Titus | Week 9

Good morning, how are you? Good, glad that you were doing.

Well, it's good to be back from what felt like the Land of the

Dead last week, so most of you may know I had stomach bugs,

that wasn't fun, but I Want To Praise James Jones for coming to

bat in the bottom of the ninth with bases loaded and two outs

needing a hit and James came through beautifully.

So thank you, brother James for your faithfulness and your

willingness, to For each when you recall that 6 p.m. on

Saturday so love you brother. Thank you.

We are continuing in Titus Chapter 2, James began with

Titus 2 · chapter mention

11:00 and 12:00 last week. What is a portion that does go

together? But there's two giant truths

that needed at least by my estimation, a sermon each, but

you could spend weeks unpacking. What is in these four verses

here and so what? What's happened is Paul has just

gone through in Chapter 2. If you remember some practical

instruction for Godly living, he has his laid out what it looks

like to Adorn the gospel with godliness.

He Paul starts by telling Titus teach what Accords with sound

doctrine. That is teach how to live as

those who have received sound Doctrine.

There's a way of life now that follows this, and so the sound

Doctrine. Absolutely comes first, and

that's what James hit on last week.

Well, was that? Here's the sound Doctrine.

Here's where you've been saved and that Grace that appear

teaches us to renounce worldliness ungodliness and to

live a certain way. Self-controlled upright Godly

lives in this prison age and so we've seen some of those things

but in the second part of this there's a second appearing that

shows up there's the the appearing of.

So we have in in verse 11 it says that God's that the grace

of God has He appeared and then in verse 13, it says waiting for

our blessed hope the appearing. So let me just read 11 through

14 and kind of catch the flow of what's going on here.

And then we'll dive in a little bit more for the grace of God

has appeared bringing salvation. For all people training us to

renounce, ungodliness and worldly, passions and to live.

Self-controlled upright and godly lives in The present age

verse 13, waiting for our blessed.

Hope the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior,

Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all

lawlessness. And to purify for himself a

people for his own possession who are zealous for.

Good works. So the first appearance of Grace

is the grace that saves. It's the grace that transforms

your life. It's the grace that takes you

from spiritually dead to spiritually alive.

It is the grace that is bringing salvation for all people,

training them to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions

to live self-controlled Upright Godly lives in the present age.

It is transforming Grace and if that Grace has appeared in your

life, it has transformed you. That is what Paul is saying here

to Titus, is that it is Grace, that transforms and it has

appeared because Christ has appeared.

It's the kind of Grace that regenerates, your heart.

Is the kind of Grace that gives you a new heart.

Ezekiel 36 we read there from the prophet Ezekiel.

God speaking to the people, he says, I will give you a new

heart and I will put my spirit in.

You, there's a regeneration that takes place.

This is the kind of Grace, that justifies your soul.

You were once condemned in your trespasses and sins against God.

But because Grace has appeared, you have been Justified freely

by his grace Paul, It's elsewhere, you've been Justified

freely by the grace of God. You are so now, stands

unconditioned before, God your know, your soul.

Now stands free before God because of the work of Christ if

you have indeed believed in Christ, Jesus as your savior and

it's the kind of Grace that sanctifies your life.

So it's kind of Grace that regenerates it justifies and it

sanctifies your life, meaning it cleanses you from all

unrighteousness. It Teaches you to renounce

worldly, passions it, teaches you to renounce on godliness and

to live a certain way. This was again, what James

touched on, so beautifully last week, and that is what Jesus

Christ has provided to you through this first appearing

that he has appeared and he provides this through his life

and through his death and through his resurrection for all

who call upon his name, Amen. Amen.

So the second appearance though, that we see here is the

appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus

Christ. This is a different kind of

appearance. It is when Christ returns one

day, future tense together, those people whom he has saved

together together, all his people, those who were saved by

his grace through faith in his name.

And that's We see in verse 13. We have the present age in view,

but but here in the end of the present, here we have the end of

the present age in view that at the end of this present age at

the end of this is when Christ returns.

