Scripture: Isaiah 11 and 12I. You have hope of a coming king.A. Who is this branch of vs. 1 who would bear fruit? Jesus. He is a shoot from the stump of Jesse, King David’s father. God had made a great promise to King David in 2 Samuel 7:12-13: “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”B. Jesus would be anointed with the Holy Spirit (vs. 2). What gifts would Jesus have as king because He was filled with the Spirit? Verses 2-5 say Jesus would have the gifts of wisdom, power, reverence for God, faithfulness and righteousness. In short, Jesus would be the perfect king. And Jesus would come not just as Judah’s king. He would come to fight for Judah as a warrior (vs. 4-5).II. You have hope of a curse reversed.A. Jesus would bring with him a kingdom that would restore and secure the harmony of the Garden of Eden, before Adam and Eve and all of humanity fell into sin. In Isaiah 11:6 we see that Jesus will bring peace to all of creation – even animals. Jesus would come as the new Adam. In Genesis 1:28 God had commanded the first Adam to be fruitful, to fill the earth and subdue it and to rule over the animals. Jesus the King is now putting that mandate back on track.B. God is angry with humans because of our sin and rebellion against Him (Isa. 12:1). But God’s anger has turned away from His people. The angry God has become your Savior. The curse has been reversed! How? At the cross, God’s anger and God’s judgment fell on Jesus for your sin. And when you trust that Jesus died for your sins, you can sing with God’s people the words of Isa. 12:2: “Behold, God is my salvation.”III. You have hope of a cosmic joy and peace.A. There was hope for the whole world in Isaiah’s message. In Isa. 11:10, the prophet says that “in that day, the root of Jesse (King Jesus), who shall stand as a signal for the peoples – of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.” People then from every nation, all the nations listed in Isa. 11:11, will rally around the flag of King Jesus. Who are we making God’s great deeds of salvation known among? The peoples (Isa. 12:4). We learn in Isa. 12 that worship is mission and mission is worship. Worship leads to you telling other people about Jesus.Application:Let us live then with faith not fear, with hope not despair, with trust in God and not in man.Sources:The BibleCommentaries by J.A. Motyer, Tim Chester, Derek Thomas and David Jackman.Sermon Discussion Questions1) How does the description of the Branch in Isaiah 11 focus our hope? What are the characteristics of the Branch and how are they true of Jesus?2) In what ways does the rule of Jesus reverse the curse of the Fall of Adam and Eve? How and where does God’s anger get removed from humanity?3)  What will the worship of Jesus necessarily lead to? What can Jesus do for all those who feel like they are living in exile?

Scripture: Isaiah 8:11—9:7I. As a Christian of faith, you live with a distinct trust.A. King Ahaz of Judah gets some bad news in Isaiah 7:2: “Syria is in league with Ephraim.” The heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind. But Ahaz would not trust God for help with these 2 nations. He would trust Assyria for help. When we get to Isaiah 8:11 then we read God warn Isaiah, “not to walk in the way of this people.” Don’t be afraid like King Ahaz is afraid. Be distinct. Be different. Trust God.B. Isaiah reminds God’s people, “The only thing we have to fear is God himself.” If we all have fears, what makes Christians different? We live with an unanxious peace because we fear God above everything else. Isaiah gives us a good picture of what trust in God looks like in Isaiah 8:17: “I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him.” Trust looks like patient waiting on God and confidence that our trust will be rewarded.II. As a Christian of faith, you live with a distinct guide.A. During this time of fear and insecurity, who were the people of Judah looking to for guidance? “And when they say to you, ‘Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,’ should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living?” (Isaiah 8:19).B. Our biggest threat is death. And dead people have already lost that battle with death. Dead people are not the ones you want to seek guidance from about how to make it through life! You should seek guidance from someone who came back from the dead – from someone who defeated death: Jesus. When the Bible is your guide for life, you have light along your path (vs. 19-20).III. As a Christian of faith, you live with a distinct Savior, who is both God and man.A. In Isaiah 9, we learn more about the child Immanuel who was to be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). The child, Jesus, would bring light and remove gloom to Galilee (vs. 1). Luke 1:26-27: In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.” Matthew 4:13: “And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.” Jesus combines God and man in one person (vs. 6) as our Savior.Application:Trust your Savior Jesus and you can live without fear and in peace.Sources:The book of IsaiahCommentaries by J.A. Motyer, Tim Chester, Bob Fyall and David Jackman.Sermon Discussion QuestionsHow do you react when your world seems dark? Are you full of fear like Ahaz? Or do you have trust like Isaiah?How do the pairs of words in Isaiah 9:6 show in each pair that Jesus is God and man in one person? Since Jesus is God, does He have the power to save you today?Do you have both the patience and hope that mark people of faith (Isaiah 8:17)? How does prayer help you to wait on God and to have confidence that He will reward your faith?

