Grace Bestowed

Service Notes

Men - I hope you will make it to the Men’s Advance

Thankful to have some guests with us from yesterday’s wedding.

Bible Reading Introduction

Men join us at the retreat / football didn’t hit the camera operator but was close

Won’t read the entire book. Encourage you to carry a copy with you.

[Slide] VBS & Weddings are 2 of my favorite events. When done properly they are both about showing the Gospel. / and their are snacks

Info on the Letter

Titus, the letter of Titus, was probably written in the 60s. / the 60’s of the Hippies and the moon landing. But the original 60.

When we turn to the New Testament, we’re not dealing with a mythology or some kinds of story created by man.

We are actually dealing with material that is grounded in real time, in real history.

Reasons to a church needs to study Titus

It emphasizes the priority of godly leadership in a church.

It reminds us that leading the church takes courage.

It tells us why a culture of discipling in a church is so important.

It teaches us what the fruit of the gospel looks like with street clothes on.

Titus 1:1–4 (KJV)

1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Letter to a son in the faith

The secret to a good sermon. (1) Have a great introduction. (2) Have a great conclusion. (3) Make sure the two are together as close as possible.

In Titus we have a great introduction.

Though the letter is personal, to Titus, it is not private.

The church would read hear it, those who are causing division will hear it, and now we are hearing it. All by God’s design.

Paul will emphasize the importance of certain truths in this opening sentence.

Paul’s loves for the church is obvious. He desires it to shine bright against the backdrop of this fallen, Cretian culture.

Tidy Titus 1:5 “5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:”

Healthy Titus 1:13 “13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;”

Lovely Titus 2:9–10 “9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.”

Personal Letter to encourage someone who could have been overwhelmed and overcome with all the wrong influences in he culture and the church.

It appears Paul led Titus to Christ, unlike Timothy. Titus 1:4 “4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.”

Someone here today I did not lead to Christ. She is our sister in Christ. You will get to see her baptized next week. Though I will preach to you all. Today I have this new believer in mind.

I want us to marvel in a single word. Grace [slide]

Grace from our Savior. Titus 1:4 “4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.”

Grace appeared in Jesus whom brings salvation. Titus 2:11 “11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,”

Grace is how we become justified from our sins. Titus 3:7 “7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Grace has the opening and closing words in this book. Titus 3:15 “15 All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.”

Paul was writing his spiritual son, Titus, somebody that he had led to the Lord, he just keeps ringing this note of grace.

We sing about it. “It's all about saving grace All about living love Being Jesus to those He came to save Sharing life and giving our own away It's all about serving God It's all about saving grace

We share it with others. - Today Greg’s Grace will be teaching kids about God’s grace.

It shapes our lives. - Our understanding of God’s grace not only changes our eternity but changes how we live together in unity.

Every Sunday we rejoice in it - Today we rejoice in with a daughter in the faith who has received it

Titus as a trophy of God’s Grace

Titus was a young Greek. He wasn’t a Jew; he was a Greek / he would knew the proper way to pronounce Gyro

In Jerusalem, there was a big debate as to whether the Gentiles could be saved without keeping the law.

Paul took Titus, and took him to Jerusalem, and used him as Exhibit A: that the Gentiles were saved, and they were saved by grace.

You can read about that in Galatians 2—how Titus was a trophy of grace.

Summary of Gal 2:1-9

Paul had made a visit in Acts 11 where he tells the church in Antioch about a great famine spreading in the land. They send financial help. Reminder that in the Christian family we do not let borders limit are acts of compassion.

15 years after this visit, Paul shows up with Titus.

Paul shared with them how he had been sharing the Gospel among gentiles.

He did so privately with the men of reputation so they could get questions answered without the crowds watching.

Paul wanted them to see as Peter had been committed to sharing the Gospel with Jews, he was called to the gentiles.

That gets us to v. 9 which says Galatians 2:9 “9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.”

Sidenote: Paul was commissioned to go out to the Gentiles and they exhorted him to remember the poor as he goes.

Fight almost breaks out.

Galatians 2:11 “11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.”

Peter was not living out fully the conviction that God could save gentiles.

Peter distanced himself from them when the religious rolled into town.

Paul confronts him with the truth of justification. / some teenager in the background yells “oh no he did’nt”

Good definition of the means of grace. Galatians 2:16 “16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Grace is God’s unmerited favor.

