BE: Part IV

Become To Build: Be Series Part 4

Titus 3:4-8

4 But—”When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” 8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. (other translations say “Good works”)These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone. (NLT)

Introduction:  We are in this “BE” series…where I have shared the idea of:

BE Christian

Become a Follower

Build His Kingdom

Definition:  To trust in the Person and the Claims of Jesus Christ wholeheartedly and exclusively!  Activating a New Birth that results in a Lifestyle that mirrors His values and teachings and ways so others may see and know Him.

Become means “to come into what you Be”  “to begin what you are to be”  it literally mean to rise into what you “Be”

Transition:  I recently, as many of you know, was with Pastor Benny Hinn and He was preaching a message where he said:  “We can’t effectively pray if we don’t know the Word and You can’t know the Word if you Don’t read it and pray about what you Read…

But then He said:  The Word should Lead us to pray…but then it should cause us to live a “Spirit-Led Life” or what’s the point of all the Reading and Praying.

So why would we “Be Christian” and “Become a Follower of Christ” if we aren’t going to “Build His Kingdom.”

  1. Build a New Humanity
    1. Paul’s ultimate goal for sending Titus to Crete is so that Titus could help the people become a New kind of Humanity…
    2. You do realize that is what a Christian is…
      1. A new type of Human…
      2. See Christianity is compelling when it looks culturally similar…but is based on a different value system and devoted to a different God…
        1. See the World as we know it has a value system…and most of the times “Be Christian” is in direct opposition to that Culture…
        2. “Becoming” begins and ends with our devotion to a Different God of this World…
          1. To the Cretans that god was Zeus
          2. To the average American…that God could be any thing you and I put before the one true living God…
        3. Paul was communicating to the People through this letter…
          1. We are going to Build a New Humanity…
          2. That is what Jesus came to do…
            1. He came to restore us to original intent…operating according to the Principle of God’s kingdom…and not the Kingdom of this world.
  • So Paul in this passage I read begins to lay out the How…
    1. Titus 3:4-8

4 But—”When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” 8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. (other translations say “Good works”)These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone. (NLT)

  1. Saved, Washed, New Birth, New Life and declared us righteous…so if we have experienced that, logically we will devote ourselves to Doing Good Works.
  1. Works
    1. Here is a thought and I want to say it and let it rest in your spirit for a moment…
      1. Bees build Hives
      2. Ants Build Colonies
  • Humans Build Futures
  1. But How do we Build Futures for Ourselves and more Importantly for Others…

Phil 2:12-13 work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. ESV

  1. Paul is not saying…Work for your Salvation…matter of fact he is writing to saved people whom in Phil. 1:1 Paul refers to as Saints…Saints isn’t a behavior it is a Position.
  2. This idea of Working out Your Salvation is referring to a Mine….
    1. When you go into a Gold Mine, Silver Mine or an Ore Mine…
    2. You Mine all of the resources out of the Mine…
    3. You Strip it clean…
      1. Digging
      2. Searching
      3. Scratching for everything of value, worth and treasure out of the mine…
      4. Others see a hole…you see the Treasure in the hole because you are willing to Mine it out…
  • He is declaring You are Saved, Now Work that Salvation that is in you…Out of You.
    1. Work it into your life
    2. Into your behavior
    3. Into your attitude
    4. Titus teaches us to work that salvation into our Marriages
    5. Into our Families
    6. Into our Children
    7. Into Our Culture…

Slap Three People and Tell Them: “Work It Out”

Transition:  Pastor what am I really working out…that has the Power to Change Everything…His Kingdom!

  • Build His Kingdom
    1. An Artist when He or she begins a painting…they take a big brush and paint a foundation that can be built upon…so in essence that is what I’m about to do…the color will have to be added in later….
    2. Its almost like a color by number picture…problem is we don’t have all the crayons in our one little box.

Luke 17:20-21

20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation;  21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” NKJV

Luke 17:20-21

Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. 21 You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.” (NLT)

1 Cor 6:19-20

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. ESV

2 Cor 6:16

16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; ESV

  1. To Live a Life that Reflects the Kingdom of God…takes Courage and Strength…
    1. Look at Solomon for a second…He is said to have been the wisest man to ever live outside of Jesus…but when he was commissioned to build the Temple…the House of God…Look what the Scripture says…
    2. 1 Chron 28:10

10 Be careful now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong and do it.” ESV

1 Chron 28:20-21

20 Then David said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished. ESV

  • We are seeing an Old Testament Picture of what we are to do in our Current day living…and it will take Strength…and Courage.
    1. See God doesn’t live in this Church…
    2. He lives in you…
    3. You are the Sanctuary…this is the House.
  1. See everything flows from the Sanctuary…
    1. Sanctuary by definition is a place of refuge or protection…
    2. That inner most place…
    3. So what resides in the Sanctuary of our lives matter….
      1. That is why scripture says…Be holy…set apart…because He is Holy.
      2. Only Holy in a Sanctuary can entertain Holy…

Transition:  So, Paul in Titus is letting us know…as we have encountered this incredible salvation that has made us New and given us New Life…Now Work with that Grace to Build a New Future…

  1. Build Futures
    1. Here is a strange verse to conclude…but I have a point in it:
    2. Eph 4:28-29

28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. NKJV

  1. Now practically this is just good advice…if you’re stealing stop it…
  2. But let me take this deeper…
    1. Do you have something to give…or are you stealing from others…
    2. Like Worship…did you come with some worship or are stealing from others who did worship
  • A Personal Relationship with Jesus…or are you stealing from someone else’s relationship with Jesus…
  1. Are you living the Future Someone Else has for you…or have you entered into a Relationship with Jesus to build a Brand New Future?
  1. In Essence that is what Paul is saying to the Church in Crete…
    1. Get your own Relationship with God…and then You’ll have something to give to someone else…
    2. When you get a relationship with God…that relationship will begin to Work its way out into your family, your workplace, on the ball fields…
  2. Closing
    1. I was talking to a friend the other day and we were talking about Salvation…and asking Jesus into our lives…
      1. Growing up I would hear this phrase: You have a God size hole in your life that only Jesus can fill…Once that is filled then real life can begin to happen…
      2. That is so true…we do all have a God size hole in our hearts… and only Jesus can fill it…will you let him.
    2. One of my favorite Art Stories…is the Story of the Art Piece “Check Mate”
      1. The Painting is real…it actually is in the hands of a private collector who bought it at a Christie auction in 1999…
      2. But the Legend goes and many say it is true…that a grand chess master sat all day looking at the work…until he began to laugh and stand to his feet and audibly cheer…the curator of the Leuev came and asked sir are you okay…the Chess-master replies absolutely…There is another Move!!!
  • I came to tell those who feel like the devil has you at checkmate…there is another move…and it’s your turn to move.

GIVE THE ALTAR CALL

  1. Maybe you have received Jesus as Savior but You haven’t Worked that Salvation Out…I want to Pray for you as well…

Email my notes