Scripture: Isaiah 6I. When you have a fresh encounter with God, you know God as king.A. In Isaiah 6:1 we read the historical setting for Isaiah’s encounter with God. King Uzziah of Judah had died that year. Everything feels uncertain and insecure. And what does God do for Isaiah? He gives Isaiah a vision of Judah’s true king: God. God has ascended to his throne, and He rules over all things. God and God alone is supreme in power over Judah and over the Assyrians and over the whole earth.B. The train of God’s robe fills the entire temple in heaven (vs. 1). It wraps around and around, and it fills up the entire space in the temple. Why is the train of God’s robe so long? It emphasizes the supreme majesty and ultimate power of God. God, and only God, rules. The Lord God Almighty is still on the throne – just like He was in the year King Uzziah died. God the King can never die, and His throne will never be empty.II. When you have a fresh encounter with God, you know God as holy.A. God is so holy that for the only time in the Bible, we see three words used back to back to back to emphasize something about God. Who is God? Holy. Holy. Holy (vs. 3). God is the holiest of holiest of holy beings. All of Isaiah’s senses experienced God’s holiness. He sees the holiness of God in the long train of his robe in the temple. He hears the holiness of God in the cry of the seraphim. He then feels holiness as the thresholds in the heavenly temple shake (vs. 4).B. Isaiah even smells the holiness of God when smoke started to fill his nose (vs. 4). Isaiah saw God’s holiness like Israel saw God’s holiness at Mt. Sinai when God gave the 10 commandments. In Isaiah 5, Isaiah had said, “Woe to you” 6 times to the people of Judah. But when Isaiah sees God with his own eyes, woe to you quickly changes to woe to me (vs. 5). When you see God in His holiness, you will see yourself for who you are.III. When you have a fresh encounter with God, you know God as gracious.A. Where did the burning coal come from (vs. 6)? The altar in the heavenly temple. The altar was the place of sacrifice. A person’s guilt was symbolically placed on an animal, and the animal died in the person’s place. Isaiah’s sinful lips were touched by this coal from the altar, and so Isaiah’s guilt was taken away. There would still be life left in the stump of Judah. Isaiah 11:1: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” A Messiah, a descendant of Jesse’s son David, would come from this stump.Application:The holy God will meet your guilt with His grace when you confess your sin.Sources:The BibleCommentaries by J.A. Motyer, Tim Chester, Bob Fyall and David Jackman.Sermon Discussion Questions1) Have you ever had a sense of woe before the holy God like Isaiah had? What do you learn about yourself when you encounter God’s holiness?2) When Isaiah saw God on the throne, he and the nation were full of fear for their future. How did this vision calm Isaiah’s fears?3) When God removes your guilt by His grace, what should be your response? What was Isaiah’s response?

Scripture: Isaiah 5I. God’s heart breaks when we don’t produce good fruit.A. By grace God had given Israel a good land. God had left nothing undone for His people. God expected good fruit to come from His people. But the vines only yielded wild grapes (vs. 2, 4). Literally, Judah produced stink-fruit. Judah produced a stinky crop of death and decay. Whose fault was it? God’s or Judah’s? We get the answer in verse 4 when a broken-hearted God asks the question: “What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it?”B. Judah had wasted every opportunity and despised every privilege given her by God. So, what was God going to do to His people, His vineyard? He was going to destroy it (vs. 5). What kind of fruit is your life producing? God gave you the Holy Spirit to give you the power to produce good fruit that we see in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.II. God’s hand is raised in judgment when we don’t produce good fruit.A. Since Judah produced stink fruit, God announced a series of six woes. Woe means that great sorrow or distress is coming. Rich people in Judah had defrauded the poor by adding house to house (vs. 8). What was God’s judgment? Many houses shall be desolate (vs. 9). If you take a house from the poor, God will send foreigners to take all your big houses. The only thing that got Judah out of bed was wine. They were self-indulgent. How would God judge them? They would lose their land and go into exile (vs. 13). They would go to Sheol, the land of the dead (vs. 14).B. Judah was a slave to its sinful appetites (vs. 18). Another woe is pronounced in vs. 20 on those who call evil good and good evil. They turn moral values upside down. Another woe in vs. 21 is spoken to those who are wise in their own eyes. They put themselves in the place of God and exalt their own opinions. Finally, in vs. 22-23 a woe is given to those who are heroes at holding their liquor and who corrupt the justice system by taking bribes and convicting the innocent.C. God can whistle for nations to judge His people like one might whistle for their dog (vs. 26). When God whistled, Assyria would come very quickly in judgment. Isaiah 5:30 has two references to darkness. What is going to win? Will it be light? Or will it be darkness? On the day that Jesus died for our sins, darkness fell. Matthew 27:45: “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.” But because Jesus went into the darkness for us, we can now walk in the light and enjoy the sunshine of God’s love and presence.Application:Ask God to fill you with His Spirit to produce the sweet and delicious fruit God wants.Sources:The BibleCommentaries by J.A. Motyer, Bob Fyall and David Jackman.Sermon Discussion Questions1) Why does God sing a sad song over His vineyard? What has gone wrong? What is going to happen?2) What is the essence of each sin that God speaks about in His six woes to Judah? How does God respond to His people’s sins?3) What response does God want from Judah when He tells them of the upcoming Assyrian invasion in vs. 25-30? How does the threat of God’s judgment bring hope to us?

