A Biblically Ordered Church

To the Ruled Church Podcast.

Christ as King and the Call to a Local Church

This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased. He is honored, and I get the glory. And by the way, it's even better, because you see that building in Perryville, Arkansas? You see that one in Pechote, Mexico?

Do you see that one in Tuxla, Guterres, down there in Chiapas? That building has my son's name on it. The church is not a democracy, it's a monarchy.

Christ is king. You can't be Christian without a local church.

You can't do anything better than to bend your knee and bow your heart, turn from your sin and repentance, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and join up with a good Bible-believing church, and spend your life serving Jesus in a local, visible congregation.

Welcome to the Ruled Church Podcast. My name is Allen Nelson. I am the host, one of the pastors, at Providence Baptist Church in Perryville, Arkansas. ProvidenceBaptistAR .com. And you're listening to our Summer Sermon Series, where we are featuring various sermons.

And each week, I'll just kind of give a little lead-in to what the sermon is. This sermon is preached by our other elder here at Providence, Pastor Jacob Robinson. This is from Titus, a biblically-ordered church.

Very grateful for this sermon, and very grateful for Pastor Jacob's preaching it. I think that you'll be encouraged, challenged, helped by it. A biblically-ordered church. May we all seek to have our churches ordered biblically, because Christ is worthy of a healthy church.

So, here we go. Pastor Jacob. The sermon last week and the sermon this week were intended to be one sermon. It got divided in two, and I guess last week, I didn't preach as long as I usually do, and Taylor made a comment, is that what happens when you split a sermon in two?

I said, well, we'll just have to wait and see next week. So, this week, we will find out. Titus, chapter one. Christ is worthy of a healthy church. Have y 'all heard that before? Have y 'all heard that here in this church before?

One of our, and I don't know if this, maybe there's a better word to say here, I don't know. Maybe someone with more advanced in the English language could let me know, but one of our mottos, so to say here at Providence, is Christ is worthy of a healthy church.

What does that mean? There's several different definitions in the world. What is a healthy church? What does it look like? Last week, we touched on this subject. This morning, I would like us to dial in on this.

What is a healthy church? The world may have their definition of what a healthy church looks like. Those within churches may have their definition of what a healthy church looks like. Maybe it's a church with a lot of people.

Maybe it's a church with a well-known pastor. Maybe it is a church that does a lot in the community. Maybe even a church that evangelizes their community. Maybe it is a church that has the 1689 as its confession.

Maybe it's a church that sings psalms. In and of themselves, I don't think there's anything wrong with these things that have been mentioned, but in and of themselves, they don't make you a healthy church.

We know the world and churches who have bent to the culture have no idea what a healthy church is. We know that when we look at Scripture and evangelicalism, we understand that today that healthy churches in our day are a minority, but also understand that calling yourself something like reformed doesn't make you a healthy church.

Calling yourself Baptist doesn't even make you a healthy church. Now we agree with both of these and they're right and they're good, but they alone don't cause you to be a healthy church. There are even churches who call themselves reformed Baptist that aren't healthy when compared to Scripture.

So what does it mean to be a healthy church? How would we define that? I think we could come up with several good definitions. Yesterday, I was curious, sitting there in the office, I was curious and so I asked AI to define a healthy church.

This is what it said. A local congregation that under the Lordship of Jesus Christ faithfully adheres to the Scriptures as its sole authority, emphasizes the doctrines of grace and displays the marks of a true church through proper preaching, ordinance, administration and biblical discipline.

That's not bad. That's not bad. Even a soulless piece of man-made technology can give a pretty good answer. What's a healthy church? We could define it as a church that exposits Scripture. A church that adheres to the regular principle of worship, is biblical in the ordinances, practices biblical church membership and discipline.

Everything they do revolves around Scripture and the gospel. Yes and amen. I agree. I agree. I want us to be able to define it biblically. But even more than that, do we believe it? Do we believe it? Do we believe the good definitions that we could come up with?

