1 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:11,480 As you guys are turning to Titus Chapter 3, I, I will give you 2 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:13,760 kind of a preview of, of where we're going up front. 3 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:19,320 We're going to cover some things that have already come up in our 4 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:23,680 study of Titus and really have come up numerous times, not only 5 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:26,320 in our study of Titus, but also if you can think back to the 6 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,800 beginning of the year in our study of First Timothy. 7 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:35,000 And this is a, a, a good thing. As I, as I began to study for, 8 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,360 for this moment, I thought to myself, well, well, we've 9 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,040 covered some of these topics, some of these warnings, some of 10 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,760 these encouragements. But what, what I have found and 11 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:46,880 encourage you in is that oftentimes the word will cover 12 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:48,400 things that are really important. 13 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,880 It reminds me of a reference point I have as a parent, not 14 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,400 only of parenting children, but also thinking back to my own 15 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:58,640 mother. She used to say this phrase to 16 00:00:58,640 --> 00:00:59,880 me. Maybe you can relate to it. 17 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:03,520 Something you are hearing actively as a as a, a young 18 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,760 person or a parent. How many of you remember the 19 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,360 phrase? How many times do I have to tell 20 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:10,520 you? You know, you've got those 21 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,880 reoccurring lessons that need to come up in your household. 22 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:17,800 I know for, for us in our household right now, I, I've 23 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,360 heard my wife say to the kids, how many times do I have to tell 24 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,320 you to close the door when you leave? 25 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:26,440 And during the summer, it was like, close the door. 26 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,320 You're letting flies in. Now we're getting season change. 27 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,320 Doors are still staying open. You're, you're letting the heat 28 00:01:33,320 --> 00:01:37,360 out as there's all sorts of reasons to just be bothered by 29 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,720 these, the instincts of children to to leave without closing the 30 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:42,320 door. And so I hear her say it. 31 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,920 How many times I have to tell you, Well, there's going to be a 32 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:50,640 how many times do I have to tell you moment in Paul giving Titus 33 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,480 some instruction for the church. I'm going to tell you again, 34 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,120 it's actually going to come to the end of how many times he's 35 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,640 going to tell them. And we're not going to just look 36 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,800 at a warning or, or, or a moment that's happening that needs to 37 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,320 be addressed so it doesn't happen anymore. 38 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:09,520 But Paul is also going to tell Titus one of the other things 39 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,200 you have to do as a parent, which is say things repeatedly 40 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,200 all the time and forever. So you don't just have to have 41 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,320 how many times I'm going to tell you moments that are lessons to 42 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,480 be learned because they they need to be instructed away from. 43 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:27,160 But parents, friends, husbands, wives, there, there are things 44 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,000 you have to say all the time and forever. 45 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:32,640 There are things that you have to tell your kids, I love you. 46 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:37,000 I, I, I, I want to encourage you and husbands to wives, I love 47 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:38,280 you. I want to serve you. 48 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:42,200 Those things have to be said all of the time. 49 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,840 And today we're going to look at really two categories. 50 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,080 Paul reminding Titus that he needs to say things to the 51 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,200 church. One of the categories things you 52 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,480 got to say all the time as a believer, you're going to have 53 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:56,320 to hear it all the time in a good way. 54 00:02:56,920 --> 00:03:00,680 In the second category, another thing he says, how many times I 55 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:02,800 have to tell you, I don't want you to do this anymore. 56 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:08,440 So with with that lens, I want you to read along with me in 57 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,240 Titus chapter 3, starting in verse 8. 58 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:16,880 He says this is a faithful saying and these things I want 59 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,760 to affirm constantly. In other words, I want to say 60 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,640 this a lot. Here's what he wants to say all 61 00:03:24,640 --> 00:03:28,680 the time in and through Titus, that those who have believed in 62 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,840 God should be careful to maintain good works. 63 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,000 These are good and profitable to men. 64 00:03:35,520 --> 00:03:37,800 So this is the first category. This is something you're going 65 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:42,080 to say all the time, Paul to Titus, Titus to this church 66 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,600 region of Crete. For us as believers, there's 67 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,160 things that we need to remind each other of all of the time. 68 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,000 Affirm them constantly. And then in verse 9, we have the 69 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,040 second category. How many times I have to tell 70 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:57,720 you this, Verse 9. But avoid foolish disputes, 71 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:03,800 genealogies, contentions and strivings about the law, for 72 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,360 they are unprofitable and useless. 73 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,400 And now he's going to come to the end of the warning. 74 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:16,160 After all of our study in Titus and overlaying the study in 75 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:20,560 Timothy, he says in verse 10 reject the divisive man after 76 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,400 the 1st and 2nd admonition, knowing that such a person is 77 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,880 warped and sinning being self condemned. 