Scripture: Luke 3:7-18; Philippians 4:4-7 and Isaiah 12:2-6
Theme: Roots and Fruits
Scripture: Luke 3:7-18; Philippians 4:4-7 and Isaiah 12:2-6
Theme: Roots and Fruits
Proposition: John shares with us 1. A powerful exhortation of genuine repentance/forgiveness and grace 2. The need for personal examination and reflection 3. The expectation of living a life of genuine holiness and 4. The excitement of possessing the fire of the Holy Spirit in our lives
INTRO:
Grace and peace from our Father in Heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ! Shalom!
How many of us would agree this morning that one of the most rewarding and yet challenging tasks today is how to be a good parent or step parent? Parenting is one of the most wonderful life realities that any of us can experience and yet it can also be one of the most frustrating experiences as well.
For example, how do you and your mate balance the loving and caring part of parenting along with the part that requires a measure of accountability and discipline? How do you balance being a parent full of grace and mercy while at the same time promoting responsibility and accountability? It is not easy is it? It's hard to balance everything.
Some couples result to the roles of good cop/bad cop. One chooses to take the role of the loving, compassionate and caring parent while the has to be the disciplinarian, the authoritarian and the heavy. One chooses to be all peaches and cream while the other is left being the stale bread and water.
Just so you know, that particular way of parenting is unfair, lazy and lousy way to fulfill you God given role of being a parent. It is also extremely unbiblical and even damaging to the child and to each of the parents. Instead, each parent has to help the other and there can't be just one parent of grace and one parent of accountability. Both mom and dad (and grandparents) have to help one another in all situations that arise, including those when one needs grace and those when one needs discipline. No one likes to be the disciplinarian, but if we don't have a balance then we have highly unbalanced children. That is not good for them or for their future mates.
Our Lukan passage this morning is one of balance. John the Baptist takes on both the role of disciplinarian and amazing grace. His message resonates with tones of mercy and judgment. Let's take a few moments and see what John the Baptist seeks to share with us this third Sunday of Advent.
I. John's exhortation (preaching) is simple, direct and full of power.
As you read verses 7 -9 John delivers a simple and direct clear cut message concerning the need for repentance and accountability. John is very plain spoken and unswerving. He doesn't mix his words. His message is easy to understand. You are not left having to wonder what John is saying. John does not live in a world of abstracts. His world is black and white.
It is very evident that John is not trying to appease anyone except his Heavenly Father. He steps right in line with the prophets of old by giving a clear, well defined message from God. Repent for the forgiveness of sins or be thrown into the fire. Repent for the forgiveness of sins or feel the axe of judgment. Repent for the forgiveness of sins or God will simply choose another people.
It could be said that John was not seeker sensitive at least in the modern sense of that term. Some I am sure believed that John could have used better words than telling his audience that some of them were the spawn of vipers who were only looking for a way to escape the oncoming judgment fires of God rather than being transformed by God. Spawn of vipers, axe cutting down trees and raging fires are strong metaphors.
However, we must understand that John had a message from God that he had to share. John was no stranger to holiness living. He was raised in the home of devoted parents. Parents that are described as righteous and living a blameless life before the LORD. His father was a committed and consecrated Levite priest. John knew the Torah, the Temple, and the true means of sharing God's truth. John knew how to pray, how to offer incense and how to prepare a proper sacrifice to the LORD. When it came to religion, John was an insider. He was of the line of Aaron. Worshipping God and living a holy life was in his DNA.
Still, John also knew that the normal way of worship was bringing about little change in Jewish society. Sure, the people were going to the Temple. Sure, the people were offering sacrifices. Sure, the people were hearing the Word at their local synagogues. But as he looked around he was not seeing lives being transformed. He was not seeing the messages of Jeremiah, Ezekiel being put into action. Both prophets spoke of God's people being given a new heart filled with the Spirit of God. Both prophets preached that God's people would be radically changed and John simply did not see that occurring.
Therefore, John simply did not have time to be all fuzzy and warm. He knew that his people were in grave spiritual danger. So, he became a spiritual lighthouse and a spiritual fog horn. He became a spiritual lightening rod. He was determined to do all he could to warn the people before they completely spiritual ship wrecked and spiritual destroyed.
We need people like John the Baptist. People who have been given a message from God and are not afraid to tell the truth. People who are versed in the Word, who have hearts of compassion, but at the same time are able to be bold in the preaching and in the teaching of the Good News. People who can look around them and see that things are not right and that the only way they are going to get right is if someone tells the truth about sin and redemption, about judgment and righteousness and about Heaven and Hell.
II. John preaching focused on the need for personal examination and reflection - verses 7-9
John is not interested in sharing a few truths and saying a closing prayer and letting people go home. John is interested in people's lives being changed. John is interested in people being both stirred and transformed by the message of God. John is interested in real change that results in a life of holiness and sanctification.
