It's Not about Religion
Richard A. Bradley
Matthew 3:1-10
Matthew 3:1-10
1 In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was,
2 ''Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.''
3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,
''He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
'Prepare the way for the Lord's coming!
Clear the road for him!'''
4 John's clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John.
6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. ''You brood of snakes!'' he exclaimed. ''Who warned you to flee God's coming wrath?
8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.
9 Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.
10 Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
A lot is being said about religion these days just as in John's. In John's day religious people were everywhere. One of John's mission goals was to show people that religion was not enough. It's still not today. Religion doesn't have the power to get us anywhere except maybe make us feel a little better about ourselves. Religion has no power to make us right with God.
John preached that religion was not enough. He told the people what they needed besides religion to make them right with God.
THE PEOPLE WOULD NEED TO REPENT
2 ''Repent ...
Richard A. Bradley
Matthew 3:1-10
Matthew 3:1-10
1 In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was,
2 ''Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.''
3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,
''He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
'Prepare the way for the Lord's coming!
Clear the road for him!'''
4 John's clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John.
6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. ''You brood of snakes!'' he exclaimed. ''Who warned you to flee God's coming wrath?
8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.
9 Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.
10 Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
A lot is being said about religion these days just as in John's. In John's day religious people were everywhere. One of John's mission goals was to show people that religion was not enough. It's still not today. Religion doesn't have the power to get us anywhere except maybe make us feel a little better about ourselves. Religion has no power to make us right with God.
John preached that religion was not enough. He told the people what they needed besides religion to make them right with God.
THE PEOPLE WOULD NEED TO REPENT
2 ''Repent ...
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