Scripture: Isaiah 1I. You regain God’s gracious privileges by repenting of political sins.A. Isaiah prophesied to 4 different kings of Judah (vs. 1). Isaiah begins by telling Judah what is plain to everyone: our country is broken. Judah has rebelled against God (vs. 2). They have sinned. They of all people, the ones who had received gift after gift of grace from God, had rebelled against Him. Judah looked like a beaten up, broken slave (vs. 5-6). There was no health in this nation – just bruises and sores and wounds. The land of Judah was desolate (vs. 7).B. Four words show the privileges Judah had received: they were God’s nation, people, offspring and children (vs. 4). Four negative words describe Judah now: sinful, full of iniquity, evildoers and corrupt. The church’s privileges are like Judah’s. 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”II. You regain God’s gracious privileges by repenting of religious sins.A. Deliberate sin is the opposite of faith in God. Judah was guilty of too much religion (vs. 11). Their sacrifices were vain offerings. They meant nothing to God. God hates religion that is just going through the motions. In verses 16-17, God offers a solution to the problem of Judah committing religious sins. God is calling His people in these verses to do something that he mentions in one word in vs. 27: repent.B. To repent means to turn: to turn away from sin and toward God. When God by His grace convicts you of sin, you need to repent. Judah needed to turn away from violence against people (vs. 15). They were doing evil to helpless and hopeless people. They were oppressing some of God’s chosen people. Judah, your sins they are many. But God’s mercy is more. God’s mercy is greater than all your sin. He can and He will pay for your sin by redeeming you (vs. 27).III. You regain God’s gracious privileges by repenting of social sins.A. God’s goal for Jerusalem is faithfulness (vs. 21 and 26). After God restores His repentant people they will be called once again the faithful city. Jerusalem had become unfaithful to God in the way that they treated God’s people (vs. 21-23). Jesus redeems repentant sinners. 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”Application:If you know you are far from God today, repent. Trust that Christ alone can make you clean.Sources:IsaiahCommentaries by J.A. Motyer, David Jackman, and Bob Fyall.Sermon Discussion Questions1) What are the charges God brings against Judah and Jerusalem? Why were God’s people in such a predicament, and why was this such a shock to them?2) What is the solution to Judah’s problem? What is the choice God puts before Judah (Vs. 19-20)?3) What is the future for those who persist in sin and rebellion? What alternative does God offer His people (vs. 27-31)?

Scripture: Titus 3:1-2 & 9-15Do Good Works Outside the ChurchSubmit to Authorities“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work.” (v1)“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1)Avoid Quarreling and Slander“to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” (v2)“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:5-6)Do Good Works Inside the ChurchSubmit to Authorities“Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.” (Titus 2:15)“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.” (Hebrews 13:17)Avoid Quarreling and Division“Avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.” (v9)“Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers . . . avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.” (2 Timothy 2:14-17)

Scripture: Titus 3:3-8I. The good news begins with bad news about you.A. Paul goes straight into the bad news about you in Titus 3:3. He lists seven characteristics of Christians before their conversion to Christ. You might call this list the slimy seven. In summary, without Jesus our relationship with God was a mess. It was not just our relationship with God that was a mess. Our relationships with other people were also a mess. We either wished that bad things would happen to people or we wished that good things would not happen to people.B. Paul writes about we ourselves (vs. 3), as in, Paul and Titus. Even the best Christians then, the missionaries now completely devoted to Jesus, lived slimy lives apart from Jesus. What is the only thing that the gospel says can save your soul? The death of Jesus, the Son of God, on the cross. I could not save myself by my own good works (vs. 4). Only God could save me. It was necessary for Jesus to die to save me (vs. 6). There was no other way.II. The good news for Christians is that God saved you.A. Before Jesus entered our lives, we were living in darkness. People act despicably. But how does God act? God acts kindly toward people who are rebelling against Him. He is so kind to them that He saves them. And God shows love toward people who hate Him. We are reminded of God’s incredible saving love toward us in the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 5:8: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”B. How does God save us? God does not save us because of works done by us in righteousness (vs. 5). God had to take the initiative in saving us. God saved us because of His character and virtue, not ours. All three persons in our one Triune God save us according to Titus 3:4-6. We are justified by God’s grace (vs. 7). Justified is a courtroom word. It means to be declared righteous by God the judge. God says you are not guilty. You are instead righteous.III. The good news for Christians is that God gives you a wonderful, eternal life.A. Because we are now justified, we receive life. Paul writes in Titus 3:7: “Being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see that we need Jesus to save us. We then put our faith in Jesus alone to save us. Because you are united with Jesus in being justified, you will be united with Jesus in having eternal life. You will be heirs with Jesus (vs. 7) of heaven as part of Christ’s own family. Because of your relationship with Jesus by faith, you are now an heir of heaven and eternal life.Application:Are you sure that you have and will have eternal life?Sources:The letter to TitusCommentaries by Andreas Köstenberger, Denny Burk, Tim Chester and Robert Yarbrough.Sermon Discussion Questions1) How do you think about God now that you have studied Titus 3? How has your thinking changed?2) How do you know that God has been kind to you? What were you like before Jesus entered your life according to vs. 3?3) How do you answer these questions: Are you trusting in your good works to save you or are you trusting in Jesus alone and His work on the cross to save you? Do you want to do good works for God? Has God given you the power to do good works? 

