Sermon – “Living the Pure Life”

15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. … 2 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. 6 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. 9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 15 Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, 5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’ 6 But if you or your sons at all turn from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, 7 then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples.

It’s morning in Sabbath school one of our main discussions was about the church talking about the church and what’s the what’s the purpose of the church what are we supposed to be doing and you know one of the things was preach the Gospel were to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and let the world know about Jesus and. So we are to do that were to preach the gospel and sometimes we might have to use words but you know a lot of times we don’t and we live the pure life will see the life we live so you’ve heard that I’m sure many times preach the gospel and use words if necessary but living the life is so important and that’s going to be the topic today living the pure life going to read from Titus the Smalling and Titus is a letter from Paul to Titus who was oversee the church at Crete reading from Titus one verses fifteen and sixteen then also Chapter two verses one through fifteen here the word of the Lord to the pure all things are pure but the two those who are defiled a number leaving nothing is pure but even their mind and conscience are defiled they profess to know God but in works they deny him. So they only prove in words only. Follow God being abominable disobedient and disqualified for every good work they get up in chapter two. But as for you speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine that the older men be sober reverent temperate sound in faith in love and patience. The older women. Likewise that they be reverent in behavior not slanderers nor given to much wine teachers of good things that they may admonish the young women to love their husbands to love their chill. To be discreet chaste homemakers good obedient to their own husbands that the Word of God may not be blasting likewise exhort the young men to be sober minded in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works in doctrine showing integrity reverence incorruptibility sound speech that cannot be condemned that one who is an opponent may be ashamed having nothing evil to say of you exhort bond servants to be obedient to their own masters to be well pleasing in all things not answering back not pilfering but showing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God or savior in all things. For the grace of God that bring salvation has appeared to all men teaching us that day nine and godliness and worldly lust. We should live serve really righteously and godly in this present age looking for the BLESS of hope and Glorious Appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people zealous for good works speak these things exhort and rebuke with all of thirty. Let no one despise you. Amen. May God had his blessing to the hearing in the reading of His Holy Word. Let us pray. Father got I thank you so much for your work your word it gives us guidelines that we can live by and nor do I just pray that your spirit be upon each of us and help us to live according to your word or let it not just be with words but let our lives demonstrated father I just pray that your Spirit would guide. Me this morning as I bring forth your word or let everything be of from your word from your throne Father God and it is pray that you would touch our hearts for God with your message would let it just penetrate deep down into were being and just help us were to live for you every day. In Jesus. Game him in the title at the beginning of the chapter My Bible says right. Living in the church right living in a church that’s what this entire passage is about it’s about how do we as believers. How do we as Christians live right. You know the apostle Paul was without a doubt one of the most gifted preachers of his day probably one of the most gifted preachers ever one of the most gifted church planners ever. You know people would come from all over to hear this spirit filled man preach and teach about the Kingdom of God He had a great impact how many books of the Bible did Paul write so many he probably is responsible for for planning for starting close to twenty churches himself with many more born out of these by those that he had as apprenticed in his ministry in Asia alone in the New Testament it mentions FS is Smyrna Pergamum a bioterrorist Sardis Philadelphia Laodicea colossi her office and an emphasis was really a city full of Churches meeting in homes. And from that work. Others were started so many other churches. So he started probably more than twenty churches. So there were many if you want to call him door daughter or granddaughter or great granddaughter churches burst out of Paul’s ministry his church the church is that he planted. How were so many churches birth through Paul’s ministry. I believe it is because Paul knew that he would not be around forever. He had a passion for the Gospel can to continue long after he was gone. I mean he’s responsible for as I just said for many of the books of the Bible that we had. Have because he had sets of passion that that gospel would not be just be extinguished that it would continue. Years and years and years even centuries after Paul’s time so he trained up and nurtured leaders that would continue the work that he began. So that’s good answering Connor one of the questions that was asked today in sat a school. What’s the church do well one is to nurture and train up leaders that the church continues. Because if we only have a mine for today. What’s going to happen tomorrow. We must train up and mentor young people that they will continue the work that we have begun. It only takes one generation to fail teaching the children for the church to fall one generations all takes we cannot skip a generation this letter was to advise Titus in his responsibility of supervising the Church of Crete not only does Paul give Titus words of guidance for all believers in the church there. But Paul begins with guidance for him. This is directed directly towards Titus he tells them first of all to speak things which are proper for sound doctrine sound it’s used here to Greek meaning is to be uncorrupted truthful true doctrines of Paul’s advise him stick to the truth which you have heard from us the word of God. Paul knew that there would be those who come in false teachers to come to try and corrupt the church to bring false doctrine in but he say and do not be misled be grounded in the truth church that’s why it is so important that even today a couple thousand years later nearly couple thousand that we are grounded in rooted in this word that we have to know it. So the we are not easily led astray sound doctrine. We must have it in here in our hearts in our minds. So these words are of advice are not just good for eighty sixty four but two thousand and sixteen because there have been many evil false prophets and teachers throughout the centuries. Everything about our lives ought to be based on truth. Everything that’s the most important thing truth. Knowing the truth and living the truth in his book up from slavery Booker T. Washington explained that during the period following the Civil War many people became teachers thinking that it would be an easy way to make a living. I know I have some teachers here one had a needed an easy way to make a living. That’s the threads go on. Well one said fellow that thought this would be an easy way to make a living went from village to village teaching for a while and even receiving pay for it as he entered one town the people of the village asked if he taught that the earth was round or flat and he replied by telling them. I’m prepared to teach it either way which ever is the professor the the preference of the majority. No I don’t know the history what happened to this God but I feel that he may have went on to be a politician. Because you know they tell you what you want to hear. So if they you want to tell you the