Titus | Week 10

It's good to see you all this morning.

Good to hear you guys. Fellowshiping is great to hear

you singing. For those of you that know me,

you know, already, for those of you don't, I'll tell you, I wear

hearing aids and they are great. Sometimes, sometimes they're

awful, but I hear really well behind me.

And so, sitting up here, I got to hear you guys and I thought

at first, it's things were turned up a little too much

like, wow, that is really loud and I tried to turn them down.

It wasn't you guys were just singing really, really loudly.

So that is awesome. I'm just going to tell you that.

Combined with fall weather and all the flannel and Boots.

This is my favorite time of the year.

I'm loving it. That just couldn't be happier

than right now. This is like perfect so it's

good to see you guys this morning.

I'm glad you're here as we sang about just a second ago, in one

of the songs we did our sins, they are many but his Mercy is

more, that's a great great statement and it's a great Truth

for us as born-again Believers. And that's why we sing to God.

That's why we pray to God. That's why we're we're here.

This morning is to honor and glorify God for what he has done

in our lives, to open his word to learn more about it, so that

we can live our lives in a Godly manner bringing honor and glory

to him. Amen.

And so that's what we're here to do today.

That's what we're going to look at today.

Specifically is Godly living among Outsiders and so the same

theme, we've had going all morning.

We've been singing. A god.

We've been praying to God. We've been thanking him for what

he's done. We're going to keep that going.

And look at. What does this mean now?

Now that we've been redeemed, what does this mean for us as

the people of God living in this world?

So that's what we're going to talk about today.

Let me catch you up just really quickly for anybody that maybe

has missed some weeks, or maybe you're visiting for the first

time we've been in the book of Titus.

So, if you have your Bibles, go ahead and turn to the book of

Titus Chapter 2, we're going to be starting around verse 15.

Titus 2 · chapter mention

So the book of Titus so far will give you the snapshot of what

we've learned. And what we've looked at the

book of Titus, Titus was written by the Apostle Paul to his

disciple, his Protege Titus Paul had planted churches on the

island of Crete and there were multiple churches on this

island. He left Titus there to put what

remained in to order to establish these churches and get

them up off the ground and going.

Okay. That's why Titus was there.

He left him behind to do this. Now, Crete was a very Pagan

culture. It was a very sinful culture,

their own people describe them as Liars.

Evil beasts and lazy gluttons. They were detestable they were

untrustworthy. They were very mean-spirited.

Just nasty people. So Paul throughout this letter

has been stressing stressing that all this sound doctrine

that tied us has to teach all these things were learning about

the Lord and the gospel, and all of that has to influence your

life, okay? It has to change the way you

live, especially in the culture of Crete and where you're at,

this is huge. This has to be a part of your

life and so throughout chapters 1 and 2, we've seen Paul

instructing Titus on what to teach how to teach it, who could

be teaching, it who was qualified to do that.

And then the implications that this should have on the people

in the lives of the people of Crete.

In the churches, we've looked at several several different people

groups. We've looked at what this would

look like for older men, younger men, older women, younger Women

and then Bond servants. So we've kind of covered the

entire spectrum of people groups within the church and what Godly

living should look like for them.

Over the last couple of weeks, we've looked at some of the

motivation behind it. Why is this so important?

What is it that makes us want to do this.

And so that's been really great to.

So Titus was to be teaching encouraging, encouraging people

showing them how to do this but then also correcting and

rebuking them when they did not. Because of the culture in Crete,

this sound Doctrine should lead to sound living.

You should make sure that they realize that their faith has to

influence their lifestyle. That's been a huge emphasis and

his letter. Everything we've seen so far up

until now has been kind of looking inward.

It's been about personal Holiness.

It's been about holding us in the home.

It's been about Holiness within the church and what that should

look like. It's been a, how should we

conduct Our Lives as Christians among One another in our homes

and our families, and just personally, what does my life to

look like as a born-again Believer?

Today, we are going to shift the focus, Paul changes.

