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Got Fruit?

Got Fruit?. Mt 3:7-10. In this passage, John tells the Pharisees & Sadducees to bear fruit worthy of repentance. John spoke of “bearing fruit in keeping with repentance,” for his entire ministry was about repentance.

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Got Fruit?

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  1. Got Fruit? Mt 3:7-10

  2. In this passage, John tells the Pharisees & Sadducees to bear fruit worthy of repentance.

  3. John spoke of “bearing fruit in keeping with repentance,” for his entire ministry was about repentance.

  4. John spoke of “bearing fruit in keeping with repentance,” for his entire ministry was about repentance. • “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'” (Mt 3:1-2, ESV).

  5. John spoke of “bearing fruit in keeping with repentance,” for his entire ministry was about repentance. • “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'” (Mt 3:1-2, ESV). • “I baptize you with water for repentance” (Mt 3:11, ESV).

  6. John spoke of “bearing fruit in keeping with repentance,” for his entire ministry was about repentance. • “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'” (Mt 3:1-2, ESV). • “I baptize you with water for repentance” (Mt 3:11, ESV). • John urged the Pharisees & Sadducees to bear fruit “in keeping with repentance,” for they came to be baptized without apparent repentance.

  7. Apparently, John, like Jesus, could see someone’s heart.

  8. Apparently, John, like Jesus, could see someone’s heart. John’s preaching likely caused an uproar.

  9. Apparently, John, like Jesus, could see someone’s heart. John’s preaching likely caused an uproar. Preaching about repentance almost always causes an uproar.

  10. Sometimes the uproar is quite positive.

  11. Sometimes the uproar is quite positive. • Jonah preached in Nineveh.

  12. Sometimes the uproar is quite positive. • Jonah preached in Nineveh. • “The people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them” (Jon 3:5, ESV).

  13. Sometimes the uproar is quite positive. • Jonah preached in Nineveh. • “The people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them” (Jon 3:5, ESV). • Sometimes the uproar is quite negative.

  14. Sometimes the uproar is quite positive. • Jonah preached in Nineveh. • “The people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them” (Jon 3:5, ESV). • Sometimes the uproar is quite negative. • John experienced that negative uproar.

  15. Sometimes the uproar is quite positive. • Jonah preached in Nineveh. • “The people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them” (Jon 3:5, ESV). • Sometimes the uproar is quite negative. • John experienced that negative uproar. • He preached to Herod: “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mk 6:18, ESV).

  16. Sometimes the uproar is quite positive. • Jonah preached in Nineveh. • “The people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them” (Jon 3:5, ESV). • Sometimes the uproar is quite negative. • John experienced that negative uproar. • He preached to Herod: “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mk 6:18, ESV). • John was, therefore, thrown into prison.

  17. Sometimes the uproar is quite positive. • Jonah preached in Nineveh. • “The people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them” (Jon 3:5, ESV). • Sometimes the uproar is quite negative. • John experienced that negative uproar. • He preached to Herod: “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mk 6:18, ESV). • John was, therefore, thrown into prison. • When Herodias saw an opportunity, she had Herod behead John.

  18. Repentance causes an uproar, for repentance is difficult.

  19. Repentance causes an uproar, for repentance is difficult. • “Even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting” (2 Cor 7:8-9, ESV).

  20. Repentance causes an uproar, for repentance is difficult. • “Even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting” (2 Cor 7:8-9, ESV). • Because of our egos, it isn’t easy to hear that we need to change.

  21. Repentance causes an uproar, for repentance is difficult. • “Even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting” (2 Cor 7:8-9, ESV). • Because of our egos, it isn’t easy to hear that we need to change. • But, sometimes we need to be called upon to repent.

  22. We want to ask the question: “Got Fruit?”

  23. We want to ask the question: “Got Fruit?” • We need: • A RUNNING FRUIT. • A REPENTING FRUIT. • A RESPONSIBLE FRUIT.

  24. vv 7, 10 A Running Fruit

  25. We need a running fruit—a fruit that runs from the wrath to come.

  26. We need a running fruit—a fruit that runs from the wrath to come. “When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?,’” (v 7, ESV).

  27. Many of the Pharisees & Sadducees were coming to John’s baptism.

  28. Many of the Pharisees & Sadducees were coming to John’s baptism. • It’s obvious that they had no intentions of repenting.

  29. Many of the Pharisees & Sadducees were coming to John’s baptism. • It’s obvious that they had no intentions of repenting. • Because they come with the wrong motives, John says to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

  30. Many of the Pharisees & Sadducees were coming to John’s baptism. • It’s obvious that they had no intentions of repenting. • Because they come with the wrong motives, John says to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” • “Brood of vipers” was a major insult.

  31. Many of the Pharisees & Sadducees were coming to John’s baptism. • It’s obvious that they had no intentions of repenting. • Because they come with the wrong motives, John says to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” • “Brood of vipers” was a major insult. • In the ancient world, people believed that vipers were born by killing their mothers.

  32. Many of the Pharisees & Sadducees were coming to John’s baptism. • It’s obvious that they had no intentions of repenting. • Because they come with the wrong motives, John says to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” • “Brood of vipers” was a major insult. • In the ancient world, people believed that vipers were born by killing their mothers. • John says that fathers of the Pharisees & Sadducees were vipers also.

  33. John asks them, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

  34. John asks them, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” • We dare not lose sight of two important points: (a) There is a coming wrath; & (b) it is possible to escape that wrath.

  35. John asks them, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” • We dare not lose sight of two important points: (a) There is a coming wrath; & (b) it is possible to escape that wrath. • “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire,” (v 10, ESV).

  36. Throughout the OT, prophets use trees in parables of God’s judgment.

  37. Throughout the OT, prophets use trees in parables of God’s judgment. The axe is at the root of the trees—it’s ready to swing.

  38. Throughout the OT, prophets use trees in parables of God’s judgment. The axe is at the root of the trees—it’s ready to swing. Every tree not bearing fruit is thrown into the fire.

  39. Throughout the OT, prophets use trees in parables of God’s judgment. • The axe is at the root of the trees—it’s ready to swing. • Every tree not bearing fruit is thrown into the fire. • A tree bearing good fruit escapes that fire.

  40. Throughout the OT, prophets use trees in parables of God’s judgment. • The axe is at the root of the trees—it’s ready to swing. • Every tree not bearing fruit is thrown into the fire. • A tree bearing good fruit escapes that fire. • A truly repentant person successfully runs from God’s wrath.

  41. God’s wrath is coming on the world.

  42. “Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’ So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind” (Rv 9:13-15, ESV).

  43. “Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’ So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind” (Rv 9:13-15, ESV). God’s wrath was ready before it was unleashed.

  44. God’s great wrath will one day be unleashed.

  45. God’s great wrath will one day be unleashed. • “For those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek” (Rm 2:8-9, ESV).

  46. God’s great wrath will one day be unleashed. • “For those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek” (Rm 2:8-9, ESV). • Jesus Christ will be “revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess 1:7-8, ESV).

  47. Those who have repented shall escape God’s wrath.

  48. To the house of Israel, the LORD says, “I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live” (Ezek 18:32, ESV).

  49. To the house of Israel, the LORD says, “I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live” (Ezek 18:32, ESV). If one turns, he shall live.

  50. To the house of Israel, the LORD says, “I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live” (Ezek 18:32, ESV). If one turns, he shall live. “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Rv 2:5, ESV).

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