0:00 I'm going to come to a text with you at this very moment, and I want to give you a fresh look into the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ, not in the gospel accounts, but I want you to hear how one man who experienced the grace of God, an unlikely candidate to be a follower of Jesus Christ, was used to tell others how they can also become trophies of his grace. And so if you do have a Bible in your hands, maybe you don't, look over to the person next to you. I'm sure they'll be open to sharing in the book of Titus chapter two. In Titus chapter two, we will read in verse 11.
0:56 Here's what the Holy Spirit says in his word. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled upright and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself up for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things, exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. I want to obey this command today in your presence by declaring these things in your hearing.
1:41 The beauty of the Christian message is that it is so simple to understand. In fact, it is so simple and direct, it actually offends some people. It disturbs them for many reasons. One of those reasons is because it humbles the intellect. The essence of what it means to be a believer is to be understanding of one sin and realizing that there's nothing within yourself that can grant you right standing before God.
2:14 It essentially calls you to surrender and trust in self. You you cannot look to anything in your pedigree, in your family heritage, in your performance. It's simply you looking at yourself and determining I am a child of wrath. That if I look to my left or to my right, I may seem like a good person, but if I stand in the presence of God's moral perfection, I am doomed. If he holds me according to his measure and his word and his command, I will never be able to attain his acceptance.
2:53 And it's it's not that God places something on us that is unrealistic because he is sadistic. It's because his holiness demands it. He is the creator of all things. He has determined every aspect of our universe, and as imperfect as it is, he is the originator, not the author of the imperfections. We are the author of the imperfections in this life.
3:15 He's given us a choice from the beginning of time. Will you continue to fellowship with me or go your own way? Understand this, love has a choice. And our parents chose to walk away from him, inheriting a fractured universe because of our disobedience. And so what it means to become a Christian from the beginning is understanding that I am not just a sinner, but I am an object of his wrath.
3:45 That as the judge of the universe, if he holds me to account, I will have no chance to be deemed innocent. And yet at the same time, I realized that in his great love, he extends a payment. He extends his hand of fellowship, and he asks you in your humility to reach out as though you're drowning in the ocean and receiving the rescue that you desperately need. But here's what I wanna make mention of in the verses that we read. For the grace of God in verse 11 has appeared.
4:20 It came February ago. It was prophesied about since the beginning of time and this book, though it is not a science book, though it is not strictly a history book, it is a book that defines redemptive history. Where we went wrong, how we continue to do wrong, and how God brought a remedy. And so we know that from the beginning of time, God has promised the human race that there would be a savior to come. I'm going to bring salvation.
4:52 It has appeared. We don't need to look anywhere else. We don't have to guess. It already came and we're on this side of the cross. You see how we're saved today is we look back and we see what Christ has done and we believe on that truth by faith.
5:05 How they were saved before Christ is they looked forward and they said, okay, there is someone coming who is going to redeem us. I believe that. It has appeared. But notice this also, it has appeared bringing salvation for all people. Salvation in Christ never discriminates.
5:27 It doesn't have a certain category of wrongdoers that can never be accepted. When Jesus Christ came to rescue sinners, he had every sin in mind. And he had every sinner in mind. And there's not one thing that anyone has ever done that discounts them from actually being accepted in the beloved. It is for all people and that in itself is an offense to some.
5:56 How is it that you can say that so and so in history that has brought massacres to countries and nations and societies, you're saying salvation is available to them. Yes, it is according to the Bible. Or may you may think of people you know personally that are undeserving of any grace, an ounce of mercy. And yet the Bible says, it's available. And you may be even sitting here looking at your own heart saying, brother, if you only knew the corruption that I enjoy, and the pain that I've caused, and the indifference in my heart towards the things of God, you would question if I am worthy.
6:36 And I'm here to tell you're not worthy. That's the point. None of us are. All of us are equal in the sight of God, and we're comforted by this truth that salvation is for all people. Do you have salvation today?
6:52 Do you know for certain I am accepted? My name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. I have a testimony. I was something. I was someone, but Christ intervene.
7:02 And now I am something and someone else. You don't have to do anything in preparation to encounter the person of Jesus Christ. Listen carefully. You don't become holy to be accepted in Christ. You come to Christ so that he can make you holy.
7:20 That's the beauty of the gospel. And that's why in part also, it's offensive. Again, there are many reasons why it's offensive. Though the the essence of the message is gorgeous, it's beautiful, it's wonderful. Why are some people offended?
