← ArchiveSunday, March 4, 2018DateMarch 4, 2018Speaker—Text—Passages in this sermonExodus 140:41Titus 1:161:04Matthew 72:06Titus 23:13TranscriptMachine transcribed. Click any line to jump there.0:00Welcome to part two of our series Entitius Out of Order. I see no more beautiful way to begin this sermon than to see parents who are dedicating a child into the Lord.0:29Saying we want our family to be in right order. And the verse they chose for Paul, which we didn't share earlier, I want to share now, is Exodus 14, 14. Which says the Lord will fight for you. That our life should match our confession. That our life should match our confession.0:58You say, Pastor, where do you find that? I'm glad you asked. Look at Titus chapter 1, verse 16. Now I know what you're thinking. Well, we're going to be in chapter 2 today. Well, let's back up very quickly and look at chapter 1, verse 16. Paul's writing to Titus, a pastor, on a beautiful island with difficult people. He says this, So very simply as we look at putting things in right order today in our lives, I want to leave you as two general truths as we dive into the Word of God.1:26First, do your deeds match your declaration? Do your deeds, does your lifestyle match what you say?1:53Right? So do my hands match what is coming out of my mouth? See the visual there? We say, Lord, Lord. Matthew 7. But Jesus says, There will be many who say to me, Lord, Lord, but I will say to them, depart from me because I never knew you. You see, our obedience, the Christian life is first and foremost, a clear expression of the will of God.2:19So do your deeds match your declaration? Do your deeds match your declaration? Second, because of the grace of Jesus Christ, not only do my deeds match my declaration, but now I have to have a new mentality. Because of Christ, I can no longer think me, but I must think us. And to the Westerner, to the American, this confronts us with a major issue.2:45Because we are taught, we are born, we are bred to think me. And in Christ, we no longer think that. We have to think us. So the two truths that will guide us today. Do your deeds match your declaration? Secondly, think us, not me. And with that, let's look at Titus chapter 2, beginning in verse 1.3:13But you, but you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching or doctrine. Older men, it's about to get real. Older men. Now, I'm going to define that for you later. Don't worry. Be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance. In the same way, older women, be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking.3:41They are to teach what is good. Why? So that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children. To be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God's word will not be slandered.4:02In the same way, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything, make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching. Your message is to be sound beyond reproach, so that any opponent will be ashamed because he does not have anything bad to say about us.4:23Slaves are to submit to their masters in everything and are to be well-pleasing and not back-talking or stealing, but demonstrating utter faithfulness so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior in everything. Wow. Let's pray.4:53Let's pray. Father, this is not easy to live out. Lord, give our older men today strength to live differently, that their life, their deeds may match the declaration of their mouth. Lord, give older women strength to invest in those that are coming behind. Lord, we ask this morning that you give young men and young women humility to learn from godly examples who are going before,5:18and that you would give us the strength and the eternal wisdom to no longer think me, but to think us for your kingdom. Lord, set within our lives and our hearts right priorities. Lord, free us from sin that we may live in righteousness. We pray this in Jesus' name.5:49Amen and amen. First, God's word begins in verse 1 here, and Titus is commanded by Paul. Look at it. He says, but you are to proclaim. Immediately in this word, but, we are commanded to think and live differently. But you behave differently. And you say, well, what am I supposed to do? What am I not supposed to be like? We've already read that verse in chapter 1 that says, some speak the truth of scripture, but they claim to know God, but they deny him by what?6:19By their works. By their works. But you are to live differently. It's as if God is asking us, what about you? Who are you? Are you the one who confesses God and yet denies him by the way that you live, or the way that you type, or what you click on, or what you scroll through,6:41or the way you cash your checks, or are you a but person? See, I believe there are two people in this world. There are those that look to the Lord and say, Lord, but I can't live for you. Those are chapter 1 people in verse 16.7:09They claim to know God, but they deny him. Lord, but you know I can't do that. You know my upbringing. You know I'm sinful. You know my struggles. God, but I cannot do this. And then there's a second group that will stand up and say, but God, I will. And I want to be a man in the second category. That says, God, I know I struggle. I know that sin has easily entangled me.7:37But God, in Christ, you have freed me from sin. It will not rain. And I today will declare, but I, but I will live differently. Which but are you? Are you the one who says, but God, I can't. But God, today's not the day to accept you as Savior. God, I'll do it tomorrow. God, I know you're calling me to go here, but not now. God, I know you're calling me to sacrifice, but not right now.8:06Wait until a better, convenient time. Or are you saying, but God, I will