Two Aspects of John the Baptist’s Message
1. Its ALLURE

A. John spoke to a universal need. Deep within all of us there’s the realization of our SIN. While many like to deny it, it’s still there.

B. Along with the knowledge of our sin comes the weight of sin which is guilt because our SOULS are equipped with a conscience.

C. People were in sin and EMPTY without God. This is what was happening in John’s day and it’s why they came to him. They had a desire to be free.

Two Aspects of John the Baptist’s Message
1. Its ALLURE
2. Its AUTHORITY

A. John's message was REPENTANCE. He called the people to turn from their sins. A change of heart and behavior was required.

B. He called them to CONFESS their sins because true repentance begins with confession. It takes a humble person to confess their sins.

C. Repentance, at its core, means both a change of MIND and BEHAVIOR. It means that we confess our sins, humble ourselves before God, lay down our pride and bow before Him.

D. Then John called them to publicly acknowledge their repentance by WATER BAPTISM. This is because true repentance is not secret repentance.

Baptism symbolized the washing away of the past and the beginning of a new life. It’s the symbol of a totally new person coming forth.

E. John's message was also one of FORGIVENESS. For when we repent, we’re forgiven. This is a basic fundamental reality Christians ought to know.

"Remission" in the Greek means, "to put away." Our sins are put away from us by repentance. This is what it means to be forgiven by God.

John was the forerunner of Jesus with a ministry of pointing to the coming Messiah.

Only Jesus can take us into His Kingdom. That’s why we need the One who can baptize with the Holy Spirit so we can experience new life in Christ.

Two Reasons Why People Fail to Receive Forgiveness
1. The first is that they fail to REPENT

Two Reasons Why People Fail to Receive Forgiveness
1. The first is that they fail to REPENT
2. The second is that they fail to FORGIVE