Neither is John concerned about a person's spiritual heritage. In fact, John has a warning to those who trust in being born in the right family. He knows well enough that just being born into a holy family does not mean that one is holy by birth. For John, holiness is not something that is simply handed down from one generation to another like blue eyes or blond hair. Each generation must take up its own mantel of holiness.
John is concerned about a person taking a serious look at their own personal spiritual life. He wanted those who heard him to take some time and reflect and examine their own walk with the LORD. He wanted them to know inside their own hearts and minds that they are following the LORD. John wanted them to do exactly what Jeremiah writes in Lamentations 3:40.
Lamentations 3:40 (ESV) 40 Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!
John wanted them simply to heart the message of the LORD and then to take some time and reflect on it. He wanted them to chew on it for a while. He wanted to mull it over and allow it to resonate in their hearts and their lives.
Reflection, meditation and examination make up three of the foundational stones of a life in Christ. John Wesley made it a practice in his Methodist charges for his people to regularly examine their own personal lives.1 The Catholic Church uses the precepts of the Catholic Church along with the 10 commandments as a means by which individual members of their church are to examine their walks with the LORD.2 In our church manual there is a whole section on the conduct of holiness living that we are encouraged to look at occasionally and examine our own walk of holiness.3
2 Corinthians 13:5-6 tells us that Paul encouraged the members of his churches to take some time and examine their personal walks with Christ. Listen to his words:
"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed you fail to me the test! I hope you find out that we have not failed the test. But we pray to God that you may not do wrong - not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth".
Listen to his words to young Timothy concerning this matter:
1 Timothy 4:11-16 English Standard Version (ESV)
11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,[a] so that all may see your progress.16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
It is never wrong or out of place for us to periodically ask ourselves some very important questions: “Do I have a personal relationship with Christ? Have I asked him to save me from my sin? Have I really surrendered to him as Lord of my life? Have I embraced the reality of his death and resurrection in my life? Am I walking the way of Holiness? Am I experiencing a saved and sanctified life in Christ? Have I been baptized by water and by the Holy Spirit? Are the fires of Christ burning brightly in my heart and life? Is my life producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit? Am I being restored into the image of Jesus Christ?
III. John's preaching expected lifestyle changes to occur in the lives of those who listened
Three different groups of people asked John for spiritual direction in their lives. They heard his no nonsense message. They began to examine their own lives and they asked John what they should do as a next step. First, we see that John addressed the general crowd, then he addressed a group of tax collectors and finally a company of soldiers.
John was not shy about handing out practical advice. He presented them concrete ways that they could visibly show that their spiritual roots were good, growing and producing fruit.
John preaching balanced good theology with good practics. He was not interested in people just examining their lives and concluding that they were in a right relationship with the LORD. He wanted his hearers to understand that pure hearts will always translate into pure lives. That a saved life will always turn into a sanctified lifestyle.
It is true this morning, that works will not save us. We are saved by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Nonetheless, as St. James will later point out faith without works is dead. Faith that does not result in a transformed life is simply non-existent. Listen to the words of James 2:14 - 26 (ESV)
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?[c] 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
St. James like John the Baptist wanted to get across a serious message. First comes repentance, grace and forgiveness. They are essential. They are foundational. But following them comes a transformed life. Repentance without works just declares that true repentance never really happened. If there is no change then there was no real salvation. A new birth experience has to lead to a new life or there was no new birth. It is just as simple as that.
Confession without commitment is false confession.
Bruce Larson in his commentary on Luke4 refers to the fact that we must possess both good roots and good fruits. We must possess the roots of salvation, the WORD, commitment, Jesus and prayer. Alongside those we must also have the fruits of compassion, love, generosity, sacrifice and social justice.
It is this balance that is difficult to maintain. Under the leadership of William Booth the Salvation Army was dedicated to this two ministry approach. They would strongly preach the message of repentance and salvation and they would also reach out to the poor, to the hungry and to any that needed a hand up. They would minister both to the souls of men and to their bodies as well.
Social justice without the message of repentance and holiness is simply humanistic welfare. You save the body but condemn the soul.
Holiness preaching that is only concerned with the salvation of the soul and not with the salvation of the body, mind and heart turns into legalism. Bringing the Kingdom of God to earth means whole salvation - body, mind, heart and soul. It is the trademark of holiness preaching and living.
So, how do we do both? How do we make sure that we are being faithful in preaching the Good News and at the same time living out the Good News? We simply do what John tells us to do. We preach, teach and witness about repentance, salvation and sanctification. At the same time we reach out with compassion, love and grace. We make sure that we feed the hungry, cloth the needy and live a life of righteousness. We don't steal, we work hard and we treat one another with love and respect. John the Baptist basically tells us to live out the two great commandments - love God and love others.
IV. Finally, John's preaching displays an excitement about real change today!
John is not simply preaching a pie in the sky theology. He expects the crowd, the tax collectors and the soldiers to be able to do what he instructs. He expects the people to be able to repent, receive forgiveness and live a life of sanctification. He believes that because he is excited knowing who is coming. He is excited because he knows that the he is just the forerunner for the coming Messiah.
