1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,080 My name is Casey. I am on the preaching team. 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:06,160 It's always a privilege to preach. 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,360 If it's your first Sunday, welcome, I'm glad to have you. 4 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,240 If you don't know me personally, everyone on the preaching team 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:19,840 kind of has their their go to illustrations. 6 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,440 For Cole, it's family in wrestling, occasionally fishing, 7 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:25,920 mainly wrestling, sometimes family. 8 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:30,200 For me, I would like to tell you that it's literature. 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,759 I would like to present as this literary buff. 10 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,880 That's a lie. I am a video game buff. 11 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,680 I did not pick the font that said welcome to Frontier. 12 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,840 However, it was apartment. So whoever did that, 10 out of 13 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,560 10, buckle up. We're going to have a video game 14 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:50,360 reference in the beginning because there's a video game 15 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,360 series actually have a tattoo of my favorite character from the 16 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:55,640 game, but the franchise is called Dark Souls. 17 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:58,560 Ceres is famous for its difficulty. 18 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,920 It's beautiful and dying worlds and it's world building and and 19 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,560 something in the industry called earned narrative. 20 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:08,880 That essentially means that it doesn't just like give you the 21 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,720 story. You have to like actually earn 22 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:13,800 the story. If the stories in the item 23 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,440 descriptions, it's in the small details in the landscapes. 24 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,360 It doesn't just tell you a story like a book does. 25 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,920 You have to earn it. The whole thing is a very 26 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,920 difficult package. The tattoo I have is of a 27 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:33,680 character named Sigword, or Sigvard of Katarina, and the 28 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:36,680 reason I even bring them up is because there's a staple of the 29 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,760 franchise and actually of the producers of this game. 30 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,800 All of their games have this staple called the bonfire. 31 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:47,560 These are the checkpoints in a video game. 32 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,560 If you're familiar with video games in general for the past 40 33 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:54,040 or 4550 years of video game history, a checkpoint is 34 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,440 somewhere in a game or once you hit it, if you mess up, if you 35 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,480 lose, you don't go all the way back to the beginning, you go to 36 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,320 the the checkpoint. So if you're 2 hours into the 37 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,920 game, you get a checkpoint. That two hours isn't all lost. 38 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,520 You go back to like at the 2 hour mark. 39 00:02:10,479 --> 00:02:13,920 That's what the bonfire is. However, in Dark Souls they 40 00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:16,600 serve more purposes than just a checkpoint. 41 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:23,160 The most important and immediate 1 is that a bonfire is a place 42 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,360 of rest, just like in real life guys. 43 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:30,440 The the bonfire is a checkpoint mechanically, but more 44 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,120 importantly, in a game like Dark Souls that's notorious for 45 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,080 difficulty, it's a place where you're just like going to take 46 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,040 like a couple of minutes and catch your breath. 47 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,440 It's a quiet place to sit in a hostile land. 48 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,560 Sometimes though, in this game, if you're lucky, if you've 49 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:50,720 tracked down some of that narrative that I say you have to 50 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,640 earn, if you've tracked it down, there are characters woven 51 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:57,040 throughout the game and you'll encounter them at these 52 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:01,040 bonfires. And, and something really common 53 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,600 with this game is that the characters are not rife like me 54 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,800 or Joseph or Cole with dialogue. They don't have boatloads to 55 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:09,840 say. In fact, they say very minimal, 56 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,200 very, very little dialogue from almost every character. 57 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:18,720 In fact, I'm going to speak about the same amount of words 58 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,160 this morning as the combined total of all characters in the 59 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,560 game Dark Souls 3, which is my favorite video game of all time. 60 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:30,080 However, when you do encounter a friend in these games, there is 61 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,800 a common theme. Many of the gentler, more 62 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,680 notable characters, including Sigvard, the character on my 63 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:40,120 tattoo, will utter the same thing. 64 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,040 There's three Dark Souls games, and all three, the good 65 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:46,680 characters, are going to say the same thing at these bonfires. 66 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:52,000 The words be safe. Again, the words are be safe. 67 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,480 And if you're familiar with the games, you will know at first 68 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,480 blush that that statement is like a hilariously dismissive 69 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,640 platitude. It's like a joke. 70 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,960 The games are grueling. You are supposed to fail and 71 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:09,400 fail and fail and fail. The games are made for you to 72 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,600 die over and over again. So much so that there is an 73 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:15,680 Internet on the meme or a meme on the Internet. 