 Anyway, we're in Luke chapter three tonight, and we're going to be looking at verses one through fourteen, and basically what we'll be doing is we'll be looking at the life of John the Baptist, at least an introduction into the life of John the Baptist, and so what we'll do is we'll read the first fourteen verses here in Luke's Gospel of chapter three, and then we'll get into our study. Luke chapter three, beginning at verse one, reading to verse fourteen. Luke writes, now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, being governor of Judea, Herod being a tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip, tetrarch of Iteria, and the region of Trachonitis and Lysanius, tetrarch of Abilene, Anas and Caiaphas being high priests. The word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness, and he went into all the region around the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low, and the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, Brutavipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come, therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin 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. And even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees, therefore every tree which then does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So the people asked him, saying, what shall we do then? He answered and said to them, he who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none, and he who has food, let him do likewise. Then 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 what is appointed for you. Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, and what shall we do? So he said to them, do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely and be content with your wages. Now as we begin, I want you to notice something, notice with me how he introduces this particular portion of Scripture, introduces it with historical facts. We need to remember that Luke was a careful researcher and he wrote his gospel in order that he might clearly present to his reader who Jesus Christ is. And because of this, and we're not going to really enumerate this but you'd notice this if you look at it, Luke gives six specific ways to date the emergence of John the Baptist. That's what he's doing when he begins with the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar and then continues on giving you facts. What he's doing is he's letting us know that these are facts that relate to the emergence of John the Baptist and he's presenting for them reliable, verifiable and specific information that will lend itself to critical evaluation. Now that's important for us because we need to remember that the Christian faith is something that is actually built on facts. We believe not in mythology and fables. What we believe in is the facts, the facts as they're presented to us in the gospel. Remember with me that Jesus in Matthew chapter 22 verse 37 said, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. And so when you become a Christian it doesn't mean that you have to suspend your intelligence, that you have to become somebody who just is gullible and believes anything that is said. Luke was a very careful historical researcher and we see that even in the way that he introduces his gospel and even as he introduces chapter 3. Now Luke has been writing to a man, a patron perhaps by the name of Theophilus. We saw that in chapter 1 verse 3. We know that Theophilus lived within 30 years of the actual events and could verify Luke's account. Luke had written in his introduction in chapter 1 verses 1 as well as chapter 1 verse 4. He used the words most surely believed in that you might know the certainty of. And so he wanted us to surely believe and have certainty in the things that he has written. So it was something that was not only for the ones who had read this in the first century but this is something that all of us in the 21st century can still read, verify in a sense and believe. And so what he's wanting to do is he's wanting to set up the ministry of Jesus Christ which actually is going to come after God draws John from the wilderness and has John the cousin of Jesus go out and prepare the way for him. And so notice how he begins here in verse 2 and I want to point out something out here when he says the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. So at this period of time probably about the year AD 29 God begins to move once again amongst the children of Israel. Notice with me that he uses the word of the Lord. It's a phrase. He says the word of the Lord came. The word of the Lord came is a phrase that you find in the Old Testament used some 104 times. And when that phrase is used the word of the Lord came it is normally in relation to revelation. When it says the word of the Lord came you can see that the word of the Lord came to various people in the Old Testament. God revealing himself to them. You have it stated the word of the Lord came to Abram or the word of the Lord came to Samuel. The word of the Lord came to Nathan. The word of the Lord came to Solomon. He came to Elijah, to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jonah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. It's a way of God saying that he has brought his word to these prophets who are to speak out in his name 104 specific times. You find that in the Old Testament. Altogether the word of the Lord as a phrase is used some 242 times in the Old Testament very often revealing to revelation. And so when you get here in this particular passage here in Luke chapter 3 and it says the word of God came to John. This is another way of letting us know that