Ordinary People and Everyday Events

God just in charge of the big stuff upholding the universe or ordering world events today on Truth for Life. Alister bed looks at how the creator of everything, is also involved in the everyday routines of ordinary people like you and me when the book of Titus Alister's teaching from chapter 3 verses 12 through 1519 96.

It was a book published. It was written by follicle Richard Carlson who actually died as a young man at the age of 45 will know the book and if you I personally have never read it, but I'm familiar with this title, and it was called, don't sweat the small stuff and the stated purpose of the book was to encourage the reader to look at things to look at life to look at common situations, the kind of things that will come across in everyday life and to see them a little differently so Carlson was holding up the events of life and saying we don't have to look at them in this way we could look at them here and in many ways. The events of life and the way in which we respond to the events of life, I reveal something about our personal convictions and also about our character as individuals. And the reason that title was in my mind was because as I came to these final verses of Titus three, I find myself saying not don't sweat the small stuff. But don't miss the small stuff. Don't miss the small stuff is entirely unlikely that where not for the fact that we are working our way systematically and consecutively, through this book as we do through each of the books of the Bible. If we were not doing that at the chances of me ever teaching a sermon from these verses are you even hearing one is unlikely, and yet it is a challenging exercise and it is a rewarding exercise and so as we come to the end where trying to say to one another.let's miss the small stuff and also as we come to the end of the latter. Let's not forget the beginning of the Lancer. You will notice the final phrase that in verse 15 of chapter 3 all greet those who love us in the faith is not just a genetic greeting to everyone and anyone but those who are not members of the family of God. And if your Bible is like mine, you can see the opening verses of the Lancer chapter 1 and in verse four of chapter 1. It is written to Titus, my true child and you'll notice the phrase in a common faith in a common faith. Now I don't want to go through the entire book.

But let me remind you that in chapter 1 before the apostle Paul descended to the practical instruction that was necessary for Titus, he established if you like the theological underpinnings which gave rise to his instruction, and particularly to this little triad of faith, knowledge, and whole and we noted bank the end of the believers knowledge of who God is and what God has done for lies in the Lord Jesus Christ, that knowledge of who God is. His canning turned his revealed nature is the very basis of faith and is at the same time, the ground of their whole and that's why the hymn writer says is what I know of you, my Lord and my God that fills my life with praise and my lips with song is what I know you know what I feel about you this morning know where I feel good this morning, but I feel bad this morning, but I feel spiritual or whether I feel unspiritual.

It is what I know of you and that is why you see reason and faith are not combatants but rather they are interwoven in the discovery of genuine Christianity and that's why we paid attention to it. Then, and we realized that having begun with grace in verse four of chapter 1 Paul will end with grace in verse 15 of chapter 3. The source of that grace from God the father in Christ Jesus our Savior. The appearing of that grace in verse 11 of chapter 2 when the grace of God our Savior appeared on the work of grace. The transforming work of grace and that grace appeared. He saved us, and then again in chapter 3 when the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior appeared. He did these things as an evidence of his grace know what Paul has been doing broadly speaking, is in May, ensuring that scientists will work out for those under his care. The radical implications of God's design for his people. In chapter 1, within the context of the church. Make sure you get the leadership in place. In chapter 2, within the whole. Make sure that the various age groupings within the family of faith in the nuclear family know who they are and what they are and then in chapter 3 the implications of God's grace worked out in society and you will perhaps remember we got to verse one of chapter 3 with a great call to Christian citizenship. And as we've gone through chapter 3, we have realized that Paul has instructed Titus to remind those who are under his care.

First of all to be good citizens, verses one and two, then to remember what they wear before they came to Christ versus 327 and then to recall in that same section towards the end, the transformation that grace is brought about in their lives. We then went on to see that this message is a reliable message.

That's why it is described as being trustworthy that the messenger is to be a resolute messenger who is insisting on these things.

This is verse eight of chapter 3, and that the membership of the congregations in Crete are to be responsive individuals learning.

First of all the issues that are to be avoided. Verse nine and then the kind of person who is to be confronted in verse 10 now after all of that and it is a substantial amount of material, these concluding sentences may appear to be assertive whole home is sort of final signoff at the end of the Lancer, the traditional normal way for greetings, all of that time and they are the traditional and normal way for the ending of the Lancer.

That's why I said to myself, you better be careful that you don't miss the small stuff you remember in the book to which I referred don't sweat the small stuff. The tagline was, it's all small stuff right don't sweat the small stuff.

It's all small stuff.

Here's our thesis. Don't miss the small stuff. There's no small stuff that comes across very clearly in what we might regard as a surprising section at the very end of the letter know these events is there described here.