do it. God, I will serve you and you alone. Which one are you? Which one are you? Paul then says, not only but you are to proclaim things, but you are to proclaim things with sound doctrine or sound teaching. You see, there's a direct link in scripture in our lives between the word of God and spiritual growth.8:32There's a direct link between the word of God and spiritual growth. And you ask me, well, I don't know if I'm growing spiritually. The number one indicator in my life is spiritual growth is, am I regularly engaging the word of God? And you think, well, I don't have 20 hours a day to just sit down and read. No, regular engagement of the word of God.8:59This is what will happen when we listen to sound doctrine. There will be times in my life where I can sit down and read 10 chapters and it's going really smooth. No kids are fighting. No bills are due yet today. No one's called. There's no emergency that's hit the ground. And I'll get to one verse and it will wreck me. And God will use that one verse to water my soul for the whole day. And here's the beauty of the living word of God.9:29It's exactly the verse I need four hours from then. Have you ever been there where you're reading God's word and you think that this is a strange verse. Lord, you will fight for me, but I must be quiet. And then four hours later, something happens and it's God waking you up saying, I prepared you for this. Let the word of God water your heart. Regular engagement. You see, I believe scripture teaches us to think of salvation as health and a process, not only as a result.9:55We've made the grace of God about heaven and heaven alone. So we've made the grace of God. Well, if you died right now, where would you go? Yes or no? Get off the fence. Heaven or hell? I've never had a person say, I'm choosing hell. You know, I like fire, torment, gnashing of teeth, darkness.10:22That sounds like my type of place. But we miss. We miss so much. See, Satan is okay. Once he's lost our soul and he knows we're with Christ, he wants us to only think about the end. He says, well, just worry about heaven. It's the exclamation point. And God is saying, but Josh, I am writing a beautiful story in your life today. Worry about health. You see, the word here in verse one, sound teaching, is the same word we get in English, hygiene.10:51Hygiene. It's the meaning that, you know what, we are to be healthy. I don't go to the doctor and say, doctor, I know I'm going to die, but I'm not worried about today. You know why I go to the doctor? Because I'm sick and I'm worried about my health. And God wants us to worry about our spiritual health. How healthy are you today? Let the spirit fan into flame within you.11:24This is the beauty of God's grace. Paul is writing, Titus is saying, grow, be healthy, sound doctrine. Without the word of God, we cannot be healthy. And let God's word water you. This is sound doctrine. You are to proclaim things consistent with what? Sound teaching. Here's the struggle with sound teaching. There are things, and I know I'm a pastor, but just hear me out.11:54There are things in the word of God that I do not like. You say, well, that's strange for you to say. You know what I don't like? There are times in my life where the whole love God, love others thing is not appealing. I'm like, Lord, you don't understand. I'm on Crete. I know it's in the Mediterranean. But these people, by their own standards, are evil gluttons. They are liars, evil beasts.12:23And the Lord says, Josh, you're right. You are. But I've sent my son to redeem you. How are you spiritually today? How are you healthy? On the scale of one to ten, where would you rate yourself? God is not finished with you yet. He is working with us an eternal weight of glory. Look at your health. There are those who are made whole in Jesus Christ, and he wants us to stay fit through his word.12:52Is your life in order? And you say, well, pastor, what does that look like then? What is right order? So you say, well, I'm in. I want to be healthy. I want to grow. I want to produce fruit for the kingdom. It begins here in verse two, then. Older men be self-controlled. It's often said that children are our future.13:22But God here in his word starts with the oldest generation. A commentator named Simpson said this about older men. He called them the graybeards. Elizabeth Elliot calls women Watts, or women of Titus II. So maybe you're in that category this morning. Maybe you are a graybeard. Or maybe you're a what? A woman of Titus II, and God is calling you to live differently.13:49Why would God start with the older men and women? Have you ever thought about that? Why would God? If children are the future, why would God start with the older men and women? Here's why I believe. Older men and women are the present, and they are vital for the spiritual health of the church. You are vital for the spiritual health of the church. Let me say it a different way. If you are gray-haired, or you should be, and you're hiding that somehow.14:18Right? We're just being honest. If that is you, you are a gift. You are a gift to the church. You are a gift of the Holy Spirit. And if you are hiding in the shadows, it's not because God wants you to live. I want you to hide. It's because Satan wants you to hide, because you are a jewel to be treasured.14:48You are vital for the health of any church. You see, old age is an opportunity in itself. One commentator says it like this. Arthritis may limit action, but it does not limit prayer. It does not limit prayer. You are called, older men, older women, you are called to pour out yourself for the sake of future generations.15:10Do not limp across the finish line. Pour it out for the glory of Jesus Christ that you might be able to say, I have run