LIVING IN LIGHT OF ETERNITY - Titus 2:11-14

well all right if you have a Bible or an

app let's open it up we're going to be

in the book of Titus this morning the

book of Titus Chapter 2 we're going to

Titus 2 · chapter mention

be looking at verses 11 through 14 we

we're taking this Sunday really we're

taking the next four weeks as we dive

into a brand new sermon series that I've

entitled The Coming glory and what we're

going to be doing over the next couple

of weeks is looking at what the Bible

tells us about the return of Jesus what

current events what worldly events are

going to take place prior to the return

of the Lord make make no mistake one day

Jesus in all his majesty and glory is

going to return to Earth as a matter of

fact if you remember from our sermon

series in the book of Acts chapter 1 we

Acts 1 · chapter mention

read that When Jesus ascended back up to

heaven the disciples stood there shocked

and in awe and and really filled with a

spirit of anticipation they stayed

gazing up towards the clouds and the

scripture tells us that two men in

dazzling white robes appeared before the

disciples and here's what they told him

they said why do you stand GL glancing

up at the heavens don't you know that in

the same way Jesus ascended into heaven

will be the same way in which he returns

back to

Earth uh if you remember as we continued

in our series over the book of

Acts that moment served as the Catalyst

by which the New Testament Church was

birthed and by which the mission of the

Gospel was pushed and propelled forward

and and here's what I want to do this

morning I want to talk about what it

looks like for us to live in light of

eternal

what does it mean for us that Jesus is

going to return one day so often when it

comes to the return of Jesus we we like

to get into the weeds a little bit what

is happening around the world all the

disease the wars the famine uh the

rumors of wars how of all of this how

does all of this relate to the return of

Christ and so often we could wait into

the weaves without first understanding

the ground on which we stand which is

why I think it's important that this

morning we establish a baseline for our

faith because you can't focus on future

promises if you don't first understand

the foundation of the faith that you

profess to believe and the Faith by

which you stand and so here's here's my

challenge to us this morning really

here's here's been my prayer as I've

been preparing for this series since

last year my hope is that as we unpack

not just our passage but but really the

promises of scripture as it relates to

the coming of Jesus that we would be

challenged that we would be convicted

and the life that we live would be

completely transformed so that when

others recognize who we are and how we

live our lives they would be pointed to

the gospel that we would be compelled

because of the truth and the promise of

the coming Glory of Jesus we would be

compelled to live

differently you know many of you know

I've shared this with you before I I

grew up with three other brothers two

older one younger and my mom because she

had to raise four boys had gray hair by

the time she was in her early

30s and anyone who has a very large

family knows that that haircuts for each

of your children can really add up and

can get quite

expensive well my grandmother she lived

about uh a block and a half to two

blocks away from us and so to save money

my mom would take us over there and my

grandmother would then go on to give us

haircuts I remember just just being

young and and being very impatient I I

would always ask my grandma as she was

cutting my hair are you almost done

and then after a while as as she Drew

near to the end of giving me a haircut

she she would say this in response to my

question I would say Grandma are you

almost done and and she would say just

about and really what what those words

signify to me is that the end was near

so my

impatience began to transform into

anticipation one day this haircut is

going to be done and she's going to wipe

all the acccess hair off my neck I won't

itch so much and so I was no longer

impatient but I began to anticipate I

began to be filled with

excitement well I share that with you in

order to say this we are living in the

just about

moment one day Jesus is going to come

back and and because we know that Jesus

is going to come back it should change

the Outlook and the perspective that we

have on life it should fill us not with

Dread not with fear but with hopeful

anticipation it should stir in our lives

an

excitment to await the return of Jesus

but not only that to invite others in as

well and so here in the book of Titus

Paul begins to to instruct Pastor Titus

as he's pastoring the churches on the

island of creit on how they can live

their lives in anticipation of the

Lord's return if that name creit sounds

familiar it's because that's where we

get the word from the dictionary

defines the word this way someone

who is vogar evil and offensive in

nature

this was the context by which Titus and

Paul were ministering to people on the

island of cre and if you really think

about it it's not much different from

the context in which we live today we

are surrounded by a spirit of Evil by a

spirit of vulgarity by a spirit of

offense that is all aimed at an attempt

to silence the gospel message but you

know this just as well as I do that that

no matter what comes up against the

people of God no matter what happens

Against The Messengers of the Gospel it

will never ever be

silenced so Paul's

instruction to Titus and the church the

Christians there is to live counter

culturally to live in light of the

Blessed hope that we have and this is

why our passage is so so relevant today

so let's read together it'll be up on

the screen Titus Chapter 2 beginning in

Titus 2 · chapter mention

verse

11 here's what Paul writes 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 Pres

