Training for Transformation: The Good Life (Week 9)

And all God's people said, Amen.

Well, good morning.

My name is Dean, and I am one of the pastors here at CDC.

It is so good to be with you this morning.

Just a few announcements before we get into our text today, which is going to be in Titus chapter 3, verses 8 through 11.

Titus 3:8–11

So last week we had our annual business meeting.

Hopefully you had a chance to attend where you got to hear about how we are stewarding the resources we have here at CVC to advance his kingdom.

If you were unable to attend the meeting, you can go back online and watch that business meeting.

But just so you know, if you're a member here, uh today is the last day that you can vote on that budget, and your voice is important.

And we would love for you to participate and know what we're doing with our budget and our resources.

And today is the last day for voting on that, and you can do that out in the foyer.

Three weeks from today, we have the state of the heart.

It'll happen during our Sunday services.

You'll want to mark your calendars not to miss this Sunday.

This is an opportunity to talk about the state of where CVC is at and where we'll be going in the future.

And so you would love to come and hear about all the things that we have planned in the near future here at CVC.

And last, we have a women's retreat coming up.

How many are going on the women's retreat?

Next week is the last time you can register for this.

So registration closes August 18th.

And what's wonderful about this, it's not just for CVC ladies, you CVC ladies.

You can invite your friends.

So if you have a friend you've been ministering to and love to invite this as an opportunity to do so.

Becca is having her good friend Catherine from the North American Mission Board in Atlanta come be our speaker.

Our very own Melissa Hendricks will be leading worship.

And it'll be at Sawmill Resort in Her Huron County.

So it'd be a wonderful time.

If you have not registered yet, please do so since the registration will close on the 18th.

Okay, let's turn our time to the word and let's look at Titus chapter 3, and we're going to start in verse 8, going through 11.

Titus 3 · chapter mention

The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.

These things are excellent and profitable for people.

But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.

As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful and is self-condemned.

Praise be to God for his word.

So as we get started today, before I get to the text and talking about these verses, I wanted to give you a little bit of my heart as to some of the things that I've realized as I've gotten to meet with quite a few people here at CVC.

Oftentimes we do have people call in and have theological issues, and Pastor Joe and Pastor Rick and myself help those people navigate clarity on good theological and sound doctrine.

And it's important as Paul is teaching here that we would have sound doctrine.

You know, as we come to the end of this series in the good life, we know that Paul is writing to a young pastor in Titus, and he's writing them to show him what a healthy church looks like, mainly having good sound doctrine.

He also helps Titus realize that we need to be shaped by godly leaders, protected from false teaching, and marked by lives that are transformed by God's grace.

And like I said, as I get to meet with people, I think most of the time we're able to work out and iron out theological issues.

This passage that we're going to look at today is very practical in nature.

There's not really any deep theological concept in here.

Paul is telling Titus how to live out this Christian life with very practical examples of how to do so.

Oftentimes, when people call me and I see them in my office, whether they're having relational issues, marriage issues, they're going through grief, whatever the issue may be, oftentimes the people I see are not asking the difficult theological questions, but they're asking the practical questions, how do I live out this Christian life?

The relationships that I am, I am in are having difficulty.

We're having trouble communicating and behaving appropriately and treating each other well.

And so I wanted to start there to kind of set up these scripture verses why is it so hard for us to live out these practical things?

Well, I do believe that the Holy Spirit awakens our hearts towards conviction and salvation comes to most of us in this room.

I think we understand that we've been born again.

But I don't know about you, but as I meet with people, I think people get stuck.

They get to a place where it's hard to mature and grow in their walk with Christ.

You see, we gather here on Sunday for prayer, for worship, teaching of God's word, and the desire that we would learn, become encouraged, become convicted, and repentance and reconciliation would follow.

Those are all part of transformation.

But I want to ask you a question for self-examination.

Do you remember what you were taught last week?

Do you remember what Joe preached on?

