1 00:00:04,900 --> 00:00:07,000 Good morning, my friends. How are you today? 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,500 I hope you are well, enjoying a good week with some nice weather 3 00:00:11,500 --> 00:00:14,100 change and that sort of thing. If you have your Bible, you can 4 00:00:14,100 --> 00:00:17,600 open the Titus Chapter 1. Titus Chapter 1, we're going to 5 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:22,000 continue in our Series this morning in the book of Titus and 6 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,700 so we're going to look at verses 9 through 14 today. 7 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,800 Last week we saw the need for elders and Pastors in the 8 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:34,300 churches in Crete. So we saw that they were facing 9 00:00:35,300 --> 00:00:38,800 All sorts of issues. And and one of the answers for 10 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:43,100 that was to put men in charge of these churches, who could lead 11 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,600 through understanding sound Doctrine, knowing sound 12 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:48,900 Doctrine. Holding tightly to sound 13 00:00:48,900 --> 00:00:52,100 doctrine that men of character men of Godly character. 14 00:00:52,100 --> 00:00:55,500 Not just some character, but Godly character could lead these 15 00:00:55,500 --> 00:00:58,800 churches into health. And that was what was laid out 16 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:03,000 before us is that God wanted pastors Elders in these churches 17 00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:06,200 to be able to lead And so one of the things the passage revealed 18 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,700 to us is that character outweighs character is greater 19 00:01:09,700 --> 00:01:13,800 than Charisma a man's character especially as it pertains to a 20 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:18,100 pasture is far more important than his Charisma than his 21 00:01:18,100 --> 00:01:21,800 giftedness, or his attraction. Or those sort of things are 22 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:23,800 things that we might weigh in a worldly sense. 23 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,900 God does not look upon. It's very similar to what God 24 00:01:26,900 --> 00:01:30,800 Said to the prophet Samuel and he instructed Samuel to go 25 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,500 choose for him to go and anoint the next king which was going to 26 00:01:33,500 --> 00:01:36,000 be David. I'll hit speaks through Samuel 27 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:37,700 there. Any says, God is not concerned 28 00:01:37,700 --> 00:01:40,900 with the outward appearance of man, but what is on the inside 29 00:01:40,900 --> 00:01:43,600 of a man is what God is, first and foremost concerned with. 30 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,300 And so we see that as, as it talks, there about elders and 31 00:01:46,308 --> 00:01:49,900 the kind of men Elders, should be the kind of pastors the kind 32 00:01:49,900 --> 00:01:54,500 of men that should lead a local congregation and so we scratch 33 00:01:54,500 --> 00:01:56,800 the surface there of their responsibilities. 34 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:00,000 We said that they were to hold fast or hold firm to God's 35 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,500 trustworthy word. This is what verse nine reveals 36 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:06,700 for us so that they may be able to To give instruction in sound 37 00:02:06,700 --> 00:02:09,300 Doctrine and then to rebuke those who contradict it. 38 00:02:09,300 --> 00:02:12,200 So, they are to be men who hold firm to God's word. 39 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,200 They were to be men who are holding firm and such a way that 40 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,900 they're able to teach God's word and then not only to teach it, 41 00:02:18,900 --> 00:02:22,600 but to refute, those who contradict God's word. 42 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:27,600 And so in today's text, we'll see how that works within the 43 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:31,900 life of the church Works to promote Health in the churches. 44 00:02:31,900 --> 00:02:35,000 I want to talk to you today about how we build Healthy 45 00:02:35,300 --> 00:02:38,200 Church. Let's look at verses 9 through 46 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:42,400 14 here in Titus 1. He must hold firm, that he there 47 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:46,200 again is the elders must hold firm to the trustworthy word as 48 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,500 taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound 49 00:02:49,500 --> 00:02:52,800 Doctrine, and also, to rebuke those who contradict it. 50 00:02:53,300 --> 00:02:57,200 For there are many, who are insubordinate, empty talkers, 51 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:01,000 and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 52 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,100 They must be silenced since they are upsetting whole Families by 53 00:03:05,100 --> 00:03:06,800 teaching, for shameful gain. What? 54 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,800 They ought? Not to teach one of the cretans, 55 00:03:09,900 --> 00:03:13,000 a prophet of their own said, cretans are always Liars. 56 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:19,000 Evil beasts lazy gluttons. This testimony is true therefore 57 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,800 rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith, not 58 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:24,700 devoting themselves to Jewish myths. 59 00:03:25,100 --> 00:03:29,000 And the commands of people who turn away from the truth of the 60 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,400 point that I want to lay before you today that I want to see 61 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:35,600 here in God's word is this, we build a healthy Church by 62 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,200 holding fast to, and teaching sound Doctrine. 63 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:43,100 The build a healthy Church by holding fast to and teaching 64 00:03:43,100 --> 00:03:45,200 sound Doctrine. Let me pray for us. 65 00:03:45,500 --> 00:03:47,300 Heavenly Father. We thank you for your word. 66 00:03:47,300 --> 00:03:51,600 We thank you for, for this word here in Titus 1 9, through 14. 67 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,700 As we've received it, Lord, help us to be faithful to it today. 68 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:58,600 As we read it, as we seek, to understand it, as we seek to 69 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,000 apply it to our lives. Father, help us to know what is 70 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:06,500 your will In this passage? Father help us to live it out, 71 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:08,500 please by the power of your spirit. 72 00:04:09,100 --> 00:04:11,700 Lord, I pray that you would open our hearts and Minds to receive 73 00:04:11,700 --> 00:04:14,300 your word. Today, to be transformed by Your 74 00:04:14,300 --> 00:04:16,000 Word to be changed into the image and likeness. 75 00:04:16,100 --> 00:04:19,800 This of Christ through it as only your spirit, through your 76 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,900 word can accomplish and father, I pray that you would use my 77 00:04:23,900 --> 00:04:28,100 feeble words, my finite abilities today to impact your 78 00:04:28,100 --> 00:04:32,400 people in Christ's name, I pray. Amen, amen. 79 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,800 So Paul begins this section with, this is why I left you in 80 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,600 Crete. He lays out in verse 5, the the 81 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:42,200 goal of sending Titus to the island of Crete. 82 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,300 He says so that you may put what remained into order and 83 00:04:45,300 --> 00:04:46,900 establish. Elders. 84 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,600 And every town put what remained into order and establish elders 85 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:52,700 and every time what the implication here is that things 86 00:04:52,700 --> 00:04:56,500 are not in order, but there are not Elders in every church that 87 00:04:56,500 --> 00:04:59,900 there are things are disorderly. There are problems in the 88 00:04:59,900 --> 00:05:02,100 churches. But why Elders? 89 00:05:02,100 --> 00:05:04,100 What we looked again, we looked at this last week but I just 90 00:05:04,100 --> 00:05:07,700 want to remind you of a passage, Ephesians 4, 11 through, 16 says 91 00:05:07,700 --> 00:05:09,900 this. It says that Jesus gave the 92 00:05:09,900 --> 00:05:12,700 apostles and the prophets and the Evangelist, the Shepherds 93 00:05:12,700 --> 00:05:16,000 and teachers to equip the Saints for the work of the ministry. 94 00:05:16,100 --> 00:05:21,500 Tree for building up the body of Christ until we all attain to 95 00:05:21,500 --> 00:05:25,100 the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God 96 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,900 to mature, manhood to the measure and the stature of the 97 00:05:28,900 --> 00:05:31,900 fullness of Christ. So that we may no longer be 98 00:05:31,900 --> 00:05:35,800 children who are tossed to and fro by the waves and carried 99 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,700 about by every wind of Doctrine by human conning by craftiness, 100 00:05:39,700 --> 00:05:43,000 in deceitful schemes. Rather speaking the truth in 101 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,900 love, we are to grow up in every way into him. 102 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:50,200 Him, who is the head into Christ from whom the whole body joined 103 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:53,000 and held together by every joint with which it is equipped? 104 00:05:53,300 --> 00:05:57,000 When each part is working properly makes the body grow so 105 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,300 that it builds itself up in love. 106 00:06:01,100 --> 00:06:04,900 It's Ephesians four passages saying so many parallel things 107 00:06:04,900 --> 00:06:08,500 to what we see in Titus 1. So the elders are a gift from 108 00:06:08,500 --> 00:06:12,500 Christ for the church there to be pacesetters there to be 109 00:06:12,500 --> 00:06:15,900 pastors. They are exist for the sake of 110 00:06:16,100 --> 00:06:20,400 Healthy churches, healthy leaders lead to healthy church. 