Luke chapter 3, I want to bring
the message from verse 7 down through about verse 10, where
the people ask John, what shall we do? Verse 7 down through verse
10. I'm entitling the message from
these verses, the character of John's ministry. The character
of John's ministry. Talking about this one who was
out in the wilderness, as it says there in verse 2 of Luke
3. The word of God came unto John. He was the son of a priest named
Zacharias. But John was not in the temple
when the word came to him. John was in the wilderness. And
he came into all the country round about Jordan preaching
the baptism of repentance concerning the remission of sins. And we
know the remission of sin is only through the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. What can be said of this man
John? Well, a lot. John was a remarkable
man because he was a man that was a son of God. He was a man
that was sent of God with God's message. Last week we read from
John chapter 1 verse 6, there was a man sent from God whose
name was John. The same came for witness, to
bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. Christ is delight, he pointed
sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ. John had a very short ministry. He was put in prison for the
gospel and his head was removed because he would not compromise
the gospel. John had a very short but remarkable
ministry. He was a remarkable preacher
of the gospel. His message was always pointing
sinners to the one who remitted sin. You remember in John chapter
1, He said, Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away our sin. And then I love what the Lord
says, it's recorded of Him, of John, John the Baptist in John
chapter 3 where it says, He must increase. He must increase. I must decrease. We read a moment
ago in Matthew 11 verse 11, the Lord says of John, Verily I say
unto you, among them that are born of women hath not risen
a greater, a greater. than John the Baptist. That's
quite a recommendation, isn't it? I'd like to sit under his
ministry and listen to what this man had to say. That's what we're
going to do this morning. The first thing I want us to
notice about the preaching of John the Baptist is his zeal
for the glory of God and the boldness and courage that he
demonstrated before men. We read again in Matthew 11,
the Lord said, what did you go out to see? A reed Shaking with
the wind? Oh, no. No, this is God's servant. This is God's prophet. Not bending
toward the popular opinion of men. His head was not turned
by the popularity of men, what they said about him. He cared
not who he offended by his preaching. We need more like John. sent to preach the gospel. Our
Lord said in Luke 6, Woe unto you, and all men shall speak
well of you. Think about that. Woe unto you
when all men shall speak well of you." John was not trying
to be a people pleaser, was he? His preaching was pleasing unto
God because he said, Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the
sin of God's people. If we try in the ministry to
be simply a people pleaser, We're not the true servants of God,
are we? We're not sent with His message.
John, like Paul, did not preach to please men, but rather seeking
the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now hold your place
here and find Galatians chapter 1. Galatians chapter 1. The Apostle Paul put it this
way, in Galatians chapter 1 verse 10, for do I now persuade men
or God, or do I seek to please men? Is our ministry just all
about pleasing people? Is that all we're concerned in? Concerned with, rather? For if
I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ. I turn back just a few pages,
find 2 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 12, The Apostle Paul put it this
way here to the Corinthian church, seeing then that we have such
hope, we use great plainness and the word there is boldness
of speech. We need plain preaching in our
day such as John. John courted no man's favor,
even if it was the king. He feared no man's frown. He
did not care if he offended anyone. Most preachers in our day would
rather offend God by telling a lie than to offend men by declaring
the truth. God help us. Paul said, if I
would remove the offense of the cross, it would be to remove
the power of the gospel, the power of the message. Oh, that
God would be pleased to send us more like John. One of the
greatest blessings God can send to any people, any city, is a
God-called, God-sent preacher who cares not what men say of
him, but rather wants to hear the message that God has given
him to declare concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. A faithful
gospel preacher like Paul who said, I'm determined to know
nothing among you, But Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Christ crucified is all of our
redemption before God. Again, the Apostle Paul put it
this way, we preach not ourselves. We preach not ourselves, but
Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servant for His sake. And
then the Apostle Paul charged Timothy while he was sitting
on death row having his head ready to be removed. He said, I charge you before
God and the Lord Jesus Christ to preach the word, to preach
Christ, to preach Christ. Woe is unto me if I preach not
the gospel. Woe is unto me, the gospel of
God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we see in these verses,
we see something of a man's ministry that's sent of God. We see at
least four things here that John and every gospel preacher must
declare. Look at verse 7, Luke chapter
3 verse 7. Then he said to the multitude,
the multitude of the common people that came, there were Pharisees,
there were publicans, there were Roman soldiers, but he said to
the general crowd that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation
of vipers, who have warned you to flee from the wrath to come,
the wrath to come. God is holy and will punish sin. Now here's our first point. God's
servants sent to preach the gospel declare that we are sinners. Can you identify with that term?
