Adrian Rogers was a motivator, an encourager, and a leader of the faith. He was also passionate about presenting scriptural application to everyday life circumstances, and you'll hear that in today's message.
Now let's join Adrian Rogers. We are in a series of messages from the book of Titus dealing with God's Amazing grace. In the 1600s, There was a preacher named John Newton who preached. He also wrote A song, and I think every one of us have sung that song. Amazing.
Grace. How sweet the sound! that saved a wretch. Like me, I once was lost, but now I'm found was blind. But now I see.
John Newton, as a little boy, had a godly mother. and a wicked father. His mother died when he was six. His father was a sailor who sailed in the Mediterranean. And when John Newton was 11 years of age, He went to sea to be a sailor.
His father was a wicked man, and Newton took after his father's way. He lived in the depth of sin and debauchery. After a while, John Newton got into the slave trade. He became a slaver. Buying and selling human beings.
And he went down, down, down, down into sin. He got so low that he became a slave. of slaves. For two years, He ate table scraps. On the floor.
that his mistress who owned him would toss to him. On the floor. That's how low this man got. Living in vileness. Living in wickedness.
John Newton. There were some sailors aboard a ship that had a concern for the young man and gave him a book to read. by Thomas Akempis. called the imitation of Christ. He began to read it.
Partly out of interest and partly as a jest. But it began to work on his heart. While they were at sea, There came a violent storm. He thought the ship was going to sink. He feared for his life.
And then a great wave came. and washed him overboard. He thought the end had come. He cried out, oh Lord, help. And another wave came and washed him back on board.
That was all it took. For John Newton. And John Newton got saved. I mean, S-A-V-E-D. saved.
And do you know what saved him? Gods Amazing. Grace. And he was the one who wrote this song, Amazing. Grace.
How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. And when he said that, that wasn't rhetoric, he meant it. that saved a wretch like me. I once was blind.
Now By the grace of God. I can see. I believe it may have been The scripture that we're reading today that encouraged John Newton to write what he wrote. Look at verse 11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.
teaching us. That denying ungodliness. And worldly lusts. We should live soberly. Righteously.
and godly in this present world. looking for that blessed hope. And the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. who gave himself for us. that He might redeem us from all iniquity.
and purify unto himself a peculiar people. zealous of good works. These things speak. and exhort. and rebuke.
with all authority. Let no man despise thee. Titus, that's what Paul wrote to his young Preacher boy. I want us to think of God's amazing grace today. What a wonderful blessing this grace is.
And as we look at this passage of Scripture, if you're saved, you're going to see your spiritual biography. And if you're not yet saved, you're going to see your spiritual possibility. What could happen to you? There are about five things I want us to see, and the very first thing I want us to see is what. Grace Wrought.
Look in verse 11. For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation. What has grace brought? Grace has brought Salvation. The only way that you can be saved is for grace to bring salvation to you.
Now why do we need to be saved?
Well, just put a marker there in Titus. And turn to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2 is the parallel passage. and the classic passage on grace. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1.
And you hath he quickened who were dead. in trespasses and sins. Question. Man is terribly sick and he needs to be healed. Answer, wrong.
Man is dead and he needs life. Understand that. It's not just that there's something wrong, there's something drastically wrong, radically wrong. You are dead.
So let me give you some D's. If you're without the Lord Jesus Christ, you're dead. You say, well, How could I be dead? I'm still existing.
Well friend, death is not the separation. of the soul from the body, death is the separation of a soul from God. You don't have to be saved to have eternal existence. You'll have eternal existence somewhere, either in heaven or hell. Elvis is alive.
The question is where, isn't that right? Listen, you have. everlasting existence. But you don't have everlasting life until you have Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I've come that you might have life.
And have it abundantly.
Now not only were you dead But look, you were devilish. Look in verse 2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world. According to the prince of the power of the air. Who is the prince of the power of the air?
The devil. You were in the grip, the grasp, the domain, the rule. of Satan himself. Jesus said in John chapter 8 verse 44, you're of your father the devil. Dead.
Devilish. And disobedient. That's the third D. Look if you will now. the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
Who is there here who would stand up and deny that he or she has broken God's laws. We know that we have. The Bible says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Disobedient. And the wages of sin is death.