111 00:06:20,700 --> 00:06:24,500 Both of us churches in Crete in the church at Ephesus faced 112 00:06:24,500 --> 00:06:28,400 similar difficulties. That Elders were to address in 113 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:31,000 Ephesus as well as in Crete there were pressures of 114 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,400 worldliness and persecution outside the church. 115 00:06:34,700 --> 00:06:37,800 Those things were infiltrating the church that were coming into 116 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,600 the church, they're putting pressure on the members within 117 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,700 the church but it was happening outside the church persecution 118 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:48,000 worldly pressures The second thing we see in Ephesus and and 119 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,100 in Crete, here are the false teachers exist. 120 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,800 These false teachers false teachers have deceitfulness 121 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,700 about them. They're deceitful for a purpose, 122 00:06:59,700 --> 00:07:01,700 though. They're deceitful for selfish 123 00:07:01,700 --> 00:07:04,800 gain and that's happening. Inside the church that there are 124 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:06,900 false teachings being perpetuated. 125 00:07:06,900 --> 00:07:10,700 That would benefit the self-proclaimed pastors. 126 00:07:11,700 --> 00:07:14,700 Of these places the self-proclaimed teachers within 127 00:07:14,700 --> 00:07:18,300 these places and either a monetary way or some other 128 00:07:18,300 --> 00:07:20,700 physical way. But they were teaching what they 129 00:07:20,700 --> 00:07:22,800 ought not to teach for shameful gang. 130 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:25,800 The problems within churches are really the same today. 131 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,100 We talked some about this last week I want to bring this back 132 00:07:29,100 --> 00:07:32,900 up with this week as the context is still largely the same here. 133 00:07:32,900 --> 00:07:37,800 In Titus 1, we to face outside pressures of worldliness, we 134 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,800 Face outside pressures of persecution and in Inside at 135 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,800 least Christianity as a whole. Maybe not within this local 136 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:50,200 church, we Face false teachers. And the answer to these issues 137 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,600 is the same today, it's Godly Elders, its pastors, who would 138 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:57,500 hold firm to the word of God, so that they may give instruction 139 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,500 concerning God's word, give instruction in sound Doctrine 140 00:08:01,700 --> 00:08:05,000 and then be able to rebuke those who contradict it. 141 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,500 Now, the command to give instruction in sound Doctrine to 142 00:08:08,500 --> 00:08:12,900 refute those who contradict it are Or the health of the 143 00:08:12,900 --> 00:08:16,600 church's members will see. Things are not, they don't exist 144 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,100 as a separate thing that Elders are called to do. 145 00:08:19,100 --> 00:08:23,900 Those things are an Elders mission for the sake of the 146 00:08:23,900 --> 00:08:29,300 health of the church members pastors are to be spiritually, 147 00:08:29,300 --> 00:08:32,700 healthy men, so that they may lead the congregation into 148 00:08:32,700 --> 00:08:36,100 spiritual health. Also, that's the picture in 149 00:08:36,100 --> 00:08:38,600 Ephesians 4, right? It says that they would equip 150 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:41,600 the Saints for the work of ministry that they would build 151 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:45,000 one another up into the image and likeness of Christ that they 152 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,800 would have change attained maturity in Christ that they 153 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,800 would no longer be children who are tossed to and fro by the 154 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:58,200 wind of cunning speech and unsound Doctrine deceitfulness 155 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:00,600 and it's the picture here in Titus. 156 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:05,200 Also this becomes more clear as we get into chapters 2 and 3 157 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,000 which we'll get into in a couple of weeks. 158 00:09:07,900 --> 00:09:11,100 The point of the passage is not that pastors, build healthy 159 00:09:11,100 --> 00:09:14,500 churches. It's not that this falls on 160 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,800 pastors to build the healthy churches, whether the pastor's 161 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:19,900 lead the charge. So that the pastors and the 162 00:09:19,900 --> 00:09:23,300 members partnering together for the sake of the Gospel, build a 163 00:09:23,300 --> 00:09:25,200 healthy church. This is the language throughout 164 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,700 the New Testament. Is that here is Paul will write 165 00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:32,900 in all of his letters. And all of his Epistles, there 166 00:09:32,900 --> 00:09:36,700 will be a layout of sound Doctrine. 167 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:42,100 Take the book of Romans, one of his longest works, the longest 168 00:09:42,100 --> 00:09:47,600 work 16 chapters, chapters 1 through 11 are sound Doctrine. 169 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,600 It's all pertaining to Salvation how it comes. 170 00:09:52,100 --> 00:09:54,800 It's pertaining to sanctification how that takes 171 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,400 place in our lives and then chapters 12 through 16 or go do 172 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:00,400 this now. Here's how it works. 173 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,400 It's Found in the life of the church Ephesians is the same 174 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:05,600 way. We chapters 1 through 3 sound 175 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:08,900 Doctrine chapters four through six, go do the skill live. 176 00:10:08,900 --> 00:10:13,200 This go be this kind of people in Titus because it's a Pastoral 177 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:17,100 Epistles, it's a letter to a pastor, it's mixed in and so 178 00:10:17,100 --> 00:10:19,900 we'll see it as we go throughout the letter that hears sound 179 00:10:19,900 --> 00:10:24,200 Doctrine and here's sound living, here's healthy Doctrine. 180 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,500 Here's the healthy word of God, the trustworthy word of God, and 181 00:10:27,500 --> 00:10:29,700 here's a healthy way to live it out. 182 00:10:29,700 --> 00:10:31,900 Here's the fruit. Cool way to live it. 183 00:10:31,900 --> 00:10:35,800 Here's what it ought to produce in your life and so tie, this is 184 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:40,100 a book that holds up the gospel and godliness and says, here are 185 00:10:40,100 --> 00:10:43,300 how these two things work together and here in chapter 1, 186 00:10:43,300 --> 00:10:48,600 he's tasking pastors with the role of teaching sound doctrine, 187 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:53,000 that leads to Godliness. And again, in Chapter 2 3, this 188 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:57,300 becomes even more evidence. The point of the passage is not 189 00:10:57,300 --> 00:11:00,500 the pastor's build healthy churches, apart from the church, 190 00:11:00,700 --> 00:11:03,800 Reach the point of the passage is that pastors build healthy 191 00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:07,800 churches as they partner hand-in-hand with the members of 192 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:11,100 a local church and then it's not above the membership. 193 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:15,200 It's in partnership with the membership that we build a 194 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,200 healthy church. So I'm going to lay this out. 195 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:21,200 We build a healthy Church by holding fast to and teaching 196 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,000 sound Doctrine. That's my main thought for you 197 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:27,000 today. And so what I think this passage 198 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,300 reveals what I believe that we see here is that a healthy 199 00:11:29,300 --> 00:11:32,600 Church must do three The things I'll go ahead and lay these out 200 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:34,300 for you and then we'll walk through them so that you know 201 00:11:34,300 --> 00:11:38,000 where I'm going today, the first thing they must do is rely on 202 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,700 sound Doctrine. The second thing they must do is 203 00:11:40,700 --> 00:11:46,800 refute unsound Doctrine rely on sound Doctrine, refutes unsound 204 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:51,100 Doctrine and the number three, that must refer reproduce sound 205 00:11:51,100 --> 00:11:53,600 Doctrine. All right, I get bonus points 206 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:55,300 this morning for having three points. 207 00:11:55,300 --> 00:11:56,800 That all begin with the letter R. 208 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:04,300 Okay, this is good stuff. Rely on sound Doctrine, a 209 00:12:04,308 --> 00:12:07,400 healthy Church Must rely on sound Doctrine. 210 00:12:07,700 --> 00:12:13,400 Titus 1 verse 9 partay, he must hold firm to the trustworthy 211 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:17,800 word as taught. Last week I went into a little 212 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:21,000 bit more detail and so again just kind of a synopsis, The he 213 00:12:21,300 --> 00:12:24,200 refers to the men who are chosen to be Elders in the local 214 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,700 churches, it's a plurality of Elders in a local church and 215 00:12:27,700 --> 00:12:31,300 that plurality of Elders, must hold firm to God's trustworthy 216 00:12:31,300 --> 00:12:34,900 word as taught that is their mission. 