What Now? (2)
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Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and welcome to Dishman Baptist Church. Please take you Bibles and open them to Titus 3, Titus 3. I know many of you were expecting to hear Mark 12 and may have already been turning there but this is one of those days where we are compelled by events taking place outside of our walls to break from where we are and to look at a passage that helps us process and move forward in light of current events. I can tell you that I am exhausted after this week. I don’t know about the rest of you but the events of this week have taken a toll on me.
Not in the sense of handwringing or over all concern because I am confident that regardless of who is in the White House, the role of the church remains the same, that our Saviour is still in command and that nothing will impact that. No, my concern is more for how the church will react. And not even with respect to the political realm. We know that President-elect Biden and his party have embraced policies that a contrary to a Biblical worldview and there is the great possibility that the church’s ability to preach the Gospel may be impacted.
But this is not the morning for that conversation. This morning is about how we, as Christians, will continue to represent our Saviour in the coming days, weeks and months ahead. One thing that I’ve been warning us against in the weeks leading up to this is the danger of conflating our Christianity and our political affiliations. In the book “The Evangelical Pulpit” John Seel writes
A politicized faith not only blurs our priorities, but weakens our loyalties. Our primary citizenship is not on earth but in heaven.… Though few evangelicals would deny this truth in theory, the language of our spiritual citizenship frequently gets wrapped in the red, white and blue. Rather than acting as resident aliens of a heavenly kingdom, too often we sound [and act] like resident apologists for a Christian America.… Unless we reject the false reliance on the illusion of Christian America, evangelicalism will continue to distort the gospel and thwart a genuine biblical identity.…
American evangelicalism is now covered by layers and layers of historically shaped attitudes that obscure our original biblical core.
So this morning we are going to be examining a passage regarding how we as Christians should be responding right now - regardless of how we voted or how we feel. And really there is nothing new in this message. These are all concepts that we know and hopefully live by on a regular basis. Paul is writing here to one of his proteges that he left behind in Crete to see to setting that church in order. The letter was written sometime between 62 and 64 AD during the reign of Nero. It was shortly following this letter in 64 AD that the great fire would take place in Rome that Nero would blame on Christians and would use as the impetus to justify mass persecution for the Church throughout the Empire.
Just before the passage that we are going to be looking extensively at today Paul lays out the plan of salvation succinctly charging Titus at the end to proclaim these things
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age,
while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.
Proclaim these things; encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
And now we come to the passage was sent to Titus as a reminder and an encouragement to the Christians in Crete and to us today of how we should act in light of our current cultural and political landscape. Please read with me Titus 3:1-9.
Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,
to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people.
For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another.
But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared,
he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior
so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone.
But avoid foolish debates, genealogies, quarrels, and disputes about the law, because they are unprofitable and worthless.
I know many of us feel this way but I kind of wish we were at the end of 2020 and were just about to transition over to 2021. We all have our particular reasons but for me it is this - this passage breaks down very neatly into three parts what we are to do, why we are to do it and how we are to do it but each of these also has seven commands or descriptions so it would be very easy to preach this as 21 things to remember for 2021. But alas we are not there and so here we are today.
Paul’s admonition to remind them is much like Peter’s words in 2 Peter 1:12
Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.
Here in Titus as in 1 Peter remind is in the present tense meaning that it is an ongoing, continuous action that we should be reminding ourselves of the commands that Paul is going to give. One of the reasons for this is that we as humans have a tendency to forget - we forget what life was like or an experience was like the further from that experience we get. These reminders are delivered to us a a way of keeping us from feeling hostility toward the unbelieving world.
What We Are To Do
What We Are To Do
Paul starts off saying that we are to be reminded to submit to rulers and authorities. Notice here that he doesn’t say to submit to just rulers and authorities. Nor does he say to submit to those authorities with whom you agree. Rome was one of the most tyrannical governments in the history of the world. Yes - they were willing to leave the local populace alone and were tolerant of other religious practices but the cult of the emperor was inviolable. The phrase “Caesar is lord” was the law of the land and an unwillingness to repeat these words was a quick path to execution. And yet no where does Paul advise the church to practice non-violent resistance to authorities. Not that the emperor was the only civic authority that posed a threat to the church.
The Greek historian Polybius wrote of Cretan society that it was almost “impossible to find personal conduct more treacherous or public policy more unjust than in Crete.”
This teaching is in keeping with the rest of the New Testament teaching regarding obedience to the government. This command is a truncated version of Paul’s instructions to the Roman church in Romans 13
Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.
So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.
And also what the Apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 2
Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority
or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good.
For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good.
Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves.
Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
It is important for us to remember that it is God who appoints and raises up leaders - no matter who is in office or what party we affiliate with. Our God is the same God who sent the Chaldeans a despotic, violent nation to chastise His people Israel. Who sent the Assyrians, another debauched nation, to scourge and enslave His people. Who allowed the Medes and Persians, the Greeks and the Romans to conquer His people. These governments were all pagan, morally debauched, oppressive, cruel and violent. Yet all of them were the God-ordained means of regulating society at that time.
Yet at no time were the Christians ever encouraged to revolt or to resist the lawful and just exercise of power by the authorities that God had put in place. Shortly following the delivery of this letter the Roman historian Tacitus will write of the torture Christians would receive at the hands of the government “Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn apart by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.”
Part of our role as submissive citizens is to undertake the role of supporting the government through prayer and petition that God would reform it where necessary and uphold it when necessary. Paul writes to Timothy
First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone,
for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
The reasons for this command are interesting as he goes on to write
This is good, and it pleases God our Savior,
who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
These are not simply to be prayers for health, wealth and a peaceful life but rather are to have an evangelistic bent to them that would lead to the subjects of our prayers - kings (or presidents) and all those who are in authority - being led to Christ. We may disagree on many things but can we all agree that the only way to truly live a peaceful life is under a government led in accordance with Biblical principles.
Part of being submissive to the government that God has put into place means being obedient to the laws and the authorities that government deems necessary to enforce good order and discipline on society. We do have responsibilities to the government that has been put in place over us. We should pay our taxes, follow the speed limit, obey the laws that have been put in place regarding fair practice in the marketplace among others. Another form of obedience is found in the passage we just looked at in 1 Timothy as we seek the best for the government that we support. This does not require blind obedience to any law however.
Acts 4 and 5 when they are twice called before the Sanhedrin for preaching in the name of Jesus.
So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide;
for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Then again they are brought back before them
After they brought them in, they had them stand before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest asked,
“Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people.
This incident resulted in the Apostles being flogged and their rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Christ.
And look this has much more to do with whether or not someone is willing to or asked to wear a mask. There is a case coming up before the Supreme Court right now called Fulton versus the city of Philadelphia that will have great bearing on how we are able to operate as Christian witnesses and institutions. The case involves the practice of a foster care agency in the city of Philadelphia - Catholic Social Services - that refused to place children with homosexual couples saying that it violated their religious practices. The city of Philadelphia cut their contract and refused to allow them to place foster children anymore. So the CSS sued the city and the case is being heard by the Supreme Court - it started last week and will continue in the coming days. This is an instance where the law of the land violated the principles the Bible has put forth and this agency felt compelled to refuse to comply.
The Equality Act is another example of the government putting into place a law that would run contrary to Biblical truth and the standards that God has determined for society. In these instances it is incumbent upon Christians to stand against laws that compromise Gospel and Biblical truth and standards. These are issues that each of us will have to wrestle with as our society continues to move further away from Biblical truth - regardless of who is in office this is the trend that has continued over the last several years.
Even as we weigh these issues Paul moves us away from a focus on the government and our responsibilities there, shifting our focus to our relations with the world outside the church. He moves on to say that we should always be ready for every good work. This is something that Christians used to be well known for - and in some diminished way we still are. When something happens - whenever there is a large scale catastrophe around the nation Christians show up in droves to help with food and material goods. Our own Inland Empire Baptist Association and Northwest Baptist Convention has disaster relief teams that serve all over - most recently at the fires down in Oregon - sharing the Gospel as the seek to meet the needs of those impacted.
But what about the small daily impacts we could make in the lives of people. Listen we will never be a church that affirms sinful lifestyles but we should always be willing to welcome and to help anyone who comes through our doors. You never realize just how much impact you can have by noticing someone. We have gotten into the habit in society of seeing some people as disposable. Those who serve us our meals at a restaurant, who ring up our groceries, who cut our hair come and go from our lives and we often may not even acknowledge them.
Since returning from Japan I have made it a point of trying to call people by their name at places that I go. One thing that I have been doing since last year is donating plasma at the CSL over on Sprague. There’s a new young lady there who has been working several weeks and has yet to be given a name tag. She was very touched the other day when I remembered her name - Megan. We never know how something so small as calling someone by their name can have a lasting impact. The ministry Big Table is another organization that is seeking to reach out to those who are easily overlooked or forgotten with kind deeds. Who is there in your life that you could serve with just a bit of kindness, just a moment of your time?
Paul doesn’t say here that our good works have to be grand gestures or massive works, rather that we just take the time to care. To seek the betterment of another human by a small sacrifice of our time. In Galatians Paul writes
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.
