WEBVTT 00:00:09.869 --> 00:00:13.869 Our passage today for exposition is Titus chapter 00:00:13.869 --> 00:00:18.829 3, verses 1 through 11. Please follow along silently 00:00:18.829 --> 00:00:22.269 as I read aloud. This is God's wholly inspired 00:00:22.269 --> 00:00:27.769 and inerrant word. Remind them to be subject 00:00:27.769 --> 00:00:31.850 to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to 00:00:31.850 --> 00:00:35.469 be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, 00:00:35.630 --> 00:00:39.219 to be peaceable, gentle. showing every consideration 00:00:39.219 --> 00:00:43.700 for all men. For we also once were foolish ourselves, 00:00:44.200 --> 00:00:49.380 disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts 00:00:49.380 --> 00:00:52.520 and pleasures, spending our life in malice and 00:00:52.520 --> 00:00:56.520 envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the 00:00:56.520 --> 00:00:59.820 kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind 00:00:59.820 --> 00:01:04.239 appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds 00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:07.459 which we have done in righteousness, but according 00:01:07.459 --> 00:01:11.439 to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:15.340 and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured 00:01:15.340 --> 00:01:18.859 out upon us richly through Jesus Christ, our 00:01:18.859 --> 00:01:22.379 Savior, so that being justified by his grace, 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:24.900 we would be made heirs according to the hope 00:01:24.900 --> 00:01:29.040 of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement. 00:01:29.629 --> 00:01:31.730 And concerning these things I want you to speak 00:01:31.730 --> 00:01:34.189 confidently, so that those who have believed 00:01:34.189 --> 00:01:36.650 God will be careful to engage in good deeds. 00:01:37.049 --> 00:01:39.829 These things are good and profitable for men. 00:01:40.230 --> 00:01:43.290 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies 00:01:43.290 --> 00:01:45.950 and strife and disputes about the law, for they 00:01:45.950 --> 00:01:51.510 are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious 00:01:51.510 --> 00:01:54.349 man after a first and second warning, knowing 00:01:54.349 --> 00:01:57.349 that such a man is perverted and is sinning, 00:01:57.349 --> 00:02:03.370 being self -condemned. Let's pray. Gracious Heavenly 00:02:03.370 --> 00:02:05.930 Father, we come to you this morning thankful 00:02:05.930 --> 00:02:10.129 for the mercy and kindness you've shown to us 00:02:10.129 --> 00:02:14.150 as sinners. The kindness that you've shown to 00:02:14.150 --> 00:02:18.370 us as sinners through your Son. We praise you 00:02:18.370 --> 00:02:22.009 that though we were once foolish and disobedient 00:02:22.009 --> 00:02:25.990 and enslaved to sin, you did not leave us in 00:02:25.990 --> 00:02:29.300 our corruption. Rather, you saved us according 00:02:29.300 --> 00:02:32.819 to your great mercy. Lord Jesus, we thank you 00:02:32.819 --> 00:02:35.539 that your gospel not only saves sinners, but 00:02:35.539 --> 00:02:39.360 it transforms lives too. Lord, cause us to lead 00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:42.139 lives worthy of the doctrine we profess. Make 00:02:42.139 --> 00:02:45.620 us peaceable, gentle, humble, and ready for every 00:02:45.620 --> 00:02:48.860 good deed. Holy Spirit, please accompany the 00:02:48.860 --> 00:02:51.060 proclamation of your word and apply its truth 00:02:51.060 --> 00:02:53.860 to our hearts this morning. Renew our minds. 00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:56.699 Guard us from divisiveness and produce within 00:02:56.699 --> 00:03:00.060 us unity, holiness, and love that reflects your 00:03:00.060 --> 00:03:04.379 transforming power. In all of this, may Jesus 00:03:04.379 --> 00:03:08.120 be honored, may his church be strengthened, and 00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:12.039 may your grace be made known. These things we 00:03:12.039 --> 00:03:16.099 ask in his holy name. Amen. Please be seated. 00:03:17.800 --> 00:03:21.979 We are approaching the end of our study in the 00:03:21.979 --> 00:03:25.759 book of Titus. Lord willing, next week we will 00:03:25.759 --> 00:03:29.659 finish things up as we take care of those last 00:03:29.659 --> 00:03:33.300 several verses at the end of this letter written 00:03:33.300 --> 00:03:37.740 by the Apostle Paul to his true child in a common 00:03:37.740 --> 00:03:42.539 faith, Titus, who, as we know, is serving, ministering 00:03:42.539 --> 00:03:46.580 on the island of Crete where he is setting things 00:03:46.580 --> 00:03:50.539 in order, appointing elders, doing the business 00:03:50.539 --> 00:03:54.340 of the church. Titus is indeed a churchman. He 00:03:54.340 --> 00:03:58.340 is a man who is about the business of God, who 00:03:58.340 --> 00:04:01.879 has been commissioned, if you will, by the Apostle 00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:06.659 Paul, and I guess we could say also by the Lord 00:04:06.659 --> 00:04:11.539 Jesus Christ. As we come into chapter 3, Paul 00:04:11.539 --> 00:04:14.840 is continuing the same great concern that's run 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:18.000 throughout this entire letter. At this point, 00:04:18.019 --> 00:04:20.660 you probably feel like every time I say it, that 00:04:20.660 --> 00:04:23.180 I'm beating you over the head, but it is so consistent 00:04:23.180 --> 00:04:25.500 a theme throughout the letter that I believe 00:04:25.500 --> 00:04:28.800 it bears repeating each time we discuss it. From 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:33.060 the very beginning of Paul's epistle to Titus, 00:04:33.079 --> 00:04:37.759 he has emphasized that sound doctrine must produce 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:42.399 godly living. Many of you may be like me. I can't 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:44.139 help but think that many of you probably are 00:04:44.139 --> 00:04:47.910 a lot like me. And repetition is probably something 00:04:47.910 --> 00:04:51.350 helpful for you because if you are like me, you 00:04:51.350 --> 00:04:57.029 tend to need repetition in order to learn. So 00:04:57.029 --> 00:05:02.870 again, I say sound doctrine must produce godly 00:05:02.870 --> 00:05:08.269 living in believers. We've noted the difficulty 00:05:08.269 --> 00:05:12.050 of this assignment for Titus. We've noted it 00:05:12.050 --> 00:05:14.620 multiple times. That, of course, as he's serving 00:05:14.620 --> 00:05:17.420 these churches that are scattered in, around, 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:21.100 or about the island of Crete, that they were 00:05:21.100 --> 00:05:24.339 surrounded by a corrupt and disorderly culture, 00:05:24.439 --> 00:05:27.839 that there were false teachers who, as Paul puts 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:31.660 it in verse 11 of chapter 1, were upsetting whole 00:05:31.660 --> 00:05:35.480 families. Many of them, as Paul says in verse 00:05:35.480 --> 00:05:38.939 16, also in chapter 1, many of them profess to 00:05:38.939 --> 00:05:44.910 know God, but by their deeds, They deny him. 00:05:45.889 --> 00:05:50.569 They are disqualified, not necessarily because 00:05:50.569 --> 00:05:53.410 of what they say, though certainly some of them 00:05:53.410 --> 00:05:56.589 were saying things that obviously disqualified 00:05:56.589 --> 00:06:00.829 them. But to drive the point home, Paul makes 00:06:00.829 --> 00:06:03.370 sure we understand that they are disqualified 00:06:03.370 --> 00:06:07.269 because by the way they were leading their lives, 00:06:07.470 --> 00:06:15.560 they were denying God. Honestly, the world around 00:06:15.560 --> 00:06:20.620 us today isn't much different. We live in a culture 00:06:20.620 --> 00:06:26.579 marked by outrage, hostility, division, slander. 