217 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:37,700 It is their identity. It is their primary 218 00:12:37,700 --> 00:12:40,400 responsibility. They are to know God's word 219 00:12:40,500 --> 00:12:43,300 intimately. And so they may teach God's word 220 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:46,200 Faithfully if an elder does not know God. 221 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:50,800 Word intimately, he cannot teach God's word Faithfully. 222 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,400 Elders, do not exist in a vacuum. 223 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:57,500 They do not exist above or outside. 224 00:12:57,500 --> 00:13:02,200 The congregation Godly Elders are gifts from Jesus Christ to 225 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:05,300 the body of Believers within a local church, they are Christ. 226 00:13:05,300 --> 00:13:08,200 Stewards they were his under Shepherds. 227 00:13:08,700 --> 00:13:12,100 They report, they report to the master. 228 00:13:12,100 --> 00:13:16,300 They are not the master. These men are to say what God 229 00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:20,500 has said in his word, nothing more and nothing less. 230 00:13:20,500 --> 00:13:24,700 They hold it up for the People to see and they teach how to 231 00:13:24,700 --> 00:13:27,000 live it out. This is the way it's been going 232 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,100 on throughout the history of God's people. 233 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:34,400 You look back in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah Ezra stands 234 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:38,400 before the congregation as they're they're coming to a time 235 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:42,600 of repentance and add azra stands up and he reads from the 236 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:46,200 law, he reads from God's word and then it says that he 237 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:50,800 expounds on it or he teaches what it means, and then you get 238 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,600 this picture there. Are of how the people the other 239 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:58,100 Elders, the other teachers there went from person to person and 240 00:13:58,100 --> 00:14:01,800 they taught how we ought to apply these truths to our life. 241 00:14:02,500 --> 00:14:06,100 The same thing that's been going on for centuries for Millennia. 242 00:14:06,700 --> 00:14:10,000 This is how God moves his people in a direction. 243 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,300 This is how God transforms his people. 244 00:14:12,300 --> 00:14:15,100 That's how he calls them to repentance, how he calls them to 245 00:14:15,100 --> 00:14:17,600 faithfulness, how he creates new Believers. 246 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,700 It's through the proclaimed word, he does it through. 247 00:14:21,900 --> 00:14:27,000 Is Spirit. But an elder is Christ Steward, 248 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,200 he's not a steward of himself, he's not a steward of his own 249 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,600 life, only, he's not a steward, just simply of his ministry. 250 00:14:33,900 --> 00:14:37,000 That's not his identity. As identity is, he's an Under 251 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:41,600 Shepherd of Christ Jesus. He's held accountable to him. 252 00:14:41,700 --> 00:14:46,500 First and foremost. Before Christ went to the Cross, 253 00:14:46,500 --> 00:14:50,700 he's with his disciples in the upper room and he tells them 254 00:14:50,700 --> 00:14:53,200 about the coming. Holy Spirit, he tells him how 255 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,100 the spirit will be with them as a Helper. 256 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,800 And Jesus says this, in John 14, he says the helper the Holy 257 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:03,300 Spirit whom the father will send in my name. 258 00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:07,700 He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance. 259 00:15:07,700 --> 00:15:11,700 All that I have said to you, the Holy Spirit was going to be with 260 00:15:11,700 --> 00:15:17,300 these early apostles. as a helper to teach things that 261 00:15:17,300 --> 00:15:21,500 Christ had not yet taught which are the things we read now, in 262 00:15:21,500 --> 00:15:26,600 our new testament, And to bring to remembrance things that he 263 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:31,500 had taught, he was with them as a helper, it was those disciples 264 00:15:31,500 --> 00:15:34,500 who then went out full of the Holy Spirit, proclaiming the 265 00:15:34,500 --> 00:15:37,700 word of God, as they had received it from the spirit of 266 00:15:37,700 --> 00:15:41,000 God. And those words became the 267 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:45,600 foundation for the church that is that by the preaching and the 268 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:48,100 receiving by faith. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, 269 00:15:48,100 --> 00:15:53,400 people became members of God's of Christ's body of the church 270 00:15:54,100 --> 00:15:56,700 and so Elders. Today, do the same thing that 271 00:15:56,700 --> 00:16:00,700 these early Apostles, did they must commit themselves to know 272 00:16:00,900 --> 00:16:05,000 God's word alone. It's the only tool available for 273 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:08,800 training in righteousness. It's the most important tool. 274 00:16:09,100 --> 00:16:13,000 An Elders tool bag. All scripture Paul writes in 275 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:16,600 second. Timothy 3:16 all scripture is 276 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,200 breathed out by God and profitable for teaching. 277 00:16:20,700 --> 00:16:25,200 Profitable for reproof profitable for correction 278 00:16:25,300 --> 00:16:28,800 profitable for training in righteousness. 279 00:16:28,900 --> 00:16:32,600 All scripture is breathed out by God, that means that it's his 280 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:39,200 words from his mouth. That the man of God, may be 281 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:43,000 complete equipped for every good work. 282 00:16:44,700 --> 00:16:48,000 So, an elder commits himself to the word of God because the word 283 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,100 of God is the only thing profitable for teaching for 284 00:16:51,100 --> 00:16:55,200 reproof, and for correction, and for training in righteousness, 285 00:16:55,200 --> 00:17:00,100 not only in his own life, but in the lives of the congregation in 286 00:17:00,100 --> 00:17:03,900 Titus 1:9, the B part says, so that he may be able to give 287 00:17:03,900 --> 00:17:07,400 instruction in sound Doctrine. So we must hold fast to the 288 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,800 trustworthy word as taut, so that he may be able to give 289 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:14,900 instruction in sound Doctrine. Remember that give instruction 290 00:17:14,900 --> 00:17:16,599 has in mind. The kind of teaching that 291 00:17:16,599 --> 00:17:20,300 instructs the mind, the kind of teaching that impacts the heart. 292 00:17:20,300 --> 00:17:23,200 The kind of teaching that invites the will it's the kind 293 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,700 of teaching that invites a life change. 294 00:17:25,700 --> 00:17:29,500 It's not just here's a fact, two plus two equals four. 295 00:17:30,700 --> 00:17:34,600 It's here's a fact about God and here's what this means for your 296 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:36,300 life. Or here's what this calls you 297 00:17:36,300 --> 00:17:40,600 to, here's how this changes you It's the kind of teaching that 298 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:45,500 shapes, our person is kind of teaching that forms the whole 299 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:49,200 man. Not simply their mind. 300 00:17:49,700 --> 00:17:53,100 If we have only grasp a knowledge of God without a love 301 00:17:53,100 --> 00:17:56,700 for god, without a love for his people, then we do not really 302 00:17:56,700 --> 00:17:58,900 know God at all. This is what John lays out in 303 00:17:58,900 --> 00:18:02,200 his Epistles. We may know some things about 304 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:07,700 God, but we do not know. God and Elder must be able to 305 00:18:07,700 --> 00:18:13,200 teach the church under his care to rely on God's word, as he is 306 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:19,000 relying on God's word. The word sound here. 307 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:24,000 Give instruction in sound Doctrine means healthy. 308 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:29,200 It means to be healthy but before we receive the Gospel of 309 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:33,900 Christ, we are spiritually unhealthy and in fact, we are 310 00:18:34,100 --> 00:18:38,400 spiritually dead. As Paul writes in Ephesians 2. 311 00:18:38,500 --> 00:18:41,800 Colossians 1 Jesus makes known to Nicodemus in John chapter 3 312 00:18:42,900 --> 00:18:47,000 But when the gospel is taught Faithfully God, by his spirit 313 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:50,600 makes spiritually dead men rise to spiritual life. 314 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:54,800 He regenerates them by his Spirit, through the power of His 315 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:56,500 word. Paul writes. 316 00:18:56,500 --> 00:19:00,300 In Romans, 1:16 says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel for it 317 00:19:00,300 --> 00:19:03,300 is the power of God for salvation to everyone who 318 00:19:03,300 --> 00:19:06,500 believes I'm not ashamed of the Gospel. 319 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:10,500 It's the power of God for salvation to everyone who 320 00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:15,200 believes we use the phrase Also around here a lot and we do it 321 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:17,900 for good reason. We are tasked with teaching 322 00:19:17,900 --> 00:19:21,400 sound Doctrine, which we find in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 323 00:19:22,100 --> 00:19:25,000 The Gospel were gospel, just means good news. 324 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:27,800 What's the good news about a specific message, about the 325 00:19:27,808 --> 00:19:31,900 message of Jesus Christ? And so at every level of 326 00:19:31,900 --> 00:19:36,600 ministry, both inside the church and outside, we are tasked with 327 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:40,200 proclaiming heralding, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 328 00:19:42,100 --> 00:19:44,900 But I must ask, what is the gospel? 