Untitled Sermon (50)

Introduction:

I want to welcome you again this morning.

First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today. I also want to welcome those who may be joining us for the first time today. I hope your time with us today is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.

I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.

What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.

Over the past couple of years we’ve been doing that through the NT book of Acts. A book written by a First Century disciple named Luke who wrote it for a couple of reasons:

First, to give us a history of how the church started, who was there, and the circumstances that surrounded it.

Second, in a way, to give us a template on how to accomplish the mission that Jesus gave us to take the gospel to the entire world.

With that said, if you haven’t been with us I would encourage you to go online to mcf.life or to our Facebook page where you can watch previous messages.

Today however we are picking back up in Acts 20 as the Apostle Paul continues his journey towards Jerusalem. A journey that will eventually take him to Rome.

However, as we learned last week, along the way Paul is going to make a couple of pitstops. One of those pitstops will be in the port city of Miletus. A pitstop that Paul takes in order to meet with a group of elders from the city of Ephesus before he sails on towards Jerusalem. Luke writes:

Acts 20:17 ESV

17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.

And what we’ve learned, is that Paul wanted to meet with these Elders in order to give them a final goodbye. A final goodbye that would highlight Paul’s history with them along with some parting words of warning and encouragement to the church at Ephesus.

And as we’ve learned, the speech he will give contains 4 sections:

The first part of the speech is a review or recounting of Paul’s history with the church at Ephesus. This is what we’ve been focusing on for the past couple weeks and will finish up today.

The second part entails Paul’s prediction of what he believes is going to happen to him in the days to come.

The third part contains Paul’s words of warning for the church in Ephesus and what to be aware of in the days to come.

And finally, it ends with a blessing as Paul prays for them, encourages them, and makes his final goodbye.

But not only is this a goodbye speech, it’s also meant to serve as a model. A model of Paul’s faith journey. A model he hopes the church at Ephesus will be inspired to pattern.

Now, does that mean Paul thinks he has it all together or that he’s some kind of super Christian?

Not at all. Actually what Paul is doing here was very common in the first century as leaders often encouraged their followers to emulate their life. Something we should all be able to do was we seek to lead people to faith in Jesus.

The question then is, “What does it take to do that?”

Well, as we’ve discussed over the past couple of weeks, it requires us to walk in a certain spiritual fashion.

In order to reach people for Jesus, I must walk sacrificially.

And by sacrificially we’re talking about our commitment to walk in humility, with empathy towards others, and a willingness to endure hardship for others. A sacrificial way of living that draws people to Jesus instead of pushing them away.

2. In order to reach people for Jesus, I must be willing to tell people the truth.

We talked about this last week. And what we learned is if we want to lead people to Jesus, we have to tell them what is profitable. Paul put it like this:

Acts 20:20 ESV

20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,

So, what does it mean to declare what is profitable?

It means we need to be willing to declare the whole purpose of God to them.

In other words, we need to be willing to tell people the truth concerning the God of the Bible and His desire for their life.

Truth that isn’t always popular or welcomed.

Truth that some will resist, some will reject, and some will avoid.

Which means, if we are going to declare what is profitable, we’re going to have to declare it with boldness.

So, how do we get that kind of boldness? As we learned last week, we get it in three ways.

First, we get it through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit as the Holy Spirit empowers us to declare the truth.

Second, we get it through the confidence of our own faith. A confidence that comes through our personal journey and history with Jesus.

Finally, we get it by having a compassionate heart for those we are trying to reach.

But along with boldness, if we’re going to reach people for Jesus, we must be willing to grow in what is profitable as well. Which means, we need to be committed to growing with other believers in our faith, not only on Sunday mornings, but throughout the week. Paul puts it like this:

Acts 20:20 ESV

20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,

Notice he says he was teaching from house to house. Which means during the week, believers were gathering in their homes together to further grow in their relationship with Jesus.