Do we believe that Christ is worthy of a healthy church? And is there evidence experientially in how we live and how we operate as a church, how we live at home and how we operate in the world, that Christ is worthy of a healthy church?

Is what is stated behind my head more than just a simple motto? Do we believe it? Do our actions back that up? Because the truth is, a healthy church stands under the banner, Christ is King. But not just to appear holy or right, but rather because they love Christ.

They love God enough to strive, to be obedient to His word in every area. They hold to the gospel. Why? Because a healthy church is produced by the gospel. A healthy church is produced by Christ. Rebels towards God are saved by the gospel.

Rebels who have broken God's law, who are guilty and deserve His wrath, who deserve eternal punishment in hell, who, by the grace of God, have been called out of the muck and the filth of sin, who have been saved by grace alone, who have been saved by the work of their King, saved by Christ, by His keeping of the law, by His dying as a propitiation on the cross, by His resurrection the third day.

Saved by this and changed from a heart that hates God, that is a rebel against God, to having a heart that has changed to love God and changed to love His church and by His sanctifying hand made to love His word with a desire to be obedient to it.

And that desire very much includes how the church operates. They desire for the church to operate according to what has been set forth in His infallible, inerrant word. This can only be produced by the gospel.

The gospel is more than a memorization of facts that they blindly spout off in a healthy church. Rather, they know the gospel, but also they live by it. They desire that God be glorified and that Christ be exalted by a healthy church being grounded in Scripture right where they are.

This morning, I want us to examine our text. I want us to see what it looks like according to the word. What does a healthy church look like? Stand with me this morning as we read Titus 1, beginning in verse 5.

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town as I directed you. If anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.

For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright.

Not greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trust word the word is taught so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced since they are upsetting whole families, teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

Let us pray. Father, this morning, we are thankful for your word. Father, as we proclaim that Christ is worthy of a healthy church. Father, it is my prayer that that would not just be something that we proclaim, but it's something that we do, that our actions, that our lives, that how we operate as a church stands in line with the proclamation that Christ is worthy of a healthy church.

Lord, I'm thankful for your word, Father, that yes, there are many ways that we could go to try to find definitions of a healthy church, and many of them good and biblical and grounded upon Scripture, but Father, we're thankful that you have not left us to wonder what a healthy church looks like.

You've instructed us in your word. Pray that we would search it, Lord, with a desire to bring you glory in how we do things here, how we do things here at Providence. Pray that you'd be honored this morning by the preaching of your word.

Give us ears to hear it. Lord, may it be applied rightly. We pray this in Christ's name, amen. As I briefly mentioned last week, there are three characteristics I want us to see in Titus of a healthy church, or going back to last week, of an ordered church.

Also going back to last week, these characteristics stand in opposition to the disorder of the world, and they stand in opposition to the chaos that Satan desires to see, not just chaos in the world, but also the chaos that he desires to see within the church.

And to put things in order, some things must happen. And so Paul, he leaves Titus in Crete, and he tells him there, we see in verse five, to put what remained into order. And then he gets more specific, that to put things in order, there are some things that must happen.

We find one in our opening text this morning. He starts here and continues later in the letter. The other two, we will read later in the sermon. But we begin here, where Paul begins with the churches of Crete.

The health of a church starts with those who are leading in the churches, with those who are teaching. And this has not changed in our day. The very same is still true, that healthy churches are churches that are led strongly.

He writes, so that you may put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town as I directed you. The first thing that I want us to notice about churches being led strongly, healthy churches led strongly is that they are, I believe we see it here once again, led by a plurality of qualified men.

I believe we see yet another evidence in alluding to a plurality of elders. We see that in to appoint elders plural in every town singular. I firmly believe scripture teaches this as the healthiest model.

And we have taught this many times. We will not stay there very long. I firmly believe that the healthiest model is to have men, two or more men, that together shepherd the flock. Elders who lead strongly.