The focus is a bit and this letter and we're going to look

outward. Now, we're going to look at what

should Godly living look like for Christians out there amongst

Outsiders as we leave the church and maybe step out of our homes

and all of that and we get out into the world around us.

How are we to as Christians approach?

Unbelievers and approached the culture around us and The

Outsiders. So that's what we're going to

look at today. You see, it's Christians.

We are caught up in this struggle of being in the world

yet not of the world. Amen.

World is not our home. We look forward to a Heavenly

home. So, how are we to interact?

As we are still here in this world?

How are we to conduct ourselves as aliens and sojourners in a

foreign land? That is what Paul is talking to

Titus about in today's text and he's going to help answer that

question for us. So let's read Titus Chapter 2

Titus 2 · chapter mention

starting at verse 15. Declare these things, exhort and

rebuke with all authority. Let, no one.

Disregard, you remind them to be.

Submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient to

be ready for every good work to speak, evil of no one to avoid.

Quarreling, to be gentle and to show perfect courtesy toward all

people for we ourselves were once foolish disobedient.

LED astray slaves to various passions and Pleasures passing

hour days in Malice and envy hated by others and hating one.

Another So the the big idea for today's sermon the kind of the

central proposition if you will the thing I want you guys to

remember, if you don't remember anything else, write this down

is that the gospel transforms us into ambassador's of Christ?

Okay. The gospel.

That's what does the work? The gospel transforms us into

ambassador's of Christ. That's what we want to talk on

today. So let's jump right into the

text. 2:15 in many of your Bibles.

This is the last verse in chapter 2.

Before we start chapter 3, it's the end of that section.

When I first started preparing for this, I kind of wondered why

it was broke up this way. Why did we choose to do it this

way? And then I realized that 2:15 is

a, it's kind of a summary sentence.

It's summarizing everything we've talked about and it's

helping set the tone for everything we're about to talk

about, okay? So it's a transitional sentence

here. Not only is tied as to teach and

encourage and rebuke. All of the things that we've

talked about so far in the church with the Christians, but

he is to do so with all authority, not letting anyone

disregard him, okay? Now this is very, very

reminiscent of his instruction to Timothy in 1st, Timothy 4:12

or he told Timothy, let no one despise you for your youth, but

set the Believers and example in speech and conduct and love, and

And in Purity so these things that tied us was to be teaching

all the things we've learned all the things we've looked at that,

he's to be teaching these are not just suggestions.

Okay, he's to teach, he's to encourage these things in the

people and he is to do. So with all authority.

So these weren't suggestions that Paul is making saying, you

know, what if the people feel like doing these things, tell

them that would be great. If they, if they can manage it,

this would be wonderful. Know he's telling Titus teach

this rebuke them in this. Make sure they understand that.

These things are absolutely crucial.

These were not optional qualities.

So this verse 15, it helps set the tone for not only everything

we've just looked at, but going forward how important all of

this is He was to Titus was to remind them of the things that

we are about to discuss verse 1 of chapter. 3 says, remind them

to and then we get into all of it.

So these were things that they've already been taught.

These are things. They would have already known

throughout the Book of Titus Paul has been stressing that as

Christians, they were to live differently from the culture

around them. They were to live opposite of

the way. The culture looked He has over

and over again in the book of Titus listed the qualities of

the false teachers, and the Pagan culture there in specific

detail and then turned and said, but you were to look like this.

Here's what they look like, here's what the world looks like

in your culture, your to look like this and they're always

Polar Opposites, he's done this multiple times, and that's

exactly what he's going to do in today's text.

So let's get into this. In verse 1 of chapter 3, he

starts out by saying be submissive to the rulers and

authorities be obedient be ready for every good work.

Let's stop there. That's verse 1.

So let me let me give you just a brief history lesson.

Paul here in verse 1 is telling the be submissive to the rulers

and the authorities to the governing authorities over you.

Okay? So give you a brief history

lesson. Crete this island of Crete was

conquered by Rome sometime around.

And 66 BC 66 to 67 68 BC, Paul's letter to Titus was written

sometime in the mid 60's ad. So there was a little bit of a

gap there between the time when they were conquered by Rome.