00:06:27.620 --> 00:06:32.199 It's amazing. If you look at YouTube, what passes 00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:38.759 as reporting nowadays? Some wild and completely, 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:44.000 utterly... Unsubstantiated accusations that simply 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:48.399 pass and we allow them to pass without any real 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:54.220 tangible evidence. Slander is everywhere. Arrogance 00:06:54.220 --> 00:06:58.519 is everywhere. And selfish ambition seems to 00:06:58.519 --> 00:07:04.639 be the motive behind most of it. People are increasingly 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:12.100 combative. Everything. is a fight. Many people 00:07:12.100 --> 00:07:16.199 are angry. They are constantly offended. Or, 00:07:16.339 --> 00:07:19.620 if they are not offended, they're in search of 00:07:19.620 --> 00:07:22.759 the next thing about which they should be offended. 00:07:23.019 --> 00:07:27.319 Amen? This has become patently obvious to us. 00:07:27.420 --> 00:07:30.500 No doubt, I would say, social media has probably 00:07:30.500 --> 00:07:33.860 heightened our awareness of these issues. But 00:07:33.860 --> 00:07:36.819 I will say to you that these issues have been 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:43.220 for sinful, fallen humanity since the beginning 00:07:43.220 --> 00:07:53.019 of time. People seem to feel overwhelmingly that 00:07:53.019 --> 00:07:58.560 they need to speak harshly. I confess, sometimes, 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:05.040 as I, I guess you would say, practice rhetorical 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:07.810 skills. Sometimes it seems like the more fired 00:08:07.810 --> 00:08:10.569 up I get, the better I can hold people's attention. 00:08:10.949 --> 00:08:14.850 You might argue that that's true. And I know 00:08:14.850 --> 00:08:18.829 that not everyone gets as impassioned, using 00:08:18.829 --> 00:08:22.269 careful words here, as impassioned as I do at 00:08:22.269 --> 00:08:26.610 times, but I have noticed that the more harshly 00:08:26.610 --> 00:08:31.750 I speak, the easier it is for me to command others' 00:08:31.910 --> 00:08:35.990 attention. And I think this says something about 00:08:35.990 --> 00:08:40.429 all of us. Unfortunately for you, not just me, 00:08:40.549 --> 00:08:46.990 but all of us. We tend to enjoy controversy. 00:08:47.669 --> 00:08:50.750 Do you catch yourself, though you might not be 00:08:50.750 --> 00:08:54.169 in the midst of the controversy, do you catch 00:08:54.169 --> 00:08:59.470 yourself wanting to be in the perimeter? Wanting 00:08:59.470 --> 00:09:03.000 to make sure you know what's going on? I believe 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:05.379 it's the book of Proverbs that refers to those 00:09:05.379 --> 00:09:10.200 words that are like dainty morsels that go down 00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:16.179 to our innermost parts. We seemingly, all of 00:09:16.179 --> 00:09:19.340 us, but certainly in the world, we seemingly 00:09:19.340 --> 00:09:25.080 enjoy harsh speech. We enjoy seeing someone get 00:09:25.080 --> 00:09:31.509 called out. We enjoy controversing. And this 00:09:31.509 --> 00:09:33.649 is something that's very obvious in the public 00:09:33.649 --> 00:09:36.669 sphere because it's basically all we do anymore. 00:09:36.929 --> 00:09:40.190 Our politics have degraded to the point of merely 00:09:40.190 --> 00:09:44.529 being about soundbites, about owning someone. 00:09:45.529 --> 00:09:48.289 There's a very famous political commentator. 00:09:48.350 --> 00:09:50.929 I think his organization is experiencing a little 00:09:50.929 --> 00:09:54.129 bit of financial difficulty now. But he's famous 00:09:54.129 --> 00:09:58.169 as a conservative on the right, and he's known 00:09:58.169 --> 00:10:05.399 for owning. The libs. Yeah. That's what it seems 00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:09.039 to get our attention because in the world today, 00:10:09.179 --> 00:10:15.340 our goal is to be the most bombastic. And our 00:10:15.340 --> 00:10:18.620 politics over the last, oh, let's say, 10 or 00:10:18.620 --> 00:10:22.779 11 years have really, really degraded and proven 00:10:22.779 --> 00:10:26.059 this out to us. And unfortunately, what has happened 00:10:26.059 --> 00:10:29.120 is the church has become part and parcel to this. 00:10:30.090 --> 00:10:33.509 Many people in the church, many genuine Christians, 00:10:33.690 --> 00:10:39.710 God -fearing believers have fallen prey to this 00:10:39.710 --> 00:10:43.350 issue, this concern. We might even argue that 00:10:43.350 --> 00:10:49.250 it is a cultural or societal disease. We all 00:10:49.250 --> 00:10:54.289 have the tendency, the propensity toward these 00:10:54.289 --> 00:11:00.950 things. But I tell you, the church is not. to 00:11:00.950 --> 00:11:05.389 imitate the spirit of this age, to borrow Paul's 00:11:05.389 --> 00:11:08.870 language from 2 Corinthians, because the grace 00:11:08.870 --> 00:11:13.669 of God has changed us. Not the grace of God will 00:11:13.669 --> 00:11:17.779 change us. Certainly there is a process of sanctification 00:11:17.779 --> 00:11:20.539 that's taking place in every one of us as the 00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:23.639 Spirit is working within us, as we're being conformed 00:11:23.639 --> 00:11:25.639 to the image and the likeness of our Lord Jesus 00:11:25.639 --> 00:11:28.159 Christ. Certainly there is a progressive element 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:30.840 to this, but in the same breath as Christians 00:11:30.840 --> 00:11:36.519 we must realize we have been changed by God's 00:11:36.519 --> 00:11:40.539 grace. We are no longer the people we used to 00:11:40.539 --> 00:11:46.519 be. We shouldn't look. and act like the world 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:49.139 around us anymore. And that does not mean you 00:11:49.139 --> 00:11:52.159 have to dress like people from the Victorian 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:55.840 era. It doesn't mean that you have to be different 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:57.840 for the sake of being different, but it does 00:11:57.840 --> 00:12:01.679 mean that as the Bible prescribes us to be different, 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:07.120 we should obey and honor that prescription. The 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:11.340 grace of God has changed us. God's grace has 00:12:11.340 --> 00:12:16.570 changed how we think, and how we speak. It has 00:12:16.570 --> 00:12:21.950 changed how we live. It has changed how we treat 00:12:21.950 --> 00:12:26.090 others, how we treat others in the world, and, 00:12:26.389 --> 00:12:31.509 mind you, how we treat one another in the church. 00:12:33.470 --> 00:12:38.370 So here's Paul really beginning to wind down 00:12:38.370 --> 00:12:42.129 this beautiful pastoral letter to his true child 00:12:42.129 --> 00:12:45.460 in a common faith. And he's instructing Titus 00:12:45.460 --> 00:12:49.480 to remind believers how the gospel of grace should 00:12:49.480 --> 00:12:55.740 shape their lives. It's interesting. The gospel 00:12:55.740 --> 00:13:01.659 of grace. The idea is that God does all of the 00:13:01.659 --> 00:13:04.799 work. There is no meritorious work on our part. 