Sermon prepared by the Holy Spirit

& Pastor Andrew T. Okai

Second Sunday in Advent

December 4, 2016

Sermon text: Matthew 3:1-12

Sermon theme: Where Sin Abounds, Grace Abounds More

 

Introduction

Grace, Mercy, and peace...

 

Today is the second Sunday in the season of Advent. Last week our message was “Celebrating Advent in Advent” and we talked about how we are living in the dispensation of the Second Advent while we are celebrating the first Advent...

 

Again, in today’s gospel we will see that as Israel prepared for the first coming of our Lord, the prophet John the Baptist addresses the crowd that had gone to meet him at the Jordon River... in his discourse, he lays out God’s plan regarding how he will be dealing man’s spiritual dysfunction...

 

As you read in verse 5 of Matthew 3, we can see the extensive spiritual need of the people living in that time...

 

Matthew 3:5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.

 

The issue that needed attention then and still needs attention today is sin (the virus that corrupted man’s spiritual DNA) (We were created perfectly until this virus evaded our creation)

E.g. it’s like the computer

The Bible lets us know that God created us in his image and likeness. What this means is that our original design was a holy design... (Perfect in all our ways) The objective of our holiness was to do two things: 1. Keep us in a perfect relationship with God. 2. Keep our environment safe from corruption...

 

Question 1: Why is this attribute so important to and for us?

1. Holiness is the attribute of God that pervades his entire being and shapes all his attributes... This attribute sets God far above all things, including any form of corruption... One-third of the angels had to be thrown out of Heaven when they became corrupted... (The scripture describes God this way Exodus 15:11 Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

 

1. God chose to share this attribute with us from the very beginning of our existence Genesis 1:26a God said let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.
2. God came back after we fell from his holiness to restore us... Leviticus 20:26 You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.

 

1 Peter 1:16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

 

Question 2:How has God restored us to this holy relationship?

Matthew 3:11 I baptized you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

 

1. Through his redemptive plan... The means of Grace...
2. Power of the gospel – John the Baptist is preaching
3. Water baptism – buried and raised with Christ Romans 6:4 We were buried with him in baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glorious power of the Father, we too may live a new life.
4. Holy Spirit – the restorer of righteousness which leads to holiness

 

2. Through his judgment of sin... Fire – eliminating sin forever - Matthew 3:12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning the chaff with unquenchable fire

 

When God eliminates sin, and creates a new heaven and a new earth, the prophet Isaiah in our first reading for today gives us a description of what it would be like... Isaiah 11:1-10

He gives a description of the peace that we would experience: verse 7: The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.

 

As God perfects his holiness in us as we await that day of the Second Advent. Let us become ever aware of this and draw closer to him; because where sin abounds grace now abounds more...