And when Paul's writing this letter, but Crete was an island

that was ruled and conquered by Rome, Crete would have not only

been ruled by them. So not only would there have

been officials and governors and however, their political stuff

was set up there to rule over But there probably would have

been soldiers there as well. I didn't dig deep enough to find

out if there was a military for it, there any of that, but no

doubt, there would have been at least a few soldiers there to

help prevent any kind of rebellions or uprisings, but

basically Rome had conquered them and they were their ruling

over them. So, the cretans, the people of

Crete, the natives had some animosity toward the Romans to

say the least. Many of the cretans were known

to be disobedient to be insubordinate, especially,

especially the Jewish leaders of the day who were always trying

to start some sort of a riot, or an uprising or Rebellion, Titus,

110 told us when we read it, there are many who are

insubordinate, empty talkers, and deceivers, especially those

of the circumcision party. And then in verse 14, chapter 1

verse 16, we saw that they profess to know, God, but they

deny him. By their Works, they are

detestable disobedient unfit for any good work.

So these false teachers these Jewish leaders, these people

that are leading everyone astray, they were known known

for their Rebellion for they're trying to provoke these

uprisings and these division in the culture, they're occupied by

Foreign leaders. Everyone there seemed to hate

them. So this was a constant ongoing

issue. There were constantly trying to

start a revolt on the island of Crete.

It is a very common theme and that's why Paul writes to Titus

on how Christians are to approach.

This, how Christians are to live their lives in relationship to

the governing authorities, Paul lays out that as Believers in

Christ, as born-again new creatures in Christ, they are to

behave differently. Remember, all through the

letter, here's what they look like.

Here's what you should look like.

If they like to start uprisings. I hate the government and do all

of this and they're causing Division and conflict.

What you you do, should be obedient.

You should be submissive So remember we're not of this

world, right? This world is not our home.

We shouldn't act like everyone else in this world.

When Jesus saves us, he takes us out of that former life, out of

that, former situation. He redeems us, he cleans us up.

He gives us his righteousness bestows that upon us, and then

puts us right back in the same situation.

We were in, but we're not the same.

As we were before we've become new creatures, but we're still

in the same job, the same home, the same.

We'll all of those things. But now, were there as a

representative for Christ were there as one of his ambassadors,

and that's what an ambassador does.

An ambassador goes into a foreign land to act as a

representative for his home country in that place and that's

what we are as Christians. That's what the people of Crete

would have been in that culture there in their New Creations

there. Now ambassador's for Christ,

Living amongst these pagan people, that's what we're doing

while we're Still here on this Earth.

So knowing how the Jewish authorities have these false

teachers. And most of the culture of as

treating these Roman officials and the Roman authorities, those

Outsiders who were their ruling over them.

Paul tells Titus remind the Christians in Crete that you

aren't here to start revolts, you're not here to start.

Uprisings, you are here to spread the gospel you are here

to represent Christ. That is your mission, not an

uprising, make that your priority.

And you do that by being submissive verse 1.

Be submissive to rulers and authorities I can just hear it

now. The Christians in Crete assay.

Whoa. Like you want us to submit to

these guys. Are you kidding me?

Yes. Yes.

In a climate where everyone everyone seemed to be angry

looking for a reason to Rebel hating the government hating.

The rulers Paul says, be submissive.

Christians are not to be hateful, angry people who are

constantly trying to stir up, Discord and resentment.

They had every reason to be mad. They had been conquered by a

foreign ruler. Okay.

There were now under Roman rule. Sure they could have been pretty

salty but Paul does not urge them to revolt.

He urges them to be Peaceable. To be obedient.

Why why in the world? I think Romans 13 can help us

with this event. This has been a verse that's

been thrown around a lot over the last couple of years and we

don't have time to dive deeply into Romans 13 and unpack.

That today, that's not our ticks but I love that in verses 1 and

2. It says, let every person be

subject to the governing authorities for there is no

Authority except from God and those that exist have been

instituted by God. Jay Paul is reminding the Romans

in that letter and he's also reminding the cretans in his

letter to tide us. That God is Sovereign.