At MCF, we call those Connect Groups and Grow Groups. Groups that meet throughout the week either in a home or at the church in order for people to grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus. Groups you can sign up for out in the lobby today.

All that to say, if we want to reach people for Jesus, we have to be willing to tell them the truth and be committed to growing in what is profitable as well.

This leads us now to one final way that Paul walks in order to reach people for Jesus.

And in order to set up this final aspect of sharing one’s faith, I want to build some framework for what Paul is about to say. And to do that I want to ask you a series of questions. The first question is this:

Question #1 - Have you ever had somebody try convert, convince, or sell you on something, but in the process they didn’t give you all the information or facts.

And what I mean by that, is that they conveniently or purposely left something that would have been helpful in making your decision. Why? Because they feared it would work against the decision they wanted you to make.

For example, maybe in the dead of winter your buy a car from someone, and they conveniently forget to tell you the air conditioner doesn’t work. And so you buy the car, only to discover a few months later you have no air. Information conveniently left out.

Or how about this:

Question #2 - Have you ever had somebody not give you information concerning something because they didn’t think it was important or relative to your decision. You know, one of those situations where you say, “Well, that would have been nice to know.”

For example, a friend tells you they are going to Kansas City for the weekend, and they invite you to go. But the truth is, you don’t really feel like going to Kansas City, so you say no. What you didn’t know though is the reason they were going to KC was because they had box seat tickets to watch the Chiefs play. And so a few days later you are thumbing through Facebook and you see a picture of your friend standing next to Mahoomes. So, you call your friend up and say, “Hey, why didn’t you tell me you were going to KC to watch the game? I would have loved to go!” And they say, “Well, I didn’t know you were a Chiefs fans, so I didn’t think it was important for you to know.”

Or how bout this:

Question #3 - Have you ever had someone give you inaccurate information because they didn’t know their information was inaccurate.

For example, somebody stated something to you as fact from something somebody told them or from something they saw on Facebook. But what you later found out is that what they told you wasn’t accurate.

Or:

Question #4 - Have you ever had somebody not give you information because they were afraid it would hurt your feelings or offend you?

For example, maybe you were dating someone, and your friend saw them out with someone else, so they didn’t tell you because they didn’t want to hurt your feelings.

Or maybe you’re in a conversation with somebody and a controversial topic like abortion comes up, and you realize your views are different than theirs, so instead of stating what you think, you keep quiet so as not to offend.

One more:

Question #5 - Have you ever had somebody keep information from you because they didn’t want you to profit from it.

In other words, they had some sort of grievance towards you or dislike of you, and so instead of sharing something beneficial with you, they kept it to themselves. Because in their mind you don’t deserve it or you’re not worthy of it.

Maybe it was a job opportunity they didn’t tell you about. Maybe it was an opportunity that would have benefited you financially. Or something that would have been helpful for your family. Something like that.

I think if we think about it, we’ve all faced scenarios like that.

Now, you might be thinking, “Ok Pastor, that’s all great, but what exactly does this have to do with sharing the gospel?”

Believe it or not, it has everything to do with sharing the gospel. Because when it comes to sharing the gospel, what we present, how we present it, and whether we present it at all matters. And as a result, there are some dangers we must avoid when it comes to sharing the gospel. Four dangers to be exact.

Danger #1 - That we might purposefully leave out important information.

Why would we do that? Because we’re afraid it might detour them from putting their faith in Jesus.

For example, we fail to tell them, “If you make Jesus Lord of your life, you might lose friendships. If you make this decision, your family might disown you. If you attend this church, people are probably going to make fund of you.” In other words, we fail to tell them the hardship that might come with following Jesus.

So instead, we skip that part and focus on the benefits and leave them to figure out the hardships down the road.

Danger #2 - That we would give them inaccurate information.

In other words, that we would unknowingly present information that isn’t Biblically correct.

