Fixer Upper

1. ENGAGE: The Setup (The Fixer-Upper)

The HGTV Fantasy:

"How many of you love those home renovation shows? You know the ones. A couple walks into a disaster of a house, and in 30 minutes—with a commercial break—it is transformed into a palace."

"We buy into the fantasy. We walk into our own lives or our own habits and think, 'This has good bones. I just need to spruce it up. A little paint, some new throw pillows, maybe a new light fixture, and I’ll be a whole new person.'"

"We love the idea of a Cosmetic Remodel. It’s cheap, it’s fast, and it looks good on Instagram."

The "Uh-Oh" Moment:

"But then you start the work. You decide to replace a baseboard or peel back a little wallpaper in the corner."

"And you find it. You find the thing that wasn't in the brochure."

"Maybe you poke a beam with a screwdriver, and it goes straight through like it's made of cake—termites."

"Maybe you pull down a ceiling tile and get hit with the smell of wet earth—black mold climbing the insulation."

"Suddenly, your stomach drops. You realize: This isn't a weekend paint job. This is a structural disaster."

The Temptation to Cover Up:

"In that moment, you have a choice. And be honest—we’ve all felt the temptation."

"You think: 'Maybe if I just put the drywall back up really fast... maybe if I paint over the water stain with that heavy-duty primer... maybe if I just buy a bigger couch to hide the hole in the floor... no one will know.'"

"We want to cover the rot because fixing the rot is expensive. It is messy. It means tearing your house apart."

The Transition (Decoration vs. Demolition):

"Friends, this is exactly how we treat Advent. We treat Christmas like Decoration Season."

"We think, 'My life is a bit of a mess, my marriage is rocky, my integrity is crumbling... but it's December!'"

"So we get out the lights. We put up the tree. We play the nostalgia playlist. We come to church and sing 'Silent Night.' We are trying to hang ornaments on a house that is structurally unsound."

"We are trying to spray 'Pine Scent' air freshener over the smell of spiritual death in our hearts."

"But you cannot decorate your way out of a structural failure. If the foundation is rotting, the prettiest wreath in the world won't save the house from collapsing."

"You don't need a Decorator. You need a Demolition Crew."

2. TENSION: The Problem

The Struggle:

We want the "peace" of Christmas without the pain of repentance.

We want a Savior who adds to our life (like a room addition), not a Lord who deconstructs it.

The Conflict:

We resist the deep clean because it hurts. We are afraid of what we might find if we peel back the drywall of our hearts.

So, we stick to the surface. We come to church, we nod our heads, and we hope God doesn't notice the structural damage underneath.

TRANSITION (The Bridge to Truth):

"But God loves you too much to let you live in a condemned building. He knows that a fresh coat of paint won't stop the roof from caving in."

"So, before He sends the King to move in, He sends a Foreman to clear the site. And this Foreman isn't interested in your decorations."

"He doesn't meet us in our cozy living rooms where we can hide the mess. He calls us out to the job site—to the one place where there is no furniture to hide behind."

"And that is why, before we get to the manger, God sends us a man with a sledgehammer.

John the Baptist isn't here to help you hang lights.

He is here to tear down the walls you built to hide the rot."

3. TRUTH: The Biblical Solution

Context:

That is why Matthew 3 doesn't open in the comfortable courtyards of the Temple. It opens in the Judean Wilderness—a place of rocks, heat, and desolation.

Enter John the Baptist. He isn't wearing a festive sweater; he's wearing camel's hair. He isn't eating holiday cookies; he's eating locusts. He is the antithesis of soft, comfortable religion.

And yet, crowds are streaming out to him. Why? Because deep down, they know the "paint job" of the Pharisees isn't holding the house together anymore. They are ready for the demolition.

Exposition Point 1: The Inspection (The Voice)

Matthew 3:1–3 ESV

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ”

The Message: John doesn't offer a "life hack." He offers a warning: The King is coming, and the road is a mess.

"Repent": Greek: Metanoia. It doesn't mean "feeling sorry." It means "to turn around." It is a structural change, not a mood swing.

The Response: People confess their sins. They admit the structure is broken. They hand the Foreman the keys and allow the deconstruction to begin.

Exposition Point 2: The Demolition (The Axe)

Matthew 3:7–10 ESV

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

The False Security: The Pharisees rely on their lineage ("We have Abraham"). They rely on the "paint" of their religious status.

The Metaphor: John says, "The axe is laid to the root." He isn't pruning leaves; He is chopping down the tree.

The Demand: God demands Fruit (visible change), not just Heritage (labels). If the tree doesn't produce, it gets demolished.

Exposition Point 3: The Deep Clean (The Fire)

Matthew 3:11–12 ESV

11 “I baptize you with water for 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 fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

The Separation: The "Winnowing Fork" throws the harvest into the air. The heavy, real substance (Wheat) falls to the floor. The light, useless shell (Chaff) blows away.

The Fire: Jesus burns up the chaff. He burns up the "rot" and waste so the true grain can be saved.