age do you know what that's telling us

in the present age Paul never mines

words and and what I love about God's

word is it is that every part of it is

intentional none of it is wasted that

there is meaning and intentionality

behind it and so so when Paul declares

to Pastor Titus that in this present age

we must live self-controlled and godly

lives here here's what he's telling us

he is saying right now all the time

everywhere we must live Godly lives not

just when we're with a particular group

of friends not just particular moments

days or hours out of our week but

everywhere all the time in what we say

what we think and what we do we must

live a life that is indicative of the

faith that we Proclaim now I I want us

to watch

this notice what this is in view of

notice that that as Paul is declaring to

Pastor Titus that salvation is for all

people that we are to renounce

ungodliness and not only that we are

then to live a

self-controlled life notice what it is

in view of 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 I love this and to purify for

himself a people for his own possessions

we are not our own but we belong to the

King of Kings and the Lord of lords and

watch this the very people that belong

to Jesus notice how Paul brings

clarification how he comes full circle

to this truth this theme this this

thought that he's

capturing it's not just any people but

it's a particular people namely a people

that have been saved by the grace of

Jesus but but what sets these people

apart what will set the Christians the

church in Cre what will set them apart

from everyone else from a culture that

was rampant in idol worship from an

agenda that was completely contrary and

against anything that was righteous and

holy what is going to set them apart and

let me phrase it this way what is going

to set us apart what sets The Grove

apart what what sets your family apart

what what sets your marriage apart what

sets you apart at the office in you're

meeting with clients when you're at the

baseball games what sets you apart

here's what it

is a people for his own possession who

who are zealous for good works who are

passionate about living Christlike who

whose every effort and energy and desire

is about

representing the image that they bear

and all God's people said amen Lord

Jesus would you bless your word Holy

Spirit would you stir our hearts this

morning here's what's incredible about

chapter two chapter 2 is completely

about living a life that honors the lord

it's about living a life that's

countercultural it's it's it's living a

life in

anticipation and in the context of our

waiting for Jesus to return so so here's

the basic and challenging question how

do we live while we

wait how do we live in the present

in anticipation for the future or let me

phrase it this way how do we live as

citizens of Heaven while we are still

here on Earth and what I love about our

passage is Paul gives Pastor Titus three

life

applications that you can immediately

begin to live out that'll be

transformative that'll be lifechanging

and not only that will serve as a

witness to a world who is seeped in sin

chaos darkness and

evil as we gaze up into the heavens as

as we fix our focus on the mission at

hand how can we live our lives in light

of Eternity three life applications go

back to our passage we'll look at these

one by one if you're taking notes here's

the first one turn to

Jesus pretty simple

pretty Elementary easy in principle but

very challenging in application amen

turn to Jesus this is where it all

begins this is where we find our start

because you can't live in hope if you

don't know the one who embodies hope

which is why Paul is beginning with the

Baseline of our faith hope is felt and

hope is experienced when we stop chasing

our own way and we begin to give our

lives and turn our lives to Jesus hope

is experienced in the midst of chaos and

Titus pastured in the midst of chaos

some of you work in the midst of chaos

some of you are living life in the midst

of chaos some of you are in a season

that is so chaotic you you don't know

what else to do and the only thing that

you know what you can do is to continue

to hope in

Jesus and this is what Paul is getting

at we are called to turn to Jesus go

back with me to verse

11 for the grace of God has

appeared bringing

salvation for all

people you know the beautiful thing

about salvation is salvation only comes

to those who need

saving now I don't know if you know this

I I I I pray that you do and if you

don't I I pray that today would be your

day every single one of us needs

saving we need saving from the very sin

that runs rampant that Reigns in rules

in our life and so Paul as he is

instructing Pastor Titus on on how to

live a life in light of eternity begins

with the most basic principle have you

given your life to Jesus so here's a

question I want to challenge you with

today take some inventory of your

heart take some inventory of your life

and ask yourself do I know

Jesus have I turn to him in faith am am

I a

recipient of the Gospel reality it that

Paul lays out in verse 11 that the grace

of God has appeared and not only has the

grace of God appeared but the grace of

God comes on the scene for a purpose for

a reason with intentionality to bring

Salvation for all people now there's a

universal nature to the gospel that

anyone Paul tells us in Romans chapter 9

Romans 9 · chapter mention

anyone who calls upon the name of the

Lord who believes

that God the Father indeed raised the

son through the through the power of the

Holy Spirit raised him from the grave

anyone who who confesses and believes

shall be saved so so so there's a

universal nature to the gospel but

there's also a personal nature to the

