Our Blessed Hope
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Five types of revitalization (remember, this is Paul’s letter on revitaization. And there are 2 in particular that are emphasized in Titus- although about 4 are present)
These two are RESTORATION and RENEWAL!
Restoration= restoring the temple; restoring the FUNCTION!
Renewal= covenant renewal; SPIRITUAL RENEWAL!
In chapter 1 we saw a lot of restoration. “Titus, RESTORE HEALTHY ORDER AND FUNCTION!”
Titus 2 is a chapter that transitions from RESTORATION (the practice of discipleship) to RENEWAL (the heart behind discipleship). Titus 2:11-15 is a passage of renewal. It’s a passage where our WEARY hearts are met with the LIFE CHANGING, REALITY CHANGING, WORLD SHAKING TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL!
Main Point: We have been REDEEMED by JESUS and called to LIVE a NEW LIFE!
Body
Body
Titus 2:11-15 is a transitional passage within Titus and verse 11 gives us a PREVIEW of what we are going to see from Titus 2:11-3:8.
Titus 2:11 is also a verse that I could talk about literally all day.
The truth that we are going to see in verse 11 is SO POWERFUL THAT WE COULD JUST READ THAT VERSE AND CALL IT A DAY!
It’s the truth that we NEED TO HEAR AND THAT WE NEED TO BE REMINDED OF!
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
I love the simplicity of this verse. The GOSPEL is really simple.
In fact, it can make us uncomfortable at times because it is SO SIMPLE, but that’s the whole point!
GOD’S GRACE HAS APPEARED- THAT IS JESUS!
And JESUS BROUGHT SALVATION FOR ALL PEOPLE!
This is literally the #1 thing that we need to hear today! JESUS IS SAVIOR! Listen- everything in God’s WORD is TRUE AND IS IMPORTANT!
But this truth is something that should get our excitement up!
Like this isn’t deep, this is simple!
JESUS CAME AND HE BROUGHT SALVATION AND GRACE!
WHAT GREAT NEWS! This is the truth that we are ENTRUSTED TO PASS ON TO THE WORLD!
Remember- Paul has been talking about false teachers in chapter 1 and about what disciplehsip looks like. And as the EXCLAMATION MARK on it all, Paul writes this!
Let me be blunt- if our discipleship does not proclaim JESUS AS SAVIOR then all we are doing is engaging in some moralistic life-coaching.
We have to FIX OUR DISCIPLESHIP ONTO THE FIRM FOUNDATION OF SALVATION THROUGH JESUS AND ONLY JESUS!
And yet it’s funny. The truth of the gospel is so simple and so straightforward that it can make us uncomfortable.
Last Sunday I was watching the Denver Broncos game and at a commercial break I went on Instagram. I saw a reel from a pretty well known Christian influencer saying that he had the solution to evangelism.
I watched it and I want to give you his central premise- “we talk too much about salvation from our sins and about God’s grace. So, it is off-putting to people and they are uncomfortable.” To be clear- WHEN WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH THE REALITY THAT WE ARE SINNERS AND THAT WE NEED GOD’S GRACE, IT IS UNCOMFORTABLE, but WE HAVE TO BE CONFRONTED OF THAT REALITY!
Now, in fairness to him, he was trying to make a nuanced point and a reel just isn’t the right way to communicate his idea.
But at the same time, he’s not alone in that belief. I have CHRISTIAN friends who I love DEARLY who would say that the problem with evangelism is that it says that people aren’t perfect.
But let me tell you something- for us to understand God’s GRACE, we have to be SAVED FROM SOMETHING!
THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION IS THE BEST NEWS IN THE WORLD, but it starts with us understanding that we AREN’T PERFECT!
And let me emphasize something else- the GOSPEL IS FOR ANYONE AND EVERYONE! No matter someone’s background, or what they’ve done, GOD’S SALVATION IS MORE THAN ENOUGH!
I mean remember Colossians 3:11!
