Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, good morning to the
young, ladies and gentlemen, that are in training currently,
welcome to today's service. My name is Kyle.
If you're visiting with us, when introduced myself, I serve as
lead Pastor here and want to welcome you here.
We're glad that you've chosen to worship with us today.
If you have your Bible, you can turn to our.
I would ask that you would turn to Titus Chapter 1, Titus
Chapter 1, that's found in your New Testaments, just after
first, and second Timothy before the book.
Philemon. It's a short book.
So you might could pass it depend on the way of the
arrangement of your Bibles, but it's a 3 chapter book.
And we are beginning a new series today in this book.
The reason for that is that tie? This gives us one of the best,
looks at the relationship between the gospel.
Truth, the truth that we receive from God about Christ Jesus
about our sin about our need for a savior about how we can be
born again and live for the Lord.
This Gives us the relationship between those gospel truths, and
the godliness that they require the life lived in response to
these. So, in this book, we see clearly
how the gospel affects how it causes, how it creates
godliness. And we also see in this book how
godliness then affects right effects shapes, how it adorns
the gospel in your life, these two things work together.
So our Passage For today, that will be looking at is Titus 1,
1, through 4, Titus 1134. I'm going to read that now.
And then we'll pray. Paul a servant of God and an
apostle of Christ Jesus, but the sake of faith of God's elect and
their knowledge of the truth, which Accords with godliness and
hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies promise before
the before the ages began, and at the proper time, manifested
in his word through the preaching with, which I have
been entrusted by the command of God, our savior to Titus.
I trucho In a common Faith, Grace and peace from God, the
father and Christ Jesus. Our savior, we pray for us,
Heavenly Father, we thank you for this word, which we have
just read. This is your word father, these
are words that you have spoken to us through the Apostle Paul
and we ask Lord, that you would open our hearts to receive them.
Now what open our minds to hear them to understand them to
comprehend them, to know them? Well, Lord but not just to know
them in our Mind, help them to seep deep into our hearts.
We might become men and women, boys, and girls, who take
seriously the word of God. We take seriously the godliness
that it requires, who commit ourselves to Christ Jesus.
As we find life in Him, Father, we thank you for this word.
We thank you for this time. We have now together as a church
family in it. We ask that you bless this
moment Christ's name, I pray. Amen.
So Titus is one of Paul's Pastoral Epistles on a letter
written to pastors of a church. Paul writes to this, dear
companion, as partner in Ministry, whom is Titus and we
know quite a bit about Paul most of, you know, who the Apostle
Paul is Paul was the one time persecutor who went by the name
of Saul? And he persecuted the church
heavily, he oversaw, an axe chapter 6, The stoning of
Stephen. One of the first Martyrs that we
have on record. He is dramatically converted in
Acts chapter 9, as he was on his way to persecute more
Christians, in a place called Damascus.
Now, I'll on his way, Christ himself appears to Paul or Saul
in that moment. And says, Saul Saul.
Why are you persecuting me? Which Saul responds, who are
you? Lord, that was the moment that
Saul's life changed forever. Most much of the rest of Acts
over 2/3. Even of Acts tells us the story
of Paul's missionary journeys of, where he went of his
preaching of the Gospel, his founding of churches, his
training of leaders and pastors and various areas.
And maybe one of the most important things that we read
about therefore our own faith is weak.
Read about Paul's sufferings, if he suffered great harm for the
sake of the name of Jesus Christ, it was costly to him.
Titus is not well, known in scripture unless you were
familiar with the book of Titus, you might recall his name at
other times, it's believed by many that he is one of Paul's
early converts during his ministry at Antioch.
So after Paul's conversion, he spent time with a man named
Barnabas, ministering and Antioch preaching the gospel
They're evangelizing. The lost.
It's thought to be the tightest became a Christian under Paul's
Ministry there. This this idea at least support
or this idea is supported by this passage at least in this
that Paul addresses Titus as my true child and a common Faith.
He has no doubt a convert of Paul's.
He is one whom Paul has led to the Lord, and they now share
Faith. Paul is not speaking in
biological terms, he's not saying you are my son Birth by
Birth. He's saying you're my son by
spiritual birth through my Ministry.
