Gospel Witness in Every Day Life

Titus 3

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Church, we are finally here, the last sermon of our series and movement to this. And we have covered so much ground already, from the intro to the qualifications of an elder, uh, to what the expectations of Christian living for every generation is, uh, and ultimately pointing to the redeeming and transformative nature of the gospel. Now, whether we realize it or not, our lives are constantly saying something about Jesus. Our lives are constantly saying something about Jesus. Long before many people will ever read the Bible, they'll read the lives of those who claim to follow Jesus. They'll watch how we speak, they'll see how we respond when we're wrong, uh, how we treat difficult people, how we talk about our neighbors, our leaders, or even our enemies. And in many ways, every Christian becomes a witness, not only with their words, but with their lives. Um I'm gonna be honest, like preparing the sermon was really, really difficult, not because of the nature of preparing the sermon, but because of the context and the things that we're gonna be talking about. And I think that's the point of scripture, right? Like we want it to cut deep into our heart, we want it to affect how we live, how we perceive things. And the more that I that I step into this role and continue to preach, the more that those things affect me and change the way that I live my life. And that is my whole core church, that the word of God will pierce through our hearts and change us fundamentally into more the image of Christ. So you know that this whole thing raises an important question: what kind of witness are we? And that's the whole point of this series, is that we want to be, we want to have the gospel witness in everyday life. Um, but maybe there's an even deeper question than that. How do sinful people become the kind of witness in the first place? How do sinful people become the kind of good gospel witness in the first place? Because if we're honest, we ourselves, we know our impatience, our pride, our arrogance or selfishness, and we know that left to ourselves, we don't naturally display the view of Christ. Left to ourselves on our own accord, we don't naturally display the view of Christ because we are sinful by nature. And Paul knows that too.

unknown 2:25

That's why, that's why Titus 3 is so remarkable.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

He begins by describing the kind of life Christians should live before a watching world. Then before we can start making a checklist of things that we have to do, he stops and says, Hey, remember who you were. Remember who you were, and remember what God has done. Before he says, Hey, these are the things that you should do, just remember who you were and remember what God has done. So this chapter reminds us that the gospel doesn't simply forgive sinners, it transforms them. The same grace that saves us is the grace that shapes us into people whose lives are gospel believable. When people see you, it's like, man, but this person is different, but why? And that should take off our conversation, right? So before we dive into this message, we're good to Lord and prayer. Uh bow our heads.

unknown 3:18

Lord, we praise your holy name.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

Father, we are thankful for your goodness and your grace and your mercy that is in you every morning. Lord, I pray that your name be glorified through the preaching of your word this morning, and that the words we read today to pierce our hearts and produce real change and application in our lives. Lord, as we come to the end of this year, I pray that you would give me the wisdom necessary to lead and shepherd your people, and also give us all as a church the grace and conviction necessary to live lives marked by your own gospel. In Jesus' name.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

Okay, Titus 3. Titus 3 reminds us that the gospel doesn't simply forgive sinners, it transforms them. The same grace that saves us is the same grace that shapes us, as I said before, into people that live, that lives make the gospel believable. So let's read that together. Titus chapter 3, starting with verse 1. Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good word, to speak evil of no one, to avoid hurling, to be gentle and show perfect courtesy towards 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 hated and hated 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, the washing of regeneration and renewal of the spirit, who 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 same is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have belief in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable, but avoid foolish controversies, genialities, dissensions, and curls about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division after a warning, after a warning and once, after a warning once, and then twice, have nothing more to do with it. Knowing that such a person war and simple. When I send Artemis and Tachius to you, do your best to come to I mean, hopeless. Do your best to spend Xenas. Uh sorry, do your best to spend Xenas. I'm a lawyer and I call us on the way. See, they like nothing and let our people learn to devote themselves to good work so as to help cases of urgent need and not unfruitful. All who are with me send great as to you. Greet those with others and defame. Praise be with you all.