earth flat. That’s what they’re going to tell you if that’s what it takes to get elected if the most of the people think it’s round we’ll. OK the earth round. Truth is not determined by what the majority believe it to be. A man. I mean if we can get the majority of the people to say well it’s OK to murder. It’s not right it’s still not right. All timid truth is founding God alone in God’s Word not what the majority believe. Stand on the truth. Let the whole world be wrong but stand on the truth. Paul gives Titus words of instructions as how the true believer should conduct themselves how the older man I’m going to jump to one verse here quickly. Verse twenty three verse chapter five or twenty three for the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is head of the church and he is the savior of the body. No I do not think it’s coincidence that Paul began here in Titus with the older man or the aged man it depends on which version you’re reading. Because they the older men are to be the mentors they are the ones responsible for the family man there’s a lot of responsibility that falls on you as the head of the household just as crisis ahead of the church. You are the head of your family and that’s why he began with the man they are to be the mentors they are to be the one setting the example for the children to follow whether it’s our children born to us or the children or neighborhoods we men are the ones to be the mentors we bear a lot of responsibility because they are watching how we live our lives. Children are watching how we live our lives. How are you living your life. Are you living them rightly. I can answer that for anybody else or the age men of today men of integrity. Look at society. Do we have men of integrity. Yes we do have some but I fear integrity is a word that’s losing a lot of it’s meaning integrity means to have sound moral principles. It means being upright. It means being honest it means be insincere. There was a poll done by hair. Lou Harris poll of more than five thousand children between fourth and twelfth grade sixty five percent said that they would cheat on an important exam. If it meant getting a good grade. What are we teaching our children about integrity fifty three percent of them said that they would lie to protect event. A friend who had vandalized school property. What are we teaching our kids about integrity. It’s not OK to lie. Yes it’s OK to tell the truth. In first kings nine versus four through seven. Says Now if you walk before me as your father David walked in integrity of heart and in uprightness to do according to all that I have commanded you. And if you keep my statutes and my judgments. Then I will stablished the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever as I promised they would your father saying You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel but if you or your sons at all turn from following me and do not keep my commandments and statutes which I have set before you but go and serve other gods and worship them then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them and this house will. Which I have consecrated from my name I will cast out of my sight integrity is a must it is a must have for those who claim to be believers in Jesus Christ. We must be people among this going to say men of integrity. God help us as a nation to return to being a nation of integrity a people of integrity Paul said to the to Titus referring to the older man let them be sober and it’s not talking about drunkenness here. You look up the Greek meaning it means to be vigilant or circumspect. Is what does mean in there. That the older men be sober. It means to be attentive to everything watchful in all directions against danger or error. You see the responsibility there for the older man to be attentive to everything going on around them and in their church watchful in all directions against danger or error so that if an error T. teacher comes in. We know because we are sober fathers you are the protectors of your family you were the guide to teachers the filter through which things comes into your home. Fathers in the church or the filter through which things come into the church the age matter to be reverent that is to have a feeling of profound respect toward someone but in this case it’s towards God Do you have a profound respect towards God that also has a sense of all in affection with it. Or you reverent towards God we are to be temperate the Greek meaning is to be of sound mind with self-control. That’s what temper means to have self-control. You know I’ve heard some people say that you know we are saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ and were filled with the spear and we can just you know if I sin is not made no one is but the flesh is the flesh mean doing it but it’s not really me. What he’s telling us that we the age men are to be temperate Anat is to have self-control. I’m saying if you think well you can just go on out there and sin it’s OK to me that you do not have self-control that you you’re saying that that same spirit within you that’s saving you is not able to help you to keep keep you from doing those things men have self-control and be temperate to be sound in faith. That’s kind of self-explanatory admit to be not wavering in your faith. One day a week. All I think he’s saved me in the next day is yes got on know that I’m born again where to be sound in our faith solid on the rock which is Jesus Christ we are to be sound in love love will cover a multitude of sins the greatest gift of always love. We live the life by showing the love of Christ loving our neighbors loving our families loving our churches were to be sound in patients. And that means to have in durance in continuance not giving up. There was a chaplain. One day was ministering to a seriously wounded soldier and this soldier requested that the chaplain write a letter to his former Sunday school teacher. He said Tell her that I died a Christian because what she taught me in that class. Had an impact on my life. The memory of her earnest pleas warmed him it warmed of her love as she asked him to accept Jesus Christ. He said Tell Ramesh I will meet her in heaven. So the chaplain did write the message but some time later the chaplain received this reply. She said May God forgive me just last last month I resign my position and abandon my son to school pupils. Because I felt my work with had been fruitless how regret my impatience and lack of faith. Also as a pastor to let me go back to teaching. I have learned that when one sows for God The Reaping is both sure and blessed. That’s patience that’s in durance don’t give up we might not see the harbor so we might not see the fruits. But whenever you’re preaching the gospel preaching the truth it is sure. And it is blessed. Living a pure life right living in a church that requires in durance whether we’re young or old or somewhere in between many of the things that he said for the older man was also said for the women in the young men that the young men be sober that the women reverence their husbands that the women teach the young women be the mentors for the young women teach them to love their husbands. That’s right living. Are we living right today. Matthew seven. Verses fifteen through twenty. Jesus words Jesus says beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are raving this wolves you will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles Even so every tree bears good fruit but a bad tree bears bad fruit a good tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a bad tree bear good fruit every tree that does not bear fruit good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. That sums it up. By their fruits you will know them the world is watching the world watches how we live how we live our lives are we living them righteously. Today or whenever the world looks at us do they see the same thing they see in the world. Do they see much difference in what they see in the church than what they see in the world today. I hope the answer is yes they are seeing a great difference because we can make a greater impact packed by how we live our lives in the things we do then we can with the things we say let’s live the pure life. For him and make a difference in the world today. Amen.