329 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:48,900 If we went around the room today and I asked you to give a 330 00:19:48,900 --> 00:19:55,000 60-second summary of the Gospel. Could you do it? 331 00:19:59,700 --> 00:20:02,200 Let me show you four. Basic parts, the gospel of 332 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:09,500 Christ. God man, Christ and response. 333 00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:14,000 God man. Christ and response. 334 00:20:15,700 --> 00:20:17,800 There's a track. There's actually a book called, 335 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:19,700 what is the gospel by Greg Gilbert? 336 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,400 He lays these things out really. Really. 337 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:26,300 Well, there's a track out here in the lobby, in our little box 338 00:20:26,300 --> 00:20:31,200 of tracks that Exists called what is the gospel lazy's things 339 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:35,300 out very well that you might take them and learn it and use 340 00:20:35,300 --> 00:20:40,400 it to evangelize your neighbor. But let's deal with the first 341 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:43,800 one. God, one more. 342 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:46,100 Evangelizing somebody, when we're talking about the gospel, 343 00:20:46,100 --> 00:20:48,700 the first thing we need to understand is that we're talking 344 00:20:48,700 --> 00:20:51,800 about God. And something very specific 345 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:53,100 about God. We are saying that he is the 346 00:20:53,100 --> 00:20:57,500 creator of all things and that we are accountable to him. 347 00:20:58,100 --> 00:21:01,100 He's the creator of all things and we are accountable to him 348 00:21:01,100 --> 00:21:03,700 Paul again. In Romans 1 through 4 lays the 349 00:21:03,700 --> 00:21:08,000 gospel out, beautifully, and Romans 1, Paul, and forms the 350 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:12,300 church that they are not autonomous that they don't exist 351 00:21:12,300 --> 00:21:14,400 in vacuums either. They're not on their own. 352 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:18,300 They didn't create themselves that they aren't self-reliant. 353 00:21:18,300 --> 00:21:23,300 They're not self accountable. They're created by someone and 354 00:21:23,300 --> 00:21:27,300 they're accountable to the one who created them and because God 355 00:21:27,300 --> 00:21:31,000 created you, he knows what is best for you. 356 00:21:31,300 --> 00:21:35,800 And so, God, commands, you to worship him alone. 357 00:21:35,900 --> 00:21:36,900 This is what Paul's revealing in. 358 00:21:36,900 --> 00:21:39,300 Romans 1, Jasper, talk about some of these things this 359 00:21:39,300 --> 00:21:43,700 morning and Sunday School in Romans 1:21 we read this. 360 00:21:43,700 --> 00:21:46,500 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give 361 00:21:46,500 --> 00:21:50,400 thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and 362 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:52,800 their foolish Hearts were darkened. 363 00:21:54,300 --> 00:21:59,200 So we see in the gospel message that there is a God, he's the 364 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:03,600 creator of all things of Heaven and Earth and everything in it. 365 00:22:04,700 --> 00:22:07,800 And what we also see is that man does not honor him. 366 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:12,300 Man does not worship Him. Man does not give thanks to him. 367 00:22:13,500 --> 00:22:15,500 And so it brings us to the second part man. 368 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:20,600 Are our problem is that we have rebelled against God. 369 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:21,800 This is the problem in the world. 370 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:23,400 Today there is a God who created. 371 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,500 There is a God who issued commands there is a God, who is 372 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:29,800 to be obeyed and to be worshipped and we have not 373 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,500 obeyed him. Nor worshipped him mankind, did 374 00:22:33,500 --> 00:22:36,000 not honor God, they did not give thanks to him as they should 375 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,300 have. They exchanged Paul writes. 376 00:22:38,300 --> 00:22:41,900 In verse 23, the glory of the immortal God for images, 377 00:22:41,900 --> 00:22:47,200 resembling more Man, and birds and animals and creeping things. 378 00:22:51,500 --> 00:22:54,300 What you read in Romans 1 is devastated. 379 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:59,400 You read the most pitiful sight that you can behold. 380 00:23:00,900 --> 00:23:05,500 That mankind, considers its creator, that mankind thinks 381 00:23:05,500 --> 00:23:10,800 about its creator. But then chooses to cheaply 382 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:16,000 trade him for the worship of created things, including 383 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:25,700 themselves, as images of man, So what we read about in Romans 1 384 00:23:25,700 --> 00:23:30,300 is that mankind, finds creation, more glorious, mankind finds 385 00:23:30,300 --> 00:23:34,200 creation, more satisfy more valuable than God. 386 00:23:36,300 --> 00:23:39,100 This is the height of insult in Rebellion against God. 387 00:23:39,100 --> 00:23:44,600 It's it reaches, its results or are horrific Romans 6:23 reveals 388 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:48,700 to us the results of this for the wages of sin is death. 389 00:23:50,500 --> 00:23:54,300 Rebellion against God is sin against God. 390 00:23:54,900 --> 00:23:59,400 Worshipping created things as sin against God, choosing to 391 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:03,500 suppress the truths about God choosing to not acknowledge God 392 00:24:03,500 --> 00:24:07,600 choosing to live your life. Apart from God is sin. 393 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:14,900 The wages of this is death. He said, well Kyle, I thought 394 00:24:14,900 --> 00:24:16,800 you said the gospel was good news. 395 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:21,500 How many of, you know before you can have good news? 396 00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:23,200 You've got to know the bad news first. 397 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:31,300 God created. God is the only one worthy of 398 00:24:31,300 --> 00:24:35,000 worship and Mankind has rebelled against God and chosen to 399 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,500 worship creation, rather than God. 400 00:24:41,300 --> 00:24:46,000 And so we get to Christ in the gospel, God's solution to 401 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:49,600 humanity, sin is the sacrificial, substitutional 402 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:53,200 death, and resurrection of his own son, Jesus Christ. 403 00:24:54,100 --> 00:24:59,500 Romans 3:21, but now, The righteousness of God has been 404 00:24:59,500 --> 00:25:04,500 manifested apart from the law. The law shows where your sinful 405 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,800 the law shows that you don't measure up the law, shows you in 406 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:11,000 all the ways that you fail and rebel against God. 407 00:25:12,300 --> 00:25:15,500 And yet God. But now the righteousness of God 408 00:25:15,500 --> 00:25:18,900 has been manifested apart from the law. 409 00:25:20,100 --> 00:25:23,600 In other words, there is a way for human beings to be counted 410 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:24,900 as what Gilbert says in his book. 411 00:25:24,900 --> 00:25:27,100 By the way, in other words, there's a way for human beings 412 00:25:27,100 --> 00:25:31,100 to be counted righteous before. God instead of unrighteous to be 413 00:25:31,100 --> 00:25:34,500 declared innocent instead of guilty to be justified. 414 00:25:34,500 --> 00:25:38,200 Instead of condemned, it has nothing to do with acting better 415 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:43,100 or living a more righteous life. It comes apart from the law. 416 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,100 So how does it happen or Romans 3:24? 417 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:51,000 Right? After we read that, that all 418 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:52,700 have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 419 00:25:52,700 --> 00:25:58,200 We get verse 24, which says, we are justified by his grace as a 420 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:02,500 gift. Everybody say grace is a gift. 421 00:26:04,100 --> 00:26:07,600 Grace is a gift. Through the Redemption that is 422 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:11,900 in Christ Jesus. So the sacrificial death and 423 00:26:11,900 --> 00:26:13,600 Resurrection through the sacrificial death and 424 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:17,900 Resurrection because of his blood and his life Sinners may 425 00:26:17,900 --> 00:26:21,900 be saved from the condemnation that our sins rightfully 426 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:26,200 deserve. Now we're getting into the good 427 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:29,500 news. But there's really one more 428 00:26:29,500 --> 00:26:31,700 question. Right of Salvation is made 429 00:26:31,700 --> 00:26:35,600 available through Christ but but how is this good news for me? 430 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:39,200 How do I become included in this promised salvation? 431 00:26:39,900 --> 00:26:41,700 How do I take? Hold of it. 432 00:26:42,900 --> 00:26:47,400 Let's get you to response. So God created. 433 00:26:48,900 --> 00:26:53,400 Man rebelled chose to worship God rather than or it starts 434 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:55,400 chose to worship creation rather than God. 435 00:26:56,900 --> 00:27:01,000 God, sent his own son. Jesus Christ to be the atonement 436 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:04,100 for sin. And now, you're left with a 437 00:27:04,100 --> 00:27:10,100 response. What is your response part of 438 00:27:10,100 --> 00:27:12,400 this response? What it does is it shows us how 439 00:27:12,500 --> 00:27:16,000 you can be included in the salvation by faith in Jesus 440 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,800 Christ. Romans 3:20 to the righteousness 441 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:21,600 of God comes through faith, in Jesus Christ. 