The saving grace of God has shone forth in Christ, and empowers us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to strive after soberness, righteousness, and godliness in this life. This grace also prepares us to look for the return of Jesus Christ, who has pursued us and purchased us with his own blood. This must be the fuel of our motivation to live godly in the here and now.

The following message is a presentation of the National Center for Family Integrated Churches, where we're proclaiming the sufficiency of scripture for church and family life. More information about the NCFIC is available at www.ncfic.org. Good morning. Good to see all of you this morning. Well, I've been thinking this morning, the dear sister in our assembly in her late 70s, And when she heard that Pastor Pollard and myself was attending this conference, her prayers over and over again would be, God, hide them behind the cross.

So that's where I want to be this morning, behind the cross, so that we may see Jesus. Well, I have that assignment of the saving grace of God being the source of our holiness. And if you would, please turn to Titus chapter 2. Titus chapter 2. My focus actually is upon verses 11 through 14, but I want to read the whole chapter so we can see something of the context.

Titus chapter 2, if you are able to, out of respect for the Word of God, would you please stand as we hear Titus chapter 2. If it seems at times I'm moving at rapid speed is because I am. A lot of ground to cover in a short time. Titus chapter 2, the word of God, let us hear it together. Paul, as contrasting Titus with the false teachers in the island of Crete, says these words, but speak thou the things which become sound doctrine, that the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

The aged women likewise that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things, that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded, and all things showing thyself a pattern of good works, and doctrines showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you, Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters and to please them well in all things, not answering again, not purloining, but showing all good fidelity that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we shall live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.

These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. Amen. Please be seated. Let us pray together.

Let us pray together. Our Father and our gracious God, hallowed be thy name. How we thank you this morning for this great privilege to come into your presence in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh father our hearts cry this morning we want to see him and all of his glory. Be gracious to us, move in a mighty way.

Oh Father, I need strength to speak. These, our brethren, need strength to hear. And so we ask that we would have something of your blessings upon us that when it's all said and done, we would be able to say with a unified voice that God has met with us, Come now and bless us, we pray, for Jesus' sake. Amen. Amen.

Well, the Apostle Paul was gripped by the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. He loved to preach it, and he loved to write about it. He wanted to see sinners everywhere, of all stripes, rescued from the power of sin by believing on the Savior and walking with him. If men, women, and children are going to be saved, it will take the power from on high, invading their lives and bringing them into God's royal family. The sign that will mark that we are birthed into that family, into the kingdom of God, is holiness of life.

In other words, we will walk in obedience to the Word of God, for that is the purpose of God saving sinners. So I want to trace the backdrop first to this portion of scripture, and then I want to look at the great presence of grace, the great power of grace, the great person of grace, and the great purpose of grace. That's a lot. I don't know how we're gonna do it. May the Lord help us.

Paul writes to his son in the faith Titus to remind him of the reason he was left in the island of Crete. He was to be about the business of setting in order the things that were lacking, things that required immediate attention, that is holy teachers preaching holy doctrine for holy living. This he was to ordain men into the work of the ministry and what a calling it is. Titus is also to be distinct from the false teachers in the isle of Crete who had God on their lips but not in the heart. They profess to know God but in works they denied him.

And see, it's one thing to say we are Christians, there's another thing to live that we are Christians. And so that's what the false teachers had. They had to talk of Christianity, but not the life of Christianity. They had defiled and polluted contaminated minds. Your life and my life will tell the story of who and what we are.

Christianity is just not simply talking, but it's also living in the power of God. Titus is to declare the truth of the gospel which is according to godliness. He is to teach healthy, sound doctrine, truth, so that we would have healthy, sound living godliness. Where the gospel has been embraced, where the gospel has been believed and worked down into the very soul by the power of the of the Spirit, it produces godly living, because it has a glorious savior. Well, Titus is also called to address different classes, different groups.

In Crete, as he writes, Paul writes to Titus, the older men are to be grave, that is serious, dignified, respected. They are worthy of respect, not silly but worthy of respect. Having self-control, sober mindedness, firm in the truth, steadfast until the end. The older women are to carry such a behavior of godliness, showing forth the honor of God. They are to not be devils with the tongue, not drunks, but teachers of the highest good, as they instruct the younger women.