Let me ask another question.

How did that transform your life in a way that you lived it out this week?

How did the words you heard after you left here transform your life?

If we look back at what Pastor Joe talked about, he gave us three points here.

He said, our salvation is initiated by God's revelation, not our recognition.

He said, Our salvation is based on God's mercy and not our merit.

And he talked about our salvation is accomplished through regeneration, not human solution.

So I don't ask that question to shame you or to judge you, but I ask that question to go, how did that word actually transform your life?

Did it?

You see, I think a lot of times when we walk out of this building and we get into our cars, we quite quickly forget what we are to do, what God wants us to do on our hearts.

So what hinders our transformation?

I've kind of thought about this for a little bit.

What hinders our transformation into doing the practical things that allow us to function in our relationships really well?

Well, I think sin is one of those things.

While I do believe that you guys think and feel that God is forgiven of your sins, sometimes we get stuck and we get stuck in our sin.

While the Holy Spirit expresses and exposes sin, he doesn't condemn us, he wants to lead us towards repentance and Christ-likeness.

Many believers become unsettled though because they still struggle with sin.

So last week, if you heard, it is not based upon any of my merit, only God's grace that I've come to be born again and saved.

So then why do I continue to struggle with such sin?

Well, I think that if you continue to struggle with sin, you're probably in the same boat as many people.

And I actually think the fact that you're struggling with sin is a sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in your heart.

But oftentimes we don't know what to do.

We get stuck.

We just kind of surrender to the fact that maybe this is just the way life's gonna be.

But God knows your heart already.

I remember in college often driving back from Kent State, going, I wish I could hide from God.

I wish I could go somewhere, but his word is clear.

There's no depth, there's no height, there's nowhere you can go that you can hide from God.

And really, that's his love and grace towards us, that he always sees us and wants to be with us and find us.

But there are times where, when we're stuck in our own selves, that we go, man, I wish I could hide from God.

But God already knows our hearts, he knows where we are.

Jesus tells us over and over again in the scripture that he has paid for our sin, past, present, and future.

That he's paid it all for us.

And that you don't need to live in shame and guilt anymore.

And that we have to remember that our fight against sin isn't against flesh and blood, but the darkness and the principalities of this world.

So I encourage you that we cannot fight sin alone.

And oftentimes I think we get stuck from being transformed because we fight sin alone.

When's the last time you called somebody and confessed what you're struggling with?

That besetting and habitual sin?

When's the last time you called your friend and said, Hey, I need help?

Can you pray for me?

When's the last time you were sitting in your life group and you told your life group, I'm not doing okay, I'm not well, I need your help.

Oftentimes I believe that we we hide.

This battle is so serious that we cannot fight it outside of Christian community, that we need to fight it together.

Trusting in God's grace that will walk us to the goodness of who we are and our identity in Him, instead of running from sin, or instead of running towards sin, we can run towards God.

We know from Titus 2 that Paul is imploring Titus to do everything that may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior.

And what I love about that is we need to adorn the Word of God.

And we don't want to read the Word of God, so the Word of God is just a checkbox, like, okay, I got that completed.

The word is living and active, has the power to transform us, it has the power to teach us and tell us who we are.

And it tells us about a God, a heavenly Father, who loves us so immensely, who loved us so much that he died for us and gave up his life, and that he wants a relationship with us.

And that when we live in that, when we live in that knowledge that there is nothing that I did to earn my salvation, that is only by grace, because I had a heavenly Father who loves me, that gave me new life, that we are to adorn that.

That is to come out of us.

But when we're not in the Word and we're stuck in sin, it's hard to adorn those things.

We have our focus set on things not above by the things of this world.

Oftentimes, when we're stuck in sin, we believe that our way is wiser than God's way.

My way of doing things is much better, so I'm going to sin because it's better for me.

And oftentimes it leads to a path of destruction.

God's way says that he lives us to new life and freedom.