The soul that sinneth It shall surely die, and that's why we're dead. and then look not only there, but depraved. Look, if you will, as we continue to read here in this passage of Scripture. And we were by nature, well, let me go to verse 3: among whom also we all had our conversation, that means our behavior in time past, and the lust of our flesh. fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.
Now watch this. And were by Nature. The children of wrath. We have a sinful nature. We inherited it from our parents.
They from theirs and they from Adam. You have a sinful nature. The wicked are estranged from the womb. They go astray speaking lies as soon as they're born, the Bible tells us. David the psalmist said, in sin did my mother conceive me.
That doesn't mean that she was a sinner when she conceived him. It means that he was conceived in sin, that he was conceived with a sinful nature. That's the reason that man needs more than culture. He needs more than cultivation. If you take a baby rattlesnake, Separate him from all other rattlesnakes.
Treat him with love and kindness. When he grows up, what will he grow up to be? A big rattlesnake. Yeah. Friend, he has the venom in him.
He has the nature of a rattlesnake. And so it is that nobody is ever cultured or educated into the kingdom.
Now what does this verse say that we are? Dead Devilish. Disobedient and depraved. Do you see it right there?
Well, that's what it says about us. But now look in verse 4. Hallelujah. But God. But God.
who is rich in mercy. For his great love, wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us. That means to make us alive with Christ. And then look at the last part of that verse. By grace, you're saved.
See, we're dead.
Now how can you raise a dead man? Let's suppose we have a dead man here today, and we decide we're going to raise the dead man. Here he is. What can we do? You do some push-ups in front of him.
and do some deep knee bends. Maybe an example. Let's give this dead man an example of what life is like. Do you think that'll raise him? No, that won't work.
Suppose you come over here and give him some lessons on life. Read him 20 lessons on life. If example won't do it, surely education will raise this dead man.
Well, that won't work.
Well, then I'll tell you how we can raise him. You come over here and encourage him. Tell him, come on, you can do it. Get up, fella. Try it.
We know you can do it. But he's still dead.
Well, we don't have to worry because look at the environment he's in. Look at all these live people. Let's put him with a lot of live people. Won't that raise him? No, you know it won't, and you listen to me, dear friend.
What can raise a dead man? Can example do it? Yeah. Can education do it? No.
Can encouragement do it? No. Can environment do it? No. But that's exactly what the world is trying, isn't it?
Those things. That's what the world is trying. You see, a dead man can't do that. and you can't do it for a dead man. There is one thing.
One person who can but God. For by grace, for by grace, for by grace are ye saved. That's what he's trying to say. You could not Save yourself any more than a dead man by his own will and volition. could come back.
to life. And nor could anyone else. save you apart from God any more than anyone else could raise. The dead. All right, so What has grace Brought It's brought salvation.
It has brought salvation. You're not saved by the merit of man, but by the mercy of God. Not by the goodness of man. But bye. The grace of God.
Salvation is not a reward. for the righteous. It is a gift. for the guilty. This is what grace has done.
brought now. I want you to see something else. Not only what grace has brought, But I want you to see what grace has taught. What has grace taught? Go back, if you will.
uh to our original passage in Titus chapter 2. And look at it. In verse 11, for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. teaching us. Now, the grace that has brought us salvation is the grace that teaches us something.
And what does it teach us? that denying ungodliness and worldly lust We should live soberly, righteously. and godly in this present world. This is what grace has taught. What grace has brought is salvation.
What grace has Taught. is sanctification. Because we're saved by grace, that doesn't mean that we continue to live in sin. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
God forbid. The Apostle Paul says, how shall we that are dead to sin continue any longer therein? And so, being saved by the grace of God does not mean that you can get saved and live any way that you want. Once you get saved, you come out of law school and you get in grace school. Gray school.
And gray school never closes. The teacher never fails to show up. There's a lot of homework to do. and there's no recess. You're continually being taught.
Now learn this about salvation. There is nothing to earn. There is much to learn. Do you know what discipleship is? That just simply means learning.
A disciple is a learner. You're learning to live as you are supposed to live.
Now, that's the reason that none of us Has gotten our diploma yet. There's not a one of us who can say I have graduated from grade school.
Now you might say to me Pastor Rogers? I know you're saved, but sometimes I wonder when I watch you and look at you.
Well, I wonder that about you sometime, you know? But you see, God is not faithful. finished with us yet. Philippians chapter 1 and verse 6, being confident of this very thing. That he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.