John knows that his water baptism will be superseded by the baptism of fire that Jesus will bring. Whereas John baptizes with water, Jesus is coming to baptize with the fire of the Holy Spirit. John knows that in Jesus men and women, boys and girls will be able to come to full and complete salvation. John knows that in Jesus what he has been preaching will become a reality in everyone's life that accepts Jesus as their Savior and LORD.
One of the great joys of any minister, preacher, teacher or educator is knowing that once the light bulb is turned on, once a person opens the door to new knowledge, new insight and salvation that the sky is the limit for them. That from that moment on the only limit that a person has is themselves. All they have to do is to continue to dig, study and progress. John knew that he was only helping to build a foundation. He knew that Jesus was coming and that in Jesus the whole world would be transformed.
Later on St. John would write these words concerning John the Baptist when he saw Jesus - "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29).
John was overwhelmed when he realized that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus would not just wash away the sin of people, he would put within their hearts His fire, His Holy Spirit. The prophecies of Jeremiah 33 and Ezekiel 36 would become a reality. God's law would come into a persons' heart and that person would receive a whole new spirit.
That is the hope, that is the love and the joy of the Advent Season. God so loves us that He redeems us, He renews us and He restores us. God so loves us that He saves us and sanctifies us. God so loves us that we can experience the excitement of not just knowing what it means to be holy, we can actually live out a holy life. It is all supernatural and marvelous!
John gets all charged up because he can see millions and millions of people who accept Jesus as Savior and LORD. John gets all charged up because he can see people burning brightly with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
In teaching on this passage John Wesley shares his genius: "It is not properly John, but the Holy Ghost, who teaches us in the following answers, how to come ourselves, and how to instruct other penitent sinners to come to Christ, that he may give them rest. The sum of all this is, Cease to do evil, learn to do well. These are the fruits worthy of repentance."
It is that last metaphor that both John the Baptist uses and John Wesley uses that I would like for us ponder on. John preaches a clear message of repentance. John clearly wants us to examine our lives. John expects us to live transformed lives. John is excited because it is the fruit of repentance and fruit of holiness that we are able to produce.
The idea of fruit is that it takes some time to grow and ripe. You simply don't approach a tree any time you want and expect it to have fruit. For apples trees you can't really expect any useable fruit until the tree is about 4 to 5 years old. The tree then has to put forth buds, they have to be pollinated, the fruit then starts off very small and has to fully mature. On after about 100 - 200 days depending on the type of apple you can start to harvest the fruit.
The time period is even longer for a pecan tree. They usually take about 10 years before they begin to produce useable pecans. Again you have to wait for the tree to bud, pollinate and begin to grow pecans. It all takes time and patience along with hard work.
So, when we read John's sermon here, we must understand that John very much understood human nature. He knew it would take time for his listeners to begin to produce the fruit of repentance, the fruit of salvation and the fruit of a holy life. John knew all of this would not happen overnight. It does not happen by accident only by design.
If we are waiting for something holy just to happen in our lives, in our families or even in our congregations by accident we shall be sorely disappointed. It takes digging, planting, fertilizing, careful watering and pruning before we can even begin to expect repentance, salvation and holiness. It is a life long adventure.
But it is a great life long adventure. As we continue to march towards Christmas, John reminds us once again we are on a road towards holiness. A road that will lead us to hearing simple, direct and plain spoken truth about sin, forgiveness, grace, salvation and holiness. A road that will lead us to times of personal examination and reflection. A road that will lead us to living different lives. A road that will lead us to experiencing not only water baptism but the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
This morning, I invite you to allow Jesus to be your Savior.
This morning, I invite you to allow Jesus to be your LORD
This morning, I invite you to allow Jesus to lead you in a life of holiness.
This morning, I invite you to the table of the LORD to receive His presence in Holy Communion.
Song of invitation - Called Unto Holiness or Come Holy Spirit
1John Wesley's Questions of Examination
1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass onto another what was told me in confidence?
4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
6. Did the Bible live in me today?
7. Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
8. Am I enjoying prayer?
9. When did I last speak to someone about my faith?
10. Do I pray about the money I spend?
11. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
12. Do I disobey God in anything?
13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
16. How do I spend my spare time?
17. Am I proud?
18. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the publican?
19. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward, or disregard? If so, what am I going to do about it?
20. Do I grumble and complain constantly?
21. Is Christ real to me?
Reference: John Wesley’s Class Meetings: a Model for Making Disciples, by D. Michael Henderson, Evangel Publishing House, 1997, pp. 118-9
2 A rather long and arduous task of self examination by Catholics can be found at the following website: http://www.beginningcatholic.com/catholic-examination-of-conscience.html
3 http://www.crivoice.org/creednazarene.html#Part III - especially the Covenant of Christian Conduct
4 The Communicator's Commentary: Luke Hardcover – December, 1983 by Bruce Larson (Author), Lloyd J. Ogilvie (Editor)