Sinners. Oh generation of vipers. Does that offend you? When I
call you and tell you that we are, I'd include myself in this,
we are sinners? We are sinners through and through.
Turn to Romans chapter 3. Hold your place there in Luke
and find Romans chapter 3. We are sinners. How did we become
that way? How did we get that way? It's
not something we involved into. We were born in sin, shaping
in iniquity. When Adam fell, when Adam sinned,
we all sinned in him. The last part of Romans 3 verse
9 says, We have before proved both Jews
and Gentiles that they are all under sin. Does that include
you? Does that include me? Does that
include our children? How about our dad? How about
our mother? all have sinned. As it is written,
there is none righteous, no, not one." How do we know that? As it is written, there is none
righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth,
there is none that seeketh after God. They're all gone out of
the way. They are together become unprofitable.
There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Look right down
at Romans 3, 23. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. All men are sinners, every one. We are born this way. This is
our sinful nature we receive from our parents and right on
back to Adam. The Lord Jesus Christ and John
called the best of the religious people in that day. He called
them the worst of sinners. Those who are most self-serving
and self-righteous. You know what the Lord said to
them? You are they that justify yourselves before me, but God
knows your heart. That which is highly esteemed
among men is an abomination in the sight of God. I want you
to turn back to the book of Matthew. The Lord had the most tender
and kind word to those who took their place before Him as sinners. And those who came justifying
themselves before him, he had the sharpest rebuke for them,
didn't he? Turn to Matthew chapter 12 and
notice if you will verse 34. Matthew 12 verse 34. Oh generation of vipers! Now if you look just across the
page in Matthew 12 verse 24, but when the Pharisees heard
it, they said, this fellow doth cast out devils by Beelzebub,
the prince of devils. Verse 34, O generation of vipers,
how can you being evil? Speak good things out of the
abundance of the heart and the mouth. Speak it. Those who thought
themselves to be righteous, the Lord exposed them for the reality
of their sinful nature. They were sinners through and
through. Turn to Matthew chapter 23. Matthew
chapter 23 verse 25. You're a generation of vipers. Wow, that's offensive to the
natural man, is it not? Now wait a minute, we're not
quite that bad. The Lord said the best of men
are the worst. Look at Matthew 23 verse 25.
Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. For you make
clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but within you're
full of extortion. You see, the problem is the heart
is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. You can
clean up the old man, but you still have that guilty heart.
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the
cup and platter, that the outside may be clean. Woe unto you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whited sepulchres,
which indeed appear beautiful outward, but within are full
of dead men's bones. Even so outwardly you appear
righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy. Woe
unto you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, because you build
the tombs of the prophets, Garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would
not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Really? Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are
the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then
the measure of your fathers, you serpents, you generation
of vipers, How can you escape the damnation of hell? Now, my
friend, that's a description of every man by nature, especially
those who are serving and self-righteous to themselves. Self-serving and
self-righteous. We are sinners through and through. Now, my question for us is this. Can you identify with that? I
certainly can. Let us never despair. The Scripture
said, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the
truth not ends. But let us never despair. We
also know the teaching of the Word of the Lord that salvation
is only for those who qualify. Qualify. Do you qualify for salvation? Do you qualify? Where are the
qualifications? Guilty as charged. Sinful before God. Ungodly. I've never read in Scripture
where the Lord turned away a mercy beggar. He spoke some hard words
to those Pharisees, but he had tender words to those who were
in real need of mercy. Like the leper, Lord, if you
will, you can make me clean. He said, I will. I will be that
clean. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
died for the ungodly. That's what it says in Romans
chapter 5 verse 6. For whom did he die? For the
ungodly. I can identify with that, can't
you? We read in 1 Timothy 1.15, this is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that the Lord Jesus Christ came to
save sinners. I can say with Paul, I can elbow
him out of the way and say, I'm the chief offender. I'm the chief
sinner. We read in Luke 19 that the Lord
Jesus Christ came to seek and to save that which is lost. He's going to save his lost sheep. He's going to find his lost sheep.
