Bible In A Year - Titus

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Father once again, we are privileged to be able to come before your throne and and beseech you in the name of Christ To help us this morning
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Lord to teach us that Our hearts might be searched
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Lord that you might see if there be any wicked way in us That you would lead us in the way everlasting
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That we would be corrected that we would be encouraged That we would be stirred up in the most holy faith that we'd be challenged by that which we hear
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Lord God so that that we would be the special people that you've called us to be that we would
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That would be more Christlike that we would be more effective in ministry and have a more powerful testimony as we
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Desire and strive to be the ambassadors that you've called us to be the ambassadors of Christ Help us
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Lord to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord and may this book be profitable to us
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May the study that we have Be brought back to our remembrance in future days as we we think of the calling of God upon our lives
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Which comes through the great gospel the good news Lord whereby you've changed us and you've made us your people we praise you and bless you and honor you in Jesus name
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Amen so as you can see on the sheets we are studying the book of Titus This morning another of the pastoral epistles, of course the
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Apostle Paul Was one who had a great burning desire for the gospel to go to the known world
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And of course God had put it upon his heart and God had so Gifted the the brother saved him, but also gifted him and Put a desire upon his heart for the gospel to be spread and one of the ways that Paul extended his ministry was
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By sending letters he would he would send them to places that he could not go or places that he had been to to Reiterate what he had taught when he was there to correct issues
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That had taken place that he had heard of after he had left and the gospel had gone there and the church had been established
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But not only by sending letters did he extend his ministry, but the Apostle also extended his ministry by sending people
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Titus was one of Paul's trusted messengers one of his faithful workers now, there's a little bit of a difference between Timothy and Titus as we saw last time when we looked at Timothy Do you remember that Paul had to encourage
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Timothy to stir up the gift? to kind of get it in gear to kind of Think about what it was that he was all about and not be afraid not be timid
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Not be reserved and not hold back and sometimes you have you have people in ministry that need to to need to be encouraged
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Titus is not like that Titus is a faithful man of God. You'll notice in this book if you read this book that there there are no
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Encouragements like that to him to stir it up almost in the just the opposite the Apostle Paul has somebody who is fired up and ready to go one who is is serving one who is
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Solid a man of God godly man, and he just needs a little bit of direction He just needs to just to be reminded a little bit about what it's all about and give the the charges and the commands so Titus a little bit different than than Timothy, but he nonetheless
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Paul used men like Timothy and Men like Titus to help him in carrying out the ministry even when
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When when Paul was in prison, of course, he used men like this and he used letters to have an effective ministry
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Paul In this letter focuses On Timothy's role as leader as pastor of the church which is at Crete and Crete is an island that is just southeast of Greece and Paul had through his ministry
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Come to the place and wanted to leave Titus there so that he could minister so that he could
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Set the church in order you notice in chapter 1 and in verse 5 We say we see where Paul writes for this cause
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I left you in Crete that you Should set in order the things that are wanting or lacking and ordain elders in every city as I had
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Appointed thee so this brief letter focuses on Timothy's roles Timothy Timothy's Responsibilities and organizing the church maintaining the church supervising the church guiding the church ruling over the church
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Just making sure that things are done decently and in order To and Paul does it of course to strengthen
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Titus to strengthen the church to exhort Timothy to Titus and to exhort the church and He he wants to make sure that Titus Exercises his authority as an
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Apostolic representative because he's there placed by notice in that verse Paul left
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Titus there he was Paul's representative and he wanted to make sure that he exercised that That role that he has as isn't as a representative of the
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Apostle Paul in to put things in order The book was written about 62 to 64 AD and you'll notice in the background and settings section
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That there are other instances in Scripture where Titus was with the
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Apostle Paul and reading Galatians chapter 2 you will see that when Paul went to Jerusalem at the council to Refudiate what the
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Judaizers wanted to do to add legalism to Those the Gentiles the whole the whole problem was that what do we do with the
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Gentiles the Gentiles are being saved? And how much what is it that they need to do to practice?