God is doing a work once again that this is something that God is doing at a precise moment. Remember also that the Old Testament closed with the book of Malachi. The book of Malachi was written some 432 to 425 years before Christ. And so what you have is you've had a period of 450 plus years of silence, four and a half centuries since God actually came and spoke. Four and a half centuries. The United States is something like 231 years old. So basically double our history. And that's how long it's been silent. That's how long it's been since God has revealed himself through this kind of method, through a prophet. So it's been four and a half centuries but once again here as according to verse 2 the word of God comes and the word of God comes to John when he's in the wilderness. So God at this moment in history is calling John and what he's doing is he's saying John it's now time for you to go and prepare the way for Messiah. Now I want you to notice that John did not do his ministry, begin his own work out of impulse or self initiative. God called him to this ministry. The word of the Lord came to him and so as the word of God came to him the word of God was also commissioning him as well as equipping him to go out and perform the ministry that he had called him to do. And so John is in the wilderness. John has been in that wilderness according to Luke chapter 1 verse 80 since he was a child. So this is a man who was outside of the religious order of his day. This is a man who did not rise from amongst the scholars and leaders of Judaism. He was a man who was outside of it. And so the message that he's bringing is not to reform the established religion but actually what he's doing is he's calling people to God. That's what his message is all about. The Bible tells us in John 1.17 that the law was given through Moses but grace and truth came through the Lord Jesus Christ. And so John has a purpose. John is coming to prepare the way for Messiah. John has been waiting for God's call as he's been in the wilderness since he was a small boy. And now the Word of God has come to him and has given to him a message. And so according to verse 3 the Bible says he went into all the region around the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sin. And so he's now called to go out and to take a message. And the message that he's bringing to the people really can be given in a single word. And it's the message repent. And what he's calling the people to is repentance. Now the word repent in the Greek language means a change of mind. It doesn't mean to regret. Sometimes we get the word repent and regret mixed up. There are people who very often may wonder, well, how come he's not weeping or sorrowing and there's no obvious emotional response to him saying, I believe in God and I'm coming to Christ. Well, it's because emotion doesn't necessarily have to accompany repentance. Repentance is a change of the mind. It's when God by his word convicts me of my sin and brings me to a point of agreeing with him that I am wrong and he is right. That comes through the gospel. That comes through the preaching of the message of the cross here in the New Testament. John being the forerunner of Messiah predating the cross comes with a message to the nation of Israel. God has been silent for four and a half centuries, but God has broken his silence and he comes and he brings a message to the nation of Israel, a single word really, repent. Change your mind concerning your way of life. Change your mind concerning the path to God or how you become righteous. Change your mind and agree with him and that's what he's doing, he's bringing a message of repentance. Now when it says here in verse three, he went into all the region around the Jordan, speaking of the Jordan River, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sin. John's baptism is intended to reveal an inner response to those of those who are hearing his message. You see the washing of water didn't produce repentance, it reveals repentance. When we have water baptisms here during the summer, normally with the pool outside and you know about that, we see hundreds of people baptize every summer. I will give a message prior to the baptism and I will point that out. The washing of the body with water doesn't change anything. If that's the case then every baby should be saved because their bodies get washed, our bodies get washed through a shower or a bath on a daily basis. Just washing the dirt off of a person's body isn't going to change their life. Water baptism actually represents a change that took place in the inner person. You heard a message that God loves you, but that there's a separation between you and God and that separation is sin. And you heard a message where God says, listen, I have broached that, I have made it possible for you to have a relationship with me and this is how I did it. I sent my son, Jesus Christ, to take your sin upon him and to die on the cross because the wages of sin is death. But Jesus was buried in three days after his death in burial, he was resurrected to life, demonstrating that he's the son of God, proving for all time that his worth is true. And you embrace that because you heard the message that said your sin makes a separation between you and God and you confessed your sin and you said God be merciful unto me, I am a sinner. As a result of that, you followed the Lord in baptism. So baptism didn't save you, baptism demonstrates that you have been saved and you've been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Now that was the ministry that John had. This was the ministry that he was to perform. He was preparing the way for