The young women are encouraged and urged to be husbands and children loving, self-controlled, pure, caring for the home, domestic. My wife like to tell people she's a domestic engineer. She wanted her titles other than being a referee and nurse and all that other stuff. Subject to their husbands so that the Word of God would not be blasphemed, not made a mockery of. Our life matters.

We can make a mockery of the word of God. We can actually make a mockery of the God of heaven if we're not living in harmony with what we say we believe. The young men are strongly urged, strongly urged to be sober minded. That's the only thing he says to the young man. Sober minded, curb your passions, get a hold of yourself, have good thinking so you can make good judgment.

Usually young men are out of control, wasting time and wasting money. Paul is telling Titus, we don't need young men out of control, we need them sober minded. Well he also tells Titus, now Titus you ought to be serious and sincere in the things you preach and having your life as an example in all things. He is to model, model the glorious doctrine of God before the people. That's his duty.

Robert Mark machine, that great Scottish preacher once said this right here, our sermons, our sermons only last an hour or two, but our lives will preach all week long. Doctrine and life for the pastor must match. Then he addresses the slaves by telling them to be pleasing and obedient to their masters, not arguing, not stealing, that they may faithfully wear the gospel in such a way that it will show forth its realness and its beauty. Well that moves us quickly to the presence of the grace of God in Christ. Paul tells us what the heart of the soul, heart and soul of the Christian life is.

Here we find the sum total of Christianity, the great aim of saving reality of the gospel message, the source of holy living in an unholy world, the glorious saving grace of God in Christ. First he tells us about this word called for. For the grace of God which points us back to everything he just said. For the grace of God hath appeared. Well, if older men are going to walk in what the apostle gives them, if older women are going to be instructed by Titus, if young women are going to hold up the word of God, if young men are going to be sober-minded, and if slaves are going to be obedient, displaying the gospel, and if Titus himself is going to wear the robe of the gospel, preaching that gospel, and living that gospel, there's only one source for it.

The saving grace of God. Second, he tells us that this grace is of God. That's the origin. It's divine. It's heavenly.

It comes to us from above. The grace of God actually has been defined in the simplest way is the unmerited favor of God. In the Greco mindset, in the Greco mindset, grace of favor was never shown to enemies, only friends. Well, God does the opposite of that. The grace of God, that favor that comes from God, that goodness, that benevolence that comes from God, comes down to his enemies.

His enemies. In the Greco-Roman world, the giver of the grace didn't expect anything in return. But the God of heaven who gives grace expects something in return, gratitude and obedience. It's a glorious grace. It's a beautiful grace and since it comes from a beautiful God we should want to serve Him in the beauty of holiness.

That should be our hearts desire. We didn't earn this. We didn't buy it. We didn't work for it. We can't lease it.

We don't deserve it. We shouldn't even expect it. We actually deserve the opposite, wrath and judgment and anger. This grace then has the idea of divine intervention, of power that transform a man, a God-hater into a lover of God. That's what grace does.

It brings us out of the miry pit and set our feet upon a rock in Christ. It makes us what we were not, to be something that God loves for us to be, obedient children of the most high. This is this kindness and this worthiness of God that comes upon the unworthy. Next, he tells us is this grace that bring of salvation is saving. And the terms, the words, bring of salvation is not actually, it's one word and it's actually an adjective so there's no verb, there's no bringing salvation, no bringing salvation.

This word is actually saying something about the grace of God, hence our term the saving grace of God. It's a grace coming in the power of Jesus Christ by the power of the Spirit. And the word appear. I can't help it y'all, that's in my blood. This grace that comes, it has appeared, it has shined forth, it has been manifested, it has been seen.

But how? Well John tells us this in his gospel. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And then he tells us in verse 14, And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

And then he goes on to tell us, John bear witness of him, that's John the Baptist, and cried saying, this was he of whom I spake. He that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me, and of his fullness have all we received and grace for grace for the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. It is this grace of God that's in Jesus Christ has appeared and it has shined forth on that island of Crete and that pagan island and pagan darkness. Matthew puts it this way, the people which sat in darkness saw great light and to them which sat in the region of the shadow of death, light has sprung up. It's this glorious work of God, this manifestation of Jesus Christ.