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And the Judaizers are saying they must believe in Christ and they must follow the law they must follow the law of Moses and and They were pressing upon them legalism and the in in Paul went there
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With and of course James was very instrumental there to show that no
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It was by grace and grace alone, and they only gave few instances of what they what the Gentiles should do
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But it's it's pretty apparent that Titus is mentioned in grace Although he's not mentioned in the book of Acts chapter 15 where that council was he is mentioned in Galatians chapter 2 verses 1 through 5
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As having accompanied the Apostle Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem at that time, so he's there at Jerusalem We see in other places that he was there in Corinth Helping out and here in Crete, so he's a he's a man that is
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Proven he's a man that is mature He's a man that is godly Titus is a
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Greek saved by the Gospel that the Apostle Paul preached and you notice again like Timothy In chapter 1 in verse 4 to Titus as Paul's right in this book to Titus my own son
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After the common faith grace mercy and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus and the
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Lord Jesus Christ our Savior so Paul was instrumental used of God to preach the gospel to To win
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Titus to Christ. He was his spiritual father in and in this not only was he his
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Spiritual father and he came to see Titus as as his son in the faith
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But Timothy after all of these after all I mean Titus after all of these different instances of ministering with the
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Apostle Paul He became Paul considered Titus to be a brother we see that in 2nd
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Corinthians chapter 2 he's called him my partner and fellow worker 2nd Corinthians 8 and Here a true son or or my own son after the common faith in Titus chapter 1 in verse 4
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Later as we have I've already introduced Titus ministered for a while With Paul on the island of Crete and he was left behind to continue on with the work
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It was the Apostle Paul's desire that the work continue there in much the same way when
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Paul left Timothy at Ephesus to be the bishop or to be the elder to be the pastor of the of the church there
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At the end of this book it is indicated that The Apostle Paul had intended at the end of the book.
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You'll see in chapter 3 in verse 12 He says when I shall send Artemis unto the
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Antiochus Be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis for I have determined there to stay there for the winter and Paul Wanted to relieve
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Titus of the ministry in Crete Join him in in Nicopolis Which was the
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Grecian province of a ki for winter months? and Paul informed
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Titus of his upcoming plans and offered him direction For his ministry in Crete throughout this whole book
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There's there's of course no indication that that took place as far as him being able to to meet up with him because We know that from the previous book that the
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Apostles Paul's life had come to an end through When he had said those words that we that we were encouraged by last time where he said
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I have fought a good fight I have finished my course or finished my race. I have kept the faith
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I'm not going to really go into too much more. You can see that there are Other notes that I put as far as summaries of different portions of the book under miscellaneous notes a very quick overview a couple of good keywords for in the
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Greek with their definitions and particularly on the second page on this Backside up to up the top
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Christ in the book of Titus The deity of Christ is strongly maintained by the book of Titus and of course we see that If you'll turn with me to chapter 2 you'll notice
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That the Word of God tells us in Verses 11 through 13.
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There's this I this teaching of the grace of God coming And how it teaches us it teaches us how we ought to live
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How believers ought to live and one of the characteristics of a child of God is to look for the fulfillment of the second coming of Christ and to Anticipate that to long for that to desire for Jesus to come and he says looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of The great
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God and our Savior Jesus Christ and undeniably that is a declaration that Jesus Christ is
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God Here it says that if we're looking for the great God to come our
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Lord Jesus Christ to come the one who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and Purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works
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Yes, Lou is here this morning. So I thought I'd encourage you again in this book. You have the theme of things
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It is in chapter 1 and verse 5 We see Paul said
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I have left you at Crete that you should set in order the things that are lacking in Chapter 2 and verse 1 but speak thou the things which become sound doctrine verse 3 about the aged women that they should be
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Behavior that becomes holiness and so on with the list a teachers of good things for the young men in verse 7 in all things showing yourself a pattern of good works
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We see it also in verse 10 chapter 2 in verse 10 not pilfering but showing all good
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Fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things and so on I won't read all the others.
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Let me think I think the last oh, yes verse 15 of chapter 2 and also a couple of times you see it in verse 8 of Chapter 3.