74 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,320 My bad. You might not even know the 75 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:20,880 games, but there's a chance that you've seen like a real or a 76 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:24,920 short where somebody falls off a bike or runs into a wall or kids 77 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,000 collide on a playground and then the red letters appear and the 78 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,280 screen goes black and it just says you died or you tried. 79 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,080 It's a meme on the Internet that's from Dark Souls. 80 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:39,520 Because the game is grueling. So every time a character says 81 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:43,880 be safe you would know that it is hilariously dismissive. 82 00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:45,600 What are you talking about brother? 83 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:50,120 I died 8 times between my walk from the last bonfire in here 84 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,960 and I do that same walk 8 times to get here. 85 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:58,800 It's grueling out there my guy. What do you mean be safe still? 86 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,320 They say it frequently. The good and memorable 87 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:05,680 characters all say it be safe. Moreover, they mean it. 88 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,120 You can hear it in the voice acting. 89 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:11,280 Despite sometimes different goals, aspirations, or hopes, 90 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:13,720 when you encounter a friend in those fractured and dying 91 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:15,760 worlds, they will make sure to tell you. 92 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:18,880 Not ask you, but tell you to be safe. 93 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,600 It never bothered me that they did this within the bounds of 94 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:25,240 the game. With how lonely it is, I knew by 95 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,200 a select few that I was cared for. 96 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:31,560 My perilous journey mattered. Conversely, just as Be safe in a 97 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:33,920 dangerous world seems like a comical and hypocritical 98 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:36,920 platitude. I think we can all say that we 99 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:41,000 are insulted of dismissive things like the statement, 100 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:46,200 thoughts and prayers, sentiments expressed in our culture. 101 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:48,760 You've all heard it. We've all made jokes about it. 102 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:52,400 I don't know when that meme started, but the culture 103 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:56,800 sensitivity to it arose after the Columbine shooting in 1999. 104 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,640 It had to come about during the first era of the Internet, and 105 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:04,160 then, of course, exploded when we all had access to our shared 106 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:08,680 corners of the Internet, social media, thoughts and prayers. 107 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:11,360 It sounds insulting in a trying time. 108 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:13,920 It sounds meaningless in the light of tragedy. 109 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,320 Yet still, even critics of these sentiments, embracers of the 110 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,600 meme, will find themselves uttering similar sentiments. 111 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:25,360 Why, when others experience difficulty, we all vociferate 112 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,520 our sentiments of get well or hang in there or thoughts and 113 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:31,320 prayers. Why? 114 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:35,600 Why are some platitudes OK? Why are some swatted away like 115 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:37,240 cumbersome words hanging over us? 116 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,000 In today's text, I hope to jab at those questions. 117 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,560 Frontier Church. And by doing this, I want us all 118 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:48,480 to see the bounty of simple utterances and blessings. 119 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:53,840 I want us to see that sometimes the most simple, memorable, 120 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:58,000 repeatable things given to you by others in trying times are 121 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,760 ultimately the most valuable, and I want to give you all the 122 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:04,640 same hopeful utterance we will encounter here in the text. 123 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:07,880 However, if you have not been here for the first segments of 124 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:11,240 Paul's introduction to Titus, let me rapidly summarize it for 125 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:12,760 you. Today we're going to be reading 126 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,960 Titus. There's only 1 chapter, verse 4, 127 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,440 Part B. So who is Paul writing to? 128 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:23,240 That guy is Titus. But who is Paul? 129 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:27,080 A servant and apostle of God? See the first verses. 130 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,120 Who is Titus again in the first few verses? 131 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:34,520 Paul's true child in common faith and the appointed pastor 132 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:39,280 of the remnant in Crete. Where and what is Crete? 133 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,120 While church? Crete is a larger island off the 134 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,800 southern coast of Greece in the Mediterranean Sea, still there 135 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:48,720 today. It's approximately 250 miles 136 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:51,760 away from Athens, and it's where I get one of my favorite joke 137 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:54,120 insults that I call my friends a cretin. 138 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:59,600 And why church is Paul writing to Titus? 139 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:03,640 This is a quote for the sake of the faith of God's elect and 140 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,920 their knowledge of the truth. Or, less cryptically, because 141 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,960 Titus is the pastor of a small remnant of churches in Crete and 142 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,880 they need help. Crete is an island with bad 143 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:17,400 soil, bad people, and bad faith actors even in their own 144 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,800 churches. Today we are finishing up this 145 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:23,840 introduction in Titus in the 1st 4 verses. 