Sermon Tone Analysis

March 16, 2012

By John Barnett

Read, print, ad listen to this resource on our website www.DiscoverTheBook.org

Can you imagine how liberating it would be to know how to choose the best in life?

We live in a complex world of multiplied choices, many of which are good.

We have more new information and more new opportunities offered to us each week—than the average 18th century person was offered in a lifetime.

Often this leads to an overloaded mind, and overloaded life—and a short-circuited decision making system.

We just don’t know which opportunity and what activity to choose to spend our time doing.

Wouldn’t it be incredible to confidently go to work or school and know that you are doing exactly what God wants done?

And think of life at home, as you travel, in your free time and everywhere you are—just to know that we are pleasing God by our actions?

We can only make one investment of that portion of the river of time that flows by our lives at the speed of 60 minutes-per-hour.

We can’t get time to use over—but we can redeem time as an investment for God.

Does God offer a plan to help us know what is our best use of time for His Kingdom and His Glory?

Yes, and it is simple.

Paul explains this way of life in Philippians 3.

Paul learned how to live a simple, singularly-focused life as a believer.

He knew why he was here, what he was doing—and he did both with all of his strength.

In fact, Paul says in Philippians 3 that he was straining every ounce of his body towards the goal of his life which was Christ-like living.

Paul made the Christian life simple because he simply lived life for Christ.

He stated his simple goal in Philippians 3.

Philippians 3:12-14 /"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."/

NKJV

Paul confidently could say—

*One Thing I Do*

Have you come to that point?

It’s a life of many things—done for one supreme purpose.

Paul was consumed with one goal in life, one purpose for living.

He did many things—

• he had a skill in tent-making that he used to earn a living,

• he had a love to travel,

• he had a tremendous communication skill set in both speaking and writing,

• he was a genius in making and staying in touch with friends,

• he loved to sail around the Mediterranean Sea,

• he was somewhat of a power-walker (walking hundreds of miles in walks around the Roman Empire),

• he had social skills that made him able to comfortably move among the highest circles of the wealthy,

• he was very sensitive to the needs and concerns of the poor—and on and on we could go picking out the multi-faceted life of this accomplished person.

But, here in Philippians 3 Paul confesses that everything he did was harnessed to one dominating purpose in his life.

One thing connected every other thing.

“Paul had reduced the whole of sanctification to the simple and clear goal of doing “one thing”—pursuing Christlikeness”.

Paul had connected with the very purpose of God in election and predestination.

As he had previously stated in Romans 8, he was focused on his reason to even be alive.

We like Paul were divinely chosen to be conformed to Christ-likeness.

As Paul says to the church at Rome:

Romans 8:29 /"For whom He foreknew, He also predestined *to be conformed to the image of His Son*, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."/

NKJV

Conformity to Christ is Christ-like living.

Christ-like living, as we saw last time, is personal sanctification.

*I Press toward The Goal*

Personal sanctification is a life long ‘pressing towards the goal’ of Christ like behavior.

This singular goal can pull together all the rest of the many pieces of life.

We look at everything we must do and weigh each one as to whether or not it contributes to the one great finish line of our life—Christ-conformity!

So what exactly is Christ-like behavior?

How do we know where to point our lives, our time, and our energies?

Last time we saw in Philippians 2:12-13 we were to work on something in our progressive sanctification.

Philippians 2:12-13 /"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."/

NKJV

Paul said we are to pursue living God’s desires for our life.

And where would we find that?

Paul would say, “That’s simple!”

So that there is no confusion of what we should work on, God wrote it down.

We have it this morning.

God's Word is God’s plan for our life.

No matter where you go in this book we find the will of God for us His children.

Paul saw his purpose was to obediently yield his life to ever increasing levels of Christ-conformity.

He saw life as being more and more conformed to Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:18 /"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, *are being transformed into the same image* from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord"/.

NKJV

This morning our quest for personal, progressive sanctification—or living life continually surrendering my life to God’s plan, is what’s written down in Titus.

Paul left Titus in Crete with a simple assignment—do everything you can to help these new believers become like Christ.

Note the purpose Titus had in chapter 1.

Titus 1:5 /"*For this reason* I left you in Crete, that you should set in order (also KJV, NASB; NIV ‘straighten out’) the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you"/—NKJV

What did Paul want Titus to set in order or straighten out?

He was to address the wrong doctrine and practices that were going on in the Cretan church.

Now look at chapter 2.

Titus 2:1 /"But as for you, "speak" [present active imperative “I command you to keep on speaking”] the things which are proper for *sound doctrine*:"/ NKJV

The best way to get the whole church headed in the right direction was to get them focused on “healthy” doctrine.

The word “sound” is *hugiano* (we get the word hygiene from this word) it means healthy—and Paul uses this word 9 times in the pastoral epistles (5 times in Titus).

Paul always emphasized that truth produces spiritual well-being.

The “things” (v. 1) Paul commands to be taught in vv.

2–10 are the doctrinal truths of godly attitudes, Christ-like behavior.

“In order not only to please God, but also to have an effective witness to unbelievers, God’s people must know the truth that leads to spiritual health.”

The plan was that the older believers, who are living the life, train the younger ones in how to do likewise.

Paul then spells out a list of the 24 character qualities, 12 each for godly men and women.

We are now in the 11th of 12 virtues or godly character qualities God wants in women.

This quality in God’s 12 part list for women is the quality if being “good” or “kind”.

Kindness energized by grace is what we are all called to demonstrate.

God's Word portrays in a very clear way exactly how God measures kindness.

And that is what we want to open our hearts to as we look into His Word today.

*God Seeks Grace-energized Kindness*

In Titus 2:5 Paul says grace-energized women ought to be characterized by being gentle, tender-hearted, and merciful toward others.

As His children, there is nothing we want more than to please Him.

And when we think of Heaven, and when we seek to have a crown to cast at Christ's feet—think of living life, doing good works with grace-energized kindness.

God wants older women of the faith who have surrendered to the Spirit of God and have become examples of kindness.

Paul asks Titus to train women in the church how to become kind in their personal life, marriage, home life, and in their ministry to others in Christ's Name.

Is there any example to follow?

Is there a clear pathway God has laid down for us?

If this is what determines my eternal rewards, it is something God must have very clearly explained, right?

Yes, and Paul illustrates exactly what those “good or kind” characteristics look like in I Timothy 5:10 where he said that women of kindness were:

/“well reported for *good *works: if she has *brought up children*, if she has *lodged strangers*, if she has *washed the saints’ feet*, if she has *relieved the afflicted*, if she has *diligently followed every good work*” NKJV.

Grace-energized women of kindness are the models to follow; and they are the teachers to be revered.