Prepare the Way (Part 2)

Lloyd H. Steffen wrote in The Christian Century how when King Frederick II, an eighteenth-century king of Prussia, was visiting a prison in Berlin, the inmates tried to prove to him how they had been unjustly imprisoned. All except one.

That one sat quietly in a corner, while all the rest protested their innocence. Seeing him sitting there oblivious to the commotion, the king asked him what he was there for. "Armed robbery, Your Honor." The king asked, "Were you guilty?" "Yes, Sir," he answered. "I entirely deserve my punishment." The king then gave an order to the guard: "Release this guilty man. I don't want him corrupting all these innocent people."

Again, are we deceived when it comes to repentance? We say that we have repented, but are we sure. The scriptures tell us that our repentant heart must be accompanied by fruit. The fruit of the Spirit. If not, there is no reason for us to believe that we truly have a repentant heart. In our culture today there is so much delusion in convincing us that it is possible for us to truly be repentant and continue to live our lives in accordance to the flesh. It is the scriptures and the scriptures alone that will inform us as to the kind of fruit we should be seeing in our lives if we have truly repented before God.

And why is it important to make sure that we have truly repented? Because judgement is real, judgement will be terrible, and judgement is coming. This is our warning this day of what is coming. Against popular belief God is furious with us. Unbridled fury on all mankind. The Bible says that it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And many of us automatically think of the coming judgement where Jesus will return the judge the living and the dead. And yes this should be cause for concern, but it does not just mean that. We think we are safe because we have the feeling that this coming is far off. But this judgement could be here for you today. You could leave here today and get into an accident, be at the wrong place at the wrong time, medical emergency, or eat something bad and die. And you will be faced with the judgement. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. Have you repented today? Are you sure? Lets take a look a little more at John the baptist today.

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 Encounter

The Delusion

The Judgement

The first thing we will look at today is the intricacies of the encounter between John the Baptist and the Religious leaders. The second thing we will see is the delusion that we tend to believe that we are free from the judgement of God. Finally, we will see the coming judgement and how we can be saved from it.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to deceive ourselves in repentance and salvation, it is the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of scripture that will lead us to see the truth and the truth will truly set us free.

I. The Encounter

-Prove your repentance.

A. We got a moment of real significance as to what Matthew, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wants to convey to us. But who are these guys? Who are these Pharisees and Sadducees? Not going to get too detailed with it, but essentially the Phairesees were the group that was Politically Conservative and Religiously Liberal. Developed the oral law, which would be held in the same authority as the written word to enable them to obey it properly. You have heard it said… Funny how many who are theologically liberal call me a Pharisee. Would not accept the rule of Rome

B. The Sadducees were the opposite… Politically Liberal but Religiously Conservative. They were the wealthy and priestly group who made peace and compromised much for peace with Rome. They were the skeptics in the Sanhedrin – denied angels and the resurrection of the dead.

C. Historically, they were at odds with each other when it comes to most things in life but they figured out a way to unite themselves when it came to the ministry of John the Baptist. They came to check things out and even participate for religious and political reasons. Maybe we should get baptized too like everybody else and get with the program. This still happens. Whatever is going on. Whatever is popular. Whatever everyone is into. We better get involved or else we will be left behind. We will become irrelevant. Uh oh thats the fear.

D. I remember as a young pastor at a church that became very very liberal. I was shunned for being theologically conservative and reformed. I was eventually squeezed out because of my reformed framework. Then several years later there was a surge of reformed popularity with John Piper, Tim Keller, RC Sproul, Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, Al Molher, Acts 29, Matt Chandler, Voddie Bauchman, James White, Paul Washer… and in Hawaii it all became super popular. We worked hard to put on a conference in Honolulu with Piper and Carson. And guess what… those pastors at my old church who shunned me and pushed me out were there all claiming to be reformed now. And I remember saying something in similar regard to John the baptist… wait what? So you guys reformed now.

E. We sat down and had some refreshments and talked. I was happy that they were there, but in reality they were interested in learning reformed theology because it is the popular thing right now. It’s not popular now days. And so the religious leaders showed up and John the Baptist rebuked them with sarcasm.

F. He is calling them out… you snakes. You are clever, evil, and wicked deceivers who lead people astray … like snakes. Question. Why are you guys even here? I would like to know who it was that got you to see you sin and convinced you that you are facing the wrath of God. What frightened you so much that brought you here today? People here are confessing their sins and repenting… I don’t think you are here to do that, but that is exactly what you must do.