For example, instead of pointing them to salvation by faith, we point them to salvation by works. Which isn’t Biblical salvation. So, why would we do that? We do it because that’s what somebody taught or told us. That’s how we were raised. That’s what our Priest or Pastor taught us. But unfortunately, it’s not biblically correct.

Danger #3 - That we would’t tell them the truth because we are afraid of offending them.

For example, we tell them about Jesus, but we don’t tell them they shouldn’t be living together unmarried.

Or, we tell them about Jesus, but we don’t tell them about God’s view of premarital sex. Why don’t we tell them? Well, we don’t want to offend them. Because if we told them the whole truth, they might reject the message.

Danger #4 - That in sharing we wouldn’t share at all.

So, why wouldn’t we share? Is it because we lack boldness? Is it because we’re not sure of what to say? Possibly, but quite honestly, I think sometimes we fail to share because of our prejudice or dislike for someone.

For example, we don’t share with someone because frankly, we don’t like what they where, who they are, or what they represent.

Or we don’t share with someone because their lifestyle disgusts us. Maybe it’s somebody that’s given themselves to an alternative lifestyle.

Or we don’t share with someone because at one point they hurt us, and in our mind, they’re a terrible person and unworthy of what Jesus offers.

Or we don’t share with someone because of the color of their skin or their ethnic origin.

The fact is, sometimes we don’t share because of our dislike or prejudice towards someone.

The question then is, “How do we avoid under-sharing, mis-sharing, or not-sharing the gospel with people who need to know Jesus?”

That’s what we are going to talk about this morning. Because as Paul finishes out his opening statement, he does so by focusing on the message he presented to them. The message of the Gospel. And in doing so he gives us a very concise definition and understanding of what the gospel message is and who it’s meant for.

That being said, along with living sacrificially and declaring the truth, I would state Paul’s final step for presenting the gospel like this:

3. In order to reach people for Jesus, I have to proclaim the Biblical Gospel to all people.

Look at how Paul puts it as he details out what and who he proclaimed too. He says he came:

Acts 20:21 ESV

21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

What I want you to notice is that in this one statement Paul tells us who the gospel is for and what the gospel message entails.

So, to get us started, let’s start with who the gospel is for.

Notice again what he says. He says he came, “testifying both to Jews and to Greeks...” Acts 20:21a

Paul says he came proclaiming the message of the gospel to both Jews and Greeks.

So, what does that mean? Because it kind of sounds limited. It kind of sounds like Paul is only focusing on two people groups.

Well, in a way he is. Because in the 1st century world, there were only two categories of people, Jews and Gentiles. With the Jews being the people in the land of Israel, and the Gentiles being in people group outside of Israel. Which means, when Paul uses the statement, “Jews and Greeks”, it’s a statement meant to sum up all people groups of the world.

What that tells us then, is from Paul’s perspective, the gospel is for everyone and not just a select few.

And to be honest, in the beginning days of the church, this was a controversial viewpoint, especially for Jewish Christians who allowed their prejudice to get the best of them as they struggled with Gentile conversion.

In fact, you may recall back in Acts 15, it became such a point of contention among Jewish Christians that a special counsel had to be held to determine what the circumstances for gentile conversion should be.

For example, one group of Jewish Christians had this view:

Acts 15:5 ESV

5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

Luke says a group of Christians who came from a very religious sect of Christianity believed a gentile could only become a Christian if they converted to Judaism. In other words, they had to quit being a Gentile and become Jewish.

And this was a popular mindset among many Jewish Christians.

Thankfully though, after much debate, James, the half brother of Jesus stood up and corrected their thinking as he pointed them to the OT and a prophecy declared by the prophet Amos concerning the Gentiles. Luke records Jame’s statements like this:

Acts 15:13–19 ESV

13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 16 “ ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, 17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.’ 19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,

In this passage James highlights God’s salvation plan. A plan that not only included salvation for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well. Because at the end of the day, the gospel is meant for all people. Problem solved.