And at the end of that when he does return, that is when he

gathers together, his people and the new Heaven and the new Earth

that all things are made new and I'll touch on that a little bit

more as we go today. This is when Christ comes.

And what is an unveiled Glory, previously?

He's come and a veiled Glory. We were able to see his glory to

an extent, but now, he will come and an uninvolved glory.

And when he does, he will righteously judge the living and

the dead. When he comes to make all things

new, he will declare those who are in Christ.

As righteous and he will declare those who have denied Christ.

As unrighteous one will go into eternal life in heaven, to dwell

with Jesus forever. Amen.

And the other will go into R Eternal condemnation and hell to

dwell apart from the presence of Christ forever.

They'll be under God's Wrath for eternity.

And Paul tells Titus. But this is the Blessed Hope Of

Our Lives. That Christ will appear again.

This is a blessed hope so live. Then in such a way, as to show

that you are waiting for the Blessed hope of Christ.

And so the thing, the truth, kind of the overarching truth.

I want to put before you today is this, and if you're taking

notes, I ask that you write it down.

It's the Blessed hope of Christ's return, is the fuel to

your Christian Life. The Blessed hope of Christ's

return is the fuel for your Christian Life.

Let me pray for you as you're pinning.

That Heavenly Father, we praise you for your word.

We praise you. For the first appearance of

Christ that we've seen, we praise you father that we have

the hope of a second appearance and God it is evident throughout

scripture throughout church history throughout the ages

father that this second appearance of Christ is the

Believers, great. Hope that it is the thing that

gets us through All things. It's the thing that powers us

for Mission. It's the thing that empowers us

through Despair and helps us to know that know all of these

things are worth it. Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians

4. Lord that That these things.

That are happening to us, these worldly persecutions and trials

and tribulations. But these things are building

for us an eternal weight of Glory beyond all comparison.

And so he says, I fix my eyes not on the things that are seen,

but on the things that are unseen because the things that

are seen are transient, they're changing, but that that is

unseen, that Eternal hope. Is sure.

And it will not be defiled. Father, help us to capture that

today. As this is the fuel for a

faithful fruitful Christian Life, I believe it with all my

heart. Lord, I pray that you would help

us all in here today to see these truths.

Amen. Childbirth.

I don't know much about childbirth.

Firsthand all my information comes second hand, right?

Childbirth is one of those things that is miraculous.

It is a it is a walking miracle for sure.

I mean it's a it's a present every day kind of miracle that

takes place. The moment of conception all the

way to the moment of childbirth is just a, it's a changing

phenomenon in each day. And I can't do this Justice.

I really should have somebody like Patricia telling you what

it's like but but what I've observed is this is that each

moment is something new, right? There's new emotions there.

There's no hormones that there's new impact on the body.

There's growth, there's new experiences with pushing of feet

and hands. There is growth that I mentioned

that ladies there. there's pains that come with it, there's

sickness, there's joys in the moment of it as you're hearing a

heartbeat for the very first time or seeing an image of your

child on a little screen, mean there's so many moments to

childbirth and then there's the moment of delivery which is just

insane. It's Madness, it's chaos.

And yet, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen firsthand.

Is the birth of a child and what's really amazing is that a

woman can go through all of that, the birthing well, over

the growth, and the hormones, and all of those exciting.

And and sometimes not exciting moments And for them, it's

building its building up anticipation from the beginning

to the end. And so when the day finally

comes for birth, to take place, and now you're in labor, which

is Only increased pain from anything you have experienced

previously. It's the worst pain from what I

can tell. And then when that's over, you

get to hold a child in your arms.

And the holding of the child is one of those things that are

that a woman does and within moments she can declare it was

all worth it. I'll do it again and I'm

thinking Lord no. Yeah I would if it's been up to

me Wells would be our only child so I'd have been done.

I'm not sure I would have done that so just based on the

birthing process alone. But but childbirth can help us

understand what it means to wait for our blessed hope.

What does it mean to wait for our blessed?

Hope the appearing of the glory of our great.

God and Savior, Jesus Christ. But the word waiting for here

means that you are looking forward to.