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So what was this book? What is this book? What is the thrust of it about? Yes, it is about It is about Setting things in order and making sure that the church is organized and and Paul encouraging
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Titus and teaching and instructing and commanding and giving him
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Some pointers of what ought to take place in the church and in this book. We also see in chapter 1 of course
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Paul had Set Timothy set Titus there as the the bishop the elder the pastor there the ruler
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The overseer of the church there and gives a great outlining of the qualifications of the minister or of the one who would be a ruler and of course they begin in in Chapter 1 in verse 6 says if any man be blameless the husband of one wife having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly for the bishop must be blameless a
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Steward of God a Manager of the things of God dealing with the management of the things of God not not self -willed not soon angry
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Not given to wine not a not a striker. Not one who is Quarrelsome not one who is
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Ready for a fight all the time one one who is combative That's not the it's it's okay to fight for the faith to contend for the faith
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But it's different if in your in your spirit and in your attitude You're one that's always looking to bring out the club and always willing to always wanting
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To be combative or to quarrel with people in a in a negative way in a way that is ineffective and unprofitable
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Shouldn't be that have that type of attitude not given in the
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King James to filthy lucre or eager to get base gain eager for money not not to have that characteristic, but a lover of Hospitality a lover of good men sober just holy
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Temperate holding fast the faithful worthy as he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and To convince the gainsayers or to refute those who would contradict the dispute those who would dispute or contradict truth
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They'll be able to refute that truth and to convince of the truth Because he says there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcisions whose mouths
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Must be stopped Who subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not for again sordid gain for filthy?
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lucre's sake and there is this warning to the Titus that there are those that have the wrong motive
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There are those that want to tear down there are those that are just seeking it for themselves because of greed because of envy being false teachers and leading people astray and he's saying watch out for them and you're going to refute them what they say and stand in the gap stand firm and Titus is a soldier
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Titus is one who is strong Titus as I said before is a mature believer and The Apostle leaves him there and one of the things that he wants him to do is to ensure that the church understands
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That in the day in which they live with these false teachers and with the immorality and with the pagan heathenism that's around them the idolatry and the the false worship and The out -of -control society at the in the day that he's living in he wants
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To make sure and he encourages in the teaching as he sends this letter to Titus that He instructs the church that in all that they do and All the ministry that they get involved in one of the things that they need to be careful to maintain in their lives is godliness and he begins that right off from the very beginning in the first verse where he says
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Paul a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God's elect and acknowledging the truth, which is after godliness the
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Apostles desire is is as he says to Titus look you got to take care of the church while you're there on the island of Crete Make sure that things stay in order
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Make sure things are maintained and one of the things and I'll let you know what it is before Before the end of the class
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I'll give it to you here in case if you're taking notes another theme That runs through this book and I mentioned it in the miscellaneous notes
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Is that one of the things that they needed to maintain and you need to make sure that as believers that they did?
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Was that they maintain good works? Good works not to be saved
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But as a fruit of as a result of salvation produces good works in the lives of believers and we see this in chapter 2 notice verse 7
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Where he is instructing and he's and he says in all things showing thyself a pattern of good works in doctrine showing uncorruptness gravity or sincerity or your
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Translation might say incorruptness or reverence and integrity But One of the things he says here is is that you need to show yourself a pattern of good works
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Titus? Needed to exemplify the moral and spiritual qualities that he was going to admonish the church to do
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He had to do it himself. He would not I mean, that's I mean we do that as Supervisors or managers even in the workforce
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One thing I've always learned is is that don't only ask my people to do something. I'm not willing to do myself and Of course in the that's just the earthly realm.
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But what about the spiritual realm? What about ministry? What about living the Christian life? if if the leaders ask the the
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The congregation to do something that they're not willing to do themselves. What is that? Well, it's hypocrisy right?
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It's what we can say Lucas Hypocrisy just didn't come through that frog in the throat there
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Hypocrisy not going to do what we asking others others to do in Paul Paul admonishes him.
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He says these things Everything that I've that I've laid out here before and we're going to get back to those
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Make sure you show yourself a pattern of good works that you keep laboring that you keep working notice one of the other examples in in verse 14
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I I read this verse speaking of Christ he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar or special people who are zealous of Good works and the word zealous means desirous having
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Having a warmth for or a feeling for that's what the Greek word means a warmth for or feeling towards or a desire for So it's something that we as believers since Christ has saved us ought to have a desire for is
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To labor for him. We've born it been ordained To good works Ephesians 2 10 tells us that it is a it is something that is going to be borne out in the life of A believer that through the good work of the gospel
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Through the good work of our Lord Jesus Christ upon us the Spirit of God Regenerating us and giving us new life in Christ that we are going to be a people who desire
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To labor for the master notice in chapter 3 verse 1 put them in mind to be subject to principalities
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To powers to obey magistrates to be ready to every good work
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Not only not only is it ought to be evident in our life and not only should we be desirous of it
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But we should be ready to do good works and that means that we should have a preparedness about us
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We prepare in our homes if someone's coming over We we stock the shelves don't we or we go out to the store to buy something?
