GRACE REVEALED
(Titus 2:11-12 GNT)
# For God has revealed his grace for the salvation of all people.
# That grace instructs us to give up
* ungodly living and
* worldly passions, and
to live
* self-controlled,
* upright, and
* godly lives in this world,
GOOD & FAITHFUL TO BRING CREDIT
(Titus 2:9-10 GNT)
% Slaves are to submit themselves to their masters and please them in all things.
% They must not talk back to them or steal from them.
% Instead, they must show that they are always good and faithful, so as to bring credit to the teaching about God our Savior in all they do.
BE AN EXAMPLE
(Titus 2:7 NLT)
And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind.
Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.
% Many a times, we point fingers at others for not doing what they teach.
% We find fault about other's life.
% But God demands every one of His children to be an example to others.
% Jesus expects us to be an example by doing good works of every kind.
% We should not become complacent or be satisfied with what we have done.
% But, we should keep on doing good works until we finish our race in this world.
% So let's not waste time in pointing out mistakes of others or criticising others.
% Instead we ourselves should be an example.
LIVING AND TEACHING
(Titus 2:1 NLT)
As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching.
% Again we read about Paul insisting on the life that reflects what we teach.
% Here he emphasis on a life that reflects sound (healthy) doctrine of life.
% The doctrine based on the life of Jesus Christ % In short our life should reflect the teachings and life of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
% Let's introspect our life and what we teach others.
Conclusion:
# We should teach others about Christ in full (complete gospel/teaching)
# Our life should reflect this wholesome teaching
WORD AND WALK
(Titus 1:15-16 NLT)
% Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure.
% But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.
% Such people claim they know God, but they deny Him by the way they live.
% They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.
@ What we claim in words and the way we live should match.
@ Many people talk a lot about God, but their life will be against Godly principles which amounts to denial.
@ Such lifestyles are hypocritical.
@ Check your life today.
@ Be sure that your word and walk are the same.
BEWARE OF REBELLIOUS PEOPLE
% For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others.
% This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation.
% They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching.
% And they do it only for money.
(Titus 1:10-11 NLT)
ARE YOU A DISCIPLE MAKER(ELDER)?
Checklist
% An elder must live a blameless life.
% He must be faithful to his wife, and
% His children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.
% An elder is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life.
% He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered;
% He must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.
% Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and
% He must love what is good.
% He must live wisely and be just.
% He must live a devout and disciplined life.
% He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught;
% Then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong. (Titus 1:6-9 NLT)
# We cannot remain as infants in Christ.
# We should grow up to be a disciple and a disciple maker (elder)
# Let us give priority to the areas listed above and be a good disciple maker (elder)
# Let us multiply and expand the kingdom of God.
# Let us be sensitive to the perishing souls.
# Let us be concerned about those who are living without the eternal hope.
# Let us be a good model for others in following the footsteps of Christ.
LEFT ALIVE TO COMPLETE THE WORK
% I left you on the island of Crete
% so you could complete our work there and
% appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.(Titus 1:5 NLT)
* This is similar to what Jesus did before ascending to heaven.
* Jesus called His disciples and entrusted the work of making more disciples everywhere across the world.
* Jesus commissioned His disciples to complete the unfinished work of preaching the Gospel to the nations.
* It is a mantle and a Godly yoke on His children, that is being passed from one generation to another and should continue until Jesus comes again.
* YES my precious friends!!
* We are left alive in this world to complete the unfinished work of
% saving precious souls,
% making them as disciples of Christ and
% nurture them as faithful stewards who in turn will further continue the work.
* No one knows the span of life. Death may come any time.
* But, are we faithful in fulfilling the mandate? If not, start doing it from today onwards..
Note: If you don't know how to share God's love to others and make them into a disciple, let me know. We can help you do that.
REMINDER TO REMIND...
This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.
% I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and
% to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.
% This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God(who does not lie) promised them before the world began.
% And now at just the right time He has revealed this message, which we announce to everyone.
% It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for Him.(Titus 1:1-3 NLT)
% Sharing the Gospel, teaching the truth and discipling them in CHRIST is a God given mandate to every believer.
% This letter from Paul is a reminder to all of us to remind everyone about Christ.
% Let's keep doing it till our last breadth.
FIX YOUR THOUGHTS ON...
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on
* what is true, and
* honorable, and
* right, and
* pure, and
* lovely, and
* admirable.
Think about things that are
* excellent and
* worthy of praise.([NLT] Phil 4:8)
% We have a greater calling.
% We are called to aim high and excel.
% Let's not settle down for the substandard things of this world.
% Let's not compromise on the godly qualities.
% Let's fix our thoughts on higher things and make a difference through our life.
#word4all
TELL GOD
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.([NLT] Phil 4:6)
% Sharing our concerns and problems with others is quite common.
% The habit of sharing is different from lamenting.
% Many a times, particularly when we are stressed out, we start lamenting to others under the pretext of sharing.
% Lamenting adds up the worry and stress in life.
% This leads us to a state of gloominess thereby stealing the inner joy and even the little faith we have.
* Are you struggling with similar situations?
* Make it a habit of telling God first, before telling any man.
* Don't hesitate to open up your heart to God and tell Him what you need.
* Sometimes even the closest companion fails to understand our feelings.
* But God can understand our inner most feelings, disappointments and expectations.
* He is the only one who can understand you as you are.
* More than trusting man, trust God and tell Him everything.
. TELL EVERYTHING TO GOD FIRST.
DO EVERYTHING THROUGH CHRIST.
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.(Phil 4:13 NLT)
* Are you weak and tired?
* Are you on the verge of giving up from pursuing what you are doing now?
* Are you standing in the cross roads, confused and apprehensive about the magnitude of work that is starring at you?
* Are you bombarded with the thoughts of inability to finish the process or project you are handling now?
* Are you feeling burnt out, come to a standstill without any energy and resilience to move forward?
= Yes! The world is a tough place which sucks out our energy.
= As human beings, we have limited energy and strength.
= But our God is omnipotent. He can do anything and everything.
= Come to Christ.
= Surrender your inability and the situations into His hands.
= Surely He will strengthen you to finish all that you need to accomplish.
= With Christ by our side we can do great exploits, cross over seas and leap over mountains.
= Just be careful to do everything through Christ.
#word4all
BE CONTENT
Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.(Phil 4:11 NLT)
% Being content in life is next to impossible for most of us.
% We always long to have more or the latest
% This thirst or craving will never allow us to be settled and give rise to anxiety.
% Anxiety leads to worries and peace-less situations.
% These situations opens the door for most of the diseases.
% The best medicine to tackle this problem is learning to be content with what we have.
% There is nothing wrong in aiming higher or to have the best.
% We should give our best in all that we can do and then leave the rest to God.
% Whatever God gives in return to our best efforts, we should have the heart to accept and should learn to be content with that.
% We should stop worrying and be thankful to God for whatever blessing He is bestowing on us.
% Are you content?
#word4all
GOD WILL MEET ALL YOUR NEEDS
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. {Phil 4:19 NIV)
% God is your creator and is the owner of the entire universe.
% The riches of this world is beyond imagination and everything is under His authority and control.
% What is your need in life?
% What are you anxious about, concerning your future?
% Come to Jesus, put your trust in Him and tell Him your need.
% Jesus is all powerful and all capable to meet your needs.
% Don't depend on your strength, power or influence. Instead depend on God's mercy.
% Then, God will surely meet all your needs according to His riches and glory.
#word4all
REWARD FOR YOUR KINDNESS
I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.(Phil 4:17 NLT)
% Are you kind to one another?
% Are you kind to the poor and needy?
% Are you showing kindness to the fatherless, orphans, homeless, weak and the meek?
% More than our words, a small deed of kindness in times of need is more powerful.
% Remember the Kindness of Jesus in our life. Let's also be kind to others like Him.
% If we exhibit our kindness for the sake of getting name and fame we will miss the real reward from God.
% Act of kindness should be done in secret or silently.
% God is silently watching over our attitude and activities. He will surely reward us.
% Let us be careful not to miss out the reward from God.
DON'T WORRY
* Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers
* ask God for what you need,
* always asking Him with a thankful heart.(Phil 4:6 GNT)
@ 'Worry' is a powerful weapon devil uses to demoralize the people.
@ Worry brings fear and destroys the inner peace.
@ Worry suffocates the individual from having faith in Christ
@ Worry paralyses people from doing anything positive in life and even curtails growth and stability.
@ Worry blinds the people from seeing the blessings in life and prevents them from enjoying even the blessings at hand.
% Are you worried about your future?
Simple steps to come out of worrying
% Count your blessings and list them down.
% Recollect the cherished moments of your past.
% Start thanking God for all those blessings.
% Remember that He who could protect and provide for you in the past can continue to do the same for your future.
% Surrender all worries unto the Lord and start thanking Him for your future.
% Read the Scriptures (Bible) more so that your faith will increase and His peace will fill you.
% Speak to yourself and against the 'worry' factor to leave you.
% Keep reminding yourself that God is in control of your future and He will give the best in the right time. Never doubt again.
% Rejoice over His presence, protection and provision.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING. GOD IS IN CONTROL
#word4all
GENTLENESS
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (Phil 4:5 NIV)
% Gentleness means being mild, soft or not harsh.
% Do we have this character?
% Let's analyse to what extent we are gentle in tough situations and testing times.
% Our gentleness will be known to others, only by the way we respond to the crisis.
% Jesus was very gentle when He walked in this world as a human.
% Holy Spirit is a gentle Spirit and gentleness is also the fruit of Holy Spirit.
% Let's be sure to receive this fruit and the fruit be known to others.
FULL OF JOY
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! (Phil 4:4 NLT)
* Holy Spirit is the source of JOY
* The secret is: When we remain actively connected to the Lord through the Holy Spirit (remains filled continuously), no matter, how difficult the situations are, our inner joy will never get disturbed.
* The joy of the Lord will keep bubbling over.
* When we have this fullness of joy, you will be full of confidence and faith. You will be more productive and successful.
* Remain filled with the Holy Spirit always. REJOICE!
#word4all
SETTLE YOUR DISAGREEMENT.
Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement.(Phil 4:2 NLT)
% Are you in peace with others?
% Do you have disagreement with your brethren?
% When you disagree with somebody else over any issue, you should handle it professionally and in the right spirit.
% Disagreements are quite common everywhere including our home and workplace.
% But you should never prolong that to allow entry into your personal space leading to hurts and enmity.
% If you are a child of God, be a person of peace. Not a person of enmity and disagreement.
% Even if it is there, settle your disagreements immediately.
#word4all
STAY TRUE
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. (Phil 4:1 NLT)
% We should be people of integrity.
% Being truthful should be in our blood and in our daily life.
% Both before the eyes and behind the eyes of people, we should always remain truthful because, God's eyes are always watching over us.
% Many times, we make promises to God ; but seldom keep it. This is not truthfulness.
% Compromising on Godly values and principles for the sake of worldly things, purposely doing wrong, taking God's grace for granted are other examples for not being true to God.
% So, if we are conscious of the fact that no one can hide anything from God and if we are committed to live a God pleasing life, automatically we will be truthful in all areas.
% Let's analyse and correct our shortfalls.
% Let's remain true to the Lord till the end..
MORTAL TO GLORIOUS
@ But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.
@ And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Saviour.
@ He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own,
@ using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control.(Phil 3:20-21 NLT)
Reassuring words of Paul.
% Do we have such assurance or confidence today?
% Do you still have doubts about the next life?
% This worldly life is a short life, where we are prepared for the eternal life.
% The pain and sorrows of all the children of God will also end with this world.
% So cheer up. Jesus is coming soon to take us to be with Him.
% He will wipe away all our tears and erase our pain.
% We will be transformed from our mortal bodies into glorious bodies.
% What a wonderful moment it will be.
% Let us prepare to meet our Saviour.
CONTRADICTING THE CROSS
@ For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that
@ there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.
@ They are headed for destruction.
@ Their god is their appetite,
@ they brag about shameful things, and
@ they think only about this life he re on earth.(Phil 3:18-19 NLT)
% We may speak beautifully about the Cross.
% But if our life doesn't match what is written in the Bible, then we contradict our own. and the Cross of Christ.
% To God, it’s not our words but whether we live as per His word which is more important.
% If we say that we are a Christian but live a life which has no relation to Christ, then we are enemies to Him.
% Such kind of life leads to destruction. Better be warned and stand corrected.
% Don't look at what others are doing. Don't compare with the life of others. But compare your words and life with Christ.
% Check your conduct whether it is contradictory to the cross of Christ.
PRESS ON TOWARDS THE CALL
# I focus on this one thing:
# Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
# I press on to reach the end of the race and
# receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Phil 3:13-14 NLT)
# God is calling us through Jesus Christ for the heavenly prize
# That is possible, only when we finish the race successfully.
# Yes, we need to cross the finish line to receive the prize
# Our life is the race and is a difficult race
# Our own self, the world we live in and satan(all three) work against us from reaching the finish line.
# Paul had similar problem too, but had the solution as well.
# He didn't get stranded with every failure he faced or didn't stop running because of depression.
# We too need to keep moving. We should press on forgetting our past
# Don't stop or quit because of your guilt. Whatever be your situation or failure, Jesus Christ still loves you and wants to help you finish the race.
# Don't keep turning back or looking at the past defeats and lose the focus for your future.
# PRESS ON. You have a prize waiting for you
# Just follow the Call of Christ... Keep moving. You are not alone.
#word4all
