Because last time I checked, this is a glorious day that our
Lord, our our Savior has made. Good morning.
All right. Amen.
Amen.
Well, hey, hey, everybody. I am Will and I have the
privilege of being on the preaching team here.
Man, we've been going through Titus quite a bit and, and
trudging through it and we've officially graduated to Titus 3
and we even spent a couple weeks just going through verses one
through three. If you can't tell that is,
that's kind of been the, the tone here.
But we are getting close to the finish line.
Amen, Amen. But last time I was up here, we,
you know, we, we all talked. We, you know, we had a, we had
some family discussion. And I also, we're all reminded
that Cole asked us to read, listen and meditate on the
entire book of Titus at least once a week as we go through the
the series. I'm going to say it one more
time. Our head pastor asked us once a
week to read, listen, and meditate on the entire book of
Titus at least once a week. Now I just have the utmost
confidence that us as a church, we listen to our head pastor and
we we take his instructions with with joy.
Amen. Now, now let's try this again.
Amen. OK, OK, OK, I'm just going to
leave it at that. And the last time I I sat there
for a little bit. I'm just going to leave it at
that this week because we're talking about a lot of grace and
mercy this week. So before we dive to that, I
kind of want to give you guys a little a little story about the
hard headed middle school will OK.
So back in middle school, I had a science teacher that was known
for being challenging. I think that's the best way to
put that. And in every class we would, we
would go through the textbook literally line by line, stop at
every period, every comma. And then she would get the
overhead projector out. Now some of y'all don't know
what overhead projector is make me feel already old, but I got
AI got a reference for you. So for for some of the teens,
you can't touch this like this ain't a touch screen.
There is no there is nothing else.
You see that little, that little, it's a little paper
that's that's on top of in the sleek see through.
And the way you go to the next screen or the next slide, they
would just take that off and put the next one on.
I know, I know this is, this is what we sat through.
So I know like now today's like, you know, the lights go off in
the class. Some of y'all are either
thinking, hey, we're either about to watch a movie or we're
about to just, you know, watch a screen and, and I can even click
it from my laptop or my, my tablet or my desk.
Nah, that ain't what we had to do.
The the lights was off the the overhead projector was on and
you still got to be locked in, especially in this science
class. So should we get that out and it
was time to take notes. I absolutely hated taking notes.
It was the bane of my existence. I'm also a left-handed person
and we always had to write in pen.
So as a lefty, writing in pen and my, let's just say my
penmanship in middle school, even as an adult, but especially
in middle school wasn't the best.
And I would always just get the ink residue on my hand.
It was just absolutely trash. My right-handed people, you
can't relate because the world was made for you.
So you know that that was my cross I had to bear, you know.
So again, I, I hated taking notes, especially her notes,
because it was, it was always pages on pages on pages of notes
and they were and, and this is a testament to her.
They were literally handwritten with with marker notes that she
had wrote down. But she would also like talk
through them line by line. And she had the most monotone
voice I feel ever created. The notes are always over vocab
theories, text highlights. So because I was lazy, I
wouldn't emphasize because I will as lazy.
I short handed the notes if I took them and most of the time I
didn't take notes at all. Now, mind you, she also offered
to students who are slow note takers or slow riders or sloppy
riders to come. They can come during her lunch
break, they can come before or after school, stay a little bit
after class, come a little bit before class again.
She was actually a really good teacher and she wrote all the
notes down, but she would offer them to do that so you would
have time to get all the material, all the answers you
would need, all the notes, all of the notes.
But again, will, prideful, lazy, didn't care.
But I'm not going to do that. I could care less until that
first Test came. I probably stared at that paper
for about 10-15 minutes before I even wrote down an answer.
And the the the thing with it, I had no clue what these questions
was asking, let alone what even the answer could be.
So needs to say I bombed it. Terrible.
And Shirley Shirley's my mom, by the way, Shirley was going to be
livid that I bombed this test. It's one school is one of the
things that my Mama never played about, especially growing up in
in Cleveland, OH. She firmly believed education
was my way out of some situations.
So she had even more emphasis on it.
So I knew she was going to be living in the fear that was in
my body that I had to then go home, have her sign the test.
Because, you know, back then we had to have our parents sign the
test. You know, you can just log in
online and just steal your parents password so that they
actually had to have the signature on the paper.