The direction for the arrival of the substitute for Titus so that he might leave and be with all the instructions concerning hospitality and generosity towards Venus and Paula's VA reminded again to the people to make sure that they are energized in the realm of good works at, and so on. All of these things life back then in a geographical place far from wise and at a time.

Remove from us.

All of those events, then with all of our events now everyday events in the lives of ordinary people need to be understood from a Christian perspective in the light of the doctrine of God's providence and it is this what I so wish I have tried to bring to bear upon my own mind as I thought about these things, the adoption of God's providence is summarized by Barcroft is the continued exercise of the divine energy, whereby the creator preserves all his creatures is operative in all that comes to pass in the world and directs all things to their appointed in so the God who has created the world. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is providentially overseeing everything according to the purpose of his will. That's the doctrine of providence, the God who is created and Warners all things according to the appointment of his will will make provision is necessary and Jesus taught this with regularity all the way through memorably.

On one occasion as he described the lifecycle of the sparrows as he spoke to the people were listening, the six of them are are not two sparrows sold for a penny, and he must've said yes that he went on to say how God is interested in the sparrows. Then he said, and you should know this that you are worth more than many sparrows. In other words, if you God who created the universe is interested in the lifecycle of a sparrow, don't you realize says Jesus how absolutely, totally committed he is to overseeing providing for canning for the lives of his children. He sustains all things. He watches over all things. He appoints all things.

11 gifting address three headings.

To summarize this this God of providence who is involved in the events that are described to the end of Titus is first of all, the God of the ordinary of the ordinary. The God of the ordinary.

I mean by that will, you'll notice that he is the God first of all hear of the ordinary language ordinary language when I send Artemis or to cheapest to you doing your best to come to me.

Verse 13. Do your best to speed Xena's the lawyer sounded like a routine and ordinary phrase, of course, in this is nothing particularly dramatic about it. You say, make sure that you employ your energies in such a way that this objective may be achieved. One of the great accommodations of the creator of the universe is that he speaks to rise in language that is understandable he comes down to our eyes and speaks in ordinary terms extraordinary things but conveyed in ordinary terms. No one was in any doubt about what Jesus was saying when he taught his illustrations were perfect.

His stories were masterful.

His instruction was clear.

His language was ordinary. The God of ordinary language. Notice also the phrase I have decided I have disseminated to spend the winter there not, God has told me to go to necropolis another language is strikingly ordinary as how to how or why you going to necropolis. I decided we just decided then you pray about it.

Well I guess I did pray about it but I finally made the decision to go to necropolis. I didn't want somewhere else.

Beware of those who are more spiritual than the apostle. I look at the phraseology lead our people learn. Let our people learn is nothing mystical about SSO I want you to understand there's nothing here, whether assertive, sitting around waiting for him to come through our mice wants to do now know, do your best. I decided make sure the people learn and I was whether to do is learn the behavior, the lid of the behavior is grace the fruit is good works is learned behavior is not behavior that emerges as a result of a guilt trip being placed on one are you should be doing this so they do it out of a sense of guilt nor is it out of a sense of his emotional resurgence within know it is learned behavior is profitable behavior so that these cases of urgency might be dealt with and it is purposeful in the sense that it means that their lives will not.

In the end show for nothing while I leave you to work for yourself, but I think is fairly straightforward is the God of the ordinary.

The ordinary language and ordinary events, ordinary events. What Paul is concerned about here is that Titus is friend and colleague will be able to come to necropolis if he's going to be overcome to necropolis. Somebody's going to have to take his place. That's going to either be Artemis or Tichy because he hasn't decided yet. And the reason is that the people of God are not to be left without a leader. He doesn't want them left in this fledgling state just casting about on their own.

Clearly, he doesn't end there is a lesson here which we want. Tease out no about the way in which transitions take place in local congregations in relationship to leadership and the changes in leadership. Many churches flounder as a result of making no plans for the kind of transition that is necessary.

Paul is very clear. I want you to come to me if you going to come to me Artemis or teacher kiss has to go to that and God is interested in this because he is the God who speaks in ordinary language. He is the God who oversees ordinary events. What if is the God of the ordinary. He is also secondly, the God of the nobody, the God of the nobody I don't want you to misunderstand me on this knowledge I made myself here.

Of the four individuals that are mentioned here. To them, are no this was a quiz if I had teenage boys in the class. I had asked them and which of the two that are mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament, and if I had a couple of bright boys and there they would say what digit this is mentioned somewhere else, and they might even know that he was mentioned in Colossians chapter 4 and verse seven described by all beloved brother is a faithful minister and as a fellow servant else might also said I think the policy is probably the man whose mentioned, the next chapter 18, they would probably be right very able and eloquent teacher from Alexandria with a peculiar gift from God, the one who is mentioned as the water in first Corinthians chapter 3 and in verse six I planted, says Paul, and Paul is watered and God made things grow, so those two characters are there in the rest of the New Testament. But the thing that struck me was the other two aren't I can find no reference to either Artemis or Xena's anywhere else in the New Testament.