78 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,360 And we'll stop there. We'll leave the rest of the the 79 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:33,360 close of this letter to next week. 80 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,680 But here are your categories. They they they can fit and 81 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,640 overlay over the year that we've been studying these pastoral 82 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,720 epistles, first Timothy and Titus. 83 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,800 And if you could just remember these two phrases for things you 84 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:51,000 need to be continually reminded of and things that have a shelf 85 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,040 life of warning. Timothy, Titus, this is what 86 00:04:55,040 --> 00:05:00,200 Paul has been saying. Live out the gospel and leave 87 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,400 out the rest. We've looked at so many times 88 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,680 where where Paul is trying to focus the church on what is the 89 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,720 most important, affirm it constantly remind these people 90 00:05:10,840 --> 00:05:17,000 live out the gospel and over and over again, he's had to to to 91 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,280 pastor them away from distracting things, things that 92 00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:24,520 are not essential to to loving God, knowing Jesus, celebrating 93 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:28,920 salvation, expressing the the, the the life you have in Christ 94 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:30,360 and the way that you love one another. 95 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,720 Leave all of that stuff out. So if, if just the framework of 96 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:36,840 where we're going and really where we've been and studying 97 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:39,880 these letters for the last year is, is we're going to look at 98 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:43,760 how we live out the gospel and how we leave out the rest. 99 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,720 And the, the first part of this was really verse 8. 100 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,040 So we read it again. He says this is a faithful 101 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:53,280 statement. He he uses this this phrase 102 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:58,240 faithful saying or trustworthy saying, which was the the title 103 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:02,680 of our entire time in first Timothy as a way to say this is 104 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,720 the stuff that is good helpful that you can bank on. 105 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:09,680 And he says for the faithful saying, for the trustworthy 106 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:12,880 parts of doctrine and the things we study and the things you need 107 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,680 to go out and do, I want you to affirm them all the time. 108 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,480 It's really important as we get together to remember the why we 109 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:24,200 open the Bible every week. And the main take away every 110 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:29,400 week is to highlight the faithful truth that is good and 111 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:31,720 profitable. He says for that, I want you to 112 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:35,680 affirm, to preach it, to remind them constantly. 113 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:41,040 And what is the faithful thing that he's supposed to, to remind 114 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:45,200 Titus, to remind the believers. It says this that those who have 115 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:50,960 believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. 116 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:53,320 There is a point to your doctrine. 117 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,600 Those of you who have believed it is not so that you can simply 118 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:02,360 have good theology and assurance of heaven starts there, but it's 119 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:06,320 also that you would cling to or in other translations where it 120 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:10,200 says maintain good works, it says devote yourself to doing 121 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:14,080 good. Your life between salvation and 122 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:18,440 heaven has a purpose. The Word says that you were 123 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:22,800 saved not by works, but by grace to walk in the good works that 124 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,040 God has prepared for you beforehand. 125 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:30,480 And that is the faithful saying that Titus is supposed to remind 126 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:35,120 the church in Crete of and that we as believers in 21st century 127 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:39,240 Boise ID United States of America, we need to remind 128 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,520 ourselves what is the trustworthy and faithful point 129 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:45,200 of everything that we do. He says. 130 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:48,840 It's a faithful saying to hold, hold on to doing good. 131 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:53,000 And I, I just want to pause one moment because he's saying all 132 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,240 of this on the heels of what we read last week. 133 00:07:55,600 --> 00:08:00,120 And so there's nothing more faithful, nothing more true, 134 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,840 nothing more worth your time than the gospel. 135 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,400 And this is what all of this is an overflow from. 136 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:12,320 So remember where we left off last week, Chapter 3, verse 3. 137 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:16,440 Read it with me. This is the a constant reminder 138 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:20,520 of why we open the book and why we exhort one another to leave 139 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:23,920 these doors and do good. It is all on standing on the 140 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:27,800 gospel truth, starting in verse 3 of chapter 3, he says. 141 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:35,080 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, 142 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:39,679 serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and 143 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,120 envy, hateful and hating one another. 144 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:46,200 This is the beginning of that trustworthy saying that he's 145 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:50,080 reminding Titus of that we looked at this morning, and that 146 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,200 is faithful. That is a trustworthy moment of 147 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,880 the gospel message that hangs over all of your heads, whether 148 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:00,240 you are here as a believer saved by the grace of God, or here 149 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:02,480 listening to the message that Christians believe. 150 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:06,880 It starts with the trustworthy fact that everybody is a Sinner, 151 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:11,480 that we have all done things to be disobedient to the perfect 152 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:14,360 goodwill of God to our, of, of our lives. 