the Lord. In Luke chapter one, we already read in verses 76 and 77 that his father had said to him, you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins. That word remission is a word that means deliverance or a release from bondage. You are going to bring the truth that will release a person from bondage because Jesus said, that a person who is in sin is in bondage to that sin. And so whatever overcomes you, whatever masters you, whatever is controlling you puts you in a form of bondage. Sin does that. But the gospel message speaks concerning freedom because Jesus said, whom the Son makes free, he is free indeed. And so through the message of the gospel, you have the freedom that comes through embracing Jesus Christ through faith. And so they were to receive deliverance and deliverance is going to be hinged on their willingness to repent from their sins. Now in Matthew chapter three, verses four through six, you might want to turn there and check this out with me. Matthew chapter three, verses four through six, Matthew was writing concerning this and I want you to see this and he begins to describe John in verse four. Matthew three, verse four. John himself, he says, was clothed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist and his food was locusts and wild honey. So he was a hippie. Then Jerusalem, Al Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan notice confessing their sins. So when it says that they were there being baptized, confessing their sins, that means earnestly acknowledging that their sins were their own and taking the whole blame upon themselves and laying nothing to the charge of God or man resulting in his casting his soul on the mercy of God that he may be saved. When I got saved, I didn't try and debate or argue or make a case to God concerning why he should save me. When I did, as I confessed, I said, God be merciful to me, I'm a sinner. I have nothing to bring into salvation other than the sins that you're cleansing me from and I trust you by faith to do the work that you've promised in your word. And so I'm asking you in the name of Jesus Christ to forgive me. And that's what was happening. When they came in where water baptized, they were actually acknowledging that they were in need of forgiveness. And so as they went into the water there and were baptized, it was a demonstration of their releasing being released from their sin in acknowledgement of Messiah who was to come and trust in the Lord. And so back in chapter three, verse four continuing, Luke says, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low and the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways made smooth and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. And so he points to the word of God. This is the book of Isaiah chapter 40 verses three through five and he says, this is something that is fulfilled that Isaiah the prophet had written in verse four when it says the voice of one crying in the wilderness, the voice of one crying, that word cry means to shout or to cry out loud. The voice of one crying though God was, though John the Baptist was speaking, God was motivating him and giving him the words to speak. And so in a sense, God was crying out to the nation of Israel through John in his message. And so as he goes forth and begins to cry out, this is a message in other words that people were intended to hear. Now he's crying out in the wilderness. Here's something for you. When you see wilderness there, you might begin to think, is he speaking specifically of the fact that John did much of his ministry out there in desert places? Well, in one way, yes, that's true, but is it literally that, is that all it speaks about? Because if that's the case, it would automatically exclude those who are not living in a physical wilderness. And therefore what he's speaking about is not simply the fact that John did a lot of ministry out there in the wilderness by the Jordan River. But what it's speaking about is people in general who are living in dry and thirsty places. Because we have thirsts. Human beings have thirsts that are not quenched by natural or physical water. Being thirsty doesn't always speak about the needs of my body. Being thirsty can also speak of the need within my soul. I believe that God gives to us within us. And you see this in the book of Ecclesiastes. He has placed eternity in our hearts. I believe that God gives to us an awareness that we have been formed for something else, for something better. And we have these hungers and these thirsts that aren't physical. We have spiritual hunger and a spiritual thirst. David spoke about that in Psalm 63 verse one. And this was a Psalm that David wrote when he was in the wilderness. And he said, oh God, you are my God. Early will I seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. I guess the question is, is anybody thirsty? You know, in the book of Revelation it says if you're thirsty you come to the water and you drink and God will give it to you freely. Jesus Christ gives a promise. He says I will give to you living water. On one occasion a woman came to him he was at a well and as he was speaking to her he said to her if you drink of this water you will thirst again. Natural water cannot quench a spiritual thirst. And so you drink of this water you will thirst again but if anyone drinks of the water that I shall give to him he shall never thirst again. Because we have this inner longing, this dryness of soul, we live in a wilderness. And as John came speaking to those who were in that condition the voice crying out in the wilderness. He said to them you need to prepare the way of the Lord and make his