Truth: God Revealed It. We Teach It. | Titus 2

Truth: God Revealed It. We Teach It. | Titus 2

Darien Gabriel

Title: Truth: God Revealed It. We Teach It.

Series: Underserved Grace

Scripture: Titus 2:1-8 [main]; Psalm 19:1-4, 7-11; John 1:1-5; 14; John 14:6; James 1:22; 2 Tim 2:2s; 1 John 1:9 ; Romans 1:16-32; 2 Tim 3:1-5

Time out

Greg McKeown says on his podcast that the COVID-19 pandemic is like God putting us in time out so that we will think about our unhealthy lifestyles and that we will discipline ourselves to live better more essential lives.

We live in a fallen world. A Romans 1-world. A 2 Timothy 3-world. (Romans 1:16-32; 2 Tim 3:1-5)

Kristie Anyabwile Spoke about being a Titus 2 woman in a Romans 1 world. 

The Main Thing

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Keith Eitel

Bottom line: 

•When we see God as he truly is, it reveals to us how we are to live. [Principle]

•When we see God as Truth, we teach it with character and competency so that God’s people live good, godly lives.

Most people are blind to the truth. That’s why they don’t teach it.

Disciple Triangle: Word, way, works (information, imitation, innovation)

“Root to Fruit” is another way of saying let’s start with God and end with us.

1.Who is God in this passage? What has he done?

1.God is truth. (John 14:6)

2.God has revealed himself to us through

1.General revelation (Psalm 19:1-4, 7-11

2.Special revelation:

1.Written word (Psalm 19:7-11; John 1:1-5)

2.Living word (John 1:14)

2.Who am I in light of this? What do I get to do as a result? As

1.A teacher (Leader). As a teacher of God’s word:

1.Teach what is appropriate for sound doctrine.

2.Teach to others so they’ll teach others. 

3.Teach as an example:

1.Always learning (disciple = learner) [slide]

2.Teach say/don’t say. TELL

3.Teach by what you do/don’t do. SHOW

4.Teach to do, not just know.

1.“Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves—do what it says!” James 1:22 NIV

2.Parable of 2 houses. Matt 7:24-27

2.A student (Learner, Disciple). Someone learning with others how to follow Christ as he seeks and saves the lost.

3.A lost person (Ignorant person). I need God’s word revealed to me by someone else.

1.I am lost without the revealed word of God seeking and saving me as one who is lost.

2.The Church is God’s holy search and rescue team for the blind. The Church is on the front lines of the expanding kingdom of God.

3.What does this look like practically?

1.Leaders/teachers teaching/training other leaders and learners the word.

2.Older generations teaching/leading younger generations the word.

3.The Word = “What is appropriate for sound doctrine” or “healthy teaching” [at ease vs dis-ease]

4.What does this look like effectively?

1.Revival. Revival is when repentance and faith of the God’s people catches on so profoundly that it sweeps through a community of faith and overflows into the surrounding community of the lost.

So, we’re going to finish up this message differently than normal.

God is holy. That means his children are holy.

•Positionally, declared righteous.

•Practically, being sanctified towards holiness.

This process called sanctification is the process of us repenting and believing over every unholy thought, word and action that God brings to mind. We repent of the lies we’re believing and embracing once again the truth of God’s revealed word.

So what I will do is read through the description of what God’s people are supposed to look like character-wise 

So that we can repent where appropriate.

I will read this passage as a prayer of confession, repentance and faith. I ask you to pray along with me repenting as you need to. After this, you’ll be invited to come forward and continue to repent and believe up front, should you wish to mark this day more strongly. This will happen during the lord’s supper.

Today is a call to repentance.

Really, every Sunday is a call to repentance. Every time the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, we should repent.

May God have mercy on us. 1 John 1:9

Better Together | Turning the World Upside Down | Acts 17:1-15

Better Together:

Darien Gabriel

“Turning The World Upside Down” (Acts 17:1-15)

Series: Better Together

Bottom line: Paul and Co. gives us a battle plan for turning things around (180˚) where we live, work, learn, and play. 

INTRO

When I trusted Christ as a freshman at Clemson, my main motivation was that I wanted to make a real difference in our world. I wanted to turn the world upside-down, so to speak. Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke did too.

Episode 1 - The Power of Love 

The power of God (resurrection) flows through the love (cross) of God. In receiving it we are empowered to love others sacrificially through word and deed.