We are being discipled. By the grace of God. God. And he's still working on this. Do you know what John Newton also wrote?
I found this, and it was a blessing to me because I'd never read it before. But listen to this. John Newton wrote this. He said, I am not what I might be. I'm not what I ought to be.
I am not what I wish to be. I am not what I hope to be. But thank God I am not what I once was. And I can say with the great apostle, By the grace of God, I am what I am. Isn't that wonderful?
You see, He's still working on us, and we are growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Now, Here's a third thing I want you to see. First of all, what grace brought salvation? Secondly, what grace taught. Sanctification. which is progressively learning to be more and more like the Lord Jesus.
Thirdly, What grace sought. What was our God seeking when He saved us by His grace?
Well, look, if you will, in verse 14. who gave himself for us That, that means in order that. He might redeem us. from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people. zealous of good works.
That's what grace sought. That's what God is in the business of doing.
Now, first of all, we are purchased. Look at that, verse 14. He gave himself For us. That means He purchased us with Himself. He bought us with himself.
We were redeemed not with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. We are purchased. I was thinking about grace the other day. And I was trying to say, what is grace? What is the definition of grace?
And I've never read a definition in a sentence that I could say was grace that really satisfied me. But let's try here and see what grace is. Grace is love.
Well, it is love, but it's more than love.
So grace is love. that gives.
Well, that is true. But grace is more than love that gives. Grace is love that gives where there is no merit, where we don't deserve to have anything given to us.
Well, that is true. But grace is more than that. Grace is love that gives where there is no merit and where there is much demerit. Grace is love that gives to wicked and vile people.
Well, you say, yes, that's what grace is, but it is more than that. Grace is love that gives where there's no merit, where there is demerit. to those who don't want the gift. Did you know that Grace has to chase us down. Did you know that if If God couldn't run faster than you could run, you never would have been saved.
Did you know that we love him because he first loved us? and that grace seeks to give to vile and wicked people that which they don't deserve and can never deserve. But wait a minute, it's more than that. It is grace that gives, grace that gives where there's no merit, grace that gives where there's much demerit, grace that gives to those who resist the gift. And it is grace that gives.
At great cost. Fast. to the giver. It's not just that he gave, but he gave himself. He gave himself.
In agony and blood, blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer, seems now I see him on Calvary's tree, wounded and bleeding for sinners, pleading, blind and unheeding, dying for me. That's grace. When people understand this, they want to write songs amazing grace. How sweet the sound.
Now what did grace Seek. What is it that grace has sought?
Well, first of all, he purchased us. And then he purified us. Look at it again here. In verse 14, He gave himself for us that He might redeem us. from all iniquity and purify unto himself.
We are purchased. and we're purifying.
Now, grace doesn't mean that God just says...
Now that I've forgiven your sins, you just live any way you want. Oh no. Because the grace that saves us begins to purify us from the inside. You see, works are very important to a saved person also. This passage says we're to be zealous of good works.
What is the difference that the works of an unsaved man and the works that he does in order to try to be saved and the works that we do because we're saved?
Well, the difference is just really a matter of the heart. Why we do it? Not so much in what we do. But why are we doing? I got a letter the other day from a person I know they mean well.
But I said, you know, Pastor, it was so good. when you took the offering. And you said, because of the grace of God, now we want to give. And you didn't mention tithing. And they said, you know, I'm so glad that you didn't mention that because tithing, you know, that's Old Testament, that's law.
Friend, you missed the point altogether. Because I'm saved, that doesn't mean I don't want to tithe. It means I want to tithe more. The Bible says the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us. It's not that we say, now I'm saved by grace.
I'll live by a lower standard. No, we live by a higher standard. Why we do it is because we have the love of Jesus on the inside. The law said don't commit adultery. Grace doesn't mean I can.
The law says don't steal. Grace doesn't mean I can. But now the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us. I cannot work my soul to save that work my Lord has done, but I will work like any slave for the love of God's dear Son. See, we're purchased, we're purified, and then it says we're peculiar, that he might redeem in himself a peculiar people.
Do you know what the word peculiar means? It doesn't mean odd. Let's forget that. We're not odd.
Some of us are, but we're not supposed to be. Peculiar. That means special. Special. When a Captain.
A general. Would go To war. and win a great victory. He often would take part of the The prize. The spoils of the battle.
He would get a treasure for himself. And he would bring it back to his home. And that would be a trophy. for himself. That was his peculiar possession.