146 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:27,480 So if you're unfamiliar, Titus is the 10th last book in the 147 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,240 Bible out of 66. It's 56. 148 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:32,919 So it is all the way towards the end. 149 00:08:32,919 --> 00:08:35,760 And it's super easy to miss because in most Bibles, 150 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,960 regardless of your font, it's going to be one page, not front 151 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:42,400 and back, one page, just one side. 152 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:45,680 So it's easy to mix miss. And because of the many 153 00:08:45,680 --> 00:08:48,000 printings, you never quite know where it is. 154 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,320 So if you start Revelations and count 10 letters back, 10 books 155 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:53,560 back, you're going to get there pretty easily. 156 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,560 So if you would all please rise with me, whether in body or 157 00:08:56,560 --> 00:08:58,480 spirit for the reading of God's Word. 158 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,600 A couple of things. I'm actually going to be reading 159 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,040 all first 4 verses of Titus again. 160 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:08,560 But for the sake of our text, what I will be covering today is 161 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,760 very, very much just the very end of the of the last verse. 162 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:17,440 Hang on there for a second while I also struggle to get to Titus. 163 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,920 Didn't mark it here. There we go. 164 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:26,360 Mine happens to be 2 pages by the way, which is rare. 165 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:34,120 So Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the 166 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:38,680 sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth 167 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,880 which accords with godliness and hope of eternal life, which God 168 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:47,320 who never lies promised before the ages began and at the proper 169 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:51,120 time manifested in the Word through the preaching with which 170 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:55,240 I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior to 171 00:09:55,240 --> 00:10:02,200 Titus, my true child in common faith, grace and peace from God 172 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:05,520 the Father and Jesus Christ our Savior. 173 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:09,280 You may be sitted, seated Frontier Church sitted. 174 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:16,760 Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I thank you for 175 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:19,640 today. I thank you for the opportunity 176 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:23,160 to be a part of this preaching team, the trust that they they 177 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:25,320 put in me when they invited me to join. 178 00:10:26,680 --> 00:10:29,200 I pray for the kiddos. I pray for the parents. 179 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:31,640 This is the Sunday before school starts. 180 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,080 For most people here, there are teachers. 181 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,640 They're parents of new students, their parents hanging on with 182 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,240 students who have been in the game for a long time, their 183 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:43,240 students just joining the fold and students not looking forward 184 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,920 to going back. So I pray Forrest, I pray for 185 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:51,200 tame excitement at the opportunity to learn and to 186 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:53,280 study and to spend time with peers. 187 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:59,560 I pray that the transition would be smooth as possible and in all 188 00:10:59,560 --> 00:11:03,600 things difficult and easy, especially for those in that 189 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:07,760 category this coming week. I pray that there would be rest, 190 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:11,320 that there would be small moments of rest, that we would 191 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,080 be reminded of your hope in all difficult times. 192 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:17,880 Senior Son's name, I pray. Amen. 193 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:24,200 So guys, luckily for me, or perhaps unluckily, the text is 194 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:28,960 extremely simple. I read all first 4 verses. 195 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,280 However again to hover in on what I'm actually covering. 196 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:36,160 Grace and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ Jesus 197 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:37,920 our Savior. That's all I've got for you 198 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:39,360 today. We can pack up. 199 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:45,800 Good job guys, let's pray. It's 11 words, 12 if we're 200 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:50,040 looking at the Greek. Paul is signing the introduction 201 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:51,960 of his letter with a small prayer. 202 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:54,360 It's actually called an Apostolic greeting. 203 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,600 Paul uses it a lot. He uses it in Romans, Galatians, 204 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:00,520 Corinthians. It's a very common usage. 205 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:05,920 This isn't specific to Titus, however, it it's not only even 206 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:09,560 used by Paul, it's actually used in post Apostolic writings. 207 00:12:09,560 --> 00:12:15,000 It's, it's a very common, just it's like a greeting, but at the 208 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,560 end of the greeting for a letter. 209 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:21,120 But I don't know about any of you. 210 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:25,320 When we moved to Titus, I spent time reading through the small 211 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:29,520 letter about a dozen times. I hadn't read Titus in a few 212 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:33,000 years. It's always hard for me to read 213 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:34,600 Titus. There's somebody in this room 214 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:36,520 who actually knows the answer. Why? 215 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:43,200 But my junior year at college, my junior. 216 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,160 Excuse me, my junior year at college, there we go. 217 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:51,000 Somebody mixed up my papers. I was reading through Titus for 218 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:56,120 just like a personal devotion. And it was at that time I was 219 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:59,120 actually going to school to be in full time ministry. 