the race. I have fought the fight, and I have kept the faith. That's what God has called you to do.15:38Look at verse 2. Older men, be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance. You know what God wants you to be known for, older men? Not your age, but your character. Your age or your character. Now, here's the struggle with old age. I know I'm not old yet, but I'm getting there one day, Lord willing. Every day I mature, and every day I get older, it's another day where my filter gets less and less.16:07Some of you are many years past me. So the filter that God has given you is now gone. That can be good and bad. So there are things that you used to hold back with reservation that now they just jump out. And if that is true of you, may it be said that when that jumps out from your heart, it is the gospel.16:31It is the grace and mercy of Christ that's coming from your mouth. You know what the gospel is? The gospel in itself is offensive. And may that be on your lips. When people say, well, this guy doesn't have a filter. They can say, but you know what? He doesn't have a filter. All I hear is Jesus. That's all I hear. He won't be quiet.17:01Lord, take him home. And God is saying, I'm not taking him home because he's sharing the testimony that I have given him. Older men, be known by your character. Be level-headed. If anyone needs to be level-headed in this world and day and age, we need men to rise up and have a level head. Women, but you're not alone. Men, women, God's word says this. If you're older, older women, in the same way, be reverent in behavior, not slanderers.17:28But another way of saying this is, this is the same word used for priest. God is telling older women, be priestly. Act as if you are before the Lord and with others. So we have bought this notion that older people have had their day of usefulness and ought to make way for the young. The Bible says nothing of that.17:57Nothing. Look where scripture starts. If you think, if you are older and you think you're a pastor prime and the church and God has no more usefulness for you, that is a lie from the adversary. Satan wants you to think, well, just lie down. Let someone roll you across the finish line. But that's not what God wants. God is saying, be used for my glory. Be used for my good.18:28So I ask you, who are you investing in? If you are the gray-bearded or the older lady, just look around at the young faces. We have a pocket here. Most of our, for whatever reason, most of our young families sit on the edges, the fringes. Just look around. Find someone. God has put them beside you today that you might invest in. Take them to breakfast. Get coffee with them.18:57Get them a call. Figure out how to text and send them a message. Right? They're no longer with us. They've moved to Tuscaloosa, but we had a couple in our church, Cecil and Louise King. I think they've been married 60 years or is it 70? And I think she's 92 years old and he's close. But he would, every other week, he would send me a message, a text message. And it would be in all caps, I'm like, Mr. Cecil, why are you screaming at me?19:26But the fact that he went out of his way to text message me is something that will stay with me my entire life. How many 90-year-olds do you know that text? And when they do it, they shout at people through the text. But you know what it says? You know what he's done for me, a young man? That's an older man with a level head pouring out his life into a young man.19:52That's an older man who says, Lord, I know arthritis has set in, but I will not limp across the finish line. I will pour myself out as a drink offering that others might have the strength that you have given me. And older men and women, this is what the world needs to see. Younger men and women need to see how to put on the armor of God. And they will not know how to put on the armor of God until they see someone who's been through20:21the battle. You've been through the battle. And you can look at the younger generation and you can say, my faith sustained me. When the pressures of the world threatened to crush me, God did not let that happen. Put on the armor, the sword of the spirit. Here's how you use it. Older men and women, find someone today. It is of eternal value.20:50Find someone and invest in. And if you think right now, well, they'll never listen to me. The Holy Spirit is already working in them, so they will. Find someone today. Young people, I'm not done. Look at verse 4. So we have a chiasm. Paul says, older men, older women, younger women, older men. This is why it's so vitally important for us to have right order within the church.21:17Young people live in a way that does not disqualify you from the mercy of the Lord. Verse 4. Young women. Most commentators believe that young women and men here are 20 to 30-year-olds. If you're between 40 and the gray-haired, you get a break today. I know our Gen Xers are thinking, we're always forgotten. That's okay. Verse 4.21:48Verse 4. Interestingly, that they may encourage young women to love their husbands and to love their children. Be self-controlled, pure, homemakers, kind, in submission to their husbands so that God's word will not be slandered. Interestingly, this is the only time in the New Testament that women are encouraged to love their husbands. Why? Because I believe that comes naturally. Men, it does not come naturally because of the pride of life and the sin in our lives. So God has to remind us often of that.22:16But this is what we know about sin. The fact is, we do not fall in love. That's what the world teaches. You just fall in love. You know what the Bible teaches? You are taught to love. Young women, find someone that has been married 50 and 60 years. They will teach you how