Stay Focussed and Keep God First

Intro: Grandma’s Good Bye

I have an old cell phone at the house that has one voicemail still saved on it. I honestly didn’t realize it was still there until I powered it up a while back.

It’s a voicemail from my grandma. She called me often to check-in and see how I was doing.

She would talk about all kinds of things. And to be honest, I didn’t listen to her as much as I should have. But one thing I do remember is how she always ended her conversations with me. It didn’t matter if it was over the phone or in person. Her last words to me were always. Stay focussed, keep God first, and always remember Grandma loves you.

Stay Focussed and Keep God First

We’ve been talking a little bit about politics with the election coming up. This week, while I could continue on about the issues we have on both sides of the ballot, I’d rather spend our time today talking about how we live regardless of what happens on Tuesday and what we wake up to on Wednesday.

Titus 3:1–11 ESV

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 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. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 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, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 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. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Prayer

Our world is full of so much division. It is appropriate that our text is a letter that Paul wrote to Titus who was serving as a church planter and organizer in Crete. Crete was a very divisive culture, and that division tried to worm its way into the church.

Paul wrote to Titus to help him focus on the right things in establishing structure in these churches. He wrote about elders/preachers/leaders, sound doctrine, false teachers, good works, and avoiding divisions.

Our subject today is on avoiding division by keeping our minds focussed on the right things.

When dealing with the world, focus on the grace that God has given you.

When dealing with the church, focus on the good works that God has given you to do.

When dealing with the world, focus on the grace that God has given you.

Live at peace with those who are around you.

Be submissive to authorities.

Be ready to do any good work, regardless of what is going on around you.

Don’t speak evil of them, wish evil upon them.

Seek to show courtesy, be gentle to those who are around you.

Don’t expect the world to live like Christ. Don’t be surprised when the world lives like the world.

Your kindness and hospitality to those around you serves as a witness that you are not like them and you are not going to engage in quarreling debates like those in the rest of the world would.

Focus on the grace that God has given you.

Verse 3: You were just like the rest of the world before Christ.

Verses 4-7: You were saved, according to God’s mercy.

“regeneration” Back to Genesis Only used twice in the New Testament. This is not the same word for rebirth.

Greek philosophy-Believed that history was cyclical. And that every so often the universe would have a paligenesis.

Matthew 19:28 “Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

The world is headed to one new genesis where everything is going to be brought back to Genesis. All the sinful things are going to be unmade into a great and glorious new thing.

Paul uses this term to describe the down payment of what Christ gives to us. Everything sad in us is being mended and made untrue. We are being made new and we are being renewed by the Holy Spirit.

All of this is by Christ! Nothing that you have that makes you different from all those people is your own. You placed your faith in Christ to save you. You couldn’t save yourself.

Nobody likes to think of themselves like this. We like to see ourselves as better than others. We’re better, and better off, but not because of ourselves.

You become heirs of eternal life right now through what Jesus Christ has done.

When dealing with the church, focus on the good works that God has given you to do.

Verse 8: “careful to devote” concentrate on this first…good works. Not to be save; you already believe. That’s done. Now good works. Be devoted to it, be seeking to do them. Be looking for opportunities to do them.

These things are excellent and profitable.

Don’t focus on the pointless conversations.

Don’t listen to them. controversies = political, pop culture, sports, etc…news… genealogies = astrology, heritage, etc… quarrels about the law = nuances of Moses and other teachers, side doctrines, end times, worship styles, etc… unprofitable and worthless…

Don’t start them. Warn people who start them. Don’t be the one who starts them… Ignore them… If you are a divisive person, you are sinful and warped. Something is not right with you.

Remember what Christ did for you and do that for others.

Christ died for His enemies.

Christ didn’t riot as He was condemned by His enemies.

He didn’t get involved in pointless conversations.

He stayed focussed.

He came to save His enemies.

We live to lead others to His salvation.

Conclusion:

Are you living focussed on Christ and His mission?

Are you focussed on doing good works or are you stuck discussing divisive topics that lead nowhere?

Are you here today and just realizing what God has done for you?