The result will be 2-fold:

1. Movement: A great, fruitful Jesus movement of power and love. 

2. Suffering: A great anti-Jesus movement of fear and hate.

How do we do this strategically? 4 “E’s” - Here’s 1-3:

1. Establish point of contact with people. Paul started with ✡️ synagogue  

2. Expound the word (teach/preach/proclaim/share)  

   1. Christologically (Jesus is Lord/Messiah)

   2. Boldy (conf faith)

   3. Intelligently (reasoned, explained, proved) over emotion

   4. with personal integrity

3. Expect dramatic responses

   1. good 

   2. bad

Truth: Jesus is Lord, no matter what. #authority

Application: Our job is to proclaim the word in power and love. Casting seed in anticipation of a great harvest. Pray for harvesters.

Episode 2 - Noble Bereans

The word of God reveals the truth about God’s power of love story. It also reveals how we can enter that story personally.

The result will be 2-fold: (again)

1. Movement: A great, fruitful Jesus movement of power and love. 

2. Suffering: A great anti-Jesus movement of fear and hate.

1. Fourth “E” - Encourage examination of what is taught. The Bereans studied:

   1. openly

   2. eagerly

   3. carefully

   4. daily

Truth: We fight not against flesh and blood but rulers and powers not of this world. #war #spiritualwarfare 

Application: Our job is to proclaim the word in power and love. Casting seed in anticipation of a great harvest. Pray for harvesters.

Better Together: When it's time to deliver, it's time to move!

When It's Time To Deliver, It's Time to Move | Matthew 9:35:-37, Acts 2:42-47

Darien Gabriel

Series: Better Together

Scripture: Matt 9:35-37; Acts 2:42-47

Title: “When It’s Time to Deliver, It’s Time to Move”

Bottom line: When it’s time to deliver, it’s time to move. Therefore, check your spiritual vital signs and move out!

INTRO

The church is pregnant with harvesters ready to enter the harvest. The harvest is ready to receive. 

The question is: Are you ready to move? When it’s time to deliver, it’s time to move! (Jennifer’s story here?)

EPISODE 1 - It’s time to move! Be delivered.

Jennifer’s Delivery?

EPISODE 2 - Be Devoted.

Key word seems to be “devoted.” 

How can I live a devoted life?

By eating and exercising well (with great discipline). 

Remember, a person without discipline is like a house without windows and doors.

The early church was devoted to four things: (2 categories: Diet (1) & Exercise (2-4))

1. Feed on Word. (Food that endures) “The apostles teaching” was literally the exposition of the OT into what would become the NT. They were devoted to teaching and learning (with assumption that they’d obey) the word of God as the Holy Spirit led. “To hear is to obey” -Llew Silver Hand

2. Gather in Community. (Exercise one another’s) “To Fellowship is doing life-together. An extended family on mission together (i.e. what we pray a Mission Group becomes). This doesn’t say “To THE fellowship” or group but to the act of fellowship-ing or doing life together. It implies 

3. Unity in Christ

   1. Diversity within the Body of Christ (think body life) (next week)

   2. If you were planting a church starting small, you’d start with this kind of a group. An extended family of servant-missionaries learning together how to make disciples who make disciples.

   3. Draw triangle with flower inside to illustrate

   4. Examples include military, mission field, family vacations, sharing trauma.

4. Remember around the Table. (Food that endures)

5. “The breaking of bread” indicates the Lord’s supper in the context of an evening meal.

   1. This was the practice or rhythm of the early church.

   2. Many think this happened every Sunday night after they’d gathered for worship. They’d follow worship with a meal for all who came and the Lord’s supper was a part of that meal (like at the last supper and Passover meals). 

   3. The LS reminds us of when Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” And then he proceeded to tell everyone, “This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51) That was the cross.

6. Pray like Breathing. (Exercise One another’s) “To prayer” as in we need to pray like we need to breathe—all the time. It is essential and we can’t survive without it. It’s our lifeline to the Lord.

Dr. Luke gives us this as the key ingredients to being a healthy church fellowship/family/community: Diet & Exercise. 

Be devoted to your spiritual diet and exercise.

We’re already in trouble, aren’t we. We can’t seem to even get this right in our physical lives. And this matters so much more!

It’s now when I show people that there is a direct connection between discipline in your physical life and your spiritual life. 

In other words, when you are disciplined in your physical life, it helps you in your spiritual life. And vice versa. 

Every January this becomes more important to us than the rest of the year. By February, most of us have fallen back to our hold habits. We haven’t created new, healthy rhythms that come from a life of self-control. 