unknown 6:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

Now Paul begins this chapter with the words remind them. And that tells us something important. Titus is not being instructed to introduce new doctrine to the church. The believers there already knew these things. The problem was not necessarily a lack of information, the problem was that they needed to be reminded. And honestly, so do we. Paul tells Timothy to remind the believers to be submissive to rulers and authority, to be obedient and ready for every good work. Remember the setting. These Christians were living in the Isle of Crete, surrounded by dishonesty, selfishness, rebellion, moral corruption. Paul doesn't tell them that the darkness of their culture excuses poor Christian conduct. He does not tell them to isolate themselves from society or to respond hostility with hostility. Instead, he calls them to live as visibly different people within that society. They were to be submissive to governing authorities and obedient to the laws under which they live. So of course, Scripture never requires us to obey human authorities when doing so would be disobeying God. God is our ultimate authority. But he also does tell us that, hey, submit to your authorities. I put them in place for this reason. But our normal posture towards authority should not be one of constant suspicion, constant hostility, and constant rebellion. We should look at the authority that we have in his place over us and also look at the authority that is over him. Our ultimate authority is Christ. And we see this as a culture all the time. So where is the heart? That's what we're trying to discern here. So Christians should not be known as unnecessarily difficult people. We shouldn't be known as unnecessarily difficult people. We should be ready for every good work. In other words, believers should be looking for opportunities to contribute to the good of the community in which God has placed us.

unknown 9:23

Our neighbors should be glad that they have a Christian nearby.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

Our workplace should be better because Christians work there. Our communities should never experience the practical kindness of God's people. And I think sometimes, church, as a people, we need to do better at that. Because we may be, we might have neighbors that we never know that were Christians. How could they not know we're Christians? How could we make sure that they feel like, oh, you know what? I actually feel safe that when it gets our plane around the Arctic because our neighbors are believers, are Christians. We've lost that. We need to get that back. The church is not called simply to criticize what is wrong with the world. We're called to demonstrate something better with it. Paul continues to say to speak evil to no one, to avoid pearling, to be gentle and show perfect courtesy towards all people. This may be where the passage becomes specifically uncomfortable because Paul says that Christians are to speak evil of no one. Speak evil of no one. Now, does that mean that we can uh that we can never identify sin or expose false teaching or confront wrongdoing or speak truthfully about injustice? No, absolutely not. Paul does those things all the time. The issue here is slander. Don't be slanderous or destructive or have destructive speech, the kind of speech that tears someone down because we dislike them, disagree with them, or want others to think less. You can speak the truth and say something that is objectively true and not be slanderous. There's a difference between speaking the truth about someone's actions and attempting to damage a person's reputation. And that difference is often found in the condition of our heart.

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What is the condition of our heart? Are you trying to bring clarity to a situation?

SPEAKER_00 11:28

Or are you trying to just tear someone down? Are you trying to explain your case? For integrity's sake, or are you trying to just like make somebody else look bad? We live in a court in a culture that rewards outreach. We're encouraged to respond quickly, choose sides immediately, assume the words, and publicly destroy anyone who crosses us. Especially in the age of social media, my goodness. But Christians should not speak like everyone else speaks, church. We should not treat people as disposable simply because they're wrong, irritating, or difficult or opposed to us. Scripture tells us in James 1, 19 to be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry. Quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry. When I said that, this was a passage that is like actively shaping who I am as an end as a Christian.

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This is why.

SPEAKER_00 12:25

I think guys can relate to this. We can be pretty quick angry. But scripture, God tells us no, like don't tell you that. Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry. Paul also tells us to avoid quarreling. That doesn't mean Christians never disagree. It means that we would not be people who enjoy conflict. We can disagree, but we shouldn't be people that enjoy conflict. We should not constantly be looking for an argument. As fun as that may be. We should not sacrifice the peace of the church merely to establish that we are right. We should not sacrifice the peace of the church merely to establish that we are right. Some people are willing to burn down an entire relationship just to win a disagreement, and that is not spiritual maturity. Let me repeat that. Some people are willing to burn down an entire relationship just to win one disagreement, and that is not spiritual maturity. There are moments when truth requires us to take a firm stand, but even then, our goal should not be the humiliation of another person. Our goal should be faithfulness to Christ, love for the other person, and the restoration of what sin has damaged. If this is a sin issue and there's a sin problem, the goal is restoration, not humiliation. Paul then says that we are to be gentle. Gentleness is not weakness, it's strength brought under control. Gentleness is not weakness, it's strength brought under control. It is the ability to respond harshly while choosing not to. Could you respond harshly to a situation? You can't. Should you? Should you? It is refusing to turn evil for evil. It is having the power to wound someone, to hurt someone, and instead, instead choosing words that seem they're good. Nothing paints a picture like this as having a close relationship with somebody, that being your best friend or your spouse or your child. It's having the power to hurt someone and instead choosing words that seek their good. This is not dormant type of Christianity. Paul is not telling believers to permit abuse, to ignore the wicked, or to allow others to walk over them. He's simply describing that greater strength is required to remain Christ-like when someone else is treating us like they treated Christ. When Jesus says turn to heal or cheese, you're not actively done away. He's saying be more like me. Look at what they've done to me. Remain stable. Then Paul summarizes all these commands by saying that Christians are to show perfect courtesy towards all people. Show perfect courtesy towards all people. The word translated their perfect. He doesn't mean the perfect as we think perfect. He carries the idea of every kind of humility. Perfect means every kind. So we could understand Paul saying, show every kind of gentleness and humility towards everyone. So no matter the situation, you're showing gentleness and humility. Not only towards Christians, not only towards those who we agree with, not only towards those who treat us well, but towards all people. Then you should produce all those things. Obedience, readiness to serve, careful speech, peaceableness, and gentleness. And that raises the question: why does this kind of humility come from? Right? How do we remain gentle when people talk about us, when people attack us? How do we resist the temptation to damage someone's reputation who's damaged ours? How do we pursue peace when pride tells us that proving ourselves right is more important when someone has virtual? In verse 3, we can continue reading. 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. Notice what Paul says. He doesn't say those wicked people out there were once foolish. He does not say, you creetans were once foolish, or like this. Paul includes himself in this woman position. He says, We ourselves. Paul died as the members of the church, and every believer who has ever been saved by Christ are placed together in the same category. There are no naturally righteous people standing over advanced naturally wicked people.

