So when do you use the word? Amazing? When do you use the word amazing? Is it when your kid has a great tee ball game or a great piano recital or a great horseback riding lesson. Hey kiddo, you did an amazing job or maybe it's when your wife makes those brussels sprouts just like the ones that you love at the restaurant, you know, I mean they're just perfect honey. These sprouts are amazing or maybe it's when your husband changes the oil in your car and, and boy, you just say, man, I'll tell you what honey, this, this car is riding smoother than a vata Ghirardelli dark chocolate. Man, this is fantastic honey. You, you are just amazing. Thank you so much. Or maybe it's when your pastors is telling a story in the sermon about, you know how he was eating some dark chocolate covered brussels sprouts at his daughter's piano that he got at the concession stand from the recital and, and he decides to throw an equip about dark chocolate. You know something a little funny about dark chocolate, you know, something like, how do you turn white chocolate into dark chocolate? He turned the lights off hilarious pastor. Your jokes are amazing. When do you use the word amazing? Maybe your approach to the sermon is a little different though. You, you might be along the lines of philosopher J. K. Whitley when he said it's amazing how you can speak right to my heart. You say it best when you say nothing at all. Maybe that's your goal of the sermon Today. I'll just, I'll be done right now. We're just done nothing at all. Nothing at all. We all have moments where we use the word Amazing. We have these moments where we take that word and we apply it to a person or a moment or a situation. But what if rather than just using the word amazing, what if you could do something amazing? What if there was something amazing you could do that would impact your heart, your mind and your soul and not just you, what if there was something amazing you could do that would impact the lives of the people around you, that would impact your family, your friends, that would impact the community, impact everywhere that you go. We continue our series today, seven G. The speed, you need, We take a theme from the bible that begins with the word G. And today's theme. Today's message is Grace. A message today is Grace. And what we're going to attempt to do is to take the word Grace and try to show that in these days of conflict, in these days of confusion, in these days of fear and frustration and anger and again, all the other emotions that are ramping up around us that in the middle of this time, that we might be able to do one amazing thing. And that amazing thing is to show Grace. So how do you show Grace, Let's see if we can find out. We're using the apostle paul's letter to titus, listen, as we begin with Titus chapter three, beginning with verse one Titus three verse one paul says, remind them to be subject two rulers to authorities. Now, someone may already be thinking, wait a minute. So you're saying the most amazing thing I can do is to submit to subject respect, honor, and show Grace to the leaders and authorities of government. Have you lost your mind? What in the world are you talking about? Well, let's define showing Grace before we continue to show Grace is a breakdown of the word grace, right? And Grace is undeserved favor. Okay, you get something you don't deserve. So if you're showing Grace to someone, you are giving them something they don't deserve. For instance, every now and then it's rare. I know, but sometimes the jokes and the sermon are corny every now and then. All right, And and in that moment, some of you knowing it's terrible, will still laugh. You still laugh. You know, I don't deserve the laugh. But you are showing me Grace, you're giving me something. I don't deserve. All of us have those moments in life, right? We we give people something they don't deserve. We show them Grace in a moment when we wouldn't think we would. But we show Grace paul saying we should take that same concept and use it towards those in authority. Use it toward leaders Now, somebody would say, well, hang on a second. I mean, you know, the government is a mess, right? I mean, it's it's just it's irresponsible. It's inconsistent. It's it's corrupt. There's there's all these secrets, there's bribes, there's godless leaders, there's godless laws. I mean, it seems like every branches is proposing legislation that is in the opposite opposing to Christianity. Now some of your, you know, you're getting your amen together, but but before you do, you may be getting your amen together because you think I was just describing America. I'm not, I was just describing the government where Titus lived 2000 years ago. I just described the government and the government life on the isle of crete from 2000 years ago. In other words as king Solomon told us, there is nothing new under the sun and it is important for us to remember that we live now. So now we think it's the worst that it's ever been. That will always be a lie. It will never be true. The worst that it's ever been is hell. That's the worst it's ever been. And it's been really bad in history long before any of us were born. So government and titus is time was pretty bad. One roman senator and historian who lived during that time noted that there were moments when christians were taken, they had animal skins attached to their body and they were thrown out among wild dogs to be devoured. That was through the leadership of the government also through the leadership of the government christians were taken and they were put on steaks and they were burned alive. Sometimes they were burned alive to be lamps at political parties. And I don't know about you. It could just be me, but I will take higher gas prices over being a human tiki torch. There's nothing new under the sun. Sin has always been around since, is always there. But that doesn't mean we should just blow it off and go, we got it better and they got it worse. That's not it. We shouldn't ignore godless leaders or godless laws. We we shouldn't just act like we're excited about higher gas prices, but we should be different. We should do something, sir, pray, pray, vote, volunteer and be a part of a grassroots petition to get something on a ballot. Something wise and helpful, run for office. Campaign for somebody who's running