Sermon

Pure Church:Pure Motives

May 12, 2013 Carrigaline Baptist Church - Sermons

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of the Red Church Bibles.
Titus chapter 2, beginning at verse 1.

Titus 2 chapter mention
You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.
Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect,
self-controlled and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live,
not to be slanderers or addicted to too much wine,
but to teach what is good.
Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children,
to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home,
to be kind and to be subject to their husbands
so that no one will malign the word of God.
Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.
In everything, set them an example by doing what is good.
In your teaching, show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech
that cannot be condemned.
So that those who oppose you may be ashamed
because they have nothing bad to say about us.
Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything,
to try to please them, not to talk back to them,
and not to steal from them,
but to show that they can be fully trusted
so that in every way they will make the teaching
about God our Saviour attractive.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions,
and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
while we wait for the blessed hope,
the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness,
and to purify for himself a people that are his very own,
eager to do what is good.
These, then, are the things you should teach.
Encourage and rebuke with all authority.
Do not let anyone despise you.
Thanks, Chris.
There's some notes and pens there.
Maybe, Elena, you could do the notes.
Thank you.
Just as they're being passed out,
not them, they're not going to pass out.
They're going to pass pens and paper out.
Thank you.
This morning's talk is really part two.
Last week we were looking at pure relationships,
from verses 1 to 10,
and this is really part two,
our motive to live out those pure relationships.
So, if you haven't been able to listen to last week's,
or indeed any of the other weeks,
they're all online at the church website.
You can listen in to them there.
And again, if there are any questions that people want to follow up with afterwards,
then very happy to talk with you.
Indeed, that's part of what we do on Wednesday evenings as we gather together,
is to follow up on what we've been looking at and discuss it and apply it to our lives.
Well, we're going to be focusing in on chapter 2, verses 11 to 15 this morning,
and we're going to ask for God's help now as we do that together.
Amen.
Father, we want to live lives that will make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive.
We want our individual lives and our relationships one to another to be so different
that people see in us the life of Christ and the purity of Christ,
and that people would be drawn to you, our great God and Saviour.
Father, we need your help to do that.
We need your Holy Spirit to be at work.
And we pray that right now as we listen and as we read and study together,
that the power of your Spirit would be at work in forming our minds so that we understand,
but also that it would travel the distance to the heart,
inspiring us and motivating us to live as the people you call us to be.
We ask for your help in that, in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, school reports.
Some of you will be getting school reports very soon.
And from what I can remember of mine,
they were littered with comments like this.
Jonathan, that's my real name by the way,
has had a good term but must try harder.
Jonathan must do better if he is going to make progress next term.
Jonathan has great potential,
but greater effort is required.
Your reports anything like that?
It was a sincere attempt to motivate me to work harder to get better results.
Needless to say, it never did work.
I never did get better.
In fact, it often felt that the more I tried,
the more I failed.
Now, Titus, as we have been looking at over the last number of weeks,
is all about being and becoming a pure church.
Chapter 2, verses 1 to 10,
shows us in detail
the standard of what it is,
what is expected to have
pure relationships within the church family.
This is the standard that's expected.
So, in verse 2,
older men,
well, we are to be temperate,
worthy of respect and self-controlled.
Older women,
verse 3,
well, are to be reverent
in the way that they live
and not addicted to much wine.
Younger women,
verse 5,
are to love their children and husbands,
to be pure,
to be kind.
And younger men,
verse 6,
are to be self-controlled.
Now, the motivation we often receive
for this kind of living
is often like our old school report.
You must try harder.
You must do better.
Greater effort is required.
You must stop behaving like this
and you must start behaving like this.
The only problem with that kind of motive is,
as we all know from experience,
the harder we try,
the more it is we seem to fail.
And the more we fail,
the harder we try.
And it just becomes
this destructive cycle
of guilt and shame
and our lives
and our relationships
lie in ruins
before us.
Sadly,
that's how many people
try to live their lives.
Their motto
is simply this,
I must
try
harder.
I must try
harder.
Well,
that kind of motive
is an impure motive.
It will never get us anywhere.
What we need instead
is a pure motive.
A motive that will
and can
make us
into
the kind of people
that God calls us to be.
we need to be a people
who are motivated
by grace.
So,
look at chapter 2,
verse 11.
This is the connecting
verse
between 1 to 10
and 11 to 15.
For
the grace of God
that brings salvation
has appeared
to all men.
Do you see
how we're not given
a school report?
to make us
more pure?
He doesn't go on
from verse 10
to say,
now,
older men,
I'm very disappointed
in you.
You really must
do better.
Older women,
you still haven't
sorted out
your drinking
and your gossiping.
