FAITH THAT PROCLAIMS
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Bible Reading Week 26 (5th Sunday)
This Week’s Theme: A Faith That Challenges Others
Word for the Week is Stand Fast: It means to remain firmly committed to the truth of the gospel, to hold your ground spiritually, especially under pressure, persecution, or temptation and to refuse to waver in belief or obedience, even when challenged
Memory verse: 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NKJV) Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
Sermon Focus: Faith stands unwavering on the truth
Sermon Passage: Matthew 3:1-12
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him
6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto 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 fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Title: Faith that Proclaims the Truth
Text: Matthew 3:1–12 Theme: John the Baptist shows us what it means to stand for truth with courage, clarity, and conviction.
I. SPEAKS WITH CLARITY
I. SPEAKS WITH CLARITY
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
Focused Message One central call: Repent Matthew 3:2
PAUL DECLARED THAT HIS MESSAGE
2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Defined Role “I am the voice…” – no confusion about his calling
23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
CLEAR Application
Spoke relevant truth to each group
Luke 3:10–14 Vivid Imagery Axe, fire, winnowing fork – word pictures that stick
12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Christ-Exalting
Pointed clearly to Jesus as Messiah John 1:29–34
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’
II. SPEAKS WITH COURAGE
II. SPEAKS WITH COURAGE
JOHN CAME WITH A CONFRONTING MESSAGE
2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
HE CALLED THEM TO Real Repentance
“Repent… the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
Repentance is not a soft message but a soul-saving one.
PAUL TOLD THE UNBELIEVERS AT ATHENS THAT Acts 17:30 – God commands all men everywhere to repent
Proverbs 14:25 – “A true witness delivers souls”
8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
“Bring forth fruits meet for repentance” •
Real faith must produce visible transformation. •
James 2:26 – “Faith without works is dead” •
Luke 6:44 – “Every tree is known by its fruit”
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
HE REBUKED Religious Hypocrisy
WHEN HE CALLED THEM A “Generation of vipers…”
John stood against the religious elite who appeared holy but were spiritually dead.
IN Matthew 23:27–28 – Jesus’ rebuke of whitewashed tombs
HE CALLED THEM OUT CONCERNING THEIR RELIGIOUS SHOW
Isaiah 29:13 – “This people draw near with their lips… but their heart is far”
CALLED THEM OUT ON THEIR COMPLACENCY
LOOK AT MATTHEW 3.9
9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
“Think not to say… We have Abraham…” •
Heritage doesn’t replace holiness;
Tradition can’t replace transformation. •
PAUL SAID IN Romans 2:28–29 – A true Jew is one inwardly •
JESUS SAID IN John 8:39–44 – Abraham’s children do the works of Abraham
JOHN DECLARED THE COMING JUDGMENT
10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“The axe is laid to the root…” • Judgment begins with those who reject truth.
PETER DECLARED IN 1 Peter 4:17 –
Judgment begins at the house of God
PEOPLE DON’T ALWAYS WELCOME
WHEN YOU POINT OUT THEIR WRONG DOING
REMEMBER Pharaoh IN THE BOOK OF Exodus 5:2
HE ARROGANTLY REJECTED THE LORD WHEN HE SAID
Key Verse: “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice…?” (Ex. 5:2)
REMEMBER King Ahab IN 1 Kings 22
HE HATED THE PROPHET
BECAUSE HE TOLD THE TRUTH
LISTEN TO HIS WORD IN
1 Kings 22:8 “I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me.”
REMEMBER IN THE BOOK OF ISAIAH
The People of Judah Asked prophets to speak lies instead of truth.
IN Isa. 30:10 THEY SAID “Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.”
REMEMBER THE RICH YOUNG RULER REJECTED THE TRUTH
BECAUSE OF HIS WEALTH IN MATTHEW 19:16-22
THE FIRST THING PEOPLE SAY IS
STOP JUDGING ME
Judging Can Mean Condemning Others Hypocritically
Matthew 7:1-5 “Judge not, that you be not judged… Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?”
Meaning: Jesus is warning against hypocritical judgment—condemning others for their sins while ignoring your own. It’s not a ban on discernment but a call to humility and self-examination.
Judging Can Mean Discerning Right from Wrong
John 7:24 – “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
Meaning: Jesus encourages righteous judgment—discernment based on truth, justice, and God’s standards, not shallow appearances or personal bias.
Judging Can Mean Condemning Without Mercy
James 2:12-13 – “Judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.”