God is in control of all of this somehow.

This is part of his plan. We might not understand it, but

he is in control. The Romans didn't conquer,

Crete, and God was standing back saying, what?

I didn't know that was going to happen.

It's all somehow part of God's plan.

He is in control. He is sovereign So these rulers

that are there are put there by God, God appointed them to be

there in that time and place. We might not understand why it

might be that they're there as an act of judgment on that land.

Maybe, maybe not. But what we do know is that it

doesn't matter because our faith is not in governments.

Our faith is in Christ and in Christ alone.

That's the rock. We stand on, so it doesn't

matter. In charge of the government

doesn't matter what matters is Christ and the life that we have

in him. So Paul is charging the cretans

to be submissive not rebellious and disobedient.

They were to be a peaceful people.

In fact, in 1st Timothy 2, he even goes so far as to command

them to not, the cretans, but just to command Christians to

pray for their rulers and authorities.

So not only be submissive and be obedient.

You need to be praying for them. First Timothy 2 1 through 3

says, first of all, then I urge that supplications prayers

intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people for kings

and all who are in high positions that we may lead a

peaceful and quiet life Godly and dignified in every way this

is good and it is pleasing. In the sight of God our savior

So the overall gist here for the cretans is that they should not

be a rebellious people constantly stirring up division.

They were to Adorn the gospel by being peaceful submissive and

living gentle lives. Amongst The Outsiders amongst

amongst unbelievers around them. Now this still applies to us

today, it will look. We're not occupied by a foreign

ruler. Our land has not been invaded,

we've not been conquered. So we have to be very, very

careful. Not to read texts like this and

just automatically insert ourselves into that.

We have to be very careful about that.

Their situation was much different.

Paul was writing what he was writing in this letter for a

reason. This was an issue there but we

still have the opportunity every day to set ourselves apart from

the culture by being peaceful and loving people instead of

being hateful and divisive. I think we could all agree that

right now and over the last couple of years, there's been a

lot of hatred and Division in our country.

We as Christians are to lead a different kind of life.

So I had to ask myself this question and I want to ask you

to when was the last time you prayed for our ruling

authorities and our government? When was the last time you gave

thanks for them. That's hard.

That's really hard at times. We're not going to get into all

the nuances of that but again we are to be a people marked by A

Gentle Spirit by submission and peacefulness.

We need to be praying for those in charge.

We need to be praying that God would redeem.

This nation just as the cretans were to do.

In fact Paul not only commands them to be submissive and

obedient he goes on to say they should be ready for every good

work. Now the commentator, John Stott

says it is not enough for Christians to be law-abiding.

We are to be public-spirited as well.

We are to be ready. Eager, not reluctant to do,

whatever is good whenever we have the opportunity.

So you see these these cretins, the people of Crete, the

Christians there were to be looking for ways to do good in

their Community. They were to be eager to have a

positive impact on the culture around them and help make it

better, not worse. These false teachers, these

Jewish leaders were the opposite of that back in chapter 1 verse

16, it says they are disobedient.

Unfit for any good work. They were incapable of doing

good. Everything they did was evil

defiled and detestable. All they did was bring Division

and hatred. This was the culture that these

Christians were living in. Does that sound Vaguely Familiar

for us today? These Christians of Crete were

to be a light in the midst of all of that Darkness around

them. They were to look for ways to

help make things better to be eager to do, good to not add,

more Discord, and more division. We should do this.

Also, again, we're not we're not occupied by some foreign threat,

but these principles still apply to us today.

We can still pray for those in Authority.

We can live peaceful lives. We can follow the laws of the

land. We can pay our taxes.

When given the opportunity, we can vote and try to make

positive change that way. Should absolutely speak out

against evil. When we see it, we should be

vocal about those things that violate God's word, but we

should not be a people known for constantly arguing constantly

causing division constantly stirring up conflict and strife

and bickering with people that is not a mark of a Christian.