I want to break this point down into two sub points. I want to break it down into two characteristics or requirements for these elders, for these that will lead the church. The first is the character of the elders.

And the second is the duty of the elders. Verses six through nine, we see the character of those that lead the church. So the character of these elders that are being appointed by Titus. Verse six, if anyone is above reproach, that these men that are going to be appointed elders must be above reproach.

Think of this as blameless and not sinless. And by blameless, what I believe Paul to mean is not chargeable of any obvious reason for an accusation of unfaithfulness. But this is not a requirement of internal perfection, but rather it is speaking of a faithful man that outwardly shows that, that there's outward evidence of that.

And that relating to his reputation in the list that follows, that we're going to briefly cover, the reputation within the church and the reputation in ministry of the church and of the home. We see that.

We see that the reputation of the men who have been called to be elders, that it extends from the church and the ministry of the church to the home. Healthy churches must be pastored by men who are not only faithful on Sunday and Wednesday, not only faithful in their dealings with the congregation, not only faithful in the way that they operate in the community, but as Paul begins here, are also faithful at home.

This is a point elders in every town as I directed you, if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife. Can be simply stated, one woman man, faithful to his wife, an example to others in his loving of his wife and his leading her.

And then it speaks of his children and his children are believers. It's speaking to that these men that are going to be appointed as elders to lead the church, to shepherd the church, that they should also be effective leaders in their own homes.

Where their children are taught doctrine, where their children are taught theology, where the gospel is taught and presented regularly to the children. Brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery. Wild, out of control, unrestrained, or habitual sin says, or insubordination, disobedient. John Gill, he uses the negative example of Eli here. Think of Eli.

Whose sons were wicked and were not restrained by their father. He neglected them and was too mild and gentle with them. And therefore, even though this goes against the present culture, he was not a loving father.

He did not reprove and correct and train his sons in righteousness as a godly father does. An elder is required to be a godly father. The men that you have called to be elders here at Providence are called to be a godly father.

A man that is not, cannot be an elder. Understand here, not perfect children. Not a perfect wife. Not a perfect home. Not an absence of difficulty. These things do not exist. But a home that is led faithfully in these areas.

A home where difficulty is handled faithfully. So Paul, we talked about it this morning in Sunday school, of the writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And that Paul here in Titus, we believe this to be the inherent and fallible word of God.

That Paul, he is writing under the inspiration of God. So that when we see where Paul writes something, we must understand that if Paul is saying this, it is God who is saying this. And so Paul is writing here of a high view of the home.

And therefore we can gather that if Paul is writing it under the inspiration of God, that God has a high view of the home. That the things of the home matter to God. It's not just what we do here. I'm gonna narrow this down to pastors.

But before that, I want us to understand something that's applicable to us all. What you do at home matters. It matters to God. Fathers and husbands, what you do at home matters to God. Wives and mothers, what you do at home matters to God.

Children, what you do at home, it matters to God. In regards to pastors, we see here that for someone to be qualified to be an elder, that the qualifications extend beyond these four walls. That same is also true of you in your covenantal membership with this church.

It extends beyond these four walls. How you live outside of here matters. Men, how you act and how you lead your families matters. Women, how you act and set up your home matters. Children, especially those who are believers, hear me.

How you act away from here matters and is important. And that includes in your dealings with your parents and your siblings. It matters. How we act, how we act at home, how we live at home matters. And returning to the primary context here, if a man is not leading his home well, he has no business being behind a pulpit or shepherding a church.

This has been all but forgotten. We see this in America today, in American society. We see churches where the pastor doesn't lead the church. We see examples where the pastor's wife leads the church. Runs the show at home and in the church.

Neither are biblical and both are disqualifying. Pastors should model love for their wife. We have said this and believe this. But in that love, they lead their wives. They lead their children. There's a horrible stigma about pastor's kids in the world today.