It is the kindness of God shown to one who does not deserve it and who can never earn it.

An acrostic of grace: God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense

There are many silly and unworthy things that cause divisions in a church. Grace is worthy fight. Grace is a hill we die on. It is because of grace that Jesus died on Calvary’s hill. It should always be of the utmost importance to us.

Titus was standing there.

Titus was a testimony of how the grace of God was given unto Paul

Titus’s testimony did not prove that Paul was good and faithful, but it certainly showed that God was.

Titus was irrefutable evidence that God was saving the gentiles.

Do you have any children in the faith?

Are you a spiritual father or mother?

Is there anybody that you can look at and say that you won him or her to Jesus?

We cannot do anything more wonderful than to share our faith and bring somebody else to Jesus Christ.

The story ends with the word we are looking at today. Galatians 2:21 “21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

How could we frustrate the grace of God?

By not living by faith in the Son of God. Galatians 2:20 “20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Faith calls all attention to grace and magnifies it, rather than nullifying or frustrating it.

Tension in the church at Crete

Titus 1:16 “16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”

The reason that these false teachers are such a “detestable” nuisance is, in part, because they’re “unfit for any good work.”

Why are they “unfit for any good work”? Because it is the good news which provides the basis for the good deeds.

The Cretians don’t understand or believe the good news, and therefore, they are unable to live out the good news.

False religion says, ‘Do good works, and God will accept you.’ The Christian gospel says, ‘You are accepted through the one securing work of Jesus. Therefore, because you’re accepted, do these things.’

The denial and distortion of grace

Denial of Grace is Legalism

Every time the devil sees a trophy of grace, he will move in to tarnish that trophy.

That is in part the reason Paul was writing to Titus. Titus 1:10–11 “10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: 11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.”

In this passage, “filthy lucre” means “dirty money.”

When the devil sees anybody celebrating liberty and enjoying grace, he moves in to stop it.

In verse 10, Paul speaks of those of the circumcision.

Under the Jewish law, a male had to be circumcised to show that he was a Jewish male and was in a covenant relationship, the household of faith.

There were Judaizers who were saying to the Gentile believers and others that in order to be accepted by God, they would have to put themselves back under the Jewish law.

They were legalists.

The entire book of Galatians was written to deal with this problem.

They were endeavoring to put people back under the Mosaic Law.

Paul said that their liberty in Christ was worth fighting for.

He said that their mouths must be stopped.

He called them:

Unruly because they did not want to put themselves under the authority of the Word of God.

Vain talkers because what they said was hot air.

Deceivers because they were in error.

False teachers are subversive.

New Christians are very susceptible to legalists.

We can preach that we are saved by grace through faith plus nothing, and people will be saved.

Then, along will come a legalist who will lay down a lot of rules, rituals, and laws.

New Christians are so insecure in the liberty that they have in the Lord Jesus Christ that they will go back into legalism because they feel secure there.

Don’t let anyone make a legalist out of you.

We are not saved by keeping laws.

We are not saved by ritual.

We are not saved by anything other than the grace of God. Ephesians 2:8 “8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

A person who tries to be saved or sanctified by rules is like a person trying to get out of quicksand.

The more he struggles, the more he sinks.

Ten thousand rules will not make us more like Jesus.

License to Sin is a Distortion of Grace

Romans 6:1–2 “1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

Every road has two ditches.

The devil doesn’t care which side of the road he wrecks us on.

So, if he can get us off that road and put us in the ditch of legalism, he will do it.

Or, the devil will get us to distort the message of grace.

The distortion of grace is license.

License is the philosophy that says we are saved by grace and not by works; therefore, we have a license to sin.

It says that we can live anyway we like.

It says that we can do anything we want and go to Heaven.

It says we can have sin and Heaven, too.

If our relationship with has not changed out relationship with God has no either. Romans 6:1–2 “1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

How did we receive grace?

The best way to fight a lie is to know the truth. We cannot know all the lies that can be created about God and His grace. So we must know what the truth is.

Told that people who study money forgery do not study all the ways people print money, but they focus on knowing what a real dollar looks and feels like.

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord as he lived by faith. Genesis 6:8 “8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”

Noah believed the Lord.

Abraham Genesis 15:6 “6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

They both trusted what was revealed or appeared to them about God. They believed.

How has the love of God appeared toward us today according to Titus.

