Doing Good - Why Doing Good Matters So Much, Part 1

When you have someone doing good to see what comes your mind is giving a gift say a kind word, and maybe even community service. All that's really good, but there's more.

In fact, there is a power not quoted in good deeds but in doing good in the Bible talks about an amazing power that happens when we do good. I can't wait to tell you about. Welcome to this Tuesday edition of Living on the Edge with living on the is an international discipleship ministry featuring the Bible teaching shipping today. Chip launches a series he calls doing good. What happens when Christians like Christians over the next couple of weeks will learn why doing way more than just shame us in the process they Chip begins with a look at why doing good matters so much have a Bible open it out of Titus chapter 2 going to get a little overview of what it means to do good and as we do. That's one of those words. It has a broad meeting, Webster says. Doing good is the opposite of bad or poor or evil. Someone who is good has favorable character. The word always has a sense of moral purity and doing good or being good. Some synonyms are its productive wholesome it enhances, blesses and encourages, it helps and improves. It provides minutes.

Good the Bible's definition says it's acts designed specifically to benefit others. When we do good works there acts that are designed specifically to benefit other people and reveal the characteristics of God doing good troubled church then and now that the apostle Paul. Apparently we don't have lots of details that he and a young pastor named Timothy were doing ministry on this island island of Crete a number of people come to Christ and there was a number of smaller cities on this island and the churches started popping up and there were followers, many of them probably just house churches and some of them were growing and so the churches begin to grow, but no don't think he's talking about the Silicon Valley or America. This is this island of Crete a couple thousand years ago.

They were known for their moral laxness. They were known for their corruption. In fact, there was a proverb in ancient days that creeks are liars, their brute beast. You can't trust them.

They live the sort of wanting pleasure of lives and kind of sort of a moral cesspool and so the church is beginning to give birth in it for this amazing message about forgiveness and grace, but they're getting pulled back to their old culture. At the same time a group of people who say hey we can fix that they start making up a bunch of rules and false teachers come in and so Paul writes a very brief letter three short little chapters to this young pastor. He says now we were there and I want you to go back and finish the job and then he writes an entire book on this issue of doing good what it looks like why do you do it. Notice the three problems were in the church and as I read these. They seem to be the three problems in the church today. Number one believers lives don't match their beliefs. Believers conducts are discrediting their message and these false teachers are ruining families of destroying the church.

So if you are non-Christian and you went to Crete and you met many of the Christians there you would say.

They say they love God and he live this holy life, but boy they don't ordinate they were saying you you you should really investigate what it means to be a follower of Jesus, God's come to the planet is forgiving your sins were following him. They say will you know when we read about Jesus. We hear about him.

We look at your life. This doesn't then that sounds a bit like America. In fact, we have the highest percentage of people ever in America by the last Gallup report to say I have no spiritual affiliation. We we have a generation of people there disillusioned with the church and organized religion sound, not against God. I'm not even against Jesus but today what when I've been in church situations and I meet religious people and those who claim to profess being followers. The disconnect is so deep I don't trust it all. I had good parents but they were Christians. I never open this book until I was 18 years old and so my parents did what their parents did. They went to a church like their parents took them to and so I went to church like that by the time I was 15.

What I saw was hypocrisy. People who didn't take this seriously. They didn't live it. They didn't expect me to limit they said one thing live in a different way about the time I was about 15 or 16 I said I'm done with God I'm done with church I'm done. I mean, we didn't use the Bible much but I thought it can be to good either.

All because people's lives didn't reflect the very words of Jesus top and so notices assignment this young pastor honey. I do not envy him, although in some ways I think of cutting out the same job. Straighten out the mess, teach sound doctrine confront air and transform cities by doing good. He says when faith is real and legitimate people live out the good that they do they solve the biggest problems in people's lives. They love people that no one cares about and literally the gospel and the messages validated by the purity of people's lives and the concern they have for others. By doing good. And so the issue then an issue now is kind of the same. If in fact were completely forgiven. Have a new standing with God and are saved by grace. Why is it really matter if you do good or not. And since I think it's really fallen on hard times because I think in some ways, even those of us that are really seeking to walk with God. I think there's sort of an unconscious lease. This is my confession doing good is important is like icing on the cake. If you do good. You know great job. It's really not required and what you get to see his first look at the structure of this book chapter 1 is about doing good in the church.

