“What Should We Do Then?”
Luke 3:7-18
John the Baptist has appeared on the scene in order to prepare the people for the coming of Christ, the Messiah, the Kingdom of God incarnate in human form.
“He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
He said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance…
…The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
The people are at a loss as to what they should do after they repent…
…after they ask forgiveness for their sins, and seek to turn from their sinful ways and become the people of God.
What is this “fruit in keeping with repentance” they ask?
What does it look like?
We need direction!
“What should we do then?’ the crowd asked.”
And John’s answer is in keeping with the message of the entire Bible.
It is in keeping with the message of Jesus.
It is what we, as human beings, created in God’s image are called to do and called to be.
It is what it looks like when we are living our faith.
It is what “saved” people do.
It is God’s desire for us.
It is living in love for God and our neighbor—repenting from our self-centeredness, our greed, our arrogance, our hardened hearts and bearing the fruit that naturally comes from true repentance.
John answered them and John answers us: “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same…”
…tax collectors shouldn’t collect more money that they are required to collect…
…soldiers shouldn’t extort money, accuse people falsely—we should all be content with our pay.
He doesn’t mention the Levitical Laws.
He doesn’t mention the things the Pharisees are concerned with—following rules and regulations that no one can keep and judging those who fail to keep them.
He doesn’t shake the Levitical Laws in their faces—instead, he calls them to practice love in action.
They aren’t doing these things.
And this is why he calls them a “brood of vipers.”
They are…we are…to repent from our selfish and corrupt ways and give and share and love and care.
And, after all, isn’t that the hardest but most important thing we can do?
This is the Bible.
People want preachers to preach the Bible—and here it is!
Share your clothes; share your food.
Don’t steal and oppress people.
Live modest lives.
Be content with what you have.
Put your money where your mouth is.
Allow God to turn your apathy and hate into a passionate living and loving—a radical living and loving for God and others.
It breaks God’s heart when we get caught up on the judging, the rules, being modern day Pharisees rather than true disciples.
And the reason it breaks God’s heart is that it breaks the heart of the world.
According to an NPR article posted this past week children and young adults in this country—generation Z--are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis.
Even before the pandemic began 1 in 3 high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, a 40% increase from 2009 to 2019.
And the suicide rate went up during that time by 57% among children and young adults ages 10-24.
The pandemic has made all this even worse.
Can you imagine: 1 in 3 high school students are having persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness!!!???
This is the same age-group of which only 20% have any relationship with a church and 60% have never even been in a church and don’t even know what happens in a church.
I have no doubt that there is a direct correlation.
And I also have no doubt that all the blame does not fall on the shoulders of their parents or the children themselves.
I am convinced that most of it falls on us.
We are not being the Church that Jesus Christ or even John the Baptist has called us to be.
We are not LIVING in LOVE.
We are not sharing our food; our clothing and living lives of unconditional, non-judgmental love.
Instead, and for many good reasons, the world sees us as hatemongers, greedy, hypocritical, too political and even dangerous.
And if that is how the Church of Jesus Christ is perceived and in many ways living out, what IS there for young people to put their hope in?
The people who John the Baptist called a “brood of vipers” were good church people.
The people John the Baptist called to repentance were the Children of Abraham—the children of the Promise—God’s Chosen Ones.
They are the people God had called to be a light to the Gentiles, to the rest of the world.
And yet, John says to them: “do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’
For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”
Ouch!!!
In other words:
“Do not say ‘I go to such and such church and believe such and such.
For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up disciples of Jesus Christ.”
“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.”
Do WE hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches?
People aren’t coming to Church because the Church isn’t being the Church.
Instead, we are fighting with one another over who is in and who is out.
We are embroiled in scandal.
We are on t-v begging for money.
We are raping the children--All at the same time, with our noses in the air and judgment on our lips.
We are very, very, very sick indeed!!!
And our world, our young people are paying the price; living hopeless lives filled with depression and anxiety as a result!!!
And the voice of John the Baptist is loud and clear: “Repent!!!!”
And “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”
And so, we cry out along with the people in our Gospel Lesson for this morning: “What should we do then?”
“What should we do then?”
One thing we are doing involves our Food Pantry Ministry.
And we are expanding it to include food bags which can be taken to our city’s homeless camps.
According to the Homeless Outreach Coordinator for Homeless Healthcare—our own Joe Brackett--homeless people in homeless camps are starving.
Many are afraid to leave their camps for fear that what little things they have will be stolen, and they are afraid of going to the community kitchen due to the violence.
And so, they sit in their camps and starve.
And so, on the weeks we don’t have our normal food pantry distributions our Board of Directors has decided we will make special bags for Joe to take to the people in the camps.
If you feel God calling you to be involved in this ministry, please come speak with me or Angie or Sonya or David.
John the Baptist tells us that the Fruit which is in keeping with repentance is: “If you have two shirts, share with the ones who have none and anyone who has food should do the same.”
Do you and I have two shirts?
How about food?
Do we have more than we need?
And what about building space?
We have 50,000 square feet of building.
The most recent counts show that there are 602 homeless individuals in Hamilton County.
That includes 364 unsheltered individuals.
This is an 80% increase and the count in Chattanooga is especially high compared to other cities our size.
One of the main factors cited in contributing to this problem is that even as far back as 2019, 44% of Chattanoogans paid more than 30% of their income for rent.
The cost of a one-bedroom unit has risen 83% since 2015.
That is startling.
Add to this, that this past Tuesday, the City Council approved an ordinance that would allow for more power to remove homeless community encampments…
…including under bridges.
Wendy Winters, Executive Director of the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition is worried that the power of this ordinance could criminalize our homeless population.
In other words, make it a crime to be homeless.
I have a dream.
What if we were to share some of our unused space in this building?
We have a number of Sunday school rooms that are not being used.
They are “extra’s” shall we say?
What if we were to use them to house some of our homeless neighbors?
There are also examples of churches in the country that have built housing for the homeless on their property—with the help of grants and philanthropists, of course.
I know it’s radical, but for me, it is the most exciting thing I can imagine doing.
And you folks have proven over and over again that you have a heart for the homeless, the down and out.
Being a Christian—a Church—disciples of Jesus Christ is to be radical.
How about this church being transformed into, not only a church, but a mission outpost for God to do God’s work through and for God’s people?
Nothing is impossible for God.
I can see this happening and living within the miracle.
Imagine the lives that would be changed…
…not only the lives of those we serve but the lives of those doing the serving.
If we are going to be Christians—we might as well dive all the way in.
We might as well go for it.
We might as well live and love to the fullest extent possible.
Can you imagine what that would be like?
Jesus said, “When you have done it for one of the least of these you have done it for me.”
If this peaks your interest, please come speak with me.
We are in the 3rd Sunday of Advent.
Advent is a time for self-examination, repentance, new life.
It is a time of preparation—not only preparation to celebrate the birth of Christ—of God’s coming into this world—but to prepare for the Second Coming; the final consummation.
John the Baptist is preparing the way.
As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight, and the rough ways smooth.
And all people will see God’s salvation.”
Are we going to be a part of all this?
I want to be.
How about you?
Amen.
