Turn with me to Titus chapter 3. Titus chapter 3. We're going to come back to Titus this morning. We have one more chapter to look at and I love what the heading at the top of my page says concerning all three chapters here in Titus. It says directions as to how to live in this present world. Directions as to how to live in this present world. Why are these our directions as to how to live? Why? We're gonna see right here, immediately. Chapter three, verse one, it says, put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. Why is that directions for us on how to live in this world? It's because that is how Christ lived in this world. That is the very way that the Lord Jesus Christ lived in this world. Verse one says, put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers. Subject to principalities and powers means willingly subordinate to them who are over you, willingly subordinate to them who are over you. Verse one says to obey magistrates. Obey magistrates means agreeable to authority, not just subject to it, but in agreement with it. Verse two says to speak evil of no man, To be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. That, all of that, is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. He was subject to, and he was agreeable to, his Father. His father sent him to this earth to accomplish death for his people. His father laid a work on him. And he said, I must be about my father's business. And the scripture says, he set his face like a flint to that business, to that work. And he finished that work. He was ready to every good work. That's what he was. He was ready to every good work, every good work that he did in his flesh on this earth, every good work that he accomplished in his flesh on the cross, in the world and on the cross, every good work of righteousness, every good work of redemption, every good work of justice and judgment and substitution and satisfaction, he was subject to the principality, power, and magistrate of God. But in being subject and obedient to God, he was subject to every principality, power, and magistrate of this earth. In his obedience to God, he was obedient, subject in agreement with every principality, power, and magistrate on this earth. Turn over to Hebrews 5. Just a few pages over, Hebrews 5. Verse 5 says, So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest, but he that said unto him, thou art my son, today have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another place, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared, verse eight says, though he were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. Obedience, think about that, obedience by the things which he suffered. Turn over to Philippians chapter two. Philippians two verse five, it says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant. and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. A servant, obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. God the Father cried, behold my servant. Behold my servant. The one subject to, the one agreeable to, service, obedience. Turn over to Isaiah 53. Verse 4, Isaiah 53 verse 4, it says, but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted Yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living. For the transgression of my people was he stricken. He said, learn of me, I am meek and lowly in heart, okay? I really want to learn that, I wanna learn something about that. I would love to learn to openeth not my mouth. Wouldn't that be a wonderful thing to learn? He said, learn of me, I'm meek, I'm lowly, I'm subject to, I'm in agreement with, I'm obedient to. In all of that, all of the cross, everything he endured in the cross, he spoke evil of no man. He was no brawler. He was gentle, showing all meekness to all men. When he was reviled, he reviled not again. He was willingly subordinate and agreeable to the authority of God. He was willingly. And also to the authority of men. In that agreeableness to God, he was agreeable. When they said, come on, you're coming with us, he went. Agreeable to the authority of men who had been placed in those positions by God. And for Christ's sake, as he did, so should we. So should we. Go back to Titus chapter 3. Verse 1 says, put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work. You say, well, you mean principalities and magistrates that align with me politically, right? That's what you mean by that. When you say obey principalities and powers and magistrates, you're talking about the one that align with me politically. No, political alignment or misalignment is irrelevant. It's completely irrelevant because man is not in control. Man is not in control. It would do all of us so much good. It would bring so much peace. It would bring so much peace to us if we could all really get a hold of the fact that man is not in control. Aren't you so glad for that? God is. God is. We forget that all the time. We get upset, we get frustrated all the time because we're constantly forgetting man is not in control. God is. There is only one sovereign of the earth and man is not it. Man is just not it. Proverbs 21 verse 1 says, the king's heart, lowercase k, the earthly king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. As the rivers of water, he turneth it whithersoever he will. God Almighty is the one doing all of these things. God Almighty is the one. Turn over to Colossians chapter 1. Colossians 1 verse 12, it says, giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, Visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by Him and for Him, and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist, and He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. He created every principality, power, and magistrate. He did. He controls every principality, power, and magistrate. I'm trying to assess. I have a thought. I'm trying to assess, should I say it. I am pro animals, OK? My wife has made me to be that way. But I just learn. I've been learning something as I've been talking. I've been learning something for about the last five minutes. The thought has been going through my mind that little dog out there was of our adversary to bring confusion and to, OK, you understand what I'm saying? And I don't have anything against that little dog. But as innocent and sweet as that whole situation is, it's been going through my mind. That was of the adversary to distract our minds. I can't help it. That's just what was going through my brain. I am sitting here preaching right now that our God made, owns, and controls all principalities and powers that are seen and unseen. Okay? And I just read to you that everything is by Him and for Him. I don't understand that. And I hope that little fella finds his home. But do you understand what I'm saying? In all things, he has the preeminence. I mean in every minute detail, he has the preeminence. And he is doing things that we do not understand. But he's doing it. And he's right in it. How many things happen to us that we just don't understand? But he's right in it. All things are by him and for him in everything he has the preeminence. I want to learn that there is not a gnat that flies on this earth and lands on a piece of fruit without God Almighty's permission and control for a particular purpose. In everything he has the preeminence. So, okay, in everything he has the preeminence. So, don't turn back, but our text said put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers and to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men." What that means is, trust the Lord. That's what it means. Trust the Lord. Trust the Lord your God. He is in control. Trust what He's doing. Just trust what he's doing. We're not looking to men in this. That's how we can be subject and obedient and peaceful no matter whether we're talking about the previous president or this president or the next president, no matter who the governor of this state is, no matter who the mayor of this city is. Our sovereign God is controlling all of them. He's controlling all of them. They are all pawns in His hand. He is controlling them. He is controlling us. He is controlling everything concerning everybody. And all we need to do is look to Him and wait on Him and trust Him. That's all we need to do. Turn over to 1 Timothy chapter 2. 1 Timothy 2 verse 1, it says, I exhort therefore that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior." What should we do concerning those who've been placed in charge of us? Pray for them and give thanks for them. You say, well, that's easy to do if your candidate is in office. Real easy to do, but why would I do that if a man is in office who I don't want to be office and I didn't vote for him to be there and I think he's ruining the country or ruining the state or ruining the city. Why would I pray for and give thanks for that man? Why would I do that? Here is the reason why. Honestly, here's the reason why. Turn over to Romans 13. I believe you'll enjoy seeing this. Romans 13 verse 1, it says, let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Oh no, we voted him in. No, ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works. What are good works? What are good works? Here's the answer. God's works. If we're talking about good works, the first thing we have to do is completely eliminate man from the equation. Take man and throw him away. All right? Good works are God's work. There's none good but God. All of our righteousnesses are filthy rags. God's works, verse three says, the rulers are not a terror to God's works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good. Believe on him, trust him, wait on him. And thou shalt have praise of the same. Now watch this, verse four says, for he is the minister of God to thee. for good. What he's saying is everything you see going on in the world, all of it is working together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Our flesh wants to naturally say, but I don't see it. Well, that's because we're not God. That's the reason why. You're not God and I'm not God. And you and I cannot walk by sight. We have to walk by faith. We have to. But if we could walk by sight, if we could see the end result of everything that our God was doing, we would change nothing. We would change nothing, and we would praise, and we would give thanks for everything, for everything. And for that reason, the Lord convinces us of that, teaches us that, and because of that, we bow, we trust, we wait on our Lord. That's what we do. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good word, to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. For Christ's sake. Amen. You're dismissed.