SF888 - The Substance of Great Preaching (Matthew 3 7-12)

Matthew 3:7-12

Introduction

Last week we examined “The Secret of Greatness.”  We learned that Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest man to ever live.  Matthew set before us six character traits that define greatness.  They are a consecrated life, an uncompromised message, a correct motive, a clear mission, a compelling manner, and a complete ministry.

This week Matthew sets before us the kind of message that great people bring.  He defines for us the substance of great preaching.  For that matter he gives us the substance of great teaching and witnessing.

Three elements of great preaching are a proper audience to hear the truth, a powerful presentation of the truth, and a personal application of the truth.

1A.      A Proper Audience to Hear the Truth  (3:7a)

1B.      The regular people  (3:5-6)

Ø      Nominally religious

Matthew 9:36 (NASB) 36Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

2B.      The ritualistic Pharisees

Ø      They were isolationists who thought they had to stay away from those outside their group.

Ø      They were self-righteous and believed that by keeping the rules they were right with God.  They trusted in themselves, their rules, and their rituals not in Christ.

Ø      They were legalists who majored on keeping the Law and the “tradition of the elders.”  They rejected by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.

3B.      The rationalistic Sadducees

Ø      They were pragmatist; they believed the ends justified the means.

Ø      They were compromisers; they believed that there were many ways to heaven.

Ø      They were humanists; they believed in absolute autonomy of man and the unlimited freedom of the human will.

Ø      They were naturalist; they rejected anything supernatural in the Bible.

2A.      A Powerful Presentation of the Truth  (3:7b-10)

1B.      A direct confrontation of sin  (3:7b-8)

Warn men of the danger of sin  (3:7b)

“vipers,” desert viper that was often mistaken for a dead stick.  (Acts 28:3)

Ø      Sin is deceitful

Jeremiah 17:9 (NASB) 9“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Ø      Sin is deadly  (Romans 6:23)

Ø      Sin is demonic

Revelation 12:9 (NASB) 9And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Teach men the demands of repentance  (3:8)

Ø      Recognition of our sin

2 Timothy 2:25-26 (NASB) 25with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

Ø      Remorse because of our sin

Psalm 51:1 (NASB) 1Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.

Ø      Response of a changed life

Psalm 51:10, 13 (NASB) 10Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.  13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.

2B.      A deliberate communication of grace  (3:9-10)

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  (3:9)

Romans 9:8 (NASB) 8 …it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB) 8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Salvation is proven not by a past act but by present fruitfulness  (3:10)

John 15:6 (NASB) 6“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

Ø      The fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB) 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Ø      The fruit of a Christian is another Christian

Romans 7:4 (NASB) 4Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

3A.      A Personal Application of the Truth  (3:11-12)

1B.      There is the outward evidence of repentance  (3:11a)

“baptize with water for repentance”

2B.      Which gives testimony to the inward work of the Spirit  (3:11b)

“baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

1 Corinthians 12:13 (NASB) 13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

3B.      Or there will be the eternal state of judgment  (3:12)

Revelation 21:8 (NASB) 8“But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Application

Two groups here this morning…

Those who like the nominally religious, the Pharisees, or the Sadducees are trusting in your works to get you to heaven.

Those who are trusting in Christ alone for salvation

Which group are you in?

THE SUBSTANCE OF GREAT PREACHING
Matthew 3:7-12

1A.      A Proper __________________ to Hear the Truth  (3:7a)

1B.      The ____________________ people  (3:4-5)

Matthew 9:36 (NASB) 36Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

2B.      The ________________________ Pharisees

3B.      The _______________________ Sadducees

2A.      A Powerful _____________________ of the Truth  (3:7b-10)

1B.      A direct __________________ of sin  (3:7b-8)

___________ men of the danger of sin  (3:7b)

__________ men the demands of repentance  (3:8)

2B.      A deliberate __________________ of grace  (3:9-10)

Salvation is by _____________ alone, through _________ alone, in ___________ alone.  (3:9)

Romans 9:8; Ephesians 2:8-9

Salvation is proven not by a ___________ act but by ____________ fruitfulness  (3:10)

John 15:6 (NASB) 6“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

Ø      The ___________ of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB) 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Ø      The ___________ of a Christian is another Christian

Romans 7:4 (NASB) 4Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

3A.      A Personal ____________________ of the Truth  (3:11-12)

1B.      There is the _____________ evidence of repentance  (3:11a)

2B.      Which gives testimony to the ____________ work of the Spirit  (3:11b)

1 Corinthians 12:13

3B.      Or there will be the ______________ state of judgment  (3:12)

Revelation 21:8