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To feed them at least when they come so that we'll have a meal that is ready for them or we will wash the sheets and get the bed ready or or Vacuum or or dust the room just to make things ready for the visitors that we're we're going to bring in and when it comes to ministry
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We ought to be prepared for that We ought to have an attitude about us that God could use me and God could use you at any moment to be a spokesperson for the gospel to be a witness for Christ and And be looking remember we were talking about when it
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When it comes to being kind Looking for opportunities to be kind and looking and be preparing ourselves and being prepared
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For every good work not to be caught off guard, but I know that pastor
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Mike Says that sometimes for particularly for the for the elders be
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Be ready to preach or to pray at any and at any moment and to die for Christ to be ready at any moment to Either of those three things and all of us as believers
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I mean think of the opportunities that come our way and Sometimes we're kind of caught off guard aren't we and we lose an opportunity because we weren't ready
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We weren't prepared we weren't in the mindset to be ready to do and labor for Christ chapter 3 in verse 8
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This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God That's us right they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and Profitable unto men and in this verse it talks to us and says to us that we should be careful to maintain
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It what that is is that again is a preparedness it deals with that and a desiring
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It kind of brings that thought in but the idea to be careful to maintain good works means to exercise thought
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To give it some thought when it comes to laboring for Christ and of course when we think about and want to be careful for and and Be anxious about it actually just be be ready to roll when it comes to serving
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Christ thinking about his glory Thinking about what we can do to benefit somebody else
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Being careful to to put some thought in it to see how and how we might better excel when it comes to laboring for the
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Lord When it came to salvation Was it perfect and complete?
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Certainly was I saw a few heads nod when Jesus died upon the cross. He said It is half done right no it is finished.
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It is all done remember last couple of weeks ago I I said one of the I think was at the communion table
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One of the hymns that I said, I'm glad we don't sing is Calvary covers Three -quarters no it's
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Calvary covers at all and Jesus washed away all of our sins It was a salvation full and free and complete he saves us from the gutter most to the uttermost completely saves us and And gave of his all for us
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No scraps No leftovers, but as it said in 214
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Jesus gave himself for us That he might redeem us or that he might
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Buy us back out of the slave market of sin through a ransom price the price of his precious blood
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And he and he gave it all there was a complete sacrifice And we can't give him scraps back
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We ought not to give scraps back when it comes to to ministry, and I I believe that's the thought here
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We need to give an exercise some thought what I'm doing what I'm going to do. I'm gonna do it for Christ When I teach that Sunday school class,
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I'm gonna do it for the glory of Christ Yes for the betterment of God's people for the edification of the body, but first and foremost.
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I'm doing this for Christ when Paul wrote the church at Ephesus You remember
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You remember these words? No, it's not
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Ephesus. It was Colossians Colossians 3 verse 23 whatever you do and whatever whatsoever you do
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Do it Do it shabbily
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Do it half -heartedly No, and whatsoever you do
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Do it heartily and that word means do it from the soul do it
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With your whole being do it with your whole volition your mind your will your emotions
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Completely engaged do it with all your heart or wholeheartedly as to the
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Lord not unto men Knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance
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For you serve the Lord Christ and we have a great privilege We have been called of God not only called unto salvation and called to be his very own
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But when he called us he could have taken us straight to heaven, right? It could have been I mean with that would be a different form of salvation you believe
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In heaven, but that's not what God did He left us here upon the earth to be ambassadors to be servants of the
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Lord And when we serve we should be careful. I mean When it when it comes to the things of this life,
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I mean, we're pretty careful We exercise thought right when it comes like I said to when someone's coming over our house.
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We give some thought to that We don't just put some, you know breadcrumbs on the table and a glass of water
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We we give some thought about the things that we care about and the people that we care about When it comes to education some of you are or look working on a on a college degree or or anybody in school?
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I mean you give some thought to do your homework and to do the assignments because you want to do well Because you want to honor the
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Lord when you're when you're doing that a wife Keeping her home a husband going on his job children serving in the home for with their parents
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We we think about and give some thought to it and the Apostle Paul is using that same type of thing when it comes to Goodworks Give it some thought and then lastly in verse 14 chapter 3 verse 14.
