Titus #4

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:04.280 M let's pray and ask for God's blessing now as we come to the reading 2 00:00:04.280 --> 00:00:11.000 and preaching of his word. Lord God, you have proclaimed that this word 3 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:17.399 of the Gospel should go forth into all the nations, and indeed it has. 4 00:00:17.559 --> 00:00:22.559 Here we are on the other side of the world from where your ministry 5 00:00:22.760 --> 00:00:29.079 began, proclaiming your name, testifying to your grace, loving you and loving 6 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:35.240 one another. This is amazing, and we are so thankful Um for um 7 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:40.280 the work that you have done through your servants, through the fathers and mothers 8 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:44.880 who have gone before us. I'm teaching, training, proclaiming, exhorting, 9 00:00:44.920 --> 00:00:51.280 rebuking, lifting us up and the power of your word. We asked now 10 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:55.880 that as we hear your word this morning, that you would bless it to 11 00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:00.280 us, that you would soften our hearts, that you would um, that 12 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:06.599 you would help us, allowing us to receive the good news of the declaration 13 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:11.200 of your work for us. Bless us in these things. Lord, let 14 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:18.280 me pray this in Jesus name. Amen, Please remain standing, if you're 15 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:30.200 able, and turn with me to Titus continuing. I'm continuing to read and 16 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:40.120 preach through Paul's letter here. I'm continuing to learn and um grow through this 17 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:46.319 book myself, and very thankful for the opportunity to speak to you from it 18 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:52.480 today. It's a good thing. I'm very happy about it. I'm going 19 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:57.719 to read Versus one through four and focus in particularly on the last part of 20 00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:01.760 that um section, the last sentence there that you have in your bibles. 21 00:02:02.719 --> 00:02:09.159 But let's hear Verses one through four Paul, a servant of God and an 22 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:15.360 apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and 23 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:21.080 their knowledge of the truth which accords with Godliness in hope of eternal life, 24 00:02:21.080 --> 00:02:25.919 which God who never lies, promised before the ages began, and at the 25 00:02:25.960 --> 00:02:31.680 proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted 26 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:38.120 by the command of God our Savior to tide us my true child and a 27 00:02:38.199 --> 00:02:46.360 common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. 28 00:02:46.879 --> 00:03:13.080 Amen, you may be seated so these words that I'm asking you to 29 00:03:13.159 --> 00:03:16.960 focus on this morning, Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus 30 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:23.400 our Savior. UM. These words are very familiar to you if you've only 31 00:03:24.439 --> 00:03:29.719 visited our church, and this is the only church that you've ever visited for 32 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:35.680 maybe three times. You've already heard this phrase um at least three times, 33 00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:39.319 and of course many more in other ways as well. Grace and peace, 34 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:45.840 This blessing that comes at the beginning of this letter, this declaration is a 35 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:51.960 common beginning that Paul uses in his letters. Romans first, Corinthians Second, 36 00:03:51.960 --> 00:03:55.439 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians first and second, Thessalonians, 37 00:03:55.960 --> 00:04:01.479 and Philemon all have this or something very similar to this, UH, this 38 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:04.680 beginning, this greeting, grace and peace to you. That's how we begin 39 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:11.919 our services. That's how I began our service today. M. So it's 40 00:04:12.039 --> 00:04:15.279 an important thing, right, It's something we should pay attention to, UM. 41 00:04:15.279 --> 00:04:21.000 But it's also something that perhaps UM we don't fully understand, or we 42 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:29.519 become UM forgetful of or unappreciative of. As Pete mentioned in the announcements this 43 00:04:29.560 --> 00:04:32.480 morning, Thanksgiving is one of those times of the year that we stop and 44 00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:38.759 try to remember things that maybe we've forgotten, things that we should be grateful 45 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:43.120 for, that maybe have kind of slipped under our radar or have become maybe 46 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:46.759 less important to us over time. This might be one of those things something 47 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:49.879 you hear a lot, you you sing about. It's it's always kind of 48 00:04:49.879 --> 00:04:54.040 in the background, maybe for you, um, even as a Christian. 