VIDEO: PREPARE THE WAY IN 2015

1. COMING TO GOD WITH THE WRONG MOTIVES IS LIKE NOT COMING TO GOD AT ALL. THEY WERE COMING OUT TO BE BAPTIZED BY JOHN BUT WHY?
SOME OF THEIR MOTIVES WERE NOT RIGHT BECAUSE:

• LOOK WHAT HE CALLED THEM—“You brood of vipers!”
• LOOK AT THE QUESTION HE ASKED THEM—“Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
• LOOK AT WHAT WAS MISSING—“Bear fruits in keeping with repentance.” 
• WHAT DOES “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance.” MEAN? SIMPLY PUT, IT IS A “lifestyle change to give evidence of a true change of heart (repentance).”
• LOOK AT THEIR WRONG ASSUMPTIONS—“And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.”
• LOOK AT THE WARNING JOHN GIVES THEM—“9  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.” [MORE IN VERSE 17FF]

2. IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO ASK GOD FOR DIRECTIONS AND FOLLOW THEM, YOU WILL NEVER CHANGE. 

3. AND IF YOU NEVER CHANGE, THEN YOU WILL FACE HIS JUDGMENT OF WRATH.

THERE ARE THREE PICTURES OF BAPTISM IN VERSE 16 THAT YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF:

1. WATER—“AN EXTERNAL SIGN OF AN INTERNAL CHANGE” 

2. HOLY SPIRIT—“INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT” 1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 4:31 

3. FIRE—“PURIFICATION” 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 

THE “GOOD NEWS” ISN’T GOOD NEWS IF YOU REJECT THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!