Luke 3

Luke 3. chin lien night class. date: 24 feb

The background of the temple ruled by the high priest in john the baptist's time is very corrupt. There were many means of making profits in the temple then, for eg. Selling sacrifices or priestly taxes.

Hence John was raised in the desert to avoid being corrupted by the depraved situation in Jerusalem. A principle is that whenever God's word is, there will be people. Today there are many trying to attract people into the church using worldly attractiveness. Healing, prosperity, attractions. But the true church attracts with truth.

When a church preaches God's word, even a church in far lands will attract people. Like John preaching God's word in the desert. Today when we evangelize, or preach in pulpit, we should be using only God's word and no other.

John preached a baptism of repentAnce. People hated Jesus not only because he was the son of God, but becUse often Jesus spoiled the means of them making money through the temple meAns.

A church without God's word for a year will have sin growing in members, superstition and empty fillings of the heart. It resulted in john's time when people have a religion without faith. A religion without faith is that one only follows the ritualistic methods, but not observe God's word in the dAily specifics of life. One still enters the casino, gambles, cheats in business.

The second is those who offer sacrifice but not repentance. Their repentAnce is shallow, is false. In our midst, we may have the holy communion, confess sins but still go on sinning.

Third is observing sacraments but the self is not sanctified. Hence, the people needed the messAge of repentance most which is what John preached. They knew only the rituAlistic means but have never heard of the messaGe of repentance.

Man's greatest need is repentance. John rebuked them using brood of vipers. Today many use psychology to gain the favour of man, but not John. John not only preached but also baptized. The Jews knew bAptism as only needed by Gentiles. John's baptism of the Jews signified that the Jews were so depraved like the pagans. John's baptism is different from our baptism. John's baptism is one of repentance. Ours is a baptism into christ's blood. Do we truly know true repentance? It's not just regret. But the knowledge from God that you are a sinner, being sorrowful, needing salvation. 2 cor 7.

The passage from Isaiah tells of someone paving a way for the messiah. Every valley being filled, mountain made low. This refers to the heart man. Needing to be straightened from our evils, malices, deceit. The secret hidden evil things of man.

True repentance is from God. True repentance knows the wrath of God. The seriousness. We have to know that the punishment is serous, eternal suffering. Hence we know that in evangelism, we are not afraid to preach the judgement of hell.

People were coming to John for baptism. But John rebuked them as brood of vipers. John wanted to remind them it's from a true repentant heart that they want to be baptized. Not the same ritualistic heart that just wants baptism.

A hundred baptisms us useless if you did not repent. A serpent escapes the fastest when there us a fire. This is used to described to the false believers then. Let us not treat that baptism is just a means of salvation. But bear the fruits of repentance.

Let us be baptized because of us knowing that we are sinners needing salvation. Many disappear after baptised. Let us not go after ritualistic means of salvation like other religions.

Growing up in a family of Christians does not mean that you are a Christian. We need repentance ourselves. Eg. Eli's family.