When people think about us as born-again Believers in Christ,

they should not immediately have the image or think of this

person whose tongue is loaded with poison ready to spew Venom

on. The first person that disagrees

with me or gets in my crosshairs and is not the way a Christian

should act and conduct themselves.

Now, do you want to say there obviously are some exceptions to

this submission to the ruling authorities.

Okay. I'm going to, I'm going to chase

just a small rabbit here for a second but we worship God, not

Caesar, amen. We have to remember that our

Allegiance is to the Lord, not to the state, we follow the

rules and the laws of the land, unless they command us to

violate God's rules. And commands, that is where we

draw the line. The Bible is full of great

examples of this just wanted, Shadrach Meshach and Abednego in

Daniel chapter 3 King Nebuchadnezzar had made a decree

Daniel 3 · chapter mention

that when the horn sounded everyone had to Bow Down and

Worship the image of gold. These three guys I would not do

that. When summoned to answer for this

King Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw them in the fiery.

Furnace. Here's what they said to the

king o Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this

matter. If this be so our God, whom we

serve is able to Deliver Us From The Burning fiery furnace and he

will deliver us out of your hand O King but if not be it known To

You O King, we will not serve your gods or worship the golden

image that you have set up. So these three guys are saying

you're going to throw us in a fiery furnace, you're going to

kill us if we don't Bow Down and Worship your idol.

Fine do it, God might Deliver us, but if he doesn't, we're

still not going to worship your idol.

Throw us in there. Do it.

Go ahead. And of course, God did deliver

them. Peter and the apostles is

another great example in Acts chapter 5 verses, 27 through 29

Acts 5 · chapter mention

says when they had brought them, they set them before the council

and the high priest. Questioned them saying, we

strictly charged you not to teach in this name.

Meaning Jesus yet. Here you have filled Jerusalem

with your teaching and you intend to bring this man's blood

upon us. But Peter and the apostles

answered we must obey God, rather than men.

That is The Stance we take as Christians.

We live as peaceably as we can, we follow the rules.

We do what we can to promote peace and bring people together,

not divided but we never never never violate God's command.

So if our country ever gets to a place for example where a law

comes into into place that says that Pastors in churches have to

no matter what Mary people of the same sex they have to do

that. And if you don't you'll lose

your privileges as a church. You won't be tactics of

tax-exempt anymore. If something like that were to

happen, the Elders of this church will come stand before

you guys and say you're offering is no longer tax-exempt, we're

not going to do it. Another great example would be

if our government tells us you can't worship.

You can't gather together and worship God anymore.

You can't do that. It's against the rules now.

You guys will have to have Miss Kay deliver bread to the jail,

cause that's where we're going to be.

We're not going to stop worshipping ever.

Jesus Christ. Is our King.

We owe him our Allegiance. We are to live as peaceably as

we can while we're here. We are to follow the laws of the

land. We are to be a people known for

gentleness and meekness and be mild but we will not.

We cannot Violate God's command to do so.

So, this was just one of the ways.

That the cretans that the Christians of Crete were to

engage The Outsiders and the unbelievers and their culture.

The government had this is a very specific situation for them

but this is how they were to approach this as opposed to the

culture around them. It was a huge part of what was

happening in created the time. If you'll remember back in

Chapter 2 verses 9 through 10, that was the section on bond

servants, and they also were called to be submissive to their

masters for of Purpose of adorning, the Gospel making the

gospel, lovely, making it attractive to other people.

That was why they were to be submissive.

And it's the same thing here. We are to be submissive to our

government. We are to live peaceably to make

the gospel attractive. Nothing is attractive about a

people that are just constantly fighting and quarreling and

stirring up division, whether it be in person or Online.

So let's move on another way that these Christians on Crete

were to engage the culture around them.

Another way, they were to be ambassadors for the gospel.

Amongst the culture was with unbelievers and just people in

general. So, verse 2.

Paul starts to give instruction on how to treat people people in

general, okay? He starts verse 2 with speak

evil of no one and ends it with show show.

Perfect perfect, courtesy toward all, people or everyone.