220 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:05,000 And I was reading through Titus and I was heavily convicted by 221 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:09,240 the Spirit that I should not pursue full time ministry, which 222 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,920 I just devoted the last three years of my life to goofing off 223 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:16,520 with the thought that I was pursuing full time ministry. 224 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:19,480 So really quick to spoil what is to come. 225 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:22,360 After this greeting. Paul is going to lay a 226 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:24,480 groundwork for eldership in the church. 227 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,800 And I was convicted that I am supremely under qualified for 228 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:32,120 leading a church. And Paul's writing this to Titus 229 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,200 because Paul is aware that Crete is in dire straits. 230 00:13:36,680 --> 00:13:39,080 The church there does not have elders. 231 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:43,240 The people are wayward. It is a difficult Rd. for Titus, 232 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,120 a long stretch to the next bonfire. 233 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,560 So as a last thought before Paul begins to outline what it means 234 00:13:50,560 --> 00:13:53,880 to be an elder and how to appoint them, he offers Titus a 235 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:55,360 quote. Thoughts and prayers. 236 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:58,080 Or at least that's how it reads if you're a little cynical. 237 00:13:58,560 --> 00:14:02,640 A Christian platitude. That's how it reads to me, even 238 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:04,520 though, like I said, it's used all the time. 239 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:10,960 Now, I want you to spend disbelief and allow me to say, 240 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:16,720 if I were Titus, a part of me would want to lash out to Paul 241 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:20,200 in a response letter over that. I wouldn't even make it to the 242 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:24,200 meat of the text sometimes. I'd be pending that response so 243 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:26,280 fast. Hey, Paul. 244 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:28,000 Yeah. I know who you are, even though 245 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,840 you just said it. Shared vision, blah, blah, blah. 246 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:32,960 Real quick, What do you mean? Grace and peace? 247 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,920 What do you mean by that? And I know it's reductive. 248 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:41,320 And I know it's unfair as a reader to just insert myself and 249 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:45,640 my potential cynicism and my modern context into something 250 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:49,680 much older and, and, and sincere, but a part of me really 251 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:52,120 reacts that way still. So I just want to be honest to 252 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:56,200 you, Paul. You know just how bad it is here 253 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:58,320 in Crete. You sent me here. 254 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:00,560 You're the one who dismissed me here. 255 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:05,560 You know, it is an ungraceful land with no peace. 256 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:07,600 There are pirates and mercenaries here. 257 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:11,880 What are you talking about? So church really quick. 258 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,800 I just want to walk down the first two active words 259 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:20,920 themselves, Grace and peace. Grace doesn't really need an 260 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:22,920 introduction. It's a very famous Greek word. 261 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:26,640 I wouldn't be surprised if like 50% of the people in this room 262 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:32,920 knew what it was even in Greek and that even a few of you have 263 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:35,960 tattoos. Pastors and elders even excluded 264 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,280 by show of hands. If you feel risky, go ahead, 265 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,840 shout it out or raise your hand If you have a grace tattoo in 266 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:46,000 Greek or if you know the Greek word, go ahead, shout it out. 267 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:48,720 Anyone. There you go. 268 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:51,280 There you go. Does anyone have a tattoo of it? 269 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:57,360 Yeah, great question of karis. That's the Greek word for for 270 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:01,360 grace, buddy. Karis. 271 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:05,440 Simple. It is a favor or unwarranted act 272 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:09,320 of kindness to the Christian grace. 273 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:14,680 It is the supreme unwarranted act of kindness and love. 274 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:20,440 It is the summary denial of what we deserved, that is death for 275 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:25,480 unwanted or unwanted and unwarranted gain of life through 276 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,560 Jesus Christ. Grace is not only that singular 277 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:32,680 act, but the state we are in by that act that God sees us and 278 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:37,000 loves us because of Christ's death on the cross. 279 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,400 We exist in the grace of God if we are believers. 280 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,840 Frontier Church. And that's, you know what Paul 281 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:47,640 is talking about when he says to to the elect in the letter that 282 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,840 the elect are the ones experiencing this grace. 283 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:56,160 It's a saving grace where we are known and know God through Jesus 284 00:16:56,160 --> 00:16:58,280 Christ. That is grace. 285 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:01,400 It's very straightforward. So it is peace then? 286 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:05,440 That is a less popular Greek word and I'd be surprised, just 287 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:07,920 like I was surprised if somebody didn't know Karis. 288 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:13,480 I would be surprised if anyone knew or had a tattoo of peace in 289 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,119 Greek. But just like before, if anyone 290 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:18,839 knows it, shout it out. And it's OK if you don't know. 291 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:20,920 This isn't a test. I'm not giving out church 292 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:23,560 points. I've got nothing for you other 293 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:25,800 than I would be a little impressed, which means nothing. 