You have to
try harder.
Young women,
you're still the same.
Your home life
is a mess.
A lot more effort
is required
from all of you.
Younger men,
you've let the side
down again.
You really have
to do better.
But just even
the very thought
of that
kind of motive
is just
crushing.
It breaks us
and it
destroys us.
So,
instead of
throwing us
at a school report
and this school
master
standing over us
with a big stick
to tell us
do better,
he directs us
away from that
to a new master.
A master
called
grace.
And he's
telling us
that we can
live in
pure relationship
with one another
because,
verse 11,
because
the grace
of God
that brings
salvation
has appeared
to all
men.
This grace
of God
is available
to all
people.
That's what the meaning
there is to all men,
not just
men,
all kinds
of people.
It's available
to the older men
and to the older
women.
It's available
to the younger
men and the younger
women.
There's no
discrimination.
God's grace
flows
freely
to the desperate
and broken
people
like us.
and that's
why we set
out this
morning
that we
come with
open hands
in our
weakness
to say,
God,
fill us
with your
grace.
You see,
what is
impossible
to do
by trying
harder
now becomes
possible
by God's
grace
because
God's
grace
motivates
us to
live
pure
lives
so that,
look at the
end of
verse 10,
so that
in every
way,
we will
make the
teaching
about God
our
Saviour
attractive.
The only
way that
Christ
will be
seen
through
our
lives
is
when
the
grace
of
God
is
deeply
at
work
in
our
lives.
So,
we're
going to
look at
three
things,
three
ways
in
which
grace
motivates
us
in
our
lives.
This
is our
motivation.
First,
we will
be
motivated
by
past
grace.
Verse
11.
For the
grace of
God that
brings
salvation
has
appeared
to
all
people.
This
grace
of God
has,
he says,
already
appeared.
We're
not
waiting
for it.
If we
are
Christians,
we have
already
experienced
God's
grace in
our lives.
So,
what is
that grace?
What have
we
experienced?
Well,
look down
at verse
14.
Jesus
Christ,
who gave
himself
for us
to redeem
us from
all wickedness
and to
purify for
himself a
people that
are his
very own,
eager to
do what
is good.
Jesus
Christ gave
his life
for us.
He died
on the
cross in
our place
for us.
but not
only just
for us,
for this
double
purpose.
There's
two
reasons
and we
see it
in verse
14.
He died
for us
first to
redeem us
from all
wickedness
and second
to purify
for himself
a people
that are
his very
own.
God's
grace
has taken
us out
and has
rescued us
from an
impure
wicked life
and he
has brought
us in
and he
has given
us to
a pure
life.
We are
set free
from a
life of
sinful
and broken
and damaging
relationships
to be able
to live a
life of
new and
pure
relationships
because
God's
grace
never comes
in half
measures.
It comes
to us
in all
its
fullness
redeeming
us
and
purifying
us.
God's
grace
has this
double
effect
on our
lives.
It
liberates
us
from one
kind
of life
a life
of slavery
to sin
under a
cruel oppressor
Satan
himself
but more
than that
he doesn't
just liberate
us and
free us
he now
cleans
us
he purifies
us
for a
new kind
of life
a life
of purity
where we
now belong
to a
kind
and gracious
master
Jesus
Christ.
That
means
because of
past
grace
we now
have a
brand new
identity.
Once we
were not
God's
people
once we
could not
live as
he called
us to
live
but now
because we
are God's
people we
are his
very own
his treasured
possession
who look at
the end of
verse 14
who are
his very
own
who are
eager to
do what
is good.
Our new
identity
our new
life
our new
position
because of
past grace
means we
can now
begin to
live the
new life
that God
intends.
We are
eager to
do what
is good.
So let
God's
past
grace
inform
our
minds
let it
shape
our
hearts
so that
we are
motivated
to live
a life
of
purity.
So that's
the first
step.
Be
motivated
by past
grace.
Second
be
motivated
by present
grace.
Let's
read verse
11 and
12.
For the
grace of
God that
brings
salvation
has
appeared
to all
kinds
of
people.
It
teaches
us to
say
no
to
ungodliness
and
worldly
passions
and to
say
yes
to
live
self-controlled
upright
and godly
lives
in this
present
age.
So grace
is not
just a
past
experience
it is
also a
present
reality.
His
grace goes
on
working
in our
lives
every
day
teaching
us
how
to
live.
And
there's
two
things
from
verse
12.
First
grace
teaches
us
to
say
no.
Let's
read
verse
12
the
beginning
again.
It
teaches
us
to
say
no
to
ungodliness
and
worldly
passions.
Well
how does
it teach
us to
say
no?