gospel and the personal nature is this

have you confessed that Christ is Lord

and do you believe in your heart that

Christ was indeed raised from the grave

now here's the thing it's one thing to

agree with that in principle it's

another thing to agree with it so much

that it completely transforms your

life and this is what Paul will get at

this is why here in verse 14 he talks

about a people who are the possession of

God and not just any people not just

people who have been saved by grace

through principle but people who have

been saved by grace and who are zealous

for good works and so maybe you're

sitting here this morning and you're

telling yourself yes I've turned to

Jesus yes and amen praise God high fives

all around the gospel is good here's the

follow-up question question is your life

indicative of someone who's turned to

Jesus in other words could could I take

a bird's eye view of your past week of

your past conversations of your past

internet history of your past text

messages your past

snaps can I take a bird's eye view of

those things and then be able to

conclude yes you've turned to Jesus yes

you've been an individual who has

received his grace who has experienced

salvation and is zealous for the good

works of the gospel and here's the

thing we don't know when Christ will

return if you're coming into this series

hoping to learn the most moment and the

time and the date in which Christ will

return then you will be

disappointed because the scripture says

that no one knows the time in which

Christ will return but but we'll start

to get into the weeds over the course of

the next couple of weeks uh in terms of

worldly events and what'll be happening

um around the globe as we draw closer to

to the return of Christ but but because

we don't know when Christ is going to

return that means we need to live our

Liv lives as if his return will be at

any

moment and really that's the point not

just the point that Paul is drawing here

to Titus and and the church in cre but

but that's the point of the scriptures

that's the point of the Gospel that that

when you are saved you you live your

life zealous for good works not knowing

when Christ is going to return he could

return at any moment so you get your

life Your Heart Right

now you get saved

now while deathbed confessions are a

real thing and in my 20 plus years of of

of ministry I've

been God has founded in his grace in

Mercy to allow me to witness deathbed

confessions and they are some of the

most beautiful

things when people come to a

realization of the sin in their life and

how the only only way they they will

close their eyes on this side and awaken

in the presence of the father is to turn

to Jesus now they're beautiful praise

God for those moments but you don't know

when Christ is going to return and you

don't know the moment that your number

will be

drawn so turn to Jesus now his

grace has appeared bringing salvation

for all people so when we turn to him in

faith when we call upon his name this is

a moment that is

transformative we begin to follow close

to him everything about us begins to be

influenced by him so that's the first

one turn to Jesus here's the Second Life

Application that Paul gives Titus turn

from your

sin again easy in principle a lot more

challenging in application amen so we

turn

Jesus and it's not just turning to Jesus

but it's recognizing that as I turn to

Jesus you know this we've said this

before as I turn to Jesus I I'm also

turning away from my

sin and what often will keep us maybe

even right now what what is keeping you

from living a life that is zealous for

good works from from living a life that

is indicative of someone who has placed

faith in Jesus

what is keeping you from that is the

very sin that you are allowing to Reign

and rule in your life the very sin that

at the moment feels good but you're too

prideful you're too in love with it to

let it go to turn away from it and to

turn to Jesus so what do we

do well we follow the scriptures Paul

gives Titus the pathway here to not

allow sin to control his life go back

with me to verse 12 what does he write

training us to renounce ungodliness and

worldly passions and to live what

self-controlled upright and godly lives

in this present age there's a couple of

key phrases there but one key word that

I want to focus on before we dive into

what Paul is telling us there in verse

12 he uses the word

training as we turn to Jesus and turn

from sin we must train ourselves to

renounce ungodliness training takes

discipline training takes commitment

training takes you understanding the

value that it brings and if you are

going to train your mind your heart and

your body to renounce godliness it means

that you and I need to be in the

practice of centering and pointing ing

our hearts towards Jesus because the

more we focus on Jesus the less we focus

on sin the more we preoccupy our

thoughts our words and our actions with

Jesus the less we are preoccupied with

our sin this is why Paul is telling

Titus and his people in cre you need to

train yourself to renounce ungodliness

you need to be

practicing renouncing unod

less the reason sin Reigns and rules in

your life is because you don't renounce

it and it's not just the ungodliness

it's the worldly passions here's here's

a reality we can all relate with you and

I have vices in our

life that if we are not being

spiritually checked constantly if we are

not training the mind and the heart to

be centered on Jesus to renounce the s

of this world those vices and those

Temptations they'll get the best of

us for some of us that happened last

night that happened this past week

whether it was a spirit of bitterness

anger gossip lying sexual sin whatever

