Well, good morning, everyone. It's so lovely to see you here today. Big welcome if this is your first time with us.
Great to meet some new folks this morning. Know that you are genuinely so loved and welcome here today.
And if there's anything that we can do to help you or serve you during your time with us today, it would always be our joy to help you with that.
So let me invite you to come expectantly to God's Word this morning.
Why don't you grab your Bible if you came with one? If you didn't, you can grab the Pew Bible, which is, I hope, on the pew in front of you.
It's roughly about page 1200 is where you're going. Or you can scroll on your phone if you so desire to the book of Titus.
And this is such a brilliant passage. I have loved getting into it this week. And it is so much to teach us, I think.
Let's just read this together as we hear God speak to us through his Word.
You, however, and this is Paul writing to Titus, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.
Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.
Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the Word of God.
Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.
In everything, set them an example by doing what is good.
In your teaching, show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned,
so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them and not to steal from them,
but to show that they can be fully trusted so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive.
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age
while we wait for the grace of God our great God our great God our great God our great God our great God our great God our great God our great God our great God our great Savior Jesus Christ
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
these then are the things you should teach encourage and
rebuke with all authority do not let anyone despise you and so father we pray
this morning that you would enthuse us as we turn to your words may the
challenge may the comfort from this text lord may it hit us square between the
eyes and may it settle squarely in our hearts
father be by your spirit we ask in jesus is worthy
and in his beautiful name we pray amen
okay so put your hand up if you put either cream on your face or gel on your
hair this morning
okay i'm not here to act to the vanity police i promise
who let the max factor do the x factor put your hands up i'd say keep them up
come on keep them up so i can see okay a number of us did that this
morning if you did i want to reward your bravery
and i want to say to you you've got a head start on understanding
the wonderful truth at the heart of this passage here is the key verse i think at
verse nine
maybe you took it in as we read it together
paul says so that in every way you will make the teaching about god our savior
attractive now when you consider that the word that the paul uses at the end there attractive maybe some of your translations run with adorn when you consider that's a translation its root is in the greek word
cosmosin which is where we get our english word cosmetics from
why does paul want this for this church in crete
so that people from the outside world would look in and do you know this to be true in your own life people look in and say we don't get why you believe what you believe
we find it if we're honest borderline offensive but we cannot argue with what it seems to do in your life
and they see verse 14 christians in the world who are zealous
for good works
now be clear that we are not saved by our good works
that is a foundation of our faith we are not saved by our good works
but
we have been purposely saved by god
for good works
now we thought last week about this culture in this island of crete and maybe if you weren't here last week this is a great chance for you to tap into this
we saw paul quote from one of crete's leading thinkers this man called epimenides if you see him at verse 12 there of chapter 1
this is what he says about the people who live on this island of crete he says
cretins are always liars evil beasts lazy gluttons now we thought about the fact that that is a slogan unlikely to make it onto the front page of your visit crete holiday brochure
but just to show you that this is not just one man's opinion of these people on crete
here's greek historian
paul obias i think you pronounce his name as who wrote this he said
it's impossible to find conduct more treacherous or public policy more unjust
than
in crete
and onto this island then that's known for its wild living
god through the proclamation of the gospel as it's gone forth
the message has birthed this church
and paul has called them if you remember last week to live lives that are counter-cultural to the people who are on this island who they rub shoulders with
every day if by nature cretins are liars evil and lazy
how different then are the jesus people on crete
going to look
as god's grace truth and his truth trains them to live lives that are marked by truth
self-control
and good works
and so as you consider your life this
is the question that this week and next week are going to invite us all to think about and consider
is what are the good works that god has put in your path for you to do wherever you find yourself right now
