Repent

John is out in the wilderness preaching a message of repentance and people from all around are seeking out this strange prophet who dressed in a camel hair coat with a leather belt, living off locust and honey. I guarantee you John would have been a sight to behold.

I wonder why people were coming to see him? Was it his message? Was it his dress and diet? Was it because they knew he was just the beginning of something great, the opening act so to speak?

Well whatever the reason was people came from everywhere to be baptized by him.

Have you ever thought of the significance of his chosen place to baptize people? The Jordan river , that same river that Joshua crossed with the Israelites when they went into the promised land , that same river that when the priest stepped in with the ark of the covenant the waters dried up until everybody had crossed over to the other side. That same river where a leader from every tribe took a stone and made an alter signifying what God had done so throughout the years they and their children would remember.

John was popular, people came to hear what he had to say and his message was loud and clear, turn from your sins, Repent. Renew your covenant with God. And I think the Jordan River was a great place to baptize those who wanted to turn from their ways and move forward in Gods way.

John was the one Isaiah was talking about when he said “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, prepare the way, the Lord is coming.”

He may not have been dressed up but people understood what he was saying. They knew that he was keeping it real, not just talking like those Pharisees and Sadducees. As a matter of fact he was calling them out, “You snakes, you vipers who told you to come, who warned you of Gods coming wrath.”

Don’t just wash in this water and think that’s it, let’s see a change in your ways, let’s see if you can bear some real fruit, some good fruit cause if you don’t God is ready to chop you down. God is sharpening the ax and is getting ready to chop down those unproductive trees. Repent!!!

Get ready Jesus is coming and He isn’t going to just baptize you with water He is going to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire he is gonna put something on you that gojo won’t take off…

Repent that’s the message John had, stop what you’re doing turn around and do what’s right.

Some may have had doubts about who he really was, wondering if he was Christ or maybe Elijah, but he denied being either one of them. But even though they may have wondered who he was there was no doubt about his message, it was loud and clear Repent, Jesus is coming!!!!!

Few preachers talk about sin and repentance today, I think they worry too much about being politically correct or hurting someone’s feelings, but the fact is sometimes we need to be called out we need to realize that we aren’t perfect and we make mistakes and we could do better.

The fact is we need to examine ourselves daily because Jesus is coming and we need to be ready.

The sad truth is that the absence of guilt in today's society makes it hard to talk about repentance. If people have no feelings of guilt or remorse about what they do, then the need for repentance is not going to be recognizable.

Some may think the word repentance is a word that belongs to a time long ago. Some see repentance as something that we do only if we get caught. But repentance is far more than simply blurting out "I'm Sorry" if we get caught cheating on the IRS. Repentance is more than just turning over a new leaf. Repentance is far more than just starting over again. Repentance is also far more than simply reciting a congregational prayer.

Repentance is not about just changing our minds, or feeling sorry for something that we have done, or even making bold resolves that we will never participate in certain conduct again.

Repentance means to turn around and go in another direction. Here’s what John the Baptist wanted his audience to hear: Stop what you’re doing and turn your life toward this one called Messiah.

WHO NEEDS REPENTANCE?

Certainly Sinners need to repent especially those who are lost. (V5) “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River”.

Sinners make the evening news: Those who pose falsely as police officers, those who rape, rob, and steal. Those who assault and abuse others, those who peddle drugs and take advantage of teens and children.