God’s Great Message

28 June 2020 AM – Titus 1:1-3 – Tit20 – Scott Childs
Introduction: Last week as we began a study in the book of Titus, we looked at the origin of the book. We learned that the Apostle Paul wrote the book to preacher Titus. Titus’ mission field was on the island of Crete to the difficult Cretan people. An overview of the book revealed that a local church is to be organized, sound in doctrine, and ready to do good work for the Lord.
            As an apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul was God’s messenger. His life was about sharing God’s Great Message. God’s Great Message back in the first century was no different than it is today.
Transition: In the first three verses of Titus, we find four facts about God’s Great Message that ought to motivate us to share it today.
The first fact about God’s Great Message that ought to motivate us is that …
  1. It is about a Saving Faith
a.         Saving faith is faith in Jesus Christ
1)         God is the Creator of all that exists. (Nehemiah 9:6) “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.“
2)         He created you and me. (Genesis 2:7) “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”  We are accountable to our Creator.
3)         Unfortunately, we are sinful people. (Ecclesiastes 7:20) “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.“
4)         Though we have sinned, God loves us and gave His Son Jesus to pay the judgment of our sin. He did so by dying on the cross and raising to life again 2,000 years ago. (Romans 5:8) “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.“
5)         When we talk about saving faith, we are talking about trusting what Christ did for us to save us eternally from God’s judgment. (Ephesians 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.” Faith is acting upon trusted information.
b.         Saving faith belongs to God’s elect.
1)         Election is a topic that boggles the mind. Many have gone to extreme believing that God chose some for heaven and others for hell. That is not true. He said “whosoever will may come,” and that He is not willing any should perish.
2)         Election simply means that in eternity past, God chose all who would one day place their faith in Him to save them from judgment. All who by faith trust Christ become part of His elect.
The second fact about God’s Great Message that ought to motivate us is that …
2.        It is about the knowledge of life-changing truth
a.         God’s message is about His truth
1)         Many today claim that there are no absolute truths. The statement “truth is relative” is, in fact, a self-refuting statement. In saying, “Truth is relative,” one states a purported truth. (Gotanswers.org)
2)         God is truth. He reveals His truth in the Bible. (Psalms 119:160) “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.“
3)         Because God created all things, He knows the truth of how we ought to live. The Bible identifies evils to avoid, temptations to flee, qualities to develop, wisdom to direct us, ways to think, steps to victory and much more.
4)         God desires that we have a full knowledge of His truth. The only way to absorb God’s truth is to study it (i.e., reading, meditating, memorising, listening to preaching).
b.         God’s truth when applied makes one godly
1)         Note again in verse 1 that “truth is after godliness”. God’s truth leads to godly living. The better you know God’s truth, the better you will know how to live God’s way.
2)         There ought to be a clear change in a person’s life when he becomes a Christian. Just as God changes a caterpiller into a beautiful butterfly, so He desires to change your life from ungodly to godly.
3)         J. Vernon McGee was right when he said, “My friend, if the truth that you have does not lead to a godly life, there is something radically wrong with your faith.”
The third fact about God’s Great Message that ought to motivate us is that …
3.        It rests upon a hope of eternal life
a.         God’s message gives hope
1)         God’s message offers salvation from judgment. It teaches us truth that can make us godly. God’s message also rests on a hope of eternal life.
2)         God mercifully offers to save us sinners from the judgment that we truly deserve. He also graciously gives us hope of eternal life with Him in heaven, which we do not deserve. Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus our blessed redeemer!
3)         The apostle Peter wrote about this. (1 Peter 1:3-5) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.“
4)         Do not forget that the Bible word “hope” does not refer to a wish. It refers to an expectation. (1 John 5:13) “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.“
b.         God, that cannot lie, has promised
1)         The Christian’s hope of eternal life is a promise from God. (Numbers 23:19) “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?“
2)         We know that this promise of eternal life is true because God cannot lie. God in His very nature is free from falsehood. Lying is sin and God is incapable of lying because He has no sin nature.
3)         God made this promise before He created the world.
The fourth fact about God’s Great Message that ought to motivate us is that …
4.        It is revealed through preaching
a.         We live in a privileged era.
1)         Think about all the saints in the Old Testament like Able, Noah, Job, Abraham, Joseph, David, Jeremiah, and Daniel. They knew bits and pieces of God’s Great Message, but much of it was hidden from their minds. Christ had not yet died and rose again for man’s sin.
2)         The Old Testament saints were saved from God’s judgment by faith just as we are, but they did not have as much to place their faith in as we do. Their faith was in God’s promises. Our faith is in Christ’s provision and God’s promises. We are very privileged!
3)         In God’s due time or perfect season, He send Christ to this earth to pay for our sins. Then He gradually over the first century inspired men to write His Great Message in the New Testament for our benefit.
b.         The preaching of God’s great message is our duty
1)         Paul acknowledged that the preaching of God’s Great Message was committed unto him according to the commandment of God.
2)         God has also committed the preaching of His Word to us. Every Christian is to be His witnesses. He is also looking for young men who will surrender to preach His word at home or on the mission field. Years ago, I heard a preacher say, “God has not called very Christian to be a missionary, but every Christian ought to struggle with the possibility.”
Conclusion: We have noted four facts about God’s Great Message. (Review points).  These facts ought to motivate every true Christian to want to share this good news with others. Will you take the challenge? Will you get involved? Will you answer God’s call? If you have not yet received God’s salvation by faith, will you do so today?
Song: I Surrender All – 394