THREE PART MESSAGE
Today's reading: Matthew 3-4

"In those days John the Baptist began preaching in the Judean wilderness. His message was, Turn from your sin and turn to God, because the King of Heaven is near." Matthew 3:1-2 NLT

It's the same message the church is preaching today--well, almost the same message.

It's a three part message:

1. Turn from your sin
2. Turn to God
3. Believe this world is not all there is

Too many churches. No, I'll correct myself, too many Christians. No, I'll correct myself again, too many people who call themselves Christians, are preaching one, maybe two of the parts of John's message, but rarely all three parts.

A lot of people are being told what they're doing is wrong. Sinfully wrong. Keep you from heaven wrong. Keep you from hanging with the church-crowd wrong. But are they also hearing the parts about turning to God, to His church, to the people who should be loving them and that there is more offered in being His than just here and now?

A lot of people are being told they need to turn to God. Completely to Him. Push aside everything and anyone else. But are they also hearing that their old ways of life need pushed away, done away with, turned from? And are they being nurtured by the church and the folks of the church in the growth required to fully appreciate heaven?

A lot of people are being told this world will end soon. Preachers standing on street corners yelling. Folks condemning this world with posterboards and billboards. End-of-world proclaimers. But are they being told there is a way to make it out of this world alive? A way to greet the end of life with life?

It's still a three part message. No part can be left out. No step avoided or not proclaimed.

1. Turn from your sin
2. Turn to God
3. Look forward to Heaven