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He says and let ours also learn To maintain good works for necessary uses that they be not unproper unfruitful
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And what he says here is that this is part of the learning process as a disciple as a follower of Jesus Christ One of the things that we need to learn is that we need to learn to maintain to keep it up To keep on keeping on to keep rowing the oar
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Sometimes we can get tired in the work But not tired of the work because is it is it is by the
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Lord's grace and is by the Lord's strength that we're able to go day by day living and serving for Christ and one of the things one of the things that That I I heard at a
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Shepherd's conference was the idea of those songs that you that we sing about getting on a boat and Rowing towards the shore of heaven and every roar every row every pull gets us one pull closer
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One day closer, but we ought not to give up not quit not throw in the towel
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No matter how difficult it gets and we need to learn to maintain good works in our lives It's necessary for other people.
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It's profitable for them who else is going to be the light that shines in this dark world and men should see our good works and Glorify our
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Father who is in heaven and as we are laboring for the master from the dawn till setting
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Sun Let's not forget that it is something that that we learn and we in order to learn it
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It needs to be taught then to write people need to be taught what it means to serve Christ and to do good works
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Okay, but now what I want to do is I would like to kind of revisit this idea that the
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Apostle Paul had Had instruction coming to Titus that he wanted he wanted the church at Crete to be to be one that To be one that was a godly church
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To be one that was in synonyms for godliness Would be Christ likeness would be holiness and I would like to focus a little bit on this as As Paul deals with this in chapter 2 as he gives specific instructions to specific ages of Folks categories and ages of folks telling them how it is that they ought to live
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And we're going to see that this is what the gospel teaches. This is what the gospel brings to a person's life
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This is what the grace of God Affects the change in the life of the sinner as they become a saint and following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ Notice what he says in verse in chapter 2.
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He says but speak thou the things which become sound doctrine Give them healthy doctrine give them and it is
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God's truth that produces Spiritual well -being it's the only thing it is the only thing that can
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God's Word God's truth He starts with the aged men and he says to them That they be sober that they be grave or reverent and that word means to be honorable to be dignified and That they be temperate that they be sound in the faith and in charity and in patience
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So it begins the teaching here that that the old men not that when you get older You can just kind of coast and it's all over.
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You know, you've you've pulled your war enough You know, it's time to take a vacation. It's time to retire from Christianity.
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No and in the age bracket here Could possibly be 60 and above is what this is dealing with the aged men
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Keep toe in the line keep standing in the gap and Maintain character
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Have a godliness about you then he goes into the with the aged women likewise That they be in behavior as becomes holiness
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Well if the woman are encouraged to be holy, of course The men are encouraged to be holy holiness ought to be the mark upon those who would follow
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Jesus Christ You want to see a very challenging a very sobering a very serious verse
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Hold your place here and turn to Hebrews just a few books to the right Hebrews chapter 12
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Hebrews chapter 12 And here is a here is an admonition that comes to us
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An exhortation for conduct from the writer of Hebrews for all believers
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Hebrews 12 14 follow peace With all men so first and foremost and we could see that we understand that the blessing of the peacemakers
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We ought to be those that that Try to be and live at peace with as much as possible live at peace
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It says in Romans chapter 12 with all men, but notice it not only to follow peace with all men but also and holiness
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Without which no man shall see the Lord That tells me that there are no unholy people people who lived an unholy lifestyle an
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Ungodly lifestyle a lifestyle which is opposed to that which the scriptural commands lay out to us to To strive against sin to live in a pure way with our thought
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With our word and with our deed no holy people who practiced unholiness or practice wickedness or evil
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Shall enter into the kingdom of God and of course that's borne out in Scripture like 1st Corinthians 6 in verse 9
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Where Paul's talking to the church at Corinth because they are living a life as carnal
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They're living as they should not be living and he is admonishing them to change their ways to repent and when he what he says
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There he says don't you know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God be not deceived
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And he lists this whole list neither fornicators nor adulterers nor adulterers nor effeminate or abuses themselves with mankind or thieves nor Covetous nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.
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They're not saved They're not going to heaven and what the Apostle what the writer here is saying that when it comes
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When it comes to the people one of the marks of the people who will step foot in heaven and it is by the work
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Of God it is by the transforming power of the grace of God the great the gospel the good news
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God works in us to make us willing to do his will and to live a life that is completely different than what we lived
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In the past, but the people of God Become a holy people remember Peter's admonition 1st
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Peter 1 chapter 15 and 16 But as he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all your manner of conversation
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Or in your behavior in every manner of your behavior and every piece of our conduct.