153 00:09:14,560 --> 00:09:19,120 And and it's turned into evil and hateful malice in our hearts 154 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:24,000 that the gospel good news starts with the faithful bad news that 155 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:26,720 we need a savior. We're supposed to remind each 156 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:28,840 other of that all the time. Why? 157 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,960 So that we have a reference point of where all of this good 158 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:35,200 flows from. It flows from our need for God's 159 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:38,320 goodness to invade our lives first and foremost. 160 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:40,240 And this is what it says, verse 4 going on. 161 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:45,640 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward 162 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:52,200 man appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we have 163 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:58,360 done, but by according to His mercy, not because of our 164 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:02,040 goodness, not by works of righteousness. 165 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:05,400 It starts with us in desperate need of a Savior. 166 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:09,800 And because God is good, He saved us through the washing of 167 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:14,720 regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured 168 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:19,880 out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. 169 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:25,160 That having been justified by works, by good works that we 170 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:28,760 have to remind each other to do all the time by coming to church 171 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,200 and sitting and listening to the pastor and leaving and doing and 172 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:33,840 doing and doing. No, it starts with the faithful 173 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:36,480 trustworthy saying that we've been justified. 174 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,480 We've been brought into a good relationship with God by his 175 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:45,240 grace, that we should be come heirs according to the hope of 176 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:49,320 eternal life. Here's why this is so important. 177 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:55,160 We are supposed to remind each other with laser focus of what 178 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:59,080 we're supposed to be about. And Paul says to Titus, I say to 179 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:01,040 you now we are supposed to be about good. 180 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:04,640 We're supposed to be do gooders in the world that we live in. 181 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:09,760 God has prepared all of you who believe with some sort of way to 182 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:13,440 give him glory, shine the light of his goodness in your life by 183 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:17,240 doing good to others. But that is not the beginning of 184 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:19,880 the message. The message starts with this 185 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:24,920 faithful saying that every good in your life is moved into your 186 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,960 hearts and your minds and your even ability to do it. 187 00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:33,520 By the grace of God, you are saved to do good works in that 188 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:37,760 order, and it's very important to keep it in that order lest 189 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:40,640 some of us think that, you know, we get constantly reminded that 190 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:45,200 your salvation is up to you. We are standing on the good news 191 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:50,120 gospel message that Jesus has done everything to save us. 192 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:55,320 And because of that, we now have a desire to live that out. 193 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:59,560 And this is what, before we go into this category of the 194 00:11:59,560 --> 00:12:02,640 distractions that sometimes believers or churches can get 195 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:07,120 involved in, let us just affirm constantly, we were made to do 196 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:10,200 good by the power of God's Spirit in us. 197 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:12,640 He gives us the strength to do good. 198 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:15,560 And there is no good in your life. 199 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,680 There's not one thing that you could do in a service to God or 200 00:12:20,680 --> 00:12:26,320 others that is not standing on the theology and the power of 201 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:29,920 the gospel. In other words, all good work is 202 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:33,960 gospel work. It has to be received healthy in 203 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,440 your hearts, renewed in your mind, and whatever calls God 204 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:40,320 calls you to do good. After you've received the free 205 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:43,680 gift, it's because it has been done to you. 206 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,520 So just join me on a thought experiment of all the great ways 207 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:50,640 that you might find yourself walking in some opportunities to 208 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:54,520 do good this week. And we we just, you know, get a 209 00:12:54,520 --> 00:12:57,600 reminder every time we go into the sometimes the darkness of 210 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,960 the season, it it's holidays and there's all sorts of people who 211 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:04,320 just need help. There's not one charitable gift 212 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:09,520 that you can do to someone else that should not come from an A 213 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:12,160 flow of God's goodness in your life. 214 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:15,680 So you think about the goodness of serving others. 215 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:18,880 It all flows from God serving you. 216 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:22,080 First, look what Jesus says to his disciples in John chapter 217 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:25,880 13, that the final hours before he does the great work of the 218 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:28,080 cross to pay for the sins of humanity. 219 00:13:28,680 --> 00:13:31,640 In his final hours, he gives them an object lesson and washes 220 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:33,880 their feet. And he says to them, If then 221 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:38,480 your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also ought 222 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:41,720 to wash one another's feet. For I've given you an example 223 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:46,840 that you should do as I have done to you, all of your service 224 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,680 to one another and the specific roles and offices we often talk 225 00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:56,040 about husband to wife, parent to child, neighbor to neighbor. 