for office, take a job with the government. Be a part of changing your little office in the middle of nowhere. B b behind the scenes, making a difference, join one of our uh one of our our armed forces, be a part of the military. We we know that there have been times and there will be times where christians are called through wise military effort to defend governments and to dismantle governments. In other words, there are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and thousands of ways for us to be good Godly christian citizens that have nothing to do with listening to three hours of talk radio that have nothing to do with sitting in our recliner at night and yelling at the tv as we watch the news that have nothing to do with on our lunch break, jumping on social media and posting and re posting and commenting on every conspiracy theory that's out there. You know, there are ways for us to engage, there are ways for us to move and be a believer in this world without wrapping ourselves up in every single thing that we are hearing and listening and seeing or maybe put another way what would happen to our community if professing christians this week, spent more time talking about jesus than criticizing government. I mean really just do the math. Okay, you're sitting in your breakfast joint, you got five minutes, you can go off on the president and the government and everything that's happening in the world Or you could take that same five minutes and talk about the grace of God in your life just in the last 24 hours. What do you think would have a greater impact? Would the Gospel have a greater impact in this community or would us criticizing the government have a greater impact in our community? Don't miss the intensity of what paul is saying here, paul says, titus, I need you to do something. The leaders of the roman government that are slaughtering christians. I need you to tell those christians that they need to submit subject respect and show grace to the leaders of the roman government bless. I mean paul was tortured a lot in life, right? Maybe he's hopped up on pain meds right now. You know, he has no earthly idea what he's writing, but in reality that's not true because Peter said the exact same thing first, Peter chapter two verse 13 submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution. Why should we submit like that? Peter says we do it for the Lord's sake. Peter says that christians have been called to do all for the Lord's sake. In other words, we've been called to do all for the glory of God or as we've said in recent weeks, our goal as believers is to try to do what we can to make jesus look good, so to speak. So if you're a professing christian, your primary purpose in life is not a nice family, it's not good grades, it's not a responsible job. It's not a good hobby or a nice concert or a great vacation. Now if you're a professing christian, your primary purpose in life is to glorify God in your family and with your grades and at your job and with the hobby and at the concert and on your vacation, our purpose, our goal should be to glorify God and all that we do to seek to do things for the Lord's sake, including our attitude toward those in leadership and authority around us in government and schools and work and church and anywhere else that we are. And why should we do that? Why should we be the kind of people that show grace to people that we don't really feel like deserve grace? Why should we show grace? Here's why if you're a christian, you should show grace pretty much for one simple reason, you are not going to hell. It's a pretty good reason. With the choir sing My chains are gone. Imagine how the world would change in our community if rather than murmuring and grumbling and complaining and criticizing and saying that everything is going to hell, we would think, well I'm not going to hell my chains are gone. I think I have something different to talk about right now. I think I've got some amazing grace to speak about right now. I think that I have this truth, that's going to be good. 10 minutes from now and 10,000 years from now, maybe maybe I'll start talking about that. Maybe that's what's going to come out of my mouth. Maybe just a little more christian. If we're escaping hell, that means this. Everything above hell is icing on the cake. If we are going to escape hell. Everything above hell is icing on the cake, that means that the angriest most stressful, most anxious, most tragic moments on this earth is a gazillion times better than just five seconds in hell separated from God and that truth should give us comfort for all of the circumstances of life. And we have some circumstances right. Our circumstances sometimes are rebellious kids. Our circumstances sometimes are impossible marriages are circumstances sometimes are are stressful jobs. It's unknown health situations. We have some circumstances but to know that our chains are gone, it changes the circumstances especially the circumstances surrounding respecting and submitting to and subjecting and honoring and showing grace to those in authority, those at home, those at church, those in the government, wherever we go. Those who are in charge, but somebody might say sounds good. But man, you you don't know my boss, you just don't get it. You don't know my parents, you don't know my pastor. Gosh, he's corny and he's a jerk. Yeah, you don't know him. You know, you don't know how these people are, you you don't know what they're like. You know who the president of the world was when Peter and paul were writing the president of the world was a guy named Nero. Good guy Nero. We we already talked about how he very kindly provided animal skins and fire for christians. There are some people that believe that he was also responsible for relieving the apostle paul of his head and crucifying Peter upside down. So Nero was the one in charge and yet paul and Peter are saying the exact same thing. They're saying. You need to show Grace to submit to subject yourself to respect the people who might kill you. These guys are crazy. Where in the world are they getting these psycho ideas? Well, here's where they get them from. 1st Peter chapter two Since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps. What kind of example, verse 23 of first Peter two while being reviled. He did not