So, a great question would be, “What is this saying to us?”

What it’s saying is when it comes to sharing the gospel, like some of the Jewish Christians of that day, we can’t let our prejudice or dislike for someone prevent us from leading them to Jesus. In other words, we don’t have the right to decide who can be saved and who cannot be. Because according to the Bible, God offers salvation to all people.

Now, you might be thinking, “Ok, I get that pastor, and I’m pretty sure I don’t do that. As far as I’m concerned the gospel is for everyone and I don’t have any prejudice. I love people all the same.”

Well, I’d like to believe that, but the truth is, we all have prejudice. And whether we want to admit it or not, there are certain people, or types of people, or groups of people that we struggle with. People that we would rather not interact or engage with when it comes to sharing the gospel. How do I know that? I know because I’ve witnessed it many times among different Christians.

Let me give you some examples of what I’m talking about. The first example would be a prejudice against:

Prejudice #1 - People who have given themselves to an alternative lifestyle.

For instance, when it comes to the LGBTQQIP2SAA community, some of you may have some prejudice.

Now, you might be thinking, “Pastor, not sure I’ve heard of that community. I mean I’ve heard of LGBBTQ, but who are the LGBTQQIP2SAA?”

Believe it or not, it’s the newest acronym that represents the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, pansexual, two-spirit, androgynous and asexual community.

In other words, it represents a community of people that have gone completely outside the bounds of heterosexual relationships and gender boundaries. A community of people that most Christians would deem as sexually deviant and immoral.

And the truth is, most of us don’t like to interact with people who have given themselves to this type of lifestyle. In fact, we’d rather avoid them all together.

So, why is that? Why would we rather avoid them?

Well, it could be we just don’t know what to say or how to win them to Jesus. That’s possible.

But honestly, what I think keeps most Christians from sharing the gospel with this community are two things.

The first is our judgmental attitude as we look down on this community.

And second, our disgust for what they represent and how they’ve chosen to live.

And please hear me, I’m not saying their lifestyle shouldn’t bother us. Because it should. But what should bother us even more is that they obviously don’t know Jesus. That ought to really bother us because the enemy has them right where he wants them.

And that’s where we come in. Where we have to get past our fear and our prejudice in order to show them the love of Christ, and hopefully lead them to the truth.

You see, we don’t have the luxury of dismissing them as un-savable. Because Jesus came to save them just as much as He came to save you. And let’s just be honest, before you put your faith in Jesus, you weren’t much better. I love how the Apostle Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 6. He says this:

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 ESV

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Paul says, before you met Jesus, you were one of them. You were lost. But thankfully, somebody shard the gospel with you. Somebody got past their fear and prejudice and lead you to faith in Jesus. And now it’s your turn.

So, that’s one prejudice. The second is one I see against:

Prejudice # 2 - Men who wear skinny jeans.

I’m just messing with you. I through that in there to lighten the mood. But if I were serious I would be talking about men who look something like this.

Okay, moving on.

Prejudice #3 - People who are of a different ethnic background.

To be honest, I don’t want to go into a big discussion on racial prejudice this morning, but I think it’s important to recognize that racial prejudice still exists in our country and in the world today.

Now, some might say, “Come on pastor, I think the whole racial thing has been blown up and exploited by the left.”

Well, I think that’s easy for us to say when we live in a community that is 99.999% white. Because in our minds, there are no racial issues in Marshall County.

But what I would challenge you to do is sit down with somebody who isn’t white and ask them what their experience has been in our community.

Ask them about how their black son who walked into a convenience store one night right before closing, and the police were called because somebody in the store felt they were acting suspicious. Ask them about that.

Ask them about how their son was driving through town one night, driving the speed limit with other cars in front and behind, but he was the one pulled over.

Talk to the gentlemen I talked to a few months ago who moved to a nearby community and can’t find a church because every-time he walks in, people stare and avoid him.

