Sermon Nuggets Mon Nov 7 Titus 3:4-8
Verses- Titus 3:4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
The Love of Christ
Certainly Paul knew deeply the love of Christ. He taught his son in the Lord well. Titus was a gentile who was told and taught of the marvelous story of God’s redemption in Jesus. It is the love of God that compelled him to serve the Lord all his life. It was faith in God that brought him from darkness into the light. He trusted in the one who loves him more than one can imagine. But in his holiness there is a message people need to hear to be saved from their sins and from their punishment for sin.
I remember a friend of mine who was an avid sports fan speaking truth to his sister who was not living for the Lord. He said, “I can’t change the rules just because I love the players.” She wanted him to condone her living situation because she loved her boyfriend so much.
Love does not mean eliminating the rules. It means seeking a way to follow the rules and come our victorious.
God found a way in Jesus. And the rule that cannot be changed is there is salvation in no other means than complete trust in Jesus the only way to the Father. His love compels us to share that message but the rules of the way to be saved do not change regardless of how much we love someone.
Bill Keller said it this week in his devotional- “while God is a 'loving God", He is also a HOLY GOD! It is sin that separates us from God. It is because that He is a 'loving God' that He made a plan of salvation for His fallen creation. By faith in His Son Jesus Christ, we can be once again reconciled to God our Creator. However, God, in His love, gave us free will. The choice to love Him is NOT HIS, but ours.
How can anyone go the lengths God did to save us by sending his Son to the cross to die for us? How can that not be the highest of kindness and love? To reject that love and ignore the many ways and times God makes his truth known is for mankind a guilt for which he cannot be forgiven until there is confession, repentance, and submission to Him who loves us.
This week I will be performing a wedding. They profess love to one another. But as they stand in a religious ceremony before God and make a vow of commitment to one another they are not married. This “I do” is an official acceptance of their love for another. And according to the rules of the state of Minnesota someone like me can be licensed to show the world the outward expression of their personal and spiritual commitment. It is crossing the line in a public manner to identify with one another as husband and wife.
Have you made your vow of commitment to Jesus Christ? There is also a public expression of this commitment that is called baptism. Baptism does not save us but lets the world know of His love and our acceptance of it.
Pastor Dale
Sermon nuggets Tues Nov 8
Saving Love
One of the greatest themes in the New Testament is how God’s love extends to our eternal salvation. It has been the theme of the whole Bible why God of glory should demonstrate his love to his creatures to the point of dying. It is a further confusion that with His power and Sovereignty why he would direct his love to those who are so unworthy. Each creature created carried out their created plan for being, except humans. When sin occurred that marred all of creation. Other than Satan an the angels with a will of rebellion has anything created gone against the will of God. Animals did what they were created to do.
When sin came by Adam and Eve now plants an animals were affected. But rather than destroy everything, God sought to redeem it and save us.
John 3.16 has been called the greatest verse in the Bible. It is learned in Vacation Bible School, quoted often in sermons and even hung over guard rails in football stadiums during the Super Bowl. I even heard of a man who changed his name legally to John Threesixteen.
Many preachers have preached a sermon by taking the verse phrase by phrase. I read a thirteen-point sermon entitled, ‘Our Value To God’ by Maurice McCarthy I find it hard to beat this for clearly telling the gospel in a nutshell:
For God- The greatest one
So loved- The greatest degree
The world- The greatest amount of people
That He gave- The greatest generosity
His only begotten Son- The greatest uniqueness
That whosoever- The greatest invitation
Believeth in Him- The greatest simplicity
Should not- The greatest certainty
Perish- The greatest possible loss
But- The greatest difference
Have- The greatest possession
Eternal- The greatest length
Life- The greatest gift
Jesus didn’t come into the world for us because we deserved Him or because we were friends with him or part of his family. God gave His Son because we needed to be saved. Without Jesus, we would have no hope of a future.
God’s generous approach means that he freely gives us this precious gift of Jesus, without us needing to earn it. And the gift of Jesus is not just limited to Jesus himself. When we trust Jesus, the gifts for life now and in the future continue to come our way.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds Nov 9
Merciful Love
There are different meanings for the word “love” as well. There is romantic love, the kind between a man and woman. There is brotherly love we have for friends. We also have parental love, and love for our pets. There is a whole host of uses for love when it comes to appreciating things, food, sports. I “love” my job. Some could say, “I love my car”. In the 60’s movie “Love Story” Ali McGraw turned to Ryan O’Neal and said, Love means never having to say you’re sorry.
So, when it comes to talking about God, what kind are we talking about? Obviously human love fall short. Here is a working definition of love (agape’ in Scripture):
God’s kind of love is an unselfishness which results in doing the best for another, even at the highest personal cost, without requiring or expecting payback.
