Holy Scriptures and Israel

Guest (Male): Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective here is Gideon Levytam.

Gideon Levytam: A little bit further down just look at this in the next verse eight of Titus chapter three it says this is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly the day which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. The word good works in Hebrew good deeds, good action, not for salvation but because of salvation. It is a result of salvation is that the people of God who who have realized that that the Messiah Yeshua gave himself for us. We are exhorted to now seek to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

Notice the final time that he's mentioned the word good works is found in verse 14 of Titus chapter three. Let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary use that they be not unfruitful. You know fruit for God in the midst of a world that is against the things of God then a necessity to have good works in the life of the people of God is that which the Apostle Paul Shaul Paul is encouraging the believers in Yeshua the Messiah to do. So you notice that many times chapter one verse 16, chapter two verse seven, chapter two verse 15, chapter three verse one, chapter three verse eight, chapter three verse 14 again and again the theme of these letter by Shaul Paul to Titus is doing good works which is a blessing to the people of God and it a testimony to the unbelieving world in which we live in today.

Now I just wanted you to look at the outline for a moment as we have here in those three chapters. Titus is a very short letter that Shaul Paul wrote and in the first chapter he is desiring him to appoint godly leaders in a local assembly, in a local congregation. In a second chapter is the teaching God's people specifically in relationship to maintaining good works. And number three in chapter three to remind them of God's grace and the necessity to be a good testimony in a world in which we live in. So this is basically the general information about the you might say introduction to the book of Titus.

So let's just go over quickly with the Lord's help over the first four verses of Titus chapter one. And so notice the first thing we said that in chapter one and verse one Paul is now writing this letter to Titus. Titus is now in Crete in this island and Paul is writing to him and notice how wonderful the manner by Shaul Paul present himself. The first thing he's calling himself the servant of God. In Hebrew we call it Elohim. One man that was called the servant of the Lord or the servant of Jehovah Avad Jehovah is Moses.

In fact some suggest that Moses Moshe and Paul Shaul were two towering personalities. One of them was before the Messiah came and another one was the after the Messiah came. Both of them called themselves the servant of God. In English we call servant but really in Hebrew the word slave is really a correct word. Paul Shaul devoted his whole life to the person of the Lord but to the God and father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. He called himself Avad Elohim the servant of God. This is actually if I'm correct the only time in the New Testament that the Apostle Paul called himself the servant of God.

In other passages he called himself a servant of Yeshua Jesus the Messiah but here he's specifically speaking about calling himself the servant of God. He's like a slave for God. And I can assure you that he must have learned this from the Lord Yeshua the Messiah the glorified Messiah who himself became a servant. You remember we read in Exodus chapter 21 about the Hebrew servant. The Hebrew servant in Exodus chapter 21 is a picture of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah who said I love my master. I love my wife. I love my children. I can go out free but I'm not going to go out free.

And he says I will serve my master forever. And then his master will take him to the door post and he will bore his ear with an awl. He going to make a hole in his ear. And that Hebrew servant going to serve his master forever. It's exactly what the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah have done. When he came down from heaven though he was equal with God but he counted himself of no reputation to be equal with God but he made himself of no reputation. Paul said it elsewhere in Philippians chapter two he said of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah he says who being in the form of God verse six thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant.

And was made in the likeness of men and being found in the fashion as a many humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross. The Lord Yeshua the Messiah became Avad servant Adonai the servant of the Lord. He came down from heaven when all the way to the cross where he shed his precious blood in order to redeem a people for himself. So Paul a servant of God. Paul wanted to serve God and he indeed did so when he called himself here a servant of God he literally lived out his life in such a way.

And you and I are benefiting from the letters that he wrote and you and I are reading that even today this Shabbat meeting. But he was not only a servant of God in verse one he was also an apostle of Jesus Yeshua the Christ the Messiah. He was also a messenger that was sent by the Lord Jesus the Messiah to be that messenger to carry the message. The Greek word Apostle in Hebrew He was simply a man that was serving the Lord was sent with a message. There's no glory in being a messenger. There's no you might say there's no titles that he take here for his own self.

He just simply say to Titus Titus I'm a messenger. I'm an apostle that was sent by the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah. He send me with a message. What was the message? The message of the gospel. That the Messiah died for our sins. That he was buried and he rose up on the third day according to the scripture. And that he is now is seated at God's right hand. So Paul is a servant of God and he is an apostle of Jesus the Messiah of Yeshua the Messiah but I want you to also notice how much food you have here in these verses that seems to be just like like something we can just quickly read but notice he says here according to their faith of God's elect.

