Good morning. Welcome all of you as we gather together to worship the Lord Jesus this morning. We also want to welcome those of you who are joining us by our web stream. Thank you for being part of our gathered worship today as well. As we begin, we do want to make just a few announcements. And one of the first ones and important ones today is that we have a baptism this morning and we just rejoice in the Lord. of Megan Montanaro coming to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and today publicly professing that faith as the Bible has shown us that it is to be done through baptism. So we rejoice in just a few moments. Megan will be baptized and we look forward to celebrating her faith with her in that moment. Also, we want to mention that it's fitting also that after our service today, if you're here, we would love to have you stay and join in a time of a fellowship meal. And that'll be right after the service this morning. And so you're here, you're invited. I guess if you're watching on the web stream and can make it here around noon, you're invited to come and join us too. But we'll have it right after the service, a spaghetti meal. Also, we have a couple of other things this week we just want to make you be aware of. One of them is this Wednesday, we are having our quarterly meeting at 7 o'clock. So that's just for you to know, our quarterly meeting at 7 o'clock in the Fellowship Hall. And then this Friday night at 6 o'clock, we have our annual hayride and bonfire on the grounds just up on the north side of our property here, across the back parking lot. It's just a great time. Fellowship, there will be some hot dogs and fixings for s'mores and such things as that. We just ask if you come, just be mindful of what the weather is like. If it's kind of cool, dress appropriately. We'll have a bonfire so you can sit close to the fire and stay warm, but you might want to consider if it's a little chilly, dress like that. And also please bring a lawn chair. It just helps if you bring your own item to sit on. So that's this Friday at 6, and it'll go until people all leave. There's no set closing time. And so we have those things. There are other items in the bulletin I would draw your attention to. And I'll mention one more thing, and that is that we are still collecting the shoe boxes for the Operation Christmas Child. And that will go on until the second weekend in October, until October, excuse me, November, November 10th. So make sure that if you have a shoe box or you wanna participate that, you get that shoe box filled up, brought back up and put up here on our platform. You can see some shoe boxes already beginning to be stacked up. And we wanna see that stack grow higher and higher over these next three weeks. So again, get that back to us please by November 10th. But we have gathered to worship this morning. And we are, of course, as we're all very mindful of, if you are watching any media at all or you have a phone that people can call readily, you're getting inundated at this point with election information. People want you to vote for their candidate or for their proposition or whatever it may be. And there's just all kinds of pressure and all kinds of media going on about that. And it's important to pray for and to seek the Lord's will about how to vote on these matters and to vote according to the Lord's leading. And yet we're reminded that whatever the outcome of an election may be, or around the world, whatever form of government one lives under, or whatever turns may take politically in our nation, or any nation for that matter, in the days and weeks and years to come, that there is one who reigns over all. He is not up for election. He cannot be removed from office. He will not quit, and his powers will not be taken away. And the scripture has spoken of this one long ago. I want to read just a portion of the book of Daniel. Chapter seven refers to this one. Daniel writes this. In chapter 7, beginning in verse 13, I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a son of man, and he came to the ancient of days, and he was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. It is this one whom we have come to worship this morning, and he rules even today. As we prepare our hearts to worship, let's go to him in prayer even now. Father, we are grateful. that you've reminded us in your word, not just in this passage, but really from cover to cover of the fact that you are sovereign over all. You always have been, you are now, and always will be. And I thank you for that, Lord, because you are our hope. And one was presented to you, one like a son of man. And we know from his life on earth, his coming, and even his own declaration that Jesus called himself the son of man. And so we rejoice today in that revelation of this one who has an eternal kingdom. and whose power will not pass away. I thank you for that. So Lord, we come this morning to acknowledge that you rule and reign, that you are worthy of such power, honor, and glory. And we pray that even in our gathering today, that you would help us to glorify you, to worship you in spirit and in truth. Help us, Lord, as we would receive your word today, that it would come into our, not only our ears, but into our hearts and shape our lives, that as we lift our voices, that we would glorify you. And Lord, that even as Megan is baptized today, may you bless her and remind each of us who follow Jesus of the joy of new birth and of the fact that it calls us to walk in newness of life. So Lord, we rejoice in the gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. If you're able to do so, we invite you to stand as we worship the Lord through song this morning. Immortal, invisible, God only wise Enlightened, accessible, hid from our eyes Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise ♪ Your name's team and silent as night ♪ ♪ Your own team, your name's team, thou rulest in night ♪ ♪ Thy justice like mountains high soaring above ♪ ♪ Thy plows and sharp mountains of goodness and love ♪ ♪ Almighty God ♪ Gloria To all life I give is tender, great and small In all life I live is the true life of all We blossom and flourish as leaves on a tree And wither and perish, but not change and be ♪ Almighty God ♪ We splendidly bow ♪ To adore us ♪ Your glory us, glory us ♪ Almighty God you. ♪ Great Father of glory, pure Father of light ♪ Thine angels adore thee, all hailing their sight ♪ All praise we would render, oh help us to see ♪ Tis only a splendor of grace ♪ You reign over us ♪ You're glorious, glorious ♪ Almighty God ♪ Forever wise ♪ You're good and kind Good morning. Good to see you all this morning. This is a great day to gather in the name of our Lord Jesus. It's a great day to rejoice. to rescue people like us from our sins, to bring us in relationship with the very God who made us. So this morning, we have the opportunity to observe someone's testimony of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ through baptism. It is not baptism. That puts us in a right relationship with the Holy God. It is not baptism that washes away our sins. It's baptism that shows that we believe that the blood of Jesus washes away our sins. It is baptism that shows that we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we want to make that public. We want to be known as a follower of Jesus. So this morning we have the privilege, as a church family, to observe one of our young people coming to make public their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and to follow the Lord in the leaders of baptism. May. This beautiful young lady is Megan Patanero. And Meghan, have you trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? Meghan, my sister, because of your profession of faith, it is my privilege to baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Marry with Christ in baptism. Risen to a new life. Come in with me as I pray. Father, we thank you for this testimony of faith in Jesus. We thank you, Lord Jesus, that you save sinners, people like us. In fact, any and all who would turn to you and trust in you and receive the blessings that you give because of your death, because of your life, because of your resurrection. So, Father, we would pray for others this morning who see their need for Jesus and turn and trust in him. But in the meantime, we thank you for Megan and for her testimony of faith in Jesus. We pray your special blessing upon her. We pray that early, now that she has turned to you early in her life, that she would continue to turn to you each and every day of her life. Help us as her church family to nurture that and use her in our, in the life I'm gonna invite you to stand as you're able and join with us as we continue to worship. ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ All I have is Christ ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Jesus is my Lord ♪ I once was lost in dark side yet thought I knew the way. The sin that promised joy in life had led me to the grave. I had no hope that you would own a rebel tomb. If God loved me first, I would refuge you still. But as I ran, my hell-bound race, indifferent circle me. All I have is Christ Hallelujah Jesus is my life Hallelujah All I have is Christ I see the strength to follow your commands. You'll never fall on me. Oh, Father, you's my ransom right. Oh, Father, use my breath of life in any way you choose. And let my song forever be my only pose, dear. Hallelujah Jesus is my heart Hallelujah All I have is Christ All I have is Christ. Hallelujah. Jesus is my light. My Lord, what love is this that pays so dearly that I, the guilty one, Amazing love, oh what sacrifice The Son of God, given for me My daily days and my deathly nights The blood He shed for me. Amazing love, Lord's sacrifice. My very best and my very last, that I might live. This love of Christ shall flow like rivers. Come wash your guilt away. ♪ Amazing love, Lord, sacrifice ♪ ♪ The Son of God, given for me ♪ ♪ My deadly grace and my deadly vow ♪ Amazing love, oh unsacrificed. The Son of God, given for me. My deadly days and my deadly nights. At all of my ways. That I might live. That I might live. ♪♪ Oh, the nations rage Kingdoms rise and fall There is still one king reigning over all. So I will not fear, for this truth remains, that my God is None above Him, none before Him, all of time in His hands. For His throne it shall remain and ever stand. All of time. For all the glory I will trust in His name For my God is the Ancient of Days Though the dread my soul. He is here with me. I am not alone. Oh, His love is sure. And He knows my name. For my God is For His throne of time in His hands For His throne it shall remain and ever stand For the power, for the glory I will trust in Him Though I may not see what the future brings, I will watch and wait for my Savior King. Then my joy ♪ None before Him, no time in His hands ♪ ♪ For His throne it shall remain that ever stands ♪ ♪ All the power, all the glory I will trust ♪ Oh my God is the Ancient of Days Oh my God is the Ancient of Days Amen. Thank you, guys. We so appreciate you guys helping to lead us as we worship. If you're able to