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We were all wicked. Every one of us.

SPEAKER_00 18:06

There are only sinners who have been rescued by grace. And that memory right there is essential to our gospel witness. We were wretched sinners saved by a great and merciful God. Remember when Paul quotes the Cretan poet and says that they were always liars, evil beasts, lazy buttons. Categorically, we were the same as them. Put simply, we are sinners, and the only thing that changed was the greatest thing that could ever change. We were redeemed by the grace of God. If we forget who we are, we will begin looking down at people around us. We will speak about unbelievers as if they are only different because I'm sorry, we will speak about unbelievers as if the only difference between us and them is that we make better decisions. We will become impatient with those who are still enslaved to their very thing Christ delivered us from. But Paul says, remember, we were once foolish, we lacked true spiritual understanding, we believed things that were untrue, and we pursue things that could never satisfy us.

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We were disobedient. Our problem was not simply that we didn't know God's will, it's that we resist it. We didn't want it.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

We wanted what we wanted. We were not neutral people searching sincerely for truth. We wanted to rule our own lives. We were led astray. We followed voices that promised freedom but led us further into bondage. We followed the wisdom of the world and eventually discovered that his promises were empty. We were slaves to passions and pleasures. And the crazy thing is that the world calls this freedom. Do whatever feels right, follow your desires, let no one tell you how to live. But scripture calls it slavery. They do chores to earn some playtime here and there, usually around 30 minutes per week is what they get, and it's a privilege they can earn. Now, as you can, as you can imagine, what it's like to tell kids these days to get off the internet or get off their video games or saying, hey, your time is solved, the immediate response is, can I have a few more minutes? Or I'm in the middle of something, can I finish up? And something I remind my kids often is that in these situations is that if I tell them to get off the video games, and they can't for X, Y, or Z reasons, then they are not controlling the video game. The video game is controlling them. If you can't simply grab whatever you're doing and put it down, you're not in control of it. It's controlling you. When you cannot say to a desire, um, I'm sorry, when you can't say no to a desire, you are not free. When your happiness depends upon satisfying every appetite or everything that you want, you are not in control. You are being controlled. If your happiness depends on getting what you want, and if you don't get it, you're gonna have a bad day. You're not in control, you're in bondage to your desire and your sins. Paul says that we were also passing our days in malice and envy. Malice says, You hurt me, so I want to hurt you. Envy says, You have something I want, and then I will sent you for having it. Both are expressions of a heart turned inward upon itself, and both destroy. Relationships. This is why Paul describes us as hated by others and hating one another. Sin does not merely separate us from God, it turns us against each other. A life ruled by pride, jealousy, resentment, and selfish desire will eventually produce broken relationships. Let me repeat that. A life ruled by pride, jealousy, resentment, and selfish desire will produce broken relationships. Paul wants us to understand that this is not, this is who we were a part of Christ. He wants us to know that's who you were apart from Christ. And even after coming to Christ, we must remain watchful because this remnants of those old desires still attempt to pull us back into old patterns. Christians can still be tempted by envy. We can still hold grudges, we can still become quarrelsome, we can still attempt to establish ourselves by tearing up someone else down. And the question that is not, have I professed my faith in Christ? We must also ask, is my present life, is the life that I'm living right now, distinguishable from my former life? Am I still being ruled by the same desires? Do I speak about people the same way the world speaks about them? Do I respond to criticism with retaliation? And am I more interested in winning arguments or winning people? When somebody offers you correction, when somebody offers you advice, are you quickly to the quick to defend yourself? Or to just say that, you know what? I'm gonna take that to part actually. If you're saying something, it might mean something. Let me take it to part. Paul is calling the church to live differently, but he's also protecting us from pride by reminding us why we are different. We're not different because we're smarter, we're not different because we possess stronger character, we're not different because we were more spiritually aware than everybody else. We are different because God showed us mercy. That's why we're different, because God showed us mercy. Paul uses the word we use, I'm sorry, Paul uses the word we levels the entire church. The apostle, the pastor, the mature believer, the newest convert, all stand together level at the foot of the cross. None of us came to Christ because we had something in the present to offer him. We were all rescued from a pit too deep for us to climb out of. We were all delivered from darkness that our own light could not penetrate. We were all enslaved to sin that our own resolve could not conquer. The truth should transform the way we treat other people. When I remember that I was saved entirely by grace, I can no longer look down upon a sinner. I cannot approach people as someone who has morally risen above them. I really haven't. It's one beggar telling another beggar where he can find right. The church witness becomes compelling when the people of God are marked by this kind of humility. Don't ever forget who you were before Christ. The world understands infighting, the world understands slander, retaliation, and be pride, and the desire to win at another person's expense. There's nothing surprising about a church that behaves exactly like the world. There's nothing surprising about a church that behaves exactly