The Lord made you knew, Titus is a gentile Greek, he's converted
by the preaching of the Gospel. He's born under Paul's Ministry.
He became a fellow minister with him.
Much like we read about Timothy doing.
This is why there is a pastoral epistle addressed to both of
these men. Paul is not saying that the
faith that they share is, is common that it's normal or that
it's why Spread. Even, he's not saying that it
holds little value. What he's saying is that this
Faith by this faith, we are united together in Christ.
That, that Paul as a Jew, who formally persecuted Christians,
in the name of upholding, the way, the Jews viewed.
God is drastically different than this young gentle, man.
He's saying we are we share now a union in Christ wrought in Us
by the spirit of God, through the preached words of the
Gospel. It's also clear in this letter
that he is a well trusted partner in Ministry.
He's referred to thoroughly in second Corinthians as Paul
writes there about a letter. We don't have to the Corinthians
that apparently was even more scathing than the first pulse
sense. He writes there about Titus in
the way that they received him. He calls him a Rather a partner,
a fellow worker in the ministry, will look more at titus's
assignment next week. As that really begins to be
spelled out for us. But in the name of context, I
want us to have some ideas of what is Titus doing.
What's the purpose of the letter to Titus?
Titus has been left on the island of Crete?
He's there to put what remained in to order to appoint elders
and every town, I think we have a map of this that would show
you. Yeah, so you see Crete here,
it's off the mainland of Greece and it's an island.
It measures roughly 160 miles long by 35 miles wide.
It had on fairly large population.
It was in a port area. If you will, by way of travel,
from Jerusalem on up to Rome, you would have stopped near the
island of Crete or on the island of Crete for resupply.
Restocking the Thing about create that kind of was fun.
Fun for me to see. One of the things was this is
that it's a mountainous area, there's a mountain range that
spans the length of the island and the tallest mountain on this
island is roughly 8,000 feet tall.
So it's a rough terrain, but maybe rougher than the terrain,
are the people of Creed's that the men and women who hold
residents on the island of Crete screed host, multiple cities.
It how Most both Jews and Gentiles.
There are Jews who we will read about, who are stirring up
division. In on the island are storing up
division in the churches who are committing themselves to
maintain? Uphold Jewish Customs that
Christians are not called to uphold It also hosts, many
Gentiles people who are filled with worldliness.
They have no idea of who God is or a purpose or reason for even
following the Lord, and there's more even than that.
Goddesses assignment is not an easy one, it's a difficult
assignments, he's told, and again, in verse 5 to put what
remained into order and to appoint Elders in every town.
So he's to go throughout the island, not just one part of
them, but go to their out the island.
And ensure that the churches are healthy.
There's a lot of difficult work to do.
And so, Paul begins is letter with a reminder about the
purpose of the work. Here's why.
We're here, Titus. Here's what this is, here's why
we exist. Here's what we're for, here's
what we're about. The purpose for the work and
it's an encouragement to stand strong in god.
Let's go back to verse 1 and begin our study here.
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.
A servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.
Paul is giving us two, massive statements about his own
identity about who he is. Servant of God, the word servant
is the word doulos in the Greek. It means slave.
It's often translated servant Bond servant slave.
But the word is the same. Anytime you see that?
It's the word slave. Paul is saying I'm a slave.
Of God. I'm a slave of God, Paul's
identity is first and foremost who he is.
Because Paul's identity first and foremost is who he is
because of what God has done in his life.
He's saying I'm a slave of God. God Has Changed who I am.
He is made me new God, intervened in Paul's life.
God saved Paul from his sins. I want to remind you that when
we read the word God we ought not immediately think father.
We ought to think Our son and spirit.
Paul has the Triune God in mind here is he's thinking about what
God is and how he is a slave to God about who God is he saying?
I'm a slave to the father to the son and to the spirit Calls
received a new identity because of the work of Christ Jesus on
the cross but because of the for Dane to work of God from
eternity past as well as we'll see in a moment.
What I once was Paul is saying, I am no longer what I am now
belongs to God. I am his he is mine Galatians
2:20. Paul really sums up this
thought? He says this in.
Galatians 2:20 says I have been crucified with Christ.
It is no longer. I who live but Christ, who lives
in me and the life. I now live in the flesh, I live
by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for
me. He's saying I'm a slave to God.
