The
Giving-ness of God that Gave Us Christmas!
Titus 2:11-14
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
DATE: 7 Dec, 2008 AM
PLACE: BBC Ballincollig
I.
Introduction (Titus 2:11)
A.
Grace! What a word!
B.
Not just “grace”, but
“the grace of God!”
C.
What does it mean? And
what does it matter?
1.
That’s what we are
going to learn this morning
2.
We are approaching
Christmas
3.
And when you think of
the word “gifts” I want you to think instead of the word, GRACE
4.
Because THAT is what
GRACE means – a GIFT, unearned, priceless, that’s free, and yet also
freeing!
D.
It is summarized in
Titus 2:11-14
E.
Its Meaning
1.
There probably is not
another word in our English language that is so little understood, as the
word Grace!
2.
Grace is a GIFT
a.
A giving-ness that God
has towards us – just constantly blessing, and giving, when we do not
deserve anything
3.
Grace is a Great
Attitude!
a.
Grace is God looking
beyond our sinfulness, our selfishness, and loving us anyway
b.
It is just being
accepted by God when we shouldn’t be
4.
Grace is a Humbling -
when someone Humbles Themselves First in a Fight
a.
In an argument, both
are at odds
b.
Wrath and revenge
seeks only to find some way to hurt and defeat the “opponent”
c.
Grace decides to
humble themselves first and seek reconciliation, at their own cost!
F.
Its Importance
1.
If God had no grace,
Jesus would never have been born, God would have just judged this world, and
condemned everyone in it to an eternity in hell, and would have just left us
to self-destruct!
2.
But thankfully, God
DOES have grace – great grace!
3.
And it is the
foundation for a Christian Christmas!
G.
Grace IS Christmas!
When you get a good understanding of it!
II.
Message
A.
The Grace of God Saves
(2:11)!
1.
Salvation is the most
important thing every human ever born needs
a.
It is not a religious
word
b.
It is a cure for man’s
worst condition
c.
It is a heart
condition – no one is immune to sin’s grip! It is like a genetic defect
d.
Sin makes us the enemy
of God – automatic. You don’t have to do anything to become an enemy – your
sin in your heart, even before it comes out, has make you separate from God!
e.
Therefore, you need
salvation
1)
Not baptism
2)
Not catechism
3)
Not resolution
4)
Not religion
5)
Not theology
6)
Not good deeds
7)
You need something
that Jesus brought with Him when He was born – salvation (Luke 2:8-11)
2.
It is a gift
a.
Grace brought the gift
of salvation to us by God Himself
b.
It was wrapped up in
Swaddling clothes and laid in a manger
c.
It is free to us, but
it cost God absolutely everything
1)
Humiliation – coming
down to our level
2)
Living in our world
for 33 ˝ years
3)
Misunderstood, spit
upon, rejected, hated, and crucified naked on a cross!
d.
God GAVE us the gift,
and the devil helped us understand just how much that gift cost God!
3.
Let me prove that most
people do not know what grace means
a.
Most people think they
are not good enough to become Christians… those people don’t know what GRACE
means!
b.
Many people think they
couldn’t live the Christian life… those people do not understand what
GRACE means then!
c.
GRACE is unearned,
unmerited, undeserved - it is a GIFT!
d.
Someone once said, “If
a man can prove he is not worthy of heaven, then I can prove from the BIBLE
that there is hope for Him in Christ!” “There will be no problem getting
that man into heaven if he would only believe that grace is as free as the
air that he breathes!”
4.
Listen to these
precious words…
a.
Rom 3:23,24 For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified
(saved, pardoned, forgiven) freely by his grace through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus:
b.
Rom 5:1,2
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace
wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
c.
Rom 5:20
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace did much more abound:
d.
Eph 1:6,7 To the
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
e.
Eph 2:8,9 For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift
of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
5.
Illustrations
a.
Hey! A Sunday School
teacher stood in front of his class one morning, and took off his watch. He
held it up in front of the class of boys and said, it was free to anyone who
would take it. They all froze and remained in their seats. Again the teacher
explained, it was free to anyone who would just reach out and take it.
Slowly, hesitantly, a young boy from the middle of the room inched forward,
and looking only into the eyes of the teacher, he reached out and grasped
it. Once in his hands, the teacher smiled, and released it and the little
boy ran back to his chair! Just at that moment, all the other boys began to
chatter and mumble and almost say in unison, “If we had not thought that we
would have to give it back, we would have grabbed it in an instant!”
b.
HEY! The grace of God
that FREELY bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men! Will you take it?
c.
A Christian stood on a
6.
Grace is simply God’s
open attitude towards unworthy people (Rom 11:6)
a.
If you could earn
salvation by going to church, being good, praying, giving, sacrificing,
being persecuted, etc, then it would not be a gift – God would be owing you
b.
But if it is a gift
from God, then it is priceless, and should be taken, like ASAP!
B.
The Grace of God Teaches
(2:12)
1.
False Teaching
Abounds!
a.