So, these verses are not just about Believers.

These are about all people. Everyone, specifically,

unbelievers, it is essential to notice this.

That this means everybody. So when it comes to dealing with

people, Paul and these verses gives us two negatives into

positives to some do's and some doughnuts.

Okay? So here's the to negative

commands, don't speak evil of anyone.

In other words, don't use your words, negatively, don't

slander. Don't talk about people behind

their back, don't badmouth people.

Paul said the same thing to the Ephesians in chapter 4, verse

29. He says like no corrupting talk

come out of your mouths, but only such as is good.

For building up as fits the occasion, that it may give Grace

to those who hear all of this. Again, still applies.

We should build people up with our speech, not tear them down.

We shouldn't slander others. We shouldn't gossip.

Remember, this is how the false teachers act, right?

This is what they do. They're constantly talking bad

about people constantly, gossiping and slandering, and

backbiting, and we're to be opposite of that.

The other - here is don't quarrel or avoid quarreling, but

don't don't quarrel don't start fights.

They shouldn't be picking fights, they shouldn't be

argumentative and bickering with people, they should be should

not be looking for conflict all the time.

This goes hand-in-hand, with why would they were to be submissive

to the government. Because constantly, bickering

constantly fighting does not do anything but make the gospel

look unattractive. So we shouldn't go looking for

division. We shouldn't be looking for ways

to fight and disagree again with our mouths or with our fingers

on a keyboard. There's we should not be looking

for ways to divide and slander and argue with people as

Christians we shouldn't run toward conflict.

We should be looking for opportunities to reconcile with

people and to love people. We should want to and do our

best to live out Romans. 18 which says, if possible so far

as it depends on, you live peaceably with all people.

Now, sometimes we can't help it. Controversy and divisions are

going to happen, sometimes it just lands on our doorstep.

But how we handle that can still Adorn the gospel?

We shouldn't be antagonists. And those situations, we should

be gentle, our speech should be seasoned with love and grace

toward other people. Give them the benefit of the

doubt. Hear them out, listen to them.

Well, love them. Well, Then the two positive

commands here. Be gentle, do be gentle.

I thought this was really neat. The, the Greek word here for

this means to be gracious or concealed e ettore.

I'm probably saying that wrong, but I had to look the word up.

It means intended to pacify, Okay, don't don't miss that.

You're to be gentle or gracious, or intending to pacify.

So, rather than looking for opportunities, for conflict and

division to stir up Strife, we're to be of people marked by

wanting looking for ways to pacify and bring peace to

situations, especially in our own lives with people that we

deal with. But even in the lives of others,

the rear around weird to be peacemakers So many many times

when conflicts arise, how we handle that can make a huge

difference between reconciliation and division.

So, we need to keep that in mind.

We also are to show perfect courtesy to all people.

Another way. This is translated is all

courtesy to all people. This could also mean gentleness

humility meekness considerate, giving people the benefit of the

doubt. So all gentleness all courtesy

to all people we're to show as much courtesy as we possibly can

to every single person that we come into contact with all

people against Todd says In other words, there's no limit to

how much humble courtesy that we should show or who we should

show it to as much as we can muster.

We should show all courtesy, all gentleness to all people all the

time, there's no caveats to this.

He goes on to say that these two positive commands here where two

characteristics of Jesus himself, that Paul appealed to

the Corinthians with and second Corinthians, 10 meek and Mild.

Gentle and meek, we are to emulate Christ in this.

We are ambassadors of Christ were in a foreign land as his

Representatives we should want to live our lives.

As Christ, lived his life, we should want to be gentle and

meek and mild and how we're Late to peep.

So these are just two ways that Paul wrote to Titus for the

Christians of Crete to engage the culture around them, when

they step outside the church and their homes.

And now you're dealing with unbelievers, you're going to

have this government issue and then you're going to have people

in general. Here's how you are to treat

these people. Now, let's look at the

motivation behind it. All, why, why should we do this?

