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[Home Sweet Home - Have you ever returned home from a long trip, or a vacation and as you entered your house you might have thought or said, “Home sweet home, I’m so glad to be home.”  Just the other day my wife returned home from a week of visiting her mother and I heard her say as she was crawling into bed, “It’s so good to be in my own bed tonight.”  While we greatly enjoy our vacations and our visits with friends and relatives, it is always good to be able to return home.] 

[Well, this is kind of what Paul was saying to Titus throughout this book of the Bible.  Paul wrote that there is a blessed hope that we are looking forward to and it ought to captivate our hearts and lives as we watch for it.] 

[Read Text and Pray ] 

[I resourced the title of this study series from the text itself.  The text reads,]

[Titus 2:13 ¹³ Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; ]

[As born again Christians we have a blessed hope and that hope is our promised eternal home.  When our Lord and Savior appears to us as Christians next will be at the rapture of the Church, when our Lord descends with the voice of the arch angel and the trump of God and we are change in the twinkling of an eye and meet Him in the clouds (1 Thess 4.13-18).  That great event and incredible day is our blessed hope, because on that day every pain, sorrow, guilt, and anything else that hinders our lives will be eternally done away with.]

[I wonder how many of us really view our eternal home in heaven as home sweet home.  It seems that many are unsure about their eternal home and would rather grasp this mortal home with white knuckled fists, than step into eternity.  However, heaven ought to be a blessed hope for the born again child of God.  I am reminded of Abraham’s faith when the Bible says,]

[Hebrews 11:8-10 ⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. ⁹ By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: ¹⁰ For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. ]

[Abraham did not think that he would find his home on this side of heaven.  He looked forward to his eternal home.  My Christian friends when we get focused on this world’s goods as our greatest accomplishment and home then we will end up like Lot, vexed by this world (2 Pet 2.7-8).  However, when we get our hearts and minds focused upon our eternal home yet to come, as Abraham did, then we will set up glorious treasures in eternity to come that can never be lost or corrupted.  Jesus said,]

[Matthew 6:19-21 ¹⁹ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: ²⁰ But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: ²¹ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ]

[I wonder, where is your blessed hope?  What  is your blessed hope?  I believe that this is the exhortation of Titus.  This book is challenging every born again Christian to get his heart and mind set on their eternal home and heritage and then everything in this life will fall into its proper place.]

Notice in our text,

A.    The Presentation Of Hope (vs 2) [– In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; - God knew exactly what He was doing before he ever created the first element in all of this incredible creation.  God’s intension from the beginning was that God and mankind should walk together in sweet harmony and fellowship.  As Adam and Eve did with God in the Garden of Eden.] 

[Now, sin has marred that sweet fellowship for some time, but there is coming a day when that fellowship will be eternally restored.  This has been God’s promised from the foundation of the world, actually from before the foundation of the world.  God knew when be began creating just how much He would love mankind and just how much he would give for mankind.] 

1.      The Anticipation Of Immortality (vs 2; Rom 1.18-19) [- In hope of eternal life . . .  – Something in us just knows that life goes on after death.  We know that there is a glory and a deep danger that follows this mortal life.  Lost people sense it, know it, and if they reject it long enough grow innocuous to it.  The Bible reveals that this is a knowledge that God placed in our heart before we were born into this world. The Bible says,] 

[Romans 1:18-19 ¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; ¹⁹ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.]

[Somehow we just know that we know that there is an eternity to come.  We also have a sense that this eternity carries with it the potential of great good or the potential of great danger.  It is far better to harbor the hope of eternal life rather than the hope of eternal damnation.  No one wants to think that they are well on their way to hell.  However, many are and their denial of this place known as hell changes nothing for them.  Unless they repent they will certainly find themselves in that place.]

2.      The Predestination Of Immortality (vs 2; 2 Pet 3.9; Heb 9.27; Rom 8.29) [– In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; - This is God’s intension or plan for mankind.] 

[2 Peter 3:9 ⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.]

[God has given mankind the freedom of choice or a free will.  Predestination deals with the end that God intends for us to have.  God is not willing that any should perish, He wants everyone to repent and be saved.  But every person must choose for themselves what they will do.]

[Illustration – A Flight – Not too long ago I got on a plane to fly from Nebraska to Indiana.  While on that plane I choose to read some, I choose to talk to the person sitting next to me, I choose to receive and eat the peanuts, I made a lot of choices.  But that plane was on a predestined path, there was nothing I could do about the destination of the plane.  This is a limited but good illustration of how our freewill functions inside of God predestined plan.]

[God has an intended plan for you.  You are coming to a destination you cannot avoid.  The Bible states,]

[Hebrews 9:27 ²⁷ And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:]

[Almighty God intends for you to come to this destination having mastered this life he has given you.  The Bible states,]

[Romans 8:29 ²⁹ For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.]

[However, God will not force you to enter the gate of His eternal and glorious city.  He will allow you to choose a second gate and this is the gate of eternal fire or hell.  But you must know and understand that it is not God’s plan for you to end up in that place, if you go to hell it is because you rejected the salvation God offers you.  You have rejected the promise of God which is the Word of God.]