You are anticipating something. This is not like I don't know.

I was trying to think of something.

You wait for that. You just kind of casually

waiting for, right? It's not a casual waiting.

This is like waiting for someone who's coming for a visit for the

holidays and you're kind of, you're getting the house, ready?

You're preparing things. You're excited to see, maybe

it's an old friend or a family member.

You're excited to embrace them to enjoy conversation with them

to brew some coffee with them. Something right?

Like you're looking forward to that meeting.

That's the kind of waiting that's in both here.

And I think childbirth captures, That better than waiting on a

friend, because it captures the ups and the Downs of the

waiting, it waiting comes with times of frustration.

There are moments where I don't like waiting.

There's moments where I think man I'm I'm through waiting

father, can this just end right? Ladies are like, first trimester

when I'm sickest right? Let this just end.

Waiting comes with fears. It comes with fears.

Like am I waiting for no reason? Am I waiting for something

that's not going to happen. I look foolish in my waiting

because I'm, I'm waiting for something that I believe is

coming and everyone around me. Seems oblivious to it and think

so there's no way. And SO waiting can be lonely.

Laying waiting can be can bring about sadness. again, kind of in

the same vein of fears, But as time goes on, you You might

become sad. Like, I don't know if this

waiting is going to pay off. Those things might be described

as setbacks. Waiting also comes with times of

contentment. We're waiting informs my ability

to go through circumstances with contentment.

That waiting lets me know these moments of waiting are worth it,

even though they may be difficult, even though they may

be hard, even though they may be bringing about Despair and

depression. Waiting can bring contentment.

Waiting can bring courage. It's a waiting can produce fear

but Whiting can produce courage to because if I'm waiting for

something that I'm sure of I can have courage in a moment where I

might normally have fear. I can look at the circumstances

around me and see that things, at least in present tense are

imploding. But I can say this is not the

end, this is not what it looks like at the end of all things.

And so I can be courageous in my waiting.

Waiting can also produce excitement, right?

I love that waiting builds. Anticipation waiting for

something like Christmas or your birthday, or something, you're

looking forward to. It builds an excitement like as

the day draws near, I get more and more excited about it.

There ought to be an excitement that's attached to waiting.

Waiting can also bring progress. Waiting reveals progress, there

are things that happen in moments of waiting, from

beginning to end that show growth, right?

I use the illustration of childbirth, a moment ago, that

the belly begins to grow it. Expands you can see progress,

you can feel kicks and foot feet kicking against.

You can feel hands pushing against you Rolling around like

waiting reveals progress. But knowing there's a great joy

to be gained on the other end of her pregnancy, a mother presses

onward. She's eagerly anticipating her

baby's arrival, and it is what fuels, it's what fuels her on

the good days and the bad days. her waiting the hope of Brothers

and sisters, listen to me. The Blessed hope.

Of Christ's return is the fuel for your Christian Life.

It ought to be what fuels you if you can get deep down in you in

Eternal view of life, that this life, my 70 80 years.

By reason, Moses says in Psalm 90 If I can get in view that

that is, but a blip on the radar of Eternity, barely a blip.

Then I can understand that the fraction of my life.

Is meant to be spent for something else.

Then building my own kingdom. What good is a kingdom erected

in 70, or 80 years? when it comes to Eternity, how

many literal kingdoms not just little sand castles like what

I'm talking about, how many literal kingdoms have fallen

just in the six thousand or so years at the world's been around

many Many of which men and that day would have said it will

never fall. So the point is that there is

something Eternal and we need to capture as Christians and

eternal mindset, that we are not bound to this world.

We're not living for our own lives and our own stuff in this

world. We are waiting eagerly

anticipating the return of Christ.

And that should inform the way we wait.

It should inform the way we work.

Let's talk a little further about eagerly awaiting Christ's

return in glory. I want to read to you.

These are versus again, so they're back before us waiting

for our blessed. Hope the appearing of the glory

of our great, God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness.

And to purify for himself a people for his own possession.

So idea of eagerly anticipating. Our happy.

