Five
Core Principles That Should Guide A Believer’s Life & Service
Today: Be Committed To God’s Message
Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.
Sermon Delivered 11/20/05
The Apostle Paul wrote three Pastoral Epistles to
two young pastors, Timothy and Titus. We have been studying Paul’s
letter to Titus. Our attention has been devoted to Paul’s
Greeting To Titus in verses 1-4. In this opening l-o-n-g
sentence Paul shares Five Core Principles That Guided His Life
and Service to The Lord. These principles should guide every
pastor and every believer. In our last message we looked at the
first two principles…
You will remember that Paul identified himself
first as "a servant of God" in verse 1. The word translated
servant is the Greek word doulos and it refers
to a person who is a slave and who has wholly devoted himself to the
will and service of another. Paul was the doulos or
servant of God. All Christians are owned by God for they have
been bought with a price. Therefore, "being made free from sin" we
are "become the servants of God."
Romans 6:22
- Be Committed To God’s Mission --
God’s mission for believers focuses on three
things revealed in Titus 1:1b-2a – "1b according to the faith
of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after
godliness; 2 In hope of eternal life." These are 1)
Evangelism 2) Edification & 3) Encouragement. Today…
"which God, that cannot lie, promised before the
world began; 3 But hath in due times manifested his word…"
I love this Greek phrase - ὁ ἀψευδὴς Θεὸς
-- ho apseudēs (aps-yoo-dace) theos, which is correctly
translated, God that cannot lie. Our God is a God of the
truth! He can be trusted completely. God is faithful to His Word.
This is not true of the other Gods. The Greek and Roman gods were
liars and deceivers. The pagan gods of then and now fit that same
mold, because the progenitor of the false gods is Satan and we know
that "he is a liar, and the father of it" according to
John 8:44.
I want to have you turn in your Bibles to
Hebrews 6:18
– "That by two immutable things, in which it
was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong
consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set
before us:"
Next, turn to 1 Samuel 15:29 "And also
the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is
not a man, that he should repent."
When you examine these verses it is plsin to see
that God cannot lie. That is important because we saw in the
first part of Titus 1:2 that God has promised eternal life.
Therefore we can believe Him. He promised this "before the world
began." What does that mean? It means that God planned for the
redemption of sinners even before creation. Man’s sin did not take
God by surprise.
We see some interesting things about God’s
"eternal purpose" recorded in 2 Timothy 1:9-10 "Who hath
saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to his own purpose and
grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour
Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel."
First, God’s Salvation cannot be obtained
by works – "not according to our works." Perhaps the biggest lie
that is told by so called Christian Denominations today is that WE
play some part in our salvation. That’s the devil’s lie.
The second thing we see about God’s plan
of Salvation is, that it is facilitated (made possible) only by the
person and work of "our Saviour Jesus Christ." Let me put it
plainly. Christ is the ONLY Savior! There are NOT many ways
to God. We read in 2 Timothy 1:9b it is "according to his
(God’s) own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began."
Thirdly, a person receives spiritual life
and immortality by believing the Gospel message. We read in
verse 10b – "who hath abolished death, and hath brought life
and immortality to light through the gospel." The Gospel is a
proclamation of the atoning death of Christ for our sins, His burial
and His physical resurrection from the dead, proving that God had
accepted Christ’s payment for our sins. We read in Paul’s letter to
the Romans that Christ was "…declared to be the Son of God
with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection
from the dead:" Romans 1:4
So, here’s the truth:
Salvation cannot be obtained by works.
Christ is the only Savior.
A person received spiritual life and
eternal life by believing the Gospel message.
This is the message we are to be committed to!
That brings me to Titus 1:3a which says,
"But hath in due times manifested his word…" We are so
blessed to live in this "dispensation of the grace of God"
(Ephesians 3:2). We can look back at Christ’s death and
resurrection. The Gospel is clearly presented in the New Testament.
We can read it or hear it and know the truth and be saved. However,
God’s Gospel message was not clearly seen in the Old Testament.
There are bits and pieces revealed throughout, but they did not see
the whole picture. They had to believe God by faith that the Savior
was coming. Colossians 1:26 puts it this way -- "Even
the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:"
I like the way Adam Clarke puts it: "God caused
His Gospel to be published in that time in which it could be
published with the greatest effect. It is impossible that God should
prematurely hasten, or causelessly delay, the accomplishment of any
of his works. Jesus was manifested precisely at the time in which
that manifestation could best promote the glory of God and the
salvation of man. Paul said this to the Galatians "But when the
fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a
woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under
the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."
Galatians
4:4-5
At just the right time Paul says in
Titus 1:3a God "manifested his word." The phrase in the Greek reads ton
logon autou – ton logon auton, means God made known the
doctrine of eternal life, by the incarnation, passion, death, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ by His Word.
It is the Word of God (and believing it) that
brings about a person’s salvation: 1 Peter 1:23, 25 "Being
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. But the word of the
Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is
preached unto you." James 1:18 "Of his own will begat he us
with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of
his creatures."
It is the reading and studying the Word of God
that helps us to grow into mature Christians:
1 Peter 2:2 "As
newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow
thereby:"
It is reading and heeding that Word of God that
helps us to live holy lives, pleasing unto the Lord"
John 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."
Let me tie up the loose ends for you. In this
message we learned that, as Christians, we are to be committed to
God’s message and that message is revealed in His Word, the Bible.
This message is ture, because God does cannot lie. Further, we are
to proclaim his message. I close with Amos 8:11 "Behold, the
days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the
land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing
the words of the LORD:"
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