Preparing the Way Luke 3.1-20

John the Baptist: God’s bulldozer

1. He came out of obscurity2. His appearance was strange3. His diet was unusual4. His location was inconvenient

butHe preached with such authority that great crowds came to hear him.

Religious leaders asked the wrong questions.

1. Who are you?2. What do you say about yourself?3. Show us your C.V.?

butIts not the messenger but the message that’s important!

John always points away from himself

“I am a voice crying in the wilderness, "prepare the way of the Lord"”. v4

“when you know that you know all that's important about me.”

The word of God did not come to the religious leaders but to John v2. What does that tell us?a. About the state of the nation.b. The religious establishment.

John had a road-building ministry

1. His job description is found in Isaiah 40.3-5

2. He is preparing a road for the Messiah3. This ministry involves the removal of

obstacles.4. What were the kinds of obstacles he was

moving?5. It is the task of every gospel preacher to

remove obstacles to faith and obedience.6. It is a terrible thing to place obstacles

before God as he seeks to gain access to our hearts.

The substance of John’s message

"a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins“ v3

What repentance is not.1. It is not cheap grace.2. It is not merely confessing one’s sin.3. It must not be confused with remorse. Remorse is feeling sorry for ourselves, sorry that we have been found out.Repentance involves:4. A change in thinking5. A change of direction.6. An inner transformation7. A genuine sorrow that we have offended God

Repentance: An unpopular message

"Is it not more costly to refuse repentance than to exercise it?”

The popularity of John’s baptism

1. Many came asking for baptism2. They wanted a new beginning3. It symbolised the washing away of their

sin.4. It graphically undermined the

complacency of the religious leaders.

“Do not say to yourselves "We have Abraham for our Father."” v8

The test of genuine repentance

"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” v8

1. Evidence of moral transformation2. God does not look for perfection.3. Transformation or separation!

"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.” v9

The response to the message

John's preaching which was a bit like a road drill breaking up hard and complacent hearts.People did not smile and say “nice sermon”They could not listen to this preaching and remain unaffected!

cf. v10 "What should we do?“

Cf Acts 2.37b -38....

We are accountable for what we hear.

Many people who have heard the gospel have convinced themselves there is nothing they can do.They sit passively and say something like, "What is meant for us won’t pass us by". That kind of fatalism has no place in the Bible. The gospel calls people to repentance.

Evidence of genuine repentance.

John makes it clear in v13-14 the kind of behaviour that would flow from a genuine repentance. Each example deals with basic human selfishness :

1. Crowd: the need to share.

2. Tax-collectors: to resist seeking gain by extortion.

3. Soldiers: to refrain from theft and false witness for the sake of gain.

A different response to John.

Look at the response of Herod in v19. John's preaching made Herod feel uncomfortable. But he did not respond in repentance. He imprisoned John. He attempted to silence the living word of God. He didn't want to let go of his sin nor did he want to be troubled by it.

There are only two responses that we can make to God's word. Either we ask, "What must I do?" Or, we banish the Word of God from our minds, hearts and consciences. To do the former involves the humiliation of repentance before God but opens up for us a way back to God and results in our eternal benefit.To do the latter may bring temporary relief but also guarantees eternal loss.

Just two responses