R sbc
Date: July 16th 2006
Series: Christ The Sum & Substance
Sermon # 88
Subject: “THE PROMISE”
Text: Titus 1:1-4
Intro: There is no question that Paul had been the one used of the Lord in the conversion of Titus a young Greek. Ga 2:3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: He consider himself to be the father of Titus ministry, that he was his teacher and leader, Titus 1-4. It is not my intention to focus on the ministry this morning since I have spoken on that for the past two Sundays. In this message I wish to establish FOUR: (1.) God has a people of faith: (2.) Those people are granted eternal life: (3.) This life is granted because of a promise: (4.) Manifested by preaching.
I.. “ GOD HAS A PEOPLE OF FAITH”..VS 1
The Lord Jesus Christ spoke and preached about faith a great number of times: The4 centurion had a sick servant and he wanted Christ to heal him and he said I am not worthy that you should come under my roof just speak the word: Not what the Lord said, Mt 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
(1.) That the LORD gives faith to his people: Eph 2-8-9
(2.) He gives faith that believes:
Believes that Christ is who he says he is, believes in the word of GOD as being the truth that it declares... believes in the great doctrines of the LORD recorded in it. God’s elect have faith...
We read of: Ro 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, John calls it the patience and faith of the saints:
Re 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
It was said of Abraham these words: Ro 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Do you have the faith of God’s elect this morning this is a personal thing I am preaching of this morning... hast the Lord granted unto you repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ
II... “THOSE PEOPLE ARE GRANTED ETERNAL LIFE”...VS 2
When the Lord Jesus Christ was praying he said this about eternal life:
(1.) That eternal life is a gift: Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
(2.) That eternal life is knowing the Father: John 17-1 ¶ These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
(3.) That eternal life was ordained for the elect of God: Ac 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
1Jo 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
(4.) You can know that you have eternal life:
1Jo 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.
1Jo 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
There is no question in whom does this eternal life flow from, it is the LORD JESUS CHRIST... Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
John said in the beginning of his: Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
You need life and light, you will have no light without life because you are dead and depraved and it takes the power of the Holy Spirit to quicken you and give you this wonderful life and light...So if you have life this morning you have Jesus Christ living in you and if you don’t you are lost in your sins...
1Jo 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
III... THE PROMISE OF THE LORD..VS 3
Paul is quick to share with Titus and us, that this is all based upon the word of God, he said it and you can bank on it... he cannot lie, he cannot change, he cannot fail, he cannot wipe your name out of the book of life... he is GOD ALMIGHTY....
That it was promised before the world began:
That is he purposed all things in his eternal purpose and then works them out, and one of those things is eternal life. In it in Jesus Christ whom we love. All the promises of GOD accourding to Paul...
A. They are in him: 2Co 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
B. They are confirmed by him: Ro 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
C. He is the essential one whom the Father made the promises to: Ga 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ
IV.... “ MANIFESTED BY PREACHING”..VS 3
(1.) Preaching is to be at the biding of the LORD:
Jon 3:2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
(2.) Note what he says “ In due time”
Ro 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
The kind of preaching that we have today and since John the Baptist and Jesus Christ was not at all what the people of the old covenant had heard... Most of their preaching was in types and shadows and in prophets warning and laying down what the LORD was going to do.
(3.) Preaching is a display of the power of the Lord: 1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
(4.) Preaching is the God ordained means of saving his people: 1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
(5.) Preaching is not the wisdom of men and there is a reason for that:
1 Cor 2-1 ¶ And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
When a church has an a dead preacher, you can bank on it, the church will be dead, when a preacher is not an able preacher, the church will be dead: 2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Our Lord as John the Baptist were able preachers: Listen to what John said and Jesus said and how they said it:
Mt 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
John 7-37 ¶ In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
The word crying and the word cried, mean to lift up your voice... it does not mean to holler just to holler, it means to say it with power and say it clearly and that with raised voices it means to vociferate...
Preaching like the LORD has ordain will have an effect upon people...Isa 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
Conclude this morning with this application:
1st. That we are a blessed people because of his eternal love for us:
2nd. We are a blessed people because of gift of his Son and eternal life to us:
3rd. We are a responsible people because of his blessings on us:
4th. We should be a very happy people because of all that he hath done for us:
Jesus told the maniac go home tell thy friends what great things the LORD hath done for you... this is our mandate people