revile in return while suffering. He uttered no threats but kept entrusting himself to him. Who judges righteously. Now look that doesn't mean that we won't have moments where we have to defend ourselves or defend our family or defend our country. That it's it's not this broad spectrum thing, there will be moments that we'll all have. But it is saying this, it's saying that if you're looking for the ultimate example of what it means to submit and subject and respect and show grace when there's no reason to. All you gotta do is look at jesus because jesus subjected himself to the very people who sent him to the cross to die. And why did jesus do that? Here's why according to Peter because he kept trusting his father from the manger to the cross to the empty tomb, jesus is still shouting to you and to try the same message and that's this. You can trust God, you can you can trust God Jesus did when his whole world crashed in around him. He kept entrusting himself to God, why? Because he's the governor of all governors. He's the president of all presidents. He's the king of all kings. He's the ruler of all rulers. He is the authority over all authorities. This is who our God is. And that truth should give us comfort. That truth should help our hearts. God is God. And there is no other. You can submit and subject yourself and respect and honor and show grace to people in authority. Dear christian, because you belong to God. You belong to God. I do not ultimately belong to the president or the governor or any other person on this planet. I belong to God. And nothing will ever change that. We can show grace because we belong to God. But what does that look like? Paul gives us six pictures of how we can show grace. We're going to roll through these somewhat quickly first, he says in verse one, to be obedient. That means we're just supposed to obey all these godless laws and Godless leaders, no matter what, No, that's not what it means. It just means that if you've got a Clemson or Carolina garden gnome in your front yard and the homeowner association says no more garden gnomes in your front yard. Just put your garden gnome in the backyard. All right, it's all right, It's just a garden gnome, you'll be okay. But if the homeowners association says, you can't read your bible when you're sitting at the kitchen table in the morning. Well, you're you're going to have to disobey that one. You're going to have to respectfully disobey it. Even if you have to do it in secret, which by the way, thousands and thousands, maybe more than a million christians are doing right now today, reading their bible and secret because it's illegal for them to do anything that we're doing today. Paul says is we need to be obedient. Peter was in front of this religious council in Jerusalem. And they said, look, you're going to have to stop preaching the gospel. You can't do it anymore. And Peter's response in Acts Chapter five verse 29 is this we must obey God rather than men garden gnomes. Those aren't the will of God. Alright, There's just garden gnomes. But the Gospel, the truth about God. That's the will of God. So we can obey laws about garden gnomes. But we have to respectfully not obey anything that tells us to stop proclaiming and preaching the Gospel. Look, none of us are perfect. But how are you doing at being obedient and cooperative with authorities and those in leadership? Show grace by being obedient. 2nd Paul says to be ready for every good indeed! Every good deed. You never did that cheer in high school. You know where one side of the room says, we got spirit, Yes, we do. We got spirit. How about you? And the other side does it? And they go back and forth. And eventually some little scalawag starts the little we got more. We got more than everybody is just screaming. We got more well we need to be that we got more christians in the community. We need to be the spirit of God in the community. We need to be doing much for the gospel in the community. We cannot be the people that are eager to argue, eager to quarrel, eager to sue, eager to just create conflict and problems in the community. We have to be the people that are eager to do good, eager for every good deed. None of us are perfect. But how are you doing it? Being eager for good deeds in the community? How are you doing it? Being eager to serve with grace and mercy paul says you can show grace by being ready for every good deed. Next he says to Milan, No one don't slander anybody. Ah The picture that we have here is is not perfection again. But it just means that you're not known as the person that's always talking bad about others. That's always disrespecting others. It's always trying to tear the reputation of other people down specifically. Even if you are actually sharing true information. Right? I mean it doesn't it doesn't have to be that. You know, you're saying something that's not true, You can be sharing true information and sometimes you don't need to share it. For example. I have is from years ago I had an older pastor tell me, he said you can preach the funeral of a non christian and you can do it in a way that you don't have to list out all of their sins at the funeral. Nor do you have to preach them into heaven. No words. There's a way to honor and respect people with, without maligning them without slandering them. Even especially calling out all of their sins. That doesn't mean we shouldn't hold people accountable. But in your personal life, what is the habit that most people know you as are you the lady that everybody knows they can call you for the latest gossip. That's not an honor. Are you the guy that's always known for all the information that that tears down everybody in the community and you've always got the best joke against everyone in the community. That's that's not an honor paul says, don't let the habit of your life be to malign people look, none of us are perfect. But how are you doing at the way you speak about other people? Show Grace by not maligning show Grace by not slandering next paul says to be peaceable. Don't be quick to argue or are you the person at your house that creates conflicts with everybody else in the house. Are you the person at work or at school that you're just always pushing against anybody in charge of everything. Are you The person at the ballpark that's always screaming and yelling