(Titus 018) A Reminder for Missional Living (Part 3)
Church 101 | A Study Through the Book of Titus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 46:20
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15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,
2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,
11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
2. Remember who you once were. (vs. 3)
2. Remember who you once were. (vs. 3)
3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
(2)A. We were once foolish.
(2)A. We were once foolish.
(2)B. We were once disobedient.
(2)B. We were once disobedient.
(2)C. We were once led astray.
(2)C. We were once led astray.
(2)D. We were once slaves to various passions and pleasures.
(2)D. We were once slaves to various passions and pleasures.
(2)E. We once passed our time with malice and envy.
(2)E. We once passed our time with malice and envy.
(2)F. We were on hated by and hated others.
(2)F. We were on hated by and hated others.
3. Remember why you are who you are now. (vs. 4-7)
3. Remember why you are who you are now. (vs. 4-7)
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
(3)A. We were saved by God’s loving kindness and mercy, not by our “good” deeds.
(3)A. We were saved by God’s loving kindness and mercy, not by our “good” deeds.
When the goodness and loving kindness of God appeared.
Not when we did enough good things.
Not when we started going to church.
Not when we were baptized.
But according to HIS OWN MERCY!
We learned that Grace - God’s unmerited favor.
Getting something we don’t deserve.
Mercy - NOT getting something we DO deserve.
The wages of sin is death.
This is what we do deserve.
Not only did God’s grace appear at a specific time in world history.
The goodness and loving kindness appeared at a specific time in MY history.
Chosen before the foundation of the world then on January 2, 1989 the goodness and loving kindness of God appeared in my life!
In that moment God washed my sins away.
Our salvation is not some abstract thing.
It isn’t because I believe in some form of a god.
Or even that I believe THE God exists.
James says the demons believe THE God exists.
It isn’t because I somehow gathered enough good things to out weigh the bad things so now life is different.
It isn’t even because I decided there must be more and started looking for God.
It is ONLY because unfathomable grace, goodness, and kindness of God appeared in my life!
I have absolutely no business judging or treating poorly those who are just like I was.
Especially when I had NOTHING to do with the reason I am no longer like them.
This is what Paul is telling Titus to remind the Christians in Crete.
Salvation is more than forgiveness of sins.
(3)B. We were washed by the Holy Spirit.
(3)B. We were washed by the Holy Spirit.
Bathed all over.
Completely made clean from our sin.
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Our sins are removed from us!
We are not washed from baptism.
Baptism is a picture of the washing.
Just washing isn’t enough.
(3)C. We were made new by the Holy Spirit.
(3)C. We were made new by the Holy Spirit.
God didn’t just was away our sin.
We were dead.
We were useless.
We needed more.
Washing a dead body doesn’t make it alive.
Cleaning something useless doesn’t make it useful.
God didn’t just remove something we deserve.
He made us new.
Reborn.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
(3)C. We were made new by the Holy Spirit.
(3)C. We were made new by the Holy Spirit.
We are made new because there was no fixing what we were.
We need to be completely made new.
Trying to fix ourselves before we repent and believe is a futile effort.
We are different from the world because the Holy Spirit made us new.
This (The Holy Spirit) was poured out RICHLY!
We think different.
We act different.
We aren’t better than the lost.
Just different because God’s grace and mercy appeared without our doing.
We also can’t expect them to think and act like us!
Trying to clean them without the renewal of the Holy Spirit is also a futile effort.
Not only were we washed and made new, but we were...
(3)D. We were justified by God’s amazing grace.
(3)D. We were justified by God’s amazing grace.
God gave us something we didn’t deserve.
Justification.
The price for our sin was paid and we were declared righteous.
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
(3)D. We were justified by God’s amazing grace.
(3)D. We were justified by God’s amazing grace.
The first part of verse 13 describes what we were.
But when the goodness and lovingkindness of God appeared He made us alive together with Christ.
Because He forgave our trespasses.
He forgave because the legal record of my sin and its legal demands - death (Romans 6:23) were nailed to the cross.
