SERMON: BUT WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Matthew 16:13-15 [read Matthew 16:13-15]

 

Matthew 16:13-15 (NIV)

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

 

            -- I heard a story about this little boy who was in a family member's wedding -- as the wedding procession made its way down the aisle, the little boy would take two steps -- and then he’d stop and turn to face the crowd -- while facing the crowd, he would put his hands up like claws and roar -- then he'd take two more steps, face the other side, and do the same thing

            -- so he did this the whole way to altar -- two steps -- stop -- and roar -- by the time he got to the altar with the rest of the wedding party, the entire church was rolling in laughter and the little boy got upset and started crying -- his mother came and got him and took him back to her seat -- she said, "What were you doing?" -- he said, "They told me I was supposed to be the ring bear”

 

            -- it's a funny story -- but if you think about it, the behavior of the little boy as he made his down the aisle was kind of like a game of charades -- it was almost like the little boy was asking the crowd the question, "Who am I?" -- but no one could figure it out -- and his mother had to ask him to find out who he was

            -- this question -- "Who am I?" -- is the most important question that has ever been asked -- over two thousand years ago, Jesus asked this question to His disciples -- and He continues to ask it of us today -- and just like the little boy who was the ring bear, a lot of people don’t know the answer to this question

            -- but this is the question that we must answer, and answer right -- because the answer to this question has real and eternal implications

 

            -- this week marks the start of the season of Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday on March 5th this year

-- Lent -- also known as the Lenten Season -- is a 40-day liturgical season of penitence, reflection, prayer and worship -- The season of Lent is not in the Bible -- It was started in the early days of the church as a period of remembrance of Christ and preparation for baptism and the celebration of Easter

-- during this season, new converts would be instructed in the faith -- they would undergo catechism and receive intensive lessons on who Christ was, what it meant to follow Christ, and on the ultimate sacrifice that He made for us on the cross of Calvary.

            -- For those who were already Christians, Lent was a time of reflection on their lives and their Christian walks in preparation for the rededication of their lives to Christ on Easter morning -- typically, this would be a time of fasting and prayer for the believers

            -- for us today, Lent is a time when we reflect on our mortality, our sinfulness, and our need for the Savior who suffered and died so that we might be forgiven of our sins and gain eternal life with Him -- and it’s a time for us to consider the question that Jesus asked -- “Who Am I?” -- and to reflect on our answer to that question

            -- so, for the next seven weeks -- up through Easter morning -- we are going to be looking at a series of messages to help us answer Jesus’ question, “Who Am I?”, by looking at the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus from the Book of John

            -- to get us started, I wanted us to look at the passage from the Book of Matthew where Jesus originally asked this question of His disciples

 

II.  Who Am I? -- turn in Bible to Matthew 16:13-15

            -- so, please look back with me at Matthew 16:13-14 [read Matthew 16:13-14]

 

Matthew 16:13-14 (NIV)

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

 

            -- as this passage opens, we see Jesus and His disciples traveling and ministering through the regions of Galilee and Judea -- Jesus had been attracting a lot of people who were really just coming for the entertainment of it all -- for the novelty

-- they gathered to hear Him preach and followed Him in hopes of seeing Him do a miracle -- and during this period of His ministry, Jesus was doing both -- just before this passage opens up, Jesus had miraculously fed the crowds for the second time, feeding over 4000 people with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish after teaching them all day

-- so, seeing the crowds and knowing their hearts, Jesus asked the question of His disciples, "Why? -- Why are these people following Me? -- Who do they say I am?"

            -- His disciples told Him that some said He was John the Baptist -- others said He was Elijah -- some that He was Jeremiah or another prophet -- none of them saw Him for who He truly was

 

            -- do you know what this tells me? -- the people in Jesus' day answered the question of who Jesus was based on their perception of Jesus -- on how He looked to them -- on how He engaged with them -- on what others told them about Him

            -- some saw Him change the water to wine, and called Him “magician” -- others watched as He healed the sick, and called Him “physician” -- some remembered Him working in His father's shop, and called Him “carpenter” -- others heard His teaching, and called Him, “Rabbi” -- but it was very few that called Him, “Master”

            -- many would not look at Jesus objectively, but chose to answer the question based on their own biases and preconceived notions -- Jesus' brothers saw Him as a lunatic -- the priests saw Him as a threat -- the Pharisees called Him unrighteous, because He didn't follow their religious rules -- the Sadducees saw Him as a heretic, because of His teachings on the resurrection

            -- everyone had an opinion about Jesus and who He was -- and they still do

            -- if you were to stop ten random people around town today and ask them, “Who is Jesus?” -- you’ll still get a variety of answers

            -- but the answer to the question, "Who do people say I am?" really isn't what is important -- the important question is in the next verse

 

            -- verse 15

 

Matthew 16:15 (NIV)

15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

 

            -- "BUT what about you?  Who do you say I am?"

            -- It really doesn't matter what others say or think about Jesus -- it doesn't matter what some TV show or article you read on the internet this week tells you about Jesus -- it doesn't even matter what a church or preacher or even your own family tells you about Him

            -- what matters is your answer to this question

            -- "But, what about you?  Who do you say I am?" -- You know what the others say about Me, but what about you? Who am I to you?"

 

            -- this is a question that every one of us here is going to have to answer at some point in our lives -- if not on earth, then in eternity -- and our answer will have eternal implications

 

            -- as we begin this series on knowing Jesus based on who He tells us He is in His “I Am” statements, I want us to look at two men who were forced to answer the question, “But who do you say I am?,” during Holy Week -- and as we look at their stories, think about how you would have answered if you had been in their place

           

III.  Jesus Washes the Disciples Feet -- John 13:1-10

            -- turn over to John Chapter 13, and while you're doing that, let me give you the context of this passage

            -- This passage tells us about the events that occurred on Thursday night of Holy Week -- the night before the Passover -- this is the day we call Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday -- the term "Maundy" comes from the Latin "Dies Mandati" -- the day of the Commandment -- which refers to Jesus' command for His disciples to love one another

            -- this was the night when Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples in the upper room and then was betrayed into the hands of the chief priests in the Garden of Gethsemane

 

-- look at verse 1-5 [read John 13:1-5]

 

John 13:1-5 (NIV)

1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.

3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;

4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.

5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

 

-- As we look at this passage in detail, don't forget the question that will be asked and that must be answered this night in the upper room -- "But, who do you say I am?"

-- the first thing we see is that Jesus knew the answer to that question -- He knew who He was -- in verse 1 we read, "Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father" and over in verse 3, it says, "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God."