remain standing a bit longer, I would invite you to do so. I would also, either way, invite you to take a Bible and let's turn to Titus chapter 2. This morning, we want to begin reading at verse 1 and read down through verse 10. Titus chapter 2, verses 1 through 10, that's on page 998. If you would like to use a Bible from the pew, it should be one in front of you, grab that, turn to 998. Or Titus 2, 1 through 10. This is God's word for us this morning. And here's what God says. But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works. In your teaching, show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything. They are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. You may be seated. Father, your word is a treasure. It's a perfect treasure. It is your very words. It is true. And it is always true in everything it says. And yet it's not merely true information, it is living and active. And it's the truth that brings about our transformation. And so Father, as you have always done, when you want something, your word speaks it. And so we would pray that this word would be spoken over us, that we would become the very things that are described here, that by your spirit, you would transform us, we pray. In Christ's name, amen. One of the greatest conquerors in history was that king of Macedonia, whom we know as Alexander the Great. He conquered everything from what is now modern Greece to parts of northern Africa, Egypt, and beyond, all the way over into what we now know as India. And when he conquered an area or a region, one of the things that he would do that I find interesting and peculiar is he would rename a city before he would move on to the next region to conquer. And I don't know, I guess it's with a name like Alexander the Great, It just seems fitting that you would rename those cities, those conquered cities, after your great self. And so there were over 70 cities named Alexandria, named after Alexander the Great. That was more than simply a symbolism of his conquering abilities. Alexander wanted these newly renamed cities to advance a certain way of life. A life that we now know as Greek or Hellenistic culture and civilization. These cities were to be outposts to the surrounding regions, reflecting and revealing the values and the priorities and the commitments, the way of life of Greek culture and philosophy. About 300 years later, someone infinitely greater than Alexander shows up in Israel, Jesus Christ, who went about teaching about God's kingdom. who went about modeling for all who would pay attention what it looks like when the kingdom of God enters into a culture and a civilization, that the very kingdom itself would be its own culture and civilization. Jesus lived a perfect and righteous life. Jesus went to the cross gladly, willingly. in order to die for a people who would become citizens of his kingdom. God raised Jesus from the dead, and now King Jesus is at the right hand of God until God has determined that he would come and establish his rule and his reign finally and fully on this earth. But in the meantime, he's left outposts. He's left these things called local churches that would emerge as outposts of King Jesus to reveal and reflect Jesus's way of life. That those who would be a part of Jesus's church, those who would belong to Jesus, would be able to reveal and reflect to a culture that is oftentimes clueless and many times antagonistic toward Jesus's way of life, that we would be outposts of a different way of life. That brings us to the churches on the island of Crete. an island that was filled with people who needed a radical, moral, and spiritual transformation. You remember what it was said about Cretans. Look at verse 12 back in chapter 1. It says, one of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, in other words, this is their own people saying this, said, "'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. Now, I know our culture is kind of morally ambiguous. By the way, those are not good things. You wouldn't want your girl to date that guy. All right? I'm just saying. But the gospel came to that island of Crete. The gospel that rescues liars and evil beasts and lazy gluttons. The gospel that not only rescues liars and evil beasts and lazy gluttons, but the gospel that changes liars and evil beasts and lazy gluttons. And that gospel created churches throughout the island of Crete. And those churches were to be outposts, to show a way of life that is better. A way of life that is beautiful. It's not altogether different. In fact, well, actually, it's about the same thing that this church is to be about. It's about the same thing that any church who names the name of Jesus must be about. We are to be an outpost to reveal and to reflect the way of Jesus. We are to live differently because we think differently, because we see ourselves and this world and Jesus differently. And all that has happened because the gospel truly comes to us. And we gather together in churches that we might be a certain kind of people, that we might understand a certain way of life, that we live in a culture that is not altogether different from a culture typified as liars and evil beasts and lazy glutton. We live in a culture that thinks it's wonderful to take advantage and mutilate confused and vulnerable children. We live in a culture that thinks it's wonderful, it's reproductive healthcare rights to slaughter babies in the womb. We live in a culture that thinks it's okay because we're cool and hip. to redefine what the Bible describes as marriage. We live in that