Diet

The first of these key ingredients is the diet—input; what we take in. This is more than going on a diet like Adkins, Mediterranean or paleo.  Your diet is what you eat. Some of you have a Dorrito diet. Others a McDiet. You eat chips and drink soda and don’t give much thought at all to what you eat and drink. What you eat and how much of it you eat matters more than anything when it comes to good health. (Physically and spiritually)

The old saying is, “Garbage in = Garbage out”.

So many of us do things and buy things to make us healthier. But we are undisciplined about the most basic way to see that happen—eat healthy and eat less. We avoid fasting like the plague when in fact wise fasting leads to better health. We try to exercise our way to a healthier body but avoid this most basic of steps: Put a sentry at the opening of your mouth. Only you can discipline yourself to eat wisely.

Exercise

The second of these key ingredients applies to 2-4: Exercise. 

We get stronger by getting weaker and then resting our muscles. The result of that rested muscle is a stronger muscle. 

Our faith (gathering, remembering and praying) is like a muscle too. We use it which stretches it. We return to God resting (abiding) in him, and the result is a stronger faith. 

1. We exercise by gathering as a community fellowshipping together in Christ. Being present or “showing up” are ways we reflect Christ’s incarnation or “word made flesh”. We cannot practice the “one another's” if we’re not with one another!

If he doesn’t show up—we don’t go up.

1. We remember around the table as we gather and enjoy biblical hospitality which includes the Eucharist/Communion/Lord’s Supper. We take time to regularly remember the cross. This is the best expression of the love of God there is. It’s not about the resurrection (though that proved it worked and made this possible). It all comes back to the cross. Where God showed his sacrificial love in sending his son to die for the sins of the world reconciling and restoring all things under Christ. This is salvation and it is the hope Christians rest in as they contemplate eternity.

2. We pray like breathing.

3. We never stop breathing. (1 Thess 5:17)

   1. We breath when we’re alone and when we’re with others. We don’t really think about it and yet it’s essential to life. Prayer is essential in the spiritual life.

      1. The strength of our faith is measured by how we pray. To not pray is to not believe, not know, or not care that prayer makes a difference. So it’s either because of 

      1. Unbelief,

      2. Ignorance, or

      3. Indifference.

      1. We correct our breathing when it’s not right.

      2. One of the worries of COVID-19 is how it affects our breathing. 

         1. If you have asthma or breathing issues, that makes you high risk for COVID-19.

         2. It’s why you carry an inhaler.

         3. Perhaps the reason you feel like your faith is on life-support is because you need a spiritual inhaler. That would be the Holy Spirit.

EPISODE 3 - Be fruitful.

What are the results, affects, or fruit of being devoted to these things?

Fruit shows that we’re acting by faith in being devoted to healthy rhythms. (Food & exercise) 

What does this look like? Glad you asked!

1. Radical generosity. (Acts 2:44-45) 

2. Constant interaction. (2:44)

3. Gathering in large and small groups. (2:46)

4. Spirit of awe, gladness and praise. (2:43, 46-47)

5. Displaying attractive faith. (2:47)

6. Daily evangelism. (2:47)

EPISODE 4 - Be diligent & check your vital signs.

1. Biblical nourishment.

2. Loving fellowship.

3. Vibrant worship.

4. Word & deed outreach.

When your vital signs are good, you shine vibrant health like a pregnant mother.

Speaking of light...what does light do? Think lighthouse.

EPISODE 5 - Be DeLightful.

The Lighthouse Movement was popularized as the nation moved towards the year 2,000. Ministries, churches and mission organizations sensed a growing urgency to equip the body to multiply disciple-makers. This strategy was developed to help everyone be a lighthouse where they live, work, and play.

What does light do?

1. It attracts (to Christ and his bride the Church)

2. It reveals (truth)

3. It warns (consequences of sin)

Prayer - Pray for those where you live, work, learn and play.

Care - Care for those you’ve been praying for as needs arise.

Share - Share with those you’ve been caring for as trust grows and opportunities arise. 

What can I do this week to take baby steps in the direction?

Run this play:

• Goal: 3 touches/week

• Prayer, care, & share

• Think, “I am a lighthouse” and my job is to shine wherever I live, work, and play

• Share any wins that happen this week by texting 843-830-2464

Conclusion

Emma - thinking she’d come even faster, I lost it (share story)

Final story

We’ve been pregnant—time to birth a mission in our neighborhood.

• We renamed our mission group to the Neighborhood Mission Group.