-- Jesus knew who He was, but what about the disciples? -- at this point, they had been with Him for three years -- they had seen all the miracles -- they had seen Him heal the sick -- cast demons out of the possessed -- and walk on water across the Sea of Galilee -- they had heard His teaching -- they had seen His power -- they had heard what others thought of Jesus -- but had they come to know who Jesus really was for themselves?

 

-- that night in the upper room, Jesus is serving as the host of the supper, an important position.  But as the meal progresses, He gets up, takes off His outer clothes, wraps a towel around His waist and begins to wash the disciples’ feet

-- You need to understand the significance of this and what it meant in Jesus' day for someone to wash another's feet

-- In that time, open sandals were the most common footwear, and it was customary for guests to leave their sandals at the door when they entered a house, because their sandals and feet would have been extremely dirty with dust from the road -- it was considered impolite to come into another's house with dirty feet

-- therefore, it was customary for guests to have their feet washed by the lowest servant or slave in the house -- any servant who was assigned the dirty job of washing a guest's feet was automatically considered the one who doesn't count, the unimportant, expendable slave.

-- the disciples had entered the upper room with the idea that Jesus was the Messiah, the promised earthly king who was going to run the Romans out of Israel and establish His kingdom in Jerusalem -- in fact, they had been quarreling among themselves over who would be the greatest in His kingdom -- they still did not fully understand who Jesus was even though they had been with Him for three years

-- and now they watched in horror as the man they thought was the Messiah -- the man they thought was going to be their king -- got up and began washing their feet

-- they’re confused -- they don’t understand -- even Simon Peter, who once declared Jesus to be the Son of God, doesn’t know what is going on or why Jesus would be doing this -- and so, he sits there, watching, as Jesus works His way around the room, getting ever closer. 

-- Finally, Jesus makes it over to Him.  Peter looks down at His Messiah, acting not like a king but a servant, and reaching for his feet to wash them -- and at that moment, he has to make a decision about who Jesus is

 

-- That is why Peter responds as he does in verse 6

 

John 13:6 (NIV)

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

 

-- It's not possible for us to relate the emotions involved in this verse in English like in the original Greek.  But the closest we can come would be for Peter to say, "You?  You, Lord?  You are going to wash my feet?"

-- Peter can't believe what is going on.  How can Jesus be acting this way? -- Then Jesus responds

 

-- verse 7 

 

John 13:7 (NIV)

7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

 

-- What is going on here?  What is the real issue?  Jesus knows His time is short.  He knows He is about to be poured out as a sin offering for all, so by becoming the lowest, by becoming the servant and washing the disciple's feet, He is forcing them to hear and answer the question that still rings today, "BUT, who do you say I am?"

 

-- verse 8a

 

John 13:8a (NIV)

⁸ "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."

 

-- Peter affirms what he has said before.  "NO, you are God.  You are the Messiah.  You will never wash my feet.  You cannot stoop so low."

-- Peter has made his decision.  He has answered the question already -- when Jesus first asked that question of His disciples, it was Peter who answered, "You are the Christ -- the Son of the living God"

-- many people say that to Jesus today -- but do they mean it? -- do they believe it? -- do they live it?

 

-- look back at the second part of verse 8b-10

 

John 13:8b-10 (NIV)

8b. Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

9 "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

10 Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you."

 

-- Do you see?  When Jesus grabbed the basin and towel, He forced the question to be asked and answered -- it was the answer from Peter that made him clean -- it wasn't the water 

-- The answer from Peter that Jesus was the Lord -- that Jesus was the Christ -- cleansed him from head to foot as if he had taken a bath.  The question was asked and answered, and Peter's answer resulted in salvation.

-- Now let's look at another example where water was involved in the decision.

 

IV.  Pilate Washes His Hands 

            -- Turn over to John Chapter 18

            -- while you're doing that, let me give you the context once again -- this passage takes place on the day after the Last Supper -- early Friday morning.

            -- by this time, Jesus has been arrested by the temple guards and all the disciples have fled -- including Peter, who, despite correctly answering the question, “Who do you say I am?” ended up denying knowing Jesus three times that night

-- for the rest of that night, Jesus was questioned by Caiaphas and Annas and the other temple priests

            -- as this passage opens, it is now early morning, and the Jews are taking Jesus to Pontius Pilate for judgment and punishment

 

            -- look at verse 28-32

 

John 18:28-32 (NIV)

28 Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.

29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?"

30 "If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you."

31 Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected.

32 This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.

 

            -- All night the Jews had questioned Jesus -- they had asked Him repeatedly, "Who are you?" and waited for Him to answer. 

            -- but as He stood there and endured their questions and their persecutions, the question that Jesus first asked His disciples filled the room and their hearts -- “You have heard my teaching -- you have seen my miracles -- you have seen Me in the holy scriptures -- I have done all I can to show you who I am -- now answer this: Who do you say I am?”

            -- the answer was obvious, but their hardened hearts and their bondage to tradition and the law would not let them answer as they should -- instead of answering as Peter, they responded to the question, “Who do you say I am?” by saying, “Blasphemer -- Heretic -- Sinner” -- they say Jesus as someone who should be executed -- so, they hauled him off to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, to be tried before the Roman court

            -- and that question followed Jesus to Pilate's front door -- "But who do you say I am?"

            -- Pilate tried to avoid the question -- in verse 31 he tried to hand him back over to the Jews, but they persisted, so Pilate ordered Jesus to appear before him

            -- the lesson from this is that you can't avoid the question -- everyone has to answer it for themselves

 

            -- verse 33. 

 

John 18:33 (NIV)

33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

 

            -- Pilate asks the same question that the Jews had been asking Jesus all night.  The same question that the disciples had asked each day they were with Him.  The same question that the people asked when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday.  "Are you the king of the Jews?" -- a reasonable question in light of the charges against Him

            -- but see how Jesus answered. 

 

            -- verse 34

 

John 18:34 (NIV)

34 "Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"

 

            -- Pay attention to what Jesus did in response to Pilate’s question -- how He answered Pilate's question with another, more important question.  Pilate knew about Jesus.  He had to have known about Him. 

-- Here was a man who was worshipped by the multitude just 5 days before when He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.  Here was a man who attracted so many people that he caused a disturbance when he entered the city and when he walked around. 

-- Here was the man who had caused a disturbance in the temple by overturning the money changer's table and turning loose the sacrificial animals

-- Here was a man who attracted more attention in Jerusalem than Pilate himself.

           

-- The Romans ruled Jerusalem.  They kept peace there.  Surely, if someone was causing a problem or creating a disturbance, the Romans would know about it and would keep tabs on them.  The Romans were worried about rebellion and insurrection, and they would have kept an eye out for anyone who might cause a problem.  In fact, they had arrested Barabbas for that very reason -- because he was popular with the people and was inciting them to rebellion.  Surely, they would have paid attention to one like Jesus who attracted crowds wherever He went.