I don't know if you've heard that. You've heard the stigma about pastor's kids. People say things like this. Those pastor's kids, they are the worst and the wildest. You know what's really disheartening?

Is that too often in a great part of the world, it's true. I've seen it. Not here, but I've seen it. Pastor's kids being the wildest of the bunch, sadly living up to the stereotype that you have to watch those pastor's kids.

They're the wildest. They get into the most trouble. Why is this? Why is that a stereotype in the world? Sadly, it is because too many men in positions of authority in the church have neglected their homes.

And biblically, they're disqualified because of it. May we not settle for this. May you not settle for this. May you hold your pastors to this standard. Not an unbiblical standard of perfection. They can't be that.

But to faithfulness, to caring for their home, to caring for their wives and for their children. You better hold myself and Pastor Quatro to that standard. What does that look like practically? Examine our lives.

Ask us about our homes. Encourage us to be faithful husbands and fathers. Let's understand it's not optional. It's not optional. A faithful elder is faithful at home. And within this character of an elder, within this speaking of the character of an elder, Paul very quickly lists what an elder must not be and what he must be.

He says, for an overseer as God's steward must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain. These are not the character of a believer and must assuredly not be the character of a pastor.

But then he says what he must be. So we see five must not be. Five negatives followed by six positive character traits. And all of these can only be produced by the gospel, by the work of Christ and the believer and the pastor.

The Holy Spirit doing something within the believer where when they are saved and they're sanctified that it removes things and it produces things. It progressively removes sinfulness and produces holiness.

And the pastor's life should demonstrate that the gospel is real and powerful and that the gospel produces fruit. And among that fruit we have hospitable, lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, disciplined.

To kind of get the point here, character matters. The character of those in the church matters and especially those who stand behind the pulpit matters. There's an even more emphatic exhortation to the minister of the word.

The character of those who are behind the pulpit. We spoke very briefly last week of the world's rejection of biblical leadership with women and unqualified men behind pulpits because here's the truth.

If you go out to a lot of churches today or buildings that have church, the word church on them, you will see very quickly that society has lowered the standards of the qualifications of men behind the pulpit.

Just look around. Men even in rural Arkansas are given a pass on things such as adultery. There's this belief that if they are charismatic or if they are smart enough, they get a pass in certain areas listed.

That if they can draw a crowd, if you give me a man that can draw a crowd, we'll turn a blind eye here to this or we'll turn a blind eye here to that. The celebrity preacher movement. I want to note that not all of them are bad or desire fame.

There are men out there that are well-known, that are not well-known because of their desire for fame, that they've become well-known because of their faithfulness. But within that, it has created the issue that we are seeing come to a head today.

Even in reformed circles, people turning a blind eye as long as it is this preacher or that pastor because they have status. Friends, the only status that matters is the status before God. We must hold firm to this, that the character of the pastor matters before God and it should matter to the church.

If we desire for healthy churches in our world, we must understand that it starts at the top. Without qualified leaders, the church cannot be healthy. Those who are not pastors play a crucial role in this.

The accountability of the minister to have qualified character. Without qualified character, the pastor cannot rightly perform the duty that has been set before him, a duty that requires faithfulness, a work that requires faithfulness.

So we see the character of the elder. Now, beginning in verse nine, we see the duty. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word is taught so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

What is the duty of the pastor? Well, you could summarize it very quickly. Shepherd the flock. Where do we get that? One place, 1 Peter 5. So I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly as God would have you, not for shameful gain, but eagerly, not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

There in that text, Peter says, exercising oversight. There is a reason that a pastor or an elder is referred to in the scripture as a shepherd, for he must care for the flock that has been entrusted to him.

Titus highlights one of the major components of being an elder, as well as two practical reasons why. When switching from the character to the duty, he states a must for the pastor. And that must highlights a non-negotiable.

