ADVENT While We Wait Lesson 1 Titus 2:11-14 112518

Introduction 1 This morning we are beginning a new teaching series that will extend throughout the month of December in which we will be focusing on the celebration of Advent. 2 In the church calendar Advent is the first among five Christian celebrations that also includes Epiphany, Lent, Easter and Pentecost. The word Advent comes from the Latin word “adventus” which means arrival. 3 So, Advent is a period of four weeks leading up to Christmas in which Christians look back in remembrance to Jesus first coming or advent and look forward with anticipation to His second coming or advent. a This is accomplished by considering the four themes of Advent, one for each week; Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. b Jesus has come and will come again. And that means we can experience real hope, true love, fulness of joy and unending peace. 4 Now I know that some of you are saying, Jeff we have never done anything like this as a church. Yes, the Catholics, Methodists, Lutherans do Advent but we don’t. The Presbyterians Episcopalians celebrate Advent but we have never done so … so why now? 5 Well the simple answer is so that we make sure to celebrate the right Christmas. There are two versions, Cultural Christmas and True Christmas. a Now for the most part there is nothing wrong with CC … Christmas trees & wreaths, gifts & decorations, gingerbread & eggnog, turkey & ham, office parties & family gatherings, Elf & Scrooge, Home Alone & my favorite CC movie, A Christmas Story. Have to watch it every year. b Nothing wrong with all of this of course unless it keeps you from experiencing True Christmas as is often the case because CC is like a tsunami that can just sweep you off your feet. c If you get caught up in it … and all of its individualism, consumerism and materialism you will inevitably end up with the Christmas blues and a Holiday depression by the time it’s all over.

ADVENT / While We Wait / Lesson 1 / Titus 2.11-14 1

6 And this is why we need Advent. Advent helps us keep our focus on True Christmas and get to high ground to we don’t get swept away by the tsunami of CC. a But we also need Advent to help us live out our faith the other eleven months of the year. b As we remember and rejoice in Christ’s first advent and wait and long for his second advent we are also reminded that we live in the middle of the two advents of Jesus. And this is really important when it comes to following Jesus in this present age.

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self- controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-14 1 Notice first of all from our text that there are two appearing’s or advents of Christ … one called an appearing of grace, the other called an appearing of glory. a In verse 11 it says … For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Titus 2:11 Verse 14 clarifies that by telling us that this “grace appearing” was none other than Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. b So that is the first advent. Then in verse 13 we have the promise of Christ’s second advent …while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Titus 2:13 c First the appearing or advent of grace, then the appearing or advent of glory. The first coming and the second coming. In Paul’s mind these two are inseparably linked. The Jesus who came in humility and grace is the Jesus who will come in power and glory. 2 So when the grace of God appeared in history about 2,000 years ago, that grace appeared as a real man, who died to redeem us from sin, make us His own, make us eager to do what is good (v14) and to live self-controlled and godly lives in this present age (v12). This was the aim or purpose of

ADVENT / While We Wait / Lesson 1 / Titus 2.11-14 2

the first advent. And that purpose will be completely realized at the second advent or the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (v13). 3 I think it would be safe to say on the basis of these verses that the motivation and power to live a life pleasing to God …to live self- controlled, upright and godly lives … eager to do what is good … to live a life pleasing to God comes from three sources. If you and I are going to live the kind of life that pleases God we need to do three things: a Look back with gratitude to the grace of God that appeared in Jesus Christ at his first advent. b Look forward with hope to the glory of God that will appear in Jesus Christ at the second advent. c Realize that we live between the two advents of Jesus. We live in a time of waiting. Paul says live godly lives (live for the Lord) in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope. This present age is not all that there is. There is another age to come and we are to live with the posture of waiting for the future age. d Theologians call this the “now but not yet” of Christianity. The kingdom of God has come in the first advent of Jesus Christ but it will fully come in His second advent. Now but not yet. • In the previous age under the Old Covenant it was always “not yet.” • In the future age following Christ’s second advent is will always be “now.” The kingdom of God will be fully realized. All of the promises will have been fulfilled. e But in this present age it is “now but not yet.” Many of the promises have been fulfilled but not all of them. • Now we have been redeemed from sin’s penalty and power but are still waiting to be redeemed from sins presence. • Now we are fully forgiven all our sins but we still are waiting for our final perfection when Christ will present us to himself without spot or blemish. • Now we have been made righteous through Christ but are still waiting for our glorification and sinless perfection. • Now we have been adopted into God’s family and given the Holy Spirit as a down payment … but we are still waiting for our full heavenly inheritance. ADVENT / While We Wait / Lesson 1 / Titus 2.11-14 3

