Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

“Godly Citizenship” ~

INTRODUCTION

Image

I’ve been told that as we get older our memory is one of the first things to go, some of you know this to be true, and I must admit that sometimes I have a hard time remembering what I did last week let alone five years ago.

And yet there are some people, regardless of their age, who seem to have a photographic memory.

People with a photographic memory have “the ability to recall images, sounds, or objects in memory with extreme precision and in abundant volume.”

Is there anyone here this morning who possesses a photographic memory, or at least who is willing to admit that they have a really good memory, if that’s you, please stand up.

Wow.

If I’m honest, I’m a bit jealous.

I know people who can read a book and has incredible retention and recall of the material.

I’d love that.

Through the years we have come up with creative and off the wall ways to help us remember things.

I was told as a young child to tie a string on my finger to help me remember to do something, the idea is when you see the string you remember to do something, but in some people’s case the seeing the string would remind me that I’m supposed to do something but I just can’t remember what it is!

In order to help us remember someone’s name the first time you meet you’re supposed to repeat it 3-4 (illustrate), so I’m not crazy if you’re a visitor and I say repeat you’re name 10 times, it’s good to know that so you don’t go home saying “I liked the church but the pastor kept saying my name over and over again, it was creepy.”

We have pneumonic devices, acronyms (SCUBA).

Now we have high tech toys like “Iphones” that we can tell to remind us to do something the next day.

Nice.

(Siri, “Remind me to mow the yard tomorrow”).

My favorite reminder tool is the Sticky Note (show).

I love these things.

If you go into my office you might fight several of these on my desk or in my calendar reminding me of my “Must Dos” and “Should Dos.”

There is actually a trend on Twitter that has people sharing (tweeting) their own “Notes to Self.”

Read Notes to Self) Good to know.

Need

As we return to our study in Titus we’re going to see an important reminder for Titus the Christians in Crete, and for us!

Today is week six of our eight week series through the book of Titus as we uncover “The Essential Building Blocks of an Effective Church.”

And just to test our memory let’s review the first five building blocks that we’ve gleaned from this letter.

If we’re going to be an effective church that impacts our communities and our society we must build our lives as a church on these things.

Gospel-Driven Ministry

Godly Leadership

Sound Doctrine

Godly Living

Grace

Today’s sixth building block in is a reminder to the Christians in Crete in regards to how they are supposed to live as members of their society.

It’s easy to forget that how we treat people matters deeply to God.

It’s easy to forget about how we’re called to respond to people as followers of Jesus.

All too often we can treat people in a less than Christian manner—all too often we forget to live out the gospel by the way we treat people around us who annoy us, don’t agree with us, or are different from us.

Often our treatment of others is impacted by our emotions—I know that all to well as a married man and a parent—I have failed to treat those closest to me as God as called me to.

How are we supposed to live as citizens of both heaven and earth?

How are we supposed to treat others in society who don’t share our faith?

What is godly living for a Christian citizen?

Preview

Take your Bible and turn to the book of Titus. . .

In we find the sixth essential building block that just might surprise you.

reveals how God calls us

BUILDING BLOCK #6 - Godly Citizenship

In Titus Chapter 3 we discover the sixth “EBB of an Effective Church.”

The exhortations in primarily address a Christian’s relationship within the church—instructions for appointment of godly leadership in the church, instructions about sound living for specific groups in the church, instructions about grace driven godly living—but now the focus shifts to instructions about how the Christians should live in relation to those outside the church.

Titus was called to remind the believers in Crete how they should relate to other members of society, specifically a Christian’s response to their governing leaders and their unbelieving neighbors, and these instructions teach Christians in every age how to treat those outside the church as people who have been radically transformed by God’s gracious work of salvation (3:1-7).

How does God want us to respond to two important aspects of society—our government leaders and our unbelieving neighbors?

In Paul challenged Titus to remind the Christians in Crete how to treat people outside of the church.

Treating others well is one of the most powerful ways we can demonstrate God’s life-changing work within us!

Our salvation in Jesus not only changes how we treat our fellow-believers but how we treat unbelievers as well.

Paul wanted Titus to remind the Christians in Crete that their gracious salvation in Jesus Christ should transform how they respond to their governing leaders and treat their unbelieving neighbors.