Now the Bible says in the ages to come You and I are going to be trophies of His grace. We are His peculiar possession. The captain of our salvation went to bloody Calvary and defeated Satan and paid the sin debt and redeemed unto himself a peculiar people. That's what grace sought. We are purchased.
We are purified. We are peculiar. We are different. Grace Brought salvation. That's what it brought.
It taught sanctification. It sought service We're to serve the Lord. Listen. Jesus did not bathe this world with his blood. To have you serve the world, the flesh, and the devil.
What has grace sought? He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify himself, a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Oh, to grace, how great a debtor daily I am constrained to be. That's what it's all about.
Now, I want you to see something else. Not only what grace sought. but what grace wrought. What did grace do? Do.
Look in verse 13, if you will. Bear says that we're to be looking for. That blessed hope. and the glorious appearing of the great God. and our Savior Jesus Christ.
What has grace wrought? A blessed hope. And we're looking for that blessed hope. It's not over yet. What has begun in grace In verse 11, will end in glory.
Verse 13, grace always ends in glory. We're looking for Jesus. to come again. And this is what grace has wrought in us, a blessed hope. Don't you feel sorry for people who don't have any hope?
We're looking for the Lord Jesus Christ, that blessed hope. And listen, it is a glad hope. And it is a glorious hope. The blessed hope that Jesus is coming again. I would have loved to have been here on this earth when the Lord Jesus was here.
Now I know, I know, you theologians, it's better. that we're here now. Then then Because they had Jesus beside them, we have Jesus inside us. We have the Holy Spirit. But there's still, when I travel in the Holy Land, I walk the Sea of Galilee or shores of Galilee, I'd like to see Jesus in those sandal shoes walking those shores.
And when we get on the Mount of Beatitudes, I would have loved to have been there and hear the Lord Jesus. give the Sermon on the Mount, wouldn't you? I would love to have seen him feed the 5,000. I would love to have seen the Lord Jesus walk on the water. Planting his footsteps on the sea with a The wind in his hair.
His garments flowing. walking there on the Sea of Galilee. I would have loved to have seen that. I probably needed to see him on the cross. I think I'd be a better preacher had I seen him.
dying in agony and blood. I would have loved to have seen him that Easter morning, wouldn't you, in his resurrected body? Wouldn't it have been wonderful to see him ascend into the glory? I didn't see him in any of those times. But I'm going to see him.
I'm going to see him. There's a blessed hope. And the Bible says the glory. He's not coming as the carpenter, he's coming as the conqueror. This is the glorious appearing.
He came the first time. He gave himself for us, verse 14, to redeem us. But he's coming the second time to reign and to rule over us. The Spirit of Antichrist is in this world, but when 777 comes, He's going to take care of 666. Jesus.
is coming. This is what grace has wrought. A Blessed. Who? Do you have that hope?
I mean, do you know your future? Has this been a part of you? When I was a teenage boy, I lived in West Palm Beach, Florida. And I got into trouble that other teenage boys got into. I thank God that.
I've never known what it is to be drunk or be addicted to cigarettes. I thank God I went to the marriage altar of a virgin, all of that by the grace of God. I thank God for that. But I got into the trouble that Other teenage boys got into skipping school. Getting in fights.
using bad language. taking things that didn't belong to me. I got into those kind of things. I knew I needed to be saved. I didn't know quite how to be saved.
I didn't understand it. I think I would have been saved a lot sooner had somebody sat down and Well, an open Bible told me how to be saved. and asked me to receive Christ, I would have been. I would have been like a piece of ripe fruit. All they had to do would be just to tell me how to be saved, and I would have been saved, but I didn't know.
But I'd tell you what happened to our family. We were out in the front yard. My dad was doing some yard work. They're on 38th Street in West Palm Beach, Florida. And Mr.
and Mrs. Frank. Came up. And they said to my dad, we're having... A revival meeting.
at Northwood Baptist Church. And A.D., that's what they call my dad, we want you to come. You and your family. My dad said, okay, I'll come. And so that night we were in the revival service.
Sitting there. I was sitting next to my dad, teenage boy. And that preacher preached, and I don't know what he preached. I really don't know. I couldn't tell you what he preached.
But I'll tell you what did happen. When they had the invitation, My dad, who was a good, decent, hard-working man, an honest man. Who was not saved? But a good, decent, outwardly honest moral man Got up and went forward to give his heart to Jesus Christ. That staggered me.