Turn back to the book of Matthew one more time. Matthew chapter
9. When the Lord saved one of these
publicans, a publican was a notorious sinner who collected and worked
for the Roman government, collected taxes, a lot of time extorted
taxes from people. In Matthew 9, when the Lord called
Matthew the publican and saved him and said, follow me, in verse
10 of Matthew 9, and it came to pass, as Jesus said it meet
in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners sat down with him
and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw it, they
said unto him, they said unto his disciples, why eateth your
master with publicans and sinners? Oh, my friend, he's a friend
of sinners, isn't he? But when Jesus heard that, he
said to them, they that behold me, not a physician, but they
who are sick, go ye and learn what that meaneth. I will have
mercy, not sacrifice, for I'm not come to call the righteous.
What does that say? But sinners to true godly repentance. Are you a sinner in need of repentance? Are you a sinner in need of mercy?
I am. I am. Thank God He saves sinners. Now, back to the text. Oh, generation
of vipers, who have warned you to flee. And here's the second
thing. Every God-sent preacher declares
the sinfulness of our sin that we're guilty sinners before God.
Secondly is this. Who warned you to flee from the
wrath to come? Oh, there's wrath to come? We are, as guilty sinners, deserving
of God's wrath, judgment, and condemnation. Now think with
me. If God sent you to hell, can
you say in your heart, that's exactly what I deserve? That's what those who were taught
of God know. Who have warned you to flee from
the wrath to come. You see, none of us have merited
God's favor or grace. Nor have we earned His mercy.
What have we earned? The wages of sin is what? Death. The gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have never done anything to
remove God's holy wrath or anger, nor have we done anything or
can we do anything to gain His favor. You see, it's grace and
grace alone. Salvation, as we talked about
last week in Luke chapter 3 verse 6, All flesh shall see the salvation
of God. All salvation of every sinner
is of God. He chose us, He called us, He
made us new creatures, you hath He quickened who were dead in
trespasses and in sin? It's not of Him that willeth,
nor of Him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy. If the Lord is pleased to pass
me by and to give me what I deserve, that is exactly judgment, that
is exactly what every sinner has merited, is it not? Has the Lord ever taught you
that? That I don't deserve mercy? I don't deserve grace? Now, I
don't want what I deserve. Do you? I don't want judgment. I don't want what's coming to
me. I want mercy. Mercy. I need mercy. I'm going
to take my place, therefore, before the throne of God Almighty
as a mercy beggar. You know what he says to sinners?
He said, Come unto me, all you that labor heavy laden, I will
give you rest. Come boldly unto the throne of
grace, that you may obtain mercy. Find grace to help in time of
need. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ,
by His grace, has delivered sinners from the wrath to come. The wrath
to come. Oh, the wrath to come. Let's
look at a couple of Scriptures. Turn back to the book of Romans.
This Scripture jumped out at me this morning. Romans chapter
5. Romans chapter 5. I don't want what's coming to
me. I don't want what I deserve.
I want mercy. I take my place before God's
throne as a mercy beggar. Lord, have mercy upon me, the
sinner. Look at Romans 5. I quoted this
a moment ago in verse 6 of Romans 5. For when we were yet without
strength, in due time, according to God's good time, the Lord
Jesus Christ died for the ungodly. for scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die." Now watch this, "...God committeth his love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
Now read on, "...much more than being now justified by his blood,
we shall be saved from..." What's that word? "...wrath." Oh, the
wrath to come! We shall be saved from the wrath
of God through Him. For if, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more
being reconciled, we shall be saved because He ever lived to
intercede for us. Now, another Scripture I want
you to look at. If you'll turn to the book of
Galatians for a moment. Galatians, back to Galatians
chapter 1 again, Galatians chapter 1, look at verse 3, Galatians
chapter 1 verse 3, Grace be to you and peace from God the Father,
and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sin,
that he might deliver us from this present evil world. How
is he going to deliver us from the wrath to come, being justified
by his blood? That he might deliver us, how?
Because he gave himself for our sin, that he might deliver us
from this present evil world, according to the will of God
and our Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen? Now turn over a few pages to
1 Thessalonians chapter 1. I think we read this last week.
I heard a story of old George Whitefield who preached in England
mostly, but he had a ministry in Georgia, in this country,
back in 1730, along in that time. And I've heard it said of him
and have read about him that he always closed his message
with this statement, Oh, the wrath to come, the wrath to come. How can we as sinners be delivered
from the wrath to come? Only through the blood of Christ.