How are we to do this? How are we going to accomplish

this? Look at verse. great 3:3 for we

ourselves were once foolish disobedient, LED astray slaves,

to various passions and Pleasures passing hour days and

Malice and envy hated by others and hating one another So

there's two motivations here for all of the things we've talked

about for treating people and Outsiders for unbelievers and

your government. There's two motivations here,

the first one is a love for people.

Paul is saying, look, if he saved us, he might just save

them to says. Remember you used to look just

like that? You used to be part of that?

That was you. You were exactly like that, but

God saved you, he brought you out of that.

So be humble, don't point fingers.

Don't get judgy toward those people.

You used to be just like them. Love them hope and pray that God

pulls them out of that just like he did you.

We never know who that might be. John 3:8 tells us that the holy

John 3:8

spirit is like the wind blows. Where it wishes.

We can't predict it. We never know who God is working

on. We never know who is under

conviction, who the holy spirit is working on.

And so we need to be loving to all people.

We don't get to pick and choose who gives their life to Christ

and who he calls only, he chooses that.

So we love everybody. We keep in mind that anybody

could be right on the edge of giving their life to Christ, you

need to be loving. We need to be, we need to be

peaceful with people. We never know who God's working

on breathing called to love our enemies and pray for them.

So it's not just unbelievers or people in our lives and maybe we

disagree with their people that are our enemies that hate us.

Maybe people that we really don't like we're even called to

love them to pray for them. Pray for their salvation.

It could just be that by doing this through living counter

culturally, instead of slandering and causing Division,

and being hateful, instead of being that if we're loving, we

care about these people. It could just be that God

chooses to use you. As the means to communicate the

gospel in a way that saves their soul.

That doesn't mean you saved them, God does the saving but he

might Use you as the tool to preach the gospel to them.

And how awesome is that that God chooses to use us?

Who used to be nasty? Sinners still are sinners, but

he's redeemed Us and how he uses us to reach other people.

So keep that in mind when dealing with Outsiders and

unbelievers. The second motivation here for y

to do this is a love for God. It's a love for people and a

love for God. Paul reminds the Christians on

Crete that they used to be. Just like that.

They used to be just like those unbelievers.

They used to be a people marked by foolishness Disobedience,

malice, Envy hating other people and being hated the exact

opposite of everything that he's just commanded.

You used to be like that. He uses the words, LED astray

and slaves. There were slaves to various

passions and Pleasures now. This means that they were held

captive by it. They were powerless against it.

They were being absolutely fully submissive, but not so their

government and not to God not to any kind of authorities, but to

their own passions and Pleasures.

They were submissive to sin and to Satan.

That's what they were submissive to their were slaves to the

devil Bound by him. Imprisoned, by him, unable to

Break Free on their own. They spent their days in Malice

and envy hating others and being hated.

But then, something miraculous happened.

This is not part of our text. We're going to get into this

next week but let's just for funsies, let's read Verses 4

through 8 of chapter 3 but when the goodness and the loving

kindness of God our savior appeared, he saved us.

Not because of Works done by us in righteousness, but according

to his own Mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of

the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us richly through.

Jesus Christ, Our Savior. So that being justified by his

grace, Nice. We might become heirs, according

to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I

want you to insist on these things.

That those who have believed in God, may be careful to devote

themselves to good works. These things are excellent and

profitable for people. These people were slaves to sin,

they were LED astray by it. They were captivated by it but

God saved them, not because of anything they did but because of

his mercy and his love and his grace, he saved them, God set

them free. He freed them from their bondage

to sin and slavery and made them a new creation.

The gospel transformed them into a people with new hearts and new

affections. Now, set on Christ.

And as newly transformed people, they were to be ambassador's

representatives of Jesus in that culture.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they were to live a life

set. Apart devoted to Good Works.

Instead of evil works The same is still true for us.

This is our motivation for Godly living among Outsiders.

We have been redeemed, we have been saved, God has set us free

from the bondage of sin. We are no longer slaves to the

Flesh and to sin and it's because of him alone.

And so now because of that, I want to do everything I can to

live my life for Christ and to go represent him well in the

Unity that I'm a part of. So verse 3 gives us the why

behind the how that these cretins were to live their lives

as Christians in the culture around them.

