Third Sunday of Advent: Good News for Repentant Vipers

Unedited Transcript Follows:

The name of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy. Oh man. Have you ever had someone uh tell you I have good news and I have bad news before. Never heard someone tell you and you're like, just get the bad news over with right.

That's what you're feeling when I was first learning to practice evangelism. Uh, it was I was taught to put forth the story exactly that way. Some of you guys might have been trained the same way I was, but I I we would start with bad news and then we would talk about the good news.

So we it was the good news. Bad news, gospel presentation, a lot like a sales script. I like Not great. But I would say the bad news is that you're a sinner and that you've committed all these sins and that God's really mad at you. And then the good news is that you can be forgiven.

So that was kind of the way I learned to Put forth, sharing my faith with others, bad news and good news. And I've come to think that that isn't the best way to frame the story, as you might have, heard in preaching or whatever. I think something is either good news or bad news.

The gospel isn't both. Bad news and good news, it's just good news either, the Christian Gospel is good news or it's bad news. And today is got it, Sunday, gaudette is the Latin word for Rejoice. We're called to be rejoicing and giving. Thanks. Grace talks about this Sunday for an entire year.

Because I don't do the pink Sunday in Lent. I just can't bring myself to do it. So the other we only do one pink Sunday a year, got it Sunday, which is the third Sunday of Advent and she gets. She likes to make sure she's the gospeler so she can wear this little pink stole, right?

In our Old Testament reading tells us it's a day of rejoicing. It says in Zephaniah, Rejoice and exalt. With all your heart. It says God is in our midst. He will Rejoice over us with gladness. Quiet us with love. And exalt over us with singing. In the psalm, we want God to turn and heal us.

Why, so that we might rejoice in you Saint Paul opens the reading in Philippians with rejoice in the Lord. Always again I say Rejoice Catching a theme, right? And then Our Gospel reading closes. So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people. Now, I got to tell you Verse 18 in the gospel reading.

Kind of stands out from the rest of the reading and the re and that whole reading stands out from the other readings, right? It makes me wonder how I could close that way. And wrestle with how we read it. Why do we read this on God at Sunday? I don't know about you, it's something else to read, John.

John the Baptist Ministry over the last two weeks. And then get the conclusion we read in those words. This passage opens with John, the Baptist calling his listeners, The Offspring of snakes, And then closes with, Luke telling us with many other. Exhortations, he preached good news to the people.

Makes makes me wonder, maybe two things. One. Luke, did you. And I just hear the same sermon Didn't sound like good news. Right didn't sound like good news, they're The Offspring of snakes. Right. You're calling it good news. And then, it makes me wonder, maybe what were the other the many other exhortations that, uh, that John, the Baptist was giving That we just that maybe what made such good news, but I think when anything like this is that surprising when you're reading in the gospel, As a sermon, like you brewed, a vipers who warmed you to flee from the Wrath to come.

And you're hearing that, that's good news. When there's something surprising, it's a good sign to slow down. To try to reflect. Luke's conclusion tells us that he intends this to be good news to us. He intends this sermon to be good news to us, and I think it's important to consider how it might be good news that we're the brood of vipers.

So I have good news today. You brewed a vipers We're going to examine how that could possibly be good news that you're a brood of vipers. We're going to take a look at a lifestyle that characterizes vipers brood of snakes. Who have repented? So first, we we have this sense of a need of repentance, we recognize that we're The Offspring of snakes.

So verse 7, gives us the audience of of this sermon, right? And it says, the crowds of people who were being baptized by him. The crowds of people who were following him in order that they might be baptized, that's really important to recognize. So he's not, he's not talking to like opposition people that are opposing his message.

This is the people that came to be baptized. They were already favorably disposed to the message. John was preaching, right? So he's not talking to enemies, he's talking to friends right now and he, and these are people that have come out to be baptized by him and he says, you brood of vipers to them

Of his ministry. Their spiritual hunger, LED them out into the Wilderness to be baptized by John. But it didn't change their condition before God. They were the Buddha vipers. And as The Offspring of snakes, they're in contrast with The Offspring of Abraham. He sets, right? Brutal vipers, the word is genemata.

Ganemata it's where we get our word like genealogy from or Being birthed from coming from you brood of vipers brood. Offspring. Offspring of vipers. And he says, don't say we have Abraham for our father In response to this message. Don't say we have Abraham for our father. And he reminds them.

Hey God can raise up offspring for Abraham from the stones. For me, even the hard-hearted Gentiles, God can rate us up Abraham of Abraham's offspring, right? He says we can. God can raise up other offspring. Don't say we have Abraham. And the Vipers maybe remind us of the snake.