to love. They will teach you how to serve.22:44They will teach you what sickness and in health means. We must learn to love. Ladies, learn well. Love is not built upon emotion or romance or eroticism, but rather of sacrifice and service. Young women, set your life in order. Love well. Love well. God's word also says this. Be self-controlled, pure, and homemakers.23:14This is a landmine for many of you, so I want to unpack this very briefly. A homemaker is a woman who is not seduced by the sirens of modernity who tell her that she is wasting her time and talent as a homemaker. And that it is the career woman who has purpose and is truly satisfied. The homemaker is someone who is not bought in the lie that only the professional woman is satisfied.23:40That is a lie from our culture. Now, on the other spectrum, it's opposite, and it's equally true. If you're a professional woman and you work, my wife is one of those. She is a teacher. That is not your ultimate satisfaction in this world. Your first level of ministry is your family. And if you find satisfaction in Jesus Christ, you will find satisfaction in the family and the love that God has given you to serve.24:09Do not, by the lies of our culture, be self-controlled, be reverent, and in submission to what God has called you to do. Young men, be and live in right order. This is what Paul says to you. In the same way, encourage the young men. Very easy, right? We get off easy.24:39Be self-controlled. That's it. Just be self-controlled. Easy to understand, difficult to live out, is it not? Be self-controlled. What does that look like? Young men are urged to develop one quality, that of self-mastery. Young men are encouraged to be men who are restrained, level-headed, and disciplined. Restrained, level-headed, and disciplined.25:09You know what the world needs to see from young, godly men? When you're about to hit the send button on your email, that you take a step back and you say, Lord, is this of your spirit or is this of the flesh? Lord, give me a level head. Father, when the telemarketer calls at dinner again, and they offer me the cruise, it's not really true, and Lord, something wells up within me, I just want to lash out because they're25:36interrupting family time. Lord, give me a level head to point them to your grace and your mercy. Give me understanding that they're just doing their job. And maybe they're calling me because they need someone to point them to Christ. God, when I see injustice at the world and something cries within me that this is wrong and it is broken, Lord, help me honor you and help me pray in submission.26:01Lord, let me love and serve. Dr. Peter Carl, writing in the South China Post, said this about young men and self-control. He said, what a real man needs is another man to talk to and reinforce his maleness and help him be a better husband. Without such a friend, men risk reverting to a mother-child relationship with a spouse.26:26Men become helpless and insecure and increasingly revert, now listen to this, increasingly revert to the classic overgrown kid who expects to be mothered. Men in today's society, he says, have few positive role models. And I believe some of you have walked in today and you are an overgrown child.26:54And God is asking you to walk out of here differently because of the grace that Christ has offered you. Find, young men, look around. Find the gray-bearded. Find someone who can invest in you and mentor you and point you to God's grace. It is worth it. Do not look upon them with scorn. Do not look upon them as antiquated.27:22God has given them in your life as a treasure, as a jewel. And if every young man had an older man investing in him, this church and this community would be radically different. We need right order in the church. We need to quit segregating ourselves because it's easy. We need to man up and find godly men to follow and to serve with.27:47Not to be outdone with men and women. Paul also addresses in verse 9, slaves. Slaves are to submit to their masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not talking back or stealing, but demonstrating utter faithfulness so that they may adorn the teaching of God, our Savior, in everything. Why would Paul use and address slavery?28:15One, because obviously in this church there were slaves that were struggling with, Lord, how can I honor God in my life? When I have ungodly masters. You see, forced labor, even by today's standards, is demeaning. And what Paul was using here is showing that voluntary service is noble. So Paul uses slaves as an example to show us how one group of people can adorn the gospel,28:42even in tragic, difficult situations. Slaves in this church would have been slaves for indebtedness. Thank God that's not true anymore, right? How many of us in debt would be slaves right now if it was because of our debt? Of wartime or other tragic situations? And look what Paul says to these people who are living out difficult truths. He says, adorn the gospel in your lives.29:12Adorn the gospel in your... It's as if the word cosmeo, it's as if Paul is picturing a beautiful crown on their heads. And he's saying, live in a way that when people look at you, all they see is the crown jewel on top. And that jewel in your life is Jesus. Live in a way. Order your life in a way that the jewel is Jesus Christ and him alone.29:40Can you say that today? Can you say in your life that your eyes are only to the crown that God has placed upon your head? Only the jewel, the one who is precious, more precious than rubies, his name is Jesus Christ. So why does this even matter? Older men, why is it worth it?30:10Older women, why is it worth it? Look, I get it. We are difficult to deal with. We are hard to understand. The older men and women, you look at our generation and you think, how are you guys so lonely and isolated? You have billions of friends on Facebook. And yet we live in a world that's so connected. And psychologists will tell you, we have more loneliness in the world today than ever before. That doesn't make sense. Unless you understand sin.30:38Because we're longing for relationships. Younger men, younger women, why is it worth it? Why do you have to put up with the older men who don't have filters anymore? Or young ladies, why is it worth seeing and following older ladies who have been far removed from school? Who walked to school three miles in the snow? Why is it worth it? You see how Christ breaks down barriers in our life?31:08This is what he says. Look at verse 11. We'll end here. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for who? All. Young. Yes. Old. Yes. Slaves. Yes. Free. Yes. Instructing us. To what? To deny godliness.31:36And worldly lust. And to live in sensible, righteous, and ungodly ways in the present age. While we wait for the blessed hope. The appearing of the glory of our great and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave himself. Why? To redeem us from all lawlessness. And to cleanse us for himself, a people for his own possession. Eager to do good works.32:05Are you willing and ready to abandon the old way today? God's word commands us to live, to deny godliness. Are you willing to abandon the old way? The first step of repentance is abandonment of the old life. To say, God, I believe that you sent your only son for me. And when I look upon your son, Jesus Christ, the old life does not compare.32:34God, I will deny that for the treasure I find in Jesus Christ. Older men and women, are you willing to take a stand today for Jesus Christ? Are you ready? As the first verse said, are you ready to say, but me? God, I know it's difficult. I know it doesn't make sense. But Lord, I don't want to be the one that says, but I can't. God, I want to stand up and say, but I will.33:05But I will invest. I will pour myself out to this generation that my kids and their grandkids and their great-grandkids will know the hope that is in Jesus Christ. And God, I will finish well. And I will not waste the remainder of my days. Older men and women, anyone say, I will? God, I want to be that person. God, I'm ready. I'm not willing to let Satan hide me in the shadows.33:33I'm going to put on the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, and we're going to give Satan a war, knowing that when Christ returns, there is no war. There's only victory. Older generations, are you willing to stand up? Younger men and women, are you ready to open your life to others so that you may be filled with the knowledge of his mercy? Are you willing to stand up today and say, Lord, I will reorient my life in a way that34:03I will let these older generations pour into me? God, I'm not going to isolate myself. I'm not going to segregate myself. God, I'm going to open myself for your honor. Will you do that this morning? Will you say, Lord, that's me. I want to do that. This generation, more than ever, are seeking mentors. Spend time. Spend time with those that have been there before. And maybe you're here today and you say, well, pastor, this sounds lovely and beautiful, but34:34you don't understand I've disqualified myself. God can't love me. My sin and my brokenness. Lord, I can't lead anyone else to his grace. I want to share verse 14 with you. One, I want you to know that before the foundations of the world, God knew that you'd be here today. And he knew that you would hear a message of hope and salvation.35:03The message of hope is that we are sinful and we have no hope. The good news is that God knows that. And he sent his son. Look at verse 14. He sent his son to give himself for us. To what? To redeem us. Now, this is what the word redeem means. Redeem means to purchase something or to exchange something. So Jesus came and lived a sinless life, a life that you and I cannot live, to take our place.35:33We deserve cross and death. And Jesus said, Father, I'll do it. We deserve eternal separation from God because of our sin. Not only is that what we deserve, that's what we have. And Jesus says, Father, I'll be forsaken for them. God, I'll let you turn your back upon me for them. And Jesus says, if you have faith, if you believe in your heart, if you confess with your mouth that he is Lord, that redemption will be yours.36:04That his righteousness will be traded for your sinfulness. That his grace will be traded for the wrath that is deserved and destined for you. So maybe you're here today and you think, well, I'm disqualified. Yes, you are. But if you believe this morning, he will redeem you.36:30He will redeem you. Look at verse 14. He will redeem you from what? Some sin? No, from what church? He will redeem us from all lawlessness. Anyone glad that God redeems us from all of our sin? Yes. Yes. How about the sin yesterday? All sin. How about sin today? All sin. How about sin tomorrow?37:00All lawlessness. And to what? And to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord, if you have not denied your old life in filth and found cleansing that is found in the redemption of the blood of the lamb, today God is offering that to you.37:12And I don't know what is keeping you from following Jesus Christ, but it is not worth it. There is no sin that you have committed that he does not know about.37:42And there is no sin that he cannot cleanse if you by faith in Christ alone will say, Lord, I'll take a stand. I've been a, but I can't for far too long, but today I want to be, but I will. But I will be cleansed. I will be redeemed. I will be a child of God for his glory, for my good. Let's pray.
