Cut Down Some Trees

Luke 3:1-20

Luke 3:1–20 NKJV

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ” 7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin 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. 9 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.” 10 So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?” 11 He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” 12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” 14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.” 15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” 18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

We do not cut down living and healthy trees! We cut down dead or dying unhealthy trees!

Dr. Luke is telling us of John the Baptist’s message and our need to IDENTIFY AND CHOP DOWN 5 TYPES OF DEAD TREES IN OUR CHURCHES!

BECAUSE OFTEN LOOKING FROM THE OUTSIDE A TREE WILL LOOK GOOD AND LIVELY, IT WILL HAVE A NICE CLEAN GOOD LOOKING APPEARANCE BUT INTERNALLY IT IS FULL OF ROT… AND THE EVIDENCE IS SEEN IF YOU WATCH A WHILE THAT IT BEARS NO FRUIT OR IMPROPER FRUIT! DECEPTION IS OFTEN PRESENT IN THE MOST RELIGIOUS LOOKING AND ACTING PERSON AND WE CAN DECEIVE OURSELVES.,

5 AREAS OF DECEPTION IN OUR CHURCHES AND LIVES

FALSE REPENTANCE (vs 7,8)

repentance without fruit is a dead tree- WE CAN DETERMINE TO REPENT AND SET OUR MINDS TO REPENTANCE BUT DO WE ACTUALLY DO IT? IS THEIR EVIDENCE? IS THEIR FRUIT?

Fruit of true repentance will be a changed life! God doesn’t need us but desires us to serve Him and have a true relationship with Him

Fruit of true repentance will be a changed life!

ie: forest fire- cleanes the forest and kills all the dead fallen trees, leaves etc.... the animals… the snakes and scorpions and varmin leave their burrows during a fire and flee but once the fire is gone they return to the same hole in the ground they left

Same is true for use- without true repentance and surrender to God we may make a profession and clean up for a little while but our lives return back to our same old ways like nothing ever happened! WE WERE NOT CHANGED!!

After profession and baptism, etc.... repentance doesn’t remain, this is not true repentance but instead emotion and often verbal confession

Repentance without fruit is a dead tree!

FALSE RELIGION (vs 8)

You must be born again! THAT IS YOU HAVE ENTERED INTO A LIFE SAVING AND LIFE CHANGING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.

To enter into the Kingdom of Heaven you must be a new creature! The old man must die and a new man born! Work of the Spirit.... transformation that God will do and will complete!

Family history cannot save you, status in the church cannot save you!

He can raise up Children unto Abraham or Christians to worship His from stones if He desired but DOESN'T He chooses us to come to Him in true repentance and surrender and have a true relationship with Him!

Relationships take time and dedication. They take hard work and commitment. They require spending time with one another and communication both ways.

DEAD FAITH (vs 10-14)

People asked “What shall we do?”

Ref Book of James- Faith without work is dead!

We are to demonstrate faith by Godly Living and good works.

Help those in need and be satisfied with what you have, do violence to no one, and do not gossip or accuse others falsely.

Works cannot save us, and works cannot earn our way into heavy

only Jesus Cross of Christ

Works should naturally be produced from our faith being lived out… are our words, our language, the things we do and see/watch, how we spend time producing fruits from a genuine faith. They are a reflection of our heart. It is right with God and made new or is it still filled with the rottenness of sin??

A GOSPEL THAT IS JUST LOVE (vs 16)

GOD IS LOVE BUT IS ALSO HOLY, JEALOUS AND JUST. DUE TO HIS LOVE HE MUST DEAL WITH SIN WE CANNOT LEAVE OUT THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD

We are to judge righteously based on Truth- found only in God’s Word

we must speak up and call sin - sin! and we must do so boldly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and show other’s what God’s Word says! We are not the judge but God and His Word is the Judge!

This is where our problem is in America, we as the body of Christ have remained silent for far too long, we blame the government but the PROBLEM ISN’T IN THE WHITE HOUSE, IT’S IN THE CHURCH HOUSE!

Without prayer, intercession and taking a bold stand upon God’s Word we are failing to fulfil our purpose!

Jesus is coming to separate the wheat from the chaff.

His winnowing fork is in His hand, and he will clear His threshing floor, gathering His wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

The age-old practice of literally separating wheat from chaff. When winnowing grain, farmers wanted to remove all chaff from wheat. In the literal meaning, chaff is the husk around a seed, which one does not eat. In order to eat the wheat, one must remove the chaff. Put grain in large silos open windows at top and beat the grain to separate and then fling it into the air, wind would catch the grain and blow it out

Wind, Fire- speaking of the power and work of the Holy Spirit, will remove the chaff and it will burn eternally!

MISPLACED AUTHORITY (vs 19)

POWER COME FROM AUTHORITY. THOSE WITH AUTHORITY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE AUTHORITY BY GOD, HOWEVER MEN CAN ELEVATED OTHERS TO AUTHORITY OUTSIDE THE WILL OF GOD AND GOD ALLOWS THIS AS A FORM OF JUDGEMENT

Herod had no morality or virtue but had authority

Those with authority in Churches that are not truly children of God should be removed! Their leadership and guidance should be removed! Those producing fruit of unrighteousness should be removed.

those participating in gossip, lies, slander, while playing Christian should be removed from places of leadership/authority. If no evidence of Godly fruit then they need to be removed until true repentance comes and is displayed. Cannot just do this for a while, but must be ongoing evidence!! Not just a period of “good behavior” but genuine true change. Cannot have those operating under worldly, fleshly, demonic wisdom leading God’s people in any capacity. God is purifying His Church. He is calling the Bride of Christ to Holiness in preparation for the Wedding Feast He has prepared. He is sanctifying His children in preparation for them to enter into their glorified bodies!!

The world sees what we do and sees the hypocrisy! It is destroying the witness and ministry of the church! It it destroying Churches from within, as James would say it is murdering relationships. Splitting churches, hindering the work of the church, grieving the Holy Spirit, and slowing the advancement of God’s Kingdom. And we cannot be so pompus to state God’s Church will prevail--- Yes it will.... When they are walking in the Spirit of Truth!!!