442 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:26,500 For all, who believe, the righteousness of God, that means 443 00:27:26,500 --> 00:27:31,800 the right standing, the Perfection of God comes through 444 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:33,700 faith. Jesus Christ doesn't come 445 00:27:33,700 --> 00:27:35,500 through your good works. Doesn't come through your 446 00:27:35,500 --> 00:27:38,400 ability to muster up the strength to do, whatever it 447 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:44,600 comes through faith, in Jesus Christ for all who believe, What 448 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:49,200 it takes to have faith in Jesus, is to humble yourself, not exalt 449 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:51,700 yourself. You're not working up to some 450 00:27:51,700 --> 00:27:56,300 great faith. You're bowing down and humility 451 00:27:56,300 --> 00:27:59,800 to God. Saying, God, I am imperfect. 452 00:28:00,100 --> 00:28:03,300 I have sinned against you. I'm in need of your son. 453 00:28:03,300 --> 00:28:08,600 Jesus to save me for my sins. I put my faith in him alone that 454 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:13,100 I might be saved. This is what salvation looks 455 00:28:13,100 --> 00:28:14,600 like. So how does the Salvation become 456 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,300 good news for me and not just for someone else? 457 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:20,200 How is it good for news for you and not just the people sitting 458 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:23,500 next to you? How do you become included in 459 00:28:23,500 --> 00:28:26,900 it? By believing in Jesus Christ. 460 00:28:28,100 --> 00:28:32,400 By believing in Christ but trusting him by trusting nothing 461 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:37,200 else by trusting Jesus. To save you Romans 4 verse 5 to 462 00:28:37,208 --> 00:28:40,500 the one who does not work, meaning to the one who does not 463 00:28:40,500 --> 00:28:42,300 stand on his own. Good works. 464 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:45,100 But believes in him, who justifies the ungodly? 465 00:28:45,300 --> 00:28:48,800 His faith is counted as righteousness. 466 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:53,200 One who does not work, but believes in him, who justifies 467 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,700 the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. 468 00:28:55,900 --> 00:28:58,900 It is the gospel message as first proclaimed by the apostles 469 00:28:59,100 --> 00:29:03,400 and the prophets, as the church Finds Its found dacian. 470 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:07,900 Its belief in Jesus Christ, through the gospel message, 471 00:29:07,900 --> 00:29:14,500 which unites us to Jesus Christ re not unite, Sinners to Jesus 472 00:29:14,500 --> 00:29:20,900 Christ, reconciling them to God once and for all time, And it 473 00:29:20,900 --> 00:29:27,000 creates a body of Believers that spans the space of time and 474 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:31,100 place a people for God's very own possession of people who are 475 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:35,400 once far off, but have now been brought near to God through the 476 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,700 Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is what Paul is getting at 477 00:29:39,700 --> 00:29:43,600 in Ephesians 2 Ephesians 2. 1 through 10 is just Ephesians 1. 478 00:29:43,900 --> 00:29:47,900 1 verse 2 through 10 is just this great layout of the Gospel 479 00:29:47,900 --> 00:29:54,500 of Jesus Christ and Ephesians 2 after verse 10 verses 11 through 480 00:29:54,500 --> 00:29:57,700 like 18, Paul is laying out. Here's how it's made of a new 481 00:29:57,700 --> 00:30:01,400 people. And this is what he says, so 482 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:03,800 then you are no longer in verse 19. 483 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:07,500 So then you are no longer strangers, and Aliens, but you 484 00:30:07,500 --> 00:30:09,400 are fellow citizens with the Saints. 485 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:12,700 And the members of the household of God Builds on the foundation 486 00:30:12,700 --> 00:30:14,800 of the Apostles and Prophets Christ. 487 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:18,500 Jesus himself, being the Cornerstone and whom the whole 488 00:30:18,500 --> 00:30:24,000 structure being joined together. Grows into a holy Temple in the 489 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:27,400 Lord. In him, you are being built 490 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:31,500 together into a dwelling place for God by the spirit. 491 00:30:34,300 --> 00:30:37,700 It's about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you become the body of 492 00:30:37,700 --> 00:30:42,000 Christ. You become his people and like 493 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,400 bricks being laid on a foundation with Christ. 494 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:48,000 As the Cornerstone, you were being built into a temple of 495 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:53,500 God. Healthy churches. 496 00:30:53,600 --> 00:31:00,700 Hold fast to Healthy churches, rely on sound doctrine. 497 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,200 That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 498 00:31:04,300 --> 00:31:08,200 We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ 499 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:12,100 alone, according to scripture alone for the glory of God 500 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:16,100 Alone. We must rely on that sound 501 00:31:16,100 --> 00:31:18,600 Doctrine. Always if we hope to build a 502 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:23,000 healthy church, again, we build a healthy Church by holding fast 503 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:28,700 to, and teaching sound Doctrine. And that gets us to the second 504 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:32,600 point of what healthy churches, Deuce healthy churches, refutes 505 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:36,800 unsound Doctrine, they have their ear to the ground. 506 00:31:37,500 --> 00:31:41,600 They're listening, they're observing they're watching, 507 00:31:41,900 --> 00:31:46,100 they're testing everything that they here, which is proclaimed 508 00:31:46,100 --> 00:31:50,600 to be from God, to make sure that it lines up with God's 509 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:53,600 word. They're the bereans that we meet 510 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:57,600 and acts. Who tested everything that Paul 511 00:31:57,700 --> 00:32:00,300 said, to make sure that it was actually. 512 00:32:00,300 --> 00:32:06,400 As scripture says, now, we get into the point of having Elders 513 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:08,600 who hold firm to teach sound Doctrine. 514 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:12,200 It's to protect the church from false teachers. 515 00:32:13,700 --> 00:32:18,300 In Titus 1:9 the C part there, the final part said so that he 516 00:32:18,300 --> 00:32:22,100 may be able to rebuke those who contradict sound Doctrine. 517 00:32:23,700 --> 00:32:25,600 Who are those, who contradict it? 518 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:30,400 Well it seems here in Titus 1, it's a collection of many Paul 519 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:34,400 says from outside. And inside the church especially 520 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:38,000 including the circumcision party, which were the judaizers 521 00:32:38,500 --> 00:32:41,000 once we wanted to mix Christianity and Judaism. 522 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:45,700 Titus 1 10 through, 14 says this for there are many who are 523 00:32:45,700 --> 00:32:49,000 insubordinate, many, who are empty talkers and deceivers, 524 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,300 especially those of the circumcision party. 525 00:32:51,300 --> 00:32:57,300 They must be silenced since they are upsetting whole families by 526 00:32:57,300 --> 00:32:58,900 teaching for shameful. Gain. 527 00:32:59,100 --> 00:33:01,800 What they ought not to teach one of the cretans. 528 00:33:01,900 --> 00:33:05,300 Paul says, a prophet of their own said, cretans, are always 529 00:33:05,300 --> 00:33:09,000 Liars, evil beasts. They're lazy gluttons. 530 00:33:10,500 --> 00:33:13,800 Paul says, in verse 13, this testimony is true. 531 00:33:16,300 --> 00:33:20,400 Therefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the 532 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:22,200 faith. Not devoting themselves to 533 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,900 Jewish myths into the commands of people who turn away from the 534 00:33:25,900 --> 00:33:28,800 truth. You see false teachers are 535 00:33:28,808 --> 00:33:30,700 threatening the health of the church, they're teaching for 536 00:33:30,700 --> 00:33:33,900 shameful gain, what they ought not to teach and as in doing so 537 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:38,400 they're upsetting whole families and so they must be silenced. 538 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:42,800 Now upsetting whole families might even have in mind, 539 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:45,600 upsetting whole churches as churches would have been meeting 540 00:33:45,700 --> 00:33:50,500 in homes during this era. But whether they're upsetting 541 00:33:50,500 --> 00:33:52,500 whole families are whether they're upsetting whole church, 542 00:33:52,500 --> 00:33:57,200 has the false teachers must be stopped and Paul is very strong 543 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:02,100 about what it means to stop them about what must happen. 544 00:34:02,100 --> 00:34:07,200 He says, they must be silenced idea of silencing something here 545 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,699 in the Greek is the same for muzzling a rabid dog. 546 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:15,600 It's these teachers are like ravenous wolves. 547 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:20,199 They're dangerous to the sheep and so they must be muzzled. 548 00:34:20,199 --> 00:34:24,100 They must be silently less, they harm anyone else other false 549 00:34:24,100 --> 00:34:28,300 teaching. So they destroy someone else's 550 00:34:28,300 --> 00:34:32,199 faith. Paul goes on to say, rebuke them 551 00:34:32,699 --> 00:34:40,400 sharply why? Because they're always Liars. 552 00:34:41,100 --> 00:34:43,699 They're evil Beast. They're lazy gluttons. 553 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:47,800 There are rough Bunch with the total disregard for God and his 554 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:51,100 word and so they must be rebuked sharply. 