G. This cannot just be an empty act. It must be a fruitful act. You gotta bear fruit… if you are truly repentant and want to be baptized, it must be fruitful. Dr. Hendrickson writes…

“As pointed out earlier, repentance, if it is to be genuine, must be accompanied by fruit-bearing. A merely outward confession of sin will never do. A mere desire to be baptized, as if this rite were a wonder-working charm, has no positive value. There must be that inward change which expresses itself outwardly in God-glorifying conduct, fruit-bearing in keeping with conversion.”

H. This verse is not talking about piling up good works to make your life have good meaning and value, it is talking about a single act that produces a turn around to fruitful living. This is not about just saying sorry. There must be fruit with the sorry. There must be more than an apology to God. If you are truly repentant your life will indeed turn around. Gone must be the days of just coming to the altar of God to say sorry and apologize. True repentance must bear fruit.

I. And here is another important point with the fruit of repentance… we do not decide what is fruit. The scriptures tell us. Love. Love our enemies, Joy. Rejoice in the lord always and again I say rejoice. Peace. The peace that transcends all understanding… Patience. Be an example in suffering and patience. Kindness. Be kind and compassionate to one another. Goodness. Let us do good to everyone. Faithfulness. Well done good and faithful servant. Gentleness. A call to be gentle. Self Control. Not a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and self control.

J. The fruit of the Spirit is not a pick and choose buffet. It is all of it. I’m good Shane… I see some of that in my life. NO you need to see all of it in your life. If not there is no reason for you to think that you have truly repented. This is what John the baptist is declaring and urging us to understand. Our lifestyle must be in harmony with what it is we proclaim. We cannot just proclaim. Just because you say that you are a Christian does not mean you really are a christian.

II. The Delusion

-Why do you think you will escape the wrath to come?

A. John the baptist anticipates the thoughts of the religious leaders. You think you are safe just because you are descendants of Abraham? You think just because your liniage goes back to Abraham assuming it really does. Dr. Hendrickson writes, “To many Jews it was unthinkable that the great patriarch’s descendants should ever be excluded from God’s blessing. Thus they thought that because they could say, We have Abraham as Father, they had eternal security. But John tells them not to think like that. No place of privilege counts in the face of the demands of an all-holy and all-powerful God.”

B. You think you do not need to repent because you are a Jew? John is saying think again. If that is all it is, God can make children of Abraham out of these stones. If that really was what it is all about… privilege… then God can make the privileged out of the rough and insignificant.

C. God can do the same with professors. God can make people who profess to be christians out of rocks and rubbish. We think that we are safe because we said a prayer, because we gave money to a televangelist, because we go to church, because we pray, or simply say we believe in God. The bible tells us even demons believe in God. Just because you profess to be a Christian does not mean that you are. What does a false convert look like? Often, it’s someone who

is excited about heaven, but bored by Christians and the local church;

thinks heaven will be great, whether Christ is there or not;

likes Jesus, but didn’t sign up for the rest—obedience, holiness, discipleship, suffering;

can’t tell the difference between obedience motivated by love and legalism;

is bothered by other people’s sins more than his or her own;

holds grace cheap and his own comfort valuable.

But how does the New Testament describe a genuine Christian? According to 1 John, the genuine Christian is someone who

loves fellow Christians and the local church because he or she loves God (1 John 5:1);

desires fellowship with God, and not just ease in heaven (1 John 1:6–7; 5:1);

understands that following Jesus means discipleship (1 John 1:6);

obeys God out of love for God (1 John 5:2–3);

is eager to confess and turn away from his or her sin (1 John 1:9);

holds grace valuable and his own desires cheap (1 John 1:7, 10).

D. This is a reality family.

1 John 2:19 NLT

These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.

III. The Judgement

-The axe of God’s judgement is poised.

A. Again, why is all of this necessary. Genuine conversion. True faith. True repentance. Why? Because family judgement is coming. Whether you were warned before of not. If someone asks you like John the Baptist who warned you of the judgement to come. You can say Shane did on February 9th 2025. Judgement is real, it will be terrible, and it is coming. Christ is coming to judge the living and the dead. And we are all gonna die one day. And we will then face the judgement.

B. And what will we say? Our privilege? Our church attendance? The prayer we said when we repeated after the pastor? Our giving? Our prayer life? Our false beliefs? Our false repentance? What are we gonna say when Christ the King of kings is standing before us? We gonna try to say that we were good?

C. The Bible tells us right now that there is only one who is good. No one is righteous no not one. There is no one on earth who always does good and never sins. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are all by nature children of wrath. And the Bible says that the wrath of God is being poured out on all men. And the 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 trustworthy 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. Rejoice today… the Holy Spirit brings to us the gift of repentance, He gives the fruit of repentance, he applies all the benefits of the death of Christ to us. Give thanks to the Lord. For His love endures forever.