Are You Going God's Way?
The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 3:1-12
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - January 7, 2018
(Revised October 6, 2020)
MESSAGE:
*One time I heard Bill Stafford preach at a conference in Jacksonville, Florida. Bill was talking about being stubborn, and he said, "I used to be so stubborn, that if I was riding in the car with my wife, trying to get to Jacksonville. And she told me I was heading in the wrong direction . . . I would drive all the way to Miami before I'd admit I was going the wrong way!"
*Church: That's a round trip of 700 miles going the wrong way, and that's being stubborn. But the Lord helped Bill get over his stubbornness. That's good, because we all need to be headed the right way in life. We all need to be going God's way, and today's Scripture shows us how.
1. FIRST: WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF REPENTING.
*The Bible tells us to repent in vs. 2. Here, John the Baptist was preaching and said, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" This is also the first thing Jesus preached in the next chapter: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'' (Matthew 4:17)
*Down in vs. 7, we see people who refused to repent. There, John the Baptist saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, and he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"
*We don't want to be rebellious against the Lord like the Pharisees and Sadducees! Who in their right mind would want to be a child of the spiritual snake called Satan? Who in their right mind would want to suffer the wrath of God? And there are only two choices: Rebellion against God or repentance toward God.
*But what does it mean to repent? Well, it's not just "turning over a new leaf" or "turning your life around." TV personality David Frost was talking about another man and David said, "He's turned his life around. He used to be depressed and miserable. Now he's miserable and depressed." (1)
*Penelope Stokes said: "The trouble with turning over a new leaf is that once you've done it twice, you're right back where you started." There's a big difference between "turning over a new leaf" and turning your life over to Jesus Christ! (2)
*What does it mean to repent? Paul Decker tells us that "repentance means we have a necessary change of mind. Our views change. Our values and goals change. The way we live changes. Repentance means that we turn away from sin and turn to God." (3)
*Gordon MacDonald once said: "Repentance is not basically a religious word. It comes from a culture where people were mostly nomads, constantly on the move. And they lived in a world with no maps or street signs. It is easy to get lost walking through the desert. Then you become aware that the countryside is strange. You finally say to yourself, 'I'm going in the wrong direction.'
*That's the first act of repentance, and the second act of repentance is to GO in a different direction. We start going in the right direction." (4)
*It's like that car Bill Stafford was driving, and he realized, "Hey, I'm going the wrong way. I don't want to go to Miami. I'm going to turn around." And then you do turn around. You turn away from sin and selfish living. And you turn to God.
*What direction are you headed in these days? We are never standing still. All of us need to turn away from bad actions and bad attitudes. So, take a good look at your life this morning, and turn away from every known sin. At the same time, turn toward the Lord and all of His goodness.
*In vs. 2, John the Baptist said, "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" Church: To me that means God's Kingdom is so close that we can reach out and touch it, if we will only turn to God.
*We can go God's way in life, if we will recognize the importance of repentance.
2. WE ALSO HAVE TO EXAMINE THE ESSENTIALS OF LIFE.
*Examining the essentials of life is crucial for us all, but we can't even begin until our spiritual eyes have been opened by the Lord. In Matthew 15:14, Jesus was speaking about hard-hearted leaders like the men here in vs. 7. And the Lord said: "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."
*Then in Matthew 23:15-16, Jesus spoke to some of these Christ-rejecting leaders, and the Lord said:
15. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16. Woe to you, blind guides."
*2 Corinthians 4:3-4 says:
3. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
*On the other hand, Hebrews 2:9 speaks to Christians and says: "We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone."
*Think how important our physical sight is. Would you trade your eyesight for a thousand dollars? Would you do it for a million? Nobody in their right mind would do that because our physical sight is so important.
*But spiritual sight is infinitely more important, and that's what we need to examine the essentials in life. Ask God to help you see the things He wants you to see, because in vs. 3-6, John the Baptist shows us some of these essentials.
[1] THE FIRST IS PREPARING THE WAY OF THE LORD IN OUR LIVES.
*In vs. 3, John the Baptist was crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight." This Scripture was an Old Testament prophecy about the man who would come to prepare the way for Jesus.