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:07.639 None of us have done anything to achieve it. 00:13:07.740 --> 00:13:10.659 We understand it. We know what we believe about 00:13:10.659 --> 00:13:14.220 the doctrine of justification by faith. We know 00:13:14.220 --> 00:13:16.740 what we believe about having faith in Jesus Christ 00:13:16.740 --> 00:13:19.980 alone, according to God's grace, which he has 00:13:19.980 --> 00:13:25.379 lavished upon us, his free gift. And yet when 00:13:25.379 --> 00:13:28.759 we read through a book like Titus, which you 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:31.399 can do in really a matter of minutes because 00:13:31.399 --> 00:13:37.639 it's so short, we see that grace changes us and 00:13:37.639 --> 00:13:41.779 our lives should evidence that change. And then 00:13:41.779 --> 00:13:46.159 we see. The fact that we are called to engage 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:51.600 our will and to work toward these things while 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:57.960 all the same time realizing it's because of God's 00:13:57.960 --> 00:14:02.539 grace. I heard a preacher say one time, anything 00:14:02.539 --> 00:14:05.919 good I do is because of God's grace. Anything 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:11.309 bad I do is because of my own sinful flesh. Seems 00:14:11.309 --> 00:14:14.289 almost unfair, doesn't it? Wouldn't you love 00:14:14.289 --> 00:14:17.370 to be able to take just a smidge, just a bit 00:14:17.370 --> 00:14:20.549 of the credit? Sometimes I talk to my kids, and 00:14:20.549 --> 00:14:24.350 I might be disciplining them in some way, or 00:14:24.350 --> 00:14:27.330 maybe instructing or admonishing them in some 00:14:27.330 --> 00:14:30.450 ways, and then they might try to justify themselves 00:14:30.450 --> 00:14:34.429 by saying, well, yeah, Dad, but I did do this, 00:14:34.470 --> 00:14:37.970 right? And I'd love to say that it's only children 00:14:37.970 --> 00:14:40.480 who do those things, but... I'm known to do that 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:48.980 myself. We'll soon see, he says, that grace should 00:14:48.980 --> 00:14:54.399 change us both publicly and privately. Grace 00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:57.779 should change us. Grace has changed us and is 00:14:57.779 --> 00:15:02.419 continuing to change us as we engage in the civic 00:15:02.419 --> 00:15:07.759 arena, as we engage in our interpersonal relationships. 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:13.379 and how we interact with one another in the church 00:15:13.379 --> 00:15:16.840 herself. The grace of God should transform how 00:15:16.840 --> 00:15:20.120 we live in society. It should change how we treat 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:23.840 other people. And the grace of God should change 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:28.740 us by causing us to be about the business of 00:15:28.740 --> 00:15:34.580 preserving the unity of the church. Our change 00:15:34.580 --> 00:15:38.720 lives. should demonstrate that we are citizens 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:44.279 of grace. So let's start with verses 1 and 2 00:15:44.279 --> 00:15:47.879 here, where we see our conduct in society. Look 00:15:47.879 --> 00:15:51.629 back there with me again, if you would. Chapter 00:15:51.629 --> 00:15:53.929 3 and verse 1, Paul writes to Titus here and 00:15:53.929 --> 00:15:57.210 says, Remind them to be subject to rulers, to 00:15:57.210 --> 00:15:59.409 authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for 00:15:59.409 --> 00:16:02.769 every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, 00:16:02.830 --> 00:16:07.090 gentle, showing every consideration for all men. 00:16:09.610 --> 00:16:13.009 This is about grace and how it changes our conduct 00:16:13.009 --> 00:16:16.830 in society. Paul begins with this important reminder 00:16:16.830 --> 00:16:19.879 because Christianity does not produce... Oh, 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:24.399 this is a good line. Paul begins with this important 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:27.879 reminder because Christianity does not produce 00:16:27.879 --> 00:16:35.500 rebellious, lawless people. Now, everyone in 00:16:35.500 --> 00:16:38.000 this room, to my knowledge, is a law -abiding 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:45.879 citizen. To my knowledge. Even I am. To your 00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:53.620 knowledge. There's more to this than just obeying 00:16:53.620 --> 00:17:00.360 the law. Isn't there? Now, honestly, my mind 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:02.539 kind of goes back to the Sermon on the Mount 00:17:02.539 --> 00:17:05.079 where Jesus is talking about these things that 00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:06.680 they've heard they're not supposed to do, and 00:17:06.680 --> 00:17:10.779 then he says, but I say to you, if, right? And 00:17:10.779 --> 00:17:13.960 he gets to the intention of our heart, doesn't 00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:19.920 he? A lot of us, and I confess to you, this is 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:28.259 true of me, are rebellious. We are. We may be 00:17:28.259 --> 00:17:32.420 obeying the letter of the law, but in our hearts, 00:17:32.500 --> 00:17:37.599 oftentimes, and even from the abundance of our 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:41.740 hearts, oftentimes our mouths speak and tell 00:17:41.740 --> 00:17:46.210 us how we really feel. and demonstrate to the 00:17:46.210 --> 00:17:50.529 world around us what we really, truly think about 00:17:50.529 --> 00:17:54.009 authority. And mind you, the first verse here 00:17:54.009 --> 00:17:59.789 is specifically about civic government, the civil 00:17:59.789 --> 00:18:07.710 sphere, right? It's not to say that there aren't 00:18:07.710 --> 00:18:10.309 times when disobeying the law is required, and 00:18:10.309 --> 00:18:13.289 I'll talk about that in a moment, but Christians... 00:18:13.769 --> 00:18:18.930 should be good citizens. Have you ever thought 00:18:18.930 --> 00:18:21.789 about what that means? They used to teach civics 00:18:21.789 --> 00:18:23.970 in the public school. I remember when I was in 00:18:23.970 --> 00:18:27.589 grade school, we had a, I can't remember what 00:18:27.589 --> 00:18:29.410 it was called, but we had a magazine that we 00:18:29.410 --> 00:18:31.670 would do. I can't remember if it was once a week 00:18:31.670 --> 00:18:35.029 or how often we did it, but we would have these 00:18:35.029 --> 00:18:38.589 questions that were related to our duty in the 00:18:38.589 --> 00:18:42.009 civic arena. How we were supposed to interact 00:18:42.009 --> 00:18:44.289 as part of our social studies program when I 00:18:44.289 --> 00:18:46.450 was in school. We'd always end it with critical 00:18:46.450 --> 00:18:49.430 thinking questions. I loved it. I loved that 00:18:49.430 --> 00:18:53.410 kind of stuff. And it made you think about how 00:18:53.410 --> 00:18:57.710 you could be a good citizen. And here Paul is 00:18:57.710 --> 00:19:01.130 giving Titus a reminder that is specifically 00:19:01.130 --> 00:19:04.970 meant to be applied in the church setting to 00:19:04.970 --> 00:19:08.529 help the Christians who worship together week 00:19:08.529 --> 00:19:11.680 in and week out. who profess to know sound doctrine 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:14.980 that is supposed to adorn their lives, right? 00:19:15.059 --> 00:19:17.920 To beautify this doctrine with the way they live 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:22.200 their lives. And he reminds them to be subject 00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:30.259 to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient. Oh, 00:19:30.380 --> 00:19:37.019 man. Man. Subject. Don't call me a subject. Don't 00:19:37.019 --> 00:19:41.430 call me a subject. I have to be obedient? What 00:19:41.430 --> 00:19:46.930 am I, a child? Right? Tell me. Don't tell me, 00:19:46.950 --> 00:19:48.410 because we don't have time for everybody to speak, 00:19:48.529 --> 00:19:52.769 but I get the mic today. But think for a moment. 00:19:53.430 --> 00:19:58.130 Does that bother you? The idea of being in subjection 00:19:58.130 --> 00:20:04.569 to another man? The idea of obeying someone else? 00:20:05.210 --> 00:20:09.390 I'm an adult. I don't have to obey anybody. Right? 00:20:10.470 --> 00:20:15.930 I mean, down inside, it kind of makes you a little 00:20:15.930 --> 00:20:19.150 squirmish, doesn't it? I mean, especially in 00:20:19.150 --> 00:20:21.289 southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana, 00:20:21.410 --> 00:20:24.349 because this is an area of the world where we 00:20:24.349 --> 00:20:29.150 are individuals, right? Rugged individualism 00:20:29.150 --> 00:20:33.509 is the hallmark of the great American experiment, 00:20:33.750 --> 00:20:37.799 isn't it? It is. We think of our heroes like 00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:41.980 Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders. I see some 00:20:41.980 --> 00:20:44.880 people shaking their head no. Politically speaking, 00:20:45.019 --> 00:20:49.140 yeah, Teddy had a few issues. We think about 00:20:49.140 --> 00:20:53.220 these things and it bothers us. But the fact 00:20:53.220 --> 00:20:58.539 of the matter is we should be respectful, peaceable, 00:20:58.619 --> 00:21:06.839 and useful citizens. You know, Our citizenship, 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:11.140 temporarily speaking, is here. But we have an 00:21:11.140 --> 00:21:14.059 eternal citizenship to which we've been called. 