But the fear that was in my body that she had to sign the test
and I couldn't hide it. I just had to accept the fact
that I'm not going to be able to sit down for a while.
So so I go home. I tell her what happened in the
first words out of her mouth and I'm I'm a censor for for for our
family in here. How the bleep did you fail a
bleeping open note test? Because the crazy part about the
test was the teacher. I came out and said, hey
everyone, feel free to use your notes while taking this test.
Well I my answer to my mom. Well I didn't.
I didn't really take notes. So you didn't take notes and
because you had a good teacher who valued the importance of
taking notes and everyone really retaining information, she
allowed you to use your notes for the test.
But because you were being lazy and self focus, you failed.
So stand, if you are able, for the reading of God's Word.
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior
appeared, He saved us not because of words done by us in
the righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing
of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured
out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being
justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the
hope of eternal life. Dear Heavenly Father, man, we
need you today. I need you today.
We ask for wisdom as we go through your text.
We ask for guidance. Father, hold our hands man,
convict those who need to be convicted.
Lord, comfort those who need comfort.
Draw near to those who have been drawn apart from your Father and
Father, just hold those who are feeling alone.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen. You may be seated so before
diving in to the to the text, let's let's first have a
reminder on the 1st 3 verses that that Cole kind of spoke on.
So verse one and two, Paul tells Titus to remind the people how
God caused them to act, to be submissive to the rulers and
authorities, to be obedient, ready for every good work.
Speak evil of no one speak evil of no one Speak evil of no one.
I'm going to say speak evil and you guys would say what?
Speak evil of OK avoid quarreling, be gentle and show
perfect courtesy towards all people.
So I'm going to say perfect courtesy towards look y'all
locked in today. I appreciate this.
I know you're not used to this call and response stuff, but I
appreciate the locked in this. All right.
These acts, behaviors call us to actions and these actions aren't
just outward acts. So I know we see those things
and we think, well, I can do that.
This is easy, especially if you're Iowa nice, right?
But these acts are also a heart posture.
Matthew 5 Jesus teaches on the Beatitudes, and he emphasized
this. For example, Matthew 521 through
22. You have heard that it was said
of those of old you shall not murder.
Whoever murders will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you that everyone who was angry with her brother
will be liable to judgment. Whoever insults his brother will
be liable to to counsel, and whoever says you fool will be
liable to the hell of fire. It's a heart posture, he
continues. Again, Matthew 54347.
You have heard that it was said you shall love your neighbor and
hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your
enemies. Pray for those who persecute
you, so that you may be sons of the Father who is in heaven.
For he makes his Son rise on the evil and on the good, and sends
the rain on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?
Don't even the tax Tax collectors do do the same.
Don't even the the least of these do that?
And if you only greet your brothers, what more you doing
than others? Don't even the Gentiles do the
same? Again, it is.
It is not just an outwardly act, it's a heart posture.
Then verse 3, Paul tells us who we once were.
Again, he tells us who we once were, verse 3.
It tells us we were once foolish, disobedient, LED
astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing
our days and malice and envy, hated and hating one another.
Cole really emphasized this last week.
This is when he when Cole hit on Romans 310 and 12 through 12.
None is righteous, no, not one. No one understands, No one seeks
for God. All have turned aside.
Together they have become worthless.
No one does good, not even 1 but God, but God.
Everyone say but God no come on come on I don't think y'all
understand what I just said no, not one is righteous, no not one
is righteous. We all deserve to be condemned
but God everyone say but God Amen.
But when the goodness in verse in verse 4, but when the
goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, but
God, but God our God who is holy, perfect, omniscient,
omnipresent, all powerful, merciful, gracious and just when
he appeared. One commentator says the reality
is that we never understand the wonderful kindness and love of
God until we face the reality of what we are like without him.
We are hated and hating. We must read verse 3 and we must
read verse 4 together. We must Plumb the depths of our
own hearts before we can grasp the heights of God.
But God in verse 5 He saved us not because of works done by us
in righteousness, but according to His own mercy by the washing
and regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, not of our own
works, not of our own works. Well why in bot nab our works
Well Roman 310 again tells us no, not one is righteous.
Verse 3 literally just spoke on how we lived our lives, the
nature we were born into, meaning that all of our works,
all of our Iowa niceness is tainted.
Regardless of the outward execution.