Hope that this literally what this idea is waiting is out of

eagerly anticipating. Blessed.

Hope is Happy hope. Or hope which brings great joy.

It's hope which blesses you that that's what's in view here is

the kind of hope that is a blessing to you and you were

eagerly waiting for this hope that is Kept For You in Heaven.

John Stott comments. He says, he who appeared briefly

on the stage of history and disappeared will one day

reappear. He appeared in Grace.

He will reappear in glory. In fact, the future appearance

of Glory is the Supreme object of our Christian hope waiting

for our blessed hope. it was great, a miracle and thus,

greater blessing as childbirth, is as miraculous as that thing

is, as, as amazing as it is, The hope of the Christian Life is

greater. It's more impactful.

It's more worthy of Praise. It's more worthy of focus is

more worthy of Celebration. And that is the appearance of

our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now, this phrase, our great God and savior deserves, at least a

common, it deserves a whole sermon, but what it's going to

get at least a comment that this is one of the most unambiguous.

Announcements of the deity of Christ that we have in our new

testament. It is one of the most clear

statements, we have in the New Testament about the deity of

Christ Jesus that he is. God, he is not God.

The father is God the son. He's the second member of our

Triune God. Amen.

And we see that here that he is our great, God and Savior Jesus

Christ. And one of the things about the

appearing of his glory that I thought was interesting, as I

was reading through this, I'm sinking now.

It could be said, Paul that we've already seen his glory.

That is glories already appeared.

He calls it Grace. He says that his grace appeared.

But it could be said because other Riders have said it that

we have seen his glory, listen to John 1:14, and the word

John 1:14

became flesh which is Christ and dwelt among us.

And we have seen his glory. Glory, as of the only son from

the father full of grace and truth, Amen.

The writer of Hebrews in 1:3. He says, talking of Christ

again. He says he is the radiance of

the glory of God that he's the exact imprint of his nature and

he upholds, the universe by the word of his power.

And after making purification for sins, he sat down at the

right hand of the Majesty on high.

That's Glory, right? He says he's there.

He's the radiance of the glory of God.

He's the exact imprint of God's nature.

We have seen in Jesus Christ. God's glory clearly.

It's evident it's not only evident in the signs and wonders

that he did which revealed things that only God could do.

It's evident in the things that he said about himself.

And the Gospel of John he is all about making it known that he is

from the father and that he and the father are one and in saying

that the Jews were mad at him because he was making himself

equal with God. And so we have seen his glory.

To an extent. To an extent.

However, when Christ comes again, we will see his glory in

full. Now, this will be more Vivid

than going from like a 13 inch black and white tube Style TV.

There's several of you in here, like, I don't know what that

means, right? You grew up on LCD screens, plus

your heart, right? You don't know what roughing it

is? So It's like going from one of

those itty bitty things to a 60 inch, 4K ultra high definition

TV, right? It's Vivid the pictures better.

The colors are more Vivid their life like even it's almost like

you're sitting in the show that you're watching.

You're on the football field with the players.

And Christ's return will be more Vivid.

Than when he came the first time, his glory will be seen

more clearly. Previously, his glory was

veiled, how do we know because so many didn't see it, right?

We live under the impression. Now, at least I have, I'll use

an i statement. Sorry, I live under the

impression at times, it meant like Christ, if you would just,

like, if you just come again, or do some miracle, something that

somebody could look on and they would believe in you.

I know they would And cross this like you idiots, have you not

read? Right throughout the gospels

where he's performing sign and wonder, and wonder, and sign and

the people are looking at them. And they're saying, give me

another sign. They saw him face-to-face.

He was the very word of God revealed to them.

He's interacting with men who knew the word of God better than

anyone in their day and they can't see Their Eyes Were

veiled. But when Christ comes again, one

day, when Christ Returns, the veil will be lifted and His

glory will appear and we will see him as he truly is the

radiance of the glory of God in full definition.

Amen. Our hearts will soar.

Our souls will sing Paul reminds us here of he's reminding Titus

here at the Salvation that Jesus manifested, right?

He says, he gave himself for us to redeem us from all sinfulness

to purify a people for his own possession.

And what he is saying now, is that when Christ returns, when

he comes, he will perfect the Salvation in US But the language

that Paul uses is is vivid if you're Jewish.

If you were an Old Testament student, it would be more Vivid

to you than maybe it is for us today.

Jesus Christ, is this is what Paul is saying that Jesus Christ

is the Fulfillment of Old Testament.

Foreshadowings of Salvation that he's the answer to what it is

Jews were committed to knowing then still they can't see it

still, they're disrupting whole families with false teaching.

Right? That's what we saw in chapter

one. And there's soap, Allah

describes vividly again. Here it is.

He saying that salvation is Christ that Christ is the only

way to be saved and this was a way to show Titus and titus's

Jewish opponents, that Christ is the only way to Salvation when

Paul says that he gave himself for us, The idea here is that he

the word there means that he sacrificed himself.

It means that he gave up himself for us.

He became the sacrificial lamb, he became the one who atoned for

sins. He became the one who bore our

sin on his own back, just as the priest Would have been doing as

they took animals into the temple.

To offer them to God for the sins of the nation, for the sins

of individuals, for their own sin over and over again.

Christ, does it once and for all he is the Passover sacrifice.

and Paul says that he gave himself up to redeem us, the

idea of redemption is seen vividly and The Exodus of the

Israelites from Egyptian slavery.

The Egyptians are held by pharaoh and slavery.

They're being they're being tormented by being abused or

being overworked. They're in captivity the cries

of God's people come up to him and he raises up Moses to

deliver them out of Egypt, right?

And so we have the Exodus in the book of Exodus.

The exit is is the Redemption from Egyptian bondage.

The Exodus of Christ is the Redemption from bondage to

slavery, slavery of sin, specifically, He says it redeem

us a people for his very own possession.

The Covenant of Mount Sinai there with Moses.

He he calls Israel, his treasured possession.

The word that Paul is using here to say a people for his very own

possession, only appears here in Titus.

There are versions of this idea. In other words that appear

elsewhere in the New Testament, but this is the one place that

uses it. And the reason is because he's

tying it to Sinai. He's tying it to a people who

were treasured by God, what he's saying to the Jews is, hey, look

here, right? He's saying this is Christ

Christ. Has redeemed.

A people for his very own possession.

We are as Christians. His treasured people.

Were the Bounty of redemption or the reward of his Redemption?

We're his treasure people. So what this means is brothers

and sisters that you enjoy the same.

God that the Old Testament people enjoyed except you get to

see more vividly because you're on the backside of the coming of

Christ. You get to see more vividly what

they were waiting for. You get to see what they hoped

for. You've seen.

Jesus Christ for we are his redeemed people and because His

redeemed people. He is our Passover.

He is our Exodus and he is our sauna, amen.

However, because we live in between times, we live in the

balance of things, we live in a present age, that is not the

final age. We live between appearances.

And because we do, we are to remember our Salvation were to

remember the work of Christ on the cross.

We're not to forget it. This is why we take the Lord's

supper at least monthly around here.

It reminds us of the Cross of Christ.

It reminds us that we are his people.

It reminds us that he's coming again.

And so, we look ahead as we look back.

We also look ahead These are the ideas of the already something

that's been realized in the not yet something that has yet to be

realized. We are already saved by grace.

We are already joint heirs with Christ, but we are not yet.

Presence in heaven with him. We are not yet perfected.

This will come when Christ returns and until that day, he

is working on us. Romans 5 1 through 5.

Therefore since we have been justified by faith we have peace

with God through our Lord. Jesus Christ through him.

We stand up. Sorry through him.

We have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which

we stand and we rejoice in Hope of the glory of God.

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, That's a

sentence. No one wants to write.

That's a sentence that you can only ride if you have an eternal

perspective. Listen to How it builds, not

only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that

suffering, produces endurance, and endurance, produces

character and character produces hope.

Hope. And hope does not put us to

shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

How do we know that? We have hope because God's love

is in here. It's been poured into our hearts

through the Holy Spirit. how do we know that we have hope

because, as we're suffering, We're rejoicing, we're rejoicing

because the suffering produces endurance.

We're rejoicing because the endurance produces character

we're rejoicing, because the character produces hope and hope

will not put you to shame. Because God has poured Into Your

Heart by his spirits, his own love.

It's self a testing is what I'm trying to tell you.

It's something that, you know, by experience.

It's something that you know, by testing it as you go.

Can I believe Romans 5? Is there hope?

Rejoice in your sufferings and find out.

Much easier said than done, listen to Romans 8 again, very

similar thought here for. I consider that the sufferings

of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory,

that is to be revealed to us. So what's he talking about?

He's talking about a future Glory which is to be revealed.

There's a hope there and he's saying I've I consider that the

sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to that.

Another words they fell in comparison.

Write this Glory, that's coming out, shines it out, last it

outweighs my suffering today. For the creation Waits with

eager longing, for the revealing of the sons of God, for the

creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but

because of him who subjected it in hope, that the creation

itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain

the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

For, we know that the whole creation has been groaning

together in the Pains of Childbirth until now Paul

writes. Verse 23 there in Romans 8, and

not only the creation, but we ourselves who have the first

fruits of the spirit groan inwardly as we.

Wait. Eagerly for adoption as Sons.

The Redemption of our bodies for in this hope we were saved.

Now hope that is seen is not hope.

For who hopes for what he sees. But if we hope for what we do,

not see we wait for it with patience.

Eagerly waiting with patience. The hope that is kept in heaven,

for you is the fuel to your Christian Life.

Over. And again the message is clear

throughout the New Testament, especially in these verses to

look back at your salvation to look back on your salvation in

Christ. Jesus, as you look forward to as

you anticipate his coming again in full Glory.

It's to remember your salvation. As you look forward, it's to

from your salvation, have a holy hope about you a joyous hope

about you. The Blessed hope of Christ's

return, is the fuel to your Christian Life.

Amen. In Titus, 2:14 he concludes with

this phrase. Well, let me read this.

He says, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all

lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own

possession. Who are zealous for?

Good works. Hope is the fuel for zealous.

Good works. Hope fuel Zeal and Zeal fuels

works. If you take a look around the

world today, you examine your own life, you examine the news,

examine Facebook, examine, whatever, wherever you kind of,

get your your information about what's taking place in the

world. Some of us have probably chosen

to live and like just a real small microcosm, right?

Like it's just it's me and my people and I don't have time for

the insanity out there because there's enough Insanity right

here. Right.

And then there's some who are like, yeah, but also want to

know about the other insanity. And so you've made yourself

privy to those through various ways and more and more.

And so you might choose different areas of insanity than

others. But ultimately, we're all

genuinely, are generally. Police are aware of.

What's going on out in the world outside of Christianity?

Its effects on Christianity. Its effects on our own heart,

those kinds of things, we're aware of those things.

When I look into those things. I don't have Zeal promoted in

me. Zeile gets somewhat demoted in

me. Like, if my view is only on the

things, right? If my view is only on the mess,

that's out there, the problems, the issues zil, my Zeal tank,

kind of begins to run low, right?

Like I might enter into it with the zealousness to be a light in

the dark spot, but if my eyes are only fixed on that, Zeal

runs short runs low. And so what we've got to figure

out is how to look. Frontwards and backwards at the

same time physically impossible, but spiritually possible.

The world would have. You lose your zeal?

The world doesn't want zealous for.

Good work Christians. The world might want the good

worst. They don't want Christian good

works. That the world would have you

lived without Zilla life, without Zoo, the world would

have you say it's okay to just kind of have your Christianity

over there, but don't feel the need to kind of insert it into

everything around us. We don't want that. but it's

Zeal that says no, the world needs the light and so I'm

taking the light How do we know the world doesn't want zealous,

Christians? Well, because they ridicule the

zealous. They Crucified the most zealous.

Throughout Church ages. They have martyred, the zealous.

You Christians, they say are so hopelessly impractical.

You believe in make believe you believe a fairy tale.