I hate to tell you this, but racial prejudice still exists, and to some extent, it exists in our community, and unfortunately in some churches.

And I’m going to tell you right now, there is no place for racial prejudice in the church. Because Jesus didn’t come just to save white people. And he didn’t just come to save black people. And he didn’t just come to save brown people. He came to save all people. And if you don’t believe me, here’s a great scripture that verifies that:

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Notice what Jesus says. God so loved the “world”, that he came to save “whoever” believes. Whoever meaning anybody regardless of their skin color or ethnic background. All people.

All that to say, if you struggle with racial prejudice, then you need to pray and ask God to help you see people like He sees them. Because God doesn’t see color. All God sees is a person who is in desperate need of Him.

So, those are just a couple prevalent prejudices that I often witness among Christians. Are there more? Yes. Unfortunately there are an abundance of prejudices and stereotypes that often keep Christians from approaching and sharing the gospel. And quite frankly, it has to stop.

Because if we want to lead people to Jesus, like Paul, we have to overcome and let go of our prejudice. Like Paul we have to be able to say that we are willing to declare the gospel to all people groups.

This now leads us to the message that Paul shared. The message of the gospel. Listen to how he describes the gospel message. He says he did it by:

Acts 20:21 ESV

21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice what Paul says. He says his message consisted of two primary parts:

First, declaring repentance toward God.

Second, of faith in Jesus.

So, why this message? Simply put, because that’s the gospel.

So, in order to make sure we understand exactly what the Gospel is, let’s take a moment and break it down. Because as I said earlier, if we’re not careful we could present the gospel in a harmful way.

So, let’s start with the idea of repentance and what Paul means by that.

The word translated “repentance” here comes from the Greek word “metanoia”, and it convey’s the idea of changing one’s way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness.

A simple way to put it would be, “To turn and go a different direction”. Which is why Paul uses the phrase, “Repentance toward God”.

Because the idea is that instead of going the way you have been going, the sinful way, you are now turned and going the way God wants you to go, which is the righteous way and towards Him.

So, concerning salvation, here’s what that means:

First, in order for a person to be made right with God, they have to recognize their sin.

In other words, they have to be willing to look at their life and say, “Yup, I’ve been going in the wrong direction, and the circumstances of my life support that.”

Because there’s a reason my life is in shambles.

There’s a reason I’m struggling with addiction.

There’s a reason I’m on my 4th marriage.

There’s a reason my relationships aren’t healthy.

There’s a reason I’m living in hopelessness.

There’s a reason my finances are a mess.

There’s a reason I’m full of anxiety.

There’s a reason I’m struggling with depression.

There’s a reason my kids don’t respect me.

There’s a reason I have no direction.

There’s a reason I can’t seem to find purpose in life.

There’s a reason I’ve given myself to wrong thinking and unhealthy behavior.

What’s the reason?

It’s because I’ve been living for the world.

It’s because I’ve given myself to the flesh.

It’s because I’ve given myself to sexual immorality.

It’s because I’m living with but not married to my girlfriend/boyfriend.

It’s because I’ve adopted the worlds ways of thinking and doing life.

It’s because I’m trying to find hope and purpose in a world that has nothing hopeful to offer.

It’s because I’m a sinner in need of a savior.

It’s because I’ve been going the wrong direction.

And until a person comes to that point, it will be impossible for them to be saved. Which is why, through humility, empathy, gentleness, and compassion, our job is to help them come to that reality.

So, we ask questions like, “Aren’t you tired of feeling this way? Aren’t you tired of constantly searching for fulfillment, but never finding it? Aren’t you tired of living your life for you but never being satisfied? Aren’t you tired of living in a way that offers no hope, no joy, no peace, and no future? Maybe it’s time to recongize you need help. The kind of help that only God can offer. Maybe it’s time to go a different direction.”

See how that works? We have to help them see their sin and a need for a savior.

And the truth is, if people are open, it’s not hard for them to admit there’s some stuff in their life that is working against them.