226 00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:00,560 It all flows first from Jesus modeling what it means to wash 227 00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:02,760 your feet. We can just use the example of 228 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,080 husbands right now. Husbands, how many times have 229 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:10,600 you heard to love your wife like Christ loves the church and gave 230 00:14:10,680 --> 00:14:14,880 himself for her? If you try to lift a finger of 231 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:19,240 serving and sacrificing your life for your wife without the 232 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:22,840 reference point of Jesus doing it for you, it will turn into 233 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,440 self-righteous pride or you will do it begrudgingly. 234 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,880 And same with parents, You love your children, teach them the 235 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:32,160 way they should go. And how is that modeled? 236 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:36,720 Well Jesus taught us to pray. He said pray like this, Heavenly 237 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,720 Father. The whole reference point is 238 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:42,080 that you have now a Father that is perfect. 239 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,240 That is the best picture of a father you could ever imagine. 240 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:47,920 And now when you love your kids, you're thinking I want to love 241 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:50,280 you like the Heavenly Father has loved me. 242 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:54,200 There is no service that can be done to God's glory that doesn't 243 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:58,440 start with God's goodness. You think also of the great 244 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:00,240 work. Some of the works we think of is 245 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,360 like serving the homeless and reaching out to the those in 246 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,040 prison and caring for people. But what about the work, the, 247 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:09,600 the, the power of forgiveness? You don't think that requires 248 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,200 work on your part? We've spent a whole summer 249 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:14,640 looking on the, the, the sermon on the plane. 250 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:18,280 And Jesus is giving this radical vision for how his people are 251 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,880 going to love. And it culminates in love 252 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,320 turning into forgiveness of enemies. 253 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:26,240 You didn't leave the, the sanctuary on those Sundays 254 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,080 thinking how on earth can I forgive that person? 255 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:33,080 Because forgiveness requires a great work on your part, but it 256 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:37,880 does not require you to start the work or complete the work. 257 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:41,200 Look what Paul says to the church in Ephesus. 258 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:44,520 Be kind to one another. Ephesians chapter 4 tender 259 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:47,360 hearted, forgiving one another. How? 260 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:55,160 Even as Christ forgave you, whoever has wronged you, as you 261 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:57,880 struggle to think through what it means to offer them 262 00:15:57,880 --> 00:15:59,800 forgiveness. Here's your reference point. 263 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:03,320 Yet while you were still a Sinner, hardened your heart 264 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:05,960 toward God. He's hanging on the cross for 265 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:09,720 your sin, and He cries out. Father, forgive them. 266 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,840 Forgiveness for others starts with you receiving forgiveness 267 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:17,840 for your own life. And as a side where you struggle 268 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:22,160 to do good, you are struggling with a good area of the gospel 269 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:23,840 that needs to be revived in your life. 270 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:26,040 We can continue. Think about the good of 271 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,680 generosity. We already said we pray for our 272 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:30,760 tithes and offerings. There are some of you who need 273 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,520 to be generous to people in your life to show them the gift of 274 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:36,760 hospitality, to share resources. We can continue the Sermon on 275 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,640 the Mount message where Jesus says someone asks, give them 276 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,880 double Jesus. People are extremely generous. 277 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:45,680 Why? It's because we want people to 278 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:50,720 see how awesome and good we are. We're extremely generous people 279 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:55,360 because we come into this sanctuary receiving generosity 280 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:58,440 from God that we can't even fathom in full. 281 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:00,840 Look what Paul says to the church in Rome. 282 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:06,839 He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us 283 00:17:06,839 --> 00:17:09,480 all. How shall he not with him also 284 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:14,200 freely give us all things? When you have a view of the 285 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,760 power of the gospel that God so loved the world that He sent his 286 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:22,359 Son to hang on a cross for your sins, how can you cling to 287 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:25,880 material goods? How can you not hear the command 288 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:28,720 in the sermon on the plane that says if someone asks for your 289 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:31,640 cloak, give them your tunic? Also, when you have a view of 290 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:37,120 what God has given you, you can become a generous person and if 291 00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:42,120 you try to be generous without receiving God's favor in your 292 00:17:42,120 --> 00:17:46,080 life as a gift of grace, it will turn into self-righteous 293 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:49,720 religion where God owes you something or other people are 294 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:55,320 supposed to be in debt to you. How about the work of just 295 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:57,120 loving and encouraging one another? 296 00:17:58,360 --> 00:18:03,400 When you leave this place and you hear someone needs a helping 297 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:06,560 hand or just prayer for the hard time that they're going through, 298 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:10,640 someone comes to you heartbroken with tears in their eyes. 299 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,320 They've got a situation in their life that is so desperate and 300 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:17,040 hard that it's hard to make sense of, and you need to give 301 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,200 them a word of encouragement to keep them trusting in God. 302 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:24,400 How on earth can you do that? Well, I'll show you how Paul did 303 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:27,760 it to the to the church in Rome, he says, and we know that all 304 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:32,280 things work together for good to those who love God, to those who 305 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:33,840 are called according to his purpose. 