7:34 There's got to be something that I do. There's some kind of contribution that I have to make. There's something that I must invest in in order for me to attain this. And the whole message is no, you give up and you look to Christ. But notice this, salvation is not just this invisible ticket that you inherit that one day will appear when you give your final breath and you stand before the living God and say, well, on on May, whatever day, 2000, whatever year, I gave my life to Christ, and here I am, my name is in the registry.
8:13 Right? That's not salvation. And Paul wants to clarify that because look at verse 12. This grace that has appeared in verse 12 trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age. So here's what I wanna tell you about this grace.
8:34 As wonderful as it is, as glorious as it is, as free as it is, if you really accept it, if you really understand it and apply your faith to it, it will change you. It demands change. It transforms you. Look at this look at this language, verse 12. It trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions.
8:55 You've heard many testimonies of people here who are getting baptized saying, I'm not perfect. I'm not where I'm supposed to be, but here I am wanting to obey Christ. Yes, that fits with what the Bible says a Christian looks like. It's not about immediate perfection once you profess Christ, but it is about a miraculous instant transformation of your heart direction. Once you taste this grace, now you have this strength and this motivation to say, I want to renounce this ungodliness.
9:31 I want to walk away from this sin. I no longer want to live in enmity with God. And it trains you. You you develop in your understanding of who he is, his beauty, his wonders, and that compels you now to move away from sin more and more and more. And here's the beauty of this verse.
9:51 He trains us. A good trainer is patient. He doesn't give up on us so easily. And when we understand who Christ is, he walks with us in this journey the moment you confess him. And is committed to work in and through you until you meet face to face.
10:10 It trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled upright and godly lives in the present age. Here's another thing to mention. Why are Christians different? If a if a believer is truly a follower of Jesus Christ, there is a difference between them and the world. Those who do not profess Christ.
10:30 Can I tell you the true motivation if they really understand this book? They really understand the will of God. The reason why they don't go there or do this or act this way is because of grace. It's the mercy of God, the kindness of God, the long suffering of God that encourages and stimulates holiness. Why do I do what I do?
10:55 Because I am loved by him. Why do I do what I do? Because he first loved me and now I can love him. That's the greatest force to true holiness, to true conformity and transformation. The Bible says it's grace.
11:13 The love in his eyes, the wounds in his hands and feet and the pure side, that is the thing before me always that encourages me to live for his glory. So if you're motivated by an ungodly fear, the terror of being judged, Pascal's wager, I don't even know if this is really real but just in case it is real, I'm gonna live religiously and and I'm not gonna lose if I do that really so let me just do this. That's not the gospel. The gospel is the grace of God has appeared, you've accepted it, it's working in you, and that is the means for you to live a holy life. But there's something else about this gospel in verse 13.
11:58 It doesn't just train you. It tells you to wait. It encourages you for something to come. Hasn't just appeared in the past on this side of the cross. It also has a message for tomorrow.
12:11 Look at verse 13, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ. Where does it say in the Bible that Jesus Christ is God? Well, there's one verse. Memorize it, Christian. Paul called Jesus our great God and savior.
12:30 But notice that in the context of the gospel, Christians who really understand the message, the Christian message, have this hope, have this inner awareness that, yes, in the past Christ did something for me. Yes, today he is working in me, but there is something tomorrow that awaits. What's the crescendo of the Christian life? What's the climax of the Christian faith? The appearing of Jesus Christ.
13:00 The appearing of Jesus Christ. And so when you collect the data in the Old Testament, especially the literature that predicted Christ, then you understand that the mission of God in the flesh was not just to come and judge and rule and clean up this world, the mess that we made, But it's also and primarily to clean you and me up. To cleanse our hearts, to renew us. That's why he came to die. You know, he could have immediately come and establish his rule and his reign, get rid of all of us and start all over.
13:35 He could have. Who says he couldn't? But instead, he first comes to you and I as enemies of him and redeems us and makes us subjects of his kingdom more than subjects. Servants in his kingdom more than servants. Friends in his kingdom more than friends.
13:53 Children adopted. And he give think about this. He gives us the privilege now in this window of time in human history to operate as agents of hope and truth, ambassadors of this kingdom, to tell others, this is for you. This is free. You can come in.
14:14 I'm not gonna so I'm not gonna have either. Welcome to the club. And I wanna tell you what it says here in verse 14 as a final thought. Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. It's almost as though he brings it full circle.