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We are to be holy We live in an unholy world don't we I mean it is sometimes so grieving and discouraging
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All you have to do is go out in public and you will hear things That that are just so So defaming to God so blasphemous
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Taking the name of the Lord in vain and the things that people will do I mean I I hear people at work at times not particularly at this job where I'm at but and on other jobs
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Where I was that that people would connive on how they're going to defraud
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How they're going to pilfer Steal from the company and doing it blatantly and openly and the people of God Are to be believers us are to live differently
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Live above the world live above reproach not to do anything to bring
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To bring anything any reproach upon the name of Christ Friday night at the home group. We were studying 1st
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Corinthians 6 And one of the things that the Corinthian Church was doing was They were taking the disputes that they had in the church before heathen judges before heathen
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Magistrates they were taking their matters before the lost courts
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What they were doing was is they were taking their dirty laundry opening up What was going on in the church and bringing it before the unrighteous the ungodly and Paul said?
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He says don't you know? That one day you're going to judge angels or rule over angels and rule over the world.
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You don't understand your rank You don't understand who you are and what you're doing is absolutely wrong
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And it is a poor blotch and a testimony a poor testimony against the name of Christ You're Christians and you're to be
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Christlike and we have here in in in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 14
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This condition that those that will enter heaven will be people who God has worked holiness in their lives
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Go back to with me to to Titus chapter 2. I'll just try to rip through some of these verses here.
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We talked about The aged men the aged women a behavior that becomes holiness not false accusers in the middle of verse 3 not given to much wine
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Teachers of good things boy, there's a lot of teaching going on in the world and and Much of it not good teaching people how to how to I mean just think about when you
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It just kind of blows my mind sometimes I don't know if that's a great word or a great way to phrase it or whatever But I I read the news and they give all the details on how to build bombs or something
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You know and and how to commit these crimes and it's and it's on the internet teach I mean it reminds me of Proverbs chapter.
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I think it's in chapter 6 where it talks about teaching with their fingers You know just how to how to manipulate and how to do those things which are wrong just to corrupt people
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But women are to teach good things Notice what they're supposed to teach in verse 4 that they may teach the young woman to be sober to love their husbands
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To love their children if you're gonna you have women teaching the older women teaching younger
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These are the things that that ought to be constant Concentrated on to love their husbands to love their children to to be discreet
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To be chaste or to be pure to be keepers at home
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This is this is to be workers at home to be keeping a godly home for their husband and for for their
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Children and for the Christian woman, this is a non -negotiable. I mean, this is what God commands in his Word to be good to be obedient to their husbands not not just kind of giving it lip service, but to to obey them like as Sarah I mean we don't do it today, but Sarah called
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Abraham Lord. She she she obeyed what he what he has said I remember I I may have shared this with you once I was that working at the
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Norton company or st. Cobain company in Worcester talking about in a wedding that I was going to be doing and Someone said ask the question
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Oh, you're not gonna say that phrase to the work the wife that she's supposed to obey her husband
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Are you and of course as a believer? What do you do you say? Yes, because that's what the Word of God says
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I mean, I don't argue with what what God says the husband loves the wife and the and the wife Submits and follows her husband.