like the world. But a people who refuses to turn evil for evil, a people who speaks truth without cruelty, a people who serve rather than demand, a people who shows gentleness even towards those who oppose them, that gets the world's attention. Our humility does not mean that sin is insignificant. It means that we remember we were not saved because of our because our sin was less serious than someone else's sin. We were saved because the kindness and mercy of God appeared. And that is precisely what Paul takes us next in the text. He has shown us how believers ought to live. And it reads, but when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us. Our transformed conduct begins with saving grace. We show humility towards all people because we remember that apart from Christ, we were no different. And when that truth settles deep in our heart, it changes the way we speak. We disagree that we serve, the way when we represent Jesus before a watching world. And verse 3 leaves us in a difficult place. Going back to verse 3, right? Paul has reminded us who we were apart from Christ, who were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and slave, resentful, envious, hateful, hating one another. And that is an honest description of the human condition. Every single one of us. We were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and slave, resentful, envious, hateful, hating one another. But remembering how bad we were is not enough to produce true humility. In fact, remembering a hopeless past without any hope of rescue would only produce despair. If you just simply remember who you were before Christ, without Christ, it will not produce humility or hope. It will produce despair. If we believe that we escaped that past because we were wiser, stronger, or more spiritually perceived than others, then remembering our past would not produce humility at all. It would produce pride. But Paul will not allow us to tell the story of our salvation that way. The reason believers can live humbly, gently, and peacefully towards others, it's not simply because we remember who we were once, but because we remember who rescued us. So there's a two parts. We remember who we were, and if that's all we do, we're gonna end up in despair or in pride. Unless we also remember who saved us, who rescued us. Verse 3 tells us who we were, but verses 4 through 7 tells us what God did. And the transition between those two realities is found in two beautiful words. But when. Paul is describing what was the heart of God's towards what was the heart of God towards sinners the entire time. The word goodness speaks to his kindness and generosity, and the word in the phrase loving kindness describes God's compassion, compassionate love towards humanity. Think about the contrast. In verse 3 describes that our heart was full of malice, envy, hatred, selfish desire. Verse 4 describes what God's heart is: goodness, kindness, mercy, love. We did not move towards God because goodness in us. God moved towards us because the goodness in him. And that distinction matters. Our salvation is not the story of good people reaching up towards God. It is the story of God reaching down towards helpless sinners. Like the great Bodhi Bhagavad used to say that man don't cry. Paul says the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appear. This connects this passage with what Paul said already in chapter 2. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people. God's grace did not remain an abstract idea. His kindness appeared in history through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Is completely clear. God's mercy became visible, God's love became uh took flesh, God's rescue became near, and then Paul gives us the heart of the passage. He saved us. He saved us. Those may be uh those may be three of the most important words in the entire letter. He saved us. Salvation has a subject, and that subject is God. Paul then makes this even clearer. He then goes and says, Not because of works done by us in righteousness, but because but according to his own mercy. Not because works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy. Paul does not simply say that our works were insufficient. He says that our salvation was not because of them at all. Even the best things we have ever done could never obligate God to save us. We do not earn his favor through obedience. We do not place God in our debt by becoming religious. We do not accumulate enough righteousness points to outweigh our debt. The gospel is not us meeting God halfway after we learn more. It is God, it is not God rewarding sincere people for trying their best. Through faith alone, Christ alone, and through the glory of God alone, according to Scripture alone. That's it. We have nothing to do with it. He saved us all sins according to his own mercy. Mercy is kindness shown to the miserable and compassion extended to the guilty. Mercy is kindness shown to the miserable and compassion extended to the guilty. Mercy means that God saw us in our helpless condition and he did not treat us as our sins discerned. There's no room for boasting in the gospel. We cannot look at an unbelievable world today and say the difference between us and them was that I was smarter, I made a better decision. We cannot look at a strolling believer today and say that. We cannot look down upon anyone as the grace came to us because God found something more promising in us. None of us deserve it. If you are in Christ, you're there because God was merciful to you. Paul then explains how his saving mercy was applied. Next line says, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. This is not just external transformation. God did not simply give us a new set of rules and tell us to behave better, he gave us a new life. The washing of regeneration refers to the cleansing and new birth that God provides through the Spirit. Regeneration points to the creation of spiritual life where there was once spiritual death. Christianity is not behavior modification, church, it's complete resurrection. The old new is dead. You have a new life in a new life. Paul speaks not only of regeneration but also the renewal of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit does not simply awaken in us because I'm sorry, awaken us at the beginning of the Christian life and then leave us to carry our own strength. We talked about this last week, right? So we're not like the