• We asked our group to pray for and to hold us accountable to reach out to our neighbors. You did and we did.

• We stepped up our game and connected with more of our neighbors over the past year.

• We’ve been growing more and more pregnant with momentum as we’ve connected with more and more of our neighbors. 

• Now it’s time to deliver. It’s time to move!

• Time to deliver a new group on mission to reach Bradford Chase (just like the Vullo’s and the Whittington’s are doing in their neighborhood).

• God cares about the harvest way more than we do. But if we pray for him to send more harvesters into the harvest, we must be willing to be the answer to that prayer. Are you? The harvest is ready to deliver! Are we ready to move? Because it’s time!

How will we (Anita and I) do this?

• Pray. We’ll continue to pray for our neighbors and how to best care for and share with them. We’ll pray for God to show us what’s next.

• Move. When we gain clarity on our next step, we’ll move forward one step. We will keep this simple and seek to do just what he wants—no more; no less.

• Report. We’ll share with our current Mission Group what God is up to. 

• Repeat. We’ll pray again and move again. We will do this simply and by faith. When it succeeds, we will only be able to point to what God showed us to do.

Perhaps God has already been working in and on you to do something like this. If so, we are ready to help.

For some, it’s start a Core group (2-5 people meeting weekly for accountability in the word). UP

For some, it’s a home group (8-12 people meeting bi-weekly for being discipled); IN

For some, it’s a mission group (10+ people meeting bi-weekly for being trained to make disciples who make disciples); OUT

Step 1: Pray for your next step.

Step 2: Do that next step. 

Step 3: Repeat.

Step 4: Connect with us for coaching support, prayer and encouragement. We’ll have coaching Zooms where you can regularly be trained and encouraged to do what God leads you to do. 

Text me at 843-830-2464 or write it down on a green card that you want to talk coaching or groups. We’ll get in touch with you this week.

He’s Able. He’s Worthy. But Count the Cost | Matt 8:18-34

Bottom line: Because Jesus has absolute authority in the world and deserves absolute allegiance from the world, we trust, rest, submit to and rejoice in that authority. But we must count the cost. 

He’s Able. He’s Worthy. But Count the Cost | Matt 8:18-34

Darien Gabriel

I. Jesus has authority over disciples. (18-20) i.e. I trust Jesus no matter what.

    A. Jesus is worthy of unconditional trust, even if it means giving up earthly security and comforts. (Matt 8:18-20; parallel Luke 9:57-62)

“If you follow me, I’m all you’ve got.” -David Platt

• There’s a steep cost in following Jesus because he wants everything. (Time, talent, treasure, temple, testimony)

• Teacher of the law thinks he wants to follow Jesus. Instead of saying “fall-in”, Jesus discourages this by calling him to count the costs.

• Our security is in our home

  • security systems

  • watch dogs

  • locks

  • insurance

  • fences

• Jesus tells him he cannot even guarantee a roof over his head if he follows him. He may be homeless or a wanderer. 

• “If you follow me, I’m all you’ve got/“ -David Platt  Are you ready to embrace that?

• Jesus is worthy of our unconditional trust, even if it means giving up everything else. Why trust? Because he’s good. Therefore, I don’t need to look elsewhere for satisfaction.

Jennifer and Chears had to count the cost of buying a dog. (Vet bills, food, time, damage) We do too.

Application: Count the costs of following Jesus.

    B. Jesus is worthy of undivided affection, even if it means giving up easy access to our earthly relationships. (21-22)

• Disagreement over what is actually being requested here.

  • Does he want to give his deceased father a proper funeral, or

  • Does he want to wait until his living father dies and he gets his inheritance before agreeing to follow Jesus?

  • It doesn’t matter. The lesson is the same.

  • “Jesus’ response is direct, ‘Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.’” -Platt quoting Jesus

• Therefore, more important than honoring your father or collecting your inheritance (both of which matter) is following Jesus promptly and completely.

• Seeing Jesus as Sovereign authority in the world —> gladly surrendering total allegiance in life.

Jesus said, ““If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭14:26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/111/luk.14.26.niv

JC Ryle quote, “Nothing, in fact, has done more to Christianity than the practice of filing ranks of Christs’ army with every volunteer who is willing to make a little profession.”

“Remember, Jesus is not begging for followers. He’s actually turning them away because he warrants unconditional trust and undivided affection from those who follow him. When Jesus speaks, leprosy, paralysis, and fever obey. The question is, ‘Do you obey?’” - Platt

"Just say the word, Lord” should be our mantra.