Scripture: Titus 2:11-15Grace Redeems“For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people.” (v11)“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)“Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness . . .” (v13-14)Grace Reforms“. . . training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” (v12)“For those whom (God) foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. . .” (Romans 8:9)“. . . and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (v14)Grace Rewards“waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (v13)“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.” (Romans 8:18-19)

Scripture: Titus 2:1-10I. You live a wonderful life by discipling other Christians.A. Paul ends Titus 1 by talking about the rebellious false teachers in Crete (Titus 1:16). Paul opens chapter 2 by writing to Titus, “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” This is teaching that leads to spiritual and emotional health and to a wonderful life.B. Matthew 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” We are to make disciples as we teach by word and by example (vs. 7). Who do we disciple? People at all ages and stages of life (vs. 2-8). Older people in the church are to disciple younger people. Find someone to disciple you, and find someone to disciple.II. You live a wonderful life by self-control.A. Did you notice how often Paul mentions self-control in Titus 2? See vs. 2, 5, 6 and 12. When Christians mature in their faith in Jesus, fickleness, rash passion and impulsiveness become things of the past. What does self-control look like for a Christian? It looks like being able to keep your emotions under control rather than being under the control of your emotions.B. What are the temptations that cause men and women to lose their self-control? Old men can be tempted to be grumpy rather than steadfast (vs. 2) in faith. Old women can be tempted to use their words to be slanderers (vs. 3) rather than building other women up. Young women can lose self-control by being discontent with working at home (vs. 5). This does not mean women can’t work outside the home (See Prov. 31). But young women must not be frustrated or feel worthless if lacking a career. Young men can lose their self-control (vs. 6) in lust, ambition and impatience.III. You live a wonderful life by submission.A. Twice in Titus 2 Paul tells certain people to submit. In verse 5 Paul writes that wives are to be submissive to their own husbands. And in verse 9 we read that bondservants or slaves are to be submissive to their own masters. In marriage, submission for a wife means living in line with a husbands’ loving leadership. Submission does not mean that husbands have a license to suppress or oppress or abuse their wives. Employees are not slaves, but they should follow Paul’s direction to slaves to be faithful in their work and honor authority (vs. 10).Application:A wonderful life means discipling other Christians into the likeness of Jesus.Sources:The BibleCommentaries by Andreas Köstenberger, Denny Burk, Tim Chester and Robert YarbroughSermon Discussion QuestionsWho are you discipling? Who are you being discipled by?In which areas of your life do you need greater self-control? What would self-control look like for you?How can submission to others be a beautiful thing? How can submission be an ugly thing?

Scripture: Titus 1:10-16I. You need leaders who will silence rebellion.A. The rebels in the church of Crete are described in vs. 10. They were actively spreading false teaching in the church (vs. 11). Disorder then had entered the church. They deceived the people in the church by giving the impression that they were following Jesus and the Gospel while actually the rebels were leading people away from Jesus. What exactly was the false teaching of these rebels? Jesus plus teaching. You need Jesus plus something else to be right with God.B. 1 Timothy 4:1-3: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith… who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.” Jesus plus teachers added manmade rules to the truth that we are saved by Jesus alone. The false teachers said you needed Jesus plus other rules to save your soul. “Silence them!” Paul taught in Titus 1:11.II. You need leaders who will rebuke rebellion.A. Paul tells Titus why he should rebuke the people in the churches of Crete in vs. 12. They were worldly people. They were not living lives that gave evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit. “Rebuke them sharply” Paul tells Titus in vs. 13. The goal of these strong words from Titus was so that the people would be sound in the faith (vs. 13). He wanted to win the people in the church over to the truth of the Gospel and to live godly lives.B. One command of people (vs. 14) taught that Gentiles like Titus had to be circumcised if he wanted to be right with God. But Paul said Jesus alone makes us right with God. Manmade rules, manmade commands, cannot make anyone right with God. Legalists and rebels ask God, “How much must I do?” The right question is, “How much can I give?” You are declared right with God not because of anything you do but because of what Jesus has done for you on the cross.III. You need leaders who will identify rebellion.A. What does rebellion look like? It’s harder to spot than you think. Verse 16 says that the false teachers in Crete “profess to know God.” But the grace of God is meant to change our lives so that we turn away from sin and live godly lives. We see this in Titus 2:11-12: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” Real Christians produce real fruit and not continued rebellion against God.Application:Silence and rebuke and identify rebellion, both in your home and in your church.Sources:The letter to TitusCommentaries by Andreas Köstenberger, Denny Burk, Robert Yarbrough and Tim Chester.Sermon Discussion QuestionsHow seriously do you take the issues of rebellion and false teaching? Do you confront it or do you just look the other way?Why can’t you reduce Christianity to a list of do’s and don’ts? How can you live a more grace-based Christian life?In what areas of your life do you need to stop thinking, “You should not” and start reminding yourself, “You need not”?