            -- Pilate may not have ever seen Jesus personally, but he must have known about him.  In fact, we see in Matthew's gospel that Pilate's own wife went to him and told him not to have anything to do with Jesus.  Pilate's whole household had heard of this man who the people claimed was the king of the Jews, the son of God.

            -- That is why Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews.  When he saw the Jews coming with Jesus in their possession, he knew that this was why Jesus was arrested. 

-- And so, he asks Jesus if he was the king of the Jews.  And Jesus responds by asking Pilate back, "Is this your own idea or was it what you heard from others?"

            -- Once again Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter.  Pilate had heard the testimony of the witnesses.   He himself had either observed Jesus directly or had others do so and report to him.  He knew what others thought.  He knew who Jesus claimed to be. 

            -- So, Jesus turns the question back on Pilate and says, "You've heard what others say.  You've heard what I say.  Now, what do you say?  Who do you say I am?"

 

            -- verse 35

 

John 18:35 (NIV)

35 "Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?" John 18:35 (NIV)

 

-- Once again, we see Pilate trying to get out of answering the question -- "I'm not a Jew," he says.  "I don't have to answer your question."  -- Pilate does everything he can to avoid answering Jesus directly.

 

            -- verse 36-38a

 

John 18:36-38a (NIV)

36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

37 "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

38 "What is truth?" Pilate asked.

 

            -- Now we can see the true conflict in Pilate.  He wants to believe.  The answer is written on his heart.  It is written on all our hearts. 

            -- Even before we heard about Jesus, we knew the truth about God.  That is why God says in Romans 1 -- "what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

            -- We have no excuse.  We know the truth.  Pilate knows the truth in his heart, but his head and his position won't let him answer the question that Jesus asks. 

             -- So, he avoids answering the question by responding, "What is truth?"  -- This is a man who wants to do the right thing, but doesn't want to commit -- However, non-commitment is not an option.

 

            -- verse 38b-40

 

John 18:38b-40 (NIV)

38b. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.

39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"

40 They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.  

 

            -- Pilate tries once more to pass the buck -- to get out of answering the question.  He offers Jesus back to the Jews, but they refuse.  They have made their decision.  They have answered the question -- now Pilate must answer it for himself

 

            -- Please turn over now to Matthew Chapter 27 and let's finish Pilate's story up there.

            -- Matthew 27, verse 24. 

 

Matthew 27:24 (NIV)

24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"

 

            -- The Jews tried to force Pilate to make a decision -- to answer the question that Jesus had asked, "But, who do you say I am?" -- but Pilate wouldn’t do it

            -- rather than answering directly, Pilate tried to release Jesus time and time again, but the Jews disagreed -- finally in desperation, Pilate takes a basin of water and washes his hands and says, "I am innocent of this man's blood." 

            -- Pilate thinks that by doing this act, by washing his hands, that he can relieve himself of responsibility, that he can avoid having to answer the question.  Pilate thinks that he can just be neutral and take neither side.  But he can't -- anymore than we can.

            -- Jesus said that those who are not for him are against him -- Either you are for Jesus or you are against Jesus.  You cannot be neutral on an issue like this.  You cannot be apathetic on an issue like this. 

            -- Either you choose to be for Jesus or you choose to be against Him.  Either you name Him as your Lord and Savior, as the Son of God, or you deny His deity.  There is no other choice.

            -- And so, Pilate ultimately answered the question when he did not proclaim Jesus as the King of the Jews and let Him go, but instead tried to wash his hands of the issue.

 

V.  Closing

            -- This morning, we have looked at the stories of two men -- each who were faced with a question that neither wanted to answer. 

            -- Both stories had a common theme -- Both men faced a similar dilemma -- Both men were asked by Jesus -- a carpenter from Nazareth -- a teacher -- a healer -- a miracle worker -- the same question, "Who do YOU say I am?" 

            -- And in both cases, water was there -- in both cases, water represented the path that each man chose to take -- water that represented the answer that each man made.

 

            -- The Bible tells us that there is a river that runs from the throne of grace -- it is this river -- it was this water -- that intercepted the lives of Peter and Pilate that week so many years ago. 

            -- On this river there is a fork -- representing different paths to take -- representing the two answers to the question that Jesus asked, "Who do you say I am?"

            -- Peter took the right fork and continued down the river of cleansing provided by the Holy Spirit, washed clean and born anew when he accepted Jesus as the Christ, as His Lord and Savior.  Peter took the fork that led to God.

            -- Pilate took the wrong fork, he tried to wash his hands of Christ, and ended up traveling down the river of despair, drifting further and further away from God.

 

            -- Like Peter and Pilate, we are all traveling on this river.  The current is sweeping us along and we are coming to a fork and we must make a decision.  We must make a choice.  We must pick a side.  We must answer the question from Jesus, "Who do you say I am?"

            -- A choice is demanded -- we have to pick our direction

            -- We can do what we want with Jesus.  We can study His life.  We can study His theology.  We can reflect on the prophecies about Him.  We can hear what others say about Him. 

            -- But the one thing we can't do is to walk away in neutrality.  The one thing we can't do is to refuse to make a decision.  No fence-sitting is permitted.  That is one luxury that God doesn't permit.

            -- Either we allow Jesus to wash our feet and make our body and souls and spirits clean -- or we wash our hands of Him -- Either we side with Peter or we side with Pilate -- Either we believe Jesus is the Son of God or we don't.

 

            -- Jesus is here right now and he's asking you a question..."Who do you say I am?"  How will you answer?

 

            -- Let us pray.

 

SERMON: BITTER OR BETTER?

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Genesis 37:1-5

 

Genesis 37:1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.

 

2 This is the account of Jacob’s family line.

 

Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

 

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate[a] robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

 

5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.

 

            -- a few weeks ago, we got to experience one of those very unusual events for us here in south Georgia -- an unprecedented snowfall that actually accumulated and gave us a glimpse of what the majority of the country experiences every winter

-- snow is something that we are just not used to here in south Georgia -- but it was amazing watching that snow drop down -- I remember when Kim and I moved to Tennessee, and in our first weekend in our new home, we had a big snowfall -- the snow wasn’t like that that fell on us a few weeks ago, which was mixed with sleet and freezing rain -- this was one of those snows like you see in the Hallmark movies -- one of those snows with big fluffy flakes falling so slowly to the ground that you could actually watch each individual flake as it fell gently from the sky to the ground

-- I was reading an article this week, and I was reminded of a fact that we all know -- that each of those snowflakes that fell on us that night were unique --  as Wilson Bentley proved with his photographs of snowflakes taken around the turn of the 20th century, "no two snowflakes are alike" -- we all know that -- we've all heard that -- and you can go look at Bentley's photographs and see that for yourself

            -- but here's the question -- why? -- why are no two snowflakes alike? -- have you ever thought of that?