555 00:34:53,500 --> 00:34:57,100 Now did rebuking someone sharply, I don't think means 556 00:34:57,100 --> 00:34:59,800 what you might originally have in mind, whatever connotation 557 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:02,600 originally comes to mind. Like, when I initially read 558 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:04,200 this, I think of some of the Facebook post. 559 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:10,200 I see these days More of a ranting and raving what Paul has 560 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:11,300 in mind hear what Paul has a my own. 561 00:35:11,300 --> 00:35:14,300 He says, rebuke them sharply. He has in mind, the surgeon with 562 00:35:14,300 --> 00:35:19,200 a scalpel. Surgeon takes a scalpel in his 563 00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:21,200 hand and with precision and focus. 564 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:25,000 He removes the tumor. With that scalpel. 565 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:29,400 The surgeon doesn't enter the operating room with a butter 566 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:32,400 knife. He's not weak. 567 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:39,600 He sure. He doesn't enter the operating 568 00:35:39,600 --> 00:35:43,200 room with a machete, he's not bombastic. 569 00:35:45,100 --> 00:35:50,500 He's gentle and bold. It's the right tool for the 570 00:35:50,500 --> 00:35:53,600 right problem at hand, and Paul wants Titus. 571 00:35:53,600 --> 00:35:55,300 In these Elders to guard the church. 572 00:35:55,800 --> 00:35:59,700 He wants them to protect God's people with unsound Doctrine. 573 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:05,300 His goal is healthy leadership with a healthy Church body. 574 00:36:06,500 --> 00:36:09,400 There are times when a dog must be muzzled before he can be 575 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:11,400 trained. There are times when a tumor 576 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:14,400 must be removed for the man to be made healthy. 577 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:17,200 We live at a time. We're calling out false teachers 578 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:19,800 is considered judging one another, in a way that goes 579 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:21,800 against Christ's, teaching in The Sermon, on the Mount. 580 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,800 But Christ, neither Christ, nor the old Tessa, sorry, New 581 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:27,500 Testament. Neither Christ, nor the New 582 00:36:27,500 --> 00:36:32,200 Testament Church knows anything of this sort of conflation of 583 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:36,900 thought. False teachers cross was about 584 00:36:36,900 --> 00:36:39,000 this. His apostles were about this. 585 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:43,300 The early church was about this false teachers must be silenced 586 00:36:43,300 --> 00:36:47,800 less they lead others astray. It's not a matter of opinion, 587 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:50,200 it's that they're teaching things that go against the 588 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:53,800 Gospel of Jesus Christ. But teaching things that are 589 00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:58,600 contrary to truth. But even further than that, they 590 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:04,200 must be rebuke that they may be sound in the faith. anytime you 591 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:08,400 read Paul when it comes to church discipline, when it comes 592 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:13,100 to rebuking false teachers, Paul has a mind restoration, he has 593 00:37:13,100 --> 00:37:17,800 in mind reconciliation with god, he has in mind, saving someone's 594 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:22,500 soul from Hell Fire. Not only of The Souls of the 595 00:37:22,500 --> 00:37:26,500 hearers of these false teachers at stake, Paul is saying The 596 00:37:26,500 --> 00:37:30,900 Souls of the false teachers are at stake, rebuke them sharply 597 00:37:30,900 --> 00:37:32,900 that they may be sound in the faith. 598 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:37,400 They're unsound now, Titus rebuke them sharply that they 599 00:37:37,400 --> 00:37:41,400 may be sound. The false teachers here in Titus 600 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:44,500 1 or certainly guilty of perpetuating false beliefs about 601 00:37:44,500 --> 00:37:46,200 Christ. About his atonement about his 602 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:51,400 salvation about Works about sanctification and many other 603 00:37:51,900 --> 00:37:54,700 issues. It's highly likely that these 604 00:37:54,700 --> 00:37:57,900 teachers were teaching Jewish myths concerning genealogies, 605 00:37:57,900 --> 00:38:01,500 perhaps, trying to figure out a way to deny that Christ is the 606 00:38:01,500 --> 00:38:06,500 promised Messiah. Certainly what Jews today do? 607 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:11,900 They certainly perpetuated, the commands of people who turn away 608 00:38:11,900 --> 00:38:13,200 from the truth. In other words, what they were 609 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:16,900 doing is they taught a Works based salvation. 610 00:38:17,500 --> 00:38:21,300 You must not only believe in Christ, but you must be 611 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:23,400 circumcised observe. Holy days. 612 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:27,200 Avoid eating certain foods and other Old Testament ceremonial 613 00:38:27,300 --> 00:38:30,700 laws and in doing. So they turned away from the 614 00:38:30,700 --> 00:38:33,200 truth and they caused others to turn away. 615 00:38:33,500 --> 00:38:37,700 Also, False teachers are easy to spot. 616 00:38:39,000 --> 00:38:40,700 Paul gives us their identity here. 617 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:47,600 They are greedy. They live Godless lives there. 618 00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:53,100 You're either adding to God's word or they're taking away from 619 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:59,900 God's word. The three easy marks of a false 620 00:38:59,900 --> 00:39:02,700 teacher. Some false teachings that are 621 00:39:02,700 --> 00:39:06,200 prevalent and our day. And when I say in our day, I 622 00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:10,700 mean, our culture even here, a Works based Christianity. 623 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:15,200 There are many people out there and maybe even in here. 624 00:39:16,700 --> 00:39:19,000 Who believed that? Because I'm a good person. 625 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,900 I will make it to heaven. I can just simply do enough. 626 00:39:22,900 --> 00:39:26,900 Good things be moral enough, I'll be in heaven. 627 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:31,000 I have heard preachers Proclaim such fall. 628 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:34,100 Settees at funerals more times than I care to remember. 629 00:39:36,300 --> 00:39:39,900 The kind of man or woman. You are has nothing to do with 630 00:39:39,900 --> 00:39:44,200 whether or not you were saved. It's where your faith is. 631 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:48,500 For your salvation. And if you're saying that by my 632 00:39:48,500 --> 00:39:50,400 good works, I will make it to Heaven. 633 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:54,900 You are saying that you Are the Messiah. 634 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:02,300 Bad news is you will never be good enough to inherit God's 635 00:40:02,300 --> 00:40:07,000 Kingdom on your own. Your righteousness is as filthy 636 00:40:07,300 --> 00:40:13,000 rags. You Must Believe In Christ and 637 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:16,600 do these things to be saved is another way that this is, this 638 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:19,900 works based Christianity is perpetuated again. 639 00:40:19,900 --> 00:40:23,600 Churches are perpetuating this even in our community, some 640 00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:25,900 Churches at baptism to belief in Christ. 641 00:40:25,900 --> 00:40:30,600 You must be baptized also or you're not truly regenerated. 642 00:40:31,300 --> 00:40:36,500 Others have added a baptism of the spirit to belief in Christ 643 00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:41,700 which I will say the scriptures know nothing of However, you are 644 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:47,800 Justified before God by faith in Christ alone, not your works. 645 00:40:49,500 --> 00:40:54,200 Baptism is an outward showing of this inward Faith. 646 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:59,000 It's me identifying myself publicly as a Christian, but it 647 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:00,400 is not. What saves you? 648 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:02,100 There's nothing scripture. Makes it clear. 649 00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:05,500 There's nothing that happens. It's washing no dirt off of. 650 00:41:05,500 --> 00:41:09,100 You scripture says Christ has done that. 651 00:41:09,100 --> 00:41:12,500 You are already clean because the spirit regenerated you. 652 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:16,800 You are saved by faith in Christ which leads to Good Works. 653 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:21,200 You're not saved by your good works, Ephesians 2 1 through 10. 654 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:26,300 On the second false teachings that we see in our community is 655 00:41:26,300 --> 00:41:30,600 cultural Christianity. Cultural Christianity. 656 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:33,600 Is this idea of saying that you believe in Jesus, but you 657 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:37,300 produce no spiritual fruit thereof, but that's okay because 658 00:41:37,500 --> 00:41:44,900 he believes in Jesus. He say again, scripture has no 659 00:41:44,900 --> 00:41:47,200 understanding of such Christians. 660 00:41:49,100 --> 00:41:53,100 A Christians life in scripture is meant to be observable. 