Chapter 2 is about doing good in relationships and he'll give five specific relationships and define what good looks like chapter 3 talks to all Christians and says when you go to work when you when you go to work out when you coached Little League team. This is what it looks like in the everyday workaday world. This is what it looks like to do good in the world. And so the entire book is about doing good and you'll see that he gives Titus three specific assignments. Let's just look at chapter 1, I just want to do an overview Paul says he's an apostle. It's the longest introduction to any of his epistles. He says I'm an apostle of a bondservant. This is from the commandment of God and and he's basically saying look all my authority is invested in this young guy Timothy and what he has to say comes from God through me. So you better listen and if you've been involved ever in a turnaround or big problem in an organization. You'll ball team a franchise or even a church if things are going badly and you want to change and where you start everything rises and falls with leadership is a chapter 1 is about. We've got to get good leaders in the church so noticing your notes. I just put a highlight. He says I want you to appoint elders leaders and all these different little churches and by the way, here's what a good leader is these blameless in his marriage and family, blameless in character, hospitable, and in case you missed it.

Lover of what is good and then you get sort of these moral qualities that are self-controlled, upright, holy discipline, theologically sound and able to guard the truth if you want to fix an organization you can't just get good leaders in place. What you do gotta get rid of the bad ones sources.

These false teachers rebuke him confront them. Look at the words. This is not good.

There deceivers here talkers ruining whole families there dishonest that they promote the values and the morality of Crete instead of Christ and this will come as a shock. Are you ready as we study this little bit later. There's people actually using the name of Jesus and saying spiritual things to get rich is that shocking or what I mean is not even TV yet and he says address that and then noticed the summary after he says you gotta deal with these false teachers. He says they profess to know God there words but by their deeds, their actions, they deny he says they're detestable there disobedient and look at that last line there unfit for doing any.

Here's our word. Good thing it's all I want you to know is he sees can address the issue of doing good with the leaders first. Then in chapter 2, by the way, to have your Bible following along be really helpful and I like it, stare at this as I'm giving you the overview chapter 2 opens up pieces okay Titus it's one thing to do with leadership. Now here's what want to do. I want you to teach people what good looks like in every relationship that's all here. Here's a start. Start with the people that should know the most tell the older man.

This is what good looks like in relationships tell the older women. This is what good luck. Looks like tell the younger women, younger men.

In fact tell the slaves because every relationship is a reflection of Christ and the validity of who he is and what he said or discredits. And then after he gives this right in the center. The second assignment of of teaching what is good. We get a theology of doing good. He says for the grace of God that appeared and that offer salvation to all people. It this same grace that saves you. It teaches us to say no to all ungodliness and worldly passions, negative and positive to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age and then sort of this clause that gives perspective. While we are waiting for the blessed hope of the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ and in sort of disqualifying clause.

Not only is Jesus called God here in our great Savior, but he gives his mission, who gave himself to redeem us from or out of all wickedness to becoming his very own people, and then notice what kind of people we are eager or zealous to do what is good and so the summary is these are the things that you have to teach the third area in this entire book is so what's it look like to do good in the world and I hope you getting the idea that doing good is more than sort like a little list of good little deeds and try to be a nice little good person is talking about a mindset and a thought life in a relational aspect where you are literally allowing the spirit of God to produce a life of Christ and begins to play out in how you live, how you think and how you relate inside the church and outside the church. In so doing good out of the world. He says remind God's people to. Here's what good looks like submit to authorities.

Be ready to do what ever is good, a slander no one be peaceable and considerate show true humility to all men, and then he gives the reason that were to do good to all mobile explore that a bit more when we get to that chapter and then he gives a theology of not doing good but becoming good because he doesn't want to confuse you so much.

