Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our sermon or midweek study. You will normally see us posted almost every Sunday. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love. It doesn’t conform to society’s wishes. This ministry shares the Word of God, the Spirit of Christ Jesus. Those who know me well will recognize that there are definitive differences in the creation of every sermon from this point forward. It is God’s will that has brought this to be. We wish only that God’s truth will be shared within His words as brought to us by the Spirit as it fills my heart, mind, and soul to be shared with my hands, but with His words alone.
You will find us in the following location: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Rev. Laura’s other sites: Facebook & Blogspot & Twitter & Linkedin
Prayer List: We have many on our prayer list. Some wish to remain anonymous, and others only wish to have their first names mentioned. Our prayer list grows or changes every week. This is our current list.
- Evangelist Cal Jennings continues to have his good and bad days. He has often had issues with his memory, pain, and other issues. May the Lord ease his pain and allow him the ability to share his love for Christ with others around him as he has often shared with me.
- A friend of a friend’s daughter Kassie has been having respiratory issues. She is currently in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
- A friend, Simone, has had a very, very bad week this week in having to do something that she has fought not to have to do. Let’s pray for her conscience where she doesn’t blame herself for things that are out of her control.
- We pray for several family members, several friends, and colleagues who have had legal, financial, health, and other issues in too many directions of late. May they finally get answers that are needed to keep on keeping on.
- We pray for those who are fighting for freedom and democracy in Ukraine.
- We pray for those around this world who are suffering from the extreme heat with temperatures beyond the danger zones in far too many locations worldwide.
- We pray for the victims of violence, including various shootings around this world. We pray for those innocent victims caught in the crossfire and for the survivors of the same.
- We pray for the ministers of Christ who bring His Unconditional Love into places that consist of hostile toward Christians. We pray for the faithful in those places, who risk everything for their belief.
- We pray for the pandemics and endemics that have plagued this planet for three or more years now.
**Happy Birthday wishes for my niece, Alyssa. Her birthday was yesterday and for my nephew Phillip whose birthday is today.
**For all the Fathers in this world and in our memories forever, we wish you a happy, safe, loving Father’s Day.
Prayer: Father in heaven, our prayer today is for patience, peace, hope, faith and complete understanding of Your Word, Your Mission for each and every one of us who listens to You in heart, mind, spirit, and soul. We pray as Jesus taught us in thanksgiving with gratitude for the things we have, for the life we’ve lived, and for the ability to reflect on our lives and seek the good, the beautiful world we have around us. We pray to understand when the darkness fills our lives, when we stumble and fall off the path Jesus leads us towards. We pray to seek Your Word to rebuild our faith through Your lessons for each of us, every day when we wake up so that we can be thankful for those moments that create our life. We pray for the sick and the sorrowful, including Paul, Simone, and little Kassie. We pray for the dying and those who mourn them including Richard who passed away after a bad fall, a dear colleague and teacher, often called Rabbi, by others including my employer. For each of these we pray in Your Holy Name, through our Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.
Opening Song: Loretta Lynn ~ Standing Room Only https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw8CdjsBTAw
Sermon: Today we are completing the final verses in the story of Titus. Throughout this epistle we have seen the struggle toward belief with Titus, who wanted to understand everything about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and how to live as Christ taught all Christians from the very beginning. Let’s consider in these last verses, that we have a lot to learn about, a lot to understand, in the words that were shared between Titus and Paul.
Titus 3:10-11 KJV – A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
NIV – Warn a divisive person once, and then
warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be
sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.
We have all heard the word heretic, which, in layman’s
terms is a non-believer, skeptic, or a non-conformist. It’s hard to understand
why these types suffer a great deal of doubt, and, as we all know, that is a
serious, serious issue for humanity. Those troubles, all seven, we have seen
and heard around us for far too long. There is a reason doubt is as detrimental
as shame, vanity, envy, wrath, enmity, and lust would be. All of them lead us
down the wrong path, and, sadly, some people keep on going down that wrong
path. Pay attention, know when there are those who have done exactly this, but
don’t hold your tongue when you do. It’s as detrimental to us as it is to them
if we don’t at least offer the truth of God’s Unconditional Love, a gift of
eternal and infinite measure. That’s what Jesus points out here in the Gospel
of Matthew.
Matthew 18:15-17 KJV – Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
NIV – “If your
brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of
you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen,
take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the
testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it
to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as
you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Matthew 25:26-28 KJV – His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
NIV – “His master
replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not
sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put
my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have
received it back with interest. “’So take the bag of gold from him and give it
to the one who has ten bags.
We see this very sentiment with the Gospel according to
Luke, sharing this same scene from a different point of view. It’s important to
correlate within the talking points between the gospel writers and their timing
for lessons as taught to them by Jesus. It’s important, very important, to see
these multiple corroborations. This is why Jesus and God both advised that
there be witnesses to everything wherever things were accomplished, miracles,
all of that. We see this with these two passages from the Gospel of Luke.
Luke 7:30 KJV – But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)
NIV – But the Pharisees and the experts in
the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been
baptized by John.)