49 00:04:54.879 --> 00:05:03.360 But something that deserves renewed attention. This something that deserves renewed focus. Grace 50 00:05:03.480 --> 00:05:09.680 and peace from God, the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. Why does 51 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:15.279 Paul start his letters this way? Is he just is it a toss away 52 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:18.319 phrase? Just he's got to start somehow. Um, we do see that 53 00:05:18.399 --> 00:05:25.279 Paul has auctions. In fact, though his beginning of his letter are similar 54 00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:30.240 to other common letters, it is different in some significant ways. One of 55 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:34.199 the biggest ways it is different is he doesn't say grace and peace from Paul, 56 00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:39.639 although he could write that and it would be orthodox, and it would 57 00:05:39.639 --> 00:05:42.879 mean that Paul is, after all, a minister of these things. He 58 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:46.399 is bringing them and says similar things at the end of our letter. For 59 00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:48.759 example, he says, grace be with you all, and greet those who 60 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:54.439 are in the faith. There are ways in which we extend grace and peace 61 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:58.199 to one another. Right. Um. In fact, that's what he's calling 62 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:01.279 Titus to do. Um, to be a minister of grace and peace. 63 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:08.879 But here the emphasis is on the source of it. The grace and peace 64 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:13.439 ultimately comes from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. This is a 65 00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:19.199 really amazing thing. We have this form of a blessing that comes to us. 66 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:26.800 Before we get to what exactly this means, let's reflect just on a 67 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:31.319 moment on why these words might become a little bit dull to us. I 68 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:35.879 think there's different reasons. It depends on who you are, depends on your 69 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:42.199 spiritual state. One reason, I think when we hear grace and peace from 70 00:06:42.199 --> 00:06:45.959 God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior and kind of go, okay, 71 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:49.000 there's some religious words, and that's that. Let's move on to the next 72 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:54.399 thing. One reason we don't appreciate it as we are is we don't think 73 00:06:54.439 --> 00:06:59.000 we need it, or we don't think others need it. If you think 74 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:03.240 you basically have what you need apart from God, well then why would this 75 00:07:03.720 --> 00:07:10.000 really matter? Right? If you could go online, um and look on 76 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:15.480 some eBay or Craigslist or something and find millions and millions of things for sale, 77 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:17.759 you can spend all day scanning and browsing and looking and looking, and 78 00:07:17.879 --> 00:07:23.759 yet you don't. Right, Maybe you look for one particular thing. But 79 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:27.199 why, well, because you think you want it, because you think you 80 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:30.519 need it, why do you ignore all those other millions of things that are 81 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:35.560 right there, ready for you, available because you don't care, You don't 82 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:39.439 think you need it, you don't want it. And it's probably true that 83 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:45.600 you don't want it or don't and especially don't need it. But is that 84 00:07:45.639 --> 00:07:50.000 true for the grace and peace of God? Is that something we really don't 85 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:54.759 need? A lot of people feel that way. A lot of people feel 86 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:59.279 that they can go along in their lives and get along fine without Him. 87 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:01.959 They have nature, they have friends, they have family, um, they 88 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:07.920 have um religious practices, they have their good works, all kinds of things 89 00:08:07.959 --> 00:08:13.839 that are useful to them in various ways that they don't really need God. 90 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:16.279 They don't really need his grace, They don't really need his peace because they 91 00:08:16.279 --> 00:08:22.879 have a measure of a measure of peace in their lives. One of the 92 00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:28.759 things that has revealed to us in God's word is that we really do need 93 00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:33.559 his peace and that only comes to us through His grace. I'll hope to 94 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:39.360 make that case in a moment. Another thing, another reason I think we 95 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:45.600 ignore or don't appreciate or even deny grace and peace from God is that we 96 00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:50.840 think God is not really offering it to us. Sure it says it here, 97 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:54.799 but is it true? And maybe you've never actually said those words out 98 00:08:54.840 --> 00:09:00.559 loud, But I wonder if you've acted in such a way in which it 99 00:09:00.600 --> 00:09:07.120 would give evidence or manifest what you really think. Perhaps you don't care about 100 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:13.919 the grace and peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Savior because you 101 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:16.519 think God doesn't really offer it. Maybe it's because you think he's incapable of 102 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:24.039 doing it right. The problems that you're facing, the disruptions and disharmony, 103 00:09:24.679 --> 00:09:28.320 um, the lack of unity and order in your life is not something that 104 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:33.919 God can really solve. Maybe that's the lie that floats around in your heart. 