next week we're going to think about how those good works are going to look out there
but this week we're going to think about the place where those good works are developed in us
which is
in here
there's two points in this today here's the first one
the church is called to make the gospel beautiful
now if you want a strap line here it is
the local church is the godliness gym
now here's what i want you to do
and we're all in this together as high school musical so beautifully sang
why don't you turn around and take in look at the people who are around about you
just do it for a minute we're all in this together
so it's not weird just look at the people around about you
the people that you look at
have you ever thought about this
are god's gracious gift to you
when was the last time you thought about that
you might think i've got nothing in common with that person around about you
you might be right
but in actual fact if you're a christian here today
then you've got the biggest and the most important thing in your life in common
with these people
and the beauty of it
is that god has purposefully and perfectly given us
each other
that you're not here by an accident
you are here for a purpose
and you're surrounded by people who that for whom that is exactly the same
these are the exact people that god knows in his wisdom
that you and i need right now
if we are to grow in godliness
you see titus chapter 2 contains a wonderful picture
and did you pick it up as we went through it
of an intergenerational church
now it's likely that an older person in this context
and i think in paul's mind is somebody who's above 40
right and i happen just to be the other side of that which is lovely
now you might be laughing at that
but i think in the context that's true
so for the purposes of this older younger thing
we're going to run with the track of that
okay
but let me pitch you a vision
of the kind of church culture
that we're looking to cultivate here
that the grain of the new testament invites us to see and go with
and this is why i think this is a wonderful word in season for us
at the start of a new year and it's a wonderful opportunity
as we demonstrate the power of what god has done
to our world right now in this cultural moment
you ready for this
come on
right
what's playing out in our world right now
and i just took that from a newspaper
i quite liked it as i saw it a few weeks ago
what seems to be playing out in our world right now
is the opposite
of what you have in titus 2
isn't it generally true that in our world right now
where the generation gaps seem ever to be increasing
that you have a younger generation
who are critical of an older generation
you guys are clogging the house and market
you aren't being authentic
and you also have an older generation
who are suspicious of our younger generation
you're not committed as we once were
you've got an entitlement mentality
what you have right now is generations in our world
who are not speaking to each other
they seem to be speaking over each other
does that sound fair?
that sounds roughly familiar?
God calls his people to do this generations thing
radically differently
and to lovingly enter
each other's worlds
now think about the other generation
if we're taking 40
go with it
think about the other generation
to the one that you're in right now
here's some questions for you
as you think about them
do you know
their biggest struggles and their fears?
do you know the things that have influenced them
over the years?
do you see the unique opportunities
that they have right in front of him
them
and so here's a loving challenge
to both generations
older generation
do you pray for
and are you willing to invest yourselves
in
a younger generation
who by the way
are the church leaders of tomorrow
in a way that communicates to them
that we don't just want you
to simply keep up the momentum
of what we've started
no we long
that you guys accomplish
and see so much more fruit
than we ever did in our life
as this generation of God's people
do you appreciate
that they are facing things
that you probably never had to face
and never had to worry about
in your lifetime
mounting student debt
gender critical
and sex saturated places of work
online school learning
social media
mental health worries
do you
are you willing to
enter their world
and be their biggest cheerleaders
in godliness
and younger generation
are you sitting here
right now
deep down
thinking to yourself
that you have nothing to learn
from an older generation
do you see
that they have so
much Christian life experience
to share with you
people who are in this room
who have had marriages
that have lasted
for longer
than I've been alive
people who know
what it is
to live through
and suffer bereavement
people who know
how scary it is
to face unemployment
and redundancy
people who know
what it is
to be tired
and exhausted
and at the end of your tether
as a parent
people who know
what it is
to run a business
and to do that
with integrity
people who know
what it is
to be a missionary
in a foreign country
and experience that
when you consider
all of what I've just said
do you see
how the local church
is a truly
marvellous gift