You are so preoccupied with the first century and things that

we're going on, then that you live in the past.

Things aren't that way anymore. And not only that, but you're,

you're so preoccupied with some far-fetched story about what's

to come. That that no one even

understands you. A man come again from heaven.

These are the kind of ridicules and markings of the world.

And so much of evangelicalism has gone the way of softening

biblical truths and realities in an effort to make the message

more attractive to the world. Let's soften some of the truth.

Let's soften The Edge on the sword a bit.

So that no longer cuts. But we swing a blunt Edge.

We swing a sword with no power. and so, therefore there's Not

only a lack of fruitfulness but a producing of bad fruit.

But Paul is encouraging tightest.

Let's not forget where Titus is, Titus is not in some Christian

country. We're Titus exist as less

Christian than what America thinks she is.

Titus exists in the midst of the very same, kind of world.

As we do, it's one full of evil beasts and lazy gluttons and

habitual Liars. And false teachers.

It's the same world everything that Paul is saying to tide us

in 1st Century. Here is applicable to you and me

today. It's not a different world.

And so he says, in the midst of this world, and in the midst of

the evil beast, in the midst of the lazy gluttons, the always

Liars, the false, teachers in the midst of them, teach sound

Doctrine and guard sound Doctrine, refute those false

teachers that they might be sound in the faith.

And encourage the Saints in Courage, the Saints to Adorn,

the gospel that they have received with godliness.

To live Godly lives. And that is exactly what is

needed. In a sin-stained world,

Darkness, doesn't need less light, it needs more light, it

doesn't need a dollar lot of smaller light.

It needs a brighter light. The contrast of Christianity in

the world is meant to be discernible.

It's meant to be noticed. It's meant to be seen.

It's not meant to be hidden. The days of looking upon a

worldly man and a Christian man and not being able to tell the

difference between the two, should be far gone.

But unfortunately, they look the same just with a different

Sunday morning schedule, often. Older men, Paul says her to be

dignified to be respected, to be mature.

Older women are to be reverence and to teach young women

younger, women are to be hard workers zealous Christian women

and they have a husband there to love him.

If they have children there to love them, younger men are to be

self-controlled. Titus your to be a good teacher,

you to be a model slaves, you are to be well pleasing and

honest with your masters. All of us are to renounce evil

and live Godly righteous and discipline lives in the present

age. The list of what Paul is running

through in Titus 2. He's saying Christians are to be

the kind of people. So transformed by God's grace

that they can look back on their salvation with gladness and

press forward and hope their hope is the return of their

great. God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

that he is not leaving me here. He's coming again.

Christian's learned to do spiritually again.

What does impossible physically looking backwards and forward?

We look back and we remember the appearance we look forward and

anticipate the second coming of Christ.

This should become a part of our daily discipline that we look

unto Christ. The author of our salvation and

that we look unto Christ, the Perfecter of our salvation,

Christ has died. Christ is risen and Christ will

come again. And then we will know when we

begin to do things like that. When we begin to look backwards

and forward, you will begin to know a holy Zeal about your life

that your present work takes on meaning whether you're employed

somewhere or not, whether you're a friend or not, whether you

have need to make some reconciliation with someone or

not, whether you're a mother or father, a husband or a wife,

whether whatever you are. is meaning, when you look to

Eternity, when you say not my kingdom but your kingdom, not my

will, but your will Takes on meaning, our work has purpose.

Guy by the name of Cannon. Hey Aitken who suggested that,

the two comings of Christ are like two windows in the school

of Grace. Imagine you have a little school

house, there's two windows, large windows on each side, one

on the west, one, on the east. The Western Window shines, the

solemn lights from Mount Calvary, what Christ did on the

cross. And through the Eastern window,

shines the light of sun rising The Herald of a brighter day.

and thus, he says, the school of Grace is well-lit But we cannot,

he goes on to say, afford to do without the light from either

the west or the East, we need both.

The Blessed hope of Christ's return, is the fuel to your

Christian Life. In Revelation 21, we read this.

Then I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven.

And the first Earth had passed away.