*That man was John the Baptist. And God gave this prophecy to Isaiah seven centuries before John was born. Isaiah 40:3-5 says:
3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough places smooth;
5. the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.''
*How can we prepare the way of the Lord in our own lives? Isaiah 40:4 in the New Living Translation says, "Fill the valleys and level the hills. Straighten out the curves and smooth off the rough spots."
-Are there low places in your life? -- things that are bound to pull you down?
-Are there mountains? -- things that rise up and stand between you and God?
-What things are distracting you and steering you off the straight path of the Lord?
-What things are making your life rough? Life would go a lot smoother if you would just let them go. It's essential: God wants us to prepare the way of the Lord in our lives.
[2] HE ALSO WANTS US TO TREASURE THE THINGS HE TREASURES.
*John the Baptist reminds us of this truth in vs. 4. There John "was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist."
*John the Baptist wasn't too concerned about wearing the finest clothes, and in Mathew 11:11, Jesus said there was none greater than John.
*Not that there is anything wrong with wearing nice clothes. I really like this coat, and in Genesis 37 the Lord didn't criticize Joseph for having a coat of many colors. In Matthew 6:29, Jesus talked about Solomon being clothed in great glory, but the Lord didn't criticize Solomon for it either.
*All things being equal, there's nothing wrong with having nice clothes. But good things can crowd out the best things in life. And we must not let the things of this world crowd out the things of God! It's essential: God wants us to treasure the things He treasures.
[3] HE ALSO WANTS US TO CONFESS OUR SINS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
*In vs. 5-6, God's Word says:
5. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him
6. and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
*In order to confess our sins, we have to see them the same way God sees them. And 1 John 1:8-9 says this to Christians:
8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
*If you want to go God's way, take the time to examine these essentials in your life: Am I preparing the way of the Lord in my own life? Am I treasuring the things God treasures? And am I confessing my sins to God on a regular basis? Examine the essentials, That's how to go God's way in life.
3. WE ALSO HAVE TO FOCUS ON A FRUITFUL LIFE.
*John the Baptist spoke about a fruitful life in vs. 8-9, and he said:
8. "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
9. and do not think 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."
*Look at it this way: Our parents, grandparents and ancestors may have been spiritually alive in the Lord. And they might have had a great harvest of spiritual fruit for God's Kingdom. But that doesn't mean we are alive. We could be spiritually deader than a rock.
*God wants all Christians to live fruitful lives. And we know this is important, because God's Word mentions it many other times in the New Testament. I think of the parables of Christ, the letters of Paul, and the Gospel of John.
*For example, in John 15:1-8 just hours before the cross, Jesus said this about our fruitfulness:
1. "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
*As we go through the New Testament, we can see at least four different types of Christian fruit:
[1] THE FIRST IS HOLINESS AND GOODNESS, THE CHARACTER OF JESUS CHRIST.
*Romans 6:22 tells Christians, "Now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life." Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance." And Ephesians 5:9 says, "The fruit of the Spirit is in all (that is, in all believers) goodness, righteousness and truth."
[2] THE SECOND KIND OF CHRISTIAN FRUIT IS OUR FINANCIAL GIVING.
*In Philippians 4:15-17, Paul said:
15. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only.
16. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities.
17. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.
[3] THE THIRD KIND OF CHRISTIAN FRUIT IS OUR HEART-FELT PRAISE TO GOD.
*Hebrews 13:15 says: "Therefore by Him (by Jesus) let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."
*God wants all of us to be intentional about praising Him. Praise Him when you first get up in the morning. Praise Him in the shower. Praise Him on the way to work. Praise Him when you lay down at night.
*Praise the Lord! Praise Him because He is always worthy of our praise. Praise Him because it will cheer you up and ease your worries. And praise the Lord because all of your heart-felt praise is spiritual fruit in your life.
[4] THE FOURTH KIND OF FRUIT IS THE ONE WE THINK OF THE MOST, AND THAT IS REACHING MORE PEOPLE FOR JESUS CHRIST.
*Listen to the Lord in John 4:35-36:
35. "Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
36. And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together."
*Then in Romans 1:13, Paul said: "Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you." And why did Paul plan on going to Rome? He said, "that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles."
*Christians: God wants all of us to be more fruitful in life. And you may feel worn out right now. But don't give up on bearing fruit for the Lord!
*King Duncan told about a young man who was running in a marathon race. He was falling farther and farther behind the other runners. But then he looked like as if he was saying something to himself, and he began to pick up the pace. That young man began to pass other people, and he wound up winning that marathon!
*Afterwards, someone asked him what he was saying to himself, and he replied, "Oh, I wasn't talking to myself. I was talking to God. I was saying, 'Lord, you pick them up. And I'll put them down.'" (5)
*Christians: The same God who gave us life, the same God who gave us eternal life, will surely help give us fruitful lives for His glory. And we will go God's way, if we will focus on a fruitful life.
4. BUT ABOVE ALL, WE HAVE TO TRUST JESUS TO TURN OUR LIVES AROUND
*John the Baptist was talking about Jesus in vs. 10-12, where John said:
10. 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.
11. I indeed baptize you with water unto 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 fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.''
*God is doing serious business in these verses. He is separating the wheat from the worthless chaff. A lot of people are going down in the flames, and all of us deserve to.
*If John the Baptist wasn't worthy, do you think we are? -- Not a chance. But here is the good news in God's Word for us: God created you, and He loves you beyond measure. He loves us even though all of us have broken His laws and been selfish in our lives. He loved us enough to send His only begotten Son into the world to die for our sins.
*That is what Jesus Christ did when He died on the cross. But God the Father raised Him from the dead. And now God offers eternal life to everyone who will turn to Jesus and put their trust in Him.
*The "MS Herald" was a British ferry that used to travel the English Channel between Dover, England and the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. On the night of March 5th, 1987, the Herald left the Belgian port with a crew of 80 and 459 passengers. About 25 minutes later, that ship rolled on its side and partially sank in the shallow water. The forward loading doors had been negligently left open, and water began pouring in as soon as the ship got up to speed. The lights went out almost immediately. There was panic and confusion. People were screaming. It was a horrifying situation, and 193 people died that night.
*Andrew Parker and his family were trapped on that sinking ferry. By the grace of God, there was large metal buoy floating close to the boat. It was close, but just out of reach.
*It was too far for anyone to jump, -- except for Andrew. He was big enough and strong enough to stretch his body out across the gap. Andrew turned his body into a human bridge, and 20 people crossed over to safety. (6)
*That is a picture of what Jesus Christ did for us! None of us is big enough or strong enough, smart enough or good enough to get to Heaven on our own. But Jesus Christ will be your bridge. He even died on the cross to be your bridge to Heaven.
*Our risen Savior Jesus is the only way to Heaven, but you have to turn to Him and put your trust in Him. And when you do you, He will give you salvation!
CONCLUSION:
*Are you going God's way today? You surely can if you will recognize the importance of repentance, examine the essentials of life, focus on a fruitful life, and trust Jesus to turn your life around.
*Please think about these things as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) Quotation from David Frost - Source: "Dynamic Illustrations - Oct. Nov. Dec. 2001 - Topic: Conversion
(2) Words in Season, Penelope Stokes, p. 22 - Source: "McHenry's Quips, Quotes, and Other Notes" by Raymond McHenry - Published by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. - p. 172
(3) SermonCentral sermon "A Dream Come True" by Paul Decker - Matthew 4:12-17 - 2/27/2000
(4) Adapted from SermonCentral sermon "REVIVAL" by Gerald Flury - 2 Chronicles 7:14
(5) "Frustrated by Their Lack of Faith" by King Duncan - Mark 6: 1-6 - Source: 06/29/2002 email from Sermons.com
(6) Sources:
-Jon Johnston, "WALLS OR BRIDGES" - Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988 - Source: Sermons.com email illustration 01/09/2005
-"'It was a night of paralysing terror. But also great heroism': Survivors relive the Zeebrugge ferry disaster 30 years after 193 passengers were killed within 60 seconds of leaving a Belgian port" by Joseph Curtis for MailOnline - 5 March 2017 - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4283156/Survivors-relive-Zeebrugge-ferry-disaster-30-years-later.html
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Herald_of_Free_Enterprise