It's still tainted by our heart posture when it's done apart
from God and under our own strength.
And we continue reading but in verse 5, but according to his
own mercy but but God according to his own God's mercy.
Let's define mercy. Mercy is, is is a, is a word
that I if you've been coming to church, you've heard it a ton.
Even if you if you Googled or you heard something on Instagram
or social media, God's mercy is is spoken of, but it's really
defined what, what mercy is this word that is used a ton is the
act of withholding deserved punishment.
The act of withholding deserved punishment, meaning he didn't
give us what our works deserve, which is death, what our actions
deserve, which is death, what our heart posture deserves,
which is death, what our thoughts deserve, which is death
because of his mercy. But God, everyone say, but God,
I see this is This is why I feel like I don't maybe, maybe maybe
it's just me that that understands what I just said and
what the word is saying about mercy.
Do you all not understand we deserve death?
But God because of his mercy, we are no longer condemned.
So everyone say but God, Amen. But God, the Holy Spirit, he
regenerated us and made us new, washed us clean.
A sign up to this. The Holy Spirit is not in it.
Scripture tells us and refers to
him as he just want to throw that out.
Verse 6, whom he, the Holy Spirit poured out on us richly
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Yes, our God is merciful.
Yes, He's merciful, but He is also just, and His wrath and His
just judgment had to be poured out.
It had to be quenched. But God, because he loved you,
because he predestined you as He is, He poured it out on His own
perfect Son who was a willing sacrifice for you to save you.
He forsakened his Son. To save you because he did that
because Jesus took that on the Holy Spirit renewed you but God
everyone say but God verse 7 so that being justified by his
grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal
life. Tim Chester defines as a as a as
a quote up there. He defines justice as a as a
legal term, being justified as a as a legal term as well, meaning
declared right. It goes on to say a trial is
taking place. The charges that we are foolish,
disobedient, deceived, enslaved, malicious, envious, hated and
hating. There's more than enough
evidence against this. The verdict must surely be
guilty but God but God grace, but God grace.
It's a free gift that we cannot earn through our good works.
It is a free gift given to us by merciful God.
Nothing we did, can do, or will ever do come close to earning
God's grace. Remember, it is a free gift
because of God's grace. We are justified to God because
of God's grace. We are justified to God, no
longer condemned, but now heirs seen as sons and daughters with
everlasting hope. But God, we were dead in our
sins, condemned to hell. But God, let me let me expound
on that. We were dead in our sins, and
hating and being hated and malice and deceiving and being
deceived. But we have been born again by
the Holy Spirit through the works of Jesus our Savior, so
that we are now justified and seen as righteous by the Father,
and we have eternal life. But God, that is what but God
means in, in, in other words, for God so love the world that
he gave his only begotten Son. So who should ever believe in
him? Shall not perish, but I have
everlasting life. That is the Gospel.
Amen, Amen. Amen, Amen.
Now let's put all this into context and and what Paul is is
telling Titus and verses one through 7.
So again, verse one and two, Paul is telling telling Titus,
remind them Titus, make sure that they take note that we must
be submissive to rulers and authorities, obedient, ready for
every good work. Speak no evil of no one.
Avoid quarreling, be gentle and show perfect, courteous towards
all people. And then in verse 3, Paul is
saying, remind them, Titus, make sure that they take note that we
were once foolish, disobedient, LED astray, slaves to various
passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy,
hated and hating one another. And then from verse 4 to 7, Paul
is saying, remind them, Titus, make sure they take note that
our righteousness comes from God's grace alone through faith
alone that he also gives us in Christ alone.
Amen. Amen.
So Paul is saying, remind them, Titus, we are confronted and
we'll be confronted by the world's culture as as Cole has
been telling us here at Frontier Church that we are going to be
confronted by that. It is going to feel
uncomfortable. We are not going to like it.
It is going to hurt. It is going to make us angry.
It is going to make us sad. It is going to make us want to
respond in a lot of different ways.
But we are called to respond with gentleness because it is
only because of God's mercy we were not punished and condemned
to hell. And only because of God's grace
we are seen as righteous before the Lord.
This could be all sund up in our in our big idea today.
Remember God's mercy and grace. Remember God's mercy and grace.
Please take note of it. Speaking of notes, my mom did
give me mercy from physical punishment but still unleash the
verbal spanking that is seared in my brain and heart.
