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Getting ready to receive Jesus. Advent 2011. Getting ready to receive Jesus. ‘Produce fruit in keeping with repentance’ – Luke 3Matt 3:? It’s a story firmly rooted in history – v1-2 Real people in real time. God’s work started in bleak times! Days of injustice and godlessness
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Getting ready to receive Jesus Advent 2011
Getting ready to receive Jesus ‘Produce fruit in keeping with repentance’ – Luke 3Matt 3:? • It’s a story firmly rooted in history – v1-2 • Real people in real time. • God’s work started in bleak times! • Days of injustice and godlessness • The ‘church’ didn’t make things better either! • The source of John’s ministry and message • ‘The word of the Lord came to John’ - v2. • Pray that God would raise up a new generation. • Johns surprise at the crowds who came out – v7: • ‘Who warned you? Who told you to come out here?’ • Only God could bring people out like that!
Getting ready to receive Jesus ‘Produce fruit in keeping with repentance’ - Matt 3:? • John’s extraordinary reaction to the crowds ‘You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath!’ v7. • Snakes represented God’s enemies • And that’s what these people, and us, are! • News isn’t good unless it’s set against something bad! • John’s message to them ‘Produce fruit in keeping with repentance’ – v8. • Trust in God must affect the way we treat other people – as well as how we treat God.