So what does all of this mean for us in Magnolia Arkansas, the

21st century. Well, I have a couple of ideas

worship team, you guys can come up if you want to and going to

wrap this up. What does this mean for us

today? As we've gone through these

things, I've pointed out a couple of times at these things,

still apply to us today and they do.

But specifically, I want you guys to hear a couple of things.

Number one, if you're in this place and you're a believer.

If you've given your life to Christ, these words were written

to a specific people in a specific Place.

Specific time under very specific circumstances but these

principles still apply to us as Believers.

God has set us free from the slavery of sin.

He has redeemed us and made us New Creations.

And as New Creations, as transformed creatures, by the

gospel we are now ambassador's for Christ in the world around.

And us this place is not our home.

We are eagerly longing for the day that we can be done with sin

and death and all the consequences of the curse and be

with Jesus in Paradise. But while we are here, we have a

mission to spread the good news and Adorn the gospel through

Godly living among Outsiders. Second Corinthians 5:17 through

2 Corinthians 5:17–21

21 says, therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

The old has passed away. Hold the new has come and all of

this is from God who through Christ reconciled himself.

Reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of

reconciliation that is in Christ.

God was reconciling the world to himself not counting their

trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of

reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for

Christ. God making his appeal through

us. We implore you on behalf of

Christ be reconciled to God for our sake.

He made him who knew no sin to be sin, so that in him, we might

become the righteousness of God. So, brothers and sisters.

Let's live our lives in submission.

Let's be gentle. Let's be courteous, not

quarrelsome and divisive. Let's be a people known for that

for being considerate and courteous to other people.

Let's not be quick to judge quick to run to conflict and

stir. Up division.

Now, I know I fail at this and I know you probably do, too.

Unfortunately, when we are saved these things don't automatically

download our hard drive and Bama.

Perfect at this, it's an ongoing process called sanctification.

So I want to encourage you in this pray and ask God to help

you in this. It's only through the holy

spirit's power that we can love people in this kind of way it's

not natural. It goes against what our flesh

tells us to do. So I want to encourage you as

believers. You used to be just like them,

love them. Well you're an ambassador for

Christ in your culture around, you represent Christ, well of

people. Well and then for anyone in here

who maybe hasn't ever placed their faith in Christ, maybe

you've never made that commitment.

Maybe you've never placed your faith in him.

Maybe all of this is brand-new to you, maybe you read that

description of those unbelievers there are so hateful and all

that you say, man, that's me. I want to tell you that is no

way to live your life. Jesus said that he came to give

life and give it more abundantly.

So if you've never placed your faith in Christ, you've never

been reborn and made a new creation, it is not too late to

do that. If he did it for me, he can do

it for you. And that is what Paul is saying.

In verse 3 that we all used to be this way, but through Christ,

you can be made new and it is only through the saving grace of

God, that any of us can be free from this bondage of Sin from

the slavery to sin, but you can be free of that burden.

You can be free of all that hatred and bitterness you do not

have to live your life like that.

You don't have to carry that around all the time.

I beg you to place your hope and your faith in Christ today to

believe in him to turn from that life of hatred and bitterness

and quarrelsome - and all of that to a life of being

submissive to Christ, to loving people, into being courteous and

wanting to be an ambassador for Christ.

Believe in Jesus, place your faith, and your hope in him

today. And if you have any questions

about that, or you won't pray or any of that, I'll be down here.

Be glad to talk to you or pray with you Kyle.

Do the same and stick around and talk afterward.

If you have any questions about that, please come see us.

But don't leave here today, without doing that.

The gospel transforms us into ambassador's for Christ.

Let's remember that. As we leave this place and we go

our separate ways and we go out into the culture out into these

areas where we're surrounded by unbelievers.

Let's remember, we have been placed there by God for reason

to represent Jesus and preach the gospel in the love people.

Well, you guys join. Join me in.

Stand your feet. We're going to sing.

Going to worship. Praise God.

This morning.