works that we do, the good works, we're not left to do them on our own. The Spirit enables us to that. He continues his renewing work within us. The Spirit who gives lives also produces growth. He produces love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. You want to take a good survey of your life and your spiritual life, go to the fruit of the spirit and say, Do I display these things? Do I display these things? The Christian life begins by the Spirit and continues by the Spirit. We are not saved by grace and sanctified by willpower. We are not saved by grace and sanctified by willpower. From beginning to end, we are dependent upon the gracious word of God. Paul then carries on. Says, poured out, I'm sorry, Paul says that the Holy Spirit was poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. God is not stingy with his grace, he doesn't give the spirit reluctantly or carefully measured. How did he say he poured it? He poured it out richly. This language echoes the promises of the Old Testament where God said that he would pour out his spirit upon his people. And he also points us towards Pentecost, where the risen Christ poured out the promised spirit upon the church. Notice the involvement of the Trinity here. This is really, really interesting and probably a little nerdy, but hear me out. God the Father is the source of salvation. Jesus Christ is the Savior through whom salvation comes. He is the mechanism of salvation. The Holy Spirit is the one who regenerates us and renews us. The Father planned our salvation, the Son accomplishes our salvation, the Spirit applies our salvation. The Father planned our salvation, the Son accomplishes it, and the Spirit applies it. Our salvation is the work of a trying God from beginning to end. From beginning to end. Paul tells us that the purpose of this work and the next line is so that being justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. To be justified means to be declared righteous. We are sinners still. It means that our guilt is counted to Christ and His righteousness is counted to us. Our guilt is counted to Christ, and his righteousness is counted to us. God does not justify us because we are righteous in ourselves. Somebody else had to pay that. He justifies us by his grace because of the righteousness of his son. The guilt stand before the judge, but instead of receiving condemnation, those who are in Christ are declared righteous. Not because the law was ignored, not because sin did not matter, but because Jesus satisfied the demands of justice on our behalf. Like Jonathan Edwards said, we are sinners in the hands of an angry God. Who stands in between us and that angry God. That is justly and rightly angry at sin. It is his son. We take all of us. The gospel takes people who were rebels against God and makes them sons and daughters of God. And heirs does not work. An heir does not work to earn his place in the family. This is a really cool and often ignored part of the gospel. Is that we are justified by faith? Yes. We're made righteous by Christ, but we're also made part of his family. We come into the family of God, and not only does it look at us and says, like, yeah, I'm forgiven. He says, Hey, you're part of the family, and you can stay, you live here now. Biblical hope is not wishful thinking. It's not crossing our fingers and hoping everything works out. It's the confident expectation rooted in the promise and character of God. It is the enjoyment of God forever. It is resurrection life, it is new creation. It is the day when faith becomes sight, hope becomes reality, and everything broken by sin is made new. This is the blessing grace gives us. We were foolish, but God gave us wisdom in Christ. We were disobedient, but God gave us a new heart. We were deceived, but God brought us into the truth. We were enslaved, but God sets us free. We were guilty, but God justified us. We were strangers, but God made us heirs. We were headed towards judgment, but God gave us hope of eternal life. We should be people as we approach our final day that are not going kicking and screaming. We have a hope for eternal life. God gets the credit, we receive the blessing. In verse 8, Paul says, the same is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things. Paul does not want Titus to mention grace once and move on to something more practical. He tells Titus, insist upon this truth. Repeat them, emphasize them, build the ministry of the church around them. Why? Because the message of grace is not just how someone enters the Christian life. Grace is the foundation of the entire Christian life. We never graduate from the gospel. We never graduate from the gospel. If we spent every Sunday just talking about the gospel, it would be a life well lived in the church. We never mature beyond our need to hear that God saved us, not because of righteous works, but according to his mercy. The church does not need less gospel as it matures, it needs more. Keep the main thing the main thing. Because when the church loses sight of grace, one of two things usually happen. Either we become proud because we believe our goodness distinguishes us from others, or we become discouraged because we know our goodness is never enough. And you would have somebody come and stand before you and just simply do a glorified Bible study. And we just gain a bunch of knowledge that doesn't produce life. Or you have somebody that coerced you into thinking that you need to continue to be more involved, do more things, do more things, do more things, do more things, but this will never be enough. And you're in this rat race of trying to prove that you're really not going to be saved. Grace destroys both pride and despair. Next slide. So that those who have believed In God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. So that those who have believed in God need to be careful to devote themselves to good works. Notice the order again. Believe in God, then devote yourself to good works. Grace first first, works second. Grace first, works second. Salvation first, obedience second. Root first, fruit second. Paul is not afraid of good works. Paul is not afraid of good works. Neither is James. If you read the book of James, incredibly practical. He repeatedly commands them through this letter, but he's fiercely committed to putting God's word in their proper place, in the proper order. God's works are not because of us of salvation.