• Now we have been raised to newness of life but we are still waiting for our bodily resurrection. • Now we have been given new birth but we are still waiting for the new heavens and new earth. • Now we live in this present age but we are still waiting for the future age to come. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 4 The now but not yet that is unique to this present age can be summed up with a powerful metaphor found throughout all of Scripture but best summarized in 2 Corinthians 5:6. … as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord … we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 2 Cor 5:6b,8b a We are not home yet. This world is not our ultimate home. We are exiles, living away from our true home looking forward to the day when we will finally arrive. b Our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a Savior from there (Phil 3:20). We are Christ’s ambassadors representing our King in a foreign land (2 Cor 5:20). We are not home yet. We’re on a mission. c But until then we wait. And to wait well we have to live like we are not home yet. We need to lives as exiles awaiting our homecoming. And this is the overarching theme of all of scripture.

The Theology of Exile and Homecoming 1 In the beginning we were created to live in the garden of God, the perfect home. a That was the world we were designed for, a place in which there was the truest kind of love, where there was no decay or disease or shortage or strife or war. b More importantly it was a place where God was uniquely present in His magnificent beauty to worship and enjoy and reflect to all creation. That was the original design and our original home. 2 Unfortunately, in Adam we all rebelled against God the Father’s authority and rejected his care. We turned away and left the home of the garden of God to be independent of our Father.

ADVENT / While We Wait / Lesson 1 / Titus 2.11-14 4

a Sin exiled us from our true home. This is the story of all human beings. We have all sinned. We have all rebelled. We are all exiles living in a world that is away from our true home. • It is a world contaminated with Adam’s sin, a world full of hate, strife, disease, famine and war. • It is a world that cannot deliver our deepest longings. • It is a world where even the best relationships are subject to strife and the inevitably of death. • It is a world where the whole creation is under the curse of sin. • It is a world in which we are exiles. b But through the cross of Christ, the Father is calling exiles home to his heart through the message of the gospel. And ultimately, He is calling us out of this place of exile and into the Father’s house in heaven where Jesus is has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:2). He is calling us back to the garden of God where There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain—for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4b 3 This is the ultimate homecoming for exiles. Finally, we will be home. And this ultimate homecoming is made possible because Jesus willingly left his heavenly home and was born into this world (Phil 2:6-7). a It is not ironic that He was born away from his parent’s home village. b It is not ironic that He lived as an exile in Egypt for the first years of his life. c Nor is it ironic that during His ministry he had no home of his own. Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head. (Matt 8:20). d Finally, he was crucified outside the city gate of Jerusalem, a cultural sign of exile and rejection (Heb. 13:12). e And as he died he said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). In other words, why have you exiled me from your presence. • Adam was exiled from the garden for his sin. • Jacob was exiled from his family for his deceit. • The nation of Israel was exiled from the promised land for their idolatry. • But I have not sinned so why have you exiled me from your presence?