We are living in a day
when many false teachers are turning the grace of God into lasciviousness (a
license to sin). They say that since no one is perfect and since God’s grace
is free, that we really don’t have to know a changed life.
b.
Amazing Grace Amazing
grace! how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but
now am found, Was blind, but now I see. ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to
fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The
hour I first believed! Thro’ many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already
come; ‘Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve
no less days to sing God’s praise, than when we first begun!
2.
Grace does not mean
now that we can live any way we want! God forbid (Rom 6:1,2)! This
“giving-ness of God shows us something about God – not that He wants us to
be able to live as we please, but live a second chance life
a.
What if someone about
to be condemned for an awful crime was offered the opportunity to live his
life over?
b.
How would you live
differently if you could live differently?
c.
THAT is what God’s
grace offers, and teaches us
d.
NOT that now we are
off the hook, so to speak, but that we have a whole new life that can be
lived differently! Forgiven, pardoned, with Jesus Christ personally living
inside you, guiding you and helping you!
3.
The Grace of God is the Basis
for a Changed Life (2:12)! Not the excuse for
us to stay the same old way (same bitterness, same bad habits, same
depressions, same guilt, same drunkenness!
a.
It’s not just the fear
of God that changes lives – that is just the beginning
b.
The Power of Grace
(not resolutions, hypnosis, psychology, being forced to do things by bullies
or by guns)
c.
God’s Grace enables a
sinner to live differently.
1)
The Law convicts us -
declares us guilty. God’s grace converts us - declares us forgiven. The
difference is:
a)
The law says, You’re
guilty and your going to hell! And do you know what? It’s RIGHT! You may not
like God’s LAW, but it is RIGHT about all of us!
b)
Grace says, You can be
forgiven, and escape hell - if you want it, if you take the free gift of
Jesus Christ into your life! Admit you are a sinner, and turn towards God’s
grace!
2)
The law forces. Grace
teaches. It allows you to make your own decision. Grace appeals to the
teachable attitude. It is the Christian that desires to know what God says.
If you are waiting on someone to MAKE you believe, then you are not a
Christian after all!
d.
Grace instructs us HOW
to live differently. A Christian is
supposed to be different! So the
Holy Spirit sets up class in our hearts to instruct us as we go through and
study this Book!
1)
You will only Live
differently by first Denying
some things. Two main categories of sin:
a)
Wrong Actions
- Ungodliness - living like God doesn’t exist
b)
Wrong Affections
(desires) - Worldly lusts - loving things like
they were God - idolatry! Money,
possessions, power, peers!
2)
So, wrong actions and
wrong affections produce a wrong life in us. We need to repent, deny, and
disregard those things!
3)
People get caught up
trying to deny these things
in order to EARN heaven and forgiveness, when God says the ability only
comes to those who already have accepted God’s grace/ability to do so!
e.
Live differently then,
by Delighting in some things -
now this is REAL life! You can tell a real Christian by what he or she
likes!
1)
Delight in Sober
living - responsible, facing problems, not running from them, not
running to drink or drugs to “get you through.” Actually loving life AS IS -
a gift from God! Not out of control! Sober means fully aware – not numb, or
drunk! Not running from life, but running through life – in a race, remember
(Heb 12:1)?
2)
Delight in
Righteous living - Enjoying doing what is right to do, and not just
convenient or easy! Not just what you want to do, or “feel” like doing. It
is RIGHT to:
a)
Be at home with your
family when not at work
b)
Have a clean
conversation - you don’t have to curse!
c)
Pray and thank God for
each meal, and trust God for your needs, and to bring to God your every
care!
d)
Be committed to a
Bible preaching church - get involved, and get busy serving God!
e)
Be a soul-winner,
telling people the truth about sin and salvation – carry tracts and a New
Testament.
f)
Tell the truth – at
all times
g)
Accept correction – we
need a humble spirit in our homes
h)
If you are saved, then
you will DELIGHT to do right!
3)
Delight in Godly
living - living like your Saviour would live if He were here - if He
were at your table - if He were at your job! Ask yourself, Would Jesus be
doing what I do all week?
a)
He wouldn’t sell drink
at a pub – He would talk about living water
b)
He wouldn’t cheat on
his exams – he would work hard
c)
He wouldn’t promote
priests and bishops and popes – He would promote His heavenly Father!
d)
Christians need to
stop thinking about parts of their lives as “just the facts of life” and get
back to living RIGHTEOUSLY and GODLY during the week, and not just on
Sundays!
f.
No one is going to
delight in those things unless they have been saved, and have a new love in
their heart that came from GOD!
C.
The Grace of God Excites
(2:13)
1.
God’s grace also
teaches us to anticipate one
great soon coming event - the blessed hope and glorious appearing of Jesus
Christ! The grace of God teaches us that there is a better life coming! We
not only believe
in heaven! We know we are going there!
a.
A Christian doesn’t
live in the past (that’s depression)
b.
A Christian doesn’t
focus all his or her energies only on the present (that’s
self-gratification).
c.