00:21:15.259 --> 00:21:19.339 And perhaps we should keep our eyes on it. Now, 00:21:19.339 --> 00:21:21.700 we're not called to blind obedience. Here's the 00:21:21.700 --> 00:21:24.420 caveat. And everybody starts to kind of, whew, 00:21:24.440 --> 00:21:28.099 that was getting a little intense. We're not 00:21:28.099 --> 00:21:30.140 called to blind obedience in all things. The 00:21:30.140 --> 00:21:32.220 witness of Scripture is very clear about this 00:21:32.220 --> 00:21:35.079 because there are times when we must, in the 00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:39.059 words of the Apostle Peter, Acts chapter 5, where 00:21:39.059 --> 00:21:43.240 we must obey God rather than men. And amen to 00:21:43.240 --> 00:21:46.240 that. Amen to that. The apostles, if you remember, 00:21:46.380 --> 00:21:48.220 have been arrested. They've been released. They 00:21:48.220 --> 00:21:49.940 go out as soon as they're released and they start 00:21:49.940 --> 00:21:52.259 doing exactly what the Jewish authorities had 00:21:52.259 --> 00:21:54.220 told them not to do, which was preaching the 00:21:54.220 --> 00:21:58.359 name of Jesus. And so they drag him back in and 00:21:58.359 --> 00:22:00.480 they're like, hey, guys, you're going to make 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.779 us guilty of this man's blood. You're going to 00:22:02.779 --> 00:22:04.940 have the whole city turned against us. Quit this. 00:22:05.339 --> 00:22:09.380 And what's Peter say? We have to obey God. We've 00:22:09.380 --> 00:22:11.980 been commanded to tell the world about Jesus. 00:22:12.019 --> 00:22:15.180 And in this instance, disobeying authority is 00:22:15.180 --> 00:22:19.420 absolutely necessary. The same principle is seen 00:22:19.420 --> 00:22:22.339 in the Old Testament. You guys can probably think 00:22:22.339 --> 00:22:24.359 of a few examples. I can think of three that 00:22:24.359 --> 00:22:27.109 happen in the book of Daniel. His three friends, 00:22:27.210 --> 00:22:29.250 Daniel and his three friends, very first thing 00:22:29.250 --> 00:22:31.089 that happens when they go into Babylonian captivity, 00:22:31.470 --> 00:22:34.369 the king wants to what? Feed them really good, 00:22:34.470 --> 00:22:36.950 rich food that's not healthy, and they know it's 00:22:36.950 --> 00:22:39.049 not. And these are disciplined men who want to 00:22:39.049 --> 00:22:42.170 honor God, even in the mundane things, such as 00:22:42.170 --> 00:22:47.130 what they eat. And they refuse. In chapter 3 00:22:47.130 --> 00:22:49.250 in Daniel, of course, one of the most famous 00:22:49.250 --> 00:22:52.269 Bible stories any of us has ever heard, Shadrach, 00:22:52.369 --> 00:22:54.430 Meshach, and Abednego. What do they refuse to 00:22:54.430 --> 00:22:58.440 do? They refuse to bow before and worship the 00:22:58.440 --> 00:23:02.119 image of Nebuchadnezzar, right? And of course 00:23:02.119 --> 00:23:04.259 they face the consequences for that, don't they? 00:23:04.359 --> 00:23:07.019 And God delivers them from those consequences 00:23:07.019 --> 00:23:11.519 miraculously. So Daniel himself in Daniel chapter 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:14.880 6, when he was told to pray to no other name 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:19.140 except for the king, what does he do? He leaves 00:23:19.140 --> 00:23:25.660 his window open and he prays. Notice carefully, 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:28.420 though, these acts were not rebellion for rebellion's 00:23:28.420 --> 00:23:31.960 sake. They were not driven by political outrage. 00:23:32.660 --> 00:23:35.099 They were not driven by personal preference. 00:23:35.220 --> 00:23:40.480 They were not driven by pride or arrogance. These 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:43.099 instances occurred only when earthly authorities 00:23:43.099 --> 00:23:47.000 directly contradicted the clear commands of God. 00:23:48.299 --> 00:23:52.589 That's the consistent biblical principle. for 00:23:52.589 --> 00:23:55.150 us to consider because we do have a caveat here, 00:23:55.289 --> 00:24:00.970 yet we also have a qualification. Christians 00:24:00.970 --> 00:24:05.990 submit to governing authority unless commanded 00:24:05.990 --> 00:24:10.529 to do what God forbids or unless they're forbidden 00:24:10.529 --> 00:24:15.329 from doing what God commands. Ordinarily, Christians 00:24:15.329 --> 00:24:19.730 are to be marked by respectful submission, not... 00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:25.660 a rebellious spirit. If people know you as a 00:24:25.660 --> 00:24:32.140 rebel, I would venture to guess your life is 00:24:32.140 --> 00:24:38.019 not adorning the doctrine of God. If people see 00:24:38.019 --> 00:24:43.339 you as a rebel, as someone who will do what he 00:24:43.339 --> 00:24:46.200 wants to do when he wants to do it, and no one 00:24:46.200 --> 00:24:50.630 will tell him otherwise, if that is your modus 00:24:50.630 --> 00:24:56.950 operandi, if that is your MO, you might consider 00:24:56.950 --> 00:25:02.269 changing your ways, Christian. Now, I'm not saying 00:25:02.269 --> 00:25:04.069 you shouldn't be individualistic, and I'm not 00:25:04.069 --> 00:25:06.349 saying you shouldn't be self -sufficient. I'm 00:25:06.349 --> 00:25:08.470 not even suggesting that you shouldn't be your 00:25:08.470 --> 00:25:13.029 own man or woman. But you need to do those things 00:25:13.029 --> 00:25:16.970 with a view toward what God has commanded in 00:25:16.970 --> 00:25:21.960 Scripture. remembering that you are under authority. 00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:26.140 And if you are not under the authority of your 00:25:26.140 --> 00:25:29.480 civil government, if you are constantly stepping 00:25:29.480 --> 00:25:31.880 out from under that authority, you must remember 00:25:31.880 --> 00:25:34.019 also that you are stepping out from under the 00:25:34.019 --> 00:25:36.839 authority of God because he himself ordained 00:25:36.839 --> 00:25:41.059 civil authority. Christians should be marked, 00:25:41.180 --> 00:25:43.920 as I said, by respectful submission and not a 00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:48.720 rebellious spirit. Even when we disagree, Even 00:25:48.720 --> 00:25:53.279 when rulers are flawed, we have nothing but flawed 00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:56.279 rulers in the United States of America and in 00:25:56.279 --> 00:25:57.960 the state of Illinois. And for those of you who 00:25:57.960 --> 00:26:00.359 reside in Indiana, I know you think that you're 00:26:00.359 --> 00:26:02.579 so much better because you're a red state, but 00:26:02.579 --> 00:26:04.279 I have to tell you, your leaders are quite flawed 00:26:04.279 --> 00:26:14.440 as well. Very flawed. Extremely flawed. Even 00:26:14.440 --> 00:26:17.240 when the culture around us is increasingly... 