We see John the Baptist’s public ministry today, and he comes out with a strong stance – Who warned you to repent! Not the way that I typically start off my sermons. But John’s purpose was this: calling people to repentance. We need to take a moment, though, and talk about what conviction and repentance are. Conviction is when we feel bad about our sins. Repentance is when we do something about it, when we turn from it. We do not need to stop with conviction. We need to move to repentance. But then we need to move from repentance to justification, and then from there we need to move to sanctification. It is all part of Christian growth, undergirded by the power of the Holy Spirit!

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Good morning. It’s good to be with you on this Monday morning as we continue together in our time in Luke. I hope you had a great weekend. I had a good time preaching homecoming back at Johnston Chapel. It’s always good to be back with the home folks—family, friends, and the people who helped raise me. There’s just something about going home. I was thinking about that old Louis Grizzard quote: “I spent the first half of my life trying to get away from home, and the last half trying to get back.” I’ve always liked that. There’s something to it.

Today we’re picking up with Luke chapter 3, and we’re going to read a good chunk this morning—Luke 3:1–20—which focuses on the ministry of John the Baptist.

Luke starts by grounding the story in history. He lists the rulers and high priests to give us a setting: the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign, with Pontius Pilate as governor, Herod ruling Galilee, and so forth. And then it says: “The word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.”

John goes throughout the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, fulfilling the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight…”

Then John preaches—fiery, prophetic words. He doesn’t warm up with a gentle story or illustration. No, his opening line is:

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

I’ve never started a sermon like that—and most preachers haven’t! But that’s John. He’s the last of the Old Testament-style prophets—like Jeremiah or Amos—calling the people to repentance, to turn from sin and give themselves fully to God.

John warns them not to rely on their heritage:

“Do not say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor.’ For God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones.”

He tells them that every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. This is strong, urgent preaching.

The people respond:
“What then should we do?”

John’s answers are practical and powerful:

• “If you have two coats, give one to someone who has none.”
• “If you have food, share it.”
• “Tax collectors, don’t take more than required.”
• “Soldiers, don’t extort. Be content with your wages.”

In other words, repentance isn’t just about feeling bad—it’s about doing something different.

That’s the key point today:
We often mistake conviction for repentance. Conviction is feeling guilty or troubled by your sin. Repentance is doing something about it—changing your behavior and turning away from the sin itself.

John calls people to repent. Feeling bad isn’t the finish line—it’s just the first step. Conviction is good and necessary, but it must lead to transformation. Like Romans 2:4 says:

“Do you not know that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

One of the dangers in our culture today is that many don’t even feel conviction anymore. We justify, excuse, or ignore sin. But John reminds us: conviction is good, repentance is better, and turning to Jesus is essential.

John says,

“I baptize with water, but one more powerful than I is coming. I’m not worthy to untie His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

So the full process of spiritual growth looks like this:

1. Conviction – feeling the weight of our sin.
2. Repentance – turning away from sin and toward God.
3. Salvation – receiving Jesus Christ as Lord.
4. Sanctification – growing daily in grace and holiness.

If we stop at any one of those points, we miss the fullness of the journey.

So today, be open to conviction. Let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart. But don’t stop there—repent. Turn. Change direction. And then walk toward Jesus, follow Him, and grow deeper with Him daily.

That’s what John was preparing the people for—and that’s what the Spirit is preparing us for still.

Thanks for being with us today. Tomorrow, we’ll continue with John’s baptism of Jesus and then move into the genealogy. Some interesting stuff ahead—can’t wait to explore it with you.

Thanks, and see you tomorrow.