from God
that he would put
each other
all of us
in the same
church family
and here's the challenge
what we're called to do
is that we are called
to help each other
figure out
what faithfulness
to Jesus
looks like
in our different
life stages
and so into our world
that encourages
a culture
of dishonor
are you up
for being
a church
community
who fosters
and creates
that culture
of honor
amongst the different
generations
in here
two things
that Paul
tells Titus
to foster
in this church
family
in Crete
two little
sub points
here
here's the first
one
it's a culture
of modelling
do you see
the different
generations
playing out here
there's four
of them
in Paul's
mind
do you see
he's calling
older men
verse 2
to be examples
of a dignified
life
particularly
so that the
younger men
can look at
them and think
that you are
what I want
to be
when I
grew up
how many
of us
did that
when we
were growing
up by the
way
was it just
me
who had
posters on
my bedroom
wall of the
person I
wanted to be
when I
grew up
I think it
was Ryan
gigs at the
time if that
mean he
means anything
to any of
you
probably not
in the later
years of his
life
but older
men we need
you in this
church
know how much
we love having
you as part of
this church
family
hear the
encouragement
to live that
sober minded
self-controlled
sacrificial life
in front of the
rest of us
because we need
you to be
setting the
pace here
we need you
by the rings
that are on
the tree of
your life
to show us
that Christianity
still makes
sense in your
70s
can I encourage
you not
you might be
physically taking
your foot off
the gas a
little bit
understandably
so
but inwardly
spiritually
can I encourage
you to live a
life in front
of the rest
of us
that shows
us that
you're putting
the gas
well and
truly on
when it
comes to
your love
for and
walk with
Jesus
older women
verse 3
do you see
that be
examples of
how to use
your words
of how to
conduct
yourself
socially
of how to
be with
your family
which by the
way is the
thing that
makes them
perfectly suited
to be the
ones who
do you see
it who
teach and
train the
younger
woman
now that's
not saying
that men
can't meet
with women
or anything
like that
understand that
I take it
that there are
so many good
and appropriate
ways where we
can and where
we should
foster those
kind of
relationships
between the
sexes
but wisdom
would say
wouldn't it
that the
people who
are best
placed to
nurture a
younger
generation
of females
are the
older women
who are in
this church
family
because they
just know
what it
is
they get
it
in a way
that I
certainly
know that
I just
don't
and you're
to pass
that on
as you
teach the
younger
woman
just worth
flagging there
in case you
picked up in
the reading
that working
at home
just doesn't
mean that you
can't have a
job
got to remember
then this Roman
culture family
life work
life they all
happen in
the household
so it's not
quite a straight
line there that
you can draw
but and yet
hear me say
and I know
this will
click with so
many in this
church that
in a culture
that subtly
undermines
family and
marriage and
spotlights
independence and
career advancement
that if you
find yourself in a
season of life
that is calling
you to be at
home that if
children and if
your marriage is
just what you do
with your days
you might be
thinking I'm
kind of missing
out I've had to
park things
can I just
encourage you
that what you
are doing
is a glorious
thing in the
sight of the
Lord please
please know
that please
know that
and younger
men do you
just see how
they are told
to be self
controlled and
just in case you
think you're
getting off really
lightly because
there's one thing
there this is the
equivalent of the
personal trainer
pointing you in
the direction of
the gym and
saying go and
get fit you
don't hear that
you wouldn't hear
that and think
I'm just he's
just talking about
my upper left
tricep he's
talking about
no go and
get fit that
means all of
your life all
of you how you
spend your money
what you look at
online the jokes
that you make
that's what he
means by self
control I'll be
clear this isn't
Paul pushing some
kind of first
century stoicism
saying leave
emotions at the
side the Bible
is full of
emotions self
control is when
we let the Bible
inform us as to
what the right
expression of
those human
emotions looks
like Titus
create a culture
in the church
of modelling
and the other
side of the coin
really create a
culture of
witnessing so
verse 9 Paul
addresses bond
servants and
again this is
not slavery as
our minds
automatically jump
to picturing it
in our day in
this day you have
roughly 30% or
so of the Roman
Empire who are
slaves right
doctors were
slaves lawyers
were slaves this
is much more you
do those things as
you work for the
family that both
employ you and
that you stay
with slaves
perhaps reading
this thinking I'd
love to make a
difference for Jesus
where I am but
I've got all these
work constraints on
my life meaning I
have to be in a
certain place at a
certain time doing
certain tasks what
can I do with my
life for the
witness of Jesus
and Paul is
saying don't
underestimate the
impact that just
doing your job well
and with integrity
the impact that God
may have through that
increase and I hope
that's a word for some
of us today if we're
struggling with our
