This broadcaster has 1264 show archives available on-demand.
Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.
March 1, 2022 12:00 am
Not many people in our culture are taking time to read the Bible or get their facts straight about who Christ is. What they hear in the media and in secular classrooms is sometimes the extent of their education. So in the message 'Bringing God to Life,' Stephen reminds us that it is our responsibility
I want you to speak confidently on the side like time is running out.
He calls the quarterback over the facemask and yells at his ear hears the play do you can't miss it. Can't you get mistake that the passion of the coach or the play to run calls effectively saying was young and culture is evil.
These churches might even be resisting these truths to go back in the game and don't know assumptions about who Jesus is by what they see in us. If you thought much about that that might be responsibility you've not considered and honestly it might be responsibility. You wish you didn't have but you do today on wisdom for the heart.
Stephen Devi unpacks this in more. This is a lesson he's calling bringing God to life several years ago I photocopied an article I unfortunately feel the footnoted pastor recorded an incident that struck me at first as somewhat bizarre, but upon further thought not really that bizarre at all.
It Took Pl. in Russia for the iron curtain had been pulled back ever so slightly. If you're following the news, you know, it's closing again, this author a pastor and several other pastors were traveling in the Northeast region looking for opportunities to develop Christian radio. One of their stops was in a city where a local commissar kind of up Mayor met the group and led them on a tour.
He did know they were pastors.
He just knew there were Americans and he obviously wanted to communicate a message to them as he took them toward the middle of town. He told him they were very proud of their church and that he invited them to see it for themselves which they agreed. As they neared the church building. They were a little surprised to see this beautiful white church building with its typical onion shaped torrents as they stepped inside the lobby seems somewhat similar to the lobby of any normal regular church with doors leading into the sanctuary.
However, as they push through those doors and stepped into the sanctuary, they were astonished it lost all semblance to a house of worship, stacked from floor-to-ceiling were rows upon rows of chicken coops filled with cackling hen's. The commissar made a sweeping gesture and that he said our church building is is the finest hatchery in the region. They look at these Americans and he said to them, God is not real chickens are real truth is you find the average person on the streets of this country and they're not all that convinced. What used to be a cultural! It is now a day?
Jobs are real economies real houses a real families, real suffering, Israel heartaches real money is real.
The pressures of life are real chickens are real not to convinced God through the pressures of culture, way down and thoughts of God moved into the ethereal realm of questioning.
Susan really a new problem. One editorial comments that quote the world is too big for us too much is going on too many crimes too much violence too much devotion to entertainment tries. You will you get behind in the race in spite of yourself and to strain to keep pace and still you lose ground science empties its discoveries on you so fast that you stagger beneath them in bewilderment. The political world is new scene so rapidly you're out of breath.
Try to keep up with his aunt and who's out.
Everything is high pressure human nature cannot endure much more so reads the Atlanta Journal June 16, 1833. How are we to communicate to our generation. The chickens are real but God is to the Jesus Christ really is a genuine safe harbor that there really is authentic hope that his grace is real but the gospel is real will is it any surprise to us to discover that the advertisement campaign for God is been left up to us as Christians. In a nutshell, here's how we do it we Paul is been teaching us are the recipients of grace. The recipients of God's gospel of goodness and grace and mercy and we then disseminate, we become distributors of grace we all have our own little franchise and we distribute it to our world, our lives become undeniable demonstrations of the fact that not only are chickens real big God is to the creator of chickens is real, which happens to be the driving incentive as Paul begins to narrow his focus as this little letter to Titus is about to come to an end. If you can believe it will be finished in just another two or three years. I mean I mean weeks. Okay you three things today. Three observations come from the text will look at number one.
We are advertising a gospel that is truly reliable, easy to summarize now, not only for the believer living on the island of Crete but in every generation in every culture we are first and foremost advertising a gospel that is actually truly reliable.
Let's pick it up in the text for today. Verse eight says this he opens. This is a trustworthy statement. This is genuine.
This is real and concerning these things.
I want you to speak confidently now. What are these things that were to speak confidently with the referring to when the immediate context is referring back to that sentence that took us to Sunday's to dissect beginning in verse four, all the way down to verse seven he saying deliver these things.