294 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:36,440 Irene a Rene to give more structure to what that weird 295 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:42,280 sound I just made is peace means it's it certainly does mean 296 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:48,120 tranquility or calm calmness. That is like the reality of it. 297 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:50,800 But there's there's actually more. 298 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:56,280 It contains more in the Greek. It has an implication of depth. 299 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:00,680 So you can imagine its calmness with a focus that the calmness 300 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,360 comes from a lack of strife or need. 301 00:18:04,120 --> 00:18:10,080 So it's it's it's calmness is because there is not turmoil and 302 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:14,120 there is not need for reconciliation, even as deep as 303 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:16,240 reconciliation within a relationship. 304 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:18,520 That's what Irene means in Greek. 305 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,280 And the reason I wanted to define these is because they 306 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:25,760 stand in contrast to Titus task at hand in Greek in Crete. 307 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,800 If you perceive them simply as hopeful sentiments, thoughts and 308 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,720 prayers, it just reads like another platitude. 309 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,400 So why is it not? What is Paul telling Titus as he 310 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,560 sets his letter up in the conclusion of this introduction? 311 00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:45,360 If we don't ask simple context questions, we will probably 312 00:18:45,360 --> 00:18:49,800 dismiss the depth of hope that Paul is laying out here at the 313 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,360 end of this introduction for his beloved friend Titus. 314 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:56,960 So what makes Paul's grace and peace sincere and some random 315 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:02,280 thoughts and prayers insincere? I think there are very 22 church 316 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,920 very important clarifications to consider when we evaluate 317 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:10,680 whether something is genuine with love and concern and hope 318 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:16,000 versus a simple banal platitude. The first one is simply who is 319 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,200 speaking. We already covered who Paul is, 320 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,160 but part of the equation for evaluating the sincerity and 321 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:25,960 depth of the concern and hope is in that relationship between the 322 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:30,320 two. Paul genuinely cares about 323 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:35,680 Titus, he loves Titus, he cared about Titus long before he 324 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:38,760 appointed him to Crete. They traveled to Jerusalem 325 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,880 together and later Paul appointed him to be the letter 326 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:43,760 bearer to the struggling church at Corinth. 327 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:48,240 This is key to understanding why Titus will have no doubt in the 328 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,720 gravity of hope and prayer that Paul is offering him at the 329 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:55,240 close of this introduction. Simply put, their relationship 330 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,320 is allowing Titus to go. There's no way he's just like 331 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:00,840 throwing smoke out. This, this is this is important. 332 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:03,560 Just like I look out at you guys. 333 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:07,200 If any of you offered me, like if I told you it was a difficult 334 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,480 time and you said, hey, I'm praying for you, that wouldn't 335 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,760 be unless I was being really cynical that day and that would 336 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:16,520 be something I need to work out. If any one of you said, Casey, 337 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:18,200 thank you for sharing, I'm praying for you. 338 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:20,720 That would that would have gravity to it. 339 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:23,920 And the only reason it wouldn't is because I was failing, not 340 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:27,520 because you were insincere. I know I'm cared by you guys, 341 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:29,760 and I hope that you feel the same way about those close to 342 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:34,200 you that you were cared for, even if it is simple words to 343 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,520 those that really care from you. Simplicity is often more than 344 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:43,960 enough. Their prior long trial 345 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:47,360 relationship adds trust in the speaker. 346 00:20:47,360 --> 00:20:51,680 As I was saying, Titus knows Paul means it because of their 347 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:54,240 relationship. It isn't just some open air 348 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,560 utterance that Paul is saying in reaction to a trial. 349 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:00,200 Oh, it's really hard here, Paul. Yeah. 350 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,200 Well, grace and peace, my guy. That's not, that's not it. 351 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:05,320 It there is so much sincerity in it. 352 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:11,640 Paul hopes for and believes in Titus mission that he appointed 353 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:16,280 him to. And not only is Paul sincere as 354 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:20,280 an author of this quick prayer greeting, but Paul is also 355 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:25,880 evoking the object by which the sincerity comes from, not just 356 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,800 Paul. And so forgive me when I said 357 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:32,080 the object I'm talking about God the Father and Jesus Christ the 358 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:37,000 Son, 2 persons in the Godhead, the Trinity, but God the Father 359 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:42,440 and Jesus Christ the Son, they're the source of this grace 360 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,800 and peace that Paul is encouraging Titus in this is 361 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:49,600 even more important than who said the thing, the what of 362 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:53,400 where the blessing comes from. I think the issue with many 363 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:56,640 platitudes is that there is no hope in the outcome because the 364 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,920 sort, those, the source those hopes come from is it best and 365 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:01,720 neutral. Nothing. 366 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:04,480 Thoughts and prayers. Well, if I don't really know the 367 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:08,040 person or if I read it online, I don't know their sincerity. 368 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:11,720 I don't know what their thoughts are, I don't know what their 369 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:13,480 prayers are, so why? Why would I? 370 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:17,800 Why would I be comforted by that if if there's no personal 371 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:20,920 relation and if the source they're citing isn't something 372 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:25,880 that I can I can trust? Thoughts and prayers isn't so 373 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,640 bad, it's just that it's a little flat. 374 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:33,280 It's not like the person is saying thoughts and prayers to 375 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:35,640 Satan for you in these troubling times. 376 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,840 That would be ludicrous, but just because it isn't that 377 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:42,000 ludicrous doesn't mean it has value added either. 378 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:44,200 Thoughts of what? Prayers to who? 379 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:47,880 Paul does not mince or allow Titus or the reader to wonder 380 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:49,320 about these things. Church. 381 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:53,040 Paul's explicitly clear about the origin of the grace and 382 00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:56,920 peace that he is praying for. But not only is he explicitly 383 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,200 clear about the origin, I think pointing to the origin in this 384 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:03,240 instance will tip us off to something even crazier. 385 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:10,800 Not only is Paul explicit about where this is coming from, but 386 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:14,440 the where itself is indicative of greater value than a general 387 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:17,320 platitude could ever offer. That's the value of the 388 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,520 Apostolic reading. That's why it shows up in the 389 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,280 letters Church. This may sound weird, but what I 390 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,480 mean is that God is more valuable. 391 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:31,680 That's not weird, but also more real and not in like some social 392 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:33,720 kitsch way. The way that we use real. 393 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:38,200 I mean real in the sense that there is more reality to God 394 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:42,360 than your thoughts, your prayers, person next to you, the 395 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:47,360 bench you're sitting on. He's more real than any general 396 00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:49,600 neutralness of a thought or prayer. 397 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:54,160 And if God is more valuable and real than the grace and peace he 398 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:58,760 offers by consequence also have to be more valuable and real. 399 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:03,800 So at the same time, Paul is not only praying for these things 400 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:08,160 for Titus, which he is, but he is also reminding Titus of the 401 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:12,320 essential state of the Christian, that is, the 402 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:15,920 Apostolic greeting. It's the whole gospel in five 403 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:22,840 words. This is not fake and it happens 404 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:26,800 to be abstract of personal sentiments and emotions. 405 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,880 What I mean is that Paul is not only praying for this for Titus, 406 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:34,760 but it is a statement of the nature of a redeemed Christian. 407 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:40,600 The elect that Paul refers to. All experience this and it is an 408 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:44,080 existential experience that transcends human emotions and 409 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:46,920 sentiment. Sentiments which can be shallow 410 00:24:47,120 --> 00:24:53,160 and fickle like myself. My emotions and sentiments wax 411 00:24:53,160 --> 00:25:01,280 and wane like the tide. Super, super fickle, but not the 412 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,920 grace and peace of God the Father in Jesus Christ the Son, 413 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:11,680 our Savior. Paul is well, well aware of the 414 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:15,680 difficult road ahead of Titus. It will be fraught with peril, 415 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:20,920 risk, frustration, and few rests between trials, few rests 416 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:25,000 between bonfires. But Even so, Titus can walk 417 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:28,760 knowing he exists in the grace and peace of his saving faith. 418 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:32,920 The grace and peace of God is not circumstantial. 419 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:37,200 Frontier Church. I've been thinking about this as 420 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:40,240 I come to church every Sunday. Recently. 421 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:42,480 Work has been brutal. I talked about it the last time 422 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:45,880 I preached on Psalm 69, where instead of just half of a verse, 423 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:53,320 I read over 30 verses. It's been ramping up this work 424 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:56,280 that's been killing me since January due to some 425 00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:59,760 mismanagement, some horrendous contract work. 426 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:03,320 Not like contractors, but like contract at the higher level. 427 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,000 But really since the third week of June. 428 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:11,320 This isn't boastful. If anything, like please help 429 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:14,680 make it stop. But since the third week of 430 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:19,760 June, I can claim with numbers that I have now done over a 431 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:23,880 year's worth of production. So in a little over 11 weeks, 432 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:29,280 based on what my, you know, I was hired full time, what me and 433 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:32,680 the company agreed is a fair amount of work for what I make. 434 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:40,920 I've done about 5X that. So in about 3 months I've done a 435 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:42,480 little over a year's worth of work. 436 00:26:43,120 --> 00:26:47,200 It's exhausting. It's truly an insane pace. 437 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:52,200 I had to reformat my entire process and help my team get 438 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:54,880 used to that adjustment so that we can even attempt to keep up 439 00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:57,920 and have this level of success because of how far behind we 440 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:00,240 are. And the truth is, it's still 441 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:05,240 like not enough. Doing a year's worth of work in 442 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:10,520 11 weeks and I'm still like insurmountably behind. 