Gtcotr/ss080325
The message from our Lord today is aimed at encouraging every Born-Again Believer to live a godly life in this broken and sin-filled world. The devil is an active, the same devil who personally tempted and tried to deceive Jesus during His earthly life and ministry. This same devil has corrupted the world and continues doing his best to trick you, trip you up, and trap you in sin. His lies are empty echoes loudly trying to cover the truth.
One of the biggest mistakes is to imagine we are smarter than the devil. We are more powerful, but we are not smarter, more experienced, or somehow exempt from being tempted to believe his lies. Our only hope is the power which comes from living a godly life.
This morning we begin a series entitled Upholding Biblical Truth In A Broken World. This series will take a candid look at how the devil promotes corrupted truth and what we can do to ensure we do not lose the battle or worse yet, become a well-meaning mouthpiece for the false doctrines of the devil … empty echoes.
Biblical morality, financial integrity, doctrinal accountability are critical qualities in the life of every Christian. God knows we need encouragement so that we might live godly lives in this world.
We will begin today by reading from the letter Paul wrote to Titus.
The young man Titus intrigues me. Titus was an uncircumcised Gentile Christian who was a disciple of the Apostle Paul. Paul wrote to Titus about the importance of living a godly life after having left him on the Island of Crete to set the Churches in order. The people there had a bad reputation. Paul says Cretans were a bunch of lazy, lying, baneful and brutal beasts.
Crete was under the Roman rule of the evil Emperor Nero at this time and false teachers were influencing Church members to believe lies instead of the truth of God’s word. The Church in Crete was still young and very impressionable. Sometimes people don’t really know the truth and at other times they just want to preach things that sound good. But not everything that trends well ends well. Paul left Titus in Crete to teach Christians how to recognize the truth and use that to live godly lives. Let’s read from:
Titus 1 NLT
1 ¶ This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.
2 This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God — who does not lie — promised them before the world began.
- · Eternal life is critical to the Christian’s confidence.
- · This Truth – The Promise of God – gives us confidence.
10 For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation.
- · Circumcision is a reference to being socially acceptable in today’s terms.
- · Identity religion … believing that being a part of one group, denomination or affiliation, organization or ideology, is more important than your personal relationship with God through Christ.
- · In that day, some had convinced the Cretan Believers that being a Jew and following the law of Moses was more important than being a Christian.
- · Today these empty echoes of the devil continue to confuse doctrine with custom, culture, and condition of life, leading many astray.
11 They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And they do it only for money.
- · Unfair advantage and ungodly gain …
12 Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.”
13 This is true. So reprimand them sternly to make them strong in the faith.
- · Never underestimate the power and profitability of stern rebuke from someone wise enough to give you the Word of God.
- · Proverbs 9:8 So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you.
- · Ecclesiastes 7:5 Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool.
- · Paul instructed Titus to tell them that:
14 They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth.
16 Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.
Titus 2 NLT
1 ¶ As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching.
11 ¶ For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.
12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.
Surely, I can’t be the first person to tell you that the devil wants to trick you, trip you up, and trap you in sin. Titus was given an important job. He was given the responsibility to teach Church members how to recognize the empty echoes of the devil, turn from sin, and begin living a godly life in this world.
A godly life is lived by faith, with confidence in the truth of God’s Word. According to Titus 2:12, there are Three Steps you can take today.
- 1. Wisdom – You’ll find this in the Bible … read it daily. If you don’t know where to start – start with John and Proverbs. Read just one chapter of each book every day.
- 2. Righteousness – Say no to sin in your life … simply stop making plans to sin … (lie if you have to, hope you don’t), but stop sinning.
- 3. Devotion to God – Verbally dedicate yourself to God’s plan for your life and make prayer a priority in your life. Develop a daily habit of prayer.