11 In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.
Whether someone is a slave or free, a greek or jew, a 1st century Roman or a 21st century American, or an Afghanistani person, or Chinese, or Norwegian, or Chilean, or Antiguan, or Russian, or Australian, SALVATION- GOD’S GRACE- is for ALL PEOPLE!
That’s what Titus 2:11 is talking about!
And friends, let me take a minute to remind us of the GOSPEL!
JESUS APPEARED! JESUS BROUGHT GRACE! CONSIDER JESUS’S PREACHING! HE NEVER SAID- “Hey friend, you are crippled, but I’ll tell you what, you have a great smile, so I’ll heal you!” NO! He always says stuff like, “YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL!” HE CAME TO SAVE US AND ALL WE NEED TO DO IS RESPOND IN FAITH!
Let me call on you this morning to RESPOND TO GOD! Listen- SALVATION HAS COME TO ALL PEOPLE, INCLUDING YOU AND ME! ACCEPT JESUS AND HIS GIFT OF SALVATION TODAY!
Look with me now at verses 12 and 13 where we see how our SALVATION EFFECTS OUR DAILY LIVES!
Titus 2:12-13
Titus 2:12-13
12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The grace of God doesn’t just save us eternally, it instructs us for how we live TODAY! That’s the thing- the Gospel, or literally the GOOD NEWS OF JESUS- transforms our lives TODAY!
Let me be clear- this form of instruction isn’t lecturing or classroom learning- instead, we could think of it as being TRAINED like in a gym!
We are trained BY GOD’S GRACE THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LIVE A LIFE THAT IS A REFLECTION OF GOD!
To put this another way- we have been justified, or set free from our sins and now we are sanctified, or TRAINED in righteousness!
It’s similar to the idea of renewal that we talked about in our introduction. Renewal starts with GOD’S GRACE and knowing it and then it moves and is about taking action to REFLECT GOD’S DESIGN!
So what are we practically trained in by Grace?
We are trained:
To deny godlessness
We are trained to deny ANYTHING that is not godly. Anything that directs us AWAY FROM GOD WE ARE TRAINED TO REJECT AND TO DENY!
WE ARE TRAINED TO THROW IT OFF AND NOT GO ANYWHERE NEAR IT!
When I was coaching basketball in KC, we had to play against a team with a player named Enzo.
Enzo was a member of the French Junior National team. He was VERY GOOD.
And so when we played them we played a specific type of defense called “DENY” where we did everything we could to keep him from touching the ball.
That was our team’s mindset- DENY ENZO THE BALL!
That’s how we need to approach godlessness- we can’t passively avoid godlessness- Romans 7 makes that clear! Instead, we need to ACTIVELY DENY IT!
WE NEED TO FIX OUR EYES ON THE CROSS AND RUN FOR JESUS, BEING INSTRUCTED BY GOD’S GRACE AND DENYING GODLESSNESS!
Second, we are to deny worldly lusts
This can be sexual lust, but it is ANYTHING THAT IS WORLDLY THAT WE SEE AND WE LONG TO DO!
It’s anything that is sinful but makes us WANT IT!
We are to DENY IT! We need to live like James 4:7 tells us to!
7 Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Next, we are trained to live sensibly!
This word is SOPHRON, which we have seen translated as sensible and SELF-CONTROLLED!
This is the 4th direct usage of SOPHRON in Titus 2. It is used 5 times between Titus 1 and there are other references to self-control and avoiding wildness!
Hear me on this- self-CONTROL MATTERS!
And self-control is something that we grow in through God’s GRACE AND THROUGH SANCTIFICATION!
Let me say it like this- if we are struggling with self-control, it is a SANCTIFICATION ISSUE, not just a minor inconvenience!
We should look at struggles with self-control as a reminder of where we need to GROW in our walk with GOD!
Fourth, we are trained to live righteously!
Simply put- LIVE LIKE JESUS AND CAST OFF SIN!
We will stumble, we will fall, but we need to live a “Romans 8:1 life.” Romans 8:1 says this: Romans 8:1
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,
Live in the freedom that Christ gives, not the condemnation of the world.