I love in Psalm 119, David over and over again talks about how he delights in the word, how we treasure it, how he longs for it, he meditates on it, he depends upon it.

His heart is transformed by the word of God.

But we also see in Psalm 119 that David also strays and wanders.

Sound familiar?

We stray and we wander.

But instead of continuing to run towards his sin, he confesses to God.

He asks God to do a great work in his soul, and he runs to God, asking for forgiveness and restoration, and for God not to leave him, but to come near to him.

That's how we believe and adore in the scriptures.

We believe the truth that when we go to our Heavenly Father, he is quick to take us and forgive us and nurture us and care for our hearts and not run from him.

But God provides us with only that, he provides us with the strength to grow.

But God never promises that we won't be tempted.

Right?

Are you guys tempted?

Every single day of our lives we're tempted.

First Corinthians 10 says in 12 and 13, it warns us in verse 12 that we won't have spiritual pride, that no believers beyond being able to fall into sin.

But verse 13 reminds us that no temptation has seized you that's not common to man.

I'm tempted just like you are tempted every single day.

It's common to us that we're going to be tempted.

But God is faithful, and the scriptures here in 1 Corinthians says, and he will always provide a way out.

Do you believe that he can provide a way out for you when you're caught in sin?

That's what the scripture tells us.

That no matter where we have gone, how far we've gone into it, that God always provides a way out.

And he provides a way out that we don't have to enter into sin and that we can choose to run towards God.

So I believe what that hinders us is that we're stuck in sin and we're not in community, and we're not adorning the Word of God in a way that it's transforming our hearts to believe the true identity that we have in Christ.

I also believe what hinders our transformation is that every single week we preach the truth of the message.

And the understanding is that as you hear the word being preached, that you would be transformed by that word.

That we must do something with it.

But in James verse 1, verses 22, chapter 1, verses 22 to 25, it says, Remind us that hearing the God's word without obeying it is like looking to the mirror and then forgetting what we look like.

It's like when I'm reading the Word of God, it's like looking in a mirror.

It's speaking to me, it's teaching me, it's growing me, it's convicting me, it's giving me practical ways to apply these lessons to my life.

I see it.

And then it's like going away and forgetting what I look like when I look in the mirror.

It's not useful.

I walk out this building and I can't remember what was said.

I don't think about what was said.

I don't go home and meditate on it or pray on it or delight in it.

I've forgotten it.

God's word was never merely to inform us, it was given to transform us.

So we hear sound theological doctrine that is to be applied in transforming our hearts that we become more and more like Him.

I really believe this is one of the ways that the church has started to fall asleep.

Church body comes every Sunday, we pray, we listen to the music, we hear the message, and we go home and we've forgotten what we look like.

Wouldn't that be one of the greatest schemes of the devil?

To go, hey, you're doing everything you should be doing, going to church, going to life group, but nothing has changed.

You're stuck in your sin.

You're not doing good works, as Paul tells Titus over and over again.

One of the things I love is at the beginning of chapter three, he gives us practical ways that we are to live, right?

To speak evil of no one.

How are you doing with that?

To be ready for good works.

We're gonna talk about that here in a minute.

How are you doing with that?

To avoid quarreling.

How many arguments have you got in recently?

How many fights have you gotten in with people?

To be gentle.

Have you been gentle with each other, with your home and your spouse and your children?

And that we are to be perfectly courteous to one another.

What a commandment that is.

What a practical way to live, to be perfectly courteous to one another.

These are the practical things that Paul is teaching Titus to do.

And yet I think we listen to those things and we walk away and we forget what we look like.

We are hearing the word of God, but we're not really doing anything about it.

And it is my hope that every message you hear, every time you read the Bible, every podcast, every book, that you look at it and say, Lord, what do you want to do to transform my heart?

I love 2 Corinthians 3.18.

It says, and we all with unveiled faces, meaning that there is no barrier between us and our heavenly Father.

The curtain tore.

We have direct access to Him.