You do not get saved by good works, but what is gonna say is it's by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the spirit. It's by God's mercies that you are saved and is gonna make this big point doing good doesn't get you right with God, but those who are right with God always end up doing good because of who lives inside of them. With that if you still have your Bibles open the other thing I did is I started to trace some themes through the book because I want you to get this idea that good has to do with who you are sort of the ungodliness in a moral capacity and look at chapter 1 and an oncologist. I'm just zooming so you don't have to follow too closely almost lean back and listen to all these words that are repeated about so this is what good looks like verse one. It's a knowledge of the truth so speaking of salvation that leads to godliness, you might circle that word that it's about being godly or godlike. And then when he talks to leaders listen to these words about what it means to be good in terms of your character be blameless. Verse five.

Skip down to lines be blameless. Don't be overbearing, don't be quick-tempered, don't be given to much wine.

Don't be violent.

Don't be pursuing dishonest gain all those of the opposite of being good and then the opposite of being good of these creations are liars and evil brutes and lazy gluttons. Nothing is pure. By contrast, notice leaders are to love what is good and is just the opposite. At the end of chapter. False teachers are unfit for doing anything good. All I want you to see is he is pounding this home in chapter 2.

Yet the same character qualities notice an older man is the temperate were the respect self-controlled sound in faith, endurance, those are all character issues and to be reverent and then to not slander to not be addicted to much wine. When he speaks of the older women in character issues teach the younger me self-controlled and pure and to be kind says then slaves don't talk back.

Don't steal show respect be trusted. Don't be ungodly and then as you look here, he goes all the way through and says teach them what is good. Be an example verse six. By doing what is good a people last verse in the chapter that are eager to do what is good and finally we get to chapter 3 and he says that there to be people who are ready can imagine this. It's like right on the tip of eager and ready to do whatever is good in every circumstance with every person with every event. This what he says is what we need to teach all of God's people to do.

By contrast, are not argumentative. They don't quarrel don't slander their obedient have you got the idea that may be doing good is more than just icing on the cake and trying hard to build better moral person. It has to do with your relationship with yourself in integrity. It has to do with how you relate to every person in your home, a roommate, your family, your kids, your neighborhood and where you work. It has everything to do then with your specific actions to become an agent like Christ that solve the deepest relational and hurting and needs of people around you, this book is about doing good and it describes what happens when Christians live like Christians the transformation that happens through us in the transformation that happens deep inside of us. Now with that. Here's what I want to do. You'll notice that there's three assignments. There's one about the leaders there's one to teach about relationships and the third one here is about God's people. But the question why does good, really, really matter. The thesis of his argument is chapter 2 verses 11 through 14 not uncommon and kinda ancient literature where you can have bookends and you talk about issues here. You talk about issues here and often the core of what you want to say is right in the middle of the book itself to take the remainder of our time and build the case for what he says. Chapter 211 through 14. If you have a parent you might pull it out.

Some indicated little work to do and hear what you can find is therefore specific reasons why doing good doesn't just matter.

It matters so much. Reason number one. Doing good reveals God's passion for people. In fact, you might even put above passion, his grace filled passion is loving. Passion is the idea but verse 11 says for the grace of God has appeared, that offer salvation to all people. When he says the grace of God has appeared, that word appeared.

We get our word for each epiphany and the grace of God. The reference here is to his incarnation.

His perfect life is love his resurrection all that Jesus is and all that Jesus did it. So what the apostle Paul saying is look, you cretins are you like kidding me. The world was dark in the world with that without hope and like light burst and the light became was the very son of God, fully man and fully God, born of a virgin, he lived the perfect life. He offered his life. He rose from the dead, and there's hope the grace of God, the hope of all mankind has come offers the forgiveness of sin and salvation right relationship and what is coming them is that your good works either affirm that or deny that what you do what I do. The reason that I turned away from Christianity and the Bible and all religion was what I experienced in church shining brightly is what God calls us to do the very words of Jesus in Matthew 615. Is this he says you need and I need in order to shine the light on what is true. Let your light so shine your actions, your good works, let itself illuminate the people can see your good works and glorify your father back with some application for staging if you're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram today's message why doing good matters so much is from chip series doing good. What happens when Christians live like Christians. This four-part series from the book of Titus reveals why doing good is so much more than just a nice idea. The act of doing good is a catalyst that transforms both you and the world around you for the better when we do good. It breaks down barriers heels hurts and revives hope.