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So these are the things that that ought to be taught For this reason to be obedient to the husband's
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Why is it that these things ought to be taught and why is it that they ought to be practiced that the
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Word of God? be not blasphemed is not blaspheme the goal of Godly living in the church is to eliminate any reproach upon the
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Word of God Because what do we say who do we say we are we are Christians and we are people of the book
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We say we own the Bible God has given it to us and we say we're going to practice the Bible We're going to live the
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Bible and then if our life contradicts what the Bible says it is a reproach It is a poor testimony and Paul says to Titus make sure you teach these things throughout the it's not just for one
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Segment of the church the aged men the aged women the young the the young women are taught notice verse 6
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Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded exhort them to be sensible and then in all things show yourself a pattern of good works
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And doctrine showing incorruptness gravity sincerity sound speech that can't be condemned
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Notice how it deals with thought it deals with proper speech it deals with behavior
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It deals with how you spend your time. We're seeing that on all of these all of these admonitions
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And what for what reason that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed having no evil thing
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To say of you I was encouraging someone just recently a young person at the company that I work with working in a difficult situation with where the the supervisors the bosses don't treat the people they kind of they kind of look down upon the employees in their group kind of treat them like babies even though they're they're older and And they're just really ogres when it comes to just it's just not a good good place to work
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And it's difficult and my encouragement To a couple of them in that area was look
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Make sure that you don't give them any excuse To give you a poor performance rating go over and above if they ask you to do two widgets do 10
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You know whatever just may put a smile on their face Even though even though it is as difficult as it might be because And Paul is saying the same thing to Titus here for the church say make sure that you live in such a way
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That nobody will be able to to bring anything out of the closet It's kind of like Daniel you remember in Daniel chapter 6 when they were trying to they the other leaders
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I mean they despised him and they wanted they wanted him not to be in the favor of the king and so they scoured the land
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To try to find some skeletons in Daniel's closet, and there was nothing they could accuse him of absolutely nothing
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He hadn't he hadn't received a bribe He hadn't shirked his responsibilities He was impeccable in his character his integrity he was one integrity the idea of that word means complete
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It means wholeness it means one. You know you're not a if the word is right it probably isn't and you can scratch it from the tape do like duplicitous a double -minded person or a split personality type person you you kind of But you're whole that's what integrity is you you?
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You are complete in mind will and emotions when it comes to serving the Lord And there is and there is nothing that people can do here
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Even even when it comes to the qualification of the bishop a blameless person having nothing
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Whereby you can be accused and then he goes into in chapter 2 verse 9 Dealing with servants or we can apply that to employees.
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What are they to be they are to be obedient? I kind of touched on that already But I believe that every
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Christian employee at a job should seek to please their boss while they're there
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Do whatever they can whatever is asked of the member John MacArthur's Encouragement I think to young people at at Shepherds conference.
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I think that we heard this He was given a commencement or no it was Steve Lawson wasn't it I think
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Steve Lawson he was quoting MacArthur at a commencement at one of the colleges
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He said what my encouragement to you is to go to work and be there on time
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And then secondly do everything they ask you and do it with a good attitude And what's difficult about that?
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but you know I Can I can remember? And I and I strive to do that on my job
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And I hope you as a believer strive to do that to to to do do everything you do To the glory of God and do it with excellence and do it with a good attitude and be obedient to your masters
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Whether and it says and to please them well in all things not answering again
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Not not talking back not not talking behind the boss's back when he's not there.
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I mean that's dishonorable That's that's not right. It's unrighteous. It's unholy and you see even in the little matters
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The instruction is coming be holy Be godly be
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Christ like and to think about how can I be Christ like well read the Gospels? How did Jesus behave?
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How did Jesus act when when people? were Rejecting him and they were accusing him.
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What was he doing was he throwing it back answering evil for evil of course not But he was he was going through all that he did to please his father
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And he would not answer back And he would not and he did not and all that he did do anything that would bring bring a blotch upon his father's name
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And we shouldn't either even on the job. Don't pilfer verse 10. Don't embezzle. Don't steal
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But show yourself all in all good fidelity or loyal be a loyal employee that they may
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Says that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things and that word adorn is the
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Greek word Cosmeo we get the word cosmetics And it has it has the idea of to put in order
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Cosmetics Some of us it takes a little bit longer to put things in order
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Some of us we need a little bit more help But you know you get the idea of it to to in the in the idea is here
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Is that a virtuous life makes gospel doctrine attractive? and it ought to Virtuous living ought to make the teaching of the fact that God saves sinners very attractive
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And that's what we're should what we should be all about now here some great verses, which we'll finish up on Verse 11 to 11.
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Oh, I just love these verses for the grace of God that brings salvation Has appeared to all men teaching us something the grace of God the grace that brings salvation
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The favor of God that comes to us Does not teach us To maintain the old lifestyle that was the problem at Corinth, right?
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They were just living the way that they they were before they were saved and Paul was saying your carnal I can't give you milk meat yet because you're still on the bottle.