So with unveiled faces, we can have a relationship with our Lord and Savior.

Beholding the glory of the Lord, we see the Lord and how perfect He is, how glorious He is, how wonderful He is.

We are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.

What this means is that we are being transformed slowly, deliberately, that it takes time, that it's often difficult, but we are being transformed from one degree, one little tiny degree of glory to another.

So I want to encourage you today that when you hear the word of God to know that it's for you.

That God wants to transform you.

Even in a little way today, you may walk away and go, I want to stop quarreling with that person.

God, I want to be more gentle.

I'm tired of speaking evil of people.

This is what God wants to transform your heart.

And then it gives us the basis of our prayer.

Lord, I am not that man.

Would you transform my heart to be that person?

And then the work of the Holy Spirit does something that is amazing in us.

We find ourselves being able to step into these things rather than dreading another week without Christ transforming our hearts.

We are being transformed from one degree of glory to another.

Hallelujah.

That God is doing that for each and every one of you in this room.

So we are being transformed into his same image.

When salvation comes, it happens immediately.

We come under the roof of God and his protection and his security.

As Joe talked about last week, we are justified and forgiven from the penalty of sin.

We also are being released from the power of sin.

The power of sin has been prayed for, but it takes work and time to work out the power that sin has over us.

We've been forgiven, completely justified.

We are not a slave to sin any longer.

But it takes time for each and every one of us as we were read the Word of God to continue to realize that we are being sanctified day by day and being transformed into his likeness.

He continually shapes us into his likeness.

Spiritual growth doesn't happen accidentally, it requires intentional training under God's word and submission to the Holy Spirit.

And that's what I love about our scripture here today is that Paul is beginning to train Titus on how to live this life out, how to be a pastor and to teach the other churches how to live this life out.

Going back to Titus 2.10, he says, so that everything that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

What is the doctrine of our God our Savior?

It refers to the gospel, the truth about who Christ is, what he's done for us, how he saved you, how it's been nothing done on our own merit, but it's only been graced by God.

And that we adorn it.

I really struggle with this at times.

And I would imagine you struggle with this as well.

That when we read the Word of God, do we really adorn what the truth is about who he's saying we are?

That our identity is him.

Do we look at the word in awe?

Do we ask the Lord to have us see with new eyes what he thinks about us and what he says about us being his children?

We need to adorn this word.

And it goes on to say, and in everything, meaning that his word applies to everything in our lives, every sphere of our life, from ordinary work to relationships to how we talk and our conduct.

We need to live under that freedom.

Remember when you have ever been set free from something?

Maybe practically in this world, you've been set free from a speeding ticket, right?

And they let you go, and you're like, oh yes, this feels so good.

I got out of this.

Or you got news that you didn't think you were gonna get, and you're like, I needed that news.

How wonderful is that?

This is the way that Word, we need to adorn the Word.

That as we read it, we go, how wonderful is this?

This truth about who I am in Christ.

How wonderful is this?

And out of that, people begin to recognize and see that something's different.

We desire then to do good works.

We go, man, do you know what just happened to me?

I want to do good now because of what I've experienced in Christ.

It's such an important piece here.

The grace of God is what produces good works.

One interesting observation about Titus here is.

That out of all the New Testament books, Paul speaks about good works more than any other letter.

Let's look at this how this looks.

So in the beginning, in Titus 1, he says, before salvation, people are unfit for any good work.

How can we be fit for good work in the kingdom when we don't know Christ?

Then after salvation, believers come, become a model of good work.

Because of Christ, we become a model of good work.

Christ redeems a people who are zealous for good works.

Believers should be ready for every good work.

They devote themselves to good works.

And lastly, here in Titus, they continue to devote themselves to good works by meeting the urgent needs and bearing fruit.

See, there's this these verses that we're going to read are not very complicated.

They're not theologically deep in having to understand what they mean.

These are practical ways that we are to live.

But I do think we need training in these areas.