God has invaded history and his son. Here is the great presence of grace shown in God's revelation of his beloved son Jesus Christ turning people from being idolaters again to lovers of Jesus Christ. Well let's look at the great power of grace. Chapter 2 verse 12 tells us, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Grace has this teaching power to it.

The word teaching was used in an educational sense. It was used to train children to bring them to maturity. Well here it's to shape and mold the children but here it's used in the same sense the grace of God teaching training even disciplining us shaping and molding our way of thinking for the purpose of forming godly behavior. Godly, God-honoring behavior, There are two aspects to it. It makes us deniers first.

At least that's how it's said out in the text. That we should deny ungodliness and worldly lust. Notice it didn't say that we should avoid, and we should, but this idea of rejecting ungodliness in us and outside of us, rejecting ungodliness, those things that are contrary to God, contrary to the nature of God, contrary to the word of God, contrary to the things of God. He said reject, renounce, refuse. Just straight talk.

We don't have to get a book out of the library and find out what Paul is saying. He's telling us straight. Deny. And the idea of denying is breaking away and continuing to break away. Denying ungodliness and worldly lust.

Well our minds and lives are to be shaped by the scriptures, not the world. Young people, you are living in a culture that's trying to Do everything in its power to make you into its image. That's what's happening all around us. And if your mind is not shaped by the word of God, If it's not, you will be swallowed up. Mommy and Daddy can only protect you so long.

If you're not giving yourself to the Word of God. You are living in a society, a culture that's flesh pleasing. You are living in a secularized society, a demonized society, a demoralized society, and a mesmerized society. It's immoral. It's x-rated at that.

Senseless, depraved, self-centered, self-pleasing, self-deceived, Bible rejecting, and God hating. That's where you're living right now in America. It doesn't care anything about the word of God. That's not its standard. You must be rooted.

Parents, you have to teach your children the truth. You have to give them the truth. Don't raise them up on Disney. Give them truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. You know, people, you can't toy with this world.

You can't toy with our culture. If you are dabbling in things of this world, you know, carrying the Bible in one hand and the world's built another, you know, looking at stuff on the smartphone, You know that smartphone that's making a lot of us dumb? Yeah. Amen. Stuck to that phone!

Looking at things, I hope nobody catch me, I hope nobody see me, I hope nobody discover my undercover lifestyle! Watching stuff on my computer that I should not be watching and you know it. IPod going. We thank God for digital gadgets. We can use those digital gadgets in the wrong way.

If you are dabbling in things of this world, I can tell you right now, you're already swallowed up. You're already swallowed up. But sooner or later, if we live that undercover lifestyle, sooner or later, heaven's spotlight will shine on us. I like to tell my children, If the mommy and daddy might not see you, you may get by, but you won't get away. You won't get away.

You will only get by so long. Remember this old man used to say? He wasn't even converted, but his word stuck with me. He said, you only can pretend so long. So long.

Paul is saying to us that we are to exercise a continual practice of denouncing ungodliness, refusing it, rejecting it, and even speaking against it. All this stuff about retreats, I'm not taking a shot at anybody. But all this stuff about retreat, family retreat, men retreat, women retreat, youth retreat, we don't retreat. We need to advance. We ought to face this world head on, head on, Standing against it, rejecting ungodliness in ourselves and all worldly lusts.

He tells us about the worldly lusts, which is the world's practice, its goals, its pursuits, its happiness. Pastor Paula was talking about that last night, love, not the world, not as pursuits. We're not going there. The world, listen, that train of the world is not heading heavenward, y'all. It's not going that way.

It's not interested in that place. Also, the grace teaches us, and we're running against time. Grace teaches us also not only to be deniers, you just don't you know live nine miles off of the road in the cave somewhere hoping nobody build up around us. You know what I'm talking about. But we all ought to do something at the same time.

We ought to be strivers, deniers and strivers. He says this word live, live, live. We ought to live soberly. Now scholars believe the word soberly this first word has to do with in you can say it soberly righteously and godly within without up or inward outward upward godliness God But since Paul's been using this word sober throughout the epistle, especially when he addressed those particular groups, I'm going to take a little slight slap on it. And I think it has to deal with our minds.

So badly our minds. I'll tell you why. Because how you think is how you will live. You cannot live above your mind. It just won't happen.