My life is not my own. My life belongs to him.
This is the way slaves, talk. This is the way servants talk,
brothers and sisters. This is the way we are to speak
about our relation to God. God is Not Not as he is often
treated a slave for us to do our bidding and are beckoning to
come at our call. God is God, and we are his
people. We are to submit ourselves to
him. He is in control, he has made us
new. He gives us our identity then.
He said I'm a slave to God. He bought me with the blood of
his own son, he owns me. My entire life is determined by
him. You'll see throughout the letter
of Titus, that this idea of being a slave to God is not an
all am at all. A miserable thought.
If you're familiar at all, with the writings of Paul, you'll
understand that this is by no means a miserable thought that
you're relegated to some. Some type of servitude that is
done with a Hardness of Heart That is done with without your
personality. There is done without life.
That's not what Paul has in view here.
But Paul has in view is I was once dead in my sins and now
have been made alive in Christ Jesus.
What Paul has a view here is Thanksgiving to God for saving
him out of his sin, out of his persecution of the church.
Revealing the true nature of God to him, revealing Christ to him.
That he might be a new creation created in Christ Jesus.
Where old things have passed away, all have become new and
now he's dead. Dedicating his life committing
his life to the service of God. Paul is excited in this service.
This is not a dutiful thing. This is not him saying I'm a,
I'm a slave to God Titus. Paul is saying, I am held
captive Titus by the goodness and kindness of God toward me
and salvation. That I can do nothing more, and
nothing less than surrender, that the totality of my life to
God, I'm his slave, he is my master, he is my Lord.
Amen. Hopefully you grasp the
difference between slave and slave.
It's excited about what God has done for him.
We should also note that he mentions this first.
It's a statement of humility before he makes a statement
about the authority which God has given him.
Paul has been given great Authority by the Son of God.
Jesus Christ, appears to him and calls him to apostleship who
ministry? That's given to to certain men
specific men. Men whom we know the names of
now, He says, I'm a slave to God and Apostle of Jesus, Christ.
That is title of apostle. Again, belongs only to those who
witnessed the resurrection of Christ or witnessed him
personally. After his resurrection, it
belongs only to those who have received a call to apostleship
personally from God. There is no, there are no true
apostles today, not in the sense of what we see in the Bible
here. This office is finished.
It was a special Ministry given by Christ for the establishment
of the church. So I'm going to say the church,
I'm not talking about a local church and talk about global
Church Universal Church. What these men were given what
these men were able to do is not been seen again.
He's been were special because Christ did something special in
them and scriptures. We read that they were the that
Christ was the Cornerstone of the church, but that the
apostles were the foundation of the truth.
That we, now know, meaning, they're the ones who pinned it.
They're the ones who wrote it out there, the ones who taught
it. They're the ones who receive the
instruction from the holy spirit.
That we might know God's breathed word.
Apostles were to be deputies of Christ Jesus.
They were not to go anywhere, say anything or do anything that
opposed. What Christ told them to do,
they were to follow him. Holy Jesus, commissioned them.
They are either commissioned by him himself, or by other
apostles, who use those two, qualifying things to call an
apostle. To apostleship we see that in
Acts chapter 1 with the calling of Matthias, But Paul
establishes his humility first. He makes a statement about
humility makes a statement about who I am and how this informs
what he does. He says, I'm a slave of God and
then he talks about his Christ given authority and authority.
That that meant Titus should follow what he says that Titus
should listen to him and Authority.
That meant that the elders who taught us would go in and struck
should listen to Paul and Authority that meant that the
men and women who would be under the instruction of tight And
those Elders should listen to what Paul is saying is Christ.
The Apostle. It's a Heavenly Authority.
It was meant to be understood in that way.
And they would have understood it in that way.
As this was read aloud before them, as Titus read this, he
would have known exactly what was being said, by the Apostle
Paul here about his apostleship As noted though, in Galatians,
2:20, whatever Paul is he is first a new creation in Christ.
Jesus. Whatever he might become,
whatever God calls him to do. He is first God's child.
God lives in him. And so now he gives his life by
faith in the Son of God, who loved him and gave himself for
Paul. Paul was one of 13 Apostles.
