Good morning, everyone. Forgive my eye. I was trying
to strap something with a bungee cord yesterday, and it came loose
and hit me in the eye. And I can see, and I'm fine,
but it looks hideous. I just, I can't bear to look
at it. So if y'all want to all move back a few pews. I thought
about wearing sunglass, preaching in sunglasses. I'm gonna try
to look down a lot and look right a lot. I'm gonna preach to the
piano. But it's pretty bad. I mean, I'm fine. Let's have a word of prayer. Our Heavenly Father, Lord, we
come to you this morning very thankful for another day of life.
thankful for all of your mercy and watch care over us and Lord
we are very grateful that you would give us another day and
another opportunity to gather in your name and to look into
your word and to see your truth and see life and
see the gospel and We pray that you will enable
us to worship you. We pray, Lord, that you will
prepare our hearts and our minds and our souls and turn us to
you. And we pray, Lord, that you will not only do this for
us, but for our brethren everywhere that they gather. We pray for
our children in their classes right now. We pray for these
teachers. Give them wisdom. Give them a word. In season,
plant a seed in the hearts of these little ones, we pray. Lord,
be with this city. We beg you for the people here.
You've raised up a ministry here, and we pray, Lord, that you'll
be merciful to Kingsport. As many as you would be pleased,
Lord, please save souls here and everywhere that you would
be pleased to send your truth, Lord. calls men and women to
truly have their eyes open to see Christ and see what the gospel
really is. Save us, we pray, Lord. Help
us, forgive us, be merciful to us. We pray for those that are
going through trials and sicknesses and loss and sorrow, and Lord,
be with them and help them. We ask all of this in Christ's
name, amen. Turn with me to Titus chapter
one. Titus chapter one. We started looking at this last
Sunday morning and we only made it through the first half of
verse one which says, Paul, a servant of God and an
apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect. That was our subject last Sunday
morning, the faith of God's elect. God has an elect people that
he chose to save before the foundation of this world. And to each one
of those souls, he gives faith to believe on Christ, to believe
the truth, and all of his elect are thankful for that. We're
all so glad for that. The faith of God's elect. Now
this morning, I want to finish verse one by looking at the acknowledging
of the truth, which is after godliness. Verse one says, Paul,
a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to
the faith of God's elect and the acknowledging of the truth,
which is after godliness. Now, first thing, Paul said that
he was a servant of God. A servant of God. The only way
that a man can truly be a servant of God is by acknowledging the
truth after godliness. That's the only way. Hold your
place and turn over to Galatians chapter 1. Galatians 1 verse 6, I marvel
that you are so soon removed from him that called you into
the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another. There's not another gospel. There's
only one. But there be some that trouble
you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an
angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said
before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel
unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed. For do I
now persuade men or God, or do I seek to please men? For if
I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. I wouldn't
be the servant of Christ. He said, there's only one gospel
to preach and there's only one truth to tell. And if I do not
tell that truth, I am not the servant of Christ. Men can stand
up in pulpits all they want to. And, uh, If they're not preaching
the truth of God's word, they are not servants of God. They're
not. So back in Titus chapter one. Verse one says, Paul, a servant
of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith
of God's elect and the acknowledging of the truth. If we are going
to acknowledge that there is a truth, one truth, Paul said
right here, the truth. If we're going to acknowledge
the truth, then we're going to have to acknowledge that everything
else is a lie. It's not just your truth and
my truth. You know, that's what people think. Well, you have
your religion and I have my religion and you believe what you want
to believe and I believe what I want to believe and you, you
know, that's your truth and this is my truth. There's only one. There's only one, and if there's
only one truth, and I'm gonna tell you, that's how it is with
everything. I was watching a documentary
on something, and there was these two people involved talking about
something that happened decades ago, and they both had a different
story on it. In their recollection, in their
memory, they were both there, and they both had a different,
one of them's right, one of them's wrong, or both of them are wrong.
Either way, there's only one truth in what happened. It's
always that way. There's only one truth. And that's how it is with the
Word of God. That's how it is with the Gospel
of God. There's only one truth. And if there's only one truth
from God, then every other teaching, every other doctrine, every other
religion, every other message is a lie. It's a lie. Look at verse 2. It says, In
hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised before
the world began. God cannot lie. This is God. This is God. Any alteration from
this, any veering from this is man. Look at verse 13. This witness is true. Wherefore, rebuke them sharply
that they may be sound in thee faith." There's only one faith.
Watch verse 14, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments
of men that turn from the truth. If it's a commandment of man,
it'll turn us from the truth. This is God, any veering from
this is man, and look at what Romans 3 has to say about God
and man. Turn with me over to Romans chapter
3. Romans 3 verse 3. For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the
faith of God without effect? God forbid. Now watch this right
here. Yea, let God be true, but every
man a liar. You know what that means? I'm
a liar. That's what it means. I am a
liar. I'm a man. This said every man,
all right? You're a man, you're a liar.
In your flesh, you're a liar. Man also means woman. You're
a liar. In your flesh. The only one that is true, and
this is what I mean, but what do you mean I'm a liar, you're
a liar? Well, first of all, everybody has lied. If you say you haven't,
you're a liar. That's the first thing I mean. And the second
thing I mean is when it comes to God and God's word, anytime
somebody says, well, you know, I think, doesn't matter what
we think. What has God said? That's all
that matters. The only one that is true is
God Almighty. Therefore, the only way we can
speak truth is if we repeat His Word. That's the only way. Any deviation, any veering, any
change from this Word is a lie. And I wish men and women knew
that. I wish men and women realized
that. I wish this world was not constantly
trying to change this word or constantly trying to explain
it away because this is the only truth that we have. Sometimes
the truth is difficult. Sometimes the truth is painful.