105 00:09:35.320 --> 00:09:37.440 Or maybe you think he can do it, but he's unwilling to do 106 00:09:37.480 --> 00:09:43.240 it for one reason or another. Maybe he doesn't see, maybe he doesn't 107 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:48.440 care, or maybe he you know that you're not good enough to deserve his 108 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:54.759 intervention and bringing peace into your life. Maybe you think about your sins and 109 00:09:56.240 --> 00:10:00.799 the state and the miseries that you face and you realize, well, this 110 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:05.080 is my own fault. I'm not going to ask to get out of something 111 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:09.240 that I know I deserve. I know that I should be punished for these 112 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:13.840 things. I know that God doesn't really want to help me, and he 113 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:20.440 shouldn't I deserve these things. We say to ourselves on that I'd like you 114 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:24.600 to turn back for a moment, as we consider Paul's as the one saying 115 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:31.480 these things, and look at First Timothy chapter one, Versus twelve through sixteen. 116 00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:39.399 Here how Paul answers this objection First Timothy one, Versus twelve through sixteen. 117 00:10:41.559 --> 00:10:46.799 He says, I thank God who has given me strength, Christ Jesus, 118 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:50.360 our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service. 119 00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:58.159 Though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But 120 00:10:58.759 --> 00:11:03.919 I received mercy as I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of 121 00:11:03.960 --> 00:11:09.399 Our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 122 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:13.240 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. That Christ Jesus came 123 00:11:13.240 --> 00:11:20.360 into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But 124 00:11:20.519 --> 00:11:24.159 I received mercy for this reason that in me, as the foremost Jesus, 125 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:31.559 Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe 126 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:35.600 in him for eternal life. See what he's saying there, He's saying that 127 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:43.879 God gave him mercy. God saved Paul, gave him something he didn't deserve, 128 00:11:43.960 --> 00:11:46.519 not just because God loved Paul and desired to do this for him, 129 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:50.759 and he did. But there was an additional reason that God had. He 130 00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:56.799 wanted to use Paul, an insolent opponent, a persecutor of the Church of 131 00:11:56.879 --> 00:12:01.799 Jesus Christ, and an open blasphemer. He wanted to use that man as 132 00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:09.720 an example to all of us of Jesus Christ's perfect patience and an example to 133 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:15.960 all who believe in him for eternal life. So that as we look at 134 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:20.600 our sins and we can say, well, if God saved Paul, he 135 00:12:20.679 --> 00:12:26.879 can save anyone. And you could pick anyone of the number of people in 136 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:35.960 scripture that God saved and say similar things Noah, David, Abraham, Sarah, 137 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:45.120 Peter, and you and me. This answers the question that God's not 138 00:12:45.200 --> 00:12:48.559 really willing to save us. Of course, He's willing. He desires to 139 00:12:48.679 --> 00:12:52.440 save us. He he has done these things for us, and he is 140 00:12:52.480 --> 00:13:00.480 more than capable of doing it the last lie I will mention, or it's 141 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:03.360 maybe this one is not a lie but an obstacle, and that's just ignorance. 142 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:11.000 Some people don't receive and appreciate the grace and peace of God because they 143 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:16.799 don't know it, they've never heard it. And Second Corinthians four six Paul 144 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:20.919 says that when Jesus does come, he shines in our hearts to give the 145 00:13:22.039 --> 00:13:26.320 light of the knowledge of the glory of God. In the face of Jesus 146 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:31.159 Christ. Remember what he said just before this entitus. He says that through 147 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:37.120 the preaching on God's word has been made manifest in the world. We're getting 148 00:13:37.159 --> 00:13:41.519 close to Christmas time, and it makes me think of the angels and Luke 149 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:46.000 two. Right, they come to the shepherd's in the field, and remember 150 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:50.679 what the scriptures say. It says, the glory of God shone around them, 151 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:56.840 similar language the Second Corinthians four six about the the glory of God uh 152 00:13:56.879 --> 00:14:01.440 shining in our hearts. To the angels, the glory of God shines around 153 00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:05.360 them, and remember what or the angel says, says, fear not, 154 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:11.320 for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for 155 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:16.039 all people unto you today in the city of David is born a savior. 