We should be known for being aggressively good - not out of duty but out of our love for Christ and our care for our fellow human beings.
Next Paul lists three characteristics that should mark every believer. He says that we should slander no one, to avoid fighting and to be kind. Oh what a change would take place in society if we would just follow these simple principles. If we would live by such principles as Paul gives in Romans 12
If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
and in Philippians 2
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.
Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.
Especially at the close of this contentious season where we may have been more free with our fingers than we would like. Don’t raise your hands but how many have posted a disparaging comment about someone from the other side of the issue during this political season? I remember back in 2016 when Trump was first elected the comments that were levelled at those who reacted, shall we say, poorly at the results. This is nothing new - the Cretan people were characterized by the poet Epimenides as being “liars, evil beasts and lazy glutons”. Other ancient authors made comments about their lack of ethical and moral standards.
How often are we guilty, and will be guilty again, of making the same assessments of people today? I’ve seen posts on Facebook calling people idiots and posts on Twitter calling people worse - from both sides of the issue and some even from this congregation. And this is not simply with regards to those we interact with it is with regards to the current, former or future president or any other leader. There are many people whom I disagree with and think have taken a naive stance with respect to current issues but we can never degenerate to the level of maligning their character or belittling them. What we are called to is unconditional love fostered out of a spirit of gentleness towards all people.
In Greek literature this word for gentleness was often used for a fake or feigned gentleness or hypocritical concern for others that is motivated by self-interest. But in the New Testament this word is always used for genuine consideration of others. It is the same word used in the Beatitudes for meekness or humble in the CSB
Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.
Vines Dictionary of Expository Words describes this characteristic this way “Described negatively gentleness is the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest; it is equanimity of spirit that is neither elated nor cast down, simply because it is not occupied with self at all.”
These commands relate how we as Christians, as citizens of a higher home and ambassadors of Christ, are to relate to all people. Next Paul is going to tell us why we are to act this way - again with seven descriptors of how we were.
Why We Are To Do It
Why We Are To Do It
Rather than reacting to those in society who present such an immoral agenda as abortion on demand, the mutilation of children in favor of choice, and the elevation of science as a god, we should remember that we were once blinded the same as they were. Even if you are a person who was saved in vacation bible school as an elementary school child, your heart was still dead and had to be made alive. You can still confidently say with puritan John Bradford “But for the grace of God there go I.” He actually said “But for the grace of God there goes John Bradford” but we can feel confident putting our own name there. The occasion of his comment was watching a group of convicts being led to the gallows.
Paul lists seven characteristics of our lives before we were saved that should frighten us as we think of how lost we were and embolden us as we seek to share the Gospel knowing that others are still in this condition.
We were foolish - and this seems to be the prevalent condition of lost humanity. The word here denotes a complete lack of understanding with respect to a particular area of knowledge. While we may scoff at the absurdities of climate change, evolution, common core math and other ideals the pagan world we live in espouses, this particular area of knowledge they are lacking is with respect to the saving power and plan of God. Paul talks of this foolishness in the opening chapter of 1 Corinthians
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish?
because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
It is shocking sometimes to see how the most brilliant men and women we meet have such a hard time grasping and submitting to the truths of Scripture and instead would prefer to adopt and even defend the most far reaching ideas and concepts. But they are only following in the footsteps of the father of lies who had the audacity to think that he could elevate himself equal to and above God.
Another reason we should not be shocked is the inherent condition of the human heart. Jeremiah writes
The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?
The original condition of each of our hearts is a foundational bent toward disobedience. It is this bent, passed on from Adam, that leads us to transgress God’s laws and to require the imposition of laws by human governmental authorities. Before we were saved we had no inclination towards doing the things that God desires of us or to follow His moral laws in any way. There may have been moments, and we see these among unsaved people today, where we had thoughts for another person or to look out for their good but they were only moments before we returned to our own plan, our own desires and our own flourishing at the expense of others around us.
Even those moments of philanthropy are self-deceitful. Paul says that each of us were deceived. We were deceived into thinking better of ourselves than we really were. Some continue in that vein even as they weekly darken the doors of the church convincing themselves that they are good and that they are safe. They are like the man whom Christian comes upon in Pilgrims Progress who sits in an iron cage. When Christian asks him why he is there he answers “I was once a fair and flourishing professor, both in mine own eyes, and also in the eyes of others; I once was, as I thought, fair for the Celestial City and had even joy at the thought that I should get thither.” Asked why he is in the cage now he answers “I left off to watch and be sober. I laid the reins upon the neck of my lusts; I sinned against the light of the World and the goodness of God; I have grieved the Spirit and He is gone; I tempted the devil and he is come to me; I have provoked God to anger and He has left me; I have so hardened my heart that I cannot repent.”