Who will be defeated and judged the snake, that's going to be put under the feet of the Offspring of Eve, you know, of Mary Uh, Mary giving birth to Jesus and ultimately her Offspring. You know, crushing the feet, but we remember The Offspring of the snakes are the enemy, the Vipers of the enemy.

The I the vipers are Satan. It's very similar to the language. He uses later that Jesus uses later when he calls when he says you have Satan is your father, your children of Satan. Your Offspring of Satan, right?

In our nature when Jesus comes to judge the world and separates good from Evil. We're on the wrong side of it and these are the people that are the recipients of the ministry of God, the recipients of of John, the Baptist Ministry. This. May surprise us to hear but it might remind us.

Of Ephesians 2 3. Where Paul says, By Nature. You were children of Wrath like the rest of mankind. Remember, By Nature children of Wrath. This is who we are by Nature. That's a term that's saying this is In in yourself who you are children of Wrath, there's nothing in within you or within me that puts us on the right side of the Wrath to come.

We are The Offspring of vipers, the children of the devil and we need God to come and save us. With many. Other exhortations, John preached. Good news to the people, right? How's this good news? I think those who have tried in their own strength, To be something different than they are.

And have failed. Might find this to be good news. Deep down if you're trying to be be righteous in your own strength, you're if you're anything like me, you're finding that, you're not cutting it. That you're not righteous enough. That you've never done enough. Exhausting right.

There's a whole Faith here. That's telling everybody be holy and righteous and they're incapable of doing so. It's exhausting. Right. They deny the doctrine of the Christian doctrine. We're talking about here of original sin, that we're by Nature. Children of Wrath that were by Nature, The Offspring of vipers that this is who we are that without God entering in to save us.

We can't take a single step toward him. Maybe if I've been trying to take a step toward him and I'm finding myself weak and unable to take a step toward him. I'm finding what's true about me to be true about me and I'm exhausted by it. I might find it.

Good news to hear. It's not going to get better. You can't try harder your way out of this.

Maybe anyone raising children might find this to be good news. You hear parents say this, how can my kid do something? Uh, Listen, they can't. Like you think that they're, they're like more special than the other kids and they're not. There there is capable of evil as all the other kids and and they they don't need to be taught it by you.

It's not, like, how could one of my children tell a lie? Like they can because they are your children, but they're off also offspring of vipers and like you and they're like all of them are and they and they're born that way. So they, they will, they will bring all the they will fail.

They will lie. They will hit each other, they will fight with their siblings, and their neighbors, and everyone else. They will do all of that because they have the same problem you have, and the same problem I have.

They are and in their nature. They'll they're far from God and they will rebel against God. Right. Also beautiful in the image of God and all that's true about them. They're wonderful have babies. I love babies. So uh, have lots of babies but but they are just recognize that they're born with this problem that they're sinners.

That by Nature, they are going to rebel against God and they're going to do what's bad for them, right? I think any of those who have been alienated by others, because their sins happen to be the more public ones. Might find this to be good news. Any people who's who their sins happen to land them on the wrong side of culture, wars, or what it like, might find this to be good news that actually all of us.

Are in the same boat. All of us, capable of rebellion against God. And a lot of times, the sins that are more public are just the sins that are less often dealt with by the majority. And that's really the only thing that separates them. And makes them the public ones, right?

Hey, anyone who's been alienated because their sins are The public ones are the ones that are in the eye of the of the public, they're going to find it. Good news that actually They're like all of us. Proper understanding of ourselves makes us, the type of people that bear the fruit of repentance that John talks about.

John talks about bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Well, when we recognize who we are that, we're The Offspring of snakes. We're able to then bear fruit in keeping. We're able to even think about repenting, we don't know. There's anything to repent from until we know, we're a brood of vipers.

And then we can bear the fruit that comes with repentance and this is another interesting thing. The fruit of that repentance in this sermon is Justice toward our neighbors. That's kind of interesting, right? About relationship with neighbors. Check out those actions that show the fruit of repentance. Right, three, different groups, visiting the crowds, and then the tax collectors, and then the soldiers, right?

And all of it has to do with relationship with our neighbors. We might expect repentance to be primarily about individual. Moral Purity before God. But that's not the case. Repentance. Looks like the crowds. The one with two tunics is to give to the one who has none. The tax collectors man, even the tax collectors.

