New Year Series – What to do
Luke 3:7 – John would say to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, “You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 – Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don’t begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have father Abraham!’ because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!
Verse 9 – The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.” 10 – The crowds kept asking him, “What, then, should we do?”
What should we do? John’s message was a warning against complacency. According to dictionary.com complacency is “a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.”
Many who came to hear John possessed a smug satisfaction that being descendants of Abraham was all they needed in order to escape “the coming wrath” We may possess the same type of self-satisfaction that because we’re generational members of a particular church everything will be okay – not realizing the danger that we’re really in.
What danger is that? The danger of being cut off because of unfaithfulness to God. John gave us the clues. We are not children of Abraham by heredity. It is God who raises up children of Abraham – this happens by faith. Remember Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God. It is the same for us today: Galatians 3:26 says: “For all of you are God’s children through faith in the Messiah Jesus. 29 – And if you belong to the Messiah, then you are Abraham’s descendants indeed, and heirs according to the promise.”
John’s message went on to answer a critical question the crowds were asking him. “What should we do?” What are the things a person should do when their heart has been convicted by God that they need to repent?” Here’s John’s answer:
Luke 3:11 – He answered them, “The person who has two coats must share with the one who doesn’t have any, and the person who has food must do the same.” 12 – Even some tax collectors came to be baptized. They asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 – He told them, “Stop collecting more money than the amount you are told to collect.”
verse 14 – Even some soldiers were asking him, “And what should we do?” He told them, “Never extort money from anyone by threats or blackmail, and be satisfied with your pay.”
The evidence of repentance is in how we treat each other. Share, be fair and don’t coerce others. John’s message is a huge contrast to what we see playing out in our country and in our world.
This new year may we sense the conviction from God to love Him and to love each other more deeply. Survival is not about church membership. Survival is in extending the love of God to our neighbor so that they too can see that Jesus is the only way to truly live.
Happy New Year!
Where two are gathered 