Preperation for the Prince

Intro

recap series - talk about why we are studying a book vs doing something topical

Have the kids read the text Matt 3:1-12

Matthew 3:1–12 ESV

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 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.’ ” Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 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? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 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. 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. “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. 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.”

Who was John the Baptist?

§Cousin of Jesus

§Wore crazy clothes - John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist

Eat crazy food - his food was locusts and wild honey

§Had a large following

§Is talked about in 4/4 gospels

So what was John doing? yeah, right - he was baptizing for sure - and thats where he gets his name. However, its a little unfortunate because I think we define John more by what he was doing, and not why he was doing it.

WHY was John the baptist baptizing people? To prepare people for the coming kingdom of heaven

Great moves of God often require preperation

Why Preperation?

Preperation makes you more receptive

use the example of getting bad news - in this case - John needed to prepare his people to be receptive to what was about to come

Preparation equips you

use example of preparing for a test, or basketball game

Preparation often shows the importance of the thing to come

John was preparing his people for a move of God, and Matthew is using his readers to prepare us for the same thing

Because, we are about to embark on the same life changing journey that Israel had at the turn of the calendar.

So I want us to look John’s message and see how we can prepare for this semester.

the first thing we see in John’s message is this

This coming kingdom doesnt care about your “religous-ness”

so the religous folks came out to see John and he calls them a “brood of vipers”

In this coming Kingdom, there will be wrath for the unrepentant and unfruitful

why? because you’re rebillion is against the king - and he’s coming back

This Kingdom promises the Spirit of God to those who receive it

Matthew 3:11 ESV

“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.

So how to we recieve it? what do we do? what was John saying that these people should do, and in turn, what can we do in order to prepare for God to move in our lives?

The way we prepare for this coming Kingdom is to simply repent