Scripture: Titus 1:5-9I.  A quality leader is marked by good character.A. Titus was in charge of putting others in charge in the church in Crete (vs. 5). Verses 6 and 7 say a leader must be above reproach. He must be a man of integrity. He must have a good reputation for living a Christian life. And the first references that you should check for potential elder-pastors in the church would be his wife and children. The church is God’s family – God’s household. The elder is called God’s steward (vs. 7) – the overseer of God’s household. The way that a man leads his family will tell you a lot about how he will lead God’s family, the church.B. The good character of a potential leader in the church is seen in six positive virtues in vs. 8. Notice here that Paul does not tell Titus to look for skills in leaders. He tells Titus to look for character. Character is far more important in church leaders than skill. Do you possess the character described in Titus 1:6-9?II. A quality leader is not marked by bad character.A. The bad character to be avoided is found in vs. 7: “He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain.” All these character qualities are immediate red flags which disqualify someone from leadership. Money is a big idol, and Jesus said in Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”B. Skills that are used for selfish ends become destructive. People with skill are effective leaders. But if that skilled leader does not have godly character there is a good possibility that this leader will eventually crash and burn and the church will crash and burn with him. In recent church history there have been too many examples of pastor-elders who have become bullies in their churches – the violent people of Titus 1:7.III. A quality leader teaches and defends God’s truth.A. We have seen in verses 6 and 7 that a quality leader must be above reproach in his character. Now we see in vs. 9 that a quality leader must be above reproach in his doctrine. A pastor-elder must hold firmly to the truth that the church has always taught for 2,000 years. And if there are those in the church who contradict the doctrinal truth found in the Bible, the pastor-elder must confront and rebuke those false teachers. Are you humble enough to receive a rebuke? Are you loving enough to give a rebuke?Application:Pray that Hope’s leaders would be Titus 1 leaders and that you might be such a leader.Sources:The letter to TitusCommentaries by Andreas Köstenberger, Robert Yarbrough, Tim Chester and Denny Burk.Sermon Discussion Questions1) Why is godly character so important in church leaders? How does leadership in your family translate to leadership in the church?2) Why does Paul emphasize character over skill in church leaders? Are there any other red flags you can think of that would disqualify someone from church leadership?3) Since knowing and teaching God’s Word are so important for leaders, how well would you say you know the Bible? Are you loving enough to give a Christian a rebuke?

Scripture: Titus 1:1-4I. You need God for a wonderful life.A. Paul uses the word God ___ times in the first four verses of his letter to Titus. Paul is obsessed with God. If you want a wonderful life, God needs to be at the center of your heart. God is called Savior twice in this passage. In verse 3 God the Father is called God our Savior. Then in vs. 4 we read about Christ Jesus our Savior. We were in danger of suffering God’s judgment and death, but God chose to save us.B. Titus 3:5: “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus died for our sins, and we were saved. How then do you feel about God and Jesus who saved you? We in the church have been chosen to be saved by God. We are God’s elect (Titus 1:1). How does it make your heart feel to know that you have been chosen by God for salvation?II. You need faith in God for a wonderful life.A. The first purpose of Paul’s ministry in vs. 1 was for the sake of the faith of God’s elect. Paul would preach (vs. 3) to everyone, confident that those God had chosen would respond with faith. All of us have been commanded to tell other people the good news about Jesus. Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”B. To be saved then you need to have faith. But this faith is not faith in faith. Our faith has definite content to it. Our faith is based on knowledge of the truth (vs. 1). Faith is based on knowledge of the truth about God. Faith in God gives you hope of eternal life (vs. 2). Life on this earth is not all that there is. Beyond this world is another world. What you do today on this earth has eternal implications for the world to come. What a wonderful life!III. You need godliness for a wonderful life.A. The second purpose of Paul’s ministry according to vs. 1 was godliness. It was for the purpose of the church knowing the truth about God. But this knowledge was not an end in itself. Knowledge about God must lead to godliness. A godly life is a life of mature Christian character. A godly person lives in a close relationship with God through prayer and Bible reading and worship and fellowship, and a godly person lives a moral and righteous life that pleases God. A godly life will necessarily be a changed life.Application:Eternal fates are sealed through your witness and your godly lives.Sources:The letter to TitusCommentaries by Andreas Köstenberger, Tim Chester and Robert YarbroughSermon Discussion Questions1) You are what you love. Do you agree or disagree? How will love for God affect the way that you live?2) Where does the power come to share your faith in Jesus? Who are you praying for to put their faith in Jesus?3) Who is growing in godliness through your life and ministry? Who are you praying for that he/she will grow in godliness?