306 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:39,320 And how can he say we know that even difficult things can become 307 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:42,920 good things if you know and believe in the power of God 308 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:48,880 because of the gospel. Because there is no greater 309 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,520 tragedy that turned into the greatest glory than the one 310 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:57,760 person who never sinned paying the penalty of sin for all of 311 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:00,840 us. The greatest seemingly in just 312 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:05,280 moment, is when the perfect Son of God hung on the cross between 313 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:08,240 two common criminals and was rejected by all. 314 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:12,000 That seems like a pretty impossible circumstance to look 315 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:14,280 at and say, well, it worked out together for pretty good. 316 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:20,880 And yet with the cross in view, the perfect one becoming sin so 317 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:24,120 that we could become righteousness with the the power 318 00:19:24,120 --> 00:19:28,760 of that first Easter morning in our theology and hearts, we know 319 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:33,200 that death turns into life. We know that tragedy can turn 320 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:35,280 into glory. We know that if you keep 321 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:37,960 trusting God, He will not abandon you. 322 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:41,640 He will bring you to the perfect place of his good and perfect 323 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,440 will for your life. And we can encourage each other 324 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:49,600 in that because we have the gospel as a faithful and 325 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:52,960 truthful, trustworthy word in our lives. 326 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:57,600 So that is why those who believe, those who sang the 327 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:01,200 songs this morning about the holiness and goodness of God, 328 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:05,680 those who come and say, I've put my faith in the power of Jesus 329 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:08,160 to forgive my sins and write my name in the book of heaven. 330 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:14,000 May your life live that out as a way to show others that you do 331 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,560 believe in forgiveness. You do believe in radical 332 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,520 generosity and service, and you believe in it because you've 333 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,200 received it. And that is why that is the 334 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:24,480 laser focus. That should not be just a 335 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:27,640 distraction that we allow anything to pull us from. 336 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:35,240 Live out the gospel. That is the overarching theme of 337 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:38,840 all of the reasons that Paul is telling Titus and Timothy to 338 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:42,720 have sound doctrine to defend good teaching so that when you 339 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,320 have good and healthy view of Jesus in your life, your life 340 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:50,320 will become a good and healthy view of Jesus to others. 341 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,840 So this first section is to live out the gospel. 342 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,400 That is the focus of our time in the word. 343 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,760 That is the focus of you devoting your life to Jesus is 344 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:04,800 to receive and to live. Live out the gospel. 345 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,160 And now we get to the part that is another reminder. 346 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:10,600 How many times do I have to tell you, leave out the rest. 347 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:15,040 Leave out all of the things that now that you've got the gospel 348 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:17,440 and now that you understand heaven and you've sins have been 349 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:19,520 forgiven. Let's get to the nitty gritty 350 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,760 weird stuff. And and it's been happening for 351 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:25,680 2000 years. It happened in Ephesus with 352 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:28,320 Timothy. It happened in Crete with Titus. 353 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:31,720 It happens in 21st century America where the gospel gets 354 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:36,000 layer upon layer of all of these distractions that don't actually 355 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:42,480 help us become more like Jesus. Verse 9 of void foolish 356 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:48,800 disputes, genealogies, contentions, strivings about the 357 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:54,280 law, why they are unprofitable and useless. 358 00:21:55,160 --> 00:22:01,000 They do not profit your life in a way to bring you closer to the 359 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,920 God that saved you and to bring you closer into reflection of 360 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:12,000 Him to those that he has you as a light in the dark. 4 And I 361 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:16,680 think all of this can be summed up in that one simple phrase, a 362 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:20,280 foolish dispute. You know, as we've taught this a 363 00:22:20,480 --> 00:22:23,240 number of times throughout the year of going through these 364 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,200 pastor epistles, there's so many ways that we could try to 365 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,080 understand it in their context and try to understand it in our 366 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:30,680 context. But here's the context. 367 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:36,480 The human heart 2000 years ago and now for whatever reason, 368 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:41,640 loves to debate. It likes to center arguments 369 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:44,520 around topics that seem to go on forever. 370 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,360 You know, I've, I've heard it said we live in a split screen 371 00:22:48,360 --> 00:22:50,560 culture. How many of you ever turned on 372 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:55,520 the news or seen in the digital algorithm two people dividing 373 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:59,360 opposite sides in a way that seemingly goes on forever? 374 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:03,600 You can turn on Fox to get the opinions that you like, or CNN 375 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:05,920 to get the opinions you like. But here's the breaking news, 376 00:23:06,120 --> 00:23:08,720 the actual breaking news. When you tune in tomorrow, the 377 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:12,000 debate rages on. After the commercial break, 378 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,640 they're going to come right back with the next guest to pick up 379 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,840 where the last ones left off. And they're going to continually 380 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:22,600 argue a foolish debate that doesn't profit your life. 381 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:27,200 And it's not just something that you can see in the news channels 382 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:29,320 and in the the feeds of your phone. 