661 00:41:53,900 --> 00:41:57,700 There is fruit from True belief, which is meant to be seen. 662 00:41:58,100 --> 00:42:00,500 Namely there is a dependence on God. 663 00:42:00,500 --> 00:42:03,000 There's a pointing others to depend on him. 664 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:06,100 Also, especially those who are closest to the professing 665 00:42:06,100 --> 00:42:15,700 believer. It's very close to that. 666 00:42:15,700 --> 00:42:18,300 I'm a good person. So I will be in heaven, but it's 667 00:42:18,400 --> 00:42:23,700 it's different. these people will say that they believe in 668 00:42:23,700 --> 00:42:31,000 God, but rarely if ever engage in Bible reading rarely if ever 669 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:37,900 pray to the father, And the fellowship of Believers is not 670 00:42:37,900 --> 00:42:41,800 important for them. They have fruits. 671 00:42:43,100 --> 00:42:47,100 But it's bad fruit from the flesh, they do not have the 672 00:42:47,100 --> 00:42:51,400 fruit of the spirit, present in their life and so they're easily 673 00:42:51,600 --> 00:42:53,400 discernible. The problem is they're the 674 00:42:53,400 --> 00:42:57,400 hardest people to reach for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to reach 675 00:42:57,400 --> 00:43:01,100 unto real salvation because they have convinced themselves or 676 00:43:01,100 --> 00:43:05,100 some church culture, convinced them that they are saved. 677 00:43:06,200 --> 00:43:09,000 Because I made a profession of Faith or a prayer walk denial, 678 00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:12,500 maybe as a child got baptized and have lived like hell since. 679 00:43:12,500 --> 00:43:17,600 But because of that, one moment. They're Christians, I'm telling 680 00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:20,400 you scripture knows nothing of that sort of Christian. 681 00:43:22,200 --> 00:43:27,300 He must be transformed. A third one that I see is 682 00:43:27,300 --> 00:43:32,700 Progressive Christianity. This one's coming quickly at 683 00:43:32,700 --> 00:43:36,300 warp speed. I'm afraid that we are not 684 00:43:36,300 --> 00:43:42,900 shouldn't say afraid. my concern is, That it's going to sweep 685 00:43:42,900 --> 00:43:46,300 Mini. Mini away. 686 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:53,100 It's extremely popular. It's in Vogue, it's being held 687 00:43:53,100 --> 00:43:57,700 out by The world's largest denominations. 688 00:44:01,700 --> 00:44:04,400 Less and less pastors and churches, are devoting 689 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:09,100 themselves to holding fast to and teaching God's word alone. 690 00:44:09,300 --> 00:44:12,800 The church instead is adopting worldly culture. 691 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:18,300 It's synchronization, it's synchronizing, Christianity and 692 00:44:18,300 --> 00:44:21,200 worldliness. It's saying we can wed these two 693 00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:24,100 things together, so that we can reach more people. 694 00:44:27,300 --> 00:44:31,800 But if you soften the gospel that man has rebelled against 695 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:35,300 the holy God and is in need of repentance and that comes 696 00:44:35,300 --> 00:44:40,700 through Christ alone and now our response is faith alone for our 697 00:44:40,700 --> 00:44:43,100 Salvation. If you soften that or if you 698 00:44:43,100 --> 00:44:46,000 cheap in that by mixing Christianity with worldliness, 699 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:52,400 there is no salvation There's inclusion in a visible church 700 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:55,100 but there is no salvation. There's no inclusion in an 701 00:44:55,100 --> 00:44:57,600 invisible Church. You understand what I mean? 702 00:44:58,900 --> 00:45:02,100 You might look like a Christian outwardly, you might participate 703 00:45:02,100 --> 00:45:05,500 with people who proclaimed to be Christians, but there is nothing 704 00:45:05,500 --> 00:45:08,500 on the inside of you that is spiritually alive. 705 00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:12,200 You're just as dead as you were, but now, you've been made 706 00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:17,500 comfortable in your deadness and so churches, and whole 707 00:45:17,500 --> 00:45:20,000 denominations are adopting. The world's beliefs, regarding 708 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:23,800 sexuality in marriage embracing, the likes of transgenderism, 709 00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:27,400 homosexuality, they're denying God's word concerning men, women 710 00:45:27,500 --> 00:45:30,400 and marriage is churches. Put into leadership men and 711 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:33,600 women who are in clear Rebellion, to God's word. 712 00:45:34,500 --> 00:45:37,100 Individual Christians are becoming more and more influence 713 00:45:37,100 --> 00:45:40,500 by the world's teaching. On individualism marriage, 714 00:45:40,500 --> 00:45:44,700 gender identity, Fame, power money doubts about God, Etc. 715 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:53,700 Worldliness is creeping in. But it's because pastors and 716 00:45:53,700 --> 00:45:56,800 churches have not taken God's word, seriously. 717 00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:03,200 Fathers haven't taken seriously, the training of their sons and 718 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:08,800 daughters for godliness. Discipleship for knowing god for 719 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:16,100 following him. Now we can't look out there and 720 00:46:16,500 --> 00:46:19,800 be so overwhelmed that we can't change the culture. 721 00:46:19,800 --> 00:46:23,800 He changed the culture by loving your wife by loving your kids, 722 00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:28,700 teaching them the gospel, he changed the culture by holding 723 00:46:28,700 --> 00:46:34,000 fast to in the local church, God's word, instructing people 724 00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:39,200 with sound Doctrine, you hold fast to Sound Doctrine by 725 00:46:39,200 --> 00:46:44,500 refuting unsound Doctrine, calling it what it is and hopes 726 00:46:44,500 --> 00:46:48,100 that those people will repent and give their lives to Christ. 727 00:46:48,800 --> 00:46:50,700 It's no wonder. The world is in the shape that 728 00:46:50,700 --> 00:46:53,800 it's in Christians and churches are chiefly trading, the worship 729 00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:59,000 of God for idolatry all of this seems to lack or stems from a 730 00:46:59,008 --> 00:47:03,800 lack of biblical knowledge. It's a Devotion to your own 731 00:47:03,800 --> 00:47:07,100 feelings, over a Devotion to God's word and so we must 732 00:47:07,100 --> 00:47:09,900 recover a Reliance on sound Doctrine. 733 00:47:09,900 --> 00:47:13,700 So that we may be able to refute unsound Doctrine. 734 00:47:14,300 --> 00:47:16,500 It begins with pastors. Yes. 735 00:47:17,300 --> 00:47:19,500 But the mission to rely on sound Doctrine. 736 00:47:19,700 --> 00:47:23,100 The mission to refute unsound Doctrine, is for the entire 737 00:47:23,100 --> 00:47:25,900 congregation. You two need to have your eyes. 738 00:47:25,900 --> 00:47:29,500 Open, your ears, open your mind, open your heart, open to 739 00:47:29,500 --> 00:47:32,100 understand what's infiltrating your life. 740 00:47:32,300 --> 00:47:35,300 And does that Accord with sound Doctrine? 741 00:47:35,300 --> 00:47:37,900 Or does it? Not the only way you'll do that 742 00:47:37,900 --> 00:47:44,400 is if you know God's word But together, you and I together, 743 00:47:46,100 --> 00:47:50,100 we'll build a healthy Church by holding fast to, and teaching 744 00:47:50,100 --> 00:47:52,600 sound Doctrine. This is how it happens. 745 00:47:52,600 --> 00:47:59,300 God's word is our foundation. When remind you of Ephesians 4 746 00:47:59,300 --> 00:48:04,100 13 through 16, which I read earlier, until we all attain, to 747 00:48:04,100 --> 00:48:06,500 the unity of the faith of knowledge of the Son of God to 748 00:48:06,500 --> 00:48:09,500 mature, manhood to the measure and stature of the fullness of 749 00:48:09,500 --> 00:48:12,700 Christ. So that we may no longer be 750 00:48:12,700 --> 00:48:15,700 children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by 751 00:48:15,700 --> 00:48:18,600 every wind of Doctrine by human cunning by craftiness and 752 00:48:18,600 --> 00:48:21,100 deceitful schemes. Rather speaking the truth in 753 00:48:21,100 --> 00:48:25,200 love, we are to grow up in every way into him. 754 00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:28,400 Who is the head in? Christ from whom the whole body 755 00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:30,600 joined and held together by every joint with which it is 756 00:48:30,600 --> 00:48:33,300 equipped. When each part is working 757 00:48:33,300 --> 00:48:38,000 properly, makes the body grows so that it builds itself up in 758 00:48:38,200 --> 00:48:46,400 love. We all we we grow up Building a 759 00:48:46,408 --> 00:48:50,200 healthy church is a team sport, Pastor set. 760 00:48:50,200 --> 00:48:54,000 The pace and equipped the members to join in the work of 761 00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:57,700 ministry, toward one another, for the building up of the body 762 00:48:57,700 --> 00:49:00,300 of Christ. And there are three, 763 00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:04,200 tried-and-true means of Grace for believe for believers to 764 00:49:04,200 --> 00:49:07,600 grow in Christ likeness. The first is a commitment to the 765 00:49:07,600 --> 00:49:12,400 study of God's word. Commit yourself to study God's 766 00:49:12,500 --> 00:49:16,100 word. The light, Pastor. 767 00:49:16,100 --> 00:49:19,800 Aw Tozer said this, he said Satan's greatest weapon is man's 768 00:49:19,800 --> 00:49:25,200 ignorance of God's word. Again, just observe the world. 769 00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:32,200 We live in today. And so you must brothers or 770 00:49:32,200 --> 00:49:36,200 sisters, I can't plead with you enough to make time each day for 771 00:49:36,200 --> 00:49:40,400 the reading of God's word for your commitment to it. 772 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:45,600 Your Devotion to know God, you want to know God and know his 773 00:49:45,600 --> 00:49:48,500 will for his life, you have to read his word. 774 00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:53,400 You will not know it apart from that. and I encourage you don't 775 00:49:53,400 --> 00:50:01,700 just it's not terrible, but people come into my office 776 00:50:01,700 --> 00:50:11,100 frequently needing counseling. Well, the call you won't believe 777 00:50:11,100 --> 00:50:13,700 what's going on and just lay things out. 778 00:50:16,400 --> 00:50:18,800 And we just begin to talk about spiritual disciplines at some 779 00:50:18,800 --> 00:50:22,500 point in the conversation. Okay, how's your Bible reading? 