14:41 He talks about grace being manifest, us experiencing that salvation, and then he almost clarifies what this salvation entails. It delivers us from all lawlessness. All law not some lawlessness, all lawlessness. And it purifies us unto himself. But here's the most beautiful attribute of the salvation, a people for his own possession.
15:09 He owns us, which mean which means at least two things. One, when you become a follower of Christ, you surrender your rights, all of them. That's another reason why this gospel is offensive. It demands everything of who you are. It's not intellectual ascent.
15:28 It's not just you doing something on Sunday morning instead of sleeping in. It's about you saying, if you save me in this way, I gladly surrender everything. Everything. And it's not this begrudging, slavish, feet dragging way of life. It's you entering into the reason why you exist to begin with.
15:54 So he owns you. So everybody who was who was baptized today, they made a decision. I let go of my ambitions, my dreams, my ideas of what's good, what's bad, my criteria, my standards, and now I give everything to Christ. He is my Lord. He is the commander in chief of my brief existence on earth, and I gladly do it.
16:19 On what basis? Because the grace of God has appeared. Not to reach for his grace, not to win his affection. No. He already showed it to you when your back was turned towards him.
16:31 But it also means a second thing, a people for his own possession. He owns you. Yes. But he will keep you. He will hold on to you.
16:44 He will never let you go. If you truly have repented and believed on Christ, there shouldn't be a moment where you doubt him renouncing you. But what if I fail while you're being trained? What if my heart grows cold? You're being trained.
17:03 What if I am a Lord and tempted by things that hurt him? He still owns you. And he will work in you day by day. And moment by moment, there might be moments where you look at yourself, say, I don't recognize myself, in a good way. And there might be other times where you say, I'm ashamed of myself.
17:22 Either way, it does not change his ownership of you. He is committed to your conformity. He is committed to holding on to you and nothing snatching you out of his hand. So, again, the gospel is not performance enhancement. It's not behavioral modification.
17:38 It's about you giving your heart and your future to a good and gracious king. And I like how Paul ends here. Yes. A people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Why am I zealous?
17:53 Like this little guy here? Zealous because of this grace. I wonder if you know this grace today. I'm not asking if you know it theologically. Satan has the most accurate robust theology, and he will be tormented forever because of his rebellion.
18:15 Did you taste it? Is it real to you? As I've been speaking the past fifteen, twenty minutes, could your heart actually say amen? I know what you're talking about, preacher. Or is all of this foreign to you?
18:32 Is it alien? Is it strange? Is it confusing? Yet, you understand the mechanics of it. You understand the core message, but it doesn't resonate.
18:42 Can I ask you one more question and I'll end it here? Do you sense a little conviction? Is there something in you that says, I may not understand everything fully, but I want it? There's this strange realization that this is indeed true or at least could be true. May I encourage you to do something, both visitor and frequent visitor.
19:08 We had people here say that they've sat in these pews for months and years and not really understood it. Do not turn off your conscience. Do not dismiss what may be taking place in your heart. Like Brandon said, something miraculous can happen the moment you just humble yourself. That's it.
19:35 You need a preacher to walk by you, as valuable as I might be. Christian friends and family, they can point us in the right direction, but it ultimately boils down to this. You humbling yourself and saying, Lord, if this is true, show me. Lord, if this book is of you, show me. Lord, if you truly love me, show me.
19:56 If you're willing to forgive me, show me. Make this real to me, and I'll tell you he will. Let's pray. Thank you, father, for this incredible service. Thank you for these precious saints who stood before us today.
20:19 And more importantly, they stood before you. Help us also, leaving this place, be bold and zealous for good works. We pray even now that there would be a fresh wave of revelation concerning your grace for each of our lives. And, Lord, we pray that this church, by your grace, would continue to see salvations, people coming to know you, people saying this grace has not just appeared in history, it appeared to me, and I'm changed because of it. Lord, we ask that as we celebrate over fellowship, you bless the food, that the joy that's being realized in the hearts of those who made this decision today would be shared in our hearts as well.
20:58 And Lord, for those who don't know you in this place, move in their hearts. Every means possible was used today to communicate truth. Your ordinances, songs, preaching, people who have testimonies. Only you can do the work of conviction, and we pray that it would be real today. Lord, we love you and we honor you with all of our hearts.
21:20 We give you praise for this time. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen and amen.