            -- well, the reason each snowflake is different is because each snowflake bears the scars of its journey from the sky to the ground -- each flake starts out the same -- they all start out as crystals of ice within a cloud, formed by freezing temperatures

            -- but each crystal experiences different factors in their short lives which affect their final shape -- things like the temperature of the sky as they are being formed -- the altitude of the cloud from which it fell -- the trajectory the wind took it as it fell to earth -- and a thousand other factors -- all of these factors come together to influence the shape of the snowflake into what we see when it hits the ground

 

            -- in other words, each snowflake that we see is the result of its response to the things of life that it experienced on its way to earth -- and that’s why they are all unique

            -- people are the same way -- you are who you are because of your response to the things that you have experienced so far in your life -- and the person that you are becoming -- the person that you will be at the end of your life -- is all dependent on how you respond to your future experiences in life, especially the trials and tribulations

            -- as Drew Barrymore said, “I never regret anything, because every little detail of your life is what made you into who you are in the end.”

 

            -- when trials and tribulations come our way, there are really only two options for us -- we can either react or we can respond

            -- when we react to something, we are allowing the external event that we are experiencing to dictate what we do -- we act without thinking, and we allow the experience to shape our attitudes and feelings

            -- but, when we respond to something, we make a choice about what we are going to do and what we are going to think and feel about what is happening to us -- rather than just thinking and feeling and acting automatically, we choose how we will deal with the experience and how we will receive it in our lives

            -- to put it a different way -- when something bad happens to you -- when someone hurts you -- when you suffer a tragedy in your life -- when trials and tribulations come your way -- you can either react and allow the experience to shape you -- or you can respond and choose how you will allow yourself to be changed as a result of that experience

            -- and what you do affects who you will become -- the type of person you will be -- both now and in the future

 

II.  The Life of Joseph

            -- this morning, I want us to look again at the story of Joseph, one of the patriarchs of the nation of Israel -- we looked at his story a few years ago from the perspective of dreaming and living into the promise of God, regardless of what we are going through

-- this morning, I want us to look at this passage again from the perspective of how we should act when the storms of life come upon us and we experience trials and tribulations in our lives, just like Joseph

-- our choice is either to react or to respond -- but here’s the key -- reacting to trials and tribulations instead of responding to them can make us bitter and cynical and hard-hearted -- but when we learn to respond and trust God in these situations, God uses them to make us better -- and we come through to the other side more like Jesus

-- we see this truth in the great verse that we all know from Romans 8:28 -- “For in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose” -- this verse doesn’t say all things are good -- but for those who respond and trust God, He takes all the things that happen to us and brings good out of it -- just like He does with Joseph

-- so, let’s look at Joseph’s story now and see what we can learn from him

 

            -- look back at verse 1

 

Genesis 37:1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.

 

2 This is the account of Jacob’s family line.

 

Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

 

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate[a] robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

 

5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

 

8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

 

9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

 

10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

 

            -- here we are introduced to Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham

            -- Jacob had 12 sons who were born to him by four different women -- so, Joseph had 10 half-brothers and one full brother, Benjamin, who was the youngest son

            -- Joseph was the oldest son of Rachel, Jacob's first love -- and because of this, we read here that Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other sons -- he was the favorite -- he was pampered -- and he was put ahead of the others -- and this made the brothers jealous and angry

            -- and when Jacob gave Joseph a special ornamented robe -- the coat of many colors, as most of us know it as -- things got worse -- we read in verse 4 that the brothers hated Joseph and could not speak a kind word to him

            -- and, if the favoritism by Jacob wasn’t bad enough to cause relationship problems with his brothers, Joseph kept doing things that made his brothers even more angry at him -- this chapter actually starts off by saying Joseph gave a bad report about the brothers to his father -- he told on them and they got in trouble -- and now Joseph has a dream that just ticks everybody off

-- as it says in verse 4, they couldn't even say a kind word to him -- they hated him with all of their being -- which explains what happens next

-- Joseph had a dream where all the sheaves of grain in the field bowed down to his sheaf of grain -- well, it’s pretty obvious what the interpretation is -- Joseph dreamed that he was going to be in charge of the family and that all of his older brothers were going to bow down to him

            -- you can imagine how the brothers took it when Joseph shared his dreams with them -- they already hated him, but we read here in verse 8 that they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said -- you know nothing good is going to come from this

 

            -- skip over to verse 17b-24

 

Genesis 37:17b So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

 

19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”

 

21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.

 

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

 

            -- Jacob had sent Joseph out to help his brothers in the field with the flocks, but when they looked up and saw him coming, their hatred just poured out of them -- and they came up with a plan -- they were going to kill him and then tell their father that he was killed by an animal

            -- Reuben convinced them to not kill Joseph immediately but to throw him into a cistern and wait until he got back -- so they stripped Joseph of his robe and of all his money and possessions and threw him into a dry cistern and sat down to eat

 

            -- verse 25-28

 

Genesis 37:25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

 

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.

 

28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

 

-- now skip over to verse 36

 

Genesis 37:36 Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.

 

            -- so, while Reuben was away, the other brothers sold Joseph to the Midianites as a slave, who took him to Egypt to sell down there for a profit

            -- now, I want you to get a picture in your mind of what has just happened to Joseph -- here is a boy -- 17 years old -- who has been his father's favorite -- he grew up in the lap of luxury -- Jacob was rich and Joseph enjoyed the finer things of life -- he grew up as the favored son of a rich man, with robes and rings and all kinds of wealth and possessions

            -- but, now, Joseph's life has taken a drastic turn -- his brothers, who hated him with a passion and who wanted to kill him, have sold him into slavery -- in one moment, Joseph has gone from being the son of a ruler to being a slave in a caravan headed to Egypt  -- his life of luxury and ease and privilege was gone in a moment, and now all he has to look forward to was a life of burden and toil and pain

            -- Joseph has a choice to make at this point -- he can either react or he can respond -- he can either be bitter or he can be better

            -- there's nothing else he can do -- he's powerless -- he can't change the situation -- he can't buy himself out of slavery -- he can't call on his father's good graces -- for right or wrong, from this point on, Joseph is a slave and will probably remain so for the rest of his life

            -- the only thing he can control is his response to the situation

 

            -- Joseph's situation reminds me of a story I read one time about two monks who were walking through the countryside -- They were on their way to another village to help bring in the crops -- As they walked, they spied an old woman sitting at the edge of a river -- She was upset because there was no bridge, and she could not get across on her own

            -- The first monk told her, "We will carry you across if you would like." -- and she gratefully accepted their help -- So the two men joined hands, lifted her between them and carried her across the river -- When they got to the other side, they set her down, and she went on her way.