00:26:17.769 --> 00:26:22.710 hostile to biblical truth, Christians should 00:26:22.710 --> 00:26:28.210 be marked by respectful submission. This is especially 00:26:28.210 --> 00:26:30.450 important for us to remember in our current cultural 00:26:30.450 --> 00:26:33.349 climate. Many people today have cultivated a 00:26:33.349 --> 00:26:36.369 spirit of perpetual outrage and defiance. Amen? 00:26:37.809 --> 00:26:40.150 But Christians are called to display wisdom, 00:26:40.309 --> 00:26:44.410 humility, restraint, and trust. I love this line. 00:26:44.750 --> 00:26:46.849 And you know, of course, it seems I would. I 00:26:46.849 --> 00:26:49.950 wrote it. Christians are called to display wisdom, 00:26:50.130 --> 00:26:53.869 humility, restraint, and trust. Now get this, 00:26:54.009 --> 00:26:56.769 because most of you in this room are Calvinistic, 00:26:56.829 --> 00:27:01.430 most of you are Reformed Baptists, and trust 00:27:01.430 --> 00:27:09.349 in God's sovereign authority over all earthly 00:27:09.349 --> 00:27:14.289 rulers. I confess to you there are things happening 00:27:14.289 --> 00:27:20.799 now. at the hands of people that I voted for, 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:25.579 for the exact opposite reasons of what they're 00:27:25.579 --> 00:27:29.619 doing, and it is tempting for me to sit around 00:27:29.619 --> 00:27:33.240 and badmouth those people constantly, to remind 00:27:33.240 --> 00:27:37.619 everybody, yeah, I voted for him, but I don't 00:27:37.619 --> 00:27:41.450 agree with what he's doing now, right? It's easy 00:27:41.450 --> 00:27:43.509 for us to think in those terms. It's easy for 00:27:43.509 --> 00:27:47.609 us to operate in that way. But if we truly believe 00:27:47.609 --> 00:27:52.529 God is sovereign, that God is in control even 00:27:52.529 --> 00:27:58.390 of the president of the United States or the 00:27:58.390 --> 00:28:02.730 governor of the state of Illinois, that's tough. 00:28:03.549 --> 00:28:07.190 It's a hard one, isn't it? But if we believe 00:28:07.190 --> 00:28:11.490 he is sovereign over all things, then we can 00:28:11.490 --> 00:28:15.089 still submit so long as they're not commanding 00:28:15.089 --> 00:28:18.109 us to do something God forbids or forbidding 00:28:18.109 --> 00:28:23.109 us from doing something God commands. I say all 00:28:23.109 --> 00:28:25.890 of that to you knowing that I may be the worst 00:28:25.890 --> 00:28:31.200 offender of the bunch. Ordinarily, Christians 00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:33.660 must live in subjection to legitimate governing 00:28:33.660 --> 00:28:36.740 authorities because authority itself has been 00:28:36.740 --> 00:28:38.579 established by God. We mentioned this earlier. 00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:41.200 And of course, your mind probably goes immediately 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:44.759 to Romans chapter 13, right? Every person is 00:28:44.759 --> 00:28:46.279 to be in subjection to the governing authorities 00:28:46.279 --> 00:28:49.440 for there is no authority except from God. And 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:52.660 those which exist are established by God. Therefore, 00:28:52.819 --> 00:28:55.599 whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance 00:28:55.599 --> 00:28:59.410 of God. and they who have opposed will receive 00:28:59.410 --> 00:29:04.730 condemnation upon themselves. Who's going to 00:29:04.730 --> 00:29:08.009 punish you? I mean, ultimately, who's going to 00:29:08.009 --> 00:29:12.130 punish you for disregarding that authority? It's 00:29:12.130 --> 00:29:15.690 actually not them. The condemnation that we'll 00:29:15.690 --> 00:29:18.049 receive upon ourselves, it's very much implicit 00:29:18.049 --> 00:29:23.390 here, but it's clear God is going to punish us. 00:29:23.589 --> 00:29:27.960 We will face... We will face circumstances that 00:29:27.960 --> 00:29:31.299 God in his sovereignty will bring about in order 00:29:31.299 --> 00:29:37.980 to correct us. Even in a place like Crete, which 00:29:37.980 --> 00:29:40.660 was known for disorder and moral instability, 00:29:41.220 --> 00:29:44.660 believers were called to display godliness publicly 00:29:44.660 --> 00:29:48.359 by obeying legitimate authority. And even today, 00:29:48.440 --> 00:29:55.380 Christians, we must do the same. Notice also 00:29:55.380 --> 00:29:57.500 in verse 1, Paul says believers must be ready 00:29:57.500 --> 00:30:01.319 for every good deed. The Christian life, it is 00:30:01.319 --> 00:30:04.900 not passive. We are not merely avoiding evil. 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:08.400 We must pursue that which is good. We're not 00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:12.680 simply avoiding evil, but we're supposed to pursue 00:30:12.680 --> 00:30:19.500 goodness and godly living. Matthew 5, 16, Jesus 00:30:19.500 --> 00:30:21.579 said, Let your light shine before men in such 00:30:21.579 --> 00:30:25.279 a way. that they may see your good works and 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:30.240 glorify your Father who is in heaven. Verse 2, 00:30:30.299 --> 00:30:32.180 Paul addresses the Christian speech and attitude 00:30:32.180 --> 00:30:36.400 toward others. And this really cuts directly 00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:39.500 against the spirit of our age. The world thrives 00:30:39.500 --> 00:30:42.460 on slander and public humiliation. It rejoices 00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:44.720 in constant outrage and division, but the church 00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:49.539 is supposed to be different, not weak. Not compromising 00:30:49.539 --> 00:30:53.000 on truth. And certainly in broader evangelicalism 00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:55.839 and in the mainline denominations, we have seen 00:30:55.839 --> 00:31:03.079 such compromise. That has happened, right? But 00:31:03.079 --> 00:31:07.160 we should be peaceable, gentle, and considerate 00:31:07.160 --> 00:31:11.220 of everyone, showing consideration for all men, 00:31:11.299 --> 00:31:14.859 as Paul words it here. Philippians 2 .14 -15, 00:31:15.019 --> 00:31:17.160 do all things without grumbling or disputing. 00:31:17.960 --> 00:31:21.220 That's a great one to give your kids as a very 00:31:21.220 --> 00:31:22.980 simple memory verse if you ever want to use that 00:31:22.980 --> 00:31:25.700 one. Do all things without grumbling or disputing 00:31:25.700 --> 00:31:28.180 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless 00:31:28.180 --> 00:31:30.400 and innocent, children of God above reproach 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:32.880 in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation 00:31:32.880 --> 00:31:37.660 among whom you appear as lights in the world. 00:31:38.279 --> 00:31:40.900 Do you want to be a light in the world? I want 00:31:40.900 --> 00:31:43.539 to be a light in the world. I do not want to 00:31:43.539 --> 00:31:49.210 fade into the shadows. Right? I want to burn 00:31:49.210 --> 00:31:53.509 brightly, and then one day, by God's grace, I 00:31:53.509 --> 00:32:00.210 want to burn out. James 1, 19 through 20. This 00:32:00.210 --> 00:32:02.609 you know, my beloved brethren, but everyone must 00:32:02.609 --> 00:32:05.549 be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to 00:32:05.549 --> 00:32:07.930 anger, for the anger of man does not achieve 00:32:07.930 --> 00:32:12.069 the righteousness of God. Yelling and screaming. 00:32:12.619 --> 00:32:15.200 even if it's just in all caps in a comment thread 00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:18.240 on YouTube or Facebook or wherever else you kids 00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:26.579 go, is not what God wants. That anger does not 00:32:26.579 --> 00:32:30.759 achieve the righteousness of God. This is deeply 00:32:30.759 --> 00:32:34.440 practical for us. Right here and right now, this 00:32:34.440 --> 00:32:37.799 is practical for us. It applies to our lives. 00:32:38.700 --> 00:32:41.920 How do you speak to people? Whether you're online 00:32:41.920 --> 00:32:43.980 or you're person -to -person, face -to -face. 00:32:44.900 --> 00:32:47.440 How do you speak to or about your co -workers? 00:32:48.279 --> 00:32:50.579 Not just when you're with them, but when you're 00:32:50.579 --> 00:32:54.059 talking with someone else. How do you engage 00:32:54.059 --> 00:32:58.059 in political discourse? How do you interact with 00:32:58.059 --> 00:33:04.519 difficult people? I don't know how many of you 00:33:04.519 --> 00:33:08.700 have public -facing jobs. But that is one area 00:33:08.700 --> 00:33:13.299 that can be kind of hard sometimes. And I think 00:33:13.299 --> 00:33:16.359 about the way I have talked to and the way I've 00:33:16.359 --> 00:33:19.279 talked about some people in the course of doing 00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:27.119 business, and I feel pretty convicted. And I 00:33:27.119 --> 00:33:29.880 want to set those things aside. Because what 00:33:29.880 --> 00:33:32.559 I've noticed over time is that when I allow those 00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:38.740 things to constantly rile me up, I'm only hurting 00:33:38.740 --> 00:33:44.839 myself. You know what? The gospel of grace should 00:33:44.839 --> 00:33:47.460 visibly shape the Christian's conduct. It should 00:33:47.460 --> 00:33:51.000 fashion our conduct in society by changing how 00:33:51.000 --> 00:33:54.299 we interact with authority. It should train us 00:33:54.299 --> 00:33:56.559 to be at peace with those who are around us, 00:33:56.619 --> 00:33:59.059 to be gentle with our speech and in our deeds. 