The Promise: This sounds scary, but it is hopeful. He cleans the floor. He saves the wheat. He restores the house by removing the decay.

TRANSITION:

John is telling us:

Stop trying to glue the fruit onto dead branches.

Stop trying to paint over the mold.

We cannot decorate our way out of this.

We have to let the axe fall on the bad root so something new can grow.

Before we celebrate the birth, we have to survive the fire.

4. APPLICATION: The Choice

Practice 1: Stop Painting Over the Mold (Honesty)

We all have "religious paint" to cover character flaws.

Using Church Attendance to cover a lack of love at home.

Using Public Generosity to cover private greed.

The Challenge: Stop the cover-up. You can't fix what you won't acknowledge.

Practice 2: Submit to the Demolition (Repentance)

Real repentance feels like demolition.

It hurts to end the relationship that isn't God-honoring.

It hurts to delete the app that comforts you.

It hurts to admit you lied.

The Necessity: Do it anyway. Let the axe fall. You have to remove the rot to save the house.

Practice 3: Bear Fruit (The Proof)

John didn't say, "Feel bad." He said, "Bear fruit."

If you have been stealing, restitution is the fruit.

If you have been lying, the truth is the fruit.

Fruit is visible. It is the proof that the root has been healed.

5. INSPIRATION: The Vision

The Vision:

Imagine the relief of living in a house that is finally clean.

You don't fear the Inspector because you have nothing to hide in the walls.

You have peace not because you ignored the rot, but because you removed it.

Series Connection:

We wake up (Week 1), we clean up (Week 2), so that next week, we can endure the waiting.

6. ACTION: Your Assignment

Step 1: Identify. Find one specific area of "rot" in your life (toxic relationship, secret habit, dishonesty). Don't pick five; pick the worst one.

Step 2: Pray. "Lord, I give you permission to swing the axe at this specific root."

Step 3: Do. Initiate the fix today. Delete the app. Send the text. Write the check. Make the fruit visible.

7. ALTAR CALL: The Manger & The Cross

The Bridge:

"We have talked today about the hard work of demolition. The axe at the root. The fire that cleans. It sounds intense."

"If we had to do this renovation on our own, it would be impossible. We would be living in the rubble forever."

The Gospel Connection:

"But here is the good news of Advent. We are preparing for a Baby. But remember: That Baby did not stay in the manger."

"The Baby Jesus grew up. The wood of the manger became the wood of the Cross."

"He didn't come just to be 'with us' sentimentally; He came to take the axe of judgment upon Himself. He took the fire we deserved so we could be washed clean."

"The Renovation of your soul is expensive. But you don't pay for it. He paid for it with His life."

Call to Salvation (The First Time):

"Maybe you realize your 'house'—your life—is structurally unsound. You've been trying to DIY your salvation, but the floor is caving in."

"You need the Master Builder. If you want to stop striving and let Him start rebuilding you from the ground up, I want you to be bold. I want you to come forward and say, 'Lord, I want the new foundation.'"

Call to Rededication (The Deep Clean):

"Or maybe you are a believer. But if you are honest, you’ve been treating Jesus like a guest you keep in the living room while you hide the rot in the basement. You’ve been decorating over your sin with religious habits."

"You want to rededicate today. I want you to come forward and say, 'Lord, no more secrets. Access to every room. Clear it all out.'"

The Invitation:

"The King is coming. Not just as an infant, but as a saving Lord."

"If you need to accept Him, or if you need to tear down a wall you’ve built, come now."

"Don't wait for the 'perfect time.' The axe is at the root. The time is now. Come meet the One who makes all things new."

(Katelyn Sings)

TRANSITION TO PRAYER

"Whether you came forward or did business with God in your seat, the work has started."

"The demolition is done. Now the rebuilding begins."

"As we prepare to leave this place and go back into a world full of decorations and distractions, let’s pray to the Master Builder who guarantees the work.

Would you stand with me for our closing prayer?"

8. CLOSING PRAYER (The 6 P's)

PRAISE

Father, You are the Master Builder and the Holy Judge who desires truth in the inward parts.

We praise You that You do not leave us in our rubble, but You come to rebuild us.

PURPOSE

We acknowledge that our purpose is to be a temple fit for Your Spirit, bearing fruit that honors You.

We confess we were made to house Your presence, not to hide our sin.

PROVISION

Thank You for the fire of the Holy Spirit that cleanses what we cannot clean ourselves.

Thank You that Jesus paid the full cost of our renovation on the Cross.

PARDON

Forgive us for trying to hide our structural rot behind religious paint and external decorations.

Forgive us for relying on our heritage rather than a humble, repentant heart.

PROTECTION

Protect us from the delusion that we can fool You with our appearances.

Guard us from the chaff that threatens to choke out the wheat in our lives.

PRAISE

We glorify You, the One who baptizes with fire and grace.

We prepare the way for You today. In the name of the Coming King, Jesus, Amen.