Leanna mentioned in the finder. They are mentioned at least helps us to realize that this same God who is the God of the ordinary is also the God of the no name. I'm referring to the individual. Here is the nobody is really not precise use of language, but it is works in terms of the heading. The point is simple and I hope it's clear, namely, that much of the work in the kingdom of God, no less. In the majority of the work in the kingdom of God is actually carried out by people whose names are unknown only maybe New Orleans was limited circle around them, but by and large, no one knows it's illustrative of what Paul says is not about the nature of the body. He says when we think about our bodies, we give a tremendous amount of undue appreciation and attention to the parts that can be seen, but he says is not really the parts of you be seen that on the issue is the parts that can be seen that on the issue only when something goes wrong we start to think about the bits and pieces to which we pay so little attention was the point. The point is that nobody is a nobody in the family of God. Nobody's a nobody in the family of God or feel that you are is just a lie of the devil. When we read these things. We realize that Artemis and Xena's the lawyer. Incidentally, Paul likes doing that Disney does Xena's lawyer Luke the physician. It is not a number of times that's all he tells her he tells what his job was but we don't know anything about them. Beyond that, but Xena's had a part to play and he played his part. He wasn't there by chance he was there by choice.

God's choice you not here by chance, you are hereby choosing you on the person that God is made you to me.

You are the person that you are according to the plan and purpose of God and there is a work for Jesus that nobody other than you can do. Five. Nobody really knows your name doesn't matter. God is the God of the ordinaries the God of the nobody and thirdly and finally, is the God of the every day is the God of the every day is a God of the plan whenever the wind has verse 12 when I send Artemis is the God of the summer and the winter in the autumn in the spring I decided to spend the winter there every day you see one of the ways in which our worldviews are a Christian worldview impinges upon the culture in which we live is in this whole area of tying in the whole area of time again. Remember, Jesus had a lot to say concerning time which of you, he said, by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life answers.

Of course, no one can be anxious about tomorrow, so Jesus tomorrow will be anxious for itself sufficient to the day is the evil they are off every day has enough trouble of its own real issue of anxiety is not. It is not issues that I face today but is the issues that I'm worried about that are apparently waiting for me tomorrow which I am poured into today.

I have to realize that the God of Paul and Titus and Artemis and Xena's indigenous and so on is the God who oversees and overrules all of the events of time every day all day is never off with my eyes to the hills where does my help come from my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and that he will not let your food slip the Lord who watches over Israel, neither slumbers nor sleeps. Do not listen to the voice in your head that says to you, there's really no hope for you.

The inference being, you've missed the last bus when it comes to the discovery of all that Jesus has provided in terms of salvation so there's no hope for you. You missed it. It is too much of your life is gone by.

Don't listen to that voice in your head and don't listen to the voice in your head that says not. There is no hole, but there's no hurry for the voice.

This is the you don't have to listen to Wilbanks as he says it all the time you be saying it for weeks and months to come.

You don't need to do anything about it today. Let me tell you, there will be a last time for every journey there will be a last opportunity for the response to the message of glorious good news.

This God who has revealed himself in the person of Jesus is the God of the ordinary is the God of the nobody. He's the God of the every day and today is the day of salvation. So now now if you hear God's voice do not harden your heart. It is amazing for us to consider that the creator and sustainer of the entire universe is also the word of the ordinary listing to truthfully with Alistair Begg. Easter is weeks away.

Now this is a season when many of us wonder what would be like to go back in time and to experience the final days of Jesus earthly life will Sinclair Ferguson has a new book where he takes us into the upper room the night before Jesus death.

The book is called lessons from the upper room and ended Sinclair gives us a unique glimpse into the events that took place at a private Passover meal shared by Jesus with his disciples on the evening before his death on the cross he draws from chapters 13 through 17 of John's Gospel to take us figuratively back in time to a gathering that took place in the upper room. He describes the emotions that were stirred and the important teaching from Jesus during his final hours. The book lessons from the upper room not only invites us to envision all that took place with tremendous clarity, but also to fully embrace the saving power, you can request your copy of lessons from the upper room when you donate Truth for Life.org/building or you can call us at 888-588-7884 Bob Lapine thanks for listing puts the key ingredient to saving faith. What is it that causes someone to go from politely listing the fuse to a wholehearted commitment to following Jesus will find out when you join us tomorrow.

The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life learning is poorly