00:33:59.180 --> 00:34:01.900 I once heard someone say, Dustin, you're a kind 00:34:01.900 --> 00:34:05.519 person. And it really actually kind of bothered 00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:08.329 me. For one thing, I thought, you're probably 00:34:08.329 --> 00:34:13.489 lying. You don't really feel that way. And I 00:34:13.489 --> 00:34:15.769 thought, you know, to me, I don't want to be 00:34:15.769 --> 00:34:18.610 a kind person. I'm a strong person. I mean, I'm 00:34:18.610 --> 00:34:20.550 not a big guy, but I have a big personality. 00:34:22.250 --> 00:34:26.030 I have a loud voice. I don't want to be kind. 00:34:26.110 --> 00:34:28.230 I want to be forceful. I want to be dynamic. 00:34:29.010 --> 00:34:35.769 Right? I can tell you, I look back on that. And 00:34:35.769 --> 00:34:40.349 that was the wrong attitude. To some extent, 00:34:40.449 --> 00:34:45.309 we should be kind. We should be generous with 00:34:45.309 --> 00:34:49.409 our attitude and our disposition toward others. 00:34:50.429 --> 00:34:55.889 We should show consideration for everyone. Some 00:34:55.889 --> 00:34:58.949 of us may not struggle with these things like 00:34:58.949 --> 00:35:02.969 others do. So to keep us from becoming self -righteous, 00:35:03.519 --> 00:35:06.039 In hearing these commands, Paul immediately reminds 00:35:06.039 --> 00:35:09.980 us who we once were. And he does so by describing 00:35:09.980 --> 00:35:14.119 our former condition in verse 3. Again, our former 00:35:14.119 --> 00:35:17.039 condition in verse 3. Look there with me again. 00:35:17.179 --> 00:35:20.739 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, 00:35:20.739 --> 00:35:22.900 deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, 00:35:23.059 --> 00:35:25.659 spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, 00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:33.710 hating one another. There are a lot of people 00:35:33.710 --> 00:35:37.110 in this room who have grown up in church their 00:35:37.110 --> 00:35:43.150 entire lives who have really never tasted the 00:35:43.150 --> 00:35:47.989 sinful, debauched lifestyle that some others 00:35:47.989 --> 00:35:51.750 in this room have. And I think that that is, 00:35:51.789 --> 00:35:55.789 number one, glorious and wonderful. And in the 00:35:55.789 --> 00:35:58.809 same breath, I think there's a danger to it because 00:35:58.809 --> 00:36:02.659 the tendency among people... who have never really 00:36:02.659 --> 00:36:06.900 dealt with truly sinful behavior in their lives, 00:36:07.000 --> 00:36:10.360 have a tendency to think that they've never really 00:36:10.360 --> 00:36:16.719 been sinful people. And that's why I think this 00:36:16.719 --> 00:36:20.239 is so helpful right here in the middle of this, 00:36:20.400 --> 00:36:23.860 what are we in, the last 15 verses of the letter 00:36:23.860 --> 00:36:29.239 that Paul brings it up. In case you're tempted, 00:36:30.219 --> 00:36:36.119 To think that you are somehow better. Let me 00:36:36.119 --> 00:36:38.840 remind you, Titus, and share this with your congregation. 00:36:46.519 --> 00:36:48.780 Paul is writing under the inspiration of the 00:36:48.780 --> 00:36:52.340 Holy Spirit. And I love the humility he shows. 00:36:52.960 --> 00:36:58.219 Because he doesn't say, you were once. He says, 00:36:58.380 --> 00:37:05.010 for we... also wants worth. For we also wants 00:37:05.010 --> 00:37:09.050 worth. It kills pride. It destroys spiritual 00:37:09.050 --> 00:37:12.489 arrogance and spiritual pride. Spiritual pride 00:37:12.489 --> 00:37:17.250 is a very real thing. Christians must never look 00:37:17.250 --> 00:37:20.230 at unbelievers as though we are naturally superior, 00:37:20.489 --> 00:37:23.590 and we must never compare ourselves to one another. 00:37:23.769 --> 00:37:27.380 He writes, we were. What's he say? What were 00:37:27.380 --> 00:37:29.739 we? Well, we were foolish. Boy, that hurts. Thanks. 00:37:30.679 --> 00:37:33.239 We were disobedient. We were deceived. Nobody 00:37:33.239 --> 00:37:39.360 deceives me. Right? We were enslaved to various 00:37:39.360 --> 00:37:42.260 lusts and pleasures. We were spending our lives 00:37:42.260 --> 00:37:46.340 in malice and envy. We were hateful and hating 00:37:46.340 --> 00:37:49.619 one another. This is the natural condition of 00:37:49.619 --> 00:37:52.260 fallen humanity. This is what sin has done to 00:37:52.260 --> 00:37:54.860 the human race. And apart from God's grace, we 00:37:54.860 --> 00:37:59.809 would still... Be like them. Paul writes in Ephesians 00:37:59.809 --> 00:38:02.610 2, 1 through 3, And you were dead in your trespasses 00:38:02.610 --> 00:38:04.989 and sins, in which you formerly walked according 00:38:04.989 --> 00:38:07.150 to the course of this world, according to the 00:38:07.150 --> 00:38:08.849 prince of the power of the air, of the spirit 00:38:08.849 --> 00:38:11.929 that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 00:38:12.809 --> 00:38:17.929 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts 00:38:17.929 --> 00:38:20.590 of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh 00:38:20.590 --> 00:38:23.309 and of the mind, and were by nature children 00:38:23.309 --> 00:38:27.760 of wrath. even as the rest. Here's what you were, 00:38:27.960 --> 00:38:31.460 even if you've grown up in church, even if you've 00:38:31.460 --> 00:38:34.219 never tasted alcohol or smoked a cigarette or 00:38:34.219 --> 00:38:37.159 rolled a joint or whatever you want to say, you've 00:38:37.159 --> 00:38:40.000 never looked at perverted content on the internet, 00:38:40.159 --> 00:38:43.420 whatever. Pick your poison. You may never have 00:38:43.420 --> 00:38:47.699 done any of those things, but you, too, were 00:38:47.699 --> 00:38:53.559 once like them. 1 Corinthians 6 .11, we're reminded, 00:38:53.719 --> 00:38:59.260 Such were some of you, but you were washed, but 00:38:59.260 --> 00:39:02.000 you were sanctified, but you were justified in 00:39:02.000 --> 00:39:04.639 the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the 00:39:04.639 --> 00:39:09.699 Spirit of our God. Christian, never forget where 00:39:09.699 --> 00:39:16.440 God found you. Never forget where God found you. 00:39:16.500 --> 00:39:18.719 I may have shared this story, but it's probably 00:39:18.719 --> 00:39:21.320 been long enough ago you don't remember it. I 00:39:21.320 --> 00:39:23.480 heard a story of two young men who had been adopted 00:39:23.480 --> 00:39:26.639 into two separate families. And one of these 00:39:26.639 --> 00:39:29.360 young men was pretty proud and boastful, and 00:39:29.360 --> 00:39:31.139 it was in the midst of a class. I don't know 00:39:31.139 --> 00:39:33.079 if it was a college level or high school or what 00:39:33.079 --> 00:39:35.760 it was, but he stood up and he started bad -mouthing 00:39:35.760 --> 00:39:39.940 his parents who had adopted him. And the other 00:39:39.940 --> 00:39:43.380 young man sat there and listened to him, waited 00:39:43.380 --> 00:39:45.159 for him to finish, and then he stood up and said, 00:39:45.320 --> 00:39:51.610 You know, my parents aren't perfect. But I know 00:39:51.610 --> 00:39:57.469 where they came to get me. I know what they saved 00:39:57.469 --> 00:40:03.030 me from. And so I will honor them. Perhaps you 00:40:03.030 --> 00:40:09.309 should do the same. Don't forget where you were 00:40:09.309 --> 00:40:13.889 when God found you. Don't forget the condition 00:40:13.889 --> 00:40:20.110 you were in when God saved you. We... We're not 00:40:20.110 --> 00:40:23.050 saved because we were wiser. You and I were not 00:40:23.050 --> 00:40:27.409 saved because we were morally superior. You and 00:40:27.409 --> 00:40:30.030 I were not saved because we were more deserving. 