The things you've just learned which means if you go back by way of review were to communicate with confidence the truths of God's love, kindness, verse four were to communicate that God's son did in fact make an epiphany and appearance verse for that faith in Christ alone saves us apart from good deeds. Verse five the God's spirit has given us a full body bath and redemption.
Verse five that the Holy Spirit is also the process of day by day renewing us. We have had that daily or I should say that that once in all in a lifetime bath that we get a daily shower of renewal were also communicating with confidence that Jesus Christ was equal to God the father is sufficient to save us. He is our Savior. Verse six that Christ replaced our sin with his righteousness, that all the charges brought against us in that divine court of law, so to speak, had been thrown out of court and he has brought the gavel down and said all of the record of Christ's perfection is been given to you. Not only did he justify a switch that is referring to. He actually then verse seven tells us that the end we are made co-owners of the kingdom. Plus, illicit, don't beat around the bush. This is an wishful thinking. This is in folklore. This is a string of of old wives tales. This is the gospel and I want to communicate these things with confidence. They are really true so communicative that way. By the way Titus again the immediate application of this is going to this pastor teacher. He saying Titus, I want you first and foremost to speak with confidence about these truths. I want you to do it and I don't know if Titus was hesitating in the face of cultural opposition or maybe even disgruntlement in the churches that he was sent organize it's possible the Titus was holding back reticent Paul had to tell that other young pastor of the faith that he wrote letters to by the name of Timothy similar things come on, don't.
Don't hold back.
Don't let people look down on you. Be an example, get out there and with confidence deliver the truth.
In fact Paul hints at this potential hesitation and Titus heart. Remember back at the end of chapter 2 in verse 15 where he says all of these things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Don't let anybody disregard you now here in verse eight of chapter 3. Titus I want you to speak confidently so I can coach you on the sideline. Time is running out.
He calls a quarterback over Gaza by the facemask and yells at his ear. Here's the play go out there and do it. You can't miss it, you can't. You can't mistake that the passion of the coach or the play to run. Paul is effectively saying listen Titus of your young and the culture is evil in these churches might even be resisting these truths.
I want to go back in the game and don't hold back. Here's the play I'm enjoying a new commentary on Titus by Chuck Swindoll is called insights and he is just recently published insights on Titus and Timothy. I've been reading that along with these other commentators. My study made a quote on this particular text as it related to Titus is a pastor teacher. I think this is true for all who teach. He said this. There were so many voices of error on the island of Crete.
The same is true everywhere.
So this is, after all, the primary purpose of a pastor teacher is responsible to proclaim grace clearly and emphatically. He cannot allow reluctance to lay him he must not allow hesitation to interrupt him and he should not be apologetic.
I love the statement.
If a pastor stands on the authority of God's word. He can afford to be bold that good. That's for those of you who teach as well. A lot of teachers several hundred, who will be involved in teaching on this campus. Even this day and throughout the week. Those who teach and preach the word and the larger scenarios of God's gospel ministry. You know full well the temptation. The potential of holding back not addressing certain subjects might be controversial. So we get over that verse and maybe nobody will notice.
We missed it. Or maybe we'll just pick verses and preach or teach those and we can avoid the mine field out there. You know what it's like, don't you to face the subtle desire to be pleasing to men instead of being pleasing to God. Paul also uses the present tense in this challenge. This isn't the one lesson and okay you're brave enough to go on retirement. He he he sees saying this is continual. Keep repeating, keep speaking, keep teaching these things with confidence. Memory began with the same thought in chapter 3, verse one. This is ongoing.
This is a repetitive task. Remind them remind them remind why because we teach need reminding the and so does the body. Then, of course, so does the world at large.