780 00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:27,000 Well, you know, I've got the Bible app on my phone and I've 781 00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:29,400 got the little widget on there. That shows me a verse each day 782 00:50:29,400 --> 00:50:34,300 and I read that every day. Is that all? 783 00:50:35,500 --> 00:50:39,200 Yeah, that's it. But I've done it for like 40 784 00:50:39,200 --> 00:50:41,900 days in a row. Okay. 785 00:50:44,600 --> 00:50:49,500 But that's a random verse generated by a Bible app. 786 00:50:50,300 --> 00:50:54,100 For each day, largely meant to make you feel good about 787 00:50:54,100 --> 00:50:55,800 yourself. I have the same app on my phone 788 00:50:55,800 --> 00:51:01,800 and see them each day. but what's your not getting in that 789 00:51:02,500 --> 00:51:08,100 typically Our truths about God, you're not going to know God 790 00:51:08,100 --> 00:51:11,500 through Reading one verse a day. It's just not going to happen. 791 00:51:11,600 --> 00:51:15,800 It's not enough. It'd be like watching the movie 792 00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:18,000 one second. At a time per day. 793 00:51:18,000 --> 00:51:20,000 You're not going to know anything about the movie. 794 00:51:20,500 --> 00:51:22,100 You probably won't even know anything about the movie 795 00:51:22,100 --> 00:51:24,300 watching one. Second, two seconds of the movie 796 00:51:24,300 --> 00:51:27,700 per day for 40 days in a row. You're still going to be trying 797 00:51:27,700 --> 00:51:30,400 to figure it out, especially if they take Random clips from the 798 00:51:30,400 --> 00:51:33,100 movie, they don't show them in succession, right? 799 00:51:34,000 --> 00:51:36,000 Know what in the world. Am I watching what the world's 800 00:51:36,000 --> 00:51:38,900 going on? And yet will read our Bible that 801 00:51:38,900 --> 00:51:43,000 way and think I know God Oh, you have no idea who God is. 802 00:51:43,600 --> 00:51:49,700 You're scratching the surface. You have to make time each day 803 00:51:49,700 --> 00:51:52,600 to read God's word. You have to read books of the 804 00:51:52,600 --> 00:51:56,800 Bible. Verse by verse, we're in Titus. 805 00:51:56,800 --> 00:52:01,700 Now start with Titus, read verses 1 through 4 the first 806 00:52:01,700 --> 00:52:06,400 section, right? And then the next day, read five 807 00:52:06,400 --> 00:52:10,100 through nine if you want, which is the next paragraph. 808 00:52:10,300 --> 00:52:13,600 And then after that read 10 through 16, which is the next 809 00:52:13,700 --> 00:52:19,400 paragraph, but read something in succession, It and seek to know 810 00:52:19,400 --> 00:52:23,500 the Lord, if you've never read a gospel before, read the Gospel 811 00:52:23,500 --> 00:52:26,200 of John, commit to read the Gospel of John. 812 00:52:27,500 --> 00:52:32,700 Read it daily. Paragraph by paragraph if you 813 00:52:32,700 --> 00:52:37,300 want but read it and pray as you read because the goal of Bible 814 00:52:37,300 --> 00:52:39,500 reading is not just Bible intake. 815 00:52:39,600 --> 00:52:43,500 It's to commune with God is to have conversation with them, 816 00:52:43,600 --> 00:52:46,200 it's to know the Lord and so as you're reading you're saying 817 00:52:46,400 --> 00:52:50,400 Lord. Help me to know you open the 818 00:52:50,400 --> 00:52:53,000 eyes of my heart. God, I filled my mind with 819 00:52:53,000 --> 00:52:58,200 garbage and I need you help me. And then make notes about what 820 00:52:58,200 --> 00:53:01,500 you're reading, meditate on what you've read, think about it 821 00:53:01,500 --> 00:53:03,900 throughout the day, pray it throughout the day. 822 00:53:05,600 --> 00:53:13,900 That you might really know God. The second thing is dependent 823 00:53:13,900 --> 00:53:17,000 prayer. She goes kind of getting into it 824 00:53:17,000 --> 00:53:20,100 in my last one but dependent prayer, pray to God for 825 00:53:20,100 --> 00:53:24,600 illumination that he would reveal sound Doctrine, 826 00:53:24,800 --> 00:53:27,800 especially as you're reading, but not only as your reading. 827 00:53:30,600 --> 00:53:34,800 Pray for the knowledge of God, pray for your own salvation, 828 00:53:34,900 --> 00:53:37,100 pray for the Salvation of others, pray for your own 829 00:53:37,300 --> 00:53:39,900 sanctification that you would grow in Christ likeness. 830 00:53:40,500 --> 00:53:44,500 Pray, that God's kingdom would come to your life and to your 831 00:53:44,500 --> 00:53:46,400 home. And that you would be about his 832 00:53:46,400 --> 00:53:48,900 kingdom and not building your own kingdom. 833 00:53:51,100 --> 00:53:58,400 Pray the Lord's Prayer daily. Pray for transformation. 834 00:53:59,900 --> 00:54:02,200 The holy spirit will show you how to apply sound Doctrine to 835 00:54:02,200 --> 00:54:05,000 your life and show you how to live a life of godliness. 836 00:54:05,800 --> 00:54:09,600 Pray for the leaders of this church, pray for the members of 837 00:54:09,600 --> 00:54:12,500 this church. Pray that God would build a 838 00:54:12,508 --> 00:54:16,400 healthy church here and that we would all be joined together in 839 00:54:16,400 --> 00:54:20,600 it as a team sport. Pray for the regular fella. 840 00:54:21,300 --> 00:54:24,400 Sorry participation in the regular fellowship with the 841 00:54:24,400 --> 00:54:27,000 Saints as the third tried-and-true method, Hebrews, 842 00:54:27,000 --> 00:54:29,900 10:24 325. Let us consider how to stir up 843 00:54:29,900 --> 00:54:31,600 one another to love and good works. 844 00:54:31,600 --> 00:54:34,500 Not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some but 845 00:54:34,500 --> 00:54:38,500 encouraging one, another and all the more as the day draws near 846 00:54:38,500 --> 00:54:40,300 the day. There is a day of Christ 847 00:54:40,400 --> 00:54:43,600 returning says, don't neglect to meet together. 848 00:54:44,200 --> 00:54:47,400 Consider how to stir one another up to love and good works. 849 00:54:48,400 --> 00:54:51,700 So commit to gathering with the body of Christ. 850 00:54:51,700 --> 00:54:54,100 This is one of the ways that God grows you is through the 851 00:54:54,100 --> 00:54:57,200 Fellowship of the saints. Were you meet together and study 852 00:54:57,200 --> 00:54:59,000 God's word? You pray together, you worship 853 00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:01,500 together. You talk about your life, you 854 00:55:01,500 --> 00:55:04,900 share a prayer request and therefore you're sharing burdens 855 00:55:04,900 --> 00:55:08,600 and joys. There's plenty of opportunities 856 00:55:08,600 --> 00:55:10,300 around here to do that. There's Sunday school. 857 00:55:10,300 --> 00:55:12,500 There's home groups, there's biblical manhood and Womanhood, 858 00:55:12,600 --> 00:55:15,900 There's Sunday mornings. You can form your own little 859 00:55:15,900 --> 00:55:18,800 bible study group, outside of this, where you say, hey let me 860 00:55:18,800 --> 00:55:21,100 get a few guys to get, let me get a few ladies together. 861 00:55:21,100 --> 00:55:23,800 Let's read through Titus of the next few months. 862 00:55:27,500 --> 00:55:32,600 Don't simply show up. Be present when you're here. 863 00:55:33,800 --> 00:55:37,000 Be in the moment with us worship. 864 00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:43,400 God seek Him alongside of us. And then share those teachings 865 00:55:43,500 --> 00:55:48,200 with others. That we might have fellowship 866 00:55:48,200 --> 00:55:53,500 with the Saints with new Saints, the ones that Christ saves by 867 00:55:53,500 --> 00:55:56,700 the proclamation of his word and the power of His spirit. 868 00:55:57,600 --> 00:56:00,600 All of this is about being dependent on God alone for your 869 00:56:00,600 --> 00:56:05,200 salvation. It it's about being dependent on 870 00:56:05,200 --> 00:56:09,900 God, alone for your growth in Christ likeness So that you 871 00:56:09,900 --> 00:56:12,200 might be rooted and grounded in sound Doctrine. 872 00:56:12,900 --> 00:56:16,000 So that you may be able to refute any unsound doctrine. 873 00:56:16,000 --> 00:56:19,000 That comes your way tries to infiltrate your home or your 874 00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:23,000 heart that you might reproduce sound Doctrine in the lives of 875 00:56:23,000 --> 00:56:26,300 your family, your friends, your church family, those who are 876 00:56:26,308 --> 00:56:30,400 outside of the Church of Christ wants to bring near through the 877 00:56:30,400 --> 00:56:34,800 gospel. The sound Doctrine does not 878 00:56:34,800 --> 00:56:37,500 exist for the puffing up of our heads. 879 00:56:39,900 --> 00:56:44,000 The end, the goal the desire to end of sound Doctrine is that we 880 00:56:44,000 --> 00:56:47,600 would know God. And therefore fellowship with 881 00:56:47,600 --> 00:56:54,900 God, we be in communion with God. let's get this back to the 882 00:56:56,500 --> 00:56:59,500 Catechism question, what is the chief end of man? 883 00:57:00,400 --> 00:57:04,600 Chief, end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. 884 00:57:05,700 --> 00:57:08,800 The only way to do that is through sound Doctrine, knowing 885 00:57:08,800 --> 00:57:13,700 God's word seeking to abide in it to obey it. 886 00:57:14,500 --> 00:57:17,600 We build. We will you and me. 887 00:57:20,000 --> 00:57:23,300 Through Christ. We will build a healthy Church 888 00:57:23,300 --> 00:57:27,600 by holding fast to, and by teaching sound Doctrine. 889 00:57:28,200 --> 00:57:31,100 And then would you stand to your feet this morning? 890 00:57:34,700 --> 00:57:39,400 We're going to sing a song now. It's a new song but this one's 891 00:57:39,400 --> 00:57:45,700 called, oh God. And the point of this song is 892 00:57:45,700 --> 00:57:51,300 about yearning for God Alone. Whether you're in the valleys 893 00:57:51,300 --> 00:57:55,100 are on the mountaintops, it's about knowing that God is near 894 00:57:55,300 --> 00:57:57,200 to you and devoting yourself to him. 895 00:57:57,200 --> 00:58:00,700 And so I invite you now in response to the message today to 896 00:58:00,700 --> 00:58:05,500 sing this. With a heart full of wanting to 897 00:58:05,500 --> 00:58:09,200 know the Lord closely. Let me pray for you and then 898 00:58:09,200 --> 00:58:10,900 we'll sing. Heavenly Father we thank you for 899 00:58:10,900 --> 00:58:15,100 your word today. Lord, we love you so very much, 900 00:58:16,100 --> 00:58:17,700 father. Would you guide us in sound 901 00:58:17,700 --> 00:58:24,100 Doctrine so that we might grow into Two mature, men and women. 902 00:58:25,300 --> 00:58:30,300 Full stature of Christ. We might follow him all of our 903 00:58:30,300 --> 00:58:34,400 hearts, father. Would you save anyone in here? 904 00:58:34,400 --> 00:58:38,100 Who does not know you? You call them out of this world, 905 00:58:38,500 --> 00:58:42,900 call the mental life with you, grant them faith in Christ 906 00:58:42,900 --> 00:58:45,600 Jesus, by the power of your spirit. 907 00:58:47,900 --> 00:58:53,700 Or did we sing now our greatest desire is to be near to you, 908 00:58:54,000 --> 00:58:59,100 father. God, we love you. 909 00:59:01,900 --> 00:59:03,000 In Christ's name. I pray. 910 00:59:03,300 --> 00:59:02,500 Amen. In Christ's name. 911 00:59:02,500 --> 00:59:03,800 I pray. Amen.