Paul has a lot of reason to boast in himself to be arrogant
even although we could argue that would make him probably not
worthy of being an apostle. All begin with But he knows that
he is, he knows what he's been called to, he knows the grace of
God that he's received. And God has made him a new
creation. God has called him to
apostleship God blesses his ministry to the Gentiles.
Paul was wildly fruitful for the lord.
It's not it's not hyperbole to say that.
We are Christians today because of the ministry of Paul.
We owe Paul a lot, the Paul would say no you.
Oh God, all of that. God blesses his ministry.
God is the source of all. That is good and Paul's life.
Brothers and sisters. We ought to take something from
Paul here, whatever you are. But whatever your identity,
might be whatever you think of first.
When someone says, well who are you or one of the first things
were prone to ask, especially as men is, what do you do for a
living that kind of sets, the trajectory of our identity but
whatever you are, whether you're a recent convert, whether you're
a mature Christian, whether you're a son or whether you're a
daughter, whether you're a mom or a dad, a husband or a wife
and employee or an employer, whether you're a friend.
Your brother or sister. Whatever you may be, if you are
a Christian, you are God's child first, that's where you get your
identity. This is where you align
yourself. Is you say, I am, this may be.
But first and foremost, I'm settling myself on my identity
in Christ Jesus. Something that God has given to
us. If you are a believer in Christ,
it's because God saved you, by his gracious intervention.
It's because God regenerated you by the power of the Holy Spirit,
to become his child, through the work of Christ on the cross,
which you no doubt heard about through some proclamation of the
word, either, by reading it for yourself, or by hearing, it's
hot or proclaimed by a friend, or a pastor.
Or someone God has made, you knew you owe your life.
The god. We live in a world that
encourages us to have whatever identity you want to have.
And if you want to change that identity tomorrow changes, if
you want to change it, the day after that changes become
whatever you want. But Christians.
Christians are not to buy that wretched lie.
That's a lie of this world. That's a lie from the mouths of
Satan himself. Christians are however to stand
on the truth of God's word, Christians are to understand
that. Whatever I am by God's grace, I
am first God's child and that informs now my behavior that
informs now my identity as a husband or a father or male or
female Two genders. I am first his child.
He is first my God, he gives me my marching orders and I commit
myself to do whatever the Lord commands of me because I'm a
slave to God. He saved me out of the pit of
Hell. He saved me out of my sins and
gave me new life. I'm his brothers and sisters.
If you are in Christ, you are serving Servant of God.
Your servant of God. Next we see in verses in the
following verses up through verse 3, we see the revealing of
his purpose. He talks about his identity that
I'm a servant of God. I'm a I'm an apostle of Christ.
And then he gets into his purpose for life.
Paul a servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the
sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the
truth, which Accords with godliness and hope of eternal
life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began,
and at the proper time, manifested in his word, through
the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of
God, our savior I want to summarize what we see here with
this. What?
This statement you can write this down if you're taking
notes. But the gospel received by Faith
and Hope of eternal life. Forms godliness in your life.
The gospel received by faith. In Hope of eternal life forms
godliness in you. It's what creates godliness in
you. And if we ever hope to be Godly
men or women, boys or girls, we must first understand, the
truths of God's word. We must first come to faith in
Christ. We must first be transformed by
those things. So, let's examine the two
purposes that Paul's lays out one is for the sake of the faith
of God's elect. The word elect is seen
throughout the Old and New Testament.
The word elect just simply refers to those who were chosen
by God unto salvation. You see the word elect?
As you think about Israel, and what God does there you see the
word elect in the New Testament? None of the riders in the New
Testament are shy about using this word elect to describe the
people of God and their identity as New Testament.
Believers, which unites them with the same saving work of God
in the Old Testament. It creates a one people of God
at New Testament, Believers like Old Testament.
Believers are such because they have been chosen by God, to be
his people. God miraculously works on their
behalf. God miraculously makes them
children of God. The Apostle John, who was the
Beloved disciple when riding his gospel, just 12 verses in gets
into this this truth he says, but to all who did receive him,
talk about Christ came to the Jews first and they didn't
receive him. He says, but to all who did
receive him, who believed in Jesus name, he gave the right to
become children of God. Verse 13, who were born?