But here’s the deal. What we have to understand is that acknowledgment of sin or going in the wrong direction isn’t enough. In other words, to have true repentance, a person has to actually make the change.

And this is where a lot of people struggle, not just in the world, but in the church as well. Because I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had where a person has acknowledged their sin, but refused to go in a different direction.

For example, they say things like:

Yeah, I know I shouldn’t be sleeping with my boyfriend, but...

Yeah, I know I shouldn’t be talking to that married woman, but...

Yeah, I know it’s wrong to get drunk, but...

Yeah, I know I shouldn’t gossip, but...

Yeah, I know I shouldn’t behave that way, but...

Yeah, I know I shouldn’t watch those movies or that television series, but...

Yeah, I know I shouldn’t give myself to those desires, but...

And the list goes on of sinful habits, addictions, lifestyles, and behaviors that we know are wrong, but we keep doing them anyway. Why?

Because we like them. Because we enjoy them. Because they feel good. Because everyone else is. Because we don’t want to offend people. Because it’s hard. Because somebody told us it’s ok to sin a little. Because nobody’s perfect. And the list goes on of reasons why we continue in what we know is wrong.

But here’s what we need to make sure we understand, that acknowledgment of sin isn’t repentance. Because true repentance is when you turn from what is sinful and quit doing it.

Now, some of you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, so are you saying if I’m doing something I know is sinful that I’m not a Christian?” No, I’m not saying that, because I’m not the one who decides who is saved and not saved. That’s God’s job.

What I am saying though is, if you are claiming to be a Christian, but you are continuing to knowingly give yourself to sin, then you are treading on dangerous ground and you may be setting yourself up for an unfortunate outcome. Listen to how the writer of Hebrews puts it:

Hebrews 10:26–27 ESV

26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

The writer says, for the person who claims to know the truth, who claims to know Jesus, but continues in sin, it’s not a good outcome. The Apostle John puts it like this:

1 John 3:9 ESV

9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

John basically says here, “If you're going to follow Jesus, you have to stop practicing sin.” It’s that simple.

And I think this is a big problem in the Church today. And when I say Church, I’m talking about the church overall and the many churches who have not taught people that true repentance means abandoning your old way, not continuing in it. That true repentance means I’m no longer going to give myself to what I know is wrong. A decision to quit living in a sinful lifestyle and go a different direction.

The question then is, “What direction do we need to go?” Paul tells us. Which leads us to the second part of the gospel message. Look at what he says:

“…repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21b

Pauls says the direction is toward’s God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

What Paul wants us to see here is that true salvation can only come through repentance that comes by faith in Jesus.

So, what does it mean to have faith in Jesus? It means to believe that it’s through Jesus and Jesus alone that a person can be saved. That it’s because of His death, His sacrifice, His resurrection, and His victory over sin and death that we can now be made right with God. The Apostle Paul puts it like this in Ephesians 2:

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Paul says our salvation isn’t based on anything we can do. That it can only come through what Jesus has done, which makes it a gift from God.

But the problem for a lot of people who have grown up in church, they haven’t been taught that. They’ve haven’t been taught it’s a gift, but instead something you have to work for.

Something you have to attend a class for.

Something you have be be baptized for.

Something only a ritual can give you.

Something that requires you to be associated with a certain church or denomination.

Something that you have to work for, give for, and earn.

But guess what, the Bible doesn’t say that. So, what does it say? It says this:

Titus 3:4–7 ESV

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.

In this passage Paul affirms that salvation is not a result of our works, but is instead a direct result of God’s mercy for those who have put their faith in Jesus. A faith that results in a spiritual work by the Holy Spirit as He washes, renews, and transforms you from the inside out. A transformation that results in your salvation.

Now, does that mean that good works aren’t important? Of course not. That’s why Paul goes on to say to Titus:

Titus 3:8 ESV

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.