3.      The Condemnation From Immortality (2 Thess 2.10) [– God will not force  any person to enter His promised and glorious eternal home.  You can choose to reject God’s purpose and plan for you by rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ, but when you do you seal your eternal fate.  Almighty-God casts no one into hell, each individual casts themselves into hell by their sin and their rejection of God’s gift of eternal life.  The Bible says,] 

[2 Thessalonians 2:10 ¹⁰ And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.]

[But know this, God promised the possibility of eternal life before creation began.   He placed the knowledge of Heavens reality within your conscience and has proclaimed its truth to you through its manifestation in the Word of God.  If you end up condemned in the eternal fires of hell it won’t be because God wanted you there.  It will only be because you choose that place for yourself.]

B.     The Manifestation Of Hope (vs 3) [– But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; - We, human beings, cannot know anything about eternity to come unless God reveal it to us.  We could speculate, imagine, and concoct all kind of ideas about our eternal future, but they would just be foolish and vain babel.  But, by the grace of God, we are not left wondering.  God has given us a clear revelation about what is to come.  Notice that our text reveals,] 

1.      The Revelation Of The Word (Deut 29.29) [- But hath in due times manifested his word . . . – God has given His written Word and His faithful people to herald His Word so that all might know the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ and God’s blessed hope.  God has revealed himself to mankind.] 

[Deuteronomy 29:29 ²⁹ The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.]

[Now, someone might say, “But there are people who have never heard anything about Jesus. What about them?”  God has not left anyone out of the reach of His revelation.  Do you recall where God first revealed Himself ?  That’s right, in the Garden of Eden He walked with Adam and Eve.  If people are removed from the sound of the gospel it is because they have rejected and removed the Word of God from them.  It has happened in about every known nation in our world, just as it is trying to happen in America today.  Isn’t is confusing that today in our world Bibles can be handed out freely in public schools in former Soviet nations while they cannot be handed out in our American public schools.]

[It’s not God’s fault when people, cultures, and nations fail to Welcome God’s revelation and God’s Word.]

[Did you know that there is evidence of Christianity in communist China.  Their alphabet contains undeniably Christian symbols.  When a nation or culture turns away from and rejects God and his truth whole generations will be lost.]

2.      The Proclamation of the Word (Rom 10.13-17; Ezek 3.17, cf. 33.2-10) [- But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, . . . – Still today, the Word of God is not only present but it is preached throughout the world.  When cultures try to remove the Word of God, our Heavenly Father raises up faithful men and women who will preach the Word of God and give people a chance to be saved.  Why do we proclaim the Word of God?] 

[Romans 10:13-17 ¹³ For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. ¹⁴ How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! ¹⁶ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? ¹⁷ So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.]

[We proclaim the Word because people cannot know the truth unless God’s people tell them.]

[Ezekiel 3:17-19 ¹⁷ Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. ¹⁸ When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. ¹⁹ Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. ]

 [Secondly, we proclaim the Word of God because our Lord has made us their watchman and if we do not tell them then God will hold us accountable one day.]  

3.      The Commission of the Word (Matt 28.18-20) [- . . . which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; - Our Lord and Savior has commissioned us, or commanded us to preach to a lost and dying world.  The Great Commission states,] 

[Matthew 28:18-20 ¹⁸ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. ¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.]

[Everywhere you go you will meet people.  People with eternal souls whom God loves and Christ died for.  But they cannot know the gospel unless we tell them the gospel.  My friends always remember that you are commanded to be their watchman.  You must proclaim the Word of God to them.]

C.    The Consolation Of Hope (vs 4) [– To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.  – The Benefits of this blessed hope include,] 

1.      Your Sanctification (Eph 2.19) [-  . . . the common faith . . .  – Your Belonging. The Adoption of Sons.  You are a citizen of our Lord’s Kingdom.] 

[Ephesians 2:19 ¹⁹ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;]

2.      Your Salvation (Eph 2.8-9) [- The Gift of Grace – Undeserved, unearned and unworthy; but given none-the-less.] 

[Ephesians 2:8-9 ⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. ]

3.      Your Justification (Psalm 103.11-13) [- The Wonder Of Mercy – Our sins forgiven and forgotten.  Through God’s mercy, apart from anything you could ever hope to do, God has poured out His mercy upon you.] 

[Psalm 103:11-13 ¹¹ For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. ¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. ¹³ Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.]

4.      Your Glorification (Matt 11.28-30) [- An Unspeakable Peace  - A Peace that passes understanding, the guilt and bondage of our sin is all gone.] 

[Matthew 11:28-30 ²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.]

[There is no greater glory than the rest that a child of God knows when once he learns to place his trust in his Heavenly Father.] 

[Illustration:  Back to the plane ride – Once you take off in a plane the pilot will usually come over the loud speaker and say something to the effect of, “We are at our cruising altitude of 28,000 feet. Now, sit back and relax, we will arrive at our destination at our projected arrival time.”  So then, what do you do?  Try and fly the plane from seat 15B or sit back and enjoy the flight? There is no greater glory in life then when a Christian knows that no matter what happens in life their Heavenly Father has everything safely in hand.] 

[There is a Blessed Hope, the promise of eternal life, both in our future and in our present life that belongs to all who are born again through Christ Jesus our Lord.  Is that Blessed Hope yours today?]

CrossRoads Baptist Church, Aug 08, 2010