And the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, New

Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven, from God prepared as a

bride adorned for her husband, and I heard a loud voice from

the throne saying, Behold The Dwelling Place of God is with,

man, he will dwell with them and they will be his people and God

himself will be with them as there.

God. He will wipe away every tear

from their eyes and Death Shall be no more neither shall there.

Be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore for the former things

have passed away and in verse 5 he says and he who was Seated on

the throne said, behold I am making all things new And also

he said, write this down for these words are trustworthy and

true. I sure.

Blessed hope A new Heaven and a new Earth.

Christ is making all things new. Even today Christ is building

his kingdom even today, he's preparing for that day, even

today, he's saving people from their sins.

Making a people from All Nations tribes and tongues of people who

will come together and worship at the Throne of Christ forever.

More He makes all things new and he calls you brothers and

sisters, whether you're young or old, if you're a believer, in

Jesus Christ, you were called by Christ himself to join him in

his work. To be a part of it to be zealous

for good works. You are a people.

Purified by the blood of Christ. You are a people created for his

own possession who are to be zealous for good works.

Amen. We're about to sing a song that

captures these two realities, which fuel your life.

I just want to read to you verse 1 and verse 4.

From the song that we're about to sing.

Worship team. You guys can come if you want

verse 1. He says My Hope.

Is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness, I

dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus

name. The course goes on Christ, the

solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand.

Verse 4. He says when he shall come with

trumpet sound. Oh may.

I then in him be found in him. My righteousness alone faultless

to stand Before the Throne on Christ, the solid rock I stand

all other ground is sinking sand would you stand to your feet

this morning? As we prepare to sing, I want

you to think about how you're going to respond to the Lord

today. if you're a believer, You've made Christ, your your

Lord. You're pursuing him following

him. There's fruit from it but its

ups and downs. It's like, it's like growing a

child. I want you to look back on your

salvation today, I want you to praise God today for the work

that he's done in your life. Especially as you sing those

words? Also want you to look forward to

Christ coming again. Think about how the return of

Christ might affect the way you parents.

How it might affect the way you live with your spouse.

How it might affect the way you evangelize your neighbor.

Tell them the good news of Jesus Christ.

How it might affect your sanctification, putting away

unholiness, putting away, worldly, passions growing in the

image, and likeness of Christ, spend a few moments reflecting

on your heart. Your life.

And be honest in your evaluation of yourself before the Lord

asked for his help today. Christ is ready to help you his

grace is sufficient for your time of need. if you're in here

today and you're not a believer, you don't know the Lord.

You've never placed your faith in him or maybe you did, but

you've never seen any fruit from it.

You've never had any desires from the for the Lord at all.

And so, your life has been contrary to anything.

You've heard today. I want you to know that Christ

gave himself up on a cross. Sacrificed himself for you to

redeem you from all sinful - and to purify you with his own

righteousness to give you what was his and to take on himself.

What was yours? He did that so that you might be

in fellowship with God again. She might know God and love God.

And to be known by God and to be loved by God.

If you today will repent of your sins, if you place your faith in

Jesus Christ confess and repent of your sins, place, your faith

in Jesus Christ. Then you will be saved.

And I encourage you to do that. I'm going to pray for you and

then I'm going to go to the back and if any of you wants prayer

or wants to talk, I'm happy to visit with you back there but

the rest of us will sing on Christ the solid rock this

morning. Let me pray, Heavenly Father, we

thank you for your word. Praise you!

Lord for your kindness toward us, be with us.

Now, as we respond. Holy Spirit convict our hearts.

Give us wisdom, grant us Direction.

Now, help us to know to whom we go for the words of eternal

life, as Peter declared. Father, help us to know you and

to love you Above All Else. And father for anyone in here

who doesn't know you, I pray that you would grant them

salvation. Now, she would grant them the

ability to come to you, the ability to see their sinfulness,

to see their need for Christ, a perfect Savior, and the place

their faith in him, we love you. And we praise you today for your

word, your kindness. We ask that you give us an

eternal perspective and let it fuel our Christian Life.

Amen.