Count the costs.

II. Jesus has authority over demons. (Matt 8:28-34)

We have a picture of demons who 

1. Violently possess 2 men, and yet, are

2. Hate Jesus, and yet, are

3. Deathly afraid of Jesus

4. Are powerless to do anything without his permission

Satan on a leash 

“Satan can do nothing in the world, and nothing in your life, apart from the sovereign permission of God. Satan is (like) a lion (1 Peter 5:8), but he is a lion on a leash. And God holds the leash.”

Jennifer’s new Lab

Our daughter Jennifer got a new yellow lab. Even walking him as a gangly puppy quickly found him dragging her down the street as she tried to walk her undisciplined puppy. So she stopped taking him thinking he’s grow out of it and mature becoming more calm and obedient over time. Now she realizes that he’s still growing stronger (but not more disciplined because of lack of training) and so now he’ll only pull harder.

Satan is on a leash. 

God is holding the leash.

Neither demons nor Satan himself have all authority. Only Jesus does.

Remember 2 weeks ago we saw Jesus say 2 things to the 12 after he calmed the storm on the sea:

1. You of little faith? (Why do you doubt?)

2. Why are you so afraid?

In other words, why don’t you believe that I am God and in control having absolute authority in the world?

Dallas Willard said, “To believe something is to act as if it were true.”

Clearly, we have a gap between what we say we believe and what we actually believe. 

God can close your gap when you cooperate with him. 

When you place your unconditional trust and your undivided affections on Jesus, he transforms you to act as if you really do gladly and whole-heartedly submit to him. 

Faith

Our tendency to fear is why we must remember Jesus’ authority. 

Jesus is encouraging us to believe he is able and near.

Sometimes we believe in Jesus even less than the demons do!

What do I mean?

The half-brother of Jesus, James, writes to believers scattered all over the world, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” James 2:19

1. The demons have fear because of their belief. Why? Because they know Jesus is God and are therefore terrified of him. We see this in Scripture every time Jesus confronts them.

2. But we often fear because we don’t believe Jesus is God and has absolute authority. 

What if we believed with the confidence of the demons? (I get it, they’ve seen Jesus in the spiritual realm as he truly is now)

Conclusion

Jesus is the son of God (God incarnate) with all authority over disease, disaster, and demons. Nothing can touch us apart from his sovereign will and power. 

Therefore, we should and can be the most secure people on the planet. 

Our security isn’t based on our house, our good job, the strength/stability of the economy, or who is president. It’s based on believing we are in the hands of the One with all authority in this world.

He is great and able and willing to provide for us and protect us.

He is good and wants to provide and protect us...as we seek first his kingdom...(Matt 6:33)

Hear the demon’s questions (29)

“What do you have to do with us, son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

Their day of final judgment is coming. (25:41)

As believers, we look forward to the coming day of judgment. Why, you ask?

Because Jesus showed he also has authority over death. So as a believer of that trusty and follower of his way and life, I know my just and holy judgment fell on Jesus at the cross instead of on me. Therefore, I will live in mercy and not under his judgment.

You can too! This is our great hope in Christ!

We don’t like authority. But we should. We will never thrive apart from healthy authority. 

Bottom line: 

Because Jesus has absolute authority in the world and deserves absolute allegiance from the world, we trust, rest, submit to and rejoice in that authority. But we must count the cost. 

Coast Guard

The coast guard has a mission to defend the shoreline of our nation and to rescue people who’s lives are in jeopardy outside our shorelines. They have a chain of command with people in authority all the way up to the President, congress and Supreme Court. They function effectively to the extent that they respect the authorities over them.

The Church has a mission to defend the front lines of the kingdom of God (the Church IS the FOB). In addition, we rescue people far from God but close to us (physically, relationally, emotionally, experientially) under the authority of God through Jesus. 

We will function effectively to the extent that we respect and revere and follow the authority of Christ.

Application

1. Trust wholeheartedly in Jesus’ authority! (Put your full weight on the brake or chair)

2. Rest peacefully in Jesus’ authority! (Like Jesus sleeping in the boat in the storm sleep through the night no matter the storm)

3. Submit completely to Jesus’ authority! (Get off your hands and praise him as your Ultimate authority in life—Jesus is Lord of all!)

4. Rejoice gladly in Jesus’ authority! (Smile often)

Notes:

As revival scholar James Edwin Orr said, “The only proof of the new birth is the new life.” Or, in the words of Jacob (James), “someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18).