Exodus 32:1-20 | John 18:15-18, 25-27;  21:15-19In a Time of Waiting, Who Should You Follow?“When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, ‘Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’” (Exodus 32:1)“One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter has cut off, asked, ‘Did I see you in the garden with him?’ Peter again denied it.” (John 18:26-27)When nothing seems to be happening, remember what God has done!In a Time of Wanting, Who Should You Follow?“And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go down, for your people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I have commanded them.’” (Exodus 32:7)“Peter was grieved because (Jesus) said to him a third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep’.  (John 21:17)When you can’t see God, realize that God sees you and loves you!In a Time of Wandering, Who Should You Follow?“As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.” (Exodus 32:19)“Follow me” (John 21:19)When you don’t know the way, respond by following God!

Scripture: Exodus 25:1-9 | John 1:14-17I. You experience God living in you by stirring up your heart.A. How could Israel know God was living among them as they made their journey toward Canaan? A tent that was called the tabernacle. Before God would live in this tent, His people would need to provide the materials for the tent. Who would give toward God’s home? Only those whose hearts were moved (vs. 2). If you want to experience God living in you today then, you need a heart that is regularly stirred up with love for Him.B. Sometimes our hearts get cold, don’t they? When you have a cold heart, you are more likely to act yourself into a feeling than you are to feel yourself into an action. If you do the actions of love, the feelings will come back again. If you have no sense in your heart that God loves you, you will conclude God is not living in you. So, stir up your hearts to do the loving actions toward God which will remind you again of how much God loves you and you love God.II. You experience God living in you by costly giving.A. God wanted the people to give some costly gifts for his tent (vs. 3-7). In Genesis 2:12 we read a description of what was found in the Garden of Eden: “And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.” When the people saw the tent where God lived, He wanted them to look back. He wanted them to look back to the paradise of Eden when God first lived with His people on earth.B. The tabernacle tent then pointed back to Eden, but it also pointed forward to our true home which would come through Jesus who would tabernacle among us (John 1:14). While we wait for heaven, where is God living now? He lives in us in the person of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”III. You experience God living in you by detailed obedience.A. The whole point behind this tent is found in Ex. 25:8: “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” God wanted to live with His people on earth. The tent needed to be made according to God’s exact specifications (vs. 9) so that we might learn how we can live in relationship with our good and holy God. But we don’t follow God’s commands and rules just because we love rules. The rules are a means to an end. And the end is a relationship with God. We maintain that relationship through Christ’s blood shed on the cross for us.Application:Continue to experience God living within you by trusting that Christ paid for your sin.Sources:The BibleCommentaries by D.A. Carson, Tim Chester and J.A. Motyer & “The Lamb of God” by Nancy Guthrie.Sermon Discussion Questions1) What can you do to stir up your heart for God in times when your heart is cold? What are some actions of love for God that you might do this week?2) What costly gifts has God given you? When you give a costly gift to someone, how does that make you feel about that person?3) Why is obedience so important to God? How can we stay close to God even when we fail to obey His commands?

Scripture: Exodus 24:1-2, 9-11 | John 20:11-18I. You can go home again because Christ died for you.The story of Easter opens with Mary Magdalene, at Jesus’ tomb. Mary sees Jesus risen from the dead in vs. 14 but she doesn’t recognize that it’s Jesus. Who does she think Jesus is (vs. 15)? The gardener. Jesus’ tomb then is located within a garden. In the Easter story, we have a death, we have angels, and we have a man and a woman talking in a garden on the first day of the week. And we also have all these elements in the story of creation.We read about the angel’s role in protecting the garden of Eden from Adam and Eve after their sin in Genesis 3:24: “(God) drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” It’s the blood (Exodus 24:8) that allows us to get close to God. It’s the blood of the sacrifice that lets us go home to God after our exile from Him.II. You can go home again because Christ rose and ascended for you.The fact that Jesus was risen from the dead was made clear to Mary in John 20:16. But there was one more phase of Jesus’ exodus journey that he had to complete before he could go home to heaven: the ascension (vs. 17).Why was it such good news for Mary and the disciples that Jesus was ascending to heaven? We see what Jesus planned to do after his ascension from John 14:2-3: “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” Jesus is getting your home ready for you.III. You can go home again because God wants a meal with you.Sharing a meal together expresses belonging to one family and sharing one life. This is what God wants more than anything with you. In the exodus story, at the top of Mt. Sinai, God wants a meal together with the leaders of Israel (Ex. 24:9-11). And on the night before He died, Jesus shared a meal with His disciples and told them what He was looking forward to in the future in Luke 22:15-16: “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” What does Jesus really want? He wants to eat a family meal with you. He can’t wait until everyone in His family comes home to share a meal with Him.Application:Come home to God by confessing sin, believing that Christ died for you, and turning from sin.Sources:The Bible Commentaries by D.A. Carson, T.D. Alexander, and Tim Chester. “Exodus Old and New” by L. Michael Morales, “Echoes of Exodus” by Alastair Roberts and Andrew WilsonSermon Discussion QuestionsWhat are some of the common elements in the stories of creation, the exodus, and Easter? How would you sum up the story of the Bible in a sentence?We celebrate Christ’s resurrection at Easter and His defeat of death. Why should we also celebrate Jesus’ ascension?How is a meal with God a good picture of salvation? How can you share more meals with God on a regular basis?