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I'm sorry. God's works are not the cause of salvation, they are the consequence of salvation.

SPEAKER_00 44:54

Our duties never earn grace, but the doctrines of grace lead us to duties of gratitude. The doctrines of grace lead us to duties of gratitude. And that right there is the Christian life and much. Grace creates worshipers, it creates grateful people, it creates people who want their lives to display the goodness of God, of the God who saved them. Paul says believers must be careful to devote themselves to good works. And that language is intentional. Good works does not happen accidentally. He says, devote yourself carefully. We must give attention to them. We must make them a priority. We must ask, where can I serve? Who can I encourage? What need can I be? How can I use what God has given me for the good of others? How can my life make the gospel visible? How can my life make the gospel visible? The grace of God does not produce passive Christians, it produces people devoted to doing good. And Paul concludes that these things are excellent and profitable for people. These things are excellent and profitable for people. So before we arrive there again, this whole time Paul is saying, like, hey, remember who you were, remember who God is, remember what he produced, and because he produced these things, this is what you should do in results. This is the life that you should live. That's a direct result of what God has done. Not because you have to, but because you want to. How can you not? Right? How can you not? Look at what Jesus had done at the cross for you. And I'll be like, man, I want to love and serve forever. God's commands are not cruel or burdensome restrictions designed to abroad us from joy. They are good, they are beautiful, they are profitable. They bless the believer, strengthen the church, serve the neighbor, adorn the gospel. A church shaped by grace becomes a blessing to the community around it. A family shaped by grace becomes marked by patience, forgiveness, service, and love. Patience, forgiveness, service, and love. This is what Watkins Community Church must strive to become. A church shaped by grace. Last Sunday we talked about grace being a teacher. We want to be a church that is shaped by grace. After telling Titus to insist on the message of grace, Paul immediately warns him about the things that can pull a church away from it. Next line he says, but avoid foolish conversations, genealogies, dissension, and pearls about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Notice the contrast here. In verse 8, Paul says that the gospel and the good works it produces are excellent and profitable, but now he describes the controversies as unprofitable and worthless. In other words, not everything that captures the church's attention deserves the church's attention. Not everything that captures the church's attention deserves the church's attention. Some conversations may be interesting, but not useful. So just ask yourself, like, what's the point of this? Is it just Hebrews? Why? Some arguments may make us feel more intelligent, but do nothing to make us whole. Some controversies may create excitement while quietly distracting us from our mission. What is division? The false teachers and creeds were consumed with genealogies, disputes about the laws, and endless theological arguments. They appeared equally religious, but their teaching was not producing godliness, it was producing division.

SPEAKER_01 49:06

In chapter one, he talks about these people where they were off the circumcision for him.