kind of world, not altogether different from liars and evil beasts and lazy gluttons. And our assignment is to live a beautiful life. Our assignment is to see the transformative work of God's grace enter our souls and begin to change how we think about things and how we live out the work of God's grace in our hearts and lives. A couple of weeks ago, we began Titus 2. We began it by skipping over verses 1 through 10. We did that because I wanted us to first consider what verses 11 through 15 say to us that lay the grounds for and the foundation of what will be described in 2, 1 through 10. And what is the grounds of the moral behavioral way of life described in two, one through 10? The grounds is the precious, powerful, renovative grace of God. The grace of God, as we noticed a few weeks ago, teaches us, verse 11 and 12, to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live upright, self-controlled, godly lives in this present age. We are to be a people that are in the process of being transformed by the grace of God. The grace of God is renovating us so that we are a people who reveal and reflect the way of Jesus. And it's the grace of God that is at work, giving us the desire to pursue that way of life. giving us the ability to live that way of life. So now we begin to consider that way of life. And 2, 1 through 10 begins to introduce us to something of the practicalities of the way of life that when God's grace comes into us, it renovates. It renovates. And the renovations will look like two, one through 10. In Christ Jesus, all who are truly in Christ Jesus, the Bible declares, are new creatures. We are no longer noted for what we once were, liars and evil beasts and lazy gluttons. In fact, I want to spend a couple of weeks, Lord willing, on 2, 1 through 10. And this morning, I just want to kind of orient us to the main flow of it and say a few things. And the first thing that I would note is that notice the behaviors that are strung together and listed in to 1 through 10, specifically to 2 through 10. And there's 21 different behaviors described running the course of five or six different categories or groups of people. I don't take those to mean that these behaviors assigned to these particular categories are irrelevant to the other categories, but there's a particular customization that here's specifically what this category needs to pay attention to. Here's specifically what this group of people needs to pay attention to. And yet I would suggest to you that elsewhere in the scripture, almost every one of these behaviors is assigned not to one group and to the exclusion of the other, but to all groups, all together. So let me just take a run at starting at verse 2, and let's kind of identify and tag some of these 21 behaviors. These are the new behaviors that people who were once known as liars and evil beasts and lazy gluttons, they are less and less looking like that. And by the grace of God, they are more and more looking like what's described in 2 through 9. Look at what it says, first of all. Well, first of all, here's the different categories. There's older men and there's older women. Now, you guys are going to have to figure out which end you's in. I ain't going there. All right? But I have a suggestion for you, all right? If you're benefiting from the senior discount, you can't play it both ways now. You can't play it both ways. If you're bellying up to the restaurant and calling for the senior discount, then I'm putting you in this category, all right? Is that fair? Don't look at me that way. Since you're older than me, I can run faster than you, so, but... Maybe. Yeah. Originally, I was going to say, okay, you know, like, Freddie would be an example of a younger man. He's a couple of months younger than me, so... And then Carl, he's a couple of years older than me. Carl is an example of an older man, and I'm just right. I'm just in the middle there, so I'm middle-aged, you might say, but that's not one of the categories listed here. Anyway, I digress. I mean, we gotta joke about this for a second, because in a minute, we're gonna get hit in the head by a two-by-four. So, are you happy right now? Let me see if I can take that off the table. So, but there's older men. And notice there in verse 2, some of this specific, customized focus or foci of what older men must pay attention to. Older men, whoever you are, listen up. You must be revealing and reflecting the way of Jesus and being sober-minded. Dictified, self-controlled, sound, and it lists three things, sound in faith, love, and steadfastness. Lord willing, in the coming weeks, we'll come back and look at those in particular. Older women, and you know who you are, likewise, are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. You are to be teachers of what is good, and so train the younger women." Now, we've gone from older men to older women to younger women now. Did you see that transition? One of the assignments of older women, and I think by implication, One of the assignments of older men, but we'll come to that in a couple of weeks. One of the assignments of older women is expressly, specifically, that as sure as you're to be reverent and not slanderers and slaves to much wine, you are also to be teaching what is good and so train Younger women, you are to love your husband and children. You are to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to your own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." Now, we'll come back, Lord willing, and unpack more of the details. I'm just doing a flyby this morning. And