Scripture: Exodus 19:1-6 | John 14:15-17I. You are saved to be God’s treasured possession.A. In Exodus 19 God reminds Israel that he had already saved them in the past. Notice the tense of vs. 4. It is the past tense: “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians.” Israel was to obey God’s Law after they were saved so that they might enjoy the benefits and privileges of God’s people. God sees not just Israel but you in the church as His treasured possession.B. Peter writes to the church in 1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” When God looks at the church, He sees a treasure! He sees royal property. Isn’t that incredible? God saved you so that you could be God’s prized treasure.II. You are saved to be a kingdom of priests.A. God is making an incredible promise to Israel. Every Israelite is to have a royal status. And every Israelite is to have a priestly status (vs. 6). As kings, Israel would take on the role that God gave to Adam and Eve to exercise dominion over the earth. And as priests, every Israelite would have access to God. And as a kingdom of priests, Israel was supposed to represent God to the world through mission. The world was supposed to be able to see the glory of God in Israel.B. Jesus said in John 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” We enjoy communion with God only by keeping His commandments. This is not a legalistic way to earn your salvation. Keeping God’s commandments is the grace of God at work in your life, making you holy and happy in God. And it is the Holy Spirit that Jesus speaks about in John 14:17 who gives you both the willingness to obey God’s commands and the power to obey those commands.III. You are saved to be God’s holy nation.A. Israel is supposed to be holy like God is holy (vs. 6). Revelation 5:9-10: “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” Jesus died for you so that through His death the people of every tribe and language and people and nation might know that God is the LORD. Jesus saved us from the nations for the sake of the nations who still need Jesus.Application:Let’s be witnesses of our holy God to the nations in the days to come.Sources:The BibleCommentaries by T.D. Alexander, D. A. Carson, J.A. Motyer, and Tim Chester. “The Lamb of God” by Nancy Guthrie.Sermon Discussion Questions1) How did Israel experience being God’s treasured possession? What has God done in your life to show you that you are God’s treasured possession?2) What does the reference in 1 Peter 2 to Exodus 19 tell you about the connection between Israel and the church? And how does the reference to Exodus 19 in Revelation 5 help you understand what it means that the church is a royal priesthood?3) Why did God save you? What does God want you to do now that you have already been saved? Do we have to do those things in order to be saved?

Scripture: Exodus 17:1-7 | John 7:37-44Move on From the Wilderness of Sin“All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD. . .” (Exodus 17:1)“So there was a division among the people over him. Some of them wanted to arrest him . . .” (John 7:43)“Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.” (James 5:9)Come to the Lord who Stands Before You“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb.’” (Exodus 17:5-6)“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me. . .” (John 7:37)“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)Receive the Living Water“. . .and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” (Exodus 17:6)“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believe in him were to receive.” (John 7:38-39)“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)

Scripture: Exodus 14:19-31/John 5:19-24I. Your story is about leaving darkness for light.A. The story of Israel being saved from Egypt comes in 3 sections referring to the time of day: dusk (vs. 19-20), night (vs. 21) and morning (vs. 27). Israel then escapes darkness and death and moves into the light of freedom and life on the other side of the Red Sea. Egypt’s end is the darkness of night, covered over by the waters (vs. 28). But Israel left the darkness coming out of the sea toward the rising sun. The power of Egypt then was no match for the power of God.B. Your story, like Israel’s story, is about leaving behind a great enemy. In our case, the enemy is not Pharaoh but Satan. Satan attacks God’s people with lies, sorrows, battles, terrors and testing just like Pharaoh attacked Israel. All these attacks from Satan leave our world dark. But God steps into every Christian’s story to lead you away from Satan and sin and darkness and into the brightness of the Promised Land.II. Your story is about leaving destruction for a new creation.A. The story of exodus is the story of creation all over again. God brings light on Israel in Ex. 14:20 – an echo of what God said at creation in Gen. 1:3: “Let there be light.” Then in Ex. 14:21 the LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind (the same Hebrew word as the word Spirit). Gen. 1:2 says that “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” The waters separate to create dry land at the Red Sea just like at creation (Gen. 1:9).B. Over and over in the Bible, water represents judgment and destruction. Jesus was not saved from destruction in water. In Mark 10:38 Jesus called his death a baptism, but it led us to a new creation. The Apostle Paul connects the exodus and baptism in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2: “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”III. Your story is about leaving death for life.A. Just like Moses plunged into the waters of the Red Sea and all who followed him emerged on the other side unharmed, Jesus plunged into the waters of death so that following Him we might pass through death unharmed into resurrection life (John 5:24). Hebrews 2:14-15: “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”Application:Rejoice that you have already passed through the waters of death in Jesus.Sources:The BibleCommentaries by T.D. Alexander, D.A. Carson, Peter Enns & Tim Chester“The Lamb of God” by Nancy Guthrie/”Exodus Old and New” by L. Michael MoralesSermon Discussion Questions:1) What kind of darkness in your life have you left behind now that you are following Jesus? The light protected Israel from Egypt. How has God’s light protected you?2) What are some echoes of the creation story in Genesis 1 that you see in the Exodus story? In what ways have you become a new creation since your conversion?3) In defeating death at the cross, what else did Jesus defeat? If Jesus is victorious over death, then what do we need to be afraid of?