            -- After they had walked about another mile, the second monk began to complain -- "Look at my clothes," he said. "They are filthy from carrying that woman across the river -- And my back still hurts from lifting her -- I can feel it getting stiff." -- The first monk just smiled and nodded his head.

            -- A few more miles up the road, the second monk griped again, "My back is hurting me so badly, and it is all because we had to carry that silly woman across the river! I cannot go any farther because of the pain." -- The first monk looked down at his partner, now lying on the ground, moaning. "Have you wondered why I am not complaining?" he asked. "Your back hurts because you are still carrying the woman. But I set her down five miles ago."

            -- That is what many of us are like in dealing with our problems -- with the tragedies and trials and tribulations of life -- We are like that second monk who can't let go -- We hold the pain of the past in our hearts and we become bitter and continue to carry burdens over things that we can't change [adapted from: Dr. Anthony T. Evans, Guiding Your Family in a Misguided World.]

 

            -- the question is what should we do when life lets us down? -- when things don't go our way just as they're not going for Joseph here in this passage? -- do we react or respond? -- do we become bitter, or do we choose to become better?

 

            -- let's look at what Joseph did -- skip over to Chapter 39:1-5

 

Genesis 39:1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

 

2 The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field

 

            -- Joseph was made a slave against his will -- but rather than gripe and complain -- rather than allow the situation to make him bitter and affect his spirit, Joseph chose to trust in God's providence and to respond to the situation in the best way possible

            -- he embraced his new role -- he excelled in his new role -- and we read in verse 2 that the Lord was with Joseph, and he prospered -- he ended up living in his master's house and being put in charge of all that his master owned

            -- what would have happened if Joseph had rebelled? -- what would have happened if Joseph had reacted and become bitter? -- more than likely he would have been sent to the fields to work out his days with hard labor -- but because he chose to put the past behind him and set down the burden that he was carrying, he made the best of the situation and God worked in his life to bring beauty out of the ashes -- to bring good out of the tragedy that had befallen him

 

            -- but, Joseph's story doesn't end there -- we read in the rest of this chapter that Joseph was well-built and handsome, and he attracted the attention of Potiphar's wife -- she wanted to sleep with him -- and when he resisted her advances -- even to the point of running from her grasp leaving his cloak behind -- she ended up claiming that he tried to rape her

 

            -- look at verse 19-20a

 

Genesis 39:19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

 

            -- so, things for Joseph have gone from bad to worse -- he's gone from being the son of a rich man in the Promised Land to being a slave and now he's thrown into prison for something that he didn't do

            -- if anyone had the right to complain, it was Joseph -- if anyone had the right to become bitter, it was Joseph -- none of this was his fault -- he didn't cause any of this -- but he's having to suffer the consequences none-the-less

            -- once again, Joseph is faced with a situation that demands a choice -- does he react with bitterness or does he respond with faith and trust in the Lord?

 

            -- look at the second part of verse 20b-23

 

Genesis 39:20b But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

            -- once again, Joseph chooses to respond rather than react -- he chooses to put down his burden and to accept his new role, trusting that God will be with him, even in prison

            -- and we see in verse 21 that the Lord was with him again -- God worked in Joseph's life and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden, and Joseph ended up being put in charge of the entire prison

 

            -- but once again, Joseph's story doesn't end there -- while he was in prison, he made the acquaintance of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker, who had been thrown into prison because they had angered Pharaoh

-- at one point, they both had dreams that they didn’t understand -- but Joseph was given the interpretation by God, and he told them that the cupbearer would be restored to his position serving Pharaoh -- Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him and plead his case before Pharaoh, but when the cupbearer was released from prison, he forgot

            -- it wasn't until two years later, when Pharaoh had a dream that he didn't understand, that the cupbearer remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him -- Pharaoh had Joseph brought from prison to the palace to interpret the dream for him

            -- when Joseph told Pharaoh what his dream meant, Pharaoh realized that Joseph was wise and discerning and that God was with him, so he put Joseph in charge of the whole land of Egypt -- giving Joseph his signet ring, dressing him in fine robes, and allowing him to ride in Pharaoh's chariot as his second-in-command

            -- while Joseph's story goes on through the rest of the book of Genesis, let's end this account by looking at the naming of Joseph's two sons, because this speaks to how Joseph chose to respond to the trials and tribulations in his life rather than reacting and becoming bitter

 

            -- skip over to Chapter 41, and we'll end by reading verses 50-52

 

Genesis 41:50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. 51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

 

            -- here we see the heart of Joseph -- here we see how Joseph was able to endure so many hardships -- from being a prince in the land of Canaan to going to the pit -- from being raised from the pit to go into slavery -- from being thrown into prison and being forgotten by those he helped -- it all comes down to how Joseph responded when troubles fell on him

            -- rather than reacting in anger and bitterness, Joseph responded with faith and trust -- and we see that choice reflected in the naming of his sons

            -- Joseph named his first son Manasseh, which means "forget" in Hebrew, because he said God made him forget all his troubles and all the pains that he had suffered

            -- he named his second son Ephraim, which means "twice fruitful," because God had made Joseph prosper despite his circumstances

            -- Joseph was able to respond rather than react because he trusted God -- he had faith that God would be with him and help him in all situations -- especially in the tragedies and trials and tribulations that he was facing

            -- and it made him into the man we see portrayed for us in the Bible -- a man of faith, wisdom, and grace who lived a right relationship with God

 

III.  Closing

            -- while none of us may face the situations that Joseph faced, every single one of us face problems and burdens in our lives -- we have to deal with people who hate us and people that we don't like -- we have to deal with difficult family members -- we have to face sickness and accidents -- we get treated unfairly -- we get accused of doing things that we didn't do

            -- we get cheated -- we get stepped on -- we get overlooked -- we get disrespected -- we get fired for no reason -- every day brings with it new problems and new pains that we have to face

            -- but it also brings with it opportunities for growth and grace -- as the Bible says, God's mercies are new every morning, and He gives us the grace that we need to respond to whatever comes our way

            -- as Joseph's experience shows us, problems often provide us with greater opportunities -- they can promote our spiritual maturity -- they can help us become more like Jesus if we choose to respond to them in a godly way

            -- problems prove our integrity -- and they produce a sense of dependence as we are forced to rely on God and trust in Him to see us through

            -- and problems prepare our hearts for ministry -- they make us more empathetic -- who better to help another person through a pain in their life than someone who has already walked down that road and survived?