then, younger men, well, we just don't know where to start with younger men, so Paul makes it simple. Just one thing listed there. Younger men need to be self-controlled. Let's just focus on one thing at a time. We could just get that right. I mean, you get over that hurdle and, you know, we can work with the other things, you know. So that's why I think he's just focusing on like all of these are pertinent to all of us and yet in terms of most dire need, And then verse 7 could either be a continuation of the conversation about younger men or I tend to think that verse 7, which it could be overlapping, is specific instructions for Titus himself, who, by the way, would probably have been a younger man, and so we could squeeze that one in there in one way. But Titus, verse 7, show yourself to be That you are a model of good works, that you teach with integrity and dignity, and that you are sound in speech. And then he lumps in another category. So this is either number 5 or number 6, depending on if verse 7 and 8 is younger men or younger men with an emphasis on Titus. And slaves, you are to reveal and reflect the way of Jesus in terms of how you are submissive to your masters. that you want to be well-pleasing to them and not argumentative or cantankerous, that you don't wanna take what doesn't belong to you, you wanna be pilfering. Do you see those lists of behaviors? Again, how do you and I ever get to the point where we would begin to reveal and reflect the way of Jesus in terms of modeling and living out these behaviors, particularly if we consider from whence we came? Or how do you expect the people on the island of Crete to begin to look like that? It might be just easier to pick on them. They're not here to defend themselves this morning. So they are a bunch of lying, evil beast and lazy Galatians. And yet Paul writes to Titus and he gives instructions to those who name the name of Jesus on the island of Crete to begin to display these new behaviors that reflect and reveal the way of Jesus and not these old behaviors that reflect what they once were. Well, that's why we started a couple of weeks ago in verse 11. Verse 11, once again, gives us the grounds or the foundation. It gives us the hope, the ability, the motivation for why we could change our way of living from what we once were before we named the name of Jesus to now what we are becoming now that we have been named the name of Jesus. We who name the name of Jesus are to reveal and reflect the way of Jesus, and our churches are to be outposts to a crooked and perverse generation of what it looks like when the grace of God visits a people, when the grace of God visits a community of people, when the grace of God falls upon a local church. Or we learned in verse 11, for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people. And here's the operative, renovative work of God's grace, as I've already alluded to. It trains us. to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in this present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. So on the one hand, how do we get there? How do we become the people described in 2, 2 through 9, or 2 through 10, When we start out as an altogether different kind of species or people, well, on the one hand, we get there, as we've discussed over the last couple of weeks, we get there by the grace of God. But the grace of God that is the grounds or the foundation of our renovation, our moral renovation, works through means or instrumentality. And the chief means or instrumentality, there's two things I want to say about instrumentality. I want to spend most of the time talking about the first means or instrumentality of grace, and that is the importance of the Word of God in our lives. The Word of God is a means of grace. In fact, the Apostle Paul would say in Acts chapter 20 verse 32, interesting how he would describe the word of God as he's visiting with the elders from the church at Ephesus in Acts 20, he says, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace. You see what the word of God is called there? The word of God is a word of grace. I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among those who are being sanctified. The instrumental means by which the grace of God operates to transform and to renovate us is the word of God. What that means, and I think the book of Titus bears witness to this. is that if you and I are going to experience the renovative, transformational work of God's grace so that we ever increasingly become a people who reflect and reveal the way of Jesus, that we become an outpost of a beautiful life, of a better life, then, first of all, we need the Word of God instilled in our lives, specifically, We need someone and or someones to instill the Word of God in our lives. particular, and look at how verse 1 begins, but as for you, and this is a special word to Titus here, Titus, as for you, teach, or some of your translations might actually just say speak, and that's probably a better sense of what he's getting at here in that passage, but teach is not a wrong sense as well, but as for you, speak what accords with sound doctrine. Now, what I want to do is go backwards and forwards for a moment in Titus, just for a second, and survey the similar terms or words that Paul gives to Titus as to his assignment to instill the Word of God in the people's lives in those churches on the island of Crete. Because you and I, like them, are a people who need the Word of God instilled in our lives. You and I, like them, are people who need people to speak the Word of God in our