156 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:22.399 The announcement of the Christ, the announcement of Jesus coming into this world, 157 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:31.919 good news of great joy with glory, that message, that shining, that 158 00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:39.519 light, that truth, it brings, it brings to us salvation. So, 159 00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:43.600 whatever the case is for you, perhaps you don't know the gospel, 160 00:14:43.799 --> 00:14:46.960 perhaps you don't know the good news about Jesus Christ, Well you can know 161 00:14:48.039 --> 00:14:54.240 it today. I will tell you it in a moment. Perhaps you feel 162 00:14:54.279 --> 00:15:00.639 that God doesn't really care, or he's incapable or unwill. We see in 163 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:05.840 the example of Paul that that's not the case. And to the first of 164 00:15:05.879 --> 00:15:09.320 those that we don't think we really need it. Let's address that now. 165 00:15:11.200 --> 00:15:16.399 So what is Paul saying? What is God offering to us when he says 166 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:22.679 grace and peace? What is he giving to Titus? Well? Grace It 167 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:28.440 has a wide range of meanings um cars in Greek it has a number of 168 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:33.279 possible meanings. Generally, though and here it means a favor without obligation, 169 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:39.679 something that's given that's not owed. Right, if it's the if if I 170 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:45.720 pay a debt, right, if I owe someone something and I give Let's 171 00:15:45.720 --> 00:15:48.519 say I owe someone money and I give them that money, I have not 172 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:52.759 given them a gift, right, I've not given I've not I've not been 173 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:56.399 gracious to them. I've just paid what I owed. Right. But if 174 00:15:56.440 --> 00:16:03.039 I give something to someone that I don't anything to and I don't expect anything 175 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:07.679 from them, that's that's an act of grace. And even more so if 176 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:11.240 that person has not only not only there's no obligation, but perhaps they they 177 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:17.159 owe me. Right if I am will use the example of money again. 178 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:22.519 If if somebody owes you a bunch of money, and instead of them paying 179 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:26.000 it back, you forgive the debt, right, that's a gracious thing. 180 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:33.080 You're giving favor that is not merited, or favor that has even been demerited. 181 00:16:33.279 --> 00:16:41.039 That's grace. Peace. Um. Peace has the meaning of um, 182 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:48.679 harmony. It's a it's an adjective um. Often um can be a noun 183 00:16:49.399 --> 00:16:56.759 that's used to describe either a way of working towards a peace UM or the 184 00:16:56.799 --> 00:17:03.279 piece itself. It's a state of well being right and ultimately, when God 185 00:17:03.320 --> 00:17:08.079 offers it, it means in every way harmony with oneself. Right, you 186 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:11.319 know what it means to be sort of out of sync with your own heart, 187 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:17.000 like think about integrity, your character issues where you're like I believe this 188 00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:22.279 thing, but I do this thing right, or having two minds about something 189 00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:26.599 and you're feeling not at peace right because you are wrestling here that that physical 190 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:30.599 language that we use to describe that turmoil that's in us when we don't know 191 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:40.759 what to do right. Peace with oneself UM is harmony within oneself, a 192 00:17:40.839 --> 00:17:45.039 state of well being. The same goes with God. When we are at 193 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:48.119 peace with God, we are in a state of harmony with him or with 194 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:55.119 others, or with nature even instead of um, you know, being frustrated 195 00:17:55.119 --> 00:17:59.960 trying to get some plant to grow or not grow, as the case may 196 00:18:00.119 --> 00:18:04.799 be, UM UM, or animals that you're trying to train or keep yourself 197 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:11.559 protected from. There's all kinds of examples of this, the weather, UM, 198 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:15.039 on and on. We can go right to have peace. Total peace 199 00:18:15.640 --> 00:18:19.160 means peace with all of these things, with oneself, with God, with 200 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:26.279 our neighbors, UM, with with nature. And this peace is associated um 201 00:18:26.279 --> 00:18:33.200 with knowledge and order and love. I want to read to you um several 202 00:18:33.319 --> 00:18:40.599 verses UM one right now, just from First Corinthians fourteen thirty three. As 203 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:47.880 we consider what this piece is that God is offering First Corinthians fourteen thirty three. 204 00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:55.799 For God is not a god of confusion, but of peace. God 205 00:18:55.880 --> 00:19:00.039 is not a god of confusion, but of peace. He goes on in 206 00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:04.920 later in verse forty to say, all things should be done decently and in 207 00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:10.880 good order. The reason that we have a good order the reason that we 208 00:19:11.000 --> 00:19:14.720 have not peace. In other words, it's not just a feeling. It 209 00:19:14.920 --> 00:19:18.640 is that, but it's also an ordering of things, things aligned, things 210 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:26.480 in their proper places, things moving well together. Well, one of these 211 00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:34.039 things, grace leads to the other. Remember Romans five one. Since we 212 00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:42.039 have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus 213 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:47.519 Christ. Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God 214 00:19:47.559 --> 00:19:52.319 through our Lord Jesus Christ. Ever since we've sinned, ever since man first 215 00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:55.440 sinned in the guard and all these things that I just mentioned, peace with 216 00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:59.359 self, others, nature, and of course God, the forest, and 217 00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:03.599 foremost all of these were broken. All of them were broken. After the 218 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:10.680 fall. We end up with words like enmity, alienation. These are the 219 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:18.000 opposites disorder, confusion, frustration. How does that get mended? Sin is 220 00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:25.039 what breaks it? The repairing of that problem of sin is what fixes it. 221 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:30.160 Not a lot of religions, perhaps all religions other than Christianity. Man 222 00:20:30.200 --> 00:20:38.279 reconciles these things by reconciling with his gods or God. He does that often 223 00:20:38.359 --> 00:20:45.240 by doing things for the God Um. I was reading this this week about 224 00:20:45.640 --> 00:20:51.599 early Native American religion, which is very similar actually to the world Paul is 225 00:20:51.640 --> 00:20:56.359 in and Titus is in the polytheism on that is going on. And in 226 00:20:56.400 --> 00:21:02.160 these cases, and in a lot of cases, the way to appease a 227 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:08.680 god, the way to restore order is by offering something. You give something 228 00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:14.279 of yourself um, of your livelihood. Maybe you give some of your crops, 229 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:18.160 Maybe you sacrifice an animal. Maybe you offer a prayer or a dance. 230 00:21:18.839 --> 00:21:25.200 Or you go to some sort of mediator um a shaman, a priest, 231 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:32.039 someone that will help you, who connects between you and those heavenly places 232 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:37.640 these things that are disruptive. You pay him some money and he fixes things 233 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:48.000 for you. Man reconciles the relationship by appeasing Um the God. But what 234 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:53.039 the true Let me start again, But what true God? What true God? 235 00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:57.160 Could be appeased by these things? This is a question I want you 236 00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:07.400 to consider for a moment, what true God would be appeased by our offering 237 00:22:07.079 --> 00:22:15.359 of corn, or doing a dance, or praying, or paying some money 238 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:22.319 to someone, or buying an indulgence. What true God would be appeased by 239 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:26.960 this? Would say, Oh, okay, great, you paid five bucks 240 00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:32.519 or a thousand dollars or fifty thousand dollars or five million dollars, and now 241 00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:37.519 your sins are forgiven. What true God would do that? Certainly not the 242 00:22:37.640 --> 00:22:41.559 true God, not the God who has revealed in the Bible. For our 243 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:48.319 God, the one true God is the God who is perfectly righteous, who's 244 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:56.480 clothed in absolute perfection and holiness, God who is good in every way, 245 00:22:56.559 --> 00:23:03.920 and who cannot even come into contact um come into contact with sin, who 246 00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:10.680 sees sin and must judge it because he's perfectly holy. A lot of the 247 00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:15.440 gods of our imaginations, the gods and idols of this world, those false 248 00:23:15.480 --> 00:23:21.240 gods, they're not holy. It's why I think that the idea of offerings 249 00:23:21.240 --> 00:23:25.160 and these kind of things is appeasing them kind of makes sense because they're kind 250 00:23:25.160 --> 00:23:29.200 of like us, right. The gods, the false gods of this world 251 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:30.359 are so much like us that we think, well, yeah, of course 252 00:23:30.359 --> 00:23:34.240 they'll be happy with some money. Of course that we can buy them off 253 00:23:34.440 --> 00:23:37.759 or do this thing, and then that will sort of appease things and make 254 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:42.519 things right. But not so with God. When we read of God's judgment 255 00:23:42.599 --> 00:23:47.960 against sin, the way he sees things perfectly, the way he knows all 256 00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:52.960 things, the way he discerns even the thoughts and desires that are in us, 257 00:23:53.240 --> 00:24:00.519 the way that he upholds perfect integrity in all things. These revealed to 258 00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:04.079 us his goodness but also his justice, and they should cause us to fear 259 00:24:04.160 --> 00:24:10.160 him, to recognize that there's no appeasing the God of the universe, the 260 00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:14.359 God who made us and calls us to be like him, to be perfect 261 00:24:14.440 --> 00:24:22.920 like he is. The good news that has revealed to us here untied us 262 00:24:23.720 --> 