 

            -- as we close, I want to leave you with one final story -- a true story of a man who faced adversity in his life but who chose to respond rather than to react -- who put down his burdens and moved forward in faith rather than letting the past dictate his future

            -- this man had a hard life from the start -- when he was seven years old, his family was forced out of their home on a legal technicality, and he had to work to help support them -- At age nine, his mother died -- At 22, he lost his job as a store clerk

            -- He wanted to go to law school, but his education wasn't good enough and he couldn't get in -- At 23, he went into debt to become a partner in a small store -- At 26, his business partner died, leaving him a huge debt that took years to repay. -- At 28, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to marry him. She said no -- he finally married and had children, but at 41, his four-year-old son died

            -- all along the way, he could have given up -- he could have gotten bitter -- he could have gone through life as a victim, saying, "Woe is me" -- but each time, he got up and tried again

            -- in his thirties, he decided to try his hand at politics -- At 37, on his third try, he was elected to Congress, but failed to be reelected and only served one term -- At 45, he ran for the Senate and lost -- At 47, he failed as the vice-presidential candidate -- At 49, he ran for the Senate again, and lost

            -- a life of tragedy -- a life of failure -- a life like Joseph's -- but each time, this man refused to quit -- and finally, when he was 51 years old, Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States, and is considered one of the greatest leaders this country ever had -- would he have been as great a president if he had not suffered through so much and responded with faith and trust in God -- choosing to be better and not bitter because of his experiences? -- I suspect not

 

            -- there is a lesson that we can learn from the stories of people like Lincoln and Joseph

            -- we are not so different from them -- we are just like Abraham Lincoln -- just like Joseph -- and just like the snowflakes that I told you about at the start of this message

-- we can't control what happens to us -- bad things are going to happen -- we are going to suffer loss and heartache and difficulties -- and there's nothing we can do about it -- we can't change the things that we go through in life

            -- but, we can choose what we do in response to these things -- we can either react or respond -- we can either live in the past and continue to carry our burdens and become bitter people -- or we can get up and live with an eye to the future -- trusting in the hope that we have in Christ and becoming better people through God's grace

            -- so, when trials come our way, we can either react or respond -- we can shake our fists at heaven and cry out, “Why me?” -- or we can raise our hands in prayer and trust in God’s promise that He is with us and will never leave us or forsake us

-- and the choice we make will determine who we become -- bitter or better

-- I pray that you will all choose the better way

 

-- so, as we close now in prayer, take a moment and consider how you have been responding to the things that have happened to you in life -- and whether you need to change your ways to better reflect faith and trust in God so that you might be better and not bitter -- so that you might experience His grace and His presence in a real and mighty way in your life -- the choice is yours -- choose wisely

            -- let us pray

SERMON: THE Trustworthy Sayings of Paul -- MESSAGE 5

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Titus 3:1-8

 

Titus 3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

 

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

 

-- When the author Robert Louis Stevenson was a young child, he was sick much of the time -- He couldn’t go out and play like the other children, so all he could do was sit at the window and look outside at the other children playing and life just passing him by

-- one day, Stevenson continued to sit at the window till well after dark -- too dark to see anything through it -- his nurse noticed him sitting there and said to him, “What are you doing?” -- Stevenson looked out of the window and watched the gasman light the lanterns along the street -- “I’m watching the man knock holes in the darkness.”

-- in a very real sense, this is what our series on the trustworthy or faithful sayings of Paul has been about -- in these five statements of Paul, we are presented the foundational truths of the gospel -- the very words that turned this world upside down in the days of the early church and that continue to reverberate through our world today -- changing lives and transforming hearts for Christ

-- as His people, called by His name, it is our charge to knock holes in the darkness by knowing these statements -- by knowing the word of God -- and by carrying these words into this dark world as the harbingers of light, so that those who are living in darkness might see the light and be drawn into the light of love, forgiveness, and eternal life through Christ

 

-- today, in our last message in this series, we find ourselves in Titus Chapter 3 -- Titus was another one of Paul’s disciples -- a pastor who ministered on the island nation of Crete

-- Crete was one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea -- it was about 140 miles long and 35 miles wide, and may have been the original home of the Philistine people

-- during Paul’s day, the people of Crete were known as being corrupt, immoral, and ungodly people -- as Paul himself described them in Titus 1:12, quoting from one of their very own poets, “The Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, and lazy gluttons”

-- they were not a nice people, but in the darkness of this place, the light of God was blossoming -- there were Jews from Crete at Pentecost, and when they returned home, they apparently carried the gospel and the light of Christ with them -- and now, having found a group of believers in this place, Paul has called Titus to come and serve them and help them continue to grow in grace and not turn back to the darkness where they had once lived

-- in this short letter, Paul gives practical instruction to Titus on how to pastor these people and what to teach them -- and here in the third chapter, we find our last trustworthy statement -- a summary of the gospel which Paul gave to Titus to inspire and encourage the Cretans so they might live a godly life as they sought to follow Christ in that place

 

II.  Scripture Lesson (Titus 3:1-8)

 

            -- so, with that introduction, let us turn now to the Scriptures and see what we might learn from Paul’s instructions to Titus

            -- let’s begin with verse 3, and we’ll start there

 

Titus 3:3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

 

            -- as I said, this last, lengthy trustworthy statement is a summary of the gospel message -- the good news of salvation and redemption through Christ -- and, as with any good story, we start at the beginning -- with who we were and how we were living before Jesus called us to Him

            -- as Paul says here, all of us at one time lived just like the Cretans -- liars -- evil brutes -- and lazy gluttons -- we lived for ourselves and were driven by our passions and pleasures -- we lived to satisfy all of our desires, regardless of whether they were profitable for us or not

            -- Paul describes us here as “foolish” -- in the Bible, a foolish person is defined not by intelligence, but by their spiritual knowledge and understanding -- a foolish person is someone who either has no knowledge of God or who deliberately rejects the truth of God in exchange for a lie

-- Romans 1:22-23 makes the same point -- it reads, “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles”

-- it doesn’t matter how much knowledge you might possess or how much education you have, if you don’t know God, you are foolish, for in Him and Him alone do we find life, salvation, and redemption

 

            -- Paul goes on to say we were disobedient -- sinners -- not following the commands of God but doing what seemed right to us

            -- deceived -- believing the father of lies and the lies of this world -- believing what Satan and the world called wisdom and following them rather than God -- not believing the truth of God, even when we see it plainly

            -- he calls us enslaved -- held in bondage to sin and death -- chained and bound by sin through the power of the flesh, the world, and Satan

 

            -- because of this, we lived in a continual state of malice and envy -- being hated and hating one another -- every thought of our hearts was bent to evil -- and we were as lost as lost can be

-- Paul reminds us here that this is who all of us were at one time -- now you’re probably listening to these words and thinking, “this isn’t me -- this isn’t who I was -- I know there were some evil people who lived in the world, but I wasn’t like that -- I was a good old boy or a good old girl -- I did what was right -- I did what my parents told me -- I lived a good life -- I didn’t get into any trouble” -- but the Bible says otherwise

