Do You Know Him

Text:

Titus 1:16:

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

 

Theme:

Do You Know Him?

 

Introduction:

• Our text finds the Apostle Paul writing to His counterpart or son in the ministry, Titus.
  • Titus means “honourable”. He was with Paul and Barnabas at Antioch, and accompanied them to the council at Jerusalem, although his name nowhere occurs in the Acts of the Apostles. He appears to have been a Gentile, and to have been chiefly engaged in ministering to Gentiles.

• Titus was not mentioned, yet honorable.

  • Don’t need popularity to have honor.
  • Titus did his job well without the need for popularity.  He did what he was supposed to do!
  • Jesus was one whose work was done without pride and fanfare!
    • Matthew 11:29, “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.”
  • We need to be more like Jesus!

• It is important to know!
  • Story of Uncle George and “Take Time To Know”
    • Know…don’t GUESS
    • Know…don’t WONDER
    • Know…don’t SUPPOSE

 

Body:

• “They profess that they know God” – PROFESS!!

• Matthew 15:8 says, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”
  • People say that they know God to “save face”
    • Maintain reputation
      • Everyone else seems to know God so they act like they know Him also
    • Alleviate guilt
      • They know that they should know God for themselves and that they owe God ALL
    • Regulate fear
      • They understand the consequences of not knowing God and fear His wrath

• “in works they deny him”—The characteristics of those who claim to know God BUT don’t know Him
  • It shows up in their works!
    • Luke 6:44, “For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.”
      • It’s not in:
        • Their words – Words can be deceiving!
        • Their possessions – God showers His blessings upon the just as well as the unjust
        • Their relationships – Being of the world will make you popular and have many acquaintances
        • Their smile – A smile can have a night of tears right behind it
• Abominable
  • Webster defines abominable as being “detestable or unpleasant”
  • In our text we understand abominable as being that they are deserving of God and good men should turn their eyes away from them as being detestable and unpleasant.
  • Job 15:16, “How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?”
• Disobedient                                                                                                                                       
  • Disobedient means literally to “not obey” or as Webster says, “refusing to obey”
  • In our text we understand disobedient as being that they might do anything, as we say. They are not regulated by the obedience of faith.
  • Nehemiah 9:26, “Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs….”
• Reprobate
  • Webster defines it as “rejected as worthless”
  • In our text we can see the application of this word in that Paul is saying to Titus that he has to be aware of people who are without skill or judgment to do right.
  • Jeremiah 6:30, “Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.”
• In summary, they are:
  • Abominable because They don’t look right!
  • Disobedient because They won’t do right!
  • Reprobate because The can’t be right!

 

Conclusion:

• The question is….Do YOU Know Him?
• 1John 4:8 says, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
• The song says it well:

“God is the joy and the strength of my life.  He moves all pain, misery, and strife.  He promised to keep me, never to leave me, never, never come short of His Word.  I have to fast and pray…stay in the narrow way.  He keeps my life each and every day.  I want to go with Him when he comes back.  I’ve come too far, and I’ll never turn back.  God is…God is…God is…God is…God is MY ALL AND ALL.”

So, not only is God ALL to us…but He is also ALL FOR US.

• In my life, God is:

• MY refuge

• MY protection

• MY joy

• MY strength

• MY supporter

• MY strong tower

• MY friend

• MY lover

• MY Father

• MY Lord

• MY comforter

• MY creator

• MY SALVATION

 

Do You Know Him?

 

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