Well
as we
look to
grace
God's
grace
reminds
us
of what
we
once
were.
The
cruel
oppressor
that we
once
had.
By
God's
grace
we have
been
taken
out
and we
have been
rescued
from this
old
life
a life
where we
could actually
never say
no.
We
could only
say
yes
to
ungodliness
but now
we've been
given a
new life
where we
can now
say no
to it.
So
why
would we
ever want
to step
back
into that
old life
again?
It's like
those three
women,
I'm sure
you've seen
it on the
news,
who were
just
rescued
from
ten years
of brutal
captivity.
Locked up
chained.
It would
be unthinkable
for any
one of
them to
want to
go back
to a
life of
absolute
misery,
to go
back to
their
old
master.
In the
words of
one of
the ladies
Amanda
Berry
as she
came out
her words
were
I'm
free
now.
Why
would you
ever want
to step
back
into the
old
life?
Why
would we
ever want
to go
back
having
been
set
free
from
an
old
life?
It's
unthinkable.
You see,
the more
we understand
and appreciate
this grace,
the more
that we
drink
God's
grace
into our
lives,
the more
it teaches
us to
say
no
to all
kinds
of ungodly
behaviour.
Why
would we
want to
go
back
there?
So first
it teaches
us to
say no.
Second,
grace
also
teaches
us to
say yes.
Look at
the rest
of verse
12.
No
to
ungodliness
and yes
to live
self-controlled
upright
and godly
lives
in this
present
age.
Again,
grace is
there to
remind us
of who
we are
now.
That we
now belong
to God.
That we
have now
been given
a new
life of
purity.
We are
now treated
as God's
son,
as if we
are pure.
By God's
grace he
has brought
us into
a new
life.
He has
given us
into a
new life
so now
we can
say yes.
So why
would we
not want
to live
in this
new
wonderful
life that
we have
been given?
Again,
to illustrate
as we have
watched all
those news
reports and
listened to
those ladies
as they have
given their
story,
the scenes
that we
saw on
the television
as they
came to
their family
embracing
their loved
ones that
they hadn't
seen for
years.
The sense
of going
home,
the security
and the
peace,
knowing that
they will
never have
to go back
to that
old house
again,
no longer
living in
those filthy,
dirty,
rotten
conditions.
It would
be unthinkable
for any
one of
those ladies
to leave
their home
and family
to go in
search of
something
better.
So why
would we
ever want
to live,
leave this
new life,
this new
purity that
Christ has
given us?
It's unthinkable.
Why would
we want
to do
it?
You see,
the more
we understand
and appreciate
this grace
of being
set free
and given
a new
purity,
a new
kind of
life,
the more
that we
grasp it,
the more
we read
of it,
the more
we think
about it
and discuss
it,
the more
we take
it into
our lives,
the more
it will
teach us
to say
yes
to all
kinds of
godly
behaviour.
And living
rightly
with one
another.
This means
that
transformation,
this ongoing
change in
our lives
is a daily
reality by
God's grace.
Grace is
there as
a kind
master
teaching us
because we're
still learning
to say
no and
yes.
Sometimes we
say yes
when we
oughtn't to
and sometimes
we say no
when we
oughtn't to
change.
Because we're
not there
yet.
There is a
progression
in our
life.
But we
still see
evidence of
change.
And God
in his
goodness is
working that
out in us
day by
day by
his grace.
We
started with
a song this
morning,
Amazing
Grace,
How Sweet
the Sound.
John
Newton,
the author
of that,
grasped
what it
was to
have grace
at work
in his
life.
Here's a
quote.
Maybe
somebody
could write
another
verse to
the song
from this
quote.
This is
what he
says,
I am
not what
I ought
to be.
I am
not what
I want
to be.
I am
not what
I hope
to be
in another
world.
But still,
I am
not what
I once
used to
be.
And by
the grace
of God,
I am
what I
am.
Okay,
we're not
there yet,
but we're
not what
we used
to be.
God,
by his
grace,
is at
work in
our lives,
teaching us
to say
no and
teaching us
to say
yes.
So let
God's
present
grace,
may it
be a
reality in
your life,
just as
much as
you eat
food and
drink every
single day
to keep
alive.
Drink in
and eat
in the
wonderful
grace of
God.
Let it
inform your
mind,
let it
shape our
hearts,
so that
we are
motivated to
live a
life of
purity.
So past
grace,
present
grace,
guess,
future
grace,
grace.
Verse 13.
We say
no and
yes,
verse 13,
while we
wait for
the blessed
hope,
the glorious
appearing of
our great
God and
Saviour,
Jesus Christ.