-- what we, as fallen humans bound by our sin nature and living in this fallen world -- deceived by Satan and our own desires -- thought was good, was not

-- in the light of Christ -- when compared to His holy standard -- we quickly see that all of us are sinners and have sinned, fallen short of the glory of God

-- C.S. Lewis pointed out that one of the problems he had in evangelizing his peers was that he first had to convince them that they were sinners -- that is why Paul is taking so much time to remind us of the truth of this fact -- this description here in verse 3, even though we may protest and say, “not us,” is us -- as Pogo said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us”

-- God wants to remind us here of the depths from which we have come -- He wants to remind us of who we were before Jesus came -- sinners without hope -- sinners condemned to Hell because of our sin -- so that we will recognize just how amazing is the grace and mercy that He gave us in Jesus and we will not be so quick to judge others we see in the world today

-- for that is who we were, but God didn’t leave us that way -- and now we move on to see who we became through the grace and mercy of Christ

                       

            -- verse 4-5a

 

Titus 3:4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, a5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

 

-- having reminded us of the depth of our sin and of who we used to be, Paul now turns our attention to the source of our salvation

-- when there was nothing we could do to save ourselves, God sent His very Son into the world to save us from ourselves and from the sin that enslaved us and bound us

-- he tells us here that we were saved when the kindness and love of God penetrated our reprobate minds and took away the veil Satan put before our eyes to deceive us and keep us away from the truth of God’s word -- and because of His kindness and love, we were able to see and hear the truth of God and turn from our sins and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior

 

-- I like Paul’s use of the word, “appeared,” here -- because just as Christ appeared in the world as described in the gospels -- coming as a baby born in a manger to live a sinless life and show us what life with God should look like all the way to the cross and the resurrection -- Christ still appears to us today

-- He appears to us when He opens our eyes so we see past Satan’s veil to the truth of God’s word

-- He appears to us when the Spirit convicts people of their sin and they turn from their sins and turn to Him in faith and trust for salvation and eternal life

-- and He appears to us when someone shows the love and kindness of God in a real and tangible way and they come face-to-face with the presence of God in others

 

-- in regards to that, I listened to sermon on the radio this week that was critical of what is known as the social gospel -- the social gospel is a movement within the church whereby Christians try to address social problems in the world today, such as poverty, injustice, racism, and other issues -- they do this by seeking to meet the needs of people, working to feed the hungry and clothe the naked and minister to people in their need

-- the criticism of this movement is that some of the more liberal and progressive churches only do this, and the pastor said that they were not doing anything more than what the Government was doing -- he said that in emphasizing this, they were neglecting the gospel and the good news of salvation through Christ

-- and there is some truth to that viewpoint -- but the pastor went on to explain that our calling was only to preach the gospel and to lead people to Christ -- that our focus should be spiritual and not secular -- but the problem with this approach is that the emphasis on the spiritual over the physical can lead to a cold, spiritless approach to the gospel where the church doesn’t share the love and kindness of God with others

 

-- several years ago, there used to be a homeless man in Valdosta who lived near Langdale Ford -- he became the target for all the churches in the area -- everyone wanted to reach that man for Christ -- and we were no different

-- so, Kim and I made him a bag filled with clothes, food, and other items, and we put a Bible in it -- and one night, we went by and literally threw the bag at him and left, hoping that by giving him food and clothes and the Bible he might find the Lord

-- a friend of ours from another church went by and just preached at him -- he tried to reason with him through the Bible that he needed Jesus -- but he did nothing to meet this man’s physical needs -- he didn’t bring any food or clothes or anything

-- and although we were both trying to reach this man in our own way, both of us were wrong in our approach -- this man didn’t just need food and clothes -- and he didn’t just need the gospel, because it wouldn’t satisfy the physical hunger within -- he needed both the social and the spiritual -- and that’s the point Paul is making here

-- this man, and all of us, need kindness and love -- kindness that meets our physical needs and the love that meets our spiritual needs -- and this was the example of Jesus -- as He healed and fed people and met their physical needs at the same time He was speaking to their deepest spiritual needs

 

-- notice here the clear message that our salvation is an act of God’s grace and mercy -- we are not saved because of any righteous things we have done -- but simply because of God’s grace and mercy

-- and what that tells us is that we can’t make anyone come to Christ -- it is not us who saves anyone -- it is an act of the Spirit who draws a person to the cross

-- as the old proverb goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink -- you can lead a person to Christ, but you can’t make them receive Him -- only the Spirit can

-- but what we can do is to be salt and light in the world today -- and to pour out so much salt by loving others and being kind to them that they become thirsty and drink deep of the living water of Christ

 

-- look at the second part of verse 5b-6

 

Titus 3:5b He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior

 

-- having realized that Jesus is the only source of salvation -- that there is no other name under heaven by which men are saved -- we are now reminded of the means of our salvation and sanctification

-- first, we are saved through the washing of rebirth -- in other words, we are born again by being washed in the blood of the Lamb -- it is through His cleansing blood that our sins are washed away and we are changed from being the foolish, disobedient, and enslaved people we once were into the children of God

 

-- second, we read that we are renewed -- this is another term for sanctification -- the process by which the Spirit works within us to renew us from the inside out -- to make us holy as God is holy -- to make us more like Jesus every day

-- if you remember, Jesus criticized the Pharisees for striving for holiness outwardly only -- He said they were like white-washed tombs -- they looked good on the outside, but the inside was still unclean

-- so, for those who have been saved through the washing of the blood, the Spirit works in our lives from the inside out -- so that we won’t just be outwardly holy, but we will be holy inside and out

-- we call this the “process” of sanctification because it is an ongoing event -- we are continually being washed and renewed through the Spirit to make us more and more like Jesus

-- since we have become born again through the blood of Christ, we now have to grow up into holiness through the renewal and sanctification of the Spirit until we become mature Christians and recognize the end result of our salvation

 

            -- verse 7

 

Titus 3:7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

 

-- we are washed and renewed by the grace and mercy of God, so that we might live eternally with Jesus forever -- when we are saved, we are born again -- this time into the family of God -- and we become His children and heirs -- the very children of God who live in the hope and promise of eternal life with Christ our Savior

-- as it says in John 1:12, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God”

-- don’t just gloss over this -- but revel in it -- bask in it -- think about what this means -- you are a child of God -- you are someone that God chose -- someone that God loved so much that He sent His only Son to earth to die for you and to pay the penalty for your sins -- you are that important and that loved

-- when Brooke was little, like most little girls, she wanted to be a princess -- so, I constantly reminded her that she already was one -- I would tell her, “Remember who you are -- you are the daughter of the King -- you are a princess -- and you should be treated like a princess and live like a princess” -- we all need to remember that, too