We need to be trained in how to do good works.

We need somebody to show us the example of how those things are done.

And that's what Paul is trying to teach Titus.

Recently, I had a few overgrown trees in my yard that were really bad and overgrown.

And I love to prune trees.

It's kind of like my artwork, right?

I love to shape them, stepping back, looking.

Okay, I need that branch down.

And before you know it, there was a mess on the ground, right?

And somebody has to pick those up.

So I employed my 11-year-old son to come help.

And he came out there and I had to teach him, I said, okay, this is what we're gonna do, son, because we have to pull these branches to the curb.

I said, we're gonna take the butt end where we cut off the branches and we're gonna lay the biggest branch down first.

And then we're gonna pile the next branch on it, and so on.

And we piled them up, and then last we put on the scraps and the small leaves and sticks.

He's like, Dad, how in the world are we gonna drag this down to the curb?

I said, Okay, come over here, son.

And we bent down.

I said, Hey, go under and get that big branch that was underneath there.

So we did, and we lifted it up, and he goes, Okay.

He's like, How are we gonna drag this?

And we started to drag it, and it was light and it was easy, and we did it together.

And we dragged it all the way down to the curb for it to be chipped up.

But when I first cut those branches down, it was a mess.

He had no idea what to do.

What am I gonna do with this mess, Dad?

I had to train him on what he was to do.

And Paul is training Titus on what he is to do.

And then Titus, as a young pastor, is training the churches on what they are to do.

This is exactly what's happening here in the scripture.

And it's a beautiful picture of what we need to do.

We need to be teaching you not only sound doctrine and theology that gives us the life, that gives us the joy about who we are, but we need to train you in how to do good works.

Because we need each other to do those things.

We need each other to learn.

So this is why it's so important that to be here on Sunday, to get into a life group or a workshop, to have the fellowship with the body of believers that we don't do life alone.

We need to be trained and we need to be told what this looks like.

So, what are good works?

People immediately think, well, I don't swear, I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I don't cheat on my spouse, I work hard, I don't cheat people.

Those are all certainly good works that we are to do.

But I think good works needs to go further.

It needs to go just outside of ourselves.

Good works need to go and help others.

Do I help my neighbor without being asked?

Do I serve my spouse even when I'm tired?

Do I help put the kids to bed, do the dishes, and the laundry?

Do I visit somebody who is lonely or in the hospital?

Do I encourage somebody who is discouraged?

Do I go out of my way to meet somebody in need?

Am I becoming more generous?

More compassionate?

Am I becoming more hospitable?

Am I becoming forgiving?

Am I eager to serve?

Am I more willing to meet the needs of others?

Am I more sacrificial?

Paul's teaching, Titus, that transformation demands that Christ does a great work in our heart.

That in the ordinary, everyday relationships that we have, that our good works need to play out out of the overflow of our heart.

And I do believe that good works is the open door to us having gospel conversations with people.

They start to wonder, why are you doing this for me?

Why are you talking so courteously to me?

Why are you so gentle with me?

Why did you come visit me?

Why did you talk to me that way and encourage me today?

People begin to wonder, and you can say, because the word of God has changed my life.

Christ has given me a new heart.

And I want you to have the same thing.

So as we look here at these verses, I want you to be thinking not only, what did I learn today, but how does God want to transform you?

So let's dig in to verse 8.

It says the saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.

These things are excellent and profitable for people.

I love that he starts out with saying, This is a trustworthy saying, that you need to insist on these things.

These things are good for us to do.

We should do them.

Matter of fact, they are profitable for us.

That they are good for us.

That they are excellent for us to do.

So we should be paying attention that these are reliable things for us to do, that out of the overflow of heart, we behave this way.

I believe when we listen to these things, like at the beginning of chapter three and hear in these verses, it's going to improve our homes and the way our lives are operating in general.

Because this is a trustworthy saying.

We need to be paying attention to these things.

