Sermon - Advent Midweek III 2020 - Matthew 3:7-11

 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Typically when we have to wait for something longer than usual today, we assume it’s because of some problem, breakdown, or incompetence. For example the USPS is a bit slower than normal recently, probably in part because they’re very heavily burdened with more parcels than usual. Or when I was a child, we went to a pizza restaurant, waited an hour and never received our pizza, nor did anyone else there, so we left because it was too slow. 

But is that what’s going on with God who hasn’t come back yet? Is He slow and delayed because He’s incompetent, had a breakdown in heaven, or a bunch of angels didn’t show up for their shift? No, it’s actually the other way around. God isn’t the slow one with a problem, we are. God doesn’t desire that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. We’re not waiting on Him, He’s waiting on us to repent. In the omniscient mind of God, He knows exactly how many will be in heaven, and He’s patiently waiting for all to repent.

So in the meantime, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes and the heavens pass away and all things are burned up, St. Peter instructs us to be engaged in three aspects of repentance while we wait. Firstly, we are to be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish. Secondly, we ought to be in lives of holiness and godliness. Finally third, we are to be at peace.

So first, God expects us to be spotless and without blemish. This immediately reminds us of the sacrificial Passover lamb which was to be a male lamb, without spot or blemish. It wasn’t supposed to be a runt with birth defects and all sorts of problems. It wasn’t a cull which wouldn’t grow well or get a good price at market; it was perfect, the best of the flock. We are to be that perfect lamb. 

Now we are the sheep of His flock and the lambs of His pasture. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. But the glaringly obvious problem here is that we’re not perfect, we’re not without spot or blemish. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, everyone, to his own way. We’re the culls not worth keeping, let alone worth rescuing after we go astray.

But there is one passover Lamb who is perfect, without spot or blemish. Christ, our passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. We have been sprinkled with the blood of this Lamb! May His blood be upon us and on our children! We have been washed with pure water. Our filthy robes have been made white in the blood of the Lamb. His blood has been spread on the lintels of our hearts so that we may be without spot or blemish just as He is.

So the first part of repentance is to acknowledge our guilt, to confess before God that we are sinful and unclean, poor miserable sinners, not deserving of belonging to the flock. The second part of repentance is therefore to believe that God has cleansed us of our impurities and removed our birth defect of sin, all through the atoning death of Christ for us. 

But repentance doesn’t stop there. St. John the Baptist simply says: “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” Knowing that our sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, produces fruits of repentance, causes us to be in lives of holiness and godliness. Too often we take God’s grace for granted and figure we can live like the thief on the cross. We think we can live as wretched a life as we want, and right before we die we’ll get right with God. But we may not have that opportunity, so we shouldn’t count on it.

“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.” If God prunes our branches by calling us to repentance, washes our sins away in the blood of Christ, and we still fail to produce good works as the fruits of faith, then He has every right to chop us down. In an orchard, a fruitless tree is at best taking up space from a fruitful tree and wasting the labor of the orchardist. But more than likely, if the tree isn’t fruiting, it’s an unhealthy tree and may be diseased. If it’s left there it may infect the entire orchard. The only good option is to cut it down and burn it to prevent the disease from spreading. 

God loves His orchard and His trees, He loves the sheep of His pasture, and if one isn’t producing fruits of faith, then for the sake of the rest He will do what is necessary to prevent the leaven of the pharisees from leavening the whole lump. So don’t hesitate to bear fruits in keeping with repentance! The fruits are good and beautiful because God designed you to produce them. Don’t hesitate or shy away from them, they’re a good thing and will only make this world better before Christ returns.

So finally, as we await our Lord’s return, living holy lives, we may have peace. Not the kind of peace that prosperity gospel preachers talk about, where you will be wealthy, successful, and comfortable. But a peace far more valuable. You know about this peace, that’s why you’re here this evening in God’s house, because you know that He alone gives you this peace. 

This peace is a fruit of knowing that you’re God’s beloved spotless sheep, a fruitful vine in His house, and at the last the Lord shall reap an abundant harvest and gather you into His store-barns, into His home to dwell with forever. We have this peace during a pandemic; of course I hope I don’t get sick, but I don’t fear it at all because the moment I drop dead I will be raised to an imperishable life. We have this peace during civil unrest; when all the world is  rolling in turmoil, God promises me rest eternal in His heavenly kingdom. We have this peace when our worldly rulers are tyrannical or oppressive; Christ Jesus is the Prince of Peace and shall rule over me for my blessing in heaven. 

In every situation, as long as we must wait for Christ’s return, we have peace with God through the blood of the Lamb. So don’t grow impatient with God. Remember God isn’t slow, He’s patient with us. He’s waiting for us repent, to be purified in Him, to live holy lives, and to be at peace at all times.