If you'd like to get the series for yourself or to send your friend the CDs are currently discounted and the MP3s are free. Another idea would be to get your family or a few friends together around the series is a small group set aside a couple of weeks to do the DVD study together and let it be a catalyst to get your small group doing some good right where you live. To order your copy, visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call today at 1-888-333-6003 will chip as we launch this series on doing good ones this topic so important for us to think about and understand a couple reasons really come to mind.

And they're both really really important one is a theological and the other is very very practical. The theological one and and I understand where were coming from. We hold dearly. I mean, the Bible was so clear that our salvation is by grace alone. It is the gift the free gift of God received by faith that is the forgiveness of our sins we are born again into the kingdom of light in new relationship and we need to really really be careful that it's not our good works that we don't earn God's favor.

With that said we so emphasize that I don't mean for decades. I mean for a few centuries that somehow we begin to think that good works, no matter you know just that, like well you know icing on the cake. If you happen be a nice person to work if you're kind to someone of your generous where in fact a genuine salvation always evidences always results in doing good I mean in a in a revolution in your heart your life your speech that Christians are identified as these people historically that do good everywhere to everyone regardless whether their friend or foe or enemy or their political party or their their gender were their ethnicity. I mean we do good because the spirit of God is revealing himself. The second reason is very words of Jesus. Let your light so shine before men, that they might see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. We need to share the gospel verbally but we have to declare the gospel physically. In other words, our good deeds, especially to those who think we don't care about them when we feed the poor. When we help the HIV patient when we help people that are politically on the other side of whatever I'll you're on when we do those things we bring glory to our father in heaven.

I am so excited for us to study this book of Titus together and learn the power and the importance of doing good thanks trip will one of the best ways to deepen your understanding of this concept of doing good is together a handful of friends and go through the series together as a small group when you get the DVDs chip opens the group he does the teaching and then will get you started in your discussion for leaving. There are helps in the study guide and free online videos if you need to build more skill and confidence. All that to say that Living on the Edge were doing everything we know to help you do life in community around the truth of God's word. You'll find everything you need on our website LivingontheEdge.org will now here's chip with some final thoughts as we close today's program.

I want to invite you to go on a very exciting journey with me.

I personally never taught to the book of Titus before and that's what were doing. In fact, if you have never gone to our website go to LivingontheEdge.org. The title of the series is doing good and download the message notes. I put a picture of the whole book of Titus craft out in the notes how it all fits together, especially for those of you that might lead a small group or really want to study this book because here's what I've seen the book of Titus is the greatest treatment in the New Testament about the value and the importance of doing good. I I have to tell you I was actually shocked at how much that I learned so let me encourage you to go on this journey with us and begin thinking about when and how do you do good.

How do you do good in your home. How you do good work you do good the coffee shop. How you do good where you work out. How would your neighbors say that you do good not to earn your salvation, but to demonstrate the reality and the power and the glory of God. Here's what I meant to tell you when you do good, God is honored and the light shines on the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Assignment for today.

Do one specific good deed to someone.

Let's see what happens just before we close I were to say thank you to those who make this broadcast possible through your generous financial support.

If you found today's program helpful but have never supported us financially.

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Thanks to some very generous friends of the ministry making a donation is easy just go to LivingontheEdge.org and click the donate button on our homepage or if you prefer, you can always just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003. That's 1-888-333-6003, on behalf of chip and the entire staff. Thank you in advance for your generosity will tomorrow chip continues its current series doing good so I hope you make plans to join us again. Until then, this is Dave really saying thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge