Grace Community Church
Winchester, VA
Pastor Bradford Reaves
Watch this message at: https://youtu.be/XeBqmU3cLVI
Introduction
I want you to think back to the time of your salvation when you truly repented for your sins before God. Some of you know the moment and for some of you, I shared that moment with you. I remember of all the years I attended church services when the Hoy Spirit brought to my attention the depth of my sins and the condition of my unrepentant heart. I went to the altar of that church and pleaded with God for his forgiveness and asked God to save me. I’ve gone back to His throne of forgiveness many times.
In the Western Church, there is an epidemic of cheap grace and superficial repentance. Today’s Gospel has been stripped away from repentance, lawfulness, God’s wrath, and accountability. In his book, The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer pens these famous words about cheap grace:
"CHEAP GRACE is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting to-day for costly grace. Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjacks’ wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices. Grace is represented as the Church’s inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing.
Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything, they say, and so everything can remain as it was before. “All for sin could not atone.” The world goes on in the same old way, and we are still sinners (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (p. 43-44)."
If what I say to you has any meaning, any conviction, any stirring of your heart, then I believe that God is working in your heart to prepare the way for Christ to live more fully in you. There are many in the church today, even those in leadership, who are living a life of Christian morals but without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. They once were told to “accept Jesus” but their hearts and minds were never transformed. There are people who come to church every week, but their lives produce no fruit.
The kind of people I am talking about is the people Jesus identified in Matthew 7:23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
These are the kind of people, John the Baptist came to preach. We started off last week examining the condition of the world John entered into when he started his preaching ministry in 26 AD. Essentially it was a politically corrupt and religiously liberal day. Dark and hopeless; much like today. John’s job makes straight the path for the Lord. Level the mountain, fill in the valleys, smooth out the rough roads. (Isaiah 40:3-5).
Now, what was the prophet Isaiah talking about, make straight the paths? The paths of what? Cultural, social, political, religious paths? No. In the ancient world, it was customary for kings to receive a royal welcome. So “when an emperor or some other eminent personage was about to visit a city, the citizens could be required to prepare a well-constructed approach-road along which he could advance with due pomp and dignity on his way into the city.” To make sure that people were ready to receive him, the king would send a messenger on ahead to herald the news of his coming. (Philip Graham Ryken, Luke, 117–118). What John was doing was preparing the path of people’s hearts with a message of repentance. So what does that mean? We touched on it a little last week, but this week, we’re going to see it more clearly in John’s message. We’re going to pick it up in verse 7:
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7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin 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. 9 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.” 10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 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 you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.” Luke 3:7–14 ESV
1. People Who Truly Repent Reflect on Their Sin
Both John and Jesus were preachers of repentance. Matthew 3 tells us that Jesus and John preached the message, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Jesus also said in Luke 13:3, that if you do not repent, you will surely perish. So repentance plays a critical role in the salvation of the person and the continual life of the believer. Therefore, People who truly repent must first reflect on their sin. The heart of the person changed by God’s forgiveness is the realization of how their sin affects their life, their spirituality, the influence of Satan in their life and their family, and most importantly their relationship with God.
I remember when I was working as a police chaplain, I was called early one morning to a house where the police were investigating a murder. They had a man there at the house whom they suspected was involved in the murder, but the man would not talk to the police until he spoke with a pastor. I went into the bedroom where the man was sitting and I asked the police for privacy. During our conversation, we talked about God and his love, but also his wrath and the reality of hell. Then he said to me, I know where my heart is, what must I do? I told him he needed to confess his sin to God and man and repent of what he has done. At which point the tears poured out and he embraced me and wailed. He wailed so loudly that the police ran into the room, but I waved them off. He began to tell me of all the things he had done in his life, including in vivid detail how he murdered the person the night before. After some time, he stopped and looked at me and said, “I’m ready.” I looked at him with a puzzled look and he said, “I’m ready to admit to the police what I had done. With God’s peace and forgiveness with me, I can face the man.” That was the last I saw him.
The transformation in him was the realization and reflection of his sin. Not only the murder but the entirety of his life. It was the guilt of a life of sin that burdened him and eventually led to the sin of taking another man’s life. Now you will likely never do such a thing, but Jesus assures us that the unrepentant heart is just as foul as the person who actually commits the crime.
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21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. Matthew 5:21–22 ESV?
26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ Matthew 5:26–27 ESV
You see, the Gospel is not about “accepting Christ,” as if it is Christ who finally measures up to you. The Gospel is about Christ saving you from the wrath of God due to you.
2. People Who Truly Repent Recognize God’s Wrath
It's absolutely critical to preach the doctrine of hell. It's critical to preach the doctrine of eternal judgment as John did because why else would someone want their sins forgiven if there was no hell? If there was no judgment?
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Luke 3:7 ESV
Those are harsh words that John is preaching to the crowds. “You brood of vipers!” What is he saying? Well, who is commonly referred to as a serpent in the Bible? Satan. (Gen 3:1-24; 2 Cor 11:3-4; Rev 12:9) He told the crowds that are coming to him, you are nothing more than followers of Satan. Not a popular way to win friends and influence people. But the Bible is clear that there is a judgment day coming in which all who are apart from God or the unrighteous will be cast into hell.
This was the same imagery that Jesus would use "You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?" Matthew 23:33 ESV
The issue of Judgement and hell are the topic we want to avoid. We’d rather have good lessons on parenting or anything less ominous than God’s judgment. And it's in light of the wrath to come. It's in light of eternal hell, eternal judgment, eternal punishment that forgiveness becomes urgent. And that's what calls for the harsh words, or the hard truth, the straightforward truth to shake people out of shallow attitudes and shallow repentance. So in God’s mercy, he sends John.
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“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:5 ESV
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14 The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. Zephaniah 1:14 ESV
This was the heart of John’s message and he sees the crowds coming down, ready to be baptized but their hearts are still unwilling to be changed. In other words, “you're coming but there isn't any change in your nature, you're still the sons of Satan, You haven't had any change in your wicked nature. "Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" He’s comparing them to a bunch of snakes scrambling from a brush fire toward the water. “Here you come scrambling down the back hills of Jerusalem, to get in the water of this baptism thinking that by that you can escape the wrath to come.” There's no change in your nature. You recognize the fire of judgment but you haven't recognized that you are snakes.
To put it a different way, John says, "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.” Luke 3:9 ESV He’s bringing the urgency of the need of repentance and repentance isn’t doing religious things and thinking that you are righteous. True repentance is always the change of heart.
3. True Repentance Rejects Religious Ritual
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8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin 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. Luke 3:8 ESV
The Jewish people of John’s day had no relationship with God or they believed the ritualistic lifestyle equated relationship with God. This is what John meant when he said, don’t say fool yourself by saying you have Abraham as your father. In Matthew 23, Jesus lays it out to the religious leaders:
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25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:25–28 ESV
The church is full of well-meaning people who mistake coming to church and doing churchy things with acceptance from God. What God is looking for is the humble at heart who sincerely want their heart to be transformed away from sinful ways. The truly repentant doesn’t pray so God will accept him,, come to church, or give an offering, or even holy living for the purpose of righteousness. These things are all self-righteous living that God despises. Rather, the truly repentant heart bears the fruit of righteousness because it is God’s righteousness living through them to pray, to worship, to give, and for holy living.
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11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:11 ESV
So the truly repentant heart reflects on their sin, recognizes divine wrath, rejects religious ritual, and lastly, reveals spiritual transformation
4. True Repentance Reveals Spiritual Transformation
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10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 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 you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.” Luke 3:10–14 ESV
The message of John is penetrating into the hearts of the people coming to be baptized. Like those who hear the message of Peter on the day of Pentecost, the question arises, “What shall we do?” John lists a variety of professions that were notorious in that day for extorting people: The wealthy, tax collectors, soldiers. The message is always the same, prefer others before yourself.
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34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34–35 ESV?
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:43–45 ESV
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 ESV
What is clear is that the evidence of our repentance is not found in the religious things we do, but before all things, our love for God is demonstrated through our love for each other. That is where the true power of God is found. Lack of repentance is the root cause of powerlessness in the church, in this materialistic, self-indulgent age. There can be no spiritual power in a non-repentant church.
I want to close with this and I hope this reaches into many hearts this morning. Before this church moves forward, there must be a renewal of repentance among all of us. There are many who come here week after week and you are fulfilling your religious duty, but your heart is not right with God. Paul says,
5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. Romans 2:5–8 ESV
Our church is on the verge of a movement of God. I see the Spirit working, but there are many who still are standing on the sidelines, critical, unforgiving, and resistant to God. Today He is giving you the opportunity to break through and receive the fullness of His love
Close: “O Come to the Altar”