path straight. What he is using is construction terms. He's speaking concerning those who would actually prepare the way for a king who is coming who is gonna make an appearance. It was common to have a herald who would proceed the arrival of a king announcing his coming and preparing for his safe and proper travel. The herald with a group of servants made sure the road was smooth and uncluttered as possible. Holes would be filled, rocks and debris would be removed and litter would be burned or hidden. And as the group traveled and worked the herald would proclaim the king's coming to everyone he encountered and that's what John is doing. He's telling the people that the king is arriving and therefore make the path straight. Get the debris out of the way so that Jesus Christ can have entrance into your life. Confess the sins that are obstructing him and let him go. There's not a single thing that I've ever had that is worth more, you know, that much. It's not worth that much. It's not worth more than heaven. There's not a single thing that I've ever had, not a single sin that I've ever had and practiced and enjoyed for that matter that was worth losing heaven over. And that's what John is speaking about. He's saying look it, you've got debris in your life and there are areas of your life that need to be straightened out so straighten those things out. The low places fill them in, the high places level them, make it easy for God to enter in and the way that you can do that is through confessing your sin. If you've got thirst and you have a desire for God then what you need to do is you need to get whatever it is out of the way so that he can have entrance into your life and the way you do that is through confession of your sin and so that's what he's saying in verses four through six. He's saying prepare the way of the Lord and make his path straight. Remove the debris from your lives, receive the king and those who do receive Messiah will be forgiven of their sins because Jesus can forgive you of sin. I remember a story it's found in the gospel of Mark in chapter two, we're all familiar with that story. It's found in verses one through 12. And that's the story of the man who was brought to the Lord Jesus Christ and this was a crippled man and so he had four friends and when the four friends had carried him to the Lord Jesus Christ you can picture him being carried on a gurney of some sort as they brought him there on a litter. They couldn't get in because the crowd there that was pressing in to hear Jesus made it impossible for them to gain entrance. So rather than turning around and going home and saying well perhaps in the future we'll have an opportunity to come and see him instead of doing that what did they do? They got to the roof of the house and as they got to the roof of the house began to open up the roof of the house. They began to tear it open and as they tore open that roof of the house they began to lower the man before the Lord Jesus Christ and as the man was being lowered and was placed before Jesus. Remember how Jesus looking at the man says to him son your sins are forgiven you and that those who are around there listening to what Jesus just said began to speak amongst themselves and they said who is this man that he's forgiving sins? You know who can forgive sins but God alone? And that's when Jesus was speaking to them and he said look what would be easier to say into this man your sins are forgiven you or to say rise pick up your pallet and take a walk. But that you may know that the son of man has power on earth to forgive sins. He looked at the man and he said I sang to you arise take up your bed and walk. The man walked out carrying that which carried him in. And the Bible makes it very clear that the people wondered over this man who is this man that forgives sins? Because Jesus Christ has the ability to do that. When I came to Christ and when you come to Christ and confess your sin he has the ability to forgive you. And that's the point that's being made. Prepare the way of the Lord. Clear the debris out of the way. There's nothing worth keeping that'll keep you out of heaven. So get it out of the way so that you might have a relationship with God. The Bible said if I confess my sin he is faithful in just to forgiving my sin and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Not just some. But he cleanses me from all unrighteousness. And so the king of the universe is willing to fellowship with his creation. He's willing to have relationship with us. Years ago I was in an airport in Denver. And as I was there in this airport I saw a woman and she was walking up to the passengers who were seated in the area that I was in. And she was speaking to them. And as she was walking from person to person I knew that she was making her way to me. And she finally came to me as I was seated there and she approached me and she said would you like to buy this book? And I asked her what is the book? She said this is the Bhagavad Gita. She was a Hindu. And she said this is a book that has the word of God. And I pointed to my valise and I said I already have the word of God. I have a Bible. So she said to me and I said and I have a relationship with God. She looked at me and she said God is incomprehensible. And I looked at her and I said that's true. That's why he took upon himself human flesh and dwelt amongst men so that we might have a relationship with him. God is incomprehensible unless he reveals himself to us which is what he did in Jesus Christ. So she turned and walked away. She didn't want to hear it. But that's what God did. What God did is God took upon himself human flesh and dwelt