And it's my hope that as you walk out of here today, you would ask yourself, where does my heart need to be transformed in these areas?

So he goes on to say, here's the transformation.

We need to avoid in verse 9 foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.

He says we are to avoid these things, endless genealogies, dissensions, because they're unprofitable and worthless.

Notice what Paul is not saying.

He's not saying that every controversy is wrong because Jesus confronted error, Paul defended the gospel.

It's not controversies that are issue, it's the foolish ones that cause division that are the problem.

They go on to say that, you know, even genealogies, genealogies are good.

We have them in scriptures because they're good.

Talks about how the line of Jesus came to be.

But in those times they would argue over those things.

So rather, Paul is warning the people to become consumed with conspeculative debates.

How many times do we get in debates that are pointless?

How many times have we had divisive discussions that produce no spiritual fruit?

So maybe you can take a minute and you think, where am I quarreling?

Where am I in controversy with people that I shouldn't be?

What does God want to speak to you about those things?

Paul wants Titus to train the churches to invest their energy and things that build up the kingdom, not tear it down.

So what are you devoting your life to?

Are you devoting your life to these good works that are excellent and profitable?

Let's take a few minutes and let's look and examine our hearts.

He first talks about foolish controversies.

So let's ask ourselves the question: do you spend more time arguing with people or encouraging them?

Am I more interested in proving that I'm right than helping somebody grow?

Have political debates, social media arguments, and personal opinions become more important than the gospel.

Maybe you can even ask yourself, when's the last time I shared the gospel with somebody?

When's the last time you shared the good news with somebody?

Are we finding ourselves more into foolish controversies?

The Pharisees did this to Jesus about the law.

They would argue with him about these things, trying to trap him.

It was pointless, it was fruitless.

How are you spending your times?

Are you spending your hours debating theologi the theological issues, political issues, while neglecting prayer, discipleship, and caring for the people that God has placed around you?

In just a few weeks, um we're gonna be studying the book of Revelations.

You think that can start some foolish controversies?

How are you gonna respond when we're teaching the book of Revelations?

Are you gonna get online and get into foolish controversies?

Or are you gonna show the love of Christ by doing good works?

Dissension and quarrels.

These are conflicts that divide rather than unite.

Did you ask yourself, am I holding bitterness or any unforgiveness?

Have I allowed small disagreements to become large divisions?

I hear so many families who say I don't talk to my brother or my parents or my siblings any longer because the divisions become too large.

Do my words build peace or do they create tension?

When you walk into a room, do people go, this is gonna be an argument?

But there's tension there, right?

Do you bring pre-peace when do you walk into a room?

Are you somebody who stirs up division?

And this can really be seen as do you like to at times gossip about people instead of talking to them directly?

Do you complain more than you encourage?

There's a lot of complaining out there.

Have I spoken negatively about somebody instead of speaking them to them directly?

Do I spread frustration, criticism, gossip?

When I leave a conversation, do people feel encouraged or discouraged?

Do you stir up division within the relationships in your home and at work?

Because God's saying that we are to avoid these things.

And this is a profitable and excellent thing to do.

And that we are to vote ourselves to good works.

That you, being the light of the world, having the light of the world in you, are to devote yourself to good works.

Who have you intentionally served this week?

Have you looked for opportunities to meet somebody's needs?

Am I showing Christ's love in my home?

Now, when I meet with quite a few of marriages, marriages are really struggling.

They're having a hard time, even within their home, to talk kindly to one another, gently, lovingly, encouraging one another.

They're not exhibiting this fruit that we're talking about.

And homes are under attack.

We have to devote ourselves to good works.

And a lot of times when you hear a message like this, you can go, well, that's good for my spouse.

It's good for my children.

It's good for my coworker.

Anytime you hear the word of God, it's for you.

It's for you to be transformed.

Regardless of anybody else ever being transformed, anybody else around you may never change.

God is requiring that you be transformed by his word.

Because the word is for you.