Paul challenged Titus to remind the Christians in Crete how to live as Christian citizens.

Therefore the sixth essential building block of an effective church is “Godly Citizenship.”

“Godly Citizenship”

Be honest, how many of you are a bit surprised that Paul challenged Titus to remind the Christians in Crete of their civic obligations as citizens in their individual communities?

How we treat people outside of the church matters, it’s a big deal to God.

I love that this letter challenges Titus to remind the Christians in Crete how they should live as Christian citizen—it’s a reminder to us as well.

God’s Word is so practical for our lives.

Like the Christians in Crete, we live in world with people who do not share our faith and our values, and while we are not called to be of the world we are called to be lights in this world.

As Christians we aren't to fall in love with this world, we aren't to just blend in with the world, and we are not called to turn our back on the world either.

All too often we can become self-righteous and have unloving, ungracious, and uncaring attitudes about life in this fallen world.

God has not called us complain, criticize, or condemn the sinful world and the people who don’t share our faith.

God has not called us to retreat into holy huddles and hide out until Jesus comes again.

In Jesus spoke of His disciples as being “the salt of the earth and the light of the world” and in we are called to “shine as stars in a depraved and crooked generation.”

We are to make a difference (an impact) on this world as we live our lives.

This passage describes the kind of attitude and actions that we (as believers) are to possess as we live in the midst of this fallen world, it highlights the kind of people God wants us to be as Christian citizens.

We are people of dual citizenship, we live as American citizens, and yet we are truly citizens of heaven.

We are called to live our lives as His people in this present world.

Now our time in God’s Word this morning isn’t a topical exposition that examines all aspects of godly citizenship—this is not intended to be comprehensive—we’re looking at what Titus reveals about godly citizenship and how it applies to our lives.

How are we supposed to live as Christian citizens in this present world?! Let’s find the answer in as we take a closer look at what it means to be “Godly Citizen” as followers of Jesus Christ.

THE RESPONSIBILITES OF A GODLY CITIZEN

We begin with “The Responsibilities of a Godly Citizen.”

The Responsibility of a Godly Citizen.

In we find Titus’ call to remind the Christian’s in Crete of their responsibilities as a godly citizen.

We find two primary “reminders” in regards to being godly citizens.

Apparently Paul had previously taught Titus about the responsibilities of being a godly citizen in society.

The responsibilities of godly citizenship were important enough to call Titus “remind” the believers in Crete.

Paul called Titus help the Christians in Crete “recall” and “ponder anew” their responsibilities as godly citizens—how they are called to relate to others in society must be brought to the forefront of the believers in Crete mind over and over again—he must cause the Christians in Crete to think over in their minds how to live as godly citizens.

God wants to remind us as well.

Let’s consider these two primary responsibilities of a godly citizen.

A) Godly citizens honor their government authorities (3:1)

Our first responsibility as a godly citizen addresses how we respond to our governing authorities.

Christians must honor their government authorities.

Christians must honor their governing authorities.

A Christian demonstrates such honor by their “submission” and “obedience” to their governing authorities.

1) Submit to their leadership (1:1a)

Honoring our governing authorities as godly citizens is marked by “Submission.”

Christian’s are called to “Submit to their government leaders.”

Titus was instructed to repeatedly remind the Christians that they were obligated “to be subject to rulers and authorities” in Crete (3:1a).

The Christians in Crete must always remember to submit to their earthly rulers (archais) and the human authorities.

The Christians in Crete must be subject to the leadership of those in high positions who are the bearers of authority.

The believers in Crete must voluntarily submit to those who have governing position and ruling power.

· D. Edmond Hiebert - “A Christian cannot be an anarchist.”

Paul’s instructions here align with other NT teaching about a believer’s obligation to their governing leaders

·

·

If this was the call to Christians in the first century who lived in places where the government outwardly opposed Christianity, if the Christians were called to obey Roman Emperors like Nero and violent leaders like Herod and other leaders that did not share their faith or values, how much more should we submit our unbelieving government leaders today?

And please note that there is no mention of political party here, we’re not called to submit to just the leaders we like or just the leaders who are of our own political party, we must submit to republican and democratic leaders for the glory of God!