ADVENT / While We Wait / Lesson 1 / Titus 2.11-14 5

f The reason? Jesus took our place on the cross and experienced our exile from God caused by our sin so that we could be brought back to God and ultimately back home to the garden of God. 4 So the narrative of all scripture starts with a perfect home followed by a rebelling against the Father and leaving home, and then being rescued by the Son and being restored to the Father followed by a great celebration feast. 5 Now, when we believe in Christ we are forgiven our sin and made God’s children. Our spiritual exile as come to an end … but we are not yet fully home. a We have come to the Father and our relationship has been restored … but we are not yet home. b We are still exiles when it comes to our home. We are no longer exiled from the Father but we are still exiled from our final home and as such are called to live as sojourners in exile.

Living as an exile 1 And this “living in exile” narrative is present throughout scripture from Adam living exiled from the garden, David living in caves exiled from the king’s palace and the Israelites living away from their homeland as exiles in Babylon. 2 All of these examples and more provide a model of how God’s people are to live in this present age. The NT presents this model to us with three metaphors … we are to live as strangers, pilgrims & aliens. a We first see this in the patriarch’s Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Hebrews 11 says: 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:9-10 • He was in the promised land and the promised land was his home. But he lived there like a stranger in a foreign country because he was looking forward to a superior home, the ultimate home. • In other words, the promise land was not really the promise land. It was only a type of the ultimate promise land that is to come … a city whose builder is God … the City of God.

ADVENT / While We Wait / Lesson 1 / Titus 2.11-14 6

b Abraham’s grandson, Jacob used another “exile” metaphor when Joseph, his son, introduced him to Pharaoh and Pharaoh asked him how old he was and Jacob answered … The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. Genesis 47:9

• To us, the word “pilgrim” reminds us of the folks who came over on the Mayflower in 1620 and celebrated the first Thanksgiving dinner. • But the word pilgrim is actually used another way. Technically it means someone who journeys in a foreign land. And that is who we are. We are pilgrims on a journey. We are not home. c Peter uses a third metaphor to describe that we are not yet home. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11 2 “Alien” and “stranger” and “pilgrim” and “exile” are used synonymously. They point to one who is a temporary resident or traveler in a foreign country, passing through on his way to his home country. a A pilgrim has a different mentality about life than a permanent resident has. Pilgrims don’t get attached to the country they’re traveling through. Why? They have a destination in mind, and they look forward to getting there. • If they pass through a scenic area, they’ll enjoy the beauty, but they won’t decide to move there. • If they stop at a nice hotel, they don’t start hanging pictures on the wall and settling in. They have a transient mentality that affects how they live during their journey. b And this is the model that Peter wanted his readers and us to understand and adopt. To the contrary the model of Christianity in our American culture tends to be more imbedded into this life … the “here and now” instead of the “now but not yet.” c The “here and now” model asks … what value can Jesus bring to my pursuit of life on earth. The “now but not yet” model says how can I more fully glorify Jesus and live as a pilgrim looking forward to the City of God. 4 So, we are called to live as pilgrims and if we do it will empower us in at least three ways. “Pilgrim Power” ADVENT / While We Wait / Lesson 1 / Titus 2.11-14 7

#1 If we live as pilgrims, we will be able to keep our joy in trials. • Why? This isn’t home. If I was in my final home and I still faced trials then I would have something to complain about. But it’s not my home. • So when I face adversity, I need to remind myself, Steffel you’re not home yet. Peter says it like this: Don’t think something strange or unfair or undeserved is happening to you. You’re not home yet. • When you experience relational conflict and you’ve done everything you can but it remains unresolved … remember you’re not home yet. • The day when everything will be resolved, when everything will be made right has not come yet. You’re not home yet. #2 If we live as pilgrims we will not turn away from God in suffering. • When we consider our lives, the lives of loved ones or humanity as a whole we can be tempted to say what’s wrong … why is it happening this way? Where is God? • There is a point in life at which every believer will ask why, where or how long? And there are answers to that question not the least of which is this: We’re not home yet. • This isn’t home. If I was in my final home and there was still suffering in the world and in my life then I would have something to question God about. But we are not home yet. Creation has yet to be redeemed. • Paul says in Romans 8 that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. But one day the baby will be born, the new heavens and new earth will come down out of heaven. And Oh, how glorious it will be. Again, Paul says in Romans 8 … I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. v18 #3 If we live as pilgrims will be more able to say no to sinful desires. • Why? Because what awaits us when we finally get home is infinitely better than anything this world has to offer. • When we compare the pleasure of sin and the pleasures awaiting us in heaven we see that there is no comparison and we turn to the tempter and say “be gone in Jesus name!”