Your mind and your thinking are married for life. Your mind and your life are married for life. You can't get away from it. And that's why what you put in your mind is important. What you read, what you watch, what you listen to affects how you think, and how you think is how you will live.

You can't live any other way. Your mind, sober-mindedness, a seriousness about the things of God, a self-controlled mind, you must have that if you're going to live a self-controlled life. So we ought to strive in this way of sober-mindedness. We take images in the mind. We take sounds in the mind.

We take words in the mind. Our minds are being instructed all the time, all the time. And it shapes the way we live. I can call the mind this, the Air Traffic Control Center. It will determine how the airplane of your life flies, your mind.

Remember that little saying? I think they still had it when I was a little boy. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Isn't that so? We got to have our minds shaped by the word of God if we are going to live in harmony with that word.

Well, second, he tells us something. And I'm making quick edit work. He tells us something about righteously. And that's how we deal with our fellow man justly and righteously fairly with our fellow men He also moves in the area of godliness, and that's how we relate to God and the things of God This is actually embedded in the Ten Commandments The first four has to do with how we relate to God. The next six has to do with how we relate to our fellow man.

And how you relate to God will reflect in how you relate to your fellow man. And how you relate to your fellow man will reflect your relationship to the living God. You can't get away from it. Soberly, righteously, godly. But notice something else.

He tells us when to do it When we get to heaven, that's not what he said He said we are to live soberly and righteously right now. Right now. Someone asked Lou Holtz, that former famous Notre Dame coach, what does the word win, W-I-N, win, means to you? Lou Holtz said the word win means what's important now. And Paul is telling us in the clearest way, what's important now.

And what's important now is Godly living in an ungodly world. That's what's important now. Whether your son becomes some famous baseball player, that's not what's important. Whatever your famous college football team is you root for on Saturday, that's not what's important. And whether your daughter be some cheerleader, I hope she's not, that's not what's important.

What's important now is Godly living, the beauty of Godly living in an ungodly world to a holy and righteous God. That's what's important right now. Rejecting ungodliness and worldly lusts, the very desires of it and living self-controlled lives in a godly fashion as we deal righteously with our fellow man, that's what's important right now. Where we move to a great person of grace. See the great presence, the great power?

No, we deny ungodliness and worldly lust, and we live soberly, righteously, and godly now, And now we move to that great person of grace. Who in the world would that be? Verse 13 tells us, looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. As we live in this life of holiness, the beauty of it is lovely holiness. It's a lovely thing.

It's simply obedience to the living God. As we live this life of holiness, walking in the highway of holiness and we are awaiting, we are looking for the return of the great person of grace, God himself wrapped in human flesh, Jesus Christ the righteous. It is the Word made flesh who will return. This is not fiction. This is not Alice in Wonderland.

This is the real deal. Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, coming back again. First he appeared in grace, now he's talking about him coming in glory. The believer is waiting with great, joyful expectation and great anticipation. Are you waiting?

Are you looking? You know what happened when we were waiting and looking? We're denying and we're striving. Just active. There's no such thing as passive Christianity.

We're active people. Active people. The king, the king, the believer is waiting on the return of the king. Guess what? The king is not like our president, hallelujah somebody.

You don't give him four years and decide whether or not you will give him four more. This king is not outfoxed. This king is not manipulated, frustrated, exasperated, or intimidated. This king, he cannot be destroyed, he cannot be overturned, he cannot be defeated, he cannot be impeached, and he will not resign. This king is on the throne forever, and this king is returning, and the church is waiting on a king.

This king is not Republic, he's not third party, he's not Democratic. Oh aren't you glad that? But he is theocratic. He is ruling the world by himself. This king is on the throne forever, forever.

And this king will return to claim his own. He is coming in glory. He's going to be welcomed by the church. He is the King forever. The angels said, this same Jesus, which has taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Trying to keep my time and my place. Isaiah said, I saw the Lord in all his glory. That is the Lord Jesus, John tells us in John chapter 12. The Lord Jesus in all of his glory, high and lifted up. We've looked at Christ's coming in his grace, the first appearance, and we ought to always be looking forward there, people, always be looking forward to that great return of Christ, the trumpet sounding, the dead in Christ's horizon, the whole creation being changed, the whole creation, matter of fact, according to Romans 8, is standing on its tiptoe, straining its neck, waiting on the transformation, the manifestation of the sons of God.