Fifth, we are to live in a GODLY WAY RIGHT NOW!
Even as the world doesn’t honor God, we are told that we NEED TO HONOR GOD!
Even as our world walks in sin, we are to walk in a GODLY MANNER!
And don’t miss that “PRESENT AGE” part! RIGHT NOW WE ARE TO LIVE LIKE THIS!
EACH DAY WE ARE TO LIVE LIKE THIS!
Today, tomorrow, next week; EVERY SINGLE DAY! SALVATION ISN’T A GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD!
Or, maybe you’re waiting for the world to be a certain way to live a GODLY LIFE! DON’T! LIVE IN A GODLY WAY TODAY!
This is what we should see as we grow closer to God! Our lives should become more and more God-Honoring!
Verse 12 tells us how we are to LIVE under grace and verse 13 tells us WHEN WE ARE TO DO THIS!
We are to live this way:
13 while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
What is our blessed hope?
It’s the thing that we build our lives on! Our blessed hope is simple! It’s the APPEARING OF THE GLORY OF OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR!
Now, in verse 13 Paul does something really cool as he explains what our blessed hope is.
Paul uses a rhetorical device in greek to talk about some DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS of our BLESSED HOPE!
Now- this rhetorical device is only really used to talk about JESUS!
And JESUS IS OUR BLESED HOPE!
So what are the DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR BLESSED HOPE?
The defining characteristics- that grammatically cannot be separated from JESUS- are that JESUS CHRIST IS OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR!
JESUS IS GOD! JESUS IS SAVIOR!
Paul is making sure that for Titus and anyone who hears this that the message is clear- JESUS IS INDISPUTABLY GOD AND JESUS IS INDISPUTABLY SAVIOR!
No matter what anyone else says, your works do not save you, no pagan god can save you, ONLY JESUS, WHO IS GOD, can save you!
Listen to me- we are to live a life focused on SANCTIFICATION as we WAIT FOR THE APPEARING OF OUR SAVIOR!
To use another illustration that Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 9, we are all RUNNING A RACE!
And the finish line isn’t retirement, it isn’t old age, it isn’t a CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SPIRITUAL FRUIT, it isn’t seeing X number of BAPTISMS A YEAR, or THIS MUCH IN GIVING, OR THAT MANY NEW BUILDINGS, the finish line is being in heaven WORSHIPPING OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
JESUS CHRIST IS OUR FINISH LINE! JESUS IS THE REASON THAT WE RUN AND IS THE FINISH LINE! Jesus is our goal, Jesus is OUR PRIZE!
All of these instructions about discipleship and how to live are really about Jesus!
I could preach all day on this and want to talk more about it still. Hear me- JESUS IS OUR GREAT GOD AND JESUS IS OUR GREAT SAVIOR AND JESUS WILL APPEAR IN FULL GLORY AND WE WILL WORSHIP HIM!
Titus 2:14
Titus 2:14
But Paul doesn’t end there. Paul reminds us AGAIN of what JESUS HAS DONE!
14 He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.
Paul continues that OUR GREAT GOD AND OUR GREAT SAVIOR DIED FOR US!
Why? TO REDEEM US FROM ALL LAWLESSNESS!
You already know what word Paul uses here. It’s PASES which is a form of PANTA! It’s the same type of ALL AND EVERY AND ALWAYS AS WE’VE BEEN SEEING!
It’s unrestrained. There’s no limits to panta.
Here’s why that matters- we haven’t just been freed from SOME evil, or SOME bad things, or from some mistakes; we have been set free from ALL LAWLESSNESS!
EVERY FORM OF LAWLESSNESS! THE CHAINS ARE BROKEN BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN REDEEMED BY JESUS!
WE HAVE BEEN REDEEMED FROM ALL SIN! WE HAVE BEEN BOUGHT AND MADE NEW!
Geode- it looks gross and dirty on the outside (trust me, I know! I used to live by one of the most famous geode sites in America). On the outside it just looks like a rock. But when you open it up, you find a series of crystals inside. It’s absolutely GORGEOUS!