Not of blood painting. It wasn't their birth rights and
weren't born because they were Jews and were born of God, out
of their out of the Jewish heritage.
We're born of the will of the flesh, meaning they didn't will
up the, they didn't muster up the strength to save themselves.
He says, nor of the will of, man, meaning, I can't cause
salvation for someone else. As much as I want all to be
saved, I can't make it to where all men and women believe in
Christ. Jesus, they're responsible for
their belief or unbelief. Lisa's.
But of God, who were born but of God, who were born of God, See
Paul's Ministry was about the faith of God's elect by the
preaching of God's word. The gospel is we see?
In verse 3, he says, manifested through the preaching of his
word. However, it would have also
served to strengthen the faith of God's elect.
So, not only does, it does the preaching bring about the faith,
but it strengthens the faith in those two themes, what we see is
initial belief and ongoing belief, the initial coming to
the Lord for salvation, and the ongoing to the Lord, for
salvation reminding ourselves that we are.
His children that I'm a slave to God.
And we see how Paul's Ministry was.
Then for the sake of God's elect, for the sake of the faith
of God's elect Paul's Ministry serves Us in this way today.
I'm It's fuzzy in my mind, but I've always attributed my
salvation to memorizing scripture and Awana.
And, of course, having parents who were raising me to love the
Lord to know the Lord had me in that program to begin with, for
helping me learn those verses but Ephesians 2:8 and 9 was the
verse that really stands out. As I think back in my life, this
is for by Grace. You have been saved through
faith and that faith, not of yourselves.
It is the gift of God. Is anyone should boast and it's
God's gift to us. It's not a work of our own
doing, and I just remember laying in my bed as a child
thinking. I need salvation and I need the
Lord to save me. But it happens through the
faithful. Proclamation of God's word, it's
God's word that pricks a heart. It's God, it's what God's uses
to transform a life. He uses his word and Paul
Faithfully pinned those words in Ephesians 2:8 and 9.
Which now now believed wholeheartedly by the grace of
God. It's the things that have been
preached for Millennia. It's What's led to Millions and
more. Conversions for Christ's
disciples for the Lord. It's been producing salvation
for Sinners and growth in God's people for ever.
God's word has. Paul says, this is the purpose
of my Ministries for the sake of the faith of God's elect.
He also says it's for the sake of their knowledge of the truth.
The truth and view here is all of God's word, but verse 3 makes
it crystal clear that the gospel is certainly in view.
When you read the words manifested in his word, through
preaching that preaching there, that's in view.
As the idea of heralding, something it's to take something
out in the public and to shout it to where everyone can then
here It. The stand in an assembly and
say, Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.
Jesus Christ is the only way to a reconciled relationship with a
holy God. Paul's Ministry was about
helping others gain knowledge about the Gospel of Jesus Christ
came through his preaching. This knowledge, most of us under
have a working definition at least of of knowledge but here
it means something. It means coming to understand
something clearly and distinctly or to understand something
that's true or valid. It's knowing something and
ongoing knowledge of something growing in your knowledge of
something. The word is often associated
with the personal exposure to truth, as it's used here, and
exposure to truth that necessitates a reaction.
Either, a positive reaction belief or negative reaction
unbelief. In other words, Paul Ministry,
consists of presenting the truths of the Gospel, that there
is a God God. We know his name, who created
the heavens and the Earth and he rules over all of his creation
that this God is Holy and just and perfect.
And man rebelled against him and fell into sin in Genesis chapter
3, immediately after creation. As a result, man, is kicked out
of the garden. He separated from God, due to
sin. He now knows death, the world is
fractured, his relationship with God is broken.
Put God intervenes by Grace at first throughout Old Testament
history. But then finally he intervenes
once and for all by, sending his own son, Jesus Christ, born in
the image and likeness of man to dwell on Earth, but not just to
live here. Jesus Christ lived, a perfect
life, Jesus Christ died. On a cross as a sacrifice for
the sins of all who will believe in him.
Meaning that anyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ, for
salvation will be saved. But message requires a response.
Doesn't it will you? Or will you not call on the
Lord, for your salvation from sin?
Will you? Or will you not align yourself
with God? Will you or will you not pledged
her allegiance to Jesus Christ? Will you, or will you not live
Faithfully for the Lord as people who say, you believe in
him? It requires a response you must
do something with it and whatever you do or whatever you
think about Jesus Christ. Will be the most important
decision or thought you have in life.