00:40:30.570 --> 00:40:35.809 We were saved by the grace of God alone. And 00:40:35.809 --> 00:40:38.670 that really leads Paul directly into the theological 00:40:38.670 --> 00:40:43.190 essence, if you will, of this passage. It's in 00:40:43.190 --> 00:40:46.710 verses 4 -7 where he describes our gracious salvation. 00:40:48.969 --> 00:40:51.250 Verse 4, but when the kindness of God our Savior 00:40:51.250 --> 00:40:54.329 and His love for mankind appeared, we just heard 00:40:54.329 --> 00:40:56.909 that word appeared in the previous study, He 00:40:56.909 --> 00:40:59.210 saved us not on the basis of deeds which we have 00:40:59.210 --> 00:41:01.710 done in righteousness, but according to His mercy 00:41:01.710 --> 00:41:04.190 by the washing of regeneration and renewing by 00:41:04.190 --> 00:41:07.110 the Holy Spirit whom He poured out upon us richly 00:41:07.110 --> 00:41:09.769 through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being 00:41:09.769 --> 00:41:12.409 justified by His grace, we would be made heirs 00:41:12.409 --> 00:41:15.469 according to the hope of eternal life. Verse 00:41:15.469 --> 00:41:18.440 4 gives us one of the most... Beautiful contrasts 00:41:18.440 --> 00:41:25.079 in Scripture. That word, but. But, when the kindness 00:41:25.079 --> 00:41:27.739 of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 00:41:27.920 --> 00:41:31.559 what a glorious interruption indeed. We were 00:41:31.559 --> 00:41:34.699 lost in sin, dead in rebellion, enslaved and 00:41:34.699 --> 00:41:38.739 corrupted, but God intervened by saving us. And 00:41:38.739 --> 00:41:41.719 notice what motivated Him to save us. It was 00:41:41.719 --> 00:41:44.119 the kindness of God. Certainly, it's for His 00:41:44.119 --> 00:41:48.079 glory. But he's motivated by his kindness and 00:41:48.079 --> 00:41:52.119 by his love. Verse 5, we see the very heart of 00:41:52.119 --> 00:41:55.059 the gospel. He saved us not on the basis of deeds, 00:41:55.159 --> 00:41:57.019 which we've done in righteousness, but according 00:41:57.019 --> 00:42:00.780 to his mercy. Salvation is not earned. It is 00:42:00.780 --> 00:42:03.800 not deserved. Salvation is not achieved through 00:42:03.800 --> 00:42:06.980 human effort. Paul writes in Ephesians 2, 8 and 00:42:06.980 --> 00:42:09.000 9, we know this because we talk about it all 00:42:09.000 --> 00:42:11.199 the time. For by grace you have been saved through 00:42:11.199 --> 00:42:13.039 faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift 00:42:13.039 --> 00:42:15.500 of God, not as a result of works, so that no 00:42:15.500 --> 00:42:18.900 one may boast. We're saved by grace, by grace, 00:42:18.960 --> 00:42:24.940 not by works, not by works. There is no boasting 00:42:24.940 --> 00:42:30.039 in your salvation because you did not do it. 00:42:31.639 --> 00:42:35.570 There is no boasting because God alone, has done 00:42:35.570 --> 00:42:41.309 the work of saving you. He goes on in the remainder 00:42:41.309 --> 00:42:43.690 of verse 5 to describe salvation as being accomplished 00:42:43.690 --> 00:42:46.190 by the washing of regeneration and renewing by 00:42:46.190 --> 00:42:48.489 the Holy Spirit. He speaks of being born again, 00:42:48.590 --> 00:42:53.929 spiritual rebirth. Think of John chapter 3. God 00:42:53.929 --> 00:43:00.050 does not merely improve people. Right? This is 00:43:00.050 --> 00:43:02.969 not a home improvement project. This is demo. 00:43:03.610 --> 00:43:06.309 and starting over with a brand new foundation 00:43:06.309 --> 00:43:11.010 and building up the whole house. He makes us 00:43:11.010 --> 00:43:15.969 new. 2 Corinthians 5, 17, Therefore, if anyone 00:43:15.969 --> 00:43:20.210 is in Christ, he is a new creature, right? The 00:43:20.210 --> 00:43:22.949 old things passed away, but behold, new things 00:43:22.949 --> 00:43:26.469 have come. By God's grace, the Holy Spirit renews 00:43:26.469 --> 00:43:28.769 the sinner from within, changing desires and 00:43:28.769 --> 00:43:31.949 affections, and He changes our behavior too. 00:43:33.320 --> 00:43:35.599 And you notice that there is a Trinitarian work 00:43:35.599 --> 00:43:37.940 that's taking place here, which is also beautiful 00:43:37.940 --> 00:43:41.219 to see and helps build up our faith. Oftentimes 00:43:41.219 --> 00:43:44.860 people struggle to defend the doctrine of the 00:43:44.860 --> 00:43:47.880 Trinity, but here it is clearly displayed. God 00:43:47.880 --> 00:43:50.659 the Father saves, the Holy Spirit regenerates 00:43:50.659 --> 00:43:52.960 and renews, and salvation comes through Jesus 00:43:52.960 --> 00:43:55.400 Christ our Savior and through Him alone. Verse 00:43:55.400 --> 00:43:57.980 6 makes that absolutely clear when he writes, 00:43:58.440 --> 00:44:00.420 whom he poured out upon us, that's referring 00:44:00.420 --> 00:44:04.280 back to the Spirit, richly through Jesus Christ, 00:44:04.440 --> 00:44:07.860 our Savior. Next, Paul brings us to the result 00:44:07.860 --> 00:44:10.360 of our salvation, that being justified by his 00:44:10.360 --> 00:44:12.480 grace, we would be made heirs according to the 00:44:12.480 --> 00:44:16.340 hope of eternal life. Verse 7, this is who we 00:44:16.340 --> 00:44:20.739 are now. This is our position. It is our standing 00:44:20.739 --> 00:44:25.199 in Christ. We are justified, forgiven, we've 00:44:25.199 --> 00:44:28.550 been adopted, and now we are hope. filled heirs 00:44:28.550 --> 00:44:33.349 of eternal life. It's precisely why Christians 00:44:33.349 --> 00:44:35.530 live differently from the world around them, 00:44:35.630 --> 00:44:39.530 isn't it? At the very least, it's why we should. 00:44:42.389 --> 00:44:47.190 Because our conduct flows from this grace. Holiness 00:44:47.190 --> 00:44:49.269 is not the cause of salvation. We know this. 00:44:49.610 --> 00:44:53.889 We know this. Holiness is not the cause of salvation. 00:44:54.750 --> 00:44:58.119 But it is the fruit. of our glorious salvation. 00:44:58.880 --> 00:45:02.219 And it was brought about by the sovereign triune 00:45:02.219 --> 00:45:06.519 God. The gospel of grace creates a new people 00:45:06.519 --> 00:45:08.739 whose conduct adorns the doctrine of God, a new 00:45:08.739 --> 00:45:11.360 people whose lives are marked by godliness. So 00:45:11.360 --> 00:45:13.400 Paul finishes this section by pointing to our 00:45:13.400 --> 00:45:16.079 need for unity in the church in verses 8 through 00:45:16.079 --> 00:45:20.599 11. Very quickly, this is a trustworthy statement 00:45:20.599 --> 00:45:22.980 concerning these things. I want you to speak 00:45:22.980 --> 00:45:26.480 confidently so that those who have believed God 00:45:26.480 --> 00:45:28.659 will be careful to engage in good deeds. These 00:45:28.659 --> 00:45:31.079 things are good and profitable for men, but avoid 00:45:31.079 --> 00:45:33.519 foolish controversies and genealogies and strife 00:45:33.519 --> 00:45:35.719 and disputes about the law, for they are unprofitable 00:45:35.719 --> 00:45:38.800 and worthless. Reject a factious man after a 00:45:38.800 --> 00:45:40.900 first and second warning, knowing that such a 00:45:40.900 --> 00:45:43.920 man is perverted and is sinning, being self -condemned. 