And Jesus didn’t just clean us for possession, he has MADE US EAGER TO DO GOOD WORKS!
This is the EXACT same wording as Hebrews 10:24. We are to DO GOOD WORKS! WE ARE TO LITERALLY BE GOOD PEOPLE WHO DO GOOD THINGS AND WHO ARE FAITHFUL TO BRING GOD TO THE PEOPLE AROUND US!
Remember- scripture is clear- be a good neighbor, a good friend, a good coworker- but don’t neglect the BEST GOOD WORK; the work of BRINGING THE GOSPEL!
Listen, don’t be weird about it bringing the gospel to people out of anger or resentment, instead, bring the GOSPEL to people as an act of service and worship to GOD!
And we CAN DO THAT ONLY BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN REDEEMED OR BOUGHT BACK BY JESUS!
Hear me on this! Jesus has already paid the price for the people around you! Jesus has already paid the price for your roommate, your coworker, your friend, your child, your grandchild, your neighbor! JESUS PAID THE PRICE!
They just need to turn and follow him! Revelation 3:20
20 See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
DO GOOD WORKS WITH THIS IN MIND! REMEMBER WHAT THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF OUR GOOD WORKS IS! IT’S TO POINT PEOPLE TO THEIR SAVIOR!
Titus 2:15
Titus 2:15
15 Proclaim these things; encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
Look at how Paul ends Titus 2- it’s similar to how he starts Titus 2! Titus 2:1
1 But you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching.
Notice- both places Paul emphasizes the importance of PROCLAIMING TRUTH!
Paul is using a rhetorical device to BRACKET THIS PASSAGE AND TO PLACE AN EMPHASIS ON WHAT’S INSIDE!
And what’s inside? It’s instructions for BEING A DISCIPLE, MAKING DISCIPLES AND IT IS A DECLARATION OF WHO WE WORSHIP!
Paul brackets this to make sure that our focus is in the right place.
And then, Paul tells Titus to encourage and rebuke with all authority.
All authority can ONLY COME FROM GOD!
So listen- we are to ENCOURAGE AND REBUKE WITH AUTHORITY THAT COMES FROM GOD- let me make this simple- WE REBUKE FROM GOD’S WORD! WE DON’T USE OUR EMOTIONS OR OUR THOUGHTS, WE USE SCRIPTURE to rebuke and encourage!
But lastly- Paul challenges Titus to not let ANYONE disregard him.
Literally, he is to let no one disregard, or despise his message!
He is to keep teaching, keep preaching and keep making disciples, even as the people around him may not listen, or may not see the purpose!
Above all else, TITUS CANNOT GIVE UP!
The message that Titus needs to proclaim is one that everyone needs to hear- and what is that message?
BE A DISCIPLE, MAKE DISCIPLES AND WORSHIP OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
We as Christians need to hear those instructions and make them the HEARTBEAT FOR OUR LIVES!
And let me challenge us this morning- just as Titus was told NOT TO LET ANYONE DISREGARD HIM, or in other words to GIVE UP; WE CAN’T GIVE UP! We can’t give up because we don’t see immediate fruit, or because it’s hard! We are called to be FAITHFUL!
Application
Application
Applications:
Know God’s Grace(SALVATION)
Grow in God’s Grace (Sanctification)
Wait in God’s Grace (For the appearing of our savior- ETERNAL MINDSET, not a short-term mindset)
Know God’s Grace
Know God’s Grace
The most important application that I can give you today is this- KNOW GOD’S GRACE!
Jesus is our GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR.
KNOW THE GRACE THAT HE BRINGS.
GOSPEL!
(God’s GRACE COVERS ALL YOUR SINS AND GOD’S GRACE TRANSFORMS YOU! Emphasize the ROLE OF JESUS- OUR GREAT SAVIOR today!)
PRACTICAL: REPENT AND BELIEVE!
PRACTICAL: REPENT AND BELIEVE!