Determines your eternity and by your answer, you either become a
slave to God or you remain a slave to sin.
The knowledge of the truth isn't dead knowledge.
However it's not mental assent. I started Seminary this past
week and pray for me. Good Heavens.
Pray for me. It's going to be great and I'm
so grateful for the men that I'm getting to study under and
round, because they're committed.
It seems at least on the front end, they're committed to
knowledge, that doesn't just pop up, right?
But knowledge that builds up in love.
They made a statement this week that gave me great
encouragement. That we will not evaluate this
Seminary and her success by how many people graduate with an
m.div will evaluate it by By the Ministries that the men who go
out of the Seminary has, what does it, what are their
Ministries look like, what kind of men are they?
I was the Lord using them and their churches.
I like that because I think that's, that's the kind of
knowledge that the Bible talks about.
That's the kind of wisdom that God has in view.
It's a wisdom that's beneficial to those around you.
It's a knowledge that's good for your life and good for the lives
of people around me, it's Godly. Knowledge.
And so Paul doesn't have in mind, here's some sort of other
knowledge, he has knowledge that Accords with godliness.
He says it's a knowledge of the truth which Accords with
godliness and to Godliness. Here is the idea of piety.
It's a devout practice for God or it's right beliefs about God.
It's understanding God in such a way that you now live in light
of him. But you want to honor him with
your life. Romans 12 1 through 2.
Talks about the knowledge of the truth that transforms the life
of a believer about how you goes from being uninterested, in the
things of God, to fully committed, to God's truth and
God's ways that he is transformed by this truth.
Paul writes in Romans 12, he says, I appeal to you, therefore
Brothers by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a
Living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual worship, what is your spiritual worship its to give
all of your life? To God.
What is your spiritual worship? It's to become a slave to God.
To make him your master. And in verse 2, he says do not
be conformed. It's a command with authority,
do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewal of your mind that by testing.
You may discern. What is the will of God, what is
good and acceptable and perfect. First, you present your life to
God as a Living Sacrifice. I'm not having to kill myself
because Christ died for me when I go under that water in baptism
and I come back out. I'm signifying myself with the
death and the resurrection of Christ.
I went in one way and I came out a new man.
When I take, hold of the cup and the bread that will as will do
in a little bit. What I'm saying is that I
believe that Christ died for my sins, what I'm saying is I
believe that Christ was raised again.
The his body was broken so that mine doesn't have to be so that
I can receive a New Covenant of Grace, a covenant which God
initiates with me and now I'm surrendering my life to him.
Paul says there do this. Do this until the Lord comes
again. What are we doing?
We're reminding ourselves that our Allegiance is to Jesus
Christ above all, that we are slaves to God.
There's no such thing as a Christian who doesn't seek God's
truth and strive to obey God's word, the Bible knows of No Such
Christians except that they are false Christians.
When you see Christians in the Bible, who claimed to know
truth, but do not practice the godliness that goes with, they
are immediately called false. They're not real. now, that's an
alarming statement because there are many people Our ourselves
included. Let us not look outside of
ourselves when we read a statement like that, let us not
immediately think of all those people over there.
That guy a few rows in front of me.
Let's not go there and our mind let us first go Lord.
May this verse not apply to my heart. 1st John 3:9, no one.
How many no one? Born of God makes a practice of
sinning for God's seed, abides in him and he cannot keep on
sinning because he has been born of God.
Romans 8, 8 4 9, those who are in the flesh, cannot please God
you however, writing to Christians, you are not in the
flesh. But in the spirit if in fact the
spirit of God dwells in you, anyone who does not have the
spirit of God. He one who does not have the
spirit of God. Does not belong to God.
So you cannot say with your mouth on Sunday morning that you
love the Lord and then say by your actions and your life.
Monday through Saturday whatever you want.
If you're a slave to God, he rules every area of your life,
not just Sunday morning. That's will see, throughout
Titus godliness is evidence of saving belief in the gospel.
It cannot be separated. It's, it's what gives the
believer salt. As Jesus says, that you are the
salt of the earth. You are the light of the world
godliness is what gives you salt godliness is, what gives you
lights and a spiritually tasteless, and dark world must
Adorn. The gospel with godliness.