But it's still the truth. This is the only truth we have.
Look with me at Romans chapter 1 verse 22. Romans 1 verse 22, it says, professing
themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of
the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible
man. into birds and four-footed beasts
and creeping things, wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness
through the lust of their own hearts. to dishonor their own
bodies between themselves who changed the truth of God into
a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the creator
who is blessed forever, amen. That's what man has done in his
own mind and in his own heart with God and God's word. Man
can't change God's glory, not in reality, but he's changed
it in his own mind. Man has set his own word above
God's word. Man sets his own thoughts above
God's thoughts. Man sets his own will above God's
will. Man has worshipped and served
himself rather than his creator, Jesus Christ, who is blessed
forever. And all that man has to do to
accomplish that is veer away from God's word. That's all he
has to do. Turn with me to 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 8 says, And then shall that wicked be
revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his
mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders. and with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish. He's talking about those
that are gonna perish because they received not the love of
the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause, God
shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie
and that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but
had pleasure in unrighteousness. Verse 13 says, but we are bound
to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of
the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. whereunto he called you by our
gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is evidenced by believing
the truth. It's evidenced by acknowledging
the truth after godliness. That is the evidence. That is
the faith of God's elect. Now let's go a little deeper
in this and really see what this is saying. Turn with me to John
18. John 18, verse 37, it says, Pilate therefore said unto him,
art thou a king then? Jesus answered, thou sayest that
I am a king. To this end was I born, and for
this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto
the truth. Everyone that is of the truth
heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, what is
truth? What is truth? And when he had
said this, he went out again unto the Jews and saith unto
them, I find in him no fault at all. Pilate said, what is
truth? What exactly is the truth? Our Lord said, for this cause
came I into the world that I should bear witness unto the truth.
And he said, here it is right here. Everyone is of the truth. Here's my voice. What exactly
is the truth? If we're going to acknowledge
the truth, we talk about this word. God's word is true. Well,
what exactly is the truth that we're acknowledging? Turn over
to John 14, just a couple of pages. Verse six, Jesus saith unto him, I am the
way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the father,
but by me. He said, I am the truth. I'm
the truth. If we're going to acknowledge
the truth, we're going to acknowledge Christ. Psalm 33 says the word
of the Lord is right and all his works are done in truth.
James 1 18 says of God's own will begat he us with the word
of truth. That's Christ. Ephesians 4 verse
2 says the truth is in Jesus Christ. And John 8.32 says, if
you know the truth, the truth will make you free. It'll make
you so free from the bondage of the law and free from the
bondage of your sin. It'll set you free. It will set
you free in a finished work of salvation, accomplished by the
truth himself, the truth of God Almighty. And that's what our
text is talking about. Go back to Titus 1. I believe you'll enjoy seeing
this right here. Titus 1 verse 1, it says, Paul,
a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to
the faith of God's elect and to the acknowledging of the truth
which is after godliness." Godliness. That word godliness means faithfulness. It didn't mean what I thought
it would mean. Everybody initially sees that
and thinks, well, that means I have to act like God. Godliness
is acting like God. Well, it means faithfulness,
it means devotion, it means piety, it means reverent respect, it
means dutiful, faithful, faithful. And I'm going to tell you this,
that's Christ. That is Jesus Christ. Godliness
is the faithfulness of Christ. Revelation 19 says His name is
faithful and true. That's His name. The acknowledging
of the truth after godliness or faithfulness. His name is
faithful and true. Verse 1 says, Paul, a servant
of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith
of God's elect and the acknowledging of the truth, which is after
faithfulness. Christ's faithfulness. And here is Christ's faithfulness. Turn back a couple of pages here
to 1 Timothy 3, verse 16. 1 Timothy 3, verse
16, it says, and without controversy Great is the mystery of godliness. Now here it is right here. Here
is the mystery. If you want to know what godliness
is, here it is. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the
Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. Great is the mystery of Christ's
faithfulness. What that said right there is
Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ, and Christ. That's what
it said. What is man's role in that? What is man's role in godliness?
He doesn't have one. Where does man's faithfulness
come into godliness? Man's faithfulness doesn't come
into godliness. Man does not have a faithfulness to God. The truth is, if we're going
to acknowledge the truth, the truth is God's faithfulness to
man. That's what it is. God's faithfulness
to man. Without controversy, great is
the mystery of godliness. God came down. God was manifest
in the flesh. God lived a perfect life. On
this earth, Jesus Christ came down, born of a virgin, manifest
in the flesh. Everything he did was perfect.
He was justified in the spirit. He was seen of angels in the
garden of Gethsemane. He was seen of angels when he
was tempted in the wilderness. He was seen of angels when he
walked out of his tomb. The angels desired to look into
the things that he did. He was preached unto the Gentiles. Aren't you so glad for that,
all you Gentiles? We believe in the world. How do we believe in the world?
God gave us faith. Faith is not of ourselves. That
was a gift of God, the working of God. And Jesus Christ, after
he finished his work, was received up into glory. Had he not finished
salvation for his people, the Father would have never received
him into glory. Had he not finished the work,
never received him into glory, would have never raised him from
the dead. But the work was finished. God, God, God, God, God, all
in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. God started it, God performed
it, God finished it, all in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That is the truth to acknowledge. The faithfulness of Jesus Christ,
the faithfulness of his cross, the faithfulness of his interceding,
covering blood that put our sin away forever. That's the truth to acknowledge. And every true servant of God
will acknowledge that. Every one of his elect who have
received faith to believe on him will acknowledge that. By
God's grace, we acknowledge the truth which is after godliness,
the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Amen. All right, you're dismissed.