The character that has been listed is non-negotiable. A pastor must have this, but that is not the only requirement. He must also hold firm to the trustworthy word is taught. What a serious duty this is for the pastor.

We're not looking for philosophers or for guys that are on the cutting edge of things. We're not looking for strategist, but rather faithful men who hold firm to the word is taught. To do so, they must believe it.

It has to be more than just something that he says. He must actually believe it. In our day, the pastoral office has become nothing more than another occupation to pursue. Hey, what would you like to be when you grow up?

I'd like to be a pastor. Okay, just go to seminary and then you'll be qualified to be a pastor. Wrong. Now there's nothing wrong with quality seminary training, but that is not what calls or qualifies a man to preach or to pastor.

God calls them. And the evidence of that is not whether or not they have been to seminary, but rather has God called them? One is the desire and the gifting there. Is the character there in line with Scripture?

And now do they hold firm to the word is taught? Do they know it and believe it? I will note that God will not call a man who doesn't fit these things. Many men call themselves. When we examine Scripture, their lives don't line up with it.

Gil writes that the word is not only to be held forth by the elder, but held fast and tenaciously abode in, not wavering or departing from it. In a sense, the elder is both a teacher and an apologist of the gospel.

Having a grasp of Christian doctrine, sound doctrine, too many behind pulpits today wouldn't know sound doctrine if it slapped them in the face. More concerned with a following or making themselves a name than being grounded in the word.

Why is this so important? Why is it so important that Paul lists here in verse nine, he must hold firm to the trustworthy word is taught. There are many reasons for this, but Paul lists two. The first one so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine.

That he may be able to instruct. This is a requirement of a pastor. He must be able to preach and to teach. And he cannot teach in a way that honors God if he does not first know and believe what he's teaching.

He must be able to exhort what he knows and what he believes. This is important, teaching is important. But Paul doesn't stop there. It's not just any teaching. He says that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and what is true from Scripture.

You cannot teach sound doctrine apart from the word. I think some in the past have taken issue with this, but I'm gonna double down on it because it's true. If a man is not regularly in the word, and if you wanna be more specific, I would say a pattern of daily being in the word daily.

It doesn't mean he's perfect and that a day is not missed here and there. But a pattern of being in the word daily. And he should not be behind a pulpit. Because what is taught is important. And it is important that the teaching that he does lines up with God's word.

This is why James says in James 3 .1, not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with a greater strictness. It's important. There will be many men that stand before God in judgment due to their lack of teaching doctrine in line with Scripture.

I'm afraid some of that will be because they've never taken the time to learn Scripture. But rather have focused on motivational speeches or building an earthly empire, building a following on Twitter or Facebook or so on.

So that he may be able to give instruction and sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. These commands are two sides to the same coin. You cannot rebuke those who contradict it apart from the word.

How do you rebuke those who contradict it? By giving them the word. A quote that's often attributed to Spurgeon, I don't know if he actually was the author of it, I couldn't find that out. But I think it's been quoted here.

It says, defend the Bible. I'd sooner defend a lie and turn it loose than it will defend itself. To be able to rebuke those who are in falsehood is important for a pastor to know the word. To rebuke those who are in error in hopes of restoring them to sound doctrine.

Paul was not interested in them knowing sound doctrine so they could easily win an argument. But rather, is because Paul knew the dangers of false doctrines. They were seeing those dangers in Crete. Part of the shepherding of the flock also meant driving off the wolves.

Verse 10, for there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers, deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith. It's a great duty that the elders have before them.

And a church cannot be a healthy church without qualified men of doctrine who stand firmly upon the word. This is part of the makeup of a healthy church. But that is not all. A healthy church is led strongly and a healthy church operates cooperatively.

The Church as a Cooperative Body of Older and Younger Saints

It is made up of only Christians. We have taught on that. We have looked at that recently with church discipline. It is made up of only Christians, but it is made up of Christians of all shapes, colors, and sizes in many different ages.