According to the faith of God's elect that word elect sometime troubling many. The faith of those whom God have elected and chosen to be for him. Brothers and sisters do you see scripture so many time teaches us that we were elected by God in time but he was already elected by God in before the foundation of the world but in time we became believers in the Lord Jesus the Messiah. Ephesians teaches us that we were chosen Ephesians one we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. Now who can fathom that? Is God have elected a people for himself?

Well look what Paul is saying. He says in verse one who are according to their faith of God's elect the people whom God have chosen. Well Israel our people was chosen not because Israel was better than any other nation but God is sovereign and he elected a nation the nation of Israel to be a nation for himself. And Israel is yet waiting the day when Israel is a nation going to come into the full enjoyment of that election when they going to accept the Messiah at the second coming and will enter into the Messianic kingdom but Israel do not enjoy that election today because of unbelief.

Because Israel is a nation do not as a nation believe that Yeshua is the Messiah. But God has a people who according to the faith of God's elect he had brought them to himself and they are Jew and Gentile who have been elected by God to be part of the company that belongs to him. And if you and I are believers we kind of wonder what God had found in us. The Bible tells us that men by nature do not want God. In fact John three tells us that men love darkness rather than light. So how come you and I have brought into are we better than the neighbor on the other side of the street?

This is the divine design that God by his grace have elected the people for himself. He have chosen us in the Messiah before the foundation of the world but in due time through the preaching of the gospel God used the message of the gospel to convict the very souls of those whom he had elected to bring them into himself. I mean I cannot quite grasp it but scripture teaches this very very clearly. If you turn with me to first Peter chapter one first Peter chapter one just to read that so we will have this verse as well with us.

I mentioned Ephesians chapter one and notice in first Peter chapter one we read in verse one and two Peter an Apostle of Yeshua the Messiah to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. And then verse two elect according to the foreknowledge of God the father through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ grace unto you and peace be multiplied. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God our father. It is God who actually brought us into a relationship with himself. Why? Because we would not come unless he would draw us to himself.

No one can come to the father except the father draws him unto himself. In fact John 15 Yeshua said you have not chosen me but I have chosen you. Now I cannot grasp it. I don't understand the sovereignty of God. You cannot fathom how God he is a choosing and electing a people for himself. You began to wonder and ask the question why him and not her, why them and not the others? It's not for us to ask. It for us to first of all make sure that we have acknowledged that Yeshua the Messiah has come to save us.

And so he's writing to Titus and said Titus I'm a servant of God. I'm an Apostle of Yeshua the Messiah and it is according to their faith of God's elect. You and I have the same faith he's saying to Titus. And then notice what he continue in verse one and he said and they acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness. Here is the word truth. What is truth? Today if you open television and read read newspaper or open the radio you don't have absolute truth. He has his truth and she has her truth and they have their truth.

Well who is right? Well notice this the Bible says let God be true and every man a liar. Yeshua said in John 14 I am the way, the truth and the life. No one come to the father but by me. There's only one absolute truth. And that absolute truth is found in God's word and in the person of Yeshua the Messiah. Every time we shift one way or another we are always at the wrong. There is an absolute truth. So here we find out that Paul is writing to Titus and together he as well as Titus are really part of these God's elect through faith and they are the one that have accepted the truth of the word of God.

And that Yeshua is indeed the Messiah. And like you and I today if we haven't accepted the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah we believe a lie. We believe that which is not right because we needed the truth of the word of God. Plenty of verses to be read about the truth of the word of God which we could do so but some of them I have already mentioned Yeshua call himself the way, the truth and the life. No one will come to the father but by him. Now notice that in verse two. In verse two he continue the Apostle Paul in his introduction in the letter to Titus he said in a hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began.

You see the Apostle Paul is saying to Timothy that there is for the believers who have accepted the truth of the gospel there is the hope, the assurance of eternal life. In Hebrew we call it to live eternally in a relationship to the Lord, to live eternally with their knowledge that Yeshua is the Messiah, to live eternally as forgiven people, the people that belong to the savior, to have eternal life. You remember the verse that we all memorize in John three 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Faith in the Messiah will bring a person into a relationship with the Lord that is not only for a day or month or year or a few years but eternally to be with him. That's what is Paul what Paul say. It is a hope. It's not I hope that maybe it's going to happen. It is a sure hope of eternal life. Jesus the Messiah in his prayer in John 17 he said you remember when he was speaking to the father he says this is eternal life that they might know thee the only true God and Yeshua the Messiah whom thou had sent.