Scripture: Exodus 13:17-22 | John 8:12-14I. God’s light will lead you to a place of testing.A. Why did God have Israel take the scenic route home? “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt” (vs. 17). Israel had been slaves for 400 years. They had no trained army. Nor was their faith in God strong enough to handle a battle. Israel needed to be made stronger through the testing of their faith. God led Israel by a miraculous light. The light changed its appearance by day and by night from a pillar of cloud to a pillar of fire (vs. 21-22).B. By the time we get to Exodus 14 it must have seemed like God had led Israel into a trap. The Red Sea was in front of them. And then Pharaoh and Egypt pursued them from behind. Why did God lead Israel here? Because the truth is this: God helps those who cannot help themselves. And God helps His people when there is nothing they can do, no chance for escape. God leads you to difficult places to test your faith just like He tested Israel’s faith at the Red Sea.II. God’s light will lead you to a place of dependence and trust.A. Moses tells the Israelites to simply depend on God (Exodus 14:13-14). Trust God. That’s the plan. There was nothing Israel could do. And there was nothing Israel needed to do. Do nothing. Be a spectator. Watch God win the battle over your mighty enemy for you. God will fight for Israel. God and God alone will save Israel. Are you in a place where only God can save you? Why? To gain glory for His Name. To show you His salvation. To grow your dependence on Him.III. God’s light will lead you to Jesus.A. “The salvation of the LORD” (vs. 13) is “Yahweh-Yeshua” in Hebrew. Moses said then, “You will see Yeshua.” The Hebrew name Yeshua in English is Jesus. Moses told Israel, “You will see Jesus.” The salvation of God is bound up in a person and that person’s name is Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). How does Jesus lead you today? Through the person of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:14: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”B. The pillar of fire led Israel to life. It led Israel through the Red Sea and to the other side. The light would not let them die. And this is what Jesus does for us. John 5:24: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” And Jesus is the messianic great light that was promised in Isaiah 9:2: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”Application:Rejoice in the presence of the light of the world that leads you home.Sources:The Bible“The Lamb of God” by Nancy Guthrie | Commentaries by D.A. Carson, T.D. Alexander, and Tim ChesterSermon Discussion QuestionsWhy is it exciting to think that the God of the pillar of fire still guides us today by the Holy Spirit?Does God always lead us to places we want to go? Why is it good that God leads us to these difficult places?What is the significance of the fact that Jesus said “I am the light of the world” at the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles? What was Jesus trying to get across to his listeners about His identity?

Scripture: Exodus 12:21-23 | John 1:29-36I. We are saved through judgment.A. We see who is going to be judged in the Passover in Exodus 12:23: the Egyptians. God said Israel was his firstborn son (Ex. 4:22-23). God told Pharaoh and Egypt to let his son go to worship Him. If Pharaoh did not let God’s firstborn son go, Egypt’s firstborn son would die in judgment. God judged Egypt for her sins on Passover night. But God also saved Israel on Passover night. God saves those who turn to Him through His acts of judgment. God’s salvation has always been and always will be accomplished through acts of judgment.II. We are saved through a perfect sacrifice.A. The people of Israel could not just slaughter any old lamb in obedience to the command of Ex. 12:21. Exodus 12:5 says: “Your lamb shall be without blemish.” When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said in John 1:29, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” Jesus never sinned. He was perfect. He was prophesied about in Isaiah 53:7: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”III. We are saved through substitution.A. The details of substitution are found in Exodus 12:3. The lamb would be substituted for the household, the lamb would die in an act of God’s judgment rather than the people. On the morning after the Passover, there would be a corpse in every home. The only question was would the corpse be a lamb or a person. It would be a substitution then that would save Israel. The lamb died in place of the people in the house. 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”IV. We are saved through faith.A. What was the difference between life and death on Passover night? Exodus 12:23. “When he sees the blood… the Lord will pass over.” It was the blood of the lamb that made all the difference. The killing of a lamb and sprinkling the blood on the doorframes was an act of faith. The blood proved that the people in that house believed God. They believed that God’s judgment was coming and that the blood of a perfect lamb would save them. A Christian is saved because they have faith that the blood of Jesus Christ will protect them from God’s judgment and hell.Application:Christians, look for signs of faith in your life. Non-Christians, put your faith in Jesus to save you.Sources:The Bible“The Lamb of God” by Nancy Guthrie, “Exodus Old and New” by L. Michael Morales, Commentaries by T. Desmond Alexander, D.A. Carson and Tim ChesterSermon Discussion Questions1) What is Passover all about? How does it foreshadow what will take place in the New Testament?2) Passover shows that Israel was redeemed not only from slavery. What else were they redeemed from? Was it only Egypt that was being judged for their sins on Passover?3) How did Israel reveal their faith on the night of Passover? How do we reveal our faith today if we want to be saved from God’s judgment?