Vision pt2

WE SEEK TO UNDERSTAND GOD'S MERCY AND TO LIVE IT OUT AMONG OUR NEIGHBORS.

Mercy. Not a word we hear a lot about these days. We hear a lot about how bad people are. How they are plotting or scheming or lying. We assume a lot of bad motives and see people in the worst possible light. It’s a pretty tough world we have created for ourselves.

And yet, in the middle of all of that is Jesus. Extending mercy.

What happens when we encounter His mercy?

In the book of Titus, Paul writes to give some instructions to a young pastor of a young church. They are not in the easiest of circumstances. Ministry where they are is tough. The government hates them. They are viewed with suspicion. There are people running around promoting alternatives to the Gospel. Sound familiar?

1, 2 Timothy, Titus (1) Respect for Governmental Authorities (3:1)

they are also “to be ready to do whatever is good.” Literally, Christians are “to be ready for [or to do] every good work” (pros pan ergon agathon etoimous einai). This extends the Christian’s responsibilities from a mere passive posture (obeying laws) to an active, positive involvement in society. This idea is a practical outworking of Jesus’ teaching concerning being “the salt of the earth … and the light of the world … that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven

1, 2 Timothy, Titus (2) Respect for All (3:2)

Christians should be careful not to speak evil of or verbally abuse others, who are created in God’s own image and the object of his saving grace (Jas 3:9).

Christians are “to be peaceable,” not contentious or quarrelsome. Christians are “to be considerate” (gentle, kind, forebearing). They should be willing to defer to others, although it may require them to relinquish some of their own rights

But when Paul writes this letter, he cuts through all this with instructions for them on how to be faithful in the midst of the circumstances. And when he begins to bring the letter to a close, he comes back to a truth that has to define their lives in middle of all the drama surrounding them. He returns to mercy.

He starts off with reminding them of what they WERE in the context of who they are facing.

(Read v1-3)

1–2 Timothy & Titus Christian Living in the World (3:1–2)

Essentially, the instructions advise the Cretan Christians to make as few waves as possible by living in a way that fosters good relations

That is a tough way to live! It requires us to live in a starkly different way than the majority of the world.

1–2 Timothy & Titus Christian Living in the World (3:1–2)

Paul’s language portrays Christian living in relation to all people as reasoned forbearance in every aspect of life, the putting of the concerns of others ahead of one’s own.

One issue we will always have with mercy is we forget how hard it would have been to have mercy on us if we were God. Have you ever stopped to consider that?

When we “seek to understand God’s mercy” we have to start with a mystery. Why in the world would God see us as worthy of mercy?

Look at verse 3: where do you see yourself before Jesus in that description?

We ALL have ugly pasts to one degree or another. Some were outwardly ugly. Some were inwardly ugly. Some were polite ugly. Some were just flat out degenerates. But we ALL had fallen short of what God had called us to be.

(Remind the church that as we spoke about last week, we don’t define ourselves by our past sins, but that does not mean that we forget who we are- saved sinners)

So what happens in the midst of our rebellion against God, is God butts in. Literally in Paul’s writings- look at verses 4-7 (Gospel presentation here)

1, 2 Timothy, Titus 2. The Theological Basis for Proper Behavior (3:3–8)

Salvation depends solely and completely on God’s grace, displayed in “his mercy,” revealed and achieved by his Son, Jesus Christ, and applied to humankind by the Holy Spirit.

How does God show us mercy?

He extends to us goodness

He lavishes us with loving kindness

He makes us into a new creation- regeneration

He inhabits us

He invests in us richly, not in a miserly fashion

He makes us heirs

God, in short, goes overboard.

The Message of 1 Timothy and Titus b. The Source of Salvation

Thus salvation originated in the heart of God. It is because of his kindness, love, mercy and grace that he intervened on our behalf, he took the initiative, he came after us, and he rescued us from our hopeless predicament

Who do you go overboard for? Someone you DEEPLY love.

God went overboard with mercy, because He loves you.

The Message of 1 Timothy and Titus c. The Ground of Salvation

verse 4, which declares that he (God) saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. Not our righteousness but his mercy is the ground of our salvation

1–2 Timothy & Titus Salvation and Change (3:5–7)

First, the cause of our salvation is solely God’s mercy. While from the standpoint of human need Jesus’ crucifixion could be explained as “for our sins” (1 Cor 15:3), from the standpoint of God’s love it was because of his mercy. This mercy of God is the equivalent of the loving-kindness of God that in the Old Testament (Hebrew hesed) formed the basis of the covenant relationship with Israel. Salvation in Christ has its origin in the very same place. It is God reaching toward humankind to put us into relation with himself, not (as the phrase not because of righteous things we had done shows) the reverse. Human effort is excluded: salvation is not something that a person can merit

So what does God desire from us in response to His overwhelming flood of mercy? He wants us to do the same for others.

1, 2 Timothy, Titus 2. The Theological Basis for Proper Behavior (3:3–8)

Christians, though at one time degenerate and lost, were objects of God’s kindness and love, which resulted in their salvation. Christians are to demonstrate this same kindness and love to lost individuals and society, making Christianity attractive and resulting in the salvation of others

(Read vs8-9)

What does mercy do?

It calls us to good works- that benefit others and demonstrate God’s excellence

1–2 Timothy & Titus The Motive of Christian Living in the World (3:8)

The reason for doing so in this case, as in the others, is to encourage the readers to live the life that the theological statement declares to be a possibility. Verse 8 is a succinct conclusion to the whole of the teaching on the Christian life given in Titus. In it Paul drives home three points that we must not miss.

It avoids creating divisions- because it is seeking the good of everyone rather than an advantage

See mercy is about the other person. Jesus didn’t show us mercy for His benefit. It was for our benefit. We gained the advantage, in fact mercy COSTS something. You are allowing someone to not face the full consequences of their actions- mercy is not getting what you deserve.

How serious is Paul about the church being defined by merciful living? Look at verse 10-11.

So serious that someone who is determined to live as divisive rather than as merciful is put out of the church. Paul calls them warped, sinful, and self condemned.

Why? Because they cannot have ever experienced the mercy of God and behave that way.

1–2 Timothy & Titus The Motive of Christian Living in the World (3:8)

the importance of the visible attractiveness of the Christian life is that it might point others to belief in God. Paul’s thought is that since God’s love in Christ has transformed the lives of those who have believed (3:3–7), the manifestation of that love in their lives (3:1–2, 8) should have similar results in the lives of others

When we say that as a church we are committed to mercy, this is what we mean.

WE SEEK TO UNDERSTAND GOD'S MERCY AND TO LIVE IT OUT AMONG OUR NEIGHBORS.

And it is the live it out part we have to work to get right. We won’t do that until we realize the depth of God’s mercy for us.

And we cannot Love God and People Passionately, if we do not have mercy on them.