00:45:44.360 --> 00:45:46.639 Verse 8 says that it's a trustworthy statement, 00:45:46.840 --> 00:45:51.769 and he tells Titus to speak. confidently about 00:45:51.769 --> 00:45:54.889 these things. Clearly, Paul expects Titus and 00:45:54.889 --> 00:45:58.869 us by extension to preach these truths boldly, 00:45:58.869 --> 00:46:02.050 consistently, and with authority. Why? So that 00:46:02.050 --> 00:46:04.010 those who believe God will be careful to engage 00:46:04.010 --> 00:46:05.469 in good deeds. There are a lot of Christians 00:46:05.469 --> 00:46:08.489 in a lot of churches around this country who 00:46:08.489 --> 00:46:11.650 are not engaging in good deeds and who are in 00:46:11.650 --> 00:46:14.429 a very real sense withering on the vine because 00:46:14.429 --> 00:46:17.349 their preachers don't speak the truth of God 00:46:17.349 --> 00:46:23.079 boldly and confidently. A lot of Christians are 00:46:23.079 --> 00:46:28.119 emaciated. They are withering because their preachers 00:46:28.119 --> 00:46:34.340 don't preach the truth. Doctrine and godliness 00:46:34.340 --> 00:46:36.139 belong together. We've seen it over and over. 00:46:36.300 --> 00:46:39.260 They are inseparable. Right belief produces right 00:46:39.260 --> 00:46:42.019 practice. Proper understanding brings about proper 00:46:42.019 --> 00:46:44.619 living. And Paul gives a warning to Titus in 00:46:44.619 --> 00:46:46.960 verse 9, but avoid foolish controversies and 00:46:46.960 --> 00:46:48.940 genealogies and strifes and disputes about the 00:46:48.940 --> 00:46:51.239 law. Now, I could really go off on a tangent, 00:46:51.340 --> 00:46:55.059 but I won't. And you're all like, thank you. 00:46:56.900 --> 00:47:00.440 I could go off on a tangent right here. Many 00:47:00.440 --> 00:47:02.619 of you guys in particular know exactly where 00:47:02.619 --> 00:47:05.780 that tangent would be headed because we talk 00:47:05.780 --> 00:47:11.360 about these things a lot. Avoid foolish controversies. 00:47:11.820 --> 00:47:14.920 and genealogies and strife and disputes about 00:47:14.920 --> 00:47:20.099 the law. These things destroy churches. Let me 00:47:20.099 --> 00:47:23.280 tell you something. Not every argument is profitable. 00:47:24.900 --> 00:47:31.539 That's a fact. That is a stone -cold fact. Not 00:47:31.539 --> 00:47:35.059 every argument, though it might be disguised 00:47:35.059 --> 00:47:40.380 as genuine concern, right? Though it may have 00:47:40.380 --> 00:47:43.860 the flavor, a robust theological discussion. 00:47:45.239 --> 00:47:48.699 Not every one of those arguments, not every one 00:47:48.699 --> 00:47:53.099 of those debates is a good thing. Because sometimes 00:47:53.099 --> 00:47:55.880 those arguments, especially when they're about 00:47:55.880 --> 00:48:00.920 foolish things, do nothing but hinder our unity 00:48:00.920 --> 00:48:08.260 as a church. Not every debate is good. Not every 00:48:08.260 --> 00:48:15.039 debate is godly. Some people simply love conflict. 00:48:17.500 --> 00:48:23.239 So they will argue about anything. Paul says 00:48:23.239 --> 00:48:26.420 these things are unprofitable and worthless. 00:48:27.820 --> 00:48:30.119 Then comes the difficult but necessary instruction 00:48:30.119 --> 00:48:33.019 in verse 10. Reject a factious man after a first 00:48:33.019 --> 00:48:36.099 and second warning. A divisive person is dangerous 00:48:36.099 --> 00:48:38.480 to the church. Division destroys fellowship, 00:48:38.679 --> 00:48:41.820 it destroys trust, and division destroys unity. 00:48:42.139 --> 00:48:45.380 Notice, however, that patience and grace are 00:48:45.380 --> 00:48:48.199 built into this command. First, there is a first 00:48:48.199 --> 00:48:51.679 warning. Then there is a second warning because 00:48:51.679 --> 00:48:55.000 the goal is restoration, much like Matthew 18, 00:48:55.199 --> 00:48:58.750 right? The goal is repentance and peace. But 00:48:58.750 --> 00:49:02.969 if someone persists in divisiveness, Paul says 00:49:02.969 --> 00:49:06.130 they must eventually be rejected or removed from 00:49:06.130 --> 00:49:08.650 the church, knowing that such a man, as Paul 00:49:08.650 --> 00:49:12.150 words it in verse 11, is perverted and is sinning, 00:49:12.150 --> 00:49:15.469 being self -condemned. Not because the church 00:49:15.469 --> 00:49:20.349 is harsh, not because the church is unkind, but 00:49:20.349 --> 00:49:28.559 because the church is worth protecting. The church 00:49:28.559 --> 00:49:36.440 is worth defending. So eventually, that patience, 00:49:36.460 --> 00:49:42.239 that grace, that rope that you're lending them, 00:49:42.380 --> 00:49:49.000 it runs out. And they have to be corrected. They 00:49:49.000 --> 00:49:54.989 have to be, in some cases, removed. Paul also 00:49:54.989 --> 00:49:57.570 wrote of this in Romans 16. Now I urge you, brethren, 00:49:57.769 --> 00:49:59.949 keep your eye on those who cause dissensions 00:49:59.949 --> 00:50:03.010 and hindrances, contrary to the teaching which 00:50:03.010 --> 00:50:07.630 you learned, and turn away from them. We might 00:50:07.630 --> 00:50:09.710 be tempted to think such a step is unloving, 00:50:09.730 --> 00:50:12.530 but Scripture clearly teaches the necessity of 00:50:12.530 --> 00:50:15.369 protecting the church from those who seek to 00:50:15.369 --> 00:50:23.619 divide us. You know, when we look at... Titus 00:50:23.619 --> 00:50:27.179 chapter 3, verses 1 through 11, a beautiful picture 00:50:27.179 --> 00:50:31.659 of the fruit of the gospel emerges. We can see 00:50:31.659 --> 00:50:33.739 how the grace of God changes Christians and causes 00:50:33.739 --> 00:50:38.199 us to live rightly in society. We become peaceable, 00:50:38.360 --> 00:50:41.639 gentle, submissive. We become ready for good 00:50:41.639 --> 00:50:46.079 works. We're humbled by the grace of God because 00:50:46.079 --> 00:50:48.699 we're reminded of who and what we once were. 00:50:50.159 --> 00:50:52.780 We see that the grace of God saves us entirely 00:50:52.780 --> 00:50:56.800 by His mercy, not by our works or some righteousness 00:50:56.800 --> 00:51:01.400 of our own, but through Christ alone. And we 00:51:01.400 --> 00:51:03.539 can see that the grace of God produces a unified 00:51:03.539 --> 00:51:10.219 and godly, ordered church of people who are devoted 00:51:10.219 --> 00:51:12.199 to good works, of people committed to truth, 00:51:12.280 --> 00:51:15.119 of people who protect the peace, unity, and purity 00:51:15.119 --> 00:51:21.090 of Christ's body, lest we forget. We are the 00:51:21.090 --> 00:51:25.409 bride of Christ. I know many of you men can identify 00:51:25.409 --> 00:51:29.190 with this sentiment. I feel very strongly about 00:51:29.190 --> 00:51:34.090 my wife. And I will defend her purity against 00:51:34.090 --> 00:51:38.849 anyone. If I feel that way about my own wife, 00:51:39.110 --> 00:51:49.010 how should I feel about the church? Church, The 00:51:49.010 --> 00:51:53.010 world should see something different in us. We 00:51:53.010 --> 00:51:55.349 get to do this one more week. I've enjoyed this 00:51:55.349 --> 00:51:59.789 immensely. It has been sanctifying for me. I 00:51:59.789 --> 00:52:01.789 hope it's been beneficial for you and we'll wrap 00:52:01.789 --> 00:52:06.670 up next week. But the world should see something 00:52:06.670 --> 00:52:10.610 different in us. I think if you could just kind 00:52:10.610 --> 00:52:15.219 of... Make it all fit in one phrase. I think 00:52:15.219 --> 00:52:17.719 that's what I would say. It's simple. It's poignant. 00:52:17.820 --> 00:52:21.400 It's in common language. The world should see 00:52:21.400 --> 00:52:26.019 us differently. When we interact with them individually 00:52:26.019 --> 00:52:29.300 in our daily lives, we should be different. They 00:52:29.300 --> 00:52:32.579 should say to themselves when they get done talking 00:52:32.579 --> 00:52:34.900 to us, when they deal with us in a business transaction, 00:52:35.219 --> 00:52:38.480 when they see us at school. When we go and work 00:52:38.480 --> 00:52:41.300 on the assembly line or when we're talking to 00:52:41.300 --> 00:52:43.480 another farmer while we're waiting in the line 00:52:43.480 --> 00:52:46.739 at the elevator, whatever it is, those people 00:52:46.739 --> 00:52:49.340 should walk away from a conversation with you 00:52:49.340 --> 00:52:54.079 and they should say, wow, something is different 00:52:54.079 --> 00:52:58.119 about them. And when they see the witness, the 00:52:58.119 --> 00:53:01.099 corporate witness of our church, they should 00:53:01.099 --> 00:53:07.170 feel the same. We should be different. We should 00:53:07.170 --> 00:53:10.769 live in such a way that our conduct conforms 00:53:10.769 --> 00:53:16.670 to and confirms the doctrine we profess. May 00:53:16.670 --> 00:53:18.730 our lives bear witness to the transforming power 00:53:18.730 --> 00:53:21.969 of the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ our Savior. 00:53:22.110 --> 00:53:25.429 May we become citizens of grace who reflect the 00:53:25.429 --> 00:53:28.929 beauty, glory, and majesty of our great God and 00:53:28.929 --> 00:53:32.190 Savior, not only in our individual lives, but 00:53:32.190 --> 00:53:35.289 also here in His church.