Prepared

• Ben Ebeling and four other colleagues sounded a warning not

on January 27, 1986. As one of the engineers on the space

shuttle Challenger, Ebeling and his colleagues came to the

conviction that the temperature would lead to an explosion.

Those above him ignored the warnings and proceeded with

the ill-fated launch. Most of us have ignored warning signs

too.

• Here we will see John the Baptist sound the warning call.

Some would heed it, while others ignored it.

• Why do we sometimes ignore clear warning signs?

◦Immaturity

◦Ambition

• Warning

• Luke 3:7-9

◦“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? 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. 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.””

• Most preachers in search of a crowd would go to a populated

area, but John the Baptist went into the remote wilderness of

the Jordan River valley.

• This fulfilled the prophecy from Isaiah.

• Isaiah 40:3-5

◦“A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of

the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our

God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain

and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become

level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the

Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it

together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.””

• There were different types of people who came to be baptized

by John. There were some who were sincere, and others who

weren’t.

• John was quick to call out the insincere. He called them a

brood of vipers.

• John asks them “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to

come?”

• He knew that they were seeking the benefits of baptism

without the price of repentance

• John wanted to see true repentance in the people.

• Repentance literally translates into “a change of mind”. You

should turn away from sin, but also no longer desire to sin.

• John says that true repentance should produce fruit. In other

words, there would be evidence of the changes in their lives.

• Next John addresses some of the Jews’ belief that they had

special privilege with God due to his covenant with Abraham.

• One does not become a member of God’s body simply by

being a descendant of Abraham, but by responding personally

to God and his call.

• John then says that the ax is at the root of the tree, meaning

judgment was near. Any without true faith and repentance

would be cut down and cast into the fire.

• What does it mean to be truly repentant?

◦Repentance literally translates into “a change of mind”.

You should turn away from sin, but also no longer desire to

sin.

◦You should follow God’s teachings

• Response

• Luke 3:10-14

◦“And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”

And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to

share with him who has none, and whoever has food is

to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized

and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he

said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized

to do.” 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.””

• The people responded to John’s message. In what ways does

the gospel message always demand a response from people?

◦People are forced to accept it, and change their lives, or

deny it and continue in sin.

• John the Baptist just called them out, so the people ask him

what they’re supposed to do.

• John instructs them to share what they have with those in

need. He uses a few simple examples, that anyone would be

able to apply.

• Every person is able to find some tangible way to express a

changed life by helping other people instead of living selfishly.

• John talks about a lot of works Christians should do, but

works are merely the evidence of Christ’s converting work in

believers’ lives.

• James 2:17-18

◦“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is

dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have

works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and

I will show you my faith by my works.”

• Next, John addresses the tax collectors who had come to

him.

• Tax collectors were usually Jews in Roman employ. They

were typically considered traitors to the Jewish people. They

often would enrich themselves at the expense of their fellow

Jews.

• John told them to collect no more than what had been

authorized.

• Of course, this wouldn’t be the only sin in these men’s lives,

but this would be the one that would show the most evidence

for true repentance.

• In verse 14 John speaks with soldiers that were there. We

aren’t told what they were doing there. It’s possible they were

their investigating the large crowds.

• The soldiers were touched by John’s message and ask him

what they should do.

• Like the tax collectors, John gives them an applicable way to

change.

• He knew soldiers were likely to use their power to take things

by force, or testify falsely against someone to gain their

possessions.

• If we were in the crowd that day, what changes might John

direct us to make to show our true repentance? Think about

different occupations and what John might have said.

◦Car salesman shouldn’t cheat a customer

◦Lawyer lying for a client

• Division

• Luke 3:15-18

◦“As the people were in expectation, and all were

questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether

he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying,

“I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I

is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy

to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and

fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his

threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn,

but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So

with many other exhortations he preached good news

to the people.”

• The people were amazed at what John had said. They began

to wonder if he was the Christ that had been foretold.

• Jews had been awaiting the coming messiah for centuries

• There had not been a prophet in Israel for 400 years.

• The people recognized that John taught with the authority of

God. This was something they hadn’t seen before. The

scribes and rabbis didn’t possess this authority. This was

made clear in Mark when talking of Jesus.

• Mark 1:22

◦“And they were astonished at his teaching, for he

taught them as one who had authority, and not as the

scribes.”

• John quickly shuts these thoughts down claiming that Jesus

would be much greater than he.

• John baptizes with water, but Jesus will baptize with the Holy

Spirit and fire.

• Clearly the Holy Spirit is a good thing, but baptism by fire

doesn’t sound as great

• Verse 17 would go on to talk about Jesus judgment, so it’s

most likely that the fire discussed is speaking of how Jesus

will bring either salvation or judgment to all.

• A winnowing shovel was used to separate grain from chaff.

The grain would be tossed into the air. The lighter chaff would

blow away, and the good grain would fall to the floor to be

collected.

• Jesus’ judgment is double edged. If you reject the gospel,

you will be blown away like the chaff. If you accept the

gospel, you will be gathered into Jesus’ barn.

• Why should the good news of the gospel also include

warnings?

• A scary picture is painted at the end of verse 17 when it says

“the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”

• I’m sorry, but that’s terrifying.

• Conclusion

• Judgment awaits those who live in disobedience to God and

His standards

• Repentance Is demonstrated through godly living.

• One’s eternal destiny is determined by his or her response to

Jesus.

• Think about people you know who need to be warned about

God’s coming judgment on sin.

• Think about how you can demonstrate true repentance and

love for God by loving others.