SPEAKER_00 49:18

Paul tells Titus does not allow these things to become the priority of the church. That does not mean doctrine is unimportant. Paul has spent his entire letter defending sound doctrine. In chapter 1, he told the elders to hold firmly to the trustworthy word and rebuke those who contradicted them. There are truths worth defending, there are truth worth defending, and there are moments when faithfulness, church, when a faithful church must take a stand. But there's a difference between being willing to divide when faithfulness requires it and loving to divide. There's a difference between being willing to divide when faithfulness requires it, or loving division. Ah man, I love some drama. How can I create some drama? Advisive person does not merely enter conflict when necessary, he enjoys the conflict. He's always looking for another argument, another issue, another person to correct, or another opportunity to prove himself right. Church, I had to preach this to myself. I had to start looking at my life and going like, man, do I do that? I'll tell you right now, there's been times in my life when I actively would listen just so I can. It's not worth it.

SPEAKER_01 50:41

Just say yes or no any move. Some things are not worth it, some things are worth it. Gospel issues, by the way.

SPEAKER_00 50:51

But secondary issues, I can agree with this agreement if we won't. The subject may change, but the same spirit keeps appearing. One week it's politics, the next week it's worship references, the next is a minor theological distinction, then it's someone's decision, then it's leadership style, then his family, then his background or motives. Show grace. The issue keeps changing, but the desire to fight remains the same. Paul says that this is the kind of person that should be first worn, then born again, and then the church should be patient, clear, and restored. The goal is restoration. The goal is not punishment or punishment's sake, it's repentance. But if a person refuses correction and remains determined to divide the church, Paul says, have nothing to do. We give grace and grace and grace and grace and grace and grace, grace grace. They go all this grace, they go all this restoration and forgiveness. But if a person refuses correction and remains determined to the Bible church, Paul says, have nothing to do with that. That is serious. Why is it serious? Because division is never harmless, it's never just a harmless personality trait. It damages relationship, it distracts the church, it distracts the church, it consumes time and energy that should be devoted to ministry, it wounds believers, it obscures the beauty of the gospel we're called to proclaim. Paul says that such a person is warped and sinful and is self-conmitted. This divisive person reveals the condition of their own heart by constantly attempting to justify themselves, prove himself, and elevate himself above others, he moves further and further away from the grace he claims to defend. If our primary goal is grace, and you encounter somebody that is constantly moving further and further and further away from grace, tread lightly, be careful, have discernment. Why are you trying to be divisive? Grace says, I have nothing to boast about. Grace humbles us, pride makes us disagreement, pride makes every disagreement personal. So Paul's instruction is not that Christians should never disagree, it's that disagreement should never become our identity of ministry. He does not delight in embarrassing another person. A good Christian, a faithful Christian does not delight in embarrassing another person. He longs for truth, peace, repentance, and restoration. Sometimes we must fight for the truth. But we should never fall in love with fighting. That's another thing. Defend the truth, defend the gospels, these step us. But we should never fall in love with fighting just because we want to fight. Paul closes the letter with traveling plans, personal names, reading, and practical instructions. At first, these verses may seem disconnected from the great theological statement that came before them, but they are uh but they are not disconnected at all. They show us what kind of grace looks like in ordinary church life. Paul speaks of sending Artemis and Tacchius. He tells Titus to come uh to come to him. He instructs the church to help Zenus and Apollos on their journey and to make sure they lack nothing. Then he says, Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent needs and not be unfruitful. There it is again, good works. Paul has returned to this theme through the letter, good works do not save us, but those who have been saved should become devoted to. Devote yourself to doing good. A gospel-centered church should not merely possess correct doctrine, it should come, it should become a useful church. A church that helps, a church that serves, a church that sees urgent needs and responds, a church that does not merely discuss compassion but practices. Paul says believers must learn to devote themselves to good works. That means this kind of life does not always come naturally. We have to be taught to notice it around us. We have to learn generosity, we have to learn hospitality, we have to learn to give time, resources, attention, and gifts for the goods of others. We have to learn to move from good intention to faithful actions. Fight for what is good. Fight for your relationship. Fight for your friends, for your friends, not against them. The opposite of this is an unfruitful life. An unfruitful Christian may not know a great deal. They say the right things, maybe. They hold strong opinions and positions, yet they contribute very little to the good of others. So what is the point? Are you building up or are you tearing down? Paul ends the letter with these words Grace be with you all. This is not just a polite way to end the letter. It's the final word that Paul wants ringing in their ears. Grace be with you all. Grace for the elders, called to do faithfully, grace for older men, grace for older women, grace for younger men, grace for younger women, grace for husbands and wives, grace