Why what's what's the purpose of living?
Such a life? Paul says, in verse 2 and hope
of eternal life which God, who never lies promised before the
ages began, and at the proper time, he manifested in his words
with the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the
command of God, our savior. So sometimes we equate falsely
biblical. Hope with a fantasy like wishing
like. I hope I get a better job.
I hope my parents get me this toy for Christmas.
I hope I marry a Godly person. I hope I can pay off this debt.
That's more wishing than biblical.
Hope biblical hope is someone or something on which expectations
are centered. It's a foundation.
For life. Hope is really all that you
have. In Christ, we sang Two wonderful
songs this morning, that remind us of the hope that we have in
Christ. Paul's Ministry for the sake of
the faith of the elect and their knowledge of the truth, which
Accords with godliness was founded on hope he says, in Hope
of eternal life, for the sake of the faith of the elect.
For the sake of the truth. Their knowledge of the truth in
Hope of eternal life. So, How do we know that we have
hope? How do we know that we have an
expectant belief of eternal life?
But like, how can we know that we can even have such a hope is
what I'm asking. well, the answers us he says because God
promised But because God promised it.
God, who never lies promise to give eternal life to those.
Who believe in his son, John 3:16 for God.
So loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever leaked
whoever believes in him, should not perish but have eternal
life. So he promised this and it says
that he promised it before the world began.
The phrase is the same word for Eternal in the Greek.
The word Eternal there in eternal life and the phrase for
Um, before the world began is the same word and it means
eternity or Eternal. So the statement is literally
more like this in Hope of eternal life in the future which
God who never lies promise from eternity in the past.
But that from eternity past, we turn Atif future God is in
control of your salvation. From eternity past, we turn it
in future. Your hope of Salvation is sure
because God is the only place person who exists in eternity,
God determines. It, God has established it from
eternity past so that you might enjoy it.
And Eternity future. Amen?
When Satan attempts to afflict you then remember that God
promised it that, and that, because God promised it, it's my
greatest hope. It's my ex Tation.
I base my life on this. Hope I become slave of a slave
to God, because he will, I would dwell eternity with him in
heaven. And so, when Satan afflicts you,
when Satan comes to you to make, you doubt, the goodness of God,
when Satan comes to you with anxiety or fear or tempt you to
sin, remind him that he is the father of nothing but lies.
And that your father. Resides in heaven.
That your father is eternal that your father has given you, real
hope has made real life available for you.
That your father is unable to lie.
That your father has made a promise and all who believe in
it have hope all who believe in that house.
Hope that is sure, Paul says elsewhere that this hope is sure
that it's undefiled that it's kept in heaven, for you.
It's secure brothers and sisters.
You have no reason to be buffeted in this life because
you have hope in Christ, you have no reason to.
To fall on your face in Failure because you have hope in Christ.
This doesn't mean that we don't have despair.
This doesn't mean that we don't have depressive thoughts.
That doesn't mean that we're not Afflicted at times.
It's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that in your
Affliction, you go to Christ. And your Affliction, you don't
believe the lies of Satan but you proclaim the truths of God.
There's Hope in eternity past. It was manifested in eternity
past, it's kept in eternity future for you.
God has promised it and so he trust him.
And says that he then at the proper time knowing this, he, he
began it from eternity past but at the proper time, that means
in his own most advantageous time, he manifested, it means he
clearly reveals it. How does he reveal it says in
his word? God's word is the communication
by God, but, typically, even so the gospel is in view here and
that he says, it's manifested by his word through the preaching,
which is the problem Proclamation by Harold.
As I mentioned earlier, it's especially a message of God,
concerning salvation. Romans 10:13 through 15 reminds
us of. This says, for everyone who
calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Amen, that's hope that's, that's hope.
That's gospel. Hope that everyone who calls on
the name of the Lord will be saved.
How then will they call on him? Paul says, in verse 14 and whom
they have not believed and how are they to believe in him of
whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without
someone preaching? Someone Holding and how are they
to preach? Unless they are sent as it is
written? How beautiful are the feet of
those? Who preach?
