand even further that repentance carries the idea of greif. Naham is understood as being sorry for ones actions.

B. Probably the best book you can read on repentance is “The doctrine of repentance” by Thomas Watson. He shows us the biblical nature of six ingredients of the inward and outward characteristics of repentance.

Sight of Sin

Sorrow for Sin

Confession of Sin

Shame of Sin

Hatred for Sin

Turning from Sin

C. We will see that all are elements of what it is to be truly repentant. Many will say, Shane I’m not seeing the true turning from sin and turning to Christ. I have found that one or more of these elements are missing. And it is important for it is the essence and necessary consequence of a Christian. It is our journey and our walk to overcome and defeat sin by the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of the scriptures in our lives.

D. And we do struggle with repentance because we still struggle with seeing just how awful sin is. We will not truly repent until we see that sin is truly evil and not something good that we just cannot have. A true Christian is one who will repent from a sin even if there were no punishment. That is because we see how evil sin really is.

E. It is the the reality of the effects of sin. It lies to us causing us to call good evil and evil good. And it affects us all. The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. No one is righteous no not one. There is no one on earth who always does good and never sins. Paul said in whom I am chief. Sin is a reality. And it affects us all. Along with that is the promise of judgement. It is called the wrath of God. The place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. Outer darkness. Eternal darkness. The smoke of torment and anguish never cease. The worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. The place reserved for the devil and his angels. This is the reality and destiny of the effects of sin and the fall of man.

F. But it does not have to be. Salvation has come and we find it in Christ and in Christ alone. This is the one whom John the Baptist pointed to. He said that Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Yes. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was buried and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures. Jesus came into this world to seek and to save that which was lost. The saying is trust worthy and deserving of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

G. All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. Confess your sins and he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Repent and believe the gospel. Repentance that leads to salvation.

H. This is the beauty of the gospel. It shows us the true nature of sin and yet it shows the true nature of the grace and mercy of God that he would bring to us salvation. This is the power of grace. This is the power of the sacrifice of the king of Kings. The lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.