383 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:34,240 It's something that can happen over the topic of doctrine in 384 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:37,320 theology. Meaning just because you're 385 00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:40,320 arguing over what the Bible's saying or meaning or how the 386 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:43,640 church should function or the Christian view on certain things 387 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:47,120 does not mean you are saved from it turning into something that 388 00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:51,880 is useless. The Bible can become something 389 00:23:52,120 --> 00:23:55,800 that distracts you from the gospel if you hyper focus on 390 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:58,560 things that are endless in their dispute. 391 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:04,240 And he says it's unprofitable. Well reference once again what 392 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:06,920 he told Timothy in first Timothy chapter 6. 393 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,880 He says if anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent 394 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:13,560 to wholesome words, even the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, 395 00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:18,360 and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he's 396 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:22,520 proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and 397 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:24,720 arguments over words from which come. 398 00:24:25,120 --> 00:24:28,840 And here's the danger of this It isn't just a waste of time. 399 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:35,280 It's actually bad fruit, he says, from which come envy and 400 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:40,840 strife and reviling evil suspicions, useless wranglings 401 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:43,880 of men, of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who 402 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:46,640 suppose that godliness is a means of game. 403 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:52,160 From such, withdraw yourselves. We'll come back to that because 404 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:55,560 we actually just read. He gave even more concrete 405 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:57,680 details to Titus. Don't just withdraw. 406 00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:01,320 But here's how many times you should put up with someone who 407 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:06,200 is distracting the gospel and how to live it out with endless 408 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:09,240 disputes that turn into all this bad fruit. 409 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:14,640 And that's what we need to look for in some of the ways we try 410 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:17,720 to understand what's worth our time and what isn't worth our 411 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,480 time. What is the result of some of 412 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:24,160 the debates that you can find yourself in in a culture of 413 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:26,720 disputing? And here's the fundamental 414 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:31,400 question that underlies that one Does this bring you closer in 415 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:34,680 love with what God has done for you on the cross? 416 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,480 Does this bring you more hope with what was accomplished on 417 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,320 that first Easter morning when death was defeated? 418 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,440 Does this give you more confidence that you are awaiting 419 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:49,800 a a return of Jesus for the day that will will usher in a new 420 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:53,560 heaven and a new earth where the light and momentary afflictions 421 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,880 are far outweighed by the weight of the glory of eternity. 422 00:25:57,120 --> 00:26:00,680 And if the answer is, you know, this is all stuff that kind of 423 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:03,240 just stirs up my heart and bothers me and makes me dislike 424 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:06,840 people, then it's probably a foolish argument. 425 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:11,120 When we were looking at the faithful and trustworthy section 426 00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:15,080 of this whole passage of Scripture, he says that some 427 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:18,240 things are good and profitable, and now we're coming to the 428 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:22,240 place of arguing, disputing, and he says it's useless and 429 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:26,600 unprofitable. And the underlying theme for 430 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:31,720 both categories is the gospel. Is this helping us build our 431 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:36,120 confidence in Jesus for doctrine and Jesus for life? 432 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,600 And if you find yourself or if we find ourselves in some of 433 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:45,240 these sacred places, a church service where we want to preach 434 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:47,080 the gospel and encourage one another. 435 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:49,840 A community group of Calvary Boise. 436 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:53,040 We want to get into the word to to to encourage each other with 437 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:55,880 hope and confidence in Jesus so we can live it out more. 438 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:59,320 If we find someone who continually goes into the sacred 439 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:03,240 places and makes it about something that seems to be an 440 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:05,840 issue that has no end and is profiting no one. 441 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:09,760 This is the answer to how many times we should tell you. 442 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:15,480 It says in chapter 3, verse 10, reject A divisive man after the 443 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:20,080 1st and 2nd admonition. So there's a little bit of a 444 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:23,560 blueprint for what to do. It says you reject the divisive 445 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:27,960 person after one or two admonitions or warnings. 446 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:30,640 And So what does it mean to reject someone? 447 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:35,480 You can overlay this with some of what he gave Timothy as a a 448 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:38,960 reference point to what to do when the topic goes off the 449 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:41,080 rails. In first Timothy chapter 6, he 450 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:44,800 says withdraw yourself. Second Timothy says from such 451 00:27:44,800 --> 00:27:48,680 turn away and now in Titus, he says have nothing to do with 452 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:50,920 them. So I think just on a personal 453 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:53,800 level, as we think about the algorithm in the news feed and 454 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:56,840 the people that are part of your life that just seem to to 455 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:58,720 trouble your heart with nonsense. 