As we
look back
to past
grace,
as we
live in
present
grace,
so we're
also waiting
for future
grace.
On that
day we are
told there's
going to be
a glorious
appearing of
the risen
Christ.
Just as
Jesus came
once,
so Jesus
is going to
come again.
And look
how this
appearing is
described in
verse 13.
we wait
for the
blessed
hope,
the
glorious
appearing.
What is
this
blessed
hope?
What is
the
glorious
appearing?
Why is
it so
glorious
when Jesus
Christ
comes
again?
Well,
we're
kind of
given a
hint of
that in
chapter 3
verse 7.
so that
having been
justified
by his
grace,
we might
become
heirs
having the
hope
of eternal
life.
When
Christ
comes
again,
we will
enter into
that eternal
life.
And that
is true.
But there
is something
bigger and
something more
glorious than
just thinking
I'm going to
live forever.
It's much
more than
that.
When
Christ
comes
again,
he will
take his
people to
be with
him forever.
And what
it will
mean is
this,
it will
mean a
life of
absolute
purity.
A
life where
his people
will be
free from
the struggle
of sin
forever.
A
life where
we never
ever have
to confess
sin or
ever have
to ask
for forgiveness
again.
A
life where
we're never
going to
experience
guilt and
shame.
A life
where we
never give
in to
temptation.
A life
where our
relationships
with one
another are
absolutely
pure.
A life
where older
men and
women and
younger men
and women
become pure
like Christ.
In fact,
what we can
say with
absolute
certainty is
that when
Christ comes
again when
we see
Christ,
we are
going to
be like
him,
without
sin,
without
struggles,
without
difficulties.
That is
some
blessing.
That is
glorious.
That is
what we are
waiting for.
This is
what we
long for,
God's
future
grace.
This is
what it
will be.
so that
means that
one day
our
purity
is one
day going
to be
completed.
What God
has started
in the
past,
what he
is doing
in our
lives
right now
will be
finished,
will be
completed.
This is
what we
have to
look forward
to.
This is
what we
have been
promised.
We are
not there
yet.
We are
still
living,
look at
the end
of verse
12,
in this
present
age,
in this
present
time.
But we
are waiting
for grace
to bring
it all
to completion.
So let
God's
future
grace
inform
your mind
and shape
your heart.
Let him
tell you
and remind
you that
one day
you will
be like
Christ,
that it's
worth all
the struggles,
it's worth
all the
battles,
and he
will equip
you and
enable
you.
Let it
shape your
heart so
that we
are motivated
to live a
life of
purity.
You see,
what we're
saying is
this,
is that our
only motive,
the only
motive for
the Christian
is pure
grace.
grace.
We don't
need the
old school
report that
says try
harder.
We don't
need the
old school
master standing
over us with
a stick,
tapping it on
the desk.
You must do
better.
You mustn't
behave like
this.
You must
behave like
this.
We need a
new kind of
motive.
We need
pure grace.
Look at
verse 15.
These then are
the things that
you should
teach.
encourage and
rebuke with
all authority.
Do not let
anyone despise
you.
If we are
going to be
the pure
church that
God calls
us to be,
if we're
going to
grow as
we are,
then let
the grace
of God,
the pure
grace,
teach us
day after
day.
Encourage
one another
by teaching
God's past,
present and
future grace.
But of
course, as
verse 15
says,
there will be
times to
rebuke.
Because we
are those
who often
turn their
back on
grace.
As we
sang earlier,
we are
often prone
to wander,
to turn
away.
But we
need to
keep coming
back to
the grace
of God.
Together,
we need
pure motives.
We need
to be
motivated
by pure
grace.
let's
pray
together.
Let's
pray together.
Father, we
want to
thank you
again for
the many
varied and
diverse
relationships
that we
all have
and we
all enjoy,
whether we
are an
older person
or a
younger
person.
And
sometimes
that
standard,
that
calling,
is to
us,
we cannot
do it.
Father, we
repent and
we turn away
from trying
harder and
doing better
in our own
efforts,
and we
turn afresh
to your
grace,
asking that
we would be
motivated daily
by what you
have done
for us,
what you
are doing
for us,
and what you
will do
for us.
May this
grab a hold
of us all
and may we
live out the
lives that you
call us to
so that
we will
make the
teaching of
God our
Saviour,
Jesus Christ,
attractive.
May grace
flow into
our lives
so that
grace would
flow out
and bring
many people
to the
grace of
Christ
himself.
We ask
this in
Jesus'
name.
Amen.
our final
song that
we're going
to sing.
If you
could just
flick it up
for me
there,
Graeme.
Thank you.
One more.
乏
death,
die,
me la
lost m
pass.
Father,