00:24:27.400 is that we is the wake up call. First of all, that we 263 00:24:27.599 --> 00:24:33.519 cannot reconcile ourselves to God. We cannot offer anything, We cannot do anything 264 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:40.400 that fixes that relationship and fixes all the fallout that comes from that in our 265 00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:45.839 other relationships and with the world. The second part of the good news is 266 00:24:45.880 --> 00:24:51.480 that God does it for us. Although we cannot remove sin, we cannot 267 00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:55.599 remove our own guilt because we are the guilty ones. We are the ones 268 00:24:55.640 --> 00:25:00.200 who owe something. We are the ones who are in debt. God could 269 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:07.519 and did do it for us. Romans five ten says, while we were 270 00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:17.359 enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son. Not 271 00:25:17.480 --> 00:25:22.680 amazing. So how is it that we come to have the peace of God, 272 00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:30.599 reconciliation with God? Is it because we stopped being enemies and started doing 273 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:34.720 things that made him happy? That's not what he says, It's not what 274 00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:41.440 he did. The truth is, the glorious, gracious news is that while 275 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:49.680 we were still enemies, while we were still enemies, we were reconciled to 276 00:25:49.720 --> 00:25:56.400 God. How did that happen? How was it that sin was solved and 277 00:25:56.720 --> 00:26:03.440 forgiveness was given and peace was made when we were still fighting against him? 278 00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:11.880 He tells us, by the death of his son. And this reconciliation through 279 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:18.319 the death of his son is one way that describes Paul's fundamental message, the 280 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:23.759 core of his preaching, the reason that he endures and suffers and lives and 281 00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:32.240 hopes ultimately an eternal heavenly reward. Why does Paul do what he does? 282 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:34.640 And then he calls to tie us and he says, Listen, brother, 283 00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:41.200 listen, my true child in the faith. Follow my example in this endure. 284 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:47.839 Suffer, preach, teach, Let this message go out. Why does 285 00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:49.359 he do that? Why is he called tied us to do that? Why 286 00:26:49.400 --> 00:26:56.400 does he call the church to do this? Listen? Now Paul puts his 287 00:26:56.559 --> 00:27:02.440 understanding of these things in Second Corinthians eighteen. He says, all this is 288 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:07.599 from God, who through Christ was reconciling us to himself and gave us, 289 00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:15.839 speaking of the apostles and and ministers, he gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 290 00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:21.359 Let me read that again. All this is from God. Okay, 291 00:27:21.640 --> 00:27:25.079 start there. Remember the words that he said to tite us, a servant 292 00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:29.039 of God, an apostle of Christ, Jesus entrusted by the command of God. 293 00:27:29.160 --> 00:27:33.759 Right, that's all from God. All this is from God, who 294 00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:41.240 through Christ was reconciling us to himself and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation. 295 00:27:42.759 --> 00:27:48.440 He gives more explanation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling 296 00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:55.640 the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to 297 00:27:55.759 --> 00:28:00.559 us the message of reconciliation. You see what he's saying there. He says, 298 00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:04.480 okay, I'm explaining to you my call as an apostle. I'm explaining 299 00:28:04.519 --> 00:28:07.640 to you what it is I do and why I do it, and it's 300 00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:15.079 all from God. Two things. Number one, God has not counted their 301 00:28:15.079 --> 00:28:22.559 trespasses against them. God did this thing through his son, in which his 302 00:28:22.680 --> 00:28:27.799 wrath was appeased, his wrath was turned away. Righteousness is imputed to his 303 00:28:27.960 --> 00:28:33.599 people, and their trespasses are not counted against them. No more debts owed. 304 00:28:33.799 --> 00:28:37.960 You're free right. That's what God does through the cross. Number two, 305 00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:45.960 He then gives that word of reconciliation to the apostles. He entrusts them 306 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:52.720 with that word and says, go, go and preach this word. Teach 307 00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:57.519 this word, Suffer for this word, declare this word, endure all things 308 00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:04.480 for this word. And what this tells us is that when Paul and tite 309 00:29:04.519 --> 00:29:11.920 Us and any other any other um messenger of God, whether that be an 310 00:29:11.039 --> 00:29:15.920 ordained official minister, like a pastor or an elder, comes to us speaking 311 00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:19.880 to us the word of Christ, or whether like for Timothy, Paul talks 312 00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:25.160 about his mom and his grandma, Lowess and Unice, like we read in 313 00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:32.240 Deuteronomy six children teaching their parents, whether it's an unordained or ordained capacities. 