456 00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:02,560 The big idea is to remove the influence. 457 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:05,360 Some of you might have to hit unsubscribe and change the 458 00:28:05,360 --> 00:28:07,520 channel. Maybe take a break from the 459 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:10,040 Internet and television for a minute and get back to the 460 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:13,160 things in your life that actually bring you closer to the 461 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:15,520 love of God. So that you can be closer to the 462 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:20,760 love of people and in the sacred place of getting together to 463 00:28:20,760 --> 00:28:23,040 break bread and worship and open the Word. 464 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:26,600 If you have that at the dinner table, If you have that in homes 465 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,520 of Calvary communities, If you have that in prayer circles and 466 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:31,520 Bible studies. If you have that with a circle 467 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:33,480 of friends. Here's what this is saying. 468 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:37,840 When, when you find the person and if you've been around church 469 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:41,000 long enough, you've probably all interacted with the person that 470 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,160 comes in. And no matter what you're 471 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:47,280 looking at, the topic always diverts to their pet interest or 472 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:49,400 that one thing that they can't Unsee. 473 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:55,240 It is OK to pull them aside and say, hey, I want to let you know 474 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,720 that you're distracting the group from loving Jesus a little 475 00:28:57,720 --> 00:28:59,480 bit more. And I don't want you to do that 476 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:01,880 anymore. And that means that you have to 477 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:04,400 be willing and courageous to do that. 478 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,160 And it says that you can do that twice. 479 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:10,120 Now, I don't think this is a law like 2 strikes and you're out 480 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:11,920 and you have one year in between your strikes. 481 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:15,040 But this is the heart of it. You want to pull somebody aside 482 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:18,800 and say, hey, for the sake of everybody else, we're here just 483 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:21,600 to stir each other up, to love God and love one another more. 484 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,640 I'm going to ask you to put that topic on hold, to study it on 485 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,160 your own time. And if that person is willing, 486 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:29,360 then you've won The person and the group is good. 487 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:33,120 And if they're not, then you do need to, for the sake of the 488 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:37,400 group, say hey. Until you figure that thing out, 489 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:40,200 please. We're just going to focus our 490 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:42,680 time on the gospel and how to live it out. 491 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:46,640 And I want to encourage you because most of you, at least 492 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:49,160 right now, are portraying yourselves as people who want to 493 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:52,040 listen quietly and kindly. And it's probably not your 494 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:55,680 favorite idea on how to to organize a group with the the 495 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:57,760 the troublemakers actually getting talked to. 496 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:02,240 So here's the encouragement. It says, here's what you need to 497 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:05,480 know. People like this, it says in 498 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:09,280 verse 11, know that such a person is warped and sinning and 499 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:13,320 they're self condemned. So I know in my heart when it's 500 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:15,880 time to tell someone that they need to, you know, sit on the 501 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:17,360 sidelines until they can figure it out. 502 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:21,080 It almost feels unloving or unwelcoming, but it's actually 503 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:23,880 not. It says what you've found is the 504 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:28,240 person is actually sinning. It's actually a sin that needs 505 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:31,800 to be confronted, just as stealing and lying would be 506 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:35,920 confronted. A person who is gossiping or is 507 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:40,160 continually stirring the pot and distracting people and turning 508 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:43,200 conversations into envy and strife, that should be dealt 509 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:47,160 with as someone who's in sin. And it's not bad to confront 510 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:49,800 someone when they're in the midst of sinning. 511 00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:53,680 It also says that they've condemned themselves, that 512 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,000 they've chosen to be such a person after one and two 513 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,640 warnings that they are condemning themselves. 514 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:03,240 You're just acknowledging the path that they've chosen and so 515 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:09,960 I encourage you to be open to caring for a group by talking to 516 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:14,760 a person and how that is understood in your doing. 517 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:16,920 Just remember this. It also says they're warped, 518 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:21,320 someone who has a warped mind and they can't Unsee the thing 519 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:24,240 that they look at every topic through the lens of. 520 00:31:25,080 --> 00:31:29,440 I once heard a quote that said is if everything you touch makes 521 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:33,640 your finger hurt, it's not that you're surrounded by dangerous 522 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:36,800 objects, it's that your finger is broken. 523 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:41,640 And I think the same can be true of the way that we view the 524 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:45,960 world is if everything is making your brain hurt and your heart 525 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:50,320 race, it's not that the world is broken or the Bible study is 526 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:54,680 broken or the church is broken. Your mind in the way of your 527 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:59,400 thinking might be amiss. And so take a break and we'll 528 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:02,480 pray for you, but we're not going to allow the circle of 529 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,520 people who want to pray and seek Jesus and love him and love one 530 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:08,080 another be distracted. They're they're condemning 531 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:10,880 themselves in their warped mind and their sin. 532 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:16,600 And here's what I'll say as we, as we close this, even this is a 533 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:22,200 picture of the Gospel confronting someone who is, is 534 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:27,200 disruptive and in sin and even condemning themselves to do 535 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:30,200 that. You stand on the gospel because 536 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:34,360 it says that God sent his son into the world, that whoever 537 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:37,120 would believe on him, John chapter 3, verse 16, would not 538 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:38,760 perish, would but would be saved. 