amongst us. We beheld this glory. The glory of the only begotten Son of God full of grace and truth. And so what God wants to do and it amazes me to this day even as I repeat these words to you that I've clung to for many years now it amazes me when I consider the fact that God wants to soothe the pain in my heart. God wants to heal the brokenness of my life. God wants to forgive the sins that I have committed and was willing to go to the extent that he would give his own son to do so. What an incredible work that God has done on our behalf. And as John goes forth he says, listen, prepare the way, prepare the way for the Lord. Remove the debris in the clutter in order that God might have smooth access into your life, that comes through repentance, a change of mind, not regret. There are many people who have regret over many things that they've done. Sometimes they have such a terribly guilty conscience over it that they can't sleep at night. God is not saying to us that I need to regret. God is saying I need to repent because there's a regret that leads to death, the Bible says. Judas and the apostle Peter were guilty of the same sin. The apostle Peter denied the Lord Jesus Christ and he did it three times. And so did Judas. Judas denied the Lord. The difference is that Judas went out and hanged himself and the apostle Peter was broken before Christ and was restored. God can and will forgive you of your sin. God will transform you. You simply need to agree with him. God is right, I am wrong. God can transform a life and all I can do is destroy it. And so I yield myself to him so that he brings healing into me and restores a broken relationship. My sin made a separation between God and me and a chasm. That chasm is sin. I'm on one side and God is the other but Jesus being the bridge is the one who connects me to my Father God and I am transformed by simply receiving what he has to say. And so going on in verse seven, he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him. Now this is a very friendly thing to say. It'd be like if I walked out on a Sunday morning and instead of saying hi, good morning, I said brood of vipers. But that's what he said. Here comes this multitude and I want you to see that and the way he welcomes him is by saying brood of vipers. Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin 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. And even now the axe 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. And so a viper is a deadly and poisonous snake. And so he's speaking to people who are dangerous. Now the question is who is he really speaking to? Because it simply says here in Luke 3, 7, he said to the multitudes. Well, Matthew tells us who it is that he's speaking to. Matthew specifically lets us know because in Matthew chapter three, the Bible says when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come into his baptism, he said to them, brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Who is he speaking to? He's speaking to the religious leaders. The very first thing that we see here is that he's speaking to those who are outwardly religious. And he's pointing out a very simple fact. He's saying, listen, religious ceremonies and religious heritage will not save you. Do not think within yourself to say that we are connected to God because we are descendants of Abraham and Abraham had a covenantal relationship with God. Don't be saying within yourself that I through my religious heritage and tradition have an automatic birth in heaven. That's the point he's making. It'd be like me today saying, well listen, my mom or my dad are Christians. Therefore, I automatically am saved. That's not the truth. That's not how it works because God has no grandchildren. God only has children. And the way that I have a relationship with God is not based on the faith of my mom or based on the faith of my father or on my religious heritage. From what I understand, I have an uncle, a great uncle who baptized my aunt. My aunt being baptized by my great uncle who was a bishop in the Catholic church. That did not save me. I was not saved as a result of having a religious heritage or tradition. I got saved because God by his Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and convicted me of my sin and I repented. I don't have an automatic birth into heaven simply because I have religious people around me or I'm related to somebody who is extremely religious. I have a relationship with God based on getting right with him and that's what he's saying here. He's saying who warned you to flee from the wrath to come in order to have a relationship with God versus bear fruits worthy of repentance. There needs to be a transformation of the life. The life is gonna be transformed because what I believe is gonna motivate how I behave and what I do as a result of what I have decided. So as I open my heart to Christ then he's gonna begin to change me. So the point he's making very simply is saying, listen you gotta bear fruits and the fruit that you have has to be worthy or demonstrate a true repentance and don't think you've got an automatic birth into heaven and you need to know something else. He says in verse nine, judgment is at the door because Messiah is coming and Messiah is the one who judges. In John 5.22, Jesus said, the Father judges no one. He's committed all judgment to the Son. And so he's saying you need to be aware of that that the ax is already laid to the root of the tree. Judgment is even at the door. Verse 10 continuing, the people asked him saying, what shall we do then? And he answered and said to them, he who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none