443 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:17,280 It's just so frustrating. I can't catch up despite how 444 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,480 hard I work. I am exhausted and it feels like 445 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:25,520 I am living Sunday to Sunday. Sunday is my favorite day of the 446 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:30,080 week, but by the time I reach it, it's just so easy to be 447 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:33,560 cynical. I'm living church service to 448 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:37,200 church service, bonfire to bonfire. 449 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:41,480 When I show up, people I want to see, that's you. 450 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:47,200 I wait all week to see you guys. I get so excited you check in on 451 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:51,240 me and I'm disappointed in myself to report that things 452 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,880 aren't better yet at work. And a wicked part of me, a 453 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:58,200 cynical part, will try and receive the prayers and concerns 454 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:02,200 you will offer me as contrite or insincere or platitudinal. 455 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:06,960 Just a response customary of awkward situations where someone 456 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:08,840 is having difficulty and the other isn't. 457 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:11,600 Those middle neutral statements of half hope. 458 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:16,320 I imagine at this, at this time or at these times that we all 459 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:20,160 have the ability to do this. We crave attention and care and 460 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:23,760 then when it is offered, we do not see it for what it is, A 461 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:27,400 reminder of the greater reality that we are participating in 462 00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:31,960 within the church. Being reminded of the grace of 463 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:36,040 God and our difficulty or of the peace that the saving work of 464 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:39,560 Jesus Christ has is ever appropriate. 465 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:44,760 This grace and peace in every trial, That grace supersedes the 466 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:47,600 cynicism that may try and creep into my heart from this 467 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,800 difficulty. That peace supersedes the 468 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:54,480 turmoil of my experiences happening currently. 469 00:28:55,200 --> 00:29:01,040 Even if I do not feel it, my soul rejoices again. 470 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:05,600 Because the grace and peace that God offers is abstract of 471 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:08,480 sentiment. Being reunited with God and 472 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:13,640 salvation, it warrants nothing other than the highest 473 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:15,360 sentiments. But because we're human, we 474 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:19,800 sometimes can't offer that. But the good news is, the grace 475 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:23,760 and peace don't require you to have the right sentiments. 476 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:25,840 They're true when you're angry at God. 477 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:28,040 They're true when you're exhausted. 478 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:32,320 They're they're true regardless. God's truth is more real than 479 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:34,760 your experiences and your emotions. 480 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:40,240 God's grace and peace are so much greater than the sum total 481 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:44,920 of your negative experiences and sentiments. 482 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:48,920 This doesn't mean you automatically feel better. 483 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:51,560 I shared that with you. I'm talking about this right 484 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:52,560 now. I don't feel better. 485 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:55,960 I'm nervous about tomorrow. Many of you are going to school 486 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,880 for the first time. Some of you probably downstairs, 487 00:29:59,040 --> 00:30:00,920 but some of you are going to school for the first time. 488 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:03,360 Others of you are returning. Some of you are for sure 489 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:05,960 excited, Others of you might be nervous. 490 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:08,320 You might be a parent who's nervous about your kid going to 491 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:11,720 school for the first time. You have these emotions that 492 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,480 seem to contradict what we assume grace and peace to be 493 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:18,920 about. But the truth is the grace and 494 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:20,840 peace don't make you quote feel better. 495 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:26,080 You are better from from an existential standpoint. 496 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:29,760 That's why Paul can have confidence in saying grace and 497 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:32,120 peace. It's not just a thoughts and 498 00:30:32,120 --> 00:30:37,080 prayers church. I don't want us to be cynical. 499 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:39,960 I know we can all struggle with it. 500 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,640 But I don't want to show up to church after a long week or get 501 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:49,760 a message from a concerned friend and receive their care as 502 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:55,880 something that's like vein or banal or too general to my 503 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:58,240 situation or for my liking. I don't want to be the 504 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,440 determiner of the validity of their sincerity. 