What a glorious day that would be when Christ returns and all of his people are made like him. This is the one who delivers and he still does. It is the Beloved of the Father, the bread of life, the Lamb of God, the light of the world, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of glory, the Captain of our salvation, the Othman Finisher of our souls, the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, the ruler over the kings of the earth, the Alpha, the omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the lamb, the worthy lamb. He's coming back again. He's coming back again.

The Puritan, Isaac Ambrose, puts it this way, listen, Christ's honor surpasses all the kings and lords of the earth, for he is King of kings and Lord of Lords Christ beauty excels the rose of Sharon the lily of the valleys he is more beautiful than all the flowers of the field he is more precious than all the precious stones of the earth he is more precious than all the lights in the firmament. He is more precious than all the saints and angels in the highest heavens. Take God and look on him and all of his goodness. Look on him and he's yours. He's yours.

Look on him and he's yours. Look on him and all that he doeth is yours. Look on him and all that he can do is yours. I will be thine said God to Abraham. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward.

Here is a catalog, an inventory of a Christian's riches. Have Christ and you have it all. Close quote. We ought to be looking for the return of Christ. Peter says this to the suffering church.

But rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's suffering, that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad with exceeding joy. He came the first time, as we say, shining in grace, and he will come the second time shining in glory. He will bring all the saints with him. He will bring all the angels with him. Christ will empty heaven.

He will empty heaven when he comes to claim his own. He will come to be glorified in the Saints and in that day Jesus's prayer will be answered. John 17, Father I will that they whom thou has given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou has given me, for thou loveth me before the foundation of the world." Pray that all of his people would be with him. This is not our home. Pilgrims moving on through a better place.

Philippians tells us this, Our citizenship is in heaven from which we look for our Savior who shall change our vile bodies and fashion it like unto his glorious body. In the moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump We shall be changed souls that cannot sin and dwelling in bodies that will never die. Made like the master. Can you see the angels on that day looking at that number which no man can number, nudging one another, saying, look, look, look, they all look like him. They look like him.

We ought to always be looking to the future as we labor here in the past, as we labor in a way that will bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ we ought to look to the future listen to our good friend Spurgeon and our Christian pilgrimage it is well for the most part to be looking forward forward lies the crown and onward is the gold whether we be for whether it be for joy or hope for consolation or for the inspiring of our love the future must after all be the grand object of the eye of faith looking into the future we see sin cast out the body of sin and death destroyed, the soul made perfect and fit to be a partake of the inheritance of the saints in light. Looking forward yet the believers enlightened eye can see death river past, the gloomy stream cross and the hills of light attained on which standeth the celestial city. He seeeth himself entered within the pearly gates hailed as more than a conqueror, crowned by the hand of Jesus and braced in the arm of Christ, glorified with him and made to sit together with him on his throne, even as he has overcome and has sat down with the father on his throne the thought of this future may well relieve the darkness of the past and the gloom of the present the joys of heaven will surely compensate for the sorrows of earth hush hush my doubts death is but an hour streams and thou shalt soon have crossed it.

Time, how short. Eternity, how long. Death, how brief. Immortality, how endless. The road is so, so short.

I will soon be there." Close quote. Two things ought to be the controlling factor in our lives for holiness. Looking back at Jesus coming in grace and looking forward to Jesus coming in glory. Well, look at the purpose of grace quickly. The passage also tells us, verse 14, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.

Notice he gave himself for us. This is active self-sacrificial giving of himself. It's a willingness on Christ's part. John chapter 10, no man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself. Paul, speaking to the Galatians, says, grace be to you and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, here's our word, who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God our Father.

It was the Father's plan that the Son would give not part of himself, not some of himself, but all of himself for us. Again the church in Ephesus, he writes, be ye therefore followers of God, and dear children, and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us, and hath, here it is, given himself for us an offering and in sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. The fragrance of Christ's death going up to heaven and pleasing the Father. Again, I am crucified with Christ, Galatians 2.20. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, in the life which I now live in the flesh.