Grow in God’s Grace
Grow in God’s Grace
After you know God’s Grace, you need to GROW in God’s Grace!
This is what we saw in verses 12-14! We saw how we are redeemed, we are bought back and we are given new life. Part of our new life includes some things for us TO DO, or TO AVOID!
12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age,
See, the GRACE OF GOD has instructed us to live a NEW LIFE!
This new life is all about GRACE RATHER THAN OUR OWN PERFECTION. It’s about God’s DESIGN rather than OUR design. Let me encourage you- GROW IN GOD’S GRACE!
Practically we want to do this together!
Remember what Paul has just been talking with Titus about- Paul has been emphasizing the importance of community and discipleship!
I can assure you that we need community to GROW IN GOD’S GRACE!
WE NEED TO WALK WITH OTHER PEOPLE AS WE GROW IN GOD’S GRACE! IT WON’T JUST HAPPEN BY PURE LUCK!
Paul’s goal is clear and it needs to be our goal- WE NEED TO WALK WITH EACH OTHER!
We need to BE DISCIPLES AND BE MAKING DISCIPLES!
Listen, if no one is walking with you right now, then come talk to me! We’ll get you connected with someone who can WALK WITH YOU AS YOU GROW IN GOD’S GRACE!
In a lot of ways, Titus 2:11-15 is like a capstone statement built on Paul’s discipleship instructions!
Let me give us 4 ways to GROW IN GOD’S GRACE as we WALK TOGETHER!
PRACTICAL:
PRACTICAL:
First, we can practice the SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES TOGETHER!
We can pray together, we can read our Bible together, we can SPEND TIME WITH GOD TOGETHER!
Second, we need to intentionally seek out people who can pour into you!
Third, we need to intentionally seek out people that we can pour into.
These might be believers around us who aren’t plugged in with God, these might be or these might b people that are searching for God!
We need to POUR INTO THE PEOPLE AROUND US! It will help us to GROW IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S GRACE!
Fourth, we need to come together as a BODY OF BELIEVERS and grow together!
It’s important to grow as individuals and in personal discipleship, it’s important to grow in small groups, and it’s important that we GROW CORPORATELY IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S GRACE!
Wait in God’s Grace
Wait in God’s Grace
Wait- example of my wedding day- I did stuff! I didn’t wait just starting at a clock! That’s how we need to wait! We need to have a KINGDOM MINDSET- it will drive us to ACTION, rather than just staring at the world around us and hoping that today is the day!
We can’t wait for Jesus to return, but we also understand that there is WORK TO BE DONE WHILE WE WAIT AND WE WANT TO MAKE OUR WAITING WORTH IT BY OBEYING JESUS!
KINGDOM Mindset (it’s not about here and now, we make decisions and structure our lives based not on our short-term comfort, but on obedience to God, with a mindset focused on seeing the KINGDOM OF GOD GROW! It’s a totally different way to live, but it’s what we NEED TO HAVE!)
When we have a KINGDOM mindset, rather than an EARTHLY MINDSET, we don’t need to rush!
(A kingdom mindset isn’t about us. It’s about God! It’s about the KINGDOM GROWING before OUR COMFORT! Do you have a kingdom mindset, or do you have a mindset focused on making YOURSELF king? Titus 2 is clear- JESUS IS OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR and HIS KINGDOM COMES FIRST! Practically, this is why we take the time to make disciples! This is why WE CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THE PEOPLE AROUND US! We care because we WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNOWS GOD PERSONALLY! WE WANT TO SEE THE KINGDOM GROW!
To put this another way, as we WAIT, WE WORK FOR JESUS! WE FOCUS OUR LIVES AND OUR ACTIONS ON JESUS RATHER THAN ON OUR FLESH!)
Practical
Practical
Let me give you on practical thing- it echoes what we’ve talked about the last few weeks- who can YOU pour into? WHO CAN YOU DISCIPLE? Join together and let’s reach the people around us with the gospel! Let’s see people connecting with Jesus!
Let me pray.