505 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:06,640 I know I have the option to appeal to that infinite well of 506 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:09,520 hope because the person appealing and what they are 507 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:14,080 appealing to are more real, that is, God and his grace and peace, 508 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,320 than the temporary emotions and experiences that are concerning 509 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:22,160 me. Back to video games, there's a 510 00:31:22,160 --> 00:31:26,280 specific time in Dark Souls 1 where you encounter a character 511 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:29,360 at a bonfire in an especially difficult spot. 512 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:33,880 Notoriously difficult The character's name is Laurentius 513 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:37,280 of the Great Swamp. He too will tell the character 514 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:43,720 the player to be safe, one of many and it is very 515 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,760 contradictory to the whole field of the game be safe in a very 516 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:52,160 difficult game. But he had something else that 517 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,800 the first time I encountered it. And I, I like, I've sent it to 518 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:58,680 friends and reels because it's like, it's such like a in the 519 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:02,480 moment he says it, it's so almost contradict. 520 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:04,480 It's like existentially contradictory to the game. 521 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:10,400 But it is so sincere. It just sticks with me and it 522 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,880 makes me think of grace and peace. 523 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:19,000 So not only does he say be safe, but when you leave the bonfire, 524 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:24,200 Laurentia says be safe, friend, don't you dare go hollow in 525 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:26,080 dark. Dark Souls, the whole franchise, 526 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:28,360 overtime characters lose their humanity. 527 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:31,160 It's a part of the world. You're becoming less human. 528 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:36,000 The process is called Halloween. The way in the narrative that 529 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:40,160 characters prevent Halloween is pursuing things greater than 530 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:42,960 themselves. It is one of the most profound 531 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:46,720 statements in the entire game. You are surrounded on all sides 532 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:51,120 by trial, great difficulty, hallowed creatures trying to 533 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:55,080 kill you, to stop you. And here this man, at this 534 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:58,400 bonfire you barely know, a gentleman covered in tattered 535 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:02,400 clothes looks to you and at one rest spot in a very mire of 536 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:06,400 tribulations sees you and sets you on your way with the line. 537 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:08,840 Be safe, friend. Don't you dare go hollow. 538 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:14,320 And an even greater sense. This is Paul's last introductory 539 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:19,120 words to Titus. In the upcoming weeks we are 540 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:21,840 going to traverse the great difficulties surrounding Titus's 541 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:24,720 ministry. We will see Paul's general and 542 00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:27,720 acute instructions for how to build up this local community. 543 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,840 The Titus is shepherding and the road is fraught with peril, both 544 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:35,200 emotional as it is difficult to be a leader in a church, but 545 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:38,280 also physical as we know that there are cutthroats, pirates, 546 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:40,440 bandits, mercenaries, all on Crete. 547 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:44,160 So there is a real sense of danger. 548 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,880 There's soldiers here and not like governmental soldiers, 549 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:51,080 soldiers for hire, where coin determines the the choice of who 550 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:55,960 they attack, who they kill. And still Paul made sure to pray 551 00:33:55,960 --> 00:34:00,560 for Titus and remind him grace and peace from God the Father 552 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:05,760 and Christ Jesus our Savior. And now beloved, I'm going to 553 00:34:05,760 --> 00:34:10,840 say the same to you. And I hope that every week you 554 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:15,280 will greet me with the same. I hope that you will crush the 555 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:19,320 cynicism, cynicism that may well up in you from difficulty and 556 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:22,760 see the person who is praying for you and wishing you rest in 557 00:34:22,760 --> 00:34:27,080 peace as well as see the source that they are evoking by 558 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,960 uttering those words, grace and peace from God the Father and 559 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:35,000 Christ Jesus our Savior. As you go Frontier Church week 560 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:39,159 after week, Sunday after Sunday, there are many difficulties 561 00:34:39,159 --> 00:34:43,840 ahead outside the rest of the church, the bonfire here, but it 562 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:47,199 does not change the reality of the that grace and of that peace 563 00:34:47,199 --> 00:34:49,440 that you experience in your relationship with God. 564 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:52,639 So I'll say it one more time and I hope you would say it to me 565 00:34:52,639 --> 00:34:56,159 whenever things are difficult. Grace and peace from God the 566 00:34:56,159 --> 00:34:59,480 Father and Christ Jesus our Savior church. 567 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:06,840 Let us pray. Heavenly Father, I thank you for 568 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:11,600 today. I thank you for the grace and 569 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:18,520 peace you have given by sending your son dying on that cross on 570 00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:22,120 behalf of us, imputing your righteousness that we have an 571 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:25,600 existential peace that transcends. 572 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:29,840 When I'm really frustrated with you about how work is going, 573 00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:33,840 that when somebody I love, who I get to see once a week at 574 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:36,600 church, puts a hand on my shoulder and just says, I was 575 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:38,800 praying for you this week, Casey, I know things are 576 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:42,040 difficult. I love you what I pray for 577 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:45,320 everyone else in this church that we would look forward to 578 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:51,320 those very simple, seemingly contrite sometimes greetings and 579 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,600 take them for what they really are, an acknowledgement of the 580 00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:59,720 deeper existence and reality of being a believer that we have 581 00:35:59,720 --> 00:36:04,040 your grace God, and that you have given us peace through 582 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:07,160 Jesus Christ your Son. See your son say my pray. 583 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:07,920 Amen.