I live by the Son of God, who loved me, here it is, and gave himself for me. He didn't give himself before me because he admired me. He didn't give himself for me because he respected me. He didn't give himself for me because he looked up to me. He gave himself for me because he loved me.

He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Notice something, that was the great pursuit. Let's look at the great purchase and the great price. Text tells us not only that he gave himself for us, but he gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity. Notice the word for us, for us, tells us he took our place.

He became our substitute. He's our substitute in life, he's our substitute in death. We need the life of Christ just as much as we need the death of Christ. We need his righteous life because we need a perfect obedience and we need that glorious and holy righteous death Because we need our sins paid for and forgiveness to come to us It tells us that he redeemed us The word redeemed means to purchase listen carefully it means to buy out of It was used in purchasing prisoners of war or slaves out of slavery, out of slave market. It carries with it the purchase to set free.

The purchase for oneself, the purchase for one's use. I know I love that last part, the purchase, take home. Take home. That's what that second coming is all about. Purchase them, I'm gonna set them free.

I'm gonna purchase them to make them my own. And I'm going to purchase them, and I'm going to bring them home. Tells us he redeemed out of every lawless deed, every wickedness within us. He came to redeem us from living contrary to the word of God. We were living, as Dr.

Beekie said yesterday, as practical atheists. Though God did not exist, that was our life, that was our heart. Is that your heart? Our salvation had a great price tag on it. A great price tag on it.

We speak of salvation as being free and it comes to us freely, but dear people, it cost God everything. It cost him his beloved son, the very love gift of heaven. God will give all that he had, all that he had to save sinners. And should we not walk in obedience for that one who gave all that he had. If you are saved by him, it's not because of our good looks, our good behavior, our good book reading, our good prayers, our good attitude, our good anything.

If we are saved now, it was not because of us. It was in spite of us. God gave this in his son, and the price tag their people was his life, his precious blood. Can you see him in the garden? Can you see him down on his knees in the garden?

Can you see the ag, or can you even hear the agony of the Son of God? My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. It seemed as though he would die in the garden. Can you see him with those sweat dropping down as though they were great drops of blood falling down to the ground? Does that move you in any way?

Can you see him marching up the Calvary with that cross, hadn't eaten anything, haven't been beaten? Can you imagine God wrapped in human flesh, being beaten by his own creation? Look at him marching the cavalry. He had all power in his hand. Remember what he told the group that came for?

Think not that I cannot pray to my father now. He will send me 12, 000 legions of angels. One legion is about 4, 500. 12, 000 legions of angels. I'm not trying to get out of this.

His next word shall not the scripture. How can the scriptures be fulfilled? Calvary is the place I'm going because I'm going to capture my sweetheart for life called the church. Him, writer, said, view him prostrate in the garden. On the ground, he'll make a lice.

On that bloody tree, behold him. Sinner will not this suffice. Calvary is the place of victory. Calvary is where redemption is accomplished. Now, I want to quote the Pontiff of Rome.

Yes, I'm going to quote the Pope. His visitation here in the States, after speaking to the United Nation gathering, he made his way to St. Patrick Cathedral, Fifth Avenue, crowded, because The pontiff is within the state. The pontiff is in New York City. Over a million people gathered outside for the pope.

Over 7, 000 law enforcement officers on duty. Over 37 miles of barricades set up for the Pope. And over 25, 000 people gathered in St. Patrick's Cathedral to hear the Pope. The Pope, speaking on humility and gratitude, said this when he spoke of the spirit of good work.

Listen carefully, please. And if at times our efforts and works seem to fail and not produce fruit, we need to remember that we are followers of Jesus. Listen carefully. And his life, humanly speaking, ended in failure, the failure of the cross, close quote. That's the height of blasphemy.

Christ's life did not end in failure. Christ's cross was not a failure. It was a success. Without the work of the cross, we have no gospel. Without the work of the cross, we have no hymns the same.

Without the work of the cross, we have no baptism to identify with Christ without the work of the cross we have no Lord supper to remember Christ without the core work of the cross there is no gathering around Christ we must have the work of the cross it's not a failure it is a success. We have no marriage supper of the Lamb without the cross without the cross we have no prayers to God without the cross we have no holiness of life. We must have the cross. Colossians says this. And you being dead in your sins and uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting and ordinance that was against us and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

Sounds like success to me. And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. That's the cross. It sounds like success to me. We hear us cry on Calvary, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

And then on the other breath, we hear, it is finished. Sounds like a success to me. Not failure. The glorious Resurrection marks the father's approval of Christ's crosswork. It is the greatest victory in human history.