jobs thinking does
anyone see does
anyone see this is it
making any difference
please do not
underestimate what
God can do with the
your faithful witness
and love for Jesus
wherever you are
and in doing so do
you see how you
will adorn the
gospel of God our
savior what's the
motivation for all of
this well the church
is called to make the
gospel beautiful
because the gospel
has made the church
beautiful that's what
the little word for
do you see that verse
11 indicates it's just
the linking words
what's the logic of
what's gone before it
the word for just
links it to the
section after in other
words saying it's the
gospel that's created
this kind of community
the message behind it
all is the match that
lights the fire of the
practice of it all
do you see how it's a
message with a source
verse 11 that source is
not our efforts that
source is not our
feelings no the source
is the unmerited
grace of God and that
grace is not just a
message to be
proclaimed it's a
message that you see
the word it it trains
us trains us you know
my biggest fear every
time I go to put gas in
my car at a petrol
station my biggest fear
is I put in the wrong
kind of fuel anyone else
have that weird thing
when you go to a petrol
station because I just
don't want to be that
guy who has to call the
AA and says I'm sorry I
put petrol in my diesel
car can you come out and
drain the thing I love
that our car has got a
big diesel sign at the
the where you put the gas
in it gets me every
single time so I don't
know where I'd be without
it okay but I've if I
were to put petrol in our
diesel car the thing
would just stutter and
stall Paul is saying
here that the Christian
life we're designed to
run on grace that's what
we put into our lives we
put in this message of
grace and what we so
often default to doing is
that we put into the
tanks of our lives our
efforts our morals you put
that in you put that in
solely into your life that
will not go far if we want
to see growth in godliness
we need to fill our tank
with the truth of god's
grace the truth of the
that's why we do this
every Sunday we gather
together we have scripture
readings we have songs that
are appropriate all these
things are going on are
designed to fill our minds
with the gospel this message
of who Jesus is and what
he's done for us because
our minds during the week
they just drift and you see
by god's grace we find
ourselves between two
appearings in the text the
first is when first
appearing was when Jesus
came at Christmas well we
celebrate it at Christmas
and his second appearing
will be when he returns
you see those two
appearings and that means
that the gospel gives us a
hope and a future and that
means that we are people who
are waiting for Jesus's
return now again if you think
about Crete if Crete is full
of people who are living
for the moment if Crete is
full of people who are
saying life is too short if
Crete is full of people who
would happily subscribe to
Carpe Diem how different
are lives of people who are
waiting and living not for
today but who are living and
waiting in light of the hope
of tomorrow going to look on
Crete
big question I asked myself
this week and would my
friends would my family with
those walking who I walk and
talk with every day would
they know that I'm a person
who's waiting for Jesus's
return would they see it in
me you know C.S. Lewis I've
quoted this guy a few times
before he said this if you read
history you'll find that the
Christians who did most for the
present world were precisely
those who thought most of the
next and I just caveat that
and just say as long as what
we mean by next is Jesus we
think most about not just
heaven but Jesus
can I just say it's maybe
something that's been in my
mind this week with everything
that's going on in our world
maybe particularly in in our
countries we think about stuff
that's coming up in government
and things like that let's
remind ourselves what we read
we sang at the start that he is
in that place of all authority
and power right now the risen
Jesus we live between these
two appearings but don't ever
doubt the fact that he is in
control every square inch of
our existence he is in control
of the difference is just now
we're living by faith in that
truth but then we'll see it by
sight in his second appearing but
never doubt that he's in control
never doubt that he's not sovereign
over square every square inch of
our existence the gospel gives us a
purpose as well do you see that
now you're living in your woman
world you're used to reading that
the gods came down to get stuff from
us and we thought last week about
Zeus apparently he was born on Crete
the classic example of might and
right the gods come down they demand
our worship they demand our
allegiance and if we obey we get
good things in return from them but
you see how Paul says Jesus is the
complete opposite of that
Jesus gave himself for us to redeem
us you can remind yourself of that
every time you go to buy something
at Tesco when you pick up an item
you go to the tell you pay the price
and now it's yours
Jesus paid the price for our freedom
not in pounds but with his precious
blood on the cross he was humiliated so
that we could be his he was pierced so
that we could be purchased that's what