314 00:29:32.519 --> 00:29:36.359 When that word comes to us, that word of grace comes to us, 315 00:29:37.799 --> 00:29:44.000 we should hear it and we should receive it, because grace is coming to 316 00:29:44.119 --> 00:29:48.079 us, Peace is coming to us. God has entrusted that work of the 317 00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:53.559 Cross. He put it in the package of a message, and he's delivering 318 00:29:53.599 --> 00:29:59.799 it to all the world. That's the message that Paul gives to tit Us. 319 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:03.920 He here when he says to this, says to his coworker, grace 320 00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:07.920 and peace to you. And that's the message that he wants tit Us to 321 00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:12.799 give to his people and these congregations on Crete. And it's the message of 322 00:30:12.839 --> 00:30:18.440 the Holy Spirit has put here in our bibles that we would hear as well, 323 00:30:18.839 --> 00:30:21.839 and not just in Titus, but in almost all of the letters of 324 00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:26.920 the New Testament, over and over and over again. This is the word 325 00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:32.720 of blessing that God is pronouncing in this world. And it's a work that 326 00:30:32.880 --> 00:30:40.440 happened before we believed, before messengers were even sent, before Paul went out. 327 00:30:40.440 --> 00:30:44.960 This is not his word, it's not tied US's word. It's God's 328 00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:49.640 word. It's God's work. That's what tied us as a minister, is 329 00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:55.960 going to have to stay absolutely connected to in his heart, in his mind, 330 00:30:56.359 --> 00:31:02.720 in his mission, always remembering that grace and peace of God comes to 331 00:31:02.839 --> 00:31:11.640 him from God, and we'll go out to his people from God. Christ's 332 00:31:11.839 --> 00:31:19.839 death lays the groundwork for peace and true peace, even a new world. 333 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:27.319 Listen to how Paul talks about this later in Titus chapter three, Versus three 334 00:31:27.319 --> 00:31:32.680 through seven. This gets to our need what I brought up earlier. Are 335 00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:37.200 we feel like these are things we don't need until we remember something a passage 336 00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:45.160 like this Titus three, verse three. For we ourselves, we're once foolish, 337 00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:53.119 disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our 338 00:31:53.240 --> 00:32:01.920 days in malice and envy, hated, excuse me, hated by others and 339 00:32:02.039 --> 00:32:07.839 hating one another. Does that sound like peace? It sounds terrible, and 340 00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:13.119 it is, and we all know what it's like. It's desruptive and it's 341 00:32:13.160 --> 00:32:20.039 awful, and it hurts us in our world in every way. But when 342 00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:24.359 the goodness and loving kindness of God, our savior, appeared, he saved 343 00:32:24.480 --> 00:32:30.759 us not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his 344 00:32:30.839 --> 00:32:37.480 own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit whom 345 00:32:37.559 --> 00:32:42.720 he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, so that 346 00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:49.039 being justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of 347 00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:54.400 eternal life. So it's it's truly amazing. And so when Paul says grace 348 00:32:54.480 --> 00:32:59.759 and peace to you, that's what he's talking about. It's not a throw 349 00:32:59.799 --> 00:33:04.279 a way phrase. It's not some little just you gotta start somehow, or 350 00:33:04.319 --> 00:33:10.480 here's a kind of religious thing that sounds Christian that gets things rolling. No, 351 00:33:12.559 --> 00:33:19.279 it is the declaration of God Almighty, who came into the world and 352 00:33:19.480 --> 00:33:28.319 did this thing, who became man and shown his glory through the life and 353 00:33:28.559 --> 00:33:36.200 death of Jesus Christ, who, as Paul testifies to here, is God 354 00:33:36.319 --> 00:33:40.079 himself. Notice what he says in verse three, he says, I have 355 00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:45.000 been entrusted by the command of God our Savior. Then notice what he says 356 00:33:45.079 --> 00:33:51.000 in verse four, Grace and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ, 357 00:33:51.960 --> 00:34:02.559 our Savior. He identifies the person Jesus of Nazareth as God. He is 358 00:34:04.119 --> 00:34:09.280 God the Savior, distinct as the Son of God, distinct from the Father, 359 00:34:09.679 --> 00:34:15.760 and yet perfectly one with him, so that when we trust Jesus, 360 00:34:15.880 --> 00:34:22.760 we trust not not just another man, but God, who became man and 361 00:34:22.840 --> 00:34:28.800 did this thing for us, one who came and gave his life so that 362 00:34:28.920 --> 00:34:34.440 we might live. So that's why Paul says in Second Arinthians five twenty, 363 00:34:34.480 --> 00:34:42.119 we are ambassadors for Christ. God making his appeal through us. He then 364 00:34:42.199 --> 00:34:45.119 says to the Corinthians, he almost is begging, depending on how you read 365 00:34:45.199 --> 00:34:52.559 it. He says, we implore you, on behalf of Christ be reconciled 366 00:34:52.719 --> 00:34:57.559 to God, or you could maybe translate it, let yourselves be reconciled. 