lives. Now, there's variations on how that word speak is a very general word. There's variations on what other particular specific arrangement that that speaking needs to occur. So, for instance, going back to chapter 1, in a context where there were false teachers and people believing false things about Jesus and the way of Jesus. He says there in verse 13, this is the testimony of chapter 1. This is the testimony, therefore, rebuke them sharply. Sometimes the word spoken to us needs to come in the form of a rebuke. In fact, That word, rebuke, is mentioned there in 113. It's also mentioned in 215. Declare these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. There are times when you and I are going sideways. There are times when you and I are not reflecting and revealing the way of Jesus in our lives. And we name the name of Jesus. I'm not talking about people who don't name the name of Jesus. We don't expect them to reveal the way of Jesus in their life. But we who name the name of Jesus, there are times when we don't live up to what we profess. And there's a term that particularly describes the kind of speaking that we need at that moment. Nobody likes to be that guy. I said, well, if you like to be that guy, you probably shouldn't be that guy. But there are times when you and I, the kind of word that needs to be spoken over us is a rebuke. to six. Likewise, urge, urge. In other words, the words that are being spoken to these young men are oriented around a sense of urging. Sometimes the word spoken over us needs to be an urging word. I urge you to do this. We need to hear that word if we are to experience the grace of God that would renovate us and transform us. I've already read 2.15, but there's actually four different terms there. Declare these things. Exhort and rebuke. Let no one disregard you. Or in 3.1, Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities. Sometimes the word is not a new word at all. It's just a refresh of an old word, a word that we probably already know, but we forgot. And in God's kindness, it's a renovated instrumental means of God's grace that we would be reminded of these things from God's word. 3.9 is actually a negative statement. It's framed in a negative way where it says, avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and dissensions. In other words, there's some things that we need to avoid in terms of our speaking to each other. There ought to be some things I'm not going to fuss with you about. There ought to be some things that you're willing to not fuss with someone else about. Why? Because it's not pertinent. It's not relevant to the grace of God renovating you to walk in the way of Jesus. It might be esoteric, it might be irrelevant to that concern. And so we would economize our words. And if the discussion's not about helping us to grow in the way of Jesus, then I ain't gonna fight with you about it. I just flat out refuse. May God give us that spirit. Or in 310, another form of speaking where it talks about people who are believing wrong things and actually causing division in the church. It says, as for a person who stirs up division after warning him once and then twice, have nothing to do with him. Such a person is warped and sinful. So sometimes the speaking words needs to be even stronger than a rebuke. It needs to be a warning. And then just a very generic description as well in 314, and let our people learn to devote themselves to good works. Learn. You see, if you and I are to experience the renovative grace of God, then you and I must be people who have the word of God spoken into our lives. The grace of God. comes to us through means. And that means, that primary means, that primary agency of the transformative grace of God is God's Word. And so we need it to be spoken to us in a way that teaches us, in a way that rebukes us, in a way that urges us, in a way that declares it before us, in a way that exhorts us, in a way that reminds us, in a way that warns us. Let us be people who learn the word so that God's renovated grace flourishes in our hearts. But there's another thing I want to say, just still out of verse 2, haven't gotten very far yet, but as for you, teach or speak what accords with sound doctrine. That's the standard there. The word that we are to use to rebuke and to urge and to exhort and to declare and to remind and to warn is a word that is just collapsed and summarized as this thing called sound doctrine. I would remind us, and in a sense, he circles back around to this notion of doctrine in 2.10. Declare these things, exhort and rebuke with all authority, let no one disregard you. I'm sorry, 2.10, I just read 2.15. But showing all good faith so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. What's sound doctrine and why is it such a big deal? I mean, honestly, Titus isn't the only book that we would find that would hold out the value of sound doctrine. Sound doctrine is simply a faithful adherence to and a faithful putting forth of what the Bible teaches, expressly what it teaches concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a sad state, even in churches today, where churches think, you know, let's not be all that doctrinal. I honestly don't even know what to do with such a statement like that. I honestly don't, because it reveals, for one thing, that you haven't read your Bible. And so we're already on a different quadrant, or universe, or starting point. You say, well, why don't we just preach Jesus instead of getting tangled up in all that doctrine? Listen, you can't make a single statement