Meaning: Judging without compassion or grace invites the same treatment. Christians are called to correct others in love and gentleness (Galatians 6:1).
Judging Can Mean Exercising Spiritual Accountability
1 Corinthians 5:12-13 – “Are you not to judge those inside [the church]? … ‘Put away from yourselves the evil person.’”
Meaning: Paul instructs the church to judge sin within the church body to maintain purity and protect the community. This is not condemnation, but spiritual correction for restoration.
Judging Can Be Arrogantly Usurping God’s Role
Romans 14:10-13 – “Why do you judge your brother? … For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” Meaning: This rebukes unnecessary or prideful judgment on secondary matters. Only God has the final authority over His servants.
HE CALLED FOR THE PEOPLE REPENT
THEY NEEDED TO TURN FROM THEIR SINS
AND TURN TO CHRIST IN FAITH
John didn’t wait for COMFORT OR CONVENIENCE—
he declared truth where it was most needed. •
2 Timothy 4:2 – “Preach the word… in season, out of season”
Galatians 1:10 – “Do I seek to please men or God?”
MANY WILL TRY TO SILENCE THE TRUTH
RATHER THAN SUBMIT TO THE TRUTH
YET SPEAK WITH COURAGE
MANY WILL SCOFF
RATHER THAN SURRENDER
YET SPEAK WITH COURAGE
MANY WILL TWIST THE TRUTH
RATHER THAN TURN TO THE TRUTH
YET SPEAK WITH COURAGE
MANY WILL CHOOSE LIES
OVER THE TRUTH
YET SPEAK WITH COURAGE
III. SPEAKS WITH CONVICTION
III. SPEAKS WITH CONVICTION
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
JOHN HAD A Voice for the Truth
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness…”
John was not the main attraction—he was the messenger preparing the way.
Isaiah 40:3 – Called to prepare the way for the Lord
1 Corinthians 4:2 – “It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful”
JOHN HAD A Mission to Prepare Hearts
HIS role wasn’t popular, but it was prophetic.
Romans 10:14–15 – How shall they hear without a preacher?
JOHN CAME Lifting Up Christ
I indeed baptize you with water unto 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.
“He that cometh after me is mightier than I…”
John’s greatest truth was not about himself, but about Jesus.
John 3:30 – “He must increase, but I must decrease”
Colossians 1:18 – Christ must have preeminence
HE WARNED THEM OF Christ’s Judgment and Power
His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Holy Ghost and fire… fan in His hand… burn the chaff
Truth is both saving and separating.
“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderers’ soap.
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.
Christ as purifier
Revelation 19:11–16 – Christ as righteous Judge
DO YOU HAVE
A FAITH THAT PROCLAIMS THE TRUTH
A FAITH THAT PROCLAIMS THE TRUTH
CAN I TESTIFY
I PROCLAIM CHRIST
BECAUSE I’M CONVINCED THAT IN CHIRST
THERE IS
HOPE FOR THE HURTING
DELIGHT FOR THE DAMAGED
CONFIDENCE FOR THE CRUSHED
ASSURANCE FOR THE AFFLICTED
FAITH FOR THE FLAWED
INSPIRATION FOR THE INJURED
I AM CONVINCED THAT
HIS LOVE IS Undeniable
HIS WILL IS Unvarying
HIS MERCY IS Unusual
HIS JUDGMENT IS Unswayable
HIS GRACE IS Unsurpassable
HIS WORD IS Unshakable
HIS POWER IS Unbeatable
I SPEAK WITH COURAGE AND CONVICTION BECAUSE I
Jesus is in the business of changing lives
He changed a shepherd boy into a King
He changed a farmer into a Prophet
He changed Jacob into Israel
He changed Abram into Abraham
He changed Saul into Paul
He changes sinners into saints
He can and is willing to change you
I SPEAK WITH COURAGE AND CONVICTION BECAUSE I
Came Rough; Left Righteous
Came Soiled; Left Washed
Came Sinner; Left Saint
Came Broken; Left Blessed
Came Bound; Left Delivered
WILL YOUR FAITH PROCLAIM THE TRUTH?
BECAUSE YOU KNOW
THAT CHRIST IS ABLE
He redeemed the reprehensible
He delivered the damned
He saved the shameful
He rescued the repulsive
He forgave the foolish
He did what could not otherwise be done.
HE GAVE HIS LIFE SO THAT WE MAY HAVE AN ABUNDANT LIFE