Rightfully so for failing an open note test.
Needs to say I made sure after that I wrote down every note.
I even wrote down if she took a breath while reciting some of
those notes going forward in class.
The biggest thing because like my mom's mercy, especially when
it comes to physical punishment was, was rare and definitely
wasn't repeated. So I didn't want to run that
back, let's say. But I will say this anxiety I,
I, I used to have about taking tests in that class and the fear
and the, the stress, I assure you and them tests going
forward, all of that instantly left my body when I was able to
pull out my notes. I also realized somehow by like,
you know, like hearing it and seeing it on the board and
hearing her talk and writing things down.
Some of the questions I even knew without using my notes
somehow they kind of like ingrained in me.
So like I know Frontier, it's like, bro, what is that story
and the text have to do with each other, let alone what does
that mean for us here at Frontier?
We need to take note and remember God's grace and mercy.
So when, not if, so, when, we are tested by the world's broken
culture, we can respond with gentleness because it is only by
His grace and mercy we are no longer a part of that culture.
We will be tested, we will be challenged, but by taking note
and remembering the gospel, we will respond with gentleness.
Why? Because we will be reminded that
we have contributed nothing to our salvation, and we are called
to action by the One who is. And once you remember that
you've contributed to nothing of the regeneration of who you are,
to nothing of the new you, you tend to have more grace for
others who are right where you were.
But you must remind yourself and you must take note.
I got some application for you guys and then I and then I'm out
of here. I know some of y'all thought I
was going to be up here for a lot longer given my track
history, but you know, I'm I'm trying to turn over a new leaf.
No, I'm not. This is just kind of where the
spirit led me. This is y'all ain't got nothing
to do with that. No offense, no offense, but no,
no, no, I got some application for you, though, Number one,
read your Bible before I even dive into I got bullet points
for that too. But before I even dive into
that, I want to give a big shout out to Joseph.
He's the he's the one that that helped me put this on the
PowerPoint. So y'all can actually read it
and it makes sense. But the reason I want to give
him a shout out. I, I guess I, I guess I when I'm
up here, I'm, I'm pretty consistent.
So shout out to God there. Literally, I go, it's like, hey,
I got some application and he goes, Yep #1 read your Bible.
I was like, how did you know? He's like, I just knew you were
going to say that. So, so shout out to Joe.
So I appreciate you listening and staying locked in, but no
duh, read your Bible. But why?
So you can know His word. It will help you discern what is
God's culture, what is biblical, what is God's culture, and what
is biblical versus what the world culture is and what your
preference might be. New slash.
Your preference does not determine what God and what holy
culture and what the biblical culture is.
Your preference is just that, your preference.
So read the Bible. Read it for yourself.
Do not rely on solely rely on social media, a podcast, and
even don't just rely on coming to church on Sunday.
Your relationship with God is that your relationship with God.
Act like you have one. Spend time with him.
Read your Bible 2. When a test occurs this week,
I'm sure it will pray before responding.
There is true power in prayer and it doesn't have to be long.
It doesn't have to be this grandiose poem.
Shout out to our beautiful liturgist.
It ain't got to be that because honestly, I can't even write
half of that. So shout out to you all for
that. But it doesn't have to be that.
Just saying, even in your head or whispering to yourself, Jesus
or Jesus help me is good enough. That's a big shout out to the
Holy Spirit who does that work from there anyway.
And then lastly, when you fail and you don't do it perfectly,
because it will happen, because we will, I will pull out your
notes and remind yourself of the gospel.
Because also in Romans, Paul tells us in Romans 81.
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus. The debt has been paid.
God exists outside of time. So when he chose you, when Jesus
chose to die for you, they knew your entire existence already
from the your lowest of low points to your highest of high
points. And he said you are mine.
There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.
There's only one perfect man that walked this earth and thank
God he died for us and paid our cost.
Amen. Let's pray.
Dear heavenly Father man, thank you.
Thank you for your word, thank you for your provision, Thank
you for your mercy and grace. And Father, help us remember
your mercy. Help us remember your grace.
Help us remember the gospel. Continue to ingrain it in our
hearts, our minds, and that our walk shows that we love you.
How we interact with your image bearers.
Show that we love you as we interact with all the creation
that you created. Help it.
Help us. Show that we love you.
In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Let's stand in worship.