without it being a doctrinal statement. We ought to be a people who say and declare, Jesus died for your sins. But do you know what I just done? I up and got doctrinal. Jesus, who is he? What did he do? What's special about him? To answer any of those questions requires us to have a doctrinal conversation. Died for our sins, died for our sins, died. Why did he die? Why did he have to die? Why didn't somebody else die? Why wasn't it you instead of him? We can think of many people we'd rather see die than Jesus. Why him? What's unique about that? Well, to answer that question, we're having a doctrinal conversation for our sins. What did he do in reference to our sins? And in what way? What's the big deal about our sins? To answer those questions, we're having a doctrinal conversation. In fact, I would suggest to you that each and every day of our lives, we are each theologians. Each and every day of our lives, we are espousing a doctrine and a set of doctrines. The real question is, is that theology and those doctrines that you are reflecting in your speech and in your life, is it true and submissive to Scripture, or did you just make that stuff up? Because if you just made it up, it's still doctrine. It's just not sound doctrine. It's false doctrine. It's destructive. It will not make you and I spiritually healthy. It will spiritually destroy us. And so we're to teach what accords with, what's consistent with, what flows out of, or the implications and extensions of sound doctrine, especially concerning Jesus, because you and I are to reveal and reflect. In fact, as we adorn the doctrine of God our Savior, we are to reveal and reflect to show the better way of life, the beautiful way of life. So we shouldn't be embarrassed about teaching Jesus as our sound doctrine. The very existence of church in Ephesians 2.20 tells us is built upon the cornerstone of Jesus and the very foundation of the prophets and the apostles. In other words, what those guys were taught by the Spirit of God to teach us concerning Jesus. If we take away the doctrine of the scripture, we take away our very foundation as a church. So we would want to teach that which accords with sound doctrine, so that the way we live adorns such doctrine. For without sound doctrine, there is no life that will adorn such doctrine. Without sound doctrine, there will be no gospel holiness in this life as a church. Without sound doctrine, there will be no gospel love in this life as a church. Without sound doctrine, there will be no gospel unity and gospel fellowship in this life as a church. Without sound doctrine, there will be no gospel worship in this church. Without sound doctrine, there will be no gospel witness flowing out of this church. And in our lives, corporately and individually, without sound doctrine, there will be no gospel peace, no gospel joy, no gospel hope, and no gospel spirit. strength. Why? Because there's only one who can deliver us to live such a life. There's only one who can enable us to live the very life that adorns who He is. And that one is Jesus, who came to rescue people like you and I from our futile way of life. from our empty way of life. And He did that by living a perfect life, fulfilling all righteousness. He did that by then substituting Himself on that cross for people like you and I, taking upon Himself our sin and burying up under the curse and the condemnation and the judgment of our sin. He took our place. and that He gifted to us who trust in Him, His very righteousness, so that we might have a right standing before God, and that we then would be adopted as one of God's well-loved children. You see, Jesus is too precious for us to not strive to teach how wonderful and beautiful His saving and renovating work is. May we be sound in our words concerning Jesus. And if you've never trusted in Jesus, may you turn to Him now. Trust only in Christ. Thank you, Father, for your word. Thank you for what your word teaches us. Thank you that your word teaches us that it is a gift from you to have your word spoken into us and over us. Father, may we heartily, eagerly, week in and week out, day in and day out, receive your word. May our lives reflect the sound doctrine of your scriptures. May we learn a life that accords with sound doctrine, and may we live a life that adorns sound doctrine. May we be an outpost. revealing the way and reflecting the way of Jesus. For we ask this in Christ's name. Let's stand and sing our song together. We will glorify the King of kings. We will glorify the Lamb. We will glorify the Lord of lords, who is the great I am. Lord, your hope reigns in me. We will bow before His throne. We will worship Him in righteousness. We will worship Him alone. He is Lord of heaven, Lord of earth. He is Lord of all who live. He is Lord above the universe. Oh, praise to Him we give. Hallelujah to the King of kings. Hallelujah to the Lamb. Hallelujah to the Son of the Lord. Alleluia to the King of Kings Alleluia to the Lamb Thank you, guys. Today is our monthly church-wide fellowship, and if you'd like to stay and enjoy a meal together, we would love for you to do so. Everything is provided. It'll be in the fellowship hall. So when you leave out of here, kind of make a left, and then a right, and then a left, and, well, just follow everybody else. But so I hope you're able to stay and enjoy your time together. But let me speak God's word over us. This reflects God's heart toward his people when it says, may the Lord give strength to his people. May the Lord bless his people with peace. Go in that word. You're dismissed.