The good news all says. This is what Paul was called to
by God. So this is the ministry given to
me for the sake, of the faith of God's elect for their knowledge
of the truth, which Accords with godliness in Hope of eternal
life. That's the proclamation of the
good news. He was to proclaim the good news
of Salvation in Christ Jesus so that all who call on the name of
Jesus, May obtain the hope of eternal life.
He says I've been entrusted that word entrusted That's the phrase
of a slave. That's the phrase of a deputy.
All right, I've got, I've got a message from the King.
I've got a message from my master.
I've got a message from the sheriff.
Good news. Paul says, I've been entrusted
with it. I'm a slave to God here.
I stand. I can do no other as Luther said
in the Reformation. The gospel received by Faith and
Hope of eternal life forms godliness in your life.
Remember there's no such thing as a Christian who claims to
believe God but will not follow him.
Martin Luther said this, he says it is just as impossible to
separate faith and works as it is to separate light and heat
from fire. You see, we mustn't try to live
a life in faith separate from godliness that's foolishness.
We are deceiving ourselves. We'll be like the people we read
about in Titus in the coming weeks at the appearance of
godliness. But denying its power Belief in
the gospel, is a belief that requires death.
Jesus says, if any of you wants to follow me, he must deny
yourself. Take up your cross and follow
me. He says, if you'll try to save
your own life, you'll lose it, but anyone who loses his life,
for my sake will find life. It's God's economy is different
than our economy. Selfishness is promoted in our
economy. But selflessness is where
godliness? Rest in the economy of God, it's
where you find life. Christ says Belief in the
gospel. Is a belief that requires death
because belief in the gospel requires belief, in the death of
Christ and the resurrection of Christ.
Somebody already died on your behalf.
The belief in the gospel then is a call to come and die.
It's a call to receive new life in Christ.
The Gospel is a guarantee of eternal life.
It's the hope of our Salvation, it's where our faith rest is In
Christ Alone. The brothers and sisters, boys,
and girls. I urge you, then believe in
Jesus. Believe in God, the Father.
Believe in God, the Holy Spirit find life through Christ Jesus.
Today. Believe in such a way that your
affections are transformed believe in such a way that your
desires are made new. Believe in such a way that your
sinful desires die. And your desires for Holiness.
Rise. Turn to God in your sin.
None of this means, none of this talk about a holy God means that
you were to turn away from God in your sin.
It means that you have already turned away from God and your
sin and that the only way to find life now is to turn to God
in your sin to repent of those sins to own those sins, to
confess our sins, to repent of them.
And to believe in Jesus Christ, that is where you will find
Salvation. Go to him, do not hide from him,
run to him. I think it was the the Puritan
Thomas Watson who said be is quick to repent as you would be
to receive Grace from God. He's quick to repent, as you
would have God, be quick to show you Grace and don't hide from
him. The gospel is a guarantee of
eternal life. He's the only one who can make
you whole. He's the only one who can grant
you true life, urge, you today to live your Christian Life as a
slave to God. Live your Christian Life as one
who has received a new life by grace through faith in Jesus,
live your Christian Life as one who is growing in God's truth,
your understanding of it, your knowledge of it, you're you're
working of at your ability to speak it.
Live your life as a Christian as one who has the hope of eternal
life because you've settled yourself on the promise of God
and the gospel received by Faith and Hope of eternal life forms
godliness in your life. Then would you pray with me now?
Heavenly Father. We love you.
We thank you for your word. Thank you, Lord.
That you've been with us now and pray.
Lord, that you would transform our hearts.
Help us now to believe your words to follow your commands.
Help us to be quick to repent. Swear we have not followed your
commands when we have gone our own way, we become our own.
God deciding what's right? Or what's wrong for us?
Help us Lord to live in light of your truth.
Help us Lord to have lives built on faith in Christ lives.
That have hope of eternal life. As our foundation, helped us
have lives which were growing and Truth, which Accords with
godliness. Supposed to be Godly men and
women, Godly boys and girls were growing in our understanding of
Jesus growing in our faith in him.
Who are growing in our godliness, ability, desire, or
drive to live, as God has commanded us to live.
Lord, we love you, praise you for your word today, Christ's
name. I pray.
Amen. Lord, we love you, praise you
for your word today, Christ's name.
I pray. Amen.