for parents and children, grace for workers, grace for those learning to live as witness in difficult times, difficult cultures, grace for those who have failed, grace for those who are still growing, grace for the churches that learn to live the gospel together. Titus begins with grace, was sustained by grace, and now it ends with grace. On the website, if you go to the website, you can find the shepherd has the nose of all his servants. If you go look and go and take a look at all of them for this past month, you will see that recurrent thing. It's hard to make a callback to the first Sunday of this series. But now, as a whole, I'm telling you, church, dios begins with grace, was sustained by grace, and now it ends with grace. That is because grace is not one subject among many in the Christian life, it is the subject. Grace is at the center. This doctrine leads to worship, obedience becomes gratitude, leadership becomes service, corrections seek restoration, and good works become the fruit of a transformed life. Okay. Now, throughout this series, we have all titles, um, we have Paul Titus Gospel Witness for Everyday Life. And that title captures the central message of the women. The gospel is not something we believe only on Sunday mornings, it shapes how the church is led. Paul's concern is not merely the church and creed knows the right message, he wants their entire life together to adorn the message. He wants the character of the leaders, the conduct of the members, the church, and the culture of the church to make the gospel attractive. We talked about what that looks like. The gospel is already infinitely beautiful. It's a masterful work of art. We are just a frame. As we conclude this series, I want I want us to think not only about the kind of individual Christian Titus, a Christian Titus calls us to become, but the kind of church we want Vladimir's Community Church to be. What kind of culture should the gospel bring among us? And I have them here later for you guys. I've mentioned them all throughout this month. But now you're going to hear them one by one. Number one, a culture of biblical faithfulness. A culture of biblical faithfulness. We want to be a church shaped by scripture rather than trans personalities, political movements, or cultural prayer. No, we want to be, we want the word of God to govern our preaching, our leadership, our decision, our worship, and our understanding of the Christian life. We want to continually ask, what has God said? What has God said about this? Number two, a culture of godly leadership. Titus teaches us that a healthy church is deeply connected to the character of its leaders. God does not merely call gifted people, he calls godly people. The qualifications in Titus 1 focus far more on character than it does in charisma. Character. We want to cultivate the future leaders by helping men and women grow in maturity, faithfulness, and usefulness in the body of Christ. Everyone here, every generation of believers, has something to offer to every generation of believers. Number three, a culture of discipleship. Dios 2 shows us that a church where believers take responsibility for spiritual growth, older believers invest in younger believers, faithful, mature Christians model faithful living. Doctrine moves from the pulpit into the home to workplace, relationship, marriage, parenting, and daily conduct. At walk-hands, we want to become a people who can say, follow me as I follow Christ. Follow me as I follow Christ. We want children, students, young adults, families, older saints to know that they are not expected to walk alone. We want a culture where people are known, encouraged, challenged, prayed for, and come to grow. Number four, a culture of grace-filled relationships. Grace-filled relationships. Grace is the teacher, right? This must shape the way we relate to one another. We want White Himself to be a church where truth is spoken, but spoken in love, where disagreements do not become divisions. Where disagreements do not become divisions. We can talk through things in a godly manner. Where correction seeks restoration, where gossip is rejected, where forgiveness is practiced, where difficult conversations can happen without relationships being discovered. And five, a culture of useful service. Paul repeatedly tells the believers to devote themselves to good works. That means that grace, that the grace we receive becomes invisible in the good that we do. We don't want to merely be a church that gathers. We want to be a church that serves. We want to see obligation and respond to them. We want to care for families, children, older saints, trolling believers, and those walking through grief or hard shape. We want to serve our neighbors and contribute to the good of our community. In conclusion, these five cultures do not begin with a new strategy. They begin with the gospel. None of these things are some things that I cleverly designed from some child. It's all Titus.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:41

It's all Paul. These are not my words or my ideas. This is what God intends for his people.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:50

We need the same God to save us, to continue, to renew us by his spirit. And this is what he expects of his people. Again, none of this is something I found in the chart. As we close this letter, perhaps the best prayer we can pray for is uh is that the same blessing that Paul gives to the churches in Crete. He says, Grace be with you all. May Grace shape our leaders, may grace shape our homes, may grace shape our conversations, may grace shape our discernment, may grace shape our service, may grace shape the way that we live life before a watching world. And may the gospel we proclaim with our mouths become increasingly more visible through our everyday lives. Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for your guidance. Lord, help us establish these cultures in our church for your glory in our eyes. Lord, as whiteness enters a season of growth, help us grow security first. Help us love you more deeply and help us love one another also.