The crosswork, the resurrection, the ascension of the Son of God. Oh, it's all victory. It's all victory. God, and for this reason, because of this victory, because of this success, God has highly exalted him and given him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess of things in heaven, things on earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue will own the fact that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father. This ought to move our hearts in the way of holiness.

Listen to what's beautiful him. See from his head, his hands, his feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down. There is such love and sorrow meet. All thorns compose so rich a crown. Where the whole realm of nature mine that were a present far too small.

Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. Cross accomplished everything the Father intended. The cross accomplished everything that the Son of God intended. The cross accomplished everything that the Spirit intended. And that intention was a bride for the Son.

That will be His forever. It's a permanent marriage. I'm going to do some quick editing. Sorry for that but I have to. It was a great, one of the things as well was this great purification.

Notice what he did. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, all lawless deed, all wickedness, and that he would purify us, purify us, cleanse us, cleanse us his purpose for saving us, and so that we would be holy, and so that we would walk with him joyfully, not grudging and stumping. Listen, parents, don't let your children get away with that. We got a saying in our house, obedience right away, with a good attitude. Amen.

Amen. Amen. That doesn't work in the Simmons household. Good attitude. Purification.

And so that's how we ought to serve God in this way of good attitude, joyful obedience, and seeing the beauty of our God in his holiness and breaking his son so that we would be set free. This was all purified by the blood of Christ. Remember the one who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. And notice the great possession. Notice why he did it.

Not only to purify us but to make but unto to purify us unto himself a peculiar people a possession to make us his very own. That's why he did it so that we would be his brought out of darkness into his marvelous light, marvelous light that we would offer up praise and thanksgiving to the living God. And notice also finally, it was also that we would be zealous. That word means to boil over. We would be a passionate people.

Oh, yes, that's why he did it. That we would be passionate about the things of God. Are you passionate about the things of God? Have you been delivered? Delivered.

I ask that question, if you've been delivered, because I have five minutes. Because Jesus is the most, Jesus is the most notable, listen, the most reliable, the most commendable, the most suitable, the the most approachable, the most presentable, the most adorable, the most honorable, the most reachable, the most believable, the most memorable, the most desirable, the most enjoyable, the most lovable, and the most humble. Have you believed him? Have you believed him? I want to quote now, and I'll close with this.

I want to quote a pastor from Zimbabwe. He was threatened that if he didn't renounce Christ, he was going to be put to death. Weighing the weight that would happen to him that hangs on his decision, he said these words, I am a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast, the line has been drawn, the decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. My past is redeemed. My present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, and cheap living.

I no longer need applause, preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, or popularity. I don't have to be right or first or tops or recognized or praised or rewarded. I live by faith. I lean on his presence. I walk by his patience.

I live by prayer and I labor by the Holy Spirit's power. My face is set, my walk is fast, and my goal is heaven. My road may be narrow, my way may be rough, my friends may be few, but my heavenly guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I will not be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice or hesitate in the presence of adversity.

I will not negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I will not give up, shut up, let up until I've stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go until he comes, give till I drop, preach to all know, and work until he stops me. And when he comes to claim his own, he will have no problem recognizing me.

My colors will be clear. Let's do all that we do for the Lord Jesus Christ, because he's beautiful and he's glorious. And when He comes to claim His own, He will have no problem recognizing us. Our colors will be clear. Let's pray.

Our Father and our God, we thank you again for giving us your lovely son. Forgive us when we bring dishonor upon that glorious name. Forgive us, our Father, when we play religious games. Lord, help us to be real people. Help us to be transparent.

Father, help us not to hide behind religious rags. Help us, our Father, to see the God of heaven and earth and all of the beauty of his holiness and help us to honor him. Work in us, oh Lord God, the will and to do if thy get pleasure, hear our prayers. In Jesus' name, Amen. Where you can keep up to date on what is new, as well as find articles, videos, audio sermons, and much more at no charge.

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