Making peace with the Romans and collecting taxes from their own people. Even they can be right with God. And what are they told to do? Collect only what you've been appointed to? Soldiers are to be content with their wages. See in spirituality is primarily about your personal Purity before God, my personal relationship with God.

And my Purity. I I necessarily start viewing myself as separate from my neighbor. Because my neighbor can do nothing except make that harder for me to have my personal Pine. They're going to be loud when I need them to be quiet, right? They're gonna be annoying when I need them to get out of my way so that I can be personally, pure before God so that I can enter into my little personal party.

Like they can do nothing but get in the way and make it more difficult. Because they're offspring of snakes. Like I am, right? And so all they can do is make it harder for me to have my personal thing with God. But, If if spirituality is about recognizing, I'm a brood of vipers and I can love part of this offspring of vipers along with them and I can show Justice to them, right?

Tim Keller, says the gospel is this, we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe. Yet at the very same time, we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. It's good news. It's good news, because it, it keeps us from being separating from one each other.

One another, to try to be, More holy, which means I need to get you out of the way so I can have more personal time with God and get myself. Pure And it teaches us that I like I'm one with you with all. There's no like them in us.

It's just us. And we're all in a mess and we all need God to save us. And it creates a situation where I can show love and concern and caring compassion for my neighbor. The fact that we are more sinful than we could imagine. And yet more loved and accepted than we can imagine turns us to our neighbor in love and graciousness, and humility.

So how do we really view ourselves?

If we really get this, The fruit isn't a group of people who look morally more morally, pure than the outsiders. It's people who turn toward the outsiders in love and graciousness and invite them. To be reconciled to The God, Who loves them. So, think about your relationships with others, the people in your family.

This is a season of the year when um, any Brokenness in the family is just magnified, right? Cuz you try to like get in a room together. And uh and when when there's Brokenness in the family, it's hard to get in a room together. And so either you can't get in a room together because there's just too much Brokenness or you're gonna get in the room together and it's gonna be hard.

And think about how recognizing that we're all in this mess together. Needing God to save us, can help turn us toward our family in love and in graciousness. Think about people in your church. Think about people in the workplace. Particularly think about your enemies or people who have offended you In some way.

Think about people who Destitute really poor and don't bring a lot. Into their connection with you other than need. Right. These spring needs. Or people who are really sinful. And something about their lifestyles offensive to you.

John's message is actually that our standing with God. Will be primarily displayed by our relationship with these people. The fruit of repentance. Is going to be displayed. Mostly in. Chiefly by our relationship, with these people that we're thinking of now.

So what do we do to prepare for the kingdom? That's to come. Well, we The other vipers because we're one of them, we're a part of the family. We're, we're part of the same brood. You or I will be walking down the street. Or walking into an establishment and you're going to be asked for.

Money soon. Someone's going to ask you for money. Um, and without saying, what, what's the perfect way to handle that situation? I'll tell you this, what's going on your heart at that moment. Is probably much more important than whether you give someone that asks you for money money or not.

What God's doing in your heart? And what you believe about that person and what you believe about yourself? Is going to impact that interaction. Okay. And whether you see that person, As one with you or to stink from you. Is whether you see that person? As part of the same family, the brooder vipers that need saving or someone lower or less than you.

The way you view yourself and the way you view, them has everything to do with how you're gonna handle that interaction, right?

What about people that are like emotionally or mentally sick? People with mental illnesses or who are emotionally unhealthy? Are often marginalized and alone. Maybe, maybe you're called to be a friend to someone, in that state. This week. Or maybe I mean we're surrounded by people who are spiritually sick.

People who've tried to live a life pleasing to God have failed to do so. Many of whom are angry and hurt. And they have Lifestyles that are downright offensive. A lot of times. We love them because we're part of the same family. And all of us in the same mass needing God to come and save us.

See so John gives us actually really good news on its face. It might not feel like good news. We are the children of snakes. We're by Nature far from God, we're on Satan's side, we're children of God's Wrath. However, God has shown us Mercy by Nature. We are far from and yet we are loved by him and the Christmas story which we're about to celebrate.

It's coming soon, guys. Jesus comes into the world and he comes and joins the Human family.

And this reality turns us toward our neighbor in a radically different way. We don't look at the world and see people that we are superior to by our nature. We're no different than any of them. So we move toward people in Mercy, we're radically generous. Because even while we were children of Satan, God moved toward us in Mercy and showed us generosity.

So let us be people of radical mercy. Recognizing that if it weren't for the mercy of God, none of us could stand. As a brood of vipers, let us show Mercy to other children of vipers. Because God loved us first. Amen.