God didn’t just forget about our sin.
The legal debt I owed was legally paid for.
Therefore I was declared righteous.
(3)E. These are the reasons we are royal heirs.
(3)E. These are the reasons we are royal heirs.
These are the reasons we are children of God.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
(3)E. These are the reasons we are royal heirs.
(3)E. These are the reasons we are royal heirs.
This is the only reason we have inherited eternal life.
This is the only reason we are not royalty.
So, Paul says...
4. Keep living well. (vs. 8)
4. Keep living well. (vs. 8)
8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
4. Keep living well. (vs. 8)
4. Keep living well. (vs. 8)
This is a trustworthy saying.
This is an admirable truth and useful to people.
Insist on these things.
Be strongly assertive.
Lean in hard to the teaching of these things.
Pastor why do you so often talk about doing good works?
Because the Bible talks about it a lot.
Because we need reminded to do them.
Because Titus was told to insist on them.
Doing good is not a suggestion.
So those who believed will be carefully devoted.
Intentionally strategic.
That we don’t get distracted from or stop doing good works.
Doing so is excellent and profitable for people.
Who are the people it is excellent and profitable for?
All people.
You and I because we are living the life God left us here to live.
The lost community around us because we are being the hands and feet of Jesus and living out His love for them!
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
4. Keep living well. (vs. 8)
4. Keep living well. (vs. 8)
Us doing good works is profitable for everyone involved!
Scripture leaves no room for passive Christianity.
There is no picture of Sunday only Christians.
It is vitally important that we are intentionally and energetically engaged in doing good.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
4. Keep living well. (vs. 8)
4. Keep living well. (vs. 8)
Only by God’s grace we are not what we once were and we need to make sure God’s grace was not in vain.
It is not simply about obeying some rules, but making your life count!
5. Don’t be a part of foolishness. (vs 9-11)
5. Don’t be a part of foolishness. (vs 9-11)
9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him,
11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
5. Don’t be a part of foolishness. (vs 9-11)
5. Don’t be a part of foolishness. (vs 9-11)
We are coming to the end of Paul’s letter to Titus.
We are reading his final charge to Titus.
Like the beating of a drum, Paul has challenged the churches in Crete to maintain sound doctrine and be zealous to do good works.
These are not easy without people causing trouble.
It is imperative that the integrity of the churches be protected.
Avoid foolish
Controversies
Anything that is useless to argue about.
genealogies
Fables
Fairytales at times wondered to be true
dissensions
quarrels about the law
In this context, don’t get caught up arguing with false teachers.
Think before you enter a disagreement with someone.
We cannot waste our time with foolishness.
Put your time towards valuable things.
(5)A. Those who stir up foolishness are unprofitable and worthless.
(5)A. Those who stir up foolishness are unprofitable and worthless.
The context is false teachers.
Don’t engage them.
Don’t get caught up in lengthy discussions.
It is unprofitable to the gospel.
It is time spent NOT advancing the gospel.
The broader application is anyone that stirs up foolish controversies.
(5)B. Those who stir up foolishness have no place in a local church.
(5)B. Those who stir up foolishness have no place in a local church.
17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
(5)B. Those who stir up foolishness have no place in a local church.
(5)B. Those who stir up foolishness have no place in a local church.
Divisiveness in church is lethal.
That why so much time is spent teaching unity!
Notice the difference between being in the world and in the church?
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—
10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
(5)B. Those who stir up foolishness have no place in a local church.
(5)B. Those who stir up foolishness have no place in a local church.
God gives us a pattern to follow.
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
(5)B. Those who stir up foolishness have no place in a local church.
(5)B. Those who stir up foolishness have no place in a local church.
We don’t usually think about divisiveness as a reason for church discipline, but it is.
If a person is stirring up foolishness, we are to have nothing to do with them.
Victor Masters understood this well when he writes, “Sentimentality is an enemy of church discipline. Sentimentality is the love of man divorced from love of truth . . . it cloaks a big lot of hypocrisy and moral decay.”