Titus 3
Notes
Transcript
Titus 3
Titus 3
Good morning church! Open your Bibles with me please to Titus chapter 3. I had considered finishing this little letter this morning along with the one page letter that follows it, Philemon. But we will see just how long our time takes us. Our Message is titled Justified by His Grace, But Before we dig into our study I want you to consider something, or somethings I should say. The first is the Monarch Butterfly, Niagara Falls, The Giant Redwood tree, the American Eagle, and finally the black sheep. What do these things all have in common? I think they are all beautiful, but more specifically, they stand out, are set apart, from the rest of their kind. I was going to include a Boston Bruins logo as well, but I didn’t want the copyright people to flag the entire message.
As we read the first couple of verses of Titus 3 I want you to consider how much a life lived in this way would stand out! Not just amongst the masses in the world, but even among other Christians. Paul begins. Titus 3:1-2
Titus 3:1–2 (NKJV)
1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,
2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.
Pray: Lord show us what you want to show us this morning. In your Word and in ourselves, in Jesus name, amen.
Now before we continue with that thought, I want to point out something in our text on the screens that isn’t in your Bibles, and shouldn’t be in your Bibles. The bold print and the underline. I’ve done that throughout this chapter so you can see the imperative commands that Paul gives to Titus. Older Pastor to younger pastor.
We’ve seen several already in this letter, and I don’t want to distract from where we are this morning, but in our last chapter we read , speak in vs. 1, exhort in vs. 6, and again in vs. 9, and in our last verse, last week, Titus 2:15
Titus 2:15 (NKJV)
15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
Perhaps you noticed, perhaps you didn’t as we went through them, but these commands as well as the ones we will read this morning primarily concern doctrine.
But now back to this conduct which is uncommon, among the common man. He is to Remind them Titus 3:1-2
Titus 3:1–2 (NKJV)
1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,
2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.
3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.
David Guzik points out: Remembering this work of God builds four things in us.
· First, gratitude for how God changed us.
· Second, humility as we see that it was His work that changed us.
· Third, kindness to others in the same place.
· Finally, faith that God can change those who are still in that place.
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
I hope you realize this morning the riches of our blessings that God has given us in Jesus. 1 John 5:11
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
Life is in the Son, He has given us peace, and this peace is in the Son Phil 4:7
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
He has given us true Joy…John 17:13
13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
He has given us Faith, and He has given us Love, those who have Jesus have both faith and love… 1 Timothy 1:4
4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.
7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.
“The theology of Christianity is based on grace; the ethics of Christianity are based on gratitude.” (Stuart Briscoe)
Dutch theologian G.C. Berkouwer said, "The essence of Christian theology is grace, and the essence of Christian ethics is gratitude." 1903
Titus 3:9–11 (NKJV)
9 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.
10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition,
11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.
Titus 3:12–13 (NKJV)
12 When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.
13 Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing.
Titus 3:14–15 (NKJV)
14 And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.
15 All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
Grace and Peace!