Titus 3:4–5 “4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

Through Jesus Christ. His life, death, and resurrection.

Not by works we have done. John 5:24 “24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

When God calls upon [people] universally to believe, he does[n’t] call … them to believe they are elected, or that Christ died for them in particular. He calls upon them to believe that Christ died for sin, for sinners, for the world …. The atonement is not offered to an individual either as an elect man, or as a non-elect man; but as a man, and a sinner, simply. William Shed in his Dogmatic Theology

Which means that this grace that you found should be offered to all! Indiscriminately, with hope believing they can and will respond.

Jesus doesn’t issue a call to the elect of God to waken up and come to him. He issues a universal call to all and any to come to him.

What does God’s grace do in your life?

Titus 2:11 “11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,”

The Gospel is good news.

It is not good news if God were to tell us to straighten up and do better, then maybe we can be saved.

Some may say that we are saved by grace and works. This is wrong. Romans 11:6 “6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”

If we were to add works to it, then we would destroy the principle of the grace of God.

What does grace provide?

Titus 1:2 “2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

The word “hope” in the Bible does not mean maybe it will happen.

It is a bedrock assurance based on the Word of God.

The Second Coming of Jesus is called the “blessed hope.” Titus 2:13 “13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

Our eternal life is a blessed hope.

God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began. Titus 1:2

God chose or elected that those who will put their truth in Christ will receive grace before this planet was swung into space. Titus 1:1 “1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;”

Paul links grace with mercy and peace

Titus 1:4 “4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.”

Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve.

We do not deserve His goodness.

While we were sinners, God sent His grace to us.

Romans 5:8 “8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Mercy is God not giving to us what we do deserve.

We deserve judgment. We deserve Hell.

Grace and mercy are linked together, followed by peace.

That is God’s order.

The Bible never said “peace and grace”.

It is always “grace and peace” because we cannot find peace until we know grace.

We have the peace of God and peace with God because of the grace of God.

Peace is the result of grace and mercy.

When we know grace and receive mercy, then we will experience peace.

Peace is found in the grace and mercy of God.

Paul loves Titus and he points out five things they share in common

Titus 1:4 “4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.”

1. Close Relationship

Think of all the dear people who lovingly pointed you to Christ.

See them as family. They are family.

2. Common Faith

We agree there is one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and one mediator, Jesus Christ our Savior.

We receive our faith as a gift from God, and He is the tie that binds us together.

3. Mutual Benediction (Blessing)

Paul asks for grace, mercy and peace for Titus. And we all want that grace, mercy and peace for each other. I want it for you, and you want it for me.

Here’s why:

We need Grace from God or we would be undone.

We need Mercy to forgive. Perhaps the more leadership and more authority you have, the more mercy you need.

And we need Peace to comfort. We all long for the comfort of peace of mind, restfulness of heart, and quiet spirit.

4. Common Source of Blessing

We are one in the source of our blessings.

Whatever grace, mercy and peace come to us, they come from the same place! The Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

5. United by Jesus

Christ is our common reality; we are joined together in His life.

Christ is OUR Savior. He is not just a savior as in “born this day in the city of David a Saviour” (Luke 2:11), or my savior as Mary sang “My spirit has rejoiced in God my savior” (Luke 1:47). But He is also our Savior.

We have a great reason to be knit together in love. We share Christ.

As you leave today. Call someone brother or sister. Not because you forgot their name but because the expresses the reality of the fact you both have found grace in the eyes of the Lord. You are now the children of God.

Conclusion

The devil wants to get us away from the delight of grace (which is liberty) into the denial of grace (which is legalism) or into the distortion of grace (which is license). - Adrian Rogers

An old native American, who had lived a wicked and a cruel life, was led to Christ by a missionary, and the old man did not had a lot of education—formal, theological, or any other kind. And somebody asked him to describe the grace of God. And you know what he did? He got a pile of leaves, put them together, then he caught a worm, and he put the worm in the middle of the leaves; and then, he took a match, and he lit the edges of that pile of leaves. And those leaves began to burn toward that worm; and, as the fire got close, the old Indian reached in his hand, and took that worm up gently in his hand, and held it up—out of the fire, and out of the flame. And he said, “Me worm.”

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch a worm like me. “Me worm.”

Sobering. When we consider those coming to Christ around us. Means there may be some today who need to receive the grace of God but still resist it.