Paul says, “Yes, be devoted to good works, because it is profitable. But don’t for one second think it’s what saves you.”

Here’s why this is so important. It’s important because in many churches today, people have been taught something that’s not true. They’ve been taught that salvation comes through works, rituals, church attendance, and denominational association. And nothing could be further from the truth. Because salvation only comes through faith in Jesus, period.

The question then is, “How do you put your faith in Jesus like that?”

Well, as I said a moment ago, first it starts with repentance. An acknowledgment of your sin and a willingness to go a different direction.

Second, it continues as you recognize that Jesus is the only one that can make you right with God. That it’s his death and resurrection that makes it possible. Paul puts it like this:

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith...” Romans 3:23-25a

Finally, it comes to fruition as you actually put your faith in Jesus and make Him Lord of your life.

So, how do you do that?

You do it by trusting what you can’t see. You take a leap of faith.

The writer of Hebrews states it like this:

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

The writer says faith is you stepping out into something you can’t see. Something that might not even make sense. Something supernatural. Something that requires you to trust God in a way you never have before.

To help illustrate this, let me give you a Biblical example of what this looks like.

In Exodus 13 the Bible tells the story of how the Israelites were delivered from Egyptian bondage. A deliverance that came as God used the prophet Moses to bring a number of plagues on the Egyptians forcing them to let the Israelites go.

And what’s interesting though, is that as they went out, it wasn’t Moses that led them out, it was God. Because look at what the writer says:

Exodus 13:18 ESV

18 But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.

The writer says that God led the people out of Egypt. What’s also interesting is how He led them out. Look at what the writer says:

Exodus 13:21–22 ESV

21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

The writer says God led them by a pillar of cloud during the day and pillar of fire by night. Which means a giant cloud went before them in the day and a giant flame at night.

Now, here’s where it gets even more interesting, because the writer says as they traveled, it wasn’t too long before the Egyptians followed behind and tried to recapture them. But God wasn’t about to let that happen, because look at what the writer says happened as they Egyptians approached:

“Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness...” Exodus 14:19-20a

What I want you to notice is that as the Egyptians approached, the cloud that was going before the Israelites moved from in front to behind, creating a darkness that didn’t allow the Egyptians to be able to see the Israelites.

Pretty cool, right? But here’s what that means. It means when the cloud was in front of the Israelites, they couldn’t see what was in front of them either. Which means, as God led the Israelites out of Egypt, they couldn’t see where they were going. You know what that’s called? That’s called faith. To follow God, to put your hope in Him, to trust Him, even when you can’t see Him or where He’s leading you.

And in order to put your faith in Jesus, that’s the kind of faith it takes. It takes you stepping out and trusting something you can’t see. Something that may not even make sense. Something supernatural that God has for you. Because I can promise you this, if you step out, Jesus will be there to take your hand and lead you into a new life. The Apostle Peter describes that moment like this:

1 Peter 1:8–9 ESV

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Peter says when we step out Jesus gives us an inexpressible joy filled with glory as we obtain the salvation of our souls. How? By faith.

And the good news is, that joy is available today. And all it takes is for you to repent and believe. The question is, “Will you?”

Let’s Pray

Closing Challenges:

Do you carry any prejudices that are keeping you from sharing your faith with people who need Jesus?

If so, what are they?

If you don’t know, ask God to reveal them to you.

Ask God to heal your prejudice and give you a right heart.

2. Are you committed to sharing the true Gospel?

Are you willing to tell people the whole truth, including the challenges that will come?

Are you willing to tell people the whole truth, even if it offends them?

3. Do you have a right understanding of what the Gospel is?

Do you need to repent of something sinful in your life today?

What sinful act do you need to turn away from today?

Maybe it isn’t sinful, maybe it just isn’t helpful.

Do you need to put your faith in Jesus?

Have you made Jesus Lord of your life?

Are you ready to live differently?

Are you ready to go a new direction?