Titus 2, one through 10 highlights a few of those. Read this with me. But as for you, this is chapter two, Titus chapter two. But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love and in steadfastness.

Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works and in your teachings show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned.

So that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bond servants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything. They are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

So Paul highlights a few of those really different ages here. Older men, older women, young women, young men, bond servants. We see in this the beauty of the local church. All different ages of men and women from various backgrounds and walks of life joined together with the local church with a singular focus of the glory of God.

Older men, it's just faithful men who love God, who love doctrine, who love their family and their church. Older women who are examples in behavior and in their love for the Word to the younger women, who from the Scriptures teach the younger women what a woman of God is to be, whether that be at home or at the church.

Young women who are eager to learn and grow in these things. The same for young men who are controlled not by the flesh but by the Spirit, who are different from the culture around them, who use their masculinity in a way that brings glory to God and makes much of Christ.

Bond servants, faithful before God. And all of this happening all within the local church. Pastors leading and the church operating. All of what has been mentioned continually happening, continually happening every week, every day, every month, year after year, all for the glory of God, never stopping until Christ returns.

Pastors die and then faithful men are raised up. Constant biblical teaching and rebuke. Constant shepherding of the flock. And then within the flock, older men teaching younger men until they pass away.

And then those younger men following in the shoes of those who have gone before and as they age, teaching the young men. The same for the women and on and on and on until Christ returns. And then this is not monotonous, but rather glorious as this is what God is doing in the world, in local churches all over the world.

And here in Mexico and China and Iran, faithful churches that continue on, sustained only by the hand of God. Too many churches today have lost track of their purpose and the work that has been set before them.

They are not to be set forth as a country club or a welfare center, but as a body designed for worship to God and working for His glory. Doing the good work that is set before them. A hard work, but a good work.

A work that is indeed difficult at times. But a work that they are not trusting in and of themselves. Nor is there hope in their pastors. Nor is there hope in their old men or their old women or their young men or their young women, but their hope is in Christ.

The Grace of God, the Blessed Hope, and Zealous Good Works

And they are marked by this. Because not only is a healthy church led strongly, and not only does a healthy church operate cooperatively, but a healthy church hopes joyously. Verse 11 of chapter two, for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, threatening us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself up for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.

Declare these things. Exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. We see the beauty of the healthy church here in these verses. I do want to briefly note, just teach just for a minute.

We could spend a lot of time here, but I want to briefly note an error made here with verse 11. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people. Some dangerously take this verse to support a form of universalism, meaning that all will be saved.

This is not what this verse means. It is also not arguing against the sovereignty of God and salvation. Some use this verse in a way trying to prove that God draws every person in the world the same. This is not what this verse is speaking of in context.

We must examine these things because here's what we should not do. When we see verses like this, we shouldn't run from. Too often on either side of a big theological argument and disagreement, the verses that the other side puts forth, here you go, are often left unaddressed.

Maybe that'll be true here. Healthy churches examine Scripture as a whole. They don't shy away from any part of Scripture. In its context, Paul is saying that the message of God's grace has been made available to all kinds of people.

Even these mentioned here in the text, young and old, young women, old women, young men, old men, slave or master, bond servant, master. All. That grace does not depend on these things. The gospel call goes out and God saves from each of these groups and beyond.

Black or white, rich or poor, young or old, man or woman, and God saves. It's not contingent upon these, but upon the grace of God and the grace of God alone. And what a wonderful hope this is. That we hope not in our being young or old or anything else, but we hope in Christ.

This is what he's saying. He declares the gospel here. That we hope in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Verse 14, who gave himself up for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

And we hope in his return. A healthy church does not place its hope in its buildings or its programs or even its people or even its pastors. A healthy church hopes in the gospel of Christ. A healthy church, when they say Christ is king, or they say Christ is worthy of a healthy church, these are not just mottos to them.