As we close here in verse 10, it says, as for a person who stirs up division, after mourning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person has a warped and sinful and is self-condemned.

You see, the issue, honestly, is not a question with sincere disagreement.

This is not the issue.

Oftentimes people come and say, hey, I disagree with you pastors, and we can sit down and have a good conversation about the controversy, and we can work things out and talk about our positions and why we think and are teaching the way we're teaching.

But Paul's addressing a person who stirs up division.

A person that is behind the scenes stirring up division and gossip, who is not teachable, who doesn't want to be corrected, and who refuses to come to the table and talk gently and kindly.

And notice what he says to do warn them once and then twice.

This is a kind thing to do to them.

And the goal of these conversations is always to bring repentance and restoration, not punishment.

But if there is a person that continues to reject correction, the church must protect its unity by no longer giving the person the influence that they want to have.

So for instance, if somebody was hurting a child here, we would step in and do something about that, would you not?

To keep them safe.

The same thing is here.

Somebody who's stirring up dissension, who is unteachable, who is a gossip, who is not wanting to be corrected, we have to keep the church safe.

And if they are unwilling to be corrected, we are to have nothing to do with them.

Because it's a loving thing to do to protect the church.

Out of all these things, um, I grew up, um, I didn't grow up in a Christian home, but I started going to Parkside Church under Alistair Begg when he was there at Parkside.

One of the things he always said to me that I remember or said to the congregation is that we are to keep the main things the plain things, and the plain things the main things.

Meaning that we can go down so many rabbit holes of controversies, of theological arguments.

We can do all those things, but we need to keep the main thing about the love that Christ has for us, that we are as his children, and that when we follow him, he renews us, he restores us, he forgives us, and gives us eternal life.

But oftentimes when we complicate things, it causes problems.

Pastor Rick Duncan wrote a blog post on this, and he said this it's a simple statement, but it's one the church desperately needs.

We are living in an age when it has never been easier to argue with Christians.

Social media gives every disagreement a microphone.

Every opinion has become a debate.

Every secondary issue becomes a test of faithfulness.

Too often, Christians divide publicly over matters that, while important, are not central to the gospel.

Meanwhile, the watching world isn't asking who won the argument.

They're asking, they're wondering, is Jesus really worth following?

So as we adorn the Word of God, what's coming out of us?

It says, out of the overflow of our heart, our mouth speaks.

People are going to recognize us by the good works that we do.

It's my prayer that you would just not leave here today and forget what you look like.

My hope is that you would look at these verses and ask God to do a work of transformation.

So let's ask God as we go and pray for him to do that great work in our hearts.

Father, is there anything in my life that is unprofitable or worthless that needs to be surrendered to you?

Father, maybe that's in my marriage or with my children or at work or with my neighbors?

God, would you bring to mind that anything that needs to be surrendered to you and needs to be transformed in my heart?

Is there someone I need to forgive?

Is there a relationship that needs restored?

Is there a good work that you've been calling me to do that I have neglected?

God, please may we not just be hearers of the word, but by be doers of the word, transform our hearts so that I'm devoted to what is excellent, profitable, and glorifying to you.

So Lord, we take these next few moments of silence and as we worship, that you, Holy Spirit, would search our hearts, that we would confess anything that you bring to mind, that we would receive your forgiveness, Lord, because you want to forgive us.

You're so quick to forgive.

You're such a kind and gentle God that you want to forgive and restore and redeem and transform us into your likeness.

Please do that work in our hearts, Lord.

And Lord, above all, let us live in such a way that our words, our attitudes, and our relationships adorn the doctrine of God of our Savior.

Make the beauty of Jesus unmistakable to a watching world.

Jesus, transform our lives in a way that they're visible, that we can do good works, and that we can advance your kingdom by how we act, how we behave, and how we adorn who you are.

Help us, Lord Jesus, in all these things.

We pray and ask in your name, and all God's people said, Amen.