the word redeemed means he bought us
back for himself and he didn't just
do it for individual people just
although that is true it is our
people do you see that in the text
it's our people collectively why do we
say no to ungodliness because Jesus
has redeemed us from ungodliness he's
called us out of our old way of life
and said I set you free to live for me
that was a whole reason that you were
created in the first place to know God
and walk with him and why do we say
yes to godliness because Jesus has
purified us he's bought us for himself
and we belong to him and so as we do
this together do you see how we become
proof cases we become exhibit a to the
world that the gospel it works
now just as we close can I tell you about
my friend Doug
Doug was an elder at the church I used
to go to up in Aberdeen when I was a
student there
Doug was about 20 years older than me
Doug was an oil and gas lawyer and as
someone who was studying law at the time
I remember really looking up to him
Doug and his wife Ray and their kids
they used to have me around to their
house for lunch I used to send Doug my
CV and job applications he used to look
over and give me some really sobering
words about what I'd written Doug used
to tell me what corporate culture was
like before I entered it but the biggest
thing that Doug did for me was with a 20
year gap between us I could see him
loving his wife I could see him caring
for his children I could see him loving
and serving in his local church because
he loved Jesus now I moved away from
Aberdeen I moved down here and he
subsequently and his family moved away as
well first he worked in America in law
then he went to Hong Kong and I think he
did a bit in legal banking as well
before he retired from law and a few
years ago he moved back to Edinburgh I
did not know this at all and he's just
taken up the role of executive pastor at
Crubber's Christian Fellowship on the
Royal Mile now with that skill set talk
about the right man at the right time
doing the right job as those guys embark
on a really exciting building project that
they're doing there brilliant guy but I
went to to preach recently at Crubber's
and there he was with his wife Ray and all
I could say was just thank you thank you for
convincing me as a 20 year old young guy who
thought he had life sorted and actually
didn't have a clue what life is all about
thank you for convincing me by the way that
you lived your life in front of me that
Jesus was going to be worth following for the
next 20 years of my life
thank you for doing that
wouldn't it be a wonderful thing
if this church community were filled with
more of those kind of relationships
let me just give you a one and a two as
really quick fire applications just as we
finish to do off the back of this here's
number one try and speak to one person today
who's in the other generation from you
right you can use this sermon as an excuse
to do it try and speak to one person today
who's the other generation to you and I also
want you to do is to look in two directions
as we think about modeling friends the
challenge here is to get on the catwalk
who is older than you that you can learn
from who is in this church family who is
perfectly placed to be the person who comes
alongside you and says let's do life
together who's older than you who's younger
than you who can you get alongside with the
sole purpose of wanting to pass on the
things that you have learned in life truth
leading to godliness and together let's just
be this church community who's helping each
other in that privilege of adorning the
gospel listen at the end of the sermon I'm
going to be at the end of the service I'll
be at the back and if you're interested in
this if you would love to be paired with
somebody I love doing that matchmaking
thing if you'd love to do that just give
us your name your details and I'll make
that happen with somebody in this church
grab Kate as well Kate I would love to do
Archie anyone you've seen up the front we
would love to foster those kind of intergeneral
relationships in our church community
let's be those who make the teaching of God
our saviour attractive let's pray will we
and so this is the words of psalm 145
great is the Lord and most worthy of praise his
greatness no one can fathom one generation
commends your works to another they tell of
your mighty acts they speak of the glorious
splendor of your majesty and I will meditate on
your wonderful works so far I just pray that you
would thrill each of our hearts here today with
Jesus with a wonderful vision of who he is today
and his self-giving love for us his redeeming work
for us Lord may it cultivate in us that desire to be
this community who together are zealous for good
works Father would you be prompting our hearts
Lord where we need to change would you be
installing in us that that rock solid confidence in who you are today
Father would you put people on our minds and in our hearts by your spirit who we can draw alongside
we just finished by saying thank you for each other
thank you Father for this church family here today
and Lord I pray that you would help us as we seek to be those who live godly lives for your glory
in Jesus name we pray Amen
amen
call amen
amen