Look what it says here in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 9, For they themselves
show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, how you turned
to God, "...from idols, to serve the living and true God, and
to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead,
even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come." Who
has He delivered from the wrath to come? It's right here in 1
Thessalonians 5, look at verse 9. "...for God hath not appointed
us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. How are we going to be delivered
from the wrath to come? Only by His appointment, only
by His decree, by the Lord Jesus Christ taking our sin to Himself
and burying our sin in His own body on the tree. Therefore,
we can read in Romans 8, there is therefore now no condemnation,
no judgment to those who are in Christ. And again in that
same chapter, God who spared not His own Son, but delivered
Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give
us all things? He delivered us from the wrath
to come. Now, here is the third thing
back in the text. Watch this. Verse 8, "...bring forth therefore
fruits worthy of repentance, or meat, meet for repentance,
and begin not to say within yourselves, we be Abraham's children. We're
okay, nothing wrong with me, Abraham is our father. Look what
the Lord said, for I say unto you that God is able of these
stones to raise up children to Abraham. Let us never think as
those old Jews, you remember, turn to John chapter 8, John
chapter 8. Oftentimes we see these silly
signs on billboards out in front of churches that say something
to the effect, we cannot spell church without you. Remember? God does not need us. We desperately
need Him. He's able to raise up children
from stones if it's His pleasure to do so. Let us never think
that we are sons of God because we've done this, this, or this. Look at John chapter 8. Look
at verse 39. Then they answered and said unto
him, Abraham is our father. And the Lord Jesus said to them,
if Abraham, if you were Abraham's children, spiritual children,
you would do the works of Abraham. Abraham believed God and it was
counted him for righteousness. But now you seek to kill me,
a man that told you the truth, which I've heard of God. This
did not Abraham. You do the deeds of your father.
Then said they to him, we be not fornicators. We have one
father, even God. And the Lord said unto them,
If God were your Father, ye would love me. For I proceeded forth,
and came from God, neither came I of myself. He sent me. He is
the sent one. Verse 43, Why do you not understand
my speech? Even because you cannot hear
my word, you are of your father. That's pretty strong language,
isn't it? The devil! "...And the lust of your father
will you do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and a bogeyman
in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh
a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar, and he is the
father of it. He that is of God heareth God's
word. You hear them not, because you
are not of God." Verse 47. Abraham is our father. "...Let
us take no comfort, let us find no security, in the faith of
others. In the faith of others. Abraham
believed God, but Abraham could not believe for Sarah, could
he? Sarah had to believe for Sarah. Daddies can't believe
for children. Mamas can't believe for their
sons and daughters. You must believe the gospel yourself. Abraham was strong in faith,
giving glory to God, being fully persuaded of all that God had
promised God is able to do. I want the faith of Abraham,
don't you? To believe God, to love God. We cannot live on the
faith of others. I must believe the gospel for
myself. God doesn't lack resources. He's
able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him.
And if that's not enough, He's able to make those stones cry
out. to honor him and to glorify him. Let us not find comfort in the
fact that we have joined the church or that our forefathers
were believers or we have done terrible deeds for the needy.
Let us always find comfort and hope of all salvation in the
Lord Jesus Christ alone. Back in that epistle that we
read earlier, Actually, it's 2 Thessalonians where the Lord
says, we have a good hope only through the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and in the Lord Jesus Christ we stand
complete. God is able to save His people,
is He not? Now, back to the text. Here's
the fourth thing. Verse 9. And now also the axe
is laid to the problem, the root of the trees. Now when you have
a tree, a fruit tree, that you've pruned and watered and cared
for, and it doesn't bring forth any fruit, what is the remedy? A dead tree. Twice dead, plucked
up by the roots. Just get an axe and cut it down
and get another tree. Now is the axe laid to the root
of the trees. Every tree that bringeth forth
not good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire, and the people
ask him, saying, what shall we do? Now is the axe laid to the
root of the problem. The root of the tree, judgment
must come. The Lord, here's the message,
the Lord will expose every refuge of lies sooner or later. Every false profession, every
hypocrite will be exposed. Turn back to the book of Matthew,
a lot of references to Matthew, but find Matthew 15. Every refuge
of lies the Lord will expose with the truth. Look what it
says over here in Matthew chapter 15 verse 13. He will lay the axe to the root
of the problem. Matthew 15 verse 13. He answered
and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted
shall be rooted up. Let them alone, the Lord said.