367 00:34:58.679 --> 00:35:01.599 In other words, God is making this appeal. We are giving to you 368 00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:08.079 this message. We are telling you grace and peace for your whole life. 369 00:35:09.559 --> 00:35:15.000 All you have to do is receive it. Just take the gift, put 370 00:35:15.079 --> 00:35:20.880 your trust in it. That's all you have to do. We implore you, 371 00:35:21.119 --> 00:35:31.880 on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God. So I'll conclude by saying, 372 00:35:34.280 --> 00:35:39.280 don't believe the lies. Appreciate what is happening here. Every time you 373 00:35:39.360 --> 00:35:44.920 hear those words at the beginning of our service or something like them, or 374 00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:50.000 at the end of our service, to which concludes concludes in similar ways, 375 00:35:50.360 --> 00:35:57.679 be reminded that it's not me who's speaking to you, it's God, and 376 00:35:57.760 --> 00:36:02.559 not because of some now magical power and me, but because God has ordained 377 00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:09.000 to speak through human beings. Another amazing grace. In Jars of Cray, 378 00:36:09.239 --> 00:36:15.480 Clay Paul says, God has entrusted this ministry of reconciliation. And hear the 379 00:36:15.519 --> 00:36:22.920 word of the Lord. Hear him and trust him. Know his character, 380 00:36:22.280 --> 00:36:28.239 no his reputation, no his promises. And here that when he says to 381 00:36:28.360 --> 00:36:31.239 you, I come to you and I give to you grace and peace through 382 00:36:31.360 --> 00:36:37.159 Jesus Christ, you can just breathe a sigh of relief. Whatever your troubles 383 00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:40.880 are, whatever the difficulties are that you faced in the past week, or 384 00:36:40.920 --> 00:36:45.599 that you're afraid about in the week to come, you can hear those words 385 00:36:45.639 --> 00:36:51.480 and go, I'm in a good place. God is speaking to me grace 386 00:36:52.119 --> 00:37:00.119 and peace through Jesus Christ, my Savior. It's a piece that is fun 387 00:37:00.119 --> 00:37:02.800 the mental to who we are, and it's a grace and peace from which 388 00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:09.440 everything else that we do in our worship extends from. Yes we offer prayers 389 00:37:09.480 --> 00:37:15.199 to God, Yes we give him a sacrifice of praise we give our money, 390 00:37:15.239 --> 00:37:17.719 we give our time, we give our service. We give these things 391 00:37:17.760 --> 00:37:22.760 to God. But not because we're trying to reconcile ourselves to him, but 392 00:37:22.840 --> 00:37:32.840 because he's already reconciled himself to us. We worship him because he deserves all 393 00:37:32.880 --> 00:37:38.039 the glory and honor and praise, not only for creating us, but from 394 00:37:38.119 --> 00:37:45.760 saving us. And so we cannot believe the lies when Satan tempts us to 395 00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:50.920 despair and tells us of the guilt within. Upward, I look and see 396 00:37:51.000 --> 00:37:55.119 him there, who made an end to all my sin. We don't believe 397 00:37:55.880 --> 00:38:00.079 the lies we say. I know I'm not good enough to deserve these things. 398 00:38:00.800 --> 00:38:05.400 That's not the point. God didn't say I had to be good enough. 399 00:38:05.800 --> 00:38:09.800 He said received the gift of grace. He does really offer it, 400 00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:15.320 He is really willing. He just said it to me, and he says 401 00:38:15.320 --> 00:38:19.920 it to me over and over and over again, and boy do I need 402 00:38:19.920 --> 00:38:31.440 it. Let's pray, Lord, Jesus Christ, you are our savior. 403 00:38:32.719 --> 00:38:40.920 You have come into this world taking on a lowly form, being, taking 404 00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:50.280 on the form of a human being, being born in a lowly place, 405 00:38:51.199 --> 00:39:00.679 in a manger, among the poor of this world, and remain with the 406 00:39:00.719 --> 00:39:07.079 poor and the destitute, the sinful and the sick. They accused you of 407 00:39:07.159 --> 00:39:13.199 being a friend of sinners, and boy were they right. Thank you, 408 00:39:13.280 --> 00:39:19.360 Lord for being our friend. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for 409 00:39:19.480 --> 00:39:25.360 coming to us and forgiving our debts, for allowing us to live in peace 410 00:39:25.400 --> 00:39:30.880 with you and with one another in this world, even when it hates us, 411 00:39:30.719 --> 00:39:35.400 even when it persecutes us. You you put this strengthen us, a 412 00:39:35.519 --> 00:39:40.920 spirit in us that allows us to pray for the world, to love our 413 00:39:42.079 --> 00:39:49.039 enemies, to endure suffering and persecution for your name. What kind of peace 414 00:39:49.119 --> 00:39:59.280 is that? A piece that passes surpasses understanding, Lord Jesus, Thank you 415 00:39:59.320 --> 00:40:02.320 for loving us. Thank you for being the truth, and through your servants 416 00:40:02.480 --> 00:40:07.519 speaking the truth to us. Help each and every one of us here to 417 00:40:07.559 --> 00:40:14.800 be true speakers of your name. Let our confession in our works and in 418 00:40:14.840 --> 00:40:22.400 our and in our words befit and according to the truth that has been revealed 419 00:40:22.440 --> 00:40:24.840 to us, the truth that is in us, the work that you are 420 00:40:24.920 --> 00:40:32.280 doing. Lord. We ask that through us more of the world would see 421 00:40:32.719 --> 00:40:39.280 and know that you are our God. And we do pray Lord for those 422 00:40:39.960 --> 00:40:45.360 like us who need this grace. We pray for those who are suffering and 423 00:40:45.480 --> 00:40:52.239 sick, who need peace in their bodies and need a resurrection from the dead. 424 00:40:53.320 --> 00:40:58.639 Lord, we pray for those who struggle within their families, where there's 425 00:40:58.719 --> 00:41:05.400 tension and disunity, where there's fear and struggle and turmoil. We asked that 426 00:41:05.480 --> 00:41:10.840 you would bring healing and life, and that you would make it known that 427 00:41:10.920 --> 00:41:16.360 these things are from you. We pray that all of us, when we 428 00:41:16.440 --> 00:41:22.599 struggle and strive in this world that we are in, that we would look 429 00:41:22.639 --> 00:41:29.719 to you and to you alone for salvation, for you give it and you 430 00:41:29.840 --> 00:41:34.320 delight in giving it. Lord, help that we asked now that you would 431 00:41:34.320 --> 00:41:37.000 shine in our hearts and give to us the light of the knowledge of the 432 00:41:37.000 --> 00:41:43.639 glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We pray this in Jesus 433 00:41:43.719 --> 00:41:45.559 Name, our Savior. Amen.