The Christian works,
and prays, and lives with all their hopes and dreams all wrapped up in the
Saviour Himself who is coming back!
1)
Many put all their
hopes into children and family
2)
Some put it into their
job or business
3)
Others put all their
hopes on a horse, or racing dog
4)
Some put their hopes
and dreams into a bank
5)
Still others rest in
governments, UN troops, and peace agreements
d.
But we Christians know
what is a sure win - the soon return of Jesus Christ - and we have set our
affections on HIM, and on HEAVEN, and on ETERNITY!
2.
Why waste time on
stuff that will all rot and spoil and burn?
3.
Never forget:
a.
It is the grace of God
that keeps Him even interested in fixing this world at all – could have just
walked away
b.
It’s God’s grace that
works all things together for good
D.
The Grace of God Compels
(2:14)
1.
If we ever realised
just how great God’s grace is for us, and IN us, we would find planted in us
the following things (Tit 2:13,14):
a.
Full of hope, and
expectation instead of discouragement
b.
Longing for Jesus to
come back – looking, expecting, seeking
c.
Peculiarity - Truly
peculiar – that’s what we are supposed to be – different than the world we
live in
1)
Example of an
astronaut. He HAS to live differently than the environment he is in – or he
will die!
2)
The same is true with
a Christian
3)
We don’t draw on the
same fun, or on the same thrills as those around us
4)
We have a wall between
us and the world – that cannot be torn or ripped without dire consequences
5)
We listen to different
music
6)
We watch very select
TV programming
7)
We thrive on the words
of God, not on the RTE Guide
8)
We have different
priorities – like
a)
Being in Church every
week
b)
Reading through our
Bibles, chapter by chapter
c)
Giving our testimony
and witnessing of the grace of God to our co-workers and classmates
d)
Giving our tithes to
God every paypacket
e)
Praying about every
need instead of complaining and getting depressed!
d.
Security (safety from
losing salvation) Redeemed – all people who have Jesus as their main reason
for life ARE (not will be, or only hope to be, but ARE) redeemed – saved!
e.
Purity – Oh that the
world could see CLEAN living people
f.
Passion – zealous of
good works instead of sneaking around trying out different sinful
activities! AMEN! Next week I want to focus on those good works! Not to earn
salvation, but BECAUSE of being saved!
III.
Conclusion
A.
Grace! What a word!
Not just “grace”, but “the grace of God!”
B.
What does it mean? And
what does it matter?
1.
Grace is a GIFT. A
giving-ness that God has towards us – just constantly blessing, and giving,
when we do not deserve anything
2.
Grace is a Great
Attitude! Grace is God looking beyond our sinfulness, our selfishness, and
loving us anyway
3.
Grace is when someone
Humbles Themselves First in a Fight. That’s what GOD did you save you and
me!
C.
If it weren’t for
God’s grace, we wouldn’t have Christmas! Grace IS Christmas!
D.
Titus 2:11-14 shows us
four things about God’s Grace
1.
The Grace of God Saves
(2:11)! That’s what God gave us when he became a baby! He gave us the way to
be free from sin’s punishment – he gave us forgiveness, COMPLETE
forgiveness! Salvation! ARE YOU SAVED?
a.
Today is the day! Now
is the time
b.
God commendeth his
love towards us
c.
God commandeth all men
everwhere to repent
d.
Truly believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ!
2.
The Grace of God Teaches
(2:12)
a.
It actually enables a
sinner to live differently.
b.
Grace instructs us HOW
to live differently. A Christian is
supposed to be different! So the
Holy Spirit sets up class in our hearts to instruct us as we go through and
study this Book!
1)
First
Denying some things. Two main
categories of sin:
a)
Wrong Actions
- Ungodliness - living like God doesn’t exist
b)
Wrong Affections
(desires) - Worldly lusts - loving things like
they were God - idolatry! Money,
possessions, power, peers!
c.
Then, by
Delighting in some things - now
this is REAL life! You can tell a real Christian by what he or she likes!
1)
Delight in Sober
living
2)
Delight in
Righteous living
3)
Delight in Godly
living
3.
The Grace of God Excites
(2:13) There is one great soon
coming event - the blessed hope and glorious appearing of Jesus Christ! The
grace of God teaches us that there is a better life coming! We not only
believe in
heaven! We know we are going there
4.
Finally, The Grace of God
Compels (2:14) – drives us in a whole new
direction, drawing us, and helping us to live differently!
a.
Full of hope, and
expectation instead of discouragement
b.
Longing for Jesus to
come back – looking, expecting, seeking
c.
Truly peculiar –
that’s what we are supposed to be – different than the world we live in
d.
Redeemed – all people
who have Jesus as their main reason for life ARE (not will be, or only hope
to be, but ARE) redeemed – saved!
e.
Pure – Oh that the
world could see CLEAN living people
f.
Excited – zealous of
good works instead of sneaking around trying out different sinful
activities! AMEN!
g.
Next week I want to
focus on those good works! Not to earn salvation, but BECAUSE of being
saved!