it may be vices and Temptations If left

unchecked will get the best of us and

here's the thing you can't renounce

it if you are not aware of of its

dangers sin will bring nothing but chaos

and death matter of fact Proverbs says

this that there is a way that seems

right to a man but its end is death

there's another passage in the Old

Testament that says many are plans in a

man's heart but it's the purpose of God

that prevails how does the purpose of

God Prevail in someone's life when you

turn to Jesus and you turn away from sin

as we live in anticipation of the coming

Glory what does my life look like

now he also says live

self-controlled

lives some of us need to practice

self-control I self included whether

that's in in the words that we say the

thoughts that we think the things that

we

do and did you know self-control is is a

fruit of the

spirit love joy peace patience kindness

goodness faithfulness gentleness and

selfcontrol

you have the ability to control your

actions you have the ability to control

the way that you think how do I attain

this ability you've got to train

yourself to renounce ungodliness which

is why Paul in Romans chapter 12 will

Romans 12 · chapter mention

talk about how we are transformed by the

renewing of our what of our mind it's

not some psychological principle or some

sociological principle that he's

pointing to while those do have their

benefits but he's talking about the

importance of training the mind so that

what the Mind thinks on the heart begins

to feel for and what the heart feels for

the body begins to act towards what is

your mind thinking on what is your heart

feeling for and what is your body acting

towards and the way that we honor Jesus

by turning to him and turning away from

sin is by renouncing the

ungodliness now watch this let's not

miss this it's not just renouncing the

ungodliness in our

world it's renouncing the ungodliness in

your own

life it's one thing to read headlines

it's one thing to read social media

posts it's one thing to hear stories

from people and it think man I need to

anoun that which is what we are called

to do as a people of God is to proclaim

the truth in love to show people that

Jesus is

better the whole book of Hebrews is

about Jesus being better but but have

you confronted the sin in your own life

to renounce it

self-control doesn't give into

feelings self-control thinks twice about

speaking out of emotion self-control

chooses not to post it on social media

self-control gives those moments of

anger and bitterness over to the Lord

self-control is the holy spirit working

in you and through you to pump the

brakes on whatever vices or

Temptations have control over your life

and self-control calls us into greater

devotion to Jesus that's the second

thing here's the third thing so we turn

to Jesus we turn from sin but then

here's here's what Paul getting is

getting at because this is all in view

of something these are not just good

principles to apply but there's a

purpose they are in view of something

and so here's the third Life Application

we turn towards

heaven our heart is gazing at the

mission as as we anticipate the return

of Jesus so you're either living in

light of

Eternity or you're living under the

shadow of the prince of this

world

Satan the devil his demons his agenda

there's really no in between you're

either living for Jesus or you're living

for Satan the New Testament will put it

this way you're a slave everyone in here

is a

slave the question is not if you're a

slave the question is what are you a

slave to or let me put it another way

what or rather who Masters

you who influences you who who guides

you and and and later throughout the

Book of Titus a very short book you can

read it this week minimal chapters Paul

is get what he's getting at in the

totality of the book is when you live

your life differently in anticipation of

the return of Jesus then it creates

Ripple effects for people who don't know

Jesus to recognize lifechanging

transformation in you so that they might

come to know Jesus and therefore live

anticipation in anticipation of his

return ver 13 let's close our time this

morning what does Paul write we are

waiting for our blessed hope the

appearing of the glory of our great God

and Savior Jesus

Christ all of this is lived and light of

his return so here's here's the question

we'll close on what are your eyes fixed

on are they locked on

Heaven are they locked on the Savior are

they cherishing the gospel or are you

being distracted by the things of this

world are you being pulled away from

your purpose

because of vices and temptations that

you have not flexed and exercised

self-control over that you that you have

been too in love with to

renounce what are your eyes fixed on

when our focus is on heaven when we are

locked in and engaged then your life our

lives will reflect that

hope as we await the coming Glory

and so let's let's ask ourselves let's

confront our lives with this question if

if Jesus returned

today would I be

ready My Hope and my prayer is that the

answer is

yes and if the answer is no in Ju Just a

moment we're going to have a time of

response if your answer is no I want to

invite you to respond to the gospel

message

that he who knew no sin that's Jesus

became sin for us that's you and I so

that in him in Christ we you and I might

become the righteousness of God because

of Christ

Jesus if your heart confesses that the

scripture says the grace of God is for

you salvation is for you let it be a

transformative moment for you so that

you can leave here knowing that you are

the possession of Jesus that you are his

very own and that your life is so

changed and transformed that you become

zealous for good works would you pray

with me