I mean, I wasn't expecting it. I wasn't even thinking about it. And I cannot tell you the conviction that put in my heart. And I said to myself, that's exactly, Adrian, what you need to do. You need to be saved.
And on the next stanza, I was down there. To give my heart to Jesus Christ. And I meant it. As best I knew how, I meant it. I was giving my heart to Christ, trusting Him to save me.
But you know what happened when I got down there? They said, we're glad that Adrian Rogers has come. And they got a card and got a stubby pencil. And I sat down in that front row and they filled out the facts about me. Uh name, age, address, da da da da da da.
And then they had the folks stand up and they said, among those who've come today, is Adrian Rogers. And I wrote a business with God. But they didn't give me any scripture. They didn't help me to understand. If they did, I don't remember it.
about the new birth. And Christ in me. Salvation by grace. I didn't understand all that. I was so ignorant.
Spiritually, if I'd have taken a course in ignorance, I would have flunked it. That's how dumb I was. I didn't know. I didn't know. But I meant business with God.
And I went out to try to live the Christian life by myself. It was almost as if when God saved me, He forgave the past and just gave me a new start.
Now it was up to me. had a new star.
Well, I failed. The same old words sometime would come out of my mouth. That fiery temper would come back. They used to fight. I'm not proud of that, and if you want to fight now, don't come see me.
I'm not a fighter anymore, I'm a lover. But I had that old That all nature. Yeah. But I knew nature. How's that battle going on?
That went on for about two years. During those two years, I began to listen. And the grace of God began to teach me some things. I began to learn what it was all about. I can remember on a night after I'd walked my girlfriend home.
who's now my wife. I stopped one block from her house and one block from my house. We live two blocks apart. Stopped on the corner. of 39th Street and Calvin Avenue in West Palm Beach.
And I decided I was good. going to get it. Settled. And I prayed like this. I said, oh God, I'm so miserable.
So miserable. I don't know. whether I'm lost and the Holy Spirit has me under conviction. or whether I'm saved and the devil's trying to make me doubt it. But I just don't have peace, God.
And I want to get it settled. And I want to get it settled. tonight. But you see By then I had learned The language of grace. I had learned about the grace of God.
And so I prayed. I just looked straight up into the sky. I didn't bow my head. It was not irreverence. But I just wanted to look into the face of God.
And I said, oh God. You remember when I went forward in that church? And I was sincere. But God, I've been riding a roller coaster up and down, and I want to get it stopped. I want to get it settled.
I want to know for certain that I'm saved. And so I prayed something like this: Oh, God. Right now, tonight. once and for all, now and forever. With every inch and ounce and every nerve and sinew and fiber of my being.
I trust you to save me. I am not depending upon myself. I don't look for a sign and I don't ask for a feeling. I stand on your word. You died for me.
You paid my sin debt. I receive you now, once and for all, as my Lord and Savior. If I was saved, I still am, but if I wasn't, I am now. I'm driving down a peg right now. And folks, I want to tell you something.
A river of peace. began to flow in my heart and is still flowing. Do you know what it was? It was the message of grace that I'm telling you about today. It is the grace of God that bringeth salvation.
Oh, this is what grace has brought. O to grace, how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be. And oh, I want you to know that grace. You see, What has grace brought? Salvation.
What has grace taught? Sanctification. What has grace sought? Service. We're here as peculiar people.
And what has grace wrought? glorification one day. One day. We're going to be like the Lord Jesus Christ. Price.
and we'll look upon his face. The one. who saved us. By his grace. And the one who opened to us.
The gates of grace. will open to us the gates of glory. That's the grace of God. Isn't grace wonderful? No wonder old John Newton.
That wicked sailor said, amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost. But now I'm fine. Once was blind.
But now I see. I wonder how many here today can say, Pastor Rogers. I know by the grace of God that I am saved. And I thank God for it. That I know that I know that if I died right now, I'd go to heaven only because of the grace of God.
I want to tell you today. that you can know beyond the shadow of any doubt today that you are saved and on your way to heaven. If you would pray and say, Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I cannot save myself. You died to save me.
I trust you, you only. and you always to save me. And Lord, I trust you enough. that I'm not going to be ashamed of you. I'm going to make it public.
Pray that. Tell him that. Lord, I pray that many will do that today. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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