Eternal life is having a relationship with the person. And we lead us into also eternally being with him in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie he promised. You know God made a promise. And a promise is that we who will belong to him and accept him have eternal life we trusting in him, trusting in these truth that he have taught us in his word. Eternal life that God have promised everyone that have accepted the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah in hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie.

You see men lies but not God. Men gives us hopes and promises but he fail in fulfilling them. We fail. We many times fail in not saying the truth. That's why we are constantly exhorted to speak the truth and to speak it in love but not God. God will never lie. Whatever God says it will surely come to pass and he gave this assuring promise. The hope of eternal life that whoever will believe on him will have eternal life as we have here in verse two. It's a promise that was given by God already according to verse two before the world began.

In other word in the providence of God, in the wisdom of God you have already planned years before creation came into being that he is going to save a people for himself. This morning I read Proverbs eight. When you have a chance read Proverbs eight and you will see that before the mountains were brought forth before creation had began we read of the Messiah who is wisdom. He was already there in the presence of God and he said my delight was with the sons of men. In a wisdom of God in eternity past God had planned it that a people for himself will be saved through belief in the truth.

And in the person of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah. Now quickly verse three now and verse four in due time God conveyed this truth of having eternal life to those here on earth. It was in due time. And notice verse three but has in due time manifested his word or revealed his word through preaching which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our savior. You see Paul is saying eternity past God planned this wonderful plan of salvation but he revealed it as it says here in due time. How did he revealed it?

Through the preaching of his word. See what happened to them? When a man, when a person, when a preacher preach the word he takes the Bible, he read the text and he minister the word. He just simply conveyed the word of God. For the unbelievers it is foolish but for those who recognize that they need a forgiveness of sins for them it's a blessing. They respond to the word of God. Faith cometh by hearing hearing by the word of God. That's how it is going. So God use a preacher like Shaul Paul. He can use you and I today when we share the message of the gospel with our friends, with our family but we have to share the sincere milk of the word.

And God is sowing seeds that eventually will produce fruit for himself for the preaching. Preaching such a simple thing to do to preach the message. Timothy preach the word God said a Paul said to Timothy in season and out of season Titus preach the word. Paul said in Romans 1:16 I am not a shame of the gospel of the Messiah for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Share the word of God. Let others know about the Messiah and his work for us on the shameful cross.

In due time he manifested his word through the preaching which is committed unto me according to the commandments of God our savior. God is a saving God. Moshia in Hebrew he is a savior. He delight to have people who were lost to be saved. And so finally beloved brothers and sisters in verse four he said to Titus. Such a long you might say introduction finally you get to the men to whom he wrote he says Titus you are my own son. After the common faith, grace and mercy and peace from God the father from our Lord Jesus the Messiah our savior.

Titus I'm writing this letter to you because you are my son in the faith. I have already shared with you the gospel. You and I as it says you have the same common faith. We belong to the same God. We belong to the same savior. We belong to the same body of Messiah, body of Christ. We belong to the same people. We are Jew and Gentile but we belong to the same group company of redeemed people who needed forgiveness of sin. And you notice he add he says three thing grace hesed mercy rahamim peace shalom.

He said the same thing to Timothy because you know what if you going to work in a ministry of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah among God's people you will need a lot of grace. You will need a lot of mercy. And you will need a lot of shalom, a lot of peace because there was constantly conflict constantly friction to deal with. And you need the wisdom, the grace, the mercy and the peace that passes all understanding if you are going to minister among the people of God. And Titus he needed the Lord's help. And Paul writing these and wishing him that he will have grace, mercy and peace.

From whom? From God the father and also from the Lord Jesus the Messiah who is our savior. So brothers and sisters this is just the introduction to the book, to the letter to a man by the name of Titus written by Shaul Paul to the man that was right, left on the island. It is called the island of Crete. Titus was left here in order to help the brothers and sisters because there was so much disorder in the local assemblies there in the island that is called Crete. We'll make the Lord help us as we study together the book of Titus.

Can we say amen today?

Guest (Male): You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levytam. Gideon teaches God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry write to Holy Scriptures and Israel box 1411 Niagara on the Lake Ontario L0S 1J0 or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program visit holyscripturesandisrael.com.

God bless you. Shalom shalom.