December 9, 2007am  Are They Ready For Christmas?  Matthew 3:1-12

By Ronald E. George Jr.  at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

Story Of Two Families   Two families living side by side in the mountains of Kentucky had been fighting and quarreling for years. The feud started when Grandfather Smith’s cow jumped over the stone fence of Grandfather Brown and ate his corn. Brown shot the cow. Then one of the Smith boys shot one of the Brown boys, in fact, two of them, while the Browns had shot only one of the Smiths.

Bill, the oldest of the Brown family, decided to even up matters, especially since it was his own father who had been killed. But Bill was called away to war. While he was away his mother had a hard time providing for the family.

One Christmas the head of the Smith family took his wife and children to church. Usually he stayed outside, but it was so cold he decided to go in and wait. The sermon was on Christ, the Prince of Peace. It struck Smith’s heart. On his way home he passed the home of the Browns and he began to realize what a crime he had committed in killing the breadwinner. He prayed. He did more. He determined secretly to help them. He hired a small boy to carry a basket of food to the Browns every day.

When Bill came home, and heard of this kindness, he decided to find out who the generous helper was. He followed the little boy—to the door of Smith’s house. He could not believe his eyes. When Smith answered his knock, he smiled and declared: “Shoot me, Bill, if you want to.”

But Bill said he had come to thank him for taking care of his family while he was gone. Then Smith explained to Bill how he had come to a change of heart. He had heard the story of the first Christmas, the story of the Prince of Peace. It changed him.    —Selected^[1]

Matthew 3     In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea ^2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” ^3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” ^4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ^5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan . ^6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River . ^7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ^8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. ^9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ^10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. ^11 “I baptize you with^b water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ^12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”^[2]

What is Christmas?  It is the coming of the Lord.   How to get ready for Christmas? John was the forerunner.  Who is today’s forerunner?   Are you a forerunner for Christ and His coming?  Are you ready?  Will you make others ready?

A.  Are you prepared for his coming?

1. Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 

2. Have you opened up the path into your heart? 

3. Repent.  Turn from doing what you want to do to being who the Lord wants you to be. 

4. Confessing their sins,

5. They were baptized by John. 

B.   Have we prepared the way for others to receive the Lord? 

1. John preached and lived the good news.  

2. Have we told the story?  Would you read the story on Christmas morning?   The Lord is close by and he is coming to town. 

3. Have we lived the story?  The lives of the Pharisees didn’t show their repentance.  They believed that since they were related to Abraham that they were acceptable unto God on the basis of Abraham’s life.  Does God have grandchildren?  The fruit was what John was looking for.  What kind of fruit is in your life? 

4. Do we have the outward sign of the inward faith?  Have we been baptized?  Be baptized with water for repentance.  Why?  Because this is what the Lord did and commanded to be done. 

5. Be filled with the Spirit.  Be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 

6. Leave the judgment to the Lord.  He is coming to judge.  He is the Judge. 

7. Prepare the way for the Lord to come into the life of others.  Be who God wants you to be.  Tell what God wants you to tell.  Live the life that God wants you to live. 

Preparing for Christmas is serious work.  The lives of folks depend on how well you prepare for the coming of the Lord.  Are you ready for Christmas?  Are they ready for Christmas?   Will you answer for them or for yourself?  Will you answer the question?