Luke 19:22 KJV – And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
NIV – “His master
replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did
you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I
did not sow?
John the Beloved also has a great deal to share in the understanding of how to share the unconditional love that Jesus taught, even far into his life here on this earth. He shares just how important it is to discern truth from fiction, desire and drive from foolishness and trickery. To this very day in this world, that is something we still need to practice. Each of us has to work hard to understand what it means to avoid the seven troubles and prevent them from spreading through our families, our communities, and everywhere with everyone who has this true faith and the willingness to exercise it.
2 John 1:10 KJV – If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
NIV – If anyone comes to you and does not
bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them.
The truth is, not everyone wants to be saved, to be
brought to Christ and His eternal and infinite expression of Unconditional
Love. This is absolutely imperative for us to study, to ensure that the Word is
written in our minds and on our hearts. Here we see Titus speaking further.
Titus 3:12 KJV – When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.
NIV – As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus
to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to
winter there.
It’s important to understand that, though he was a
serious supporter of the Christian faith and teaching, Titus still hadn’t quite
gotten off the fence even in the end of his short letter. This is,
unfortunately, something that happened all the time both before and after Jesus
left this earth to join His Father in heaven. People still, even to this very
day, will not understand, or not be willing to understand the power that exists
in believing in God, in Jesus, and the Great Comforter the Holy Spirit. It is
up to us, as faithful Christians, to continue to pursue that ultimate gift,
eternal life, as it has always been ours to do so. We see here the connecting
verses shared between Paul, Luke, the Apostles and other theologians, followers
of Christ, as they shared their experiences.
Acts 20:4 KJV – And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
NIV – He was accompanied by Sopater son of
Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from
Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.
Ephesians 6:21 KJV – But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:
NIV – Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful
servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I
am and what I am doing.
Colossians 4:7 KJV – All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
NIV – Tychicus will tell you all the news
about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the
Lord.
While Titus is still learning, he does recognize that others are being drawn toward the faith that is through Jesus Christ our Savior, the Only Begotten Son of God. Reaching out to others to learn further what it is to love God’s Word and to share His Word with as many as possible might not be as difficult to some, but it is still a great challenge. All of us take time to learn, and it doesn’t always come easily. I wouldn’t be surprised if many have heard from some great theologians over the years that remind them, or us, that we cannot learn everything in a single day. Even Jesus admitted the same. Remember the 23rd Psalm’s first verse: “A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” This is something that Titus refers to.
Titus 3:13 KJV – Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.
NIV – Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need.
Teaching
God’s Word is something that should be shared with those around us. There are
many ways to learn. We learn by practicing, and it’s not isolated to one group,
intelligence is overrated, because everyone can learn who God is, who Jesus is,
and who the Holy Spirit is. Everyone can. Everyone should, but, like many
things in this world, people don’t learn, understand, or practice in the exact
same way. That’s what made Jesus the perfect teacher. He could understand all
those idiosyncrasies that often throw us normal people for the proverbial loop.
The Apostles share this thought.
Acts 18:24 KJV – And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
NIV – Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native
of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge
of the Scriptures.
Paul adds this.
1 Corinthians 16:12 KJV – As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time.
NIV – Now about our brother Apollos: I
strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go
now, but he will go when he has the opportunity.
The gospel writer, Matthew, also chimes in with this.
Matthew 22:34-35 KJV – But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
NIV – Hearing that Jesus had silenced the
Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law,
tested him with this question:
Some people are so afraid of the consequences true faith
in God and Jesus can bring. Persecution was commonplace in the decades, even
centuries, after Jesus was crucified, buried, and then ascended into heaven.
Everyone hid their faith in lots of different ways. This is one of many reasons
that people who were introduced to Christianity would sit on that fence. This
was frustrating for the apostles and followers who were willing to obviously
defy the Roman emperors and authorities, the Jewish Sadducees and Pharisees,
all of them. John the Beloved was notorious for pushing the envelope. We see
this through his words as he shares this.
3 John 1:6 KJV – Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:
NIV – They have told the church about your
love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God.
Honoring God, that’s everything that Jesus taught. How do
we honor God the most? By producing the spiritual fruits of any and all
spiritual harvests. This is something that Paul often shared with Titus, and
how Titus himself applied these teachings to his own life, the people around
him, and so on.
Titus 3:14 KJV – And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.
NIV – Our people must learn to devote
themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not
live unproductive lives.
As you well know, the Vine and Branches parable in the
Gospel of John has always been one of my favorites. The parables, all of them,
should be read, reread, and embedded into our hearts and minds. It’s also noteworthy
that John the Beloved wasn’t the only one to address this same parable. Here we
see the Gospel according to Matthew and his point of view.
Matthew 7:19 KJV – Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
NIV – Every tree that
does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Paul adds to these thoughts as he taught in the Turkish city of Ephesus, the Macedonian city of Philippi, and the Asia Minor city of Colossae of Phrygia.
Ephesians 4:28 KJV – Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
NIV – Anyone who has been stealing must steal
no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that
they may have something to share with