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You're still in your diapers you you've got to grow up you've got to mature you got to repent of your sin and turn and And learn to the ways to exercise yourself to godliness and the grace of God teaches us these things to deny ungodliness
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What that means is the God's grace teaches us to say no to anything
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That is ungodly Whatever it whatever it is that comes our way and we know it's the ungodly thoughts of this world the love of this world
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The love of the things of this world the love of the pride of life the world's language the world's standards any
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Any indifference to God we should say no to any form of idolatry
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Anything that would get in the way of our hearts purest love for Christ. We should say no to that any type of Swearing or taking the name of the
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Lord and God God in vain and even using as one time I remember I read an article, you know minced oaths
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Somebody wrote on just words that if you even look them up in the in the dictionary They have to do with taking
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God's name in vain like the words gosh and golly Those types of words be careful when you use those words
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Because they're just substitutes for the real thing, which is the bad thing, which is the things that we should be running away from or The grace of God teaches us not to do these things
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Dishonoring authority is something that we should say no to murder any type of sexual or moral sins
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Stealing lying dishonesty fraud covetousness envy jealousy We should say no to ungodliness and worldly lusts and that we should live soberly notice the punch here
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Do you see the constant thrust for this church? I?
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Mean the Cretan culture was wicked in a moral I mean to be Cretan or to be criticized it was it was like it was a
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Synonym for ungodliness and for wickedness and for immorality and in the in the in the
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Island that they lived in and they were to live differently and God's grace Teaches us to be godly
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Sober in this present world It's it teaches us to be pure It teaches us it is
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The gospel here's a way another way to put it The gospel calls the follower of Christ to self -denial and godliness in this present dark world
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The gospel calls us to be different. I mean if you you consider what the gospel did for us in chapter 3 it says that We ourselves were sometimes three three foolish sometimes
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Disobedient deceived serving many lusts pleasures living in malice envy hate fit hating one another
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This is what our life was like before Christ But verse 4 after that the kindness and love of God our
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Savior toward man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to God's mercy
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He saved us and he washed by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the
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Holy Ghost and when it comes to this washing When it comes to this renewing or this being born again this new birth wrought by the
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Spirit of God in a renewing above the Holy Holy Spirit a renovation of our of our soul and of our mind it cannot end up in anything but a changed life a
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Holy life a pure life in a godly life and back in chapter 2
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God's grace teaches us that It teaches us to live differently than we did before live opposite from the world
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Looking for that blessed. Hope looking for the second appearing of Christ in verse 14. He's the one who gave himself for us to purify us from all to he redeemed us from all iniquity and purified under himself a special people zealous of good works,
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I Think I'll just finish on this on the note here that word special has the idea of being
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Beyond the usual or it has to do with being one's own possession and out of the millions
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As by way of illustration by out of all the millions of the women upon the face of the earth
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I only have one that is special to me my wife Deb and she's peculiar.
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She is special for me and This idea of us being the special people of God.
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It's by virtue of God's decree It's confirmed by the grace of salvation
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Which we have embraced that we are the special people of God who have been transformed by the grace of God through the powerful working of the gospel upon our hearts and And we become a people who are different and that's the whole idea of this get the church in order
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Titus And and press upon them the idea to be the the fact that we are to be godly
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Christlike and set apart because we are a transformed people
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One last very quick illustration. I just thought about this when I was younger probably 10 or 11 my mom for Christmas bought me a boat and it was it was a
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It was kind of like just a regular. It was a plastic boat about this long and it was
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What are the ships that just carry the containers like a container ship just for cargo like a cargo vessel
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Cargo boat. There you go. Yeah, it was one of those and you can push a button and it would go across the floor Will you push another button and the thing opened up and I'll pop these missiles and depth charges and the boat was transformed
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It was the coolest toy. I wish I had it today It's one of those ones, you know, you just wish to hung on to and that and I was just thinking about that idea
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That's the church. That's the people we're transformed We're totally different than than what we were before By the operation of God upon our soul and blessed be the name of the
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Lord Let's strive to be a people who live godly in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation
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And be encouraged to do so for the glory of the Lord. Let's pray Thank you father for the again another time that we spent together and thank you for this great book
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How it encourages us to see how you use the Apostle to write this letter
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To encourage this dear brother who was on this island serving with all of his heart
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For the glory of Christ for the Gospels spreading in advancement in this area for the building up of the church
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And thank you for the admonition you give to the churches and give to us today for BBC that we can be encouraged to be a people that are godly and Christlike so that we can be a better and effective witness a
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Gospel witness in the day in which we live we pray we'd be fruitful and all that we do Lord Please give us souls as we evangelize
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May you win them for the glory of Christ we pray and bring them into the church to be strengthened in Jesus name.