and he who has food, let him do likewise. I'll read verses 12 through 14 because I'm gonna make a point and tie this in. He said then in verse 12, 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 what is appointed for you. Likewise, the soldiers asked him saying, and what shall we do? So he said to them, do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, be content with your wages. Now let me give you something I think is very practical. All of these things, and I want you to see this. What is the evidence of true repentance, guys? What is it? If you look at this, well, I'll give you an example. When it says in verse 10, what shall we do? In verse 11, he answered and said, he who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none and he who has food, let him do likewise. Was he saying, go out and start feeding the hungry ministries? That's what's gonna save you. Go out and start a ministry that is gonna clothe the naked. Go out and do some works, that's gonna get you saved. Listen, in a nutshell, and I can pretty much close at this point, but I'm not going to, so don't get prepared. But this to me is such an important thing. I hope that it makes sense to you. What is true religion? What really is an evidence that I know God? The religious Pharisees, during the time of Christ, had it down to such a science that even the way they dressed would scream out that they were religious. They had broadened the hems of the garments and the robes and they had broad phylacteries, little boxes with scripture promises that they would wear actually as frontlets before their eyes. And when the people saw these religious leaders, these Pharisees, these separated ones, they had such an outward appearance of religiosity that the common people actually held them in incredibly high esteem. The Pharisees did the right kinds of things. Guys, they made long prayers. They would stand in street corners at the hour of prayer and they would pray and people would go by and they would see these religious people and they would be intimidated by the incredible religious observance of these individuals. These were people who made sure that they fasted and as they fasted, their faces were disfigured so that man would know that they were fasting. These are people who would give their alms to support and help the poor. And let me tell you something, those are not bad things. Fasting is a good thing. Praying is a good thing. Generosity is a good thing. And those things during the time of Christ were evidences that you had a relationship with God. That's how the common person would actually know that somebody had a relationship with God. They fasted, they prayed, they gave. These are just basic things that every believer during the time of Christ to the present age should be practicing. You know, when Jesus was speaking about fast, fasting he said, and when you fast, not if you fast, and when you fast. Because that was just something that believers do. They set apart time, they take time to die to their physical appetite so that they might be open to the spirit of God. So he said, when you fast, when you pray, when you give, these are all givens. These are things that believers do. He didn't say those were bad things. Keep that in mind. What he dealt with was the motives. They fast, they give, they pray to be seen by men. That's what Jesus said. And he said, in this he says, from man they receive their reward. Why? Well, because if I do it to gain the attention from man, then the only reward that I really have coming to me is the attention that they give to me. Because I'm not doing it for the Lord. I'm not doing it for God. And so, when John the Baptist is preaching, I don't want you guys to get the impression that this was some angry, fiery prophet who has mad at the people. There's gotta be something deeper than that. Because I seem to remember a time when Moses struck a rock, when God had said, I don't want you to strike it, I want you to speak to it. And as a result of that, Moses didn't enter into the Promised Land because he misrepresented God. John was the voice of one crying in the wilderness. The voice of God crying out to the people that you need to get right with me. It's been four and a half centuries since we've had a talk. So let me tell you something. You've gotta change. Because what you have right now is not true religion. But it's become as false. And because it's false, you don't have a true relationship with me. And so though you may have an outward appearance of religiosity, with your mouth, you may be speaking great swelling words of love for me, but your heart is far from me. And so what has happened is you have forgotten the way to your things of the law, which is merciful. And so one of the things I wanna point out to you that I think that you can see that is represented by what his message is here, is very simply this. He's saying, if you have a relationship with God, then not only do you love God, but you're gonna love people too. You're gonna have a relationship with people. I've told you this before, I can still remember someone saying, I love ministry, it's people, I can't stand. People are ministry. People are ministry. And sometimes we forget it. The Bible tells us in 1st John chapter three, verse 17, whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? In Galatians chapter five, verse 14, Paul said, all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. It is the royal commandment. You can say, I love God, and then strap some explosives to your body and step into a cafe and kill a grandmother who's there with her child, her granddaughter, getting a bagel. And you can believe that you honored God by doing that. God's word says, that's the way you can honor me because if you have a relationship with me, you're gonna love people. You're not gonna be angry at them constantly. You're not gonna be stepping back, checking their lives out and saying, you can't be as holy as me because you don't look as good as me. I remember when I got saved as a hippie with my hair down to my shoulders and bare feet and wearing T-shirts and even when I wore slacks, I didn't wear shoes. And I can remember encountering some Mormon kids thinking to myself, I must not be a real good Christian because I still have long hair, I don't look like one. And I suspect that that kind of mentality continues to this day because many people are extremely shallow when it comes to relationship with God and people. We like to put God in a little box and say, this is what a real child of God looks like. Therefore, if I'm a child of God, then I'm not gonna wear, a woman may say, I'm not gonna wear any makeup, I'm not gonna have any jewelry because I don't wanna have anything that is vain and immodest and it becomes all on the outside. It becomes all outer appearance and in God is not looking at the outer appearance, he looks at the person of the heart, the hidden person of the heart because that's where the issues of life spring from, the heart. And so when John is here ministering, he's saying, listen, in a word, every one of these things that he says here to these three groups of people are really tied up with one command, love your neighbor, love your neighbor. If you truly are religious, then love people because God does, God loves people, doesn't he? God so loved that what did he do, he gave? The Bible tells us that he who loves not knows not God. Why? Because God is what? Is love. And so when I run around making judgment on people and saying you can't possibly be as holy as I am because I dress in a certain way and you don't, then we've gotten caught up with what the Pharisees were famous for, wearing our religion on the outside but not having anything happening on the inside. I heard about a few young believers, young chronologically, not spiritually, going to a particular college up north that is known for its extreme, extreme partying. They actually will shut down the campus by school permission and school design. They close down the campus for a weekend so they can have a celebration that on Friday night features the kids getting drunk and on Saturday night features the kids doing psychedelics. And this is approved of allowed by the faculty there at this particular college. And so there's a very small group of Christians on campus and they are not liked. As a matter of fact, it's almost like they're bombarded. It's like they're under attack. They just are not liked. And so what did they do during this festival? You know what they did? They dressed like monks and they built a confessional and they put it in the middle of the campus. And they did it when this partying is going on for this weekend and they fully expected to have all kinds of people coming in and abusing them. But God had placed it on their heart, build a confessional. And so this guy says, I had to be the first one, the guinea pig, I'm waiting to get ripped and I'm sitting in there in this confessional. He said, we build it out of plywood and we put some cloth there separating and put a little place where you could sit and see the person who comes in and just like a confessional that you'd find in any Catholic church. He says, and I sat there. Now these are not Catholic kids. These are Protestant kids. He says, and I sat there. And here comes the first kid who walks in and he sits there and he says, and the kid says to me, well, what is this? And the man who's doing the talking says, this is a confessional. And the kid says, well, I guess that means I'm supposed to come in and confess my sins or things I've done wrong, right? And the guy says, no, that's not what you're supposed to do. He says, the reason we built this confessional is so that we can confess to you. So that we, the church can confess to you that we have been wrong. So that we, the church of Jesus Christ can confess to you that we have sinned all the way back to the Crusades and all the way up to where we are right now. That we have failed to love you, that we have judged you, that we have not been kind to you, that we have just not been Christians to you. He says, no, we don't want you to come in and confess to us. We built this confessional so we could confess to you because we have not been what God has called us to be. And I'm sorry for that. And the kid listens to him and says, you don't have to apologize. He says, you've done nothing to me. He says, I do have to apologize because my brothers and my sisters haven't lived for Jesus Christ in front of you, which has caused you not to be able to embrace the one that I love with all of my heart. I think that that's true Christianity. I think when I finally break down and say, listen, I've got this incredible beam in my eye and here I am trying to take a speck out of yours. And the funny thing about the speck and the beam, it's made of the same substance. Mine is just more pronounced. Here I am trying to pull yours out and every time I swing my head, I knock people all over with the two by four in my eye. And I'm trying to take a splinter out of yours because if I'm ever gonna have an impact in anybody's life, it's gonna come when I begin to love them for the Christ, for the sake of Jesus Christ. And I don't say, listen, you know, I don't like the way that you look. I don't like the way that you act. And I'm like, listen, I need to simply say, this