ADVENT / While We Wait / Lesson 1 / Titus 2.11-14 8

• I’m holding out for the real reward that lasts forever. The pleasures of sin last only a season and end in misery. The pleasures of God last forever and end in exceedingly great joy. 5 So, the way to enjoy God’s material blessings without turning them into idols … the way to endure suffering without losing hope … the way to seek holiness in this sinful world is to live as pilgrims on their way back to the City of God, the garden of God not as permanent residents who are hanging up pictures in their hotel rooms. Live the “Pilgrim Life.”

“Pilgrim Life”

1 You probably seen a few of these bumper stickers around. In 2003, a group of longtime friends from Jacksonville who spent every moment they could surfing, fishing, or diving had the words “Salt Life” tattooed on the backs of their necks. 2 Then came the bumper sticker after that a clothing line. A decade later, the company's branded clothing, sunglasses, and sandals sell in more than 600 retailers nationwide. Now there is even a Salt Life Restaurant chain and even a Salt Life Church. And everybody’s getting on board. 3 Not to be outdone … land lovers came up with their own bumper stickers. Now you have

ADVENT / While We Wait / Lesson 1 / Titus 2.11-14 9

And then there is this group that is somewhere in between the salt life and dirt life.

4 Now what all of these “Life” phrases means is that “I am passionate about something be it the ocean, mountains or ponds. It’s a way of thinking and living that governs how I live my life, spend my time and use my resources. 5 So I would like to introduce a new “life” bumper sticker this morning. “Pilgrim Life.” It is a lifestyle that governs how I live my life, spend my time and use my resources.

How do you live Pilgrim Life? So how to do you live Pilgrim Life? How do you live as exiles, strangers, and aliens? The Holy Spirit through Peter gives us a couple verses to show us how. One is found in chapter 1 of his first letter, the other in chapter 2. 1 Remember the value of what you already have. …live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. (How do I do that?) 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ …1 Peter 1:17b–19a • We are empowered to live the pilgrim life as we more fully recognize and rejoice in the preciousness of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us. • We have something more valuable than any earthly blessing. God gave you what was most valuable to him and most valuable in the universe in order to bring you home. • That’s the gospel and it empowers you to live as a pilgrim on his way home. As the old spiritual goes, “You can have this whole world just give me Jesus.” • The second way we are empowered to live the pilgrim life is to … 2 Remember where you came from.

ADVENT / While We Wait / Lesson 1 / Titus 2.11-14 10

9You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world to abstain from sinful desires … • How do we live as aliens and strangers? Remember where you came from. • Remember that at one time you were not a people of God and you were condemned in your sin. At one time you had not received mercy and you did not belong to God. At one time you were in darkness. • But God chose you by sheer grace alone. So now you have received mercy, you have been called out of darkness into his wonderful light. Now you are the people of God, now you belong to God.

Conclusion 1 So, live as aliens and strangers in this world. Don’t fit it. Swim against the stream. 2 Live as exiles who are looking for the City of God. Live as sojourners who are heading to the great celebration in the Father’s house. 3 Live as a pilgrim. Say no to fleshly desires that wage war against your soul. Don’t’ be conformed to the world because it’s not your true home. a Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Phil 3:20 b For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. For here we have not a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. Hebrews13:14 c Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:2a-4 4 So how do I set my heart on things above? Set your heart on Christ. Believe in Christ.

ADVENT / While We Wait / Lesson 1 / Titus 2.11-14 11