Back up just a little bit in verse 12, Matthew 15. Then came
his disciples and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees
were offended after they heard this? The Lord, do you remember
they were concerned about washing their hands? Every plant which
my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up, let them
alone. They be blind, leaders of the blind, and the blind lead
the blind. They can wind up in a ditch. He tells them of the wrath to
come, speaks of the acts of God's judgments, and then he speaks
down here about them being cast into fire, eternal condemnation
and judgment. The acts of the word must be
applied to our heart, the root of our heart, by the Spirit of
God. Salvation is a heart work. He
is nine to them of a broken heart. He saith us, such as be of a
contrite spirit, Lord, operate upon me with the acts of thy
word, and make me a new creature in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the people said this, in verse
10, 11, 12, Verse 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.
The people said, what shall we do? What shall we do? He answered, instead of them, he that hath two cokes, let him
impart to him that hath none, and he that hath meat, let him
likewise. Then came the publicans to be baptized, and they said
unto him, Master, what shall we do? Okay, he said to them,
exact no more than which is appointed you. These were the types collected.
And the soldier likewise demanded him say, what shall we do? And he said to them, do no violence
to man, neither accuse any falsely, and be content with what you
have. Now, here's where I'm going with
this. The natural man's response to
the gospel of God's grace is this, as they say four times
there, what shall we do? That's the natural man's response,
is what shall we do? The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is not do, because it's done. Done. Salvation is all
of grace, not works. The natural man's response to
the gospel is doing something for God when the gospel of God's
grace does not consist of a sinner doing anything to accomplish
salvation or contributing anything toward righteousness that justifies. The gospel does not consist of
a sinner doing something or anything because the gospel is done, well
done, not due. The Lord said, it is finished. Now let me give you a couple
examples. In Acts chapter 16, you know
the story of Paul in prison there in Philippi. And there was a
great earthquake, and the jailer was very concerned, and he said
to Paul, what shall I do to be saved? What shall I do? You remember
what Paul said? Don't do anything. He corrected
him. He said, don't do anything. Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. When Peter
again preached at Pentecost, the Lordship of Christ, this
same Jesus whom you crucified is both Lord and Christ. You
remember what they said? What shall we do? You see, that's
a natural man's response to the gospel. And our message is, don't
do anything. You can't bring anything, contribute
anything. Salvation is not do, it's done. There's a tract out on the table
entitled, Do or Done, by an old preacher named C.H. McIntosh. Now there's a few copies left
out there if you want to get one and read it. and rejoice
that salvation is done. But in that little track, it
has this conversation between two people. One a believer, one
an unbeliever. And the believer said, the difference
between your religion and mine, my religion consists of four
letters. Your religion consists of two.
And the person said, what? What are you talking about? Your
religion is D.O. Done. My religion is D-O-N-E. Done. Not do. Done. Done well. Done well. We read in Romans chapter 4.
Let's turn over and read that one more time. Romans chapter
4. Romans chapter 4. Verse 1, What shall we say then
that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For
if Abraham were justified by works, he would wear up the glory,
but not before God. Romans 4 verse 3, For what saith
the scripture, Abraham believed God? Now where did he get that
faith? God gave him faith, and it was counted to him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is reward,
not reckoning of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh
not, stop working. Stop working. but to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness." Read on in verse 6. Even as David
also described the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth
righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose
iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is
the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. One old preacher friend of mine,
Brother Scott Richardson, used to say all the time, lay your
deadly doing down. Rest in the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, it's not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He
saved us. It's God who saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
God's own purpose and grace. May God be pleased to lay the
acts of the gospel to our heart, to work upon us and to root out
and cut out everything that's contrary to the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And may God give us grace to
rest in Him who finished the work for us. Completely so. Eternally so. Let us cease from
our doing. and enter into Christ our rest. Now, back to the book of Matthew
one more time and I'll let you go with this. Matthew 11, 25. Matthew 11, 25, the Lord Jesus
answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, because you have hid these things from the wise and prudent
and revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight, All things are delivered unto me and my
Father, and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father, neither
knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and He to whomsoever
the Son will reveal Him." That's sovereign grace, is it not? Look
at verse 28, "...come unto Me, come unto Me, the Lord said."
Don't look to the law. Don't look to tradition. Don't
look to ceremony. The Lord said, come to Me. He
is life. All ye that labor heavy laden,
I will give you rest. I will give you salvation. It's
a free gift of God. Take My yoke upon you and learn
of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find
rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy. It's easy. My burden, oh, compared to the
law, it's light. It's light. Come to Christ and
rest in Him.