-- during the Super Bowl, there was a commercial from the NFL on the work their players were doing in the community with children and teens -- and it showed several NFL players surrounded by kids leading them in the saying, “I am somebody -- I am somebody” -- the point being that when the world told them otherwise or when the world tried to tell them they were not important, they were to remember, “I am somebody important”

-- we need to remind ourselves of this every single day -- only we are not just important in this world -- we are important in eternity because we are the children of God -- heirs with Christ -- and we will reign with Him forever

 

-- verse 8

 

Titus 3:8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

 

-- so, knowing that -- knowing that we are loved and important and the children of God -- what are we to do? -- Paul tells us here -- we are to live a godly life -- we are to live up to the name that we claim as the sons and daughters of the King

            -- as the recipients of God’s love and kindness -- of His marvelous and amazing grace -- as the heirs of God saved through Christ -- we should live godly and holy lives for God

 

            -- here in verse 8, Paul stresses that we are to devote ourselves to doing good -- remember that “good” in the Bible always refers to godly action or godly behavior or character -- to do good, then, means that we live as God would have us live -- to do good, then, means that our relations with others is such that they see the good in us as the Spirit empowers us to live holy lives in the world today

            -- when we started looking at this passage, I had you skip verses 1 and 2 because I felt that they were really part of verse 8

-- in verses 1 and 2, Paul had opened this chapter with a command for Titus to remind his church members to be holy and how they should live, and then he went into the reason they were to do so -- the trustworthy statement that we just went over

-- look back at verses 1-2

 

Titus 3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

 

-- this is what a holy and godly life looks like

-- first, we are to subject or submit ourselves to the rulers and authorities above us -- and this includes both the secular authorities and the spiritual authorities that God has placed above us -- in doing so, we are being obedient to God because He is the One who put these people in their positions of authority

 

            -- but having said that, let me just make a comment here about this -- this command from God to respect and submit to the authorities above us is not a statement about the moral rightness of the government -- in other words, it doesn’t mean the authorities above us are godly leaders -- remember who the authorities were in Paul’s day when he wrote these words

-- “the Roman government under which the early church lived not only was thoroughly pagan and morally debauched but also was despotic, oppressive, unjust, and brutal.” [Source: Austin Precept Ministries] -- no one could look at Rome and at Caesar and say, “These are godly people so we should follow them and do what they say” -- that is not what Paul is saying here and that is not what God intends for us to take from this passage

 

-- to submit to the authorities and rulers above us does not mean that we agree with who they are or what they do, but we respect their positions as the God-ordained leaders that He put in place to regulate human society -- when that government is cruel and immoral and unjust, as the Romans were, then we are not to follow their example, but to submit to their authority as best we can for the general order and welfare of society -- but when the government demands something other than what God demands, we must follow God above any human authority or ruler

            -- recently, I have had some quote to me Jesus’ command to render unto Caesar the things of Caesar and to God the things of God as justification that we are to follow the rules of the Government, regardless of whether we like them or not -- but those who are hanging onto this verse to support their position are forgetting the many exceptions to this statement of Jesus and Paul’s guidance to Titus here in Titus 3:1

            -- for instance, when Peter and the apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin and commanded by those authorities and rulers above them to quit teaching and preaching in Jesus’ name, Peter responded in Acts 5:29, "We must obey God rather than men."

            -- and we have the two notable examples from the Book of Daniel of disobedience to rulers and authorities -- the first being when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down to the statue of Nebuchadnezzar when commanded to, resulting in their getting thrown into the fiery furnace -- the second being when Daniel refused to stop praying to God and to pray only to Darius as the law commanded, resulting in his being thrown into the lion’s den

 

            -- so, even though the scriptures tell us to submit ourselves to rulers and authorities, when those rulers and authorities demand that we do something that is expressly forbidden or that goes against the word of God, we must obey God rather than men, even though we know we will have to face the consequences of our actions

 

-- verse 1 goes on and tells us that we are to be obedient to God -- to do whatever is good and right and just -- to not slander anyone -- to be peaceable and considerate -- to show true humility to all men -- in other words, to live good and godly lives as we remember who we used to be and the depth from which we have come through the love and kindness -- the grace and mercy -- of Christ

 

            -- one thing to note here is that that we have to be reminded of these things -- the fact is that we live in a fallen world -- and although the power of sin and death have been overcome by the cross -- and although our sin nature within has been overcome by the blood of Christ -- we are still prone to hear its siren call and to give in to temptation and sin

-- it is far easier to fall back into a life like that than it is to live a godly life -- as the hymn says, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love”

-- so, we must be reminded of these things and we must be careful to devote ourselves to doing what is good, as we read in verse 8 -- we have to intentionally choose to walk with God every single day -- to live good and godly lives through His power -- or, as Jesus said, “to pick up our cross, die to self, and follow Him”

 

            -- look back at the end of verse 8 -- “these things are excellent and profitable for everyone”

-- these things are excellent -- these are things to strive for -- this is a pattern of life to seek to live -- this is the standard by which good lives are measured

            -- and these things are profitable to everyone -- profitable here means that there is value to them -- not financial value -- but spiritual value -- for in them, we find ourselves living as Christ, loving as Christ, and changing the world as Christ -- not in our own strength, of course, but in the power of God

            -- and that is a trustworthy statement and a calling that we should all embrace

 

III.  Closing

            -- in The Princess Bride, arguably one of the best movies in history, Buttercup is the daughter of a farmer on a large farm -- and when she commands Wesley, one of the farmhands on her father's farm to do something, he always replies with the statement, “As you wish”

            -- over time, Buttercup came to realize that Wesley’s reply was not just the reply of a servant, but that when he said, “As you wish,” he was really saying, “I love you” -- and it was his love of Buttercup that compelled him to do what she wanted

 

            -- as we close out this series of trustworthy statements, we need to adopt Wesley’s reply of “As you wish” as our own -- for as we realize who we were before Christ -- as we really realize the depth and darkness of our souls before Jesus -- and as we realize just how amazing His grace and His mercy -- how amazing His love and His kindness -- are to us -- we should be compelled to live good and godly lives for Him out of gratitude, thankfulness, and love

            -- when He tells us to do something, our reply should be, “As you wish” -- and our hearts should be filled with love -- and our desire should only be for Him

            -- that is the take-home message from this series -- and I hope that you will spend some time looking back over these five trustworthy and faithful statements of Paul so that we would all begin living godly lives and devoting ourselves to doing what is good

            -- and, with that, let us join in prayer to our Lord and our Savior -- our Creator and our Redeemer -- and let us be quick this week to say, “As you wish,” and to share God’s love and kindness with all that we meet

            -- let us pray