539 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:43,160 And then he says in verse 17, he did not send his son to condemn 540 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:46,960 the, the, the mission of Jesus coming into the world was not to 541 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:50,120 take all of the sinners and say, what were you thinking? 542 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:54,080 It was to love people and the kindness leading to repentance. 543 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:56,840 It was not a condemning mission. It was a loving mission. 544 00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:01,040 And yet it goes on to say John chapter 3, verse 19, this is 545 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:04,680 condemnation, that light has come into the world and men love 546 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:09,200 darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. 547 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:12,880 And when people are obsessed not with the gospel, but with 548 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:17,960 peripheral ideas about God or about the things that they're 549 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:22,040 thinking about, they, they've got the wrong focus and they're 550 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:25,880 until the heart change and the mind change, they are choosing 551 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:30,280 their own path. And so we do this as a way to 552 00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:33,120 protect people, protect our time, our sacred time and the 553 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:36,440 word, and also allow people to have a moment with God where 554 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:39,880 their heart can be worked on. And so let's put it all together 555 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:43,640 very simply. The focus of preaching and 556 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:49,240 studying the word and your devotional time is to live out 557 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:52,960 the gospel. And as you do that, you live in 558 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:56,360 a world that has so many distractions and so many side 559 00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:59,880 conversations. And the goal for our gathering 560 00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:05,720 and and our time in such a place as this is to leave out the rest 561 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:11,600 is to be undistracted from the simple truth that we stand on 562 00:34:12,199 --> 00:34:17,080 God's love saving sinners like we once were renewing our hearts 563 00:34:17,080 --> 00:34:19,080 so that we can be lights in the dark. 564 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:23,199 Live for that and leave out the rest and and he says remind you 565 00:34:23,199 --> 00:34:27,360 guys of this all the time. Titus remind Crete in our time 566 00:34:27,360 --> 00:34:30,040 in the word for the last year. This is the focus of good 567 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:33,239 doctrine and how do we affirm it constantly. 568 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:38,760 What a great picture of why we do what we do every Sunday. 569 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:42,960 Is there a greater way to constantly remember what we need 570 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:46,800 to be all about than by ending every time in the Word, by 571 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:48,400 passing out the bread and the cup? 572 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,360 Lest any message that is ever preached from behind this pulpit 573 00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,239 is ever received as some good work that you need to figure 574 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:57,640 out. And until you can do better, 575 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:02,360 just don't come back. Every time we open the word and 576 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:06,920 every message that is preached ends by saying, and it all 577 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:11,760 started right here. God so loved the world that He 578 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:15,520 sent His Son to hang on a cross. And we remember His body and His 579 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:19,360 blood given for us so that our sin could be washed clean. 580 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:23,960 Remember this as often as you gather and it says, whenever we 581 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:27,000 take this, we proclaim His death until he returns. 582 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:29,600 Built into every time we end our service. 583 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:31,960 We are remembering that death did not hold him. 584 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:34,000 He now sits at the right hand of the Father. 585 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:36,680 He is now coming again. We leave this place with 586 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:40,120 whatever good work that God has for us to serve someone, to 587 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:42,000 forgive someone, to love someone. 588 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:46,320 We remember that it is all flowing from the confidence that 589 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:50,200 we have that death has been defeated, that we are going to 590 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:51,960 the the perfect heavens and earth. 591 00:35:52,240 --> 00:35:55,400 Jesus is coming again, and whatever he has for us, we do in 592 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:57,880 his name because it was done first to us. 593 00:36:00,240 --> 00:36:02,840 And so I'll just ask the question one more time. 594 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:10,160 How many times do I have to tell you that God loves you, that 595 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:14,640 your debt has been paid, your sins are forgiven, It is by 596 00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:17,960 grace and not works. Your name is written in the book 597 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:22,000 of life. You are going to heaven and he's 598 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:24,800 coming again. The dead who are in Christ will 599 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:27,120 raise 1st and then we'll all meet Him in the clouds. 600 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:30,800 There is nothing that this world can throw at us that we cannot 601 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:34,320 overcome by the power of Jesus, because death itself has lost 602 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:38,120 its sting. And that is something that I 603 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:40,600 will tell you every time we gather. 604 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:44,600 Thanks for joining us today. If you would like to watch the 605 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:47,160 full service, check out the link in the description. 606 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:51,400 For next steps and to learn more, visit calvaryboise.com.