One pastorate some time ago. I keep put it in rather interesting tongue-in-cheek way that we need to remind the flock. He said three friends decided to go deer hunting, a lawyer, a doctor and the pastor as they were walking into the woods only a large block became visible in all three men at the same time simultaneously raise their rifles and fire. The buck went down all three men ran over to look at the at the prize and they couldn't tell who shot had brought it down and they all wanted to lay claim to its a big debate ensued after a few minutes a game officer happened to come by and asked what all the commotion was about. The Dr. supports doing a doctor on the doctors along faster than work in a world were discussing were debating who actually shot this book. The offices and will let me take a look at the he bent down, look for just a few seconds and stood back up and said will the preacher shot the buck. The preacher I can you be so sure the officer said, well, easy. The bullet went in one ear and came out the other very funny. The truth is both pastors and teachers at large and the flock are prone to forget and Paul wants us to be reminded over and over and over again why because if we don't get it. If we don't have it never communicated out there if we don't get it in here wherever pat each other on the back were were in favor with the gospel. When we got there where we happen to be God's advertisement campaign for the gospel where it were his advertising budget. We we are the billboard along the interstates of life. The people look at where were the PowerPoint board room were were exhibits a and the defense of the gospel. We are communicating. Paul just wants to remind Titus and slug you are communicating a gospel that is truly reliable.
Don't hold back, especially as culture wonders further and further away from its moorings of truth speak with confidence and assurance of we really want to communicate our generation. There's a second key distinctive about these remarkable Christians in any generation. There also identified as is, those who are surrendering to a God who is truly personal level we make it a pulse challenge and this is all sort of intellectual you get there eventually. But it's as if he says a little to make sure winners and were talking to who the audiences were defining as those who want to communicate clearly this gospel that is reliable. I want you to notice this phrase would be easy to miss. Paul specifically identifies those who have believed God. Those who have believed God. That's when talking to. That's the focus of Paul's statement. Titus tell those who have believed God. You tell them you tell them the truth and tell them to tell the truth as well. Who are they call those who have believed God the perfect tense of that verb to believe points to a specific time in the past that that's what he talked about earlier.
As we sort of dissected that long set as these are are they who have been saved. There's a past tense belief that come to understand the gospel and they have believed and then it has this ongoing. The fact they never do lose or leave that belief that he really is truly reliable is gospel is and that he is truly personal in his salvation. We are they who believe that God at some point didn't just wind up the universe and now he watches us from a distance that is in it at all. That might be a hit song by Bette Miller from a few years ago, but he is not watching us from a distance is personal. He is so personal that you can actually talk to him and he begins when you talk to him and say Lord I understand the gospel and I want you personally to save me so personally. Paul is saying I'm about to call you to a lifestyle that is remarkable. But before I do, let me just clarify to the mom I'm talking I'm thinking about and writing to those who personally don't impact crucial before we ever get to his vertical wife because the it is the individual Christian who lives with the conviction that the God he is alive is the Christian who is able to become involved in other people's lives for the right reason to exactly where Paul was headed.
Not only are we advertising a gospel that is truly reliable in the foundation for reaching our world is surrendering to God. It was truly personal. Thirdly, here's his point. We are to initiate a lifestyle that is truly beneficial.
Notice verse eight again this is a trustworthy statement and concerning these things ever told you I want you to speak in an ongoing way with confidence so that those who in the past have believed God, and are continuing and I believe there is will be careful to engage in good deeds oppose already made it clear that were not saved by good deeds, not by deeds of righteousness. Chapter 3 and verse five we don't do good deeds go to heaven.
We do the deeds because we are going to have and I want to take as many along with us and it happens to be good deeds that get their attention.
They couldn't care less that were in here today.
Big deal there and check our attendance record that will care how much money we've given to support the ministry. They don't care how often you open your Bible and quiet time.
They're not asking you well before you tell me that you pray when you're alone with that day.
Couldn't care less spot good deeds, and I fear that the church we would be among them that are committed to the doctrines of grace, that faith alone saves the soul of the day we learned that by means of our commitment to solo script Torah that is the Scriptures along which provide the foundation for what we believe and what we hold to and cling to for life and practice tend to take those good deeds is a will. That's for the liberal church. It will let them do all that stuff that's on social gospel thing. When I got to chat with a 10 foot pole. So were just gonna you know hibernate in here to talk to ourselves and maybe every once in a while somebody will notice or maybe even coming here is what he's talking about he same look your the advertisement campaign for Christianity and undeniable demonstration of change life gets notice.