Paul says we used to be this way at one time, but then something happened. They were saved by the kindness of love of Jesus Christ. Now not everyone has yet experienced the wonderful attitude toward God has their savior. Not everyone has experienced this attitude that God has toward his children because they can't say this is how life used to be- in envy and malice and disobedience, but this is how my life is now. They have not felt they experienced the kindness of God. They haven't claimed the love of God. They are outside of his fellowship.
But when we look to Christ we seek life differently. If there is no evidence that God has changed you from what you were, then you need to take a good, long hard look to see whether you were saved at all.
Salvation is an act of God as a Savior on our behalf. It is an act of God in mercy and loving kindness not the action of man.
Have this attitude in you which is also in Christ, in says in Philippians who humbled himself and became obedience even unto death on the cross.
Mercy is being treated not as we deserve, but out of the love God has even for the sinner and the worst of sinners. It isn’t based on anything other than love. Mercy is treating people kindly not just when they treat us kindly but in spit of how we treat them. When we are faced with our sin then we better understand mercy as well as grace. We are grateful we have not been punished for what we deserve.
When I walked into a meeting with some clergy friends they asked the typical question, “How are you today.” I responded as I sometimes do, “Better than I deserve”. One quirked “and what do you deserve?” I said, “Hell”. For some reason that comment surprised them. They had to think about it. And giving it some thought, agreed. That’s mercy
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs Nov 10
Cleansing Love
The impression that comes to my mind as I read these verses is a forgiving love. When people make things right with others it is taking a burden away. Then forgiveness is sought and granted then a relationship is restored and the past is in the past.
As we think about Christ, think about his actions that saved us because he took the penalty and we are forgiven. He did the saving not because he deserved it, when we reflect on the cross we are reminded to extent of forgiving love. He saved us by the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
People who understand that salvation means washing, a cleansing, a blotting out of their past are people who are most highly motivated in Christian service. Those who understand the debt of their sin are the ones who get excited about the wonder of their cleansing.
The rebirth also speaks of a new beginning. When you turn your life over to the Lord the Holy spirit comes in and takes control of the situation. That is a new beginning. We are born again and have a new start. Old things are past away because of the Cross. Faith allows us to experience the indwelling of the Spirit of God and to be renewed. Our hearts are changed by what God does in our lives.
God's people behave differently from those who are not God's people? That should be obvious, but we need to go on reminding each other of this. Behaving differently means that we cannot indulge ourselves the way we used to do; and we want to indulge ourselves so we carefully forget. It means that I refuse to be what others insist I be. One of the greatest tragedies of the Christian Church in America is that we have millions of people who profess they have been saved, but show absolutely no evidence of it, because they insist on living the way the unsaved do.
Looking to Christ and the power from the Holy Spirit within
begins to change our behavior too. Do people see Jesus in you?
We are people who see love through eternities eyes, not just for the immediate gratification of our desires. We see a love that forgives because we have been forgiven. Amazing love.
Pastor Dale
Eternal Love
How long does love last? For most it is as long as things seem to go well in a relationship. We see men and women stand at the altar and commitment themselves to a loving relationship as long as we both shall live. That implies love lasts a lifetime. Unfortunately we see many relationships ending not only without love, but in divorce often with great hatred and anger. I saw a bumper stick on the back of a car that said, “I missed my ex. Next time I will take better aim”.
We may love spouses and children as far as our feelings go even after death. Many out in the cemetery go to grieve the loss or honor the life of someone they love or are related to. Some want their memories to continue. But when that person has died it goes to reason that any individual love ends at the grave when all earthly relationships ends.
Love from God and to God will not end at death. This remains and if fact grows. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us faith, hope, and love abide but the greatest is love. Why? Because faith will end when we are in glory. Hope will have already been achieved. But love will not die. It is eternal.
God is inside us and growing in our maturity comes to recognize his power and peace. I am so glad that I don't have to live some of the days that I used to live. I am glad that God's grace and presence is real. I have a long way to go, but praise God he has never left me nor has he forsaken me. I praise him for his mercy.
The second relationship is with believers. We become part of a body, a church, carrying out together what we cannot do ourselves. God
calls us to work together each having different gifts each needing
one another. I should add that relationship does not die also at dearth for other believers will be with us in eternity. We will live them in a far different way that while on earth however. We will love not just our children and our spouses, but it will enlarge an include all, just like God’s love.
But for now, the instructions to Titus is to show that eternal love and let it shine that in an earthly way it can been seen by the unbeliever as well. Keep on reminding the people of the great works of Jesus Christ on the cross. Because God has marvelously saved us, let’s live the life that honors him and is a witness to others. For now that love which shall serve the Lord is glory is motivation to serve Him now an benefit others around us as a witness.
Pastor Dale