Notice that he was self-deceived, thinking that he was bound for the Celestial City until he fell into bondage as a result of his hard heart. Oh what a pitiful state to find ourselves in. He became enslaved to his own lusts and pleasures, willfully choosing to turn his back on the One who had promised to save him and promised him life to fulfill and to feel the momentary pleasures of this life. We should always remember that the pleasures of this life are temporary - they will come to an end - but the pleasures of Heaven, even is achieved through great suffering here, are eternal.
It is no wonder that such a life leads to malice and envy. Hatred of others who have more than you - the very opposite of equity. The very condition in which much of our society finds itself. The very ideas and ideals of the social justice movement are borne out of these two conditions. We see it in our children - it’s not fair that this person got something I didn’t. Yet it’s never enough - even when they have the exact same things it isn’t enough because they think they deserve better. And sometimes as adults we act the exact same way. We think we’re being slighted because we don’t get the same opportunities as others. And yes -sometimes there is sin involved and we should certainly express concern at that but to seek to dismantle an entire system because of perceived injustice isn’t Biblical or right…it is only the result of these two conditions envy and malice which eventually lead to the sort of hatred we see exhibited in our society.
Hatred is the fuel that currently drives our society. At the root of every complaint, every perception of injustice, every claim to racism is hatred for our fellow man. And it shouldn’t be that surprising - hatred is the natural offspring of anger and this is the first sin that we find in the Bible after Adam and Eve’s fall.
but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering. Cain was furious, and he looked despondent.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you furious? And why do you look despondent?
If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
Cain’s anger drove him to hatred and eventually murdering his brother. It led to him detesting Abel - the same condition our anger and hatred drives the unbelievers to today. Yet there is hope and Paul tells us how.
How We Are To Do It
How We Are To Do It
Paul says but when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us - not by works of righteousness that we had done but according to His mercy - through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out His spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, have been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
Now I want you to go back through those four verses - either now or later when you get home - and underline every mention of God doing something and circle every mention of us doing something. Here’s a hint - there wont be any circles. What Paul is telling us here is that salvation is a sovereign work of God and God alone.
First it was from His kindness - the same kindness that Paul tells us in Romans 2 brings us to repentance
Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
and this is the same kindness that will be displayed in us through His grace in Ephesians 2
so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
It is the kindness that Jesus highlights as He commands us to do good to our enemies
But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.
It is this kindness that causes God to bend near, to reach out His hand and to pick up the dead sinner, raising him or her to life as a demonstration of His overabundant love for mankind. God genuinely loves us - as messed up and lost as we may be - and it is His love that motivates His kindness for us in providing salvation.
For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
We looked at this verse in our Bible study this summer and sat for a while just pondering the immense truth and unfathomable reality that God genuinely loves us. And not only does He love us but He sacrificed His own Son to provide for our salvation. Nothing we did or could do earned that for us or influenced Him in any way. God doesn’t even save us because of what we’re going to do for Him - yet there are works that He has planned for us as Ephesians 2:10 tells us. He saves us out of His own good pleasure, out of His mercy and out of His grace.
For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—
not from works, so that no one can boast.
He washes us clean and renews us through His Holy Spirit. This passage is one of the clearest pictures of the Trinity and the roles of the Trinity in the process of salvation that we see in all of Scripture. We have seen God the Father who had kindness and love on mankind. We now see the Holy Spirit working to regenerate and renew the soul like David writes in Psalm 51
Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion.
Completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.
This is not a reference to the physical act of baptism but rather to the regeneration of our spirit at justification and then the continual process of sanctification as our spirit is renewed into the image of Christ.
All of this is provided for by Christ as He provides justification for us on the cross.
He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.
God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.
And it is this that transports us from the life of hatred, malice, deceit and sin of the unbeliever into the life of hope of eternal life, gentleness and genuine love for those around us as we seek to glorify the One who redeemed us and to promote His desires in our world.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Paul closes with a warning that we should each heed today - avoid foolish debates, genealogies, quarrels, and disputes about the law (the spiritual law not the laws of the land) because they are unprofitable and worthless. There will be, and are now, many opportunities for us to engage the outside, lost world in foolish debates, quarrels and disputes but they are unprofitable and worthless. If we seek to represent Christ we should distance ourselves from them, being known more for the strengths of the first seven attributes the Paul lists than a tendency toward the seven that characterize what we once were. We have been saved, regenerated and justified by the Trinitarian God to whom we owe our allegiance and our loyalty as we seek to be His ambassadors on earth.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”