That's why Paul throughout this letter. By the way, even as he's describing the great doctrines of our faith. You'll you'll notice dotted through this letter are references to good deeds. Maybe you could take out your pencil as I've done, you can just circle this phrase is gonna show up several times go back to chapter 2 in verse seven. Be an example of good deeds are. You notice that you might you might circle that and draw a line down the chapter 2 in verse 14.
Notice the last part a people of his own for his own possession, zealous for good deeds there it is again.
Chapter 3. Look at verse one. Be ready for every good deed. Look at verse eight.
Were looking at that. Be careful to engage in good deeds and verse 14. Notice that our people must learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs is a document of social gospel is the truth of the gospel demonstrated in a life that's applying itself to engaging our worldly good deeds. Also, you mean there's more to Christianity and learning are doctoral P's and Q so you know how committed I am to you know I'm committed oppose and repeating himself with his good deed good deed good deed good D because he is running out of material and he really wants to make it to chapter 3 and verse 15. No remarkable. Christianity isn't just an education in good doctrine.
It is a life of application and through good deeds we have received the kindness and goodness and mercy of God. Remember don't keep it to yourselves open up a franchise open up a counter get out there and demonstrated become a distributor of kindness and mercy and grace. By the way, reflects the character of our Lord the gospel of Luke records for us that our Lord himself was kind even to ungrateful and evil men.
Luke 635. I want you to notice one other word here Paul says that we should be careful to engage in good deed to notice that the careful to engage, be careful to do good deeds know when I was growing up I heard that verb over and over again, be careful, be careful, be careful right interesting that this is the only time this verb appears in all of the New Testament and it would be related to this.
Be careful to think what he could tell us to be careful about. He says be careful to engage in good deeds compound verb that that means to think upon or we might say this way to think about or to be intentional. We like that word be intentional.
Think about it. I mean how many times he very got up out of bed and thought okay I want to think through two or three ways to do good things today I want to come up with two or three things.
What can I do what can I do today what can I intend to do to be good. It implies being creative. It implies this verb being thorough thinking upon with intentionality of how and what to do in the form of good deeds and again it's in the present tense which means this is in one solitary isolated, actively goes beyond those two or three things you might come up with on your list. This has to do with the mindset you get up and go out there and I got a mindset on that says I will do good deed. That's right here. You know anybody like that just seems every time you bump into them. They're looking for something good to seem second nature.
The first ones to take on. You know that extra assignment that there are the ones to take on the distasteful sure they get their hands dirty without any complaint right here you see them another come in early either leave and later set not taken down making toffee meat and friends doing all teaching discipling all kinds of stuff. They literally was likely look for good things to do.
They are an exception to the rule. Think you notice the people at school know who they are.
The teacher knows who they are in his classroom. The coach knows who they are on the football team. Those employees know who they are. Job going to put the coffee children or maybe take the old one and dump it out and put fresh. What I mean. It is the dissent's attitude with what can I do for others. Paul is effectively writing her look of anybody's going to be like them and ought to Christian. Be careful to engage in that word again struck me as well. It's a word that refers to mission, so no gun that intentionality plus creativity plus initiative with this person is going to make an exceptional beneficial mark wherever they go. It could be Monday and can be behind-the-scenes there just doing good. Might be public, it might be apparent maybe not that matter really them just remarkable Christians who've adopted this lifestyle that is so remarkable.
It is driven benefit somebody out as we continue workable Christianity were reminded once again that we can't take our eyes off the unsaved world as we live our lives for Christ. This is wisdom for the hearts Stevens calling this lesson, bringing God to life. He has more to say from this passage, but since were almost out of time for today working a break here and conclude this lesson. Next time between now and then we'd enjoy hearing from you.
You can send us a message through our website wisdom online.org at the bottom of that page is a link that says contact us. You can use that feature to send us a message if you prefer to correspond through the mail. Our address is wisdom international PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627. Once again wisdom international PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 2767.
The next time were with you, Stephen will conclude this lesson so make sure not to miss that. Join us here on wisdom