that the umpire needs glasses. You know, I mean? What what what are you normally like most of the time? The idea is that again, we're not perfect, but we don't need to be the bullies in the community. We don't need to be the pushy, bossy, constantly fighting to get our way. Kind of people. We need to be known in in different ways. If we're trying to help people escape the horror of hell, we won't do it by being mean and bossy and pushy and argumentative. So again, none of us are perfect. But how are you doing at arguing with others? Show grace by being peaceable as much as you can by being peaceful. Next paul says that we need to be gentle, gentle means yielding. It means it means being kind, it means at times meeting in the middle. It doesn't mean that you won't ever defend yourself. But it it just means that you're not known as the person that's always protesting something. You're not known as the person that's always saying, well, the world is not the way it should be or the world is not the way it used to be. You're never the person that's just constantly fighting to get your way. You're gentle, you're patient, you're kind, you're considerate when somebody doesn't want to do your way? You don't freak out. You don't pitch a hissy fit. You know, it's funny, we always think that toddlers throw the best tantrums, most of us know that's not true. The best tantrums I've ever seen have been by adults. You know, we know how to throw a tantrum when we don't get our way, paul says, don't be that way, we're not perfect, none of us are. But how are we doing it? Being gentle with other people, patient with other people, kind with other people. Show Grace by being gentle. And then six Paul says this showing every consideration for all men when bible paraphrase says that this is a picture that all christians to the best of their ability should be big hearted, courteous people to show consideration means that you're working and having a fair amount of self control in your life and that you're using that self control to be peaceable and gentle and kind toward other people. Again, none of us are perfect, but how are we doing it? Being considerate? How are we doing it? Being courteous toward others? Show Grace by being considerate, show Grace by being courteous. Now, somebody maybe thinking, you know, all of that sounds really good and noble, Good, good stuff, sounds great, but man, I'm so hungry right now and you know, we're going out to eat with family and friends and then we're going to a movie and you know that we're going to throw axes later. I mean, man, it's just a big day this afternoon, so to tell you the truth out, I'm just, I'm not going to think much about this as soon as I leave, you know, it's just, it's just going to kind of leave my mind or maybe you're thinking, look, this is good, noble stuff. It sounds like nice things that we should do. But you know what? I am just so angry and so frustrated about everything happening in the world right now, that to tell you the truth, I don't even want to try to do any of that stuff. So is there any fuel that could help us any fuel that could help us that could increase our desire to show grace? We've already given one, right? If you're a christian and you're not going to hell, you should show grace, you should show grace because you've received grace. But is there something else? Well, there is, and it's it's the opposite of hell acquired. Sang a song earlier that had the very true words of the hymn. Amazing Grace written by john Newton, the most well known him in the world. And one day Newton was writing about motivation for christians. He was giving some some advice on why we as christians should be motivated to do things like show grace to others. And and this is what Newton wrote, he said, imagine that you inherited a huge valuable estate in new york and you're on your way to new york and about a mile before you get to the city where your estate is, your carriage breaks down and this is what he says and the rest of the way, What a fool! We should think if we saw him walking, wringing his hands, blubbering out all the remaining mile. My carriage is broken, my carriage is broken, my carriage is broken, my carriage is broken. Why would we think that person is a fool? Here's why the inheritance is just ahead. It's right there. Who cares about the stinking carriage? Your inheritance? It's it's right there, christian. We should show grace because we've received amazing grace. Our chains are gone. Can we at least try to sit in the restaurant and talk to the waitress like Our chains are gone. Can we at least try to watch the news as if our chains are gone. Can we at least try to sit in traffic and and wait in line and targeted as if our chains are going, can we make any attempt to have some joy that our chains are gone, even when everything in the world is going to hell, we are not. And that is comfort. That is hope. That is fuel. That is energy because our inheritance is just ahead. You wanna help your family? You want to help your community? You want to help your church? I want to help your country. Do you want to help yourself? I mean, really? It's fine. Just be selfish. Do you want to help yourself? If so? Then don't spend your life murmuring. Don't spend your life complaining and whining and criticizing maligning slandering, disobeying. Don't don't spend your life murmuring that the government is broken. Don't spend your life murmuring that the schools are broken. Don't spend your life murmuring, that the gas prices are broken. Don't spend your life murmuring, that your your health is broken and that your traditions are broken, or that your your your current fads are broken. Don't spend your life murmuring that your team is broken or that your hobby is broken. Don't don't spend your life murmuring because your inheritance is just ahead And you will be enjoying the splendor of your inheritance 10,000 years from now. It's super valuable. Or someone put it, don't spend your life murmuring. My carriage has broken, my carriage has broken, my carriage is broken, spend your life singing his grace that has brought me safe thus far, and it is grace and only grace that will lead me home. Have you received amazing grace and show grace as much as you can to the best of your ability for the glory of God and for the good of your soul. Show grace