Religion vs. Salvation Matthew 3:1-11
John the Baptist is introduced in all four Gospels.
We are going to look at the one in Matthew, but let’s
look at the others, from John backwards.
We are introduced to him in the book of John as the one
who:
Declared Christ / Preached Christ and declared
who he was. (1:23)
1. Voice
- Commission to preach. Not
all are called, but all are commanded.
2. Of One
- Cut Off, Cast Off
3. Crying
- Compassion
4. In the
Wilderness - Condition
Luke 3:1-2,
Out of all the people God could had chosen to use.
You…not the outward and all the
abilities and and the PHD’s. It is
the availability to allow the spirit to control your life.
No doubt John did.
A born
again person doesn’t have to try to understand the spirit, the spirit works in
their life showing them Jesus and His Word and the way of life.
In Luke we
point out John was the
Persecuted
for Christ v.19
In Mark
he is the Pattern for the Christian
1:6-7 His
dress was different, his diet was different, and his duty was different, to
preach the Gospel.
In Matthew
3 John is the Prophetic preach
v.1-4) We
have already seen this
v.5-6)
Important to know the scope. There
have always been revivals throughout the course of God’s history.
Some have been prophesied and some have tried to lay down a pattern, but
on God can produce the revival. It
sweeps a nation. I have not seen
one? We may not see a revival, but
there will be a removal.
v.7) Many
come close to the truth, but never dive in.
1. Closeness – to the baptism.
Pharisees
and Sadducees are a picture of the religious world.
Bible, Gospel Story in flanograph form all the way to 40 days of purpose
and still lost and on their religious road to hell.
There are
a thousand ways to tell a man he is lost, we just have to allow the Lord to open
the door and bring the Spirit into the witness.
Without it we have no conversion.
They end
up “doing this,” or “ doing that” and believing it to be salvation.
2. vipers – still dealing with the false religions of
the world. Their Characteristics
a. just
trying to strike at anything
b. picture
of the Devil: Distorted God’s Word
Deceived God’s World
Destroys God’s Will
c. shed
skin, change their doctrine for their surroundings.
d. the
least harmful are still wicked
e. we need
to be concerned when they are near.
f. crush
it? Flee, rid yourself of an
enviroment that would be condusive to a snake?
3. Who hath warned?
We know John did, ( The Cover Up)
they know something is up…
Mat 11:7
And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning
John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
Mat 11:8
But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold,
they that wear soft
clothing are in kings' houses.
Mat 11:9
But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more
than a prophet.
Mat 11:10
For this is
he, of whom it is
written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy
way before thee.
Mat 11:11
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a
greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than he.
We suspect
he was the only one warning them.
Their crowd never did.
Jehoshophat,
Jeremiah,
4. To Flee…There is a way out.
The Call of God
We have
Salvation
v.11) Hubleness
Holy Ghost
v.12) Heaven (gather the wheat)
Hell (a reality that should motivate us to
1. Live it, and
2. Tell it