is the God who loves, he's changed lives and he will change yours. But what you really need, oh, listen, you've got an empty spot in your heart that only God can fill. You've got something within you, a need and desire, a thirst that you've gone out and you have had probably tried to quench it in every way that your mind can imagine and everything that was accessible to you. You have done that. There's no doubt about that. For me, it might have been one thing for you. It's whatever you did, but I tried to fill that void with things that simply didn't fit. And so what happened is I got tired and I tried something new until finally I just ran out of things to do. And when I came to the end, there was the Lord waiting all along and I was able to embrace the one who's patiently waiting for me. And he's the one who says, I'll give you living water. And so when John was out there, he was saying, you wanna know what to do? In a nutshell, in a word, Mr. Religious Person, you need to love people. You need to love people. I find it interesting that the church has a tendency of fighting itself, devouring itself, eating up one another. You know, so I have a certain doctrinal persuasion that is orthodox and you have a persuasion that is orthodox too, but it's just not what I agree with and therefore you and I fight while the world goes to hell. I remember when the Jesus movement started and all kinds of people got really upset at Chuck Smith and people liked him because they let hippies like me in church. I remember one very well-known pastor who had a barber on staff so that when, the true story, so that when hippies would get saved, they'd follow them up and then take them to the barber to cut the hair because Jesus must have had a flat top. It just amazes me. All the things we add to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so John is saying, listen, your religious heritage isn't gonna get you into heaven. You can't say we have Abraham as our father because look, you see these stones right here? God is able to raise up stones to be children of Abraham and then he looks at these other people who come to him and well, what are we to do? You know what you should do? If you have two, then why don't you be generous and give one away? Why don't you, in other words, love the person in need? Because if you love the person in need, you're demonstrating that God is working in you. And then he goes on in verse 12, tax collectors, what shall we do? Collect more than what is appointed for you. Turn from greed and extortion and become generous towards people. You see, tax collectors were greatly hated. They were hated in the Jewish society because they purchased the office of tax collector. And as they purchased that particular office, they would tax people on, you know, crossing a bridge or articles that they had and Rome had a certain amount that you were taxed for. So I could say that Rome says that if you've got a certain kind of car, for example, and you'd have to pay me $10 or Rome $10 because you have a certain tax on that car. Well, I could boost it to 15, I'll give Rome 10 and I keep five and the Jews hated the tax gatherers for that because they were working for the enemy. And so they hated the publicans and all because they had purchased their office from Rome and were using it in order that they might extort. And so he's saying, if you wanna demonstrate that you've repented, turn from greed, turn from extortion and actually care for people. And then he goes on and in verse 14, the soldiers asked him, saying, and what shall we do? And he said to them, don't intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, be content with your wages. Don't abuse your authority. Don't try and ingratiate yourself to those who are above you by making false accusations about others. What you ought to do is you ought to be gentle and use your authority properly. And by the way, be content. Be content with your wages. Be content with your wages by refusing to intimidate people into giving you things. Don't use your power and don't use your authority to garner things for yourself. Don't use that position to your advantage. Some people like to use their power to intimidate people. I think it's wrong. It's especially wrong when we pastors can do that, when we don't love the way we're supposed to. And so he's saying, listen, soldier, what you need to do is you need to, you wanna demonstrate that you really, really have repented? Instead of bullying people, why don't you begin to care for them? Instead of using your authority to get something, some benefit for yourself, why don't you just become content with the things that you already have? That'll demonstrate that you've got a relationship with God and you've repented. Paul in 1 Timothy chapter six verses eight through 10 says, if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Money never satisfies. Human power never satisfies. But love does. Love for God and learning to love one another. So as he's out there preaching and saying, you need to prepare the way for the Lord, get the debris out of the way, open up your heart, repent, and start caring for people. Start loving them and watch what God will do. And people will be attracted to you, by the way. They'll be attracted to you. They'll be attracted to what you have because what you have is so different than what they've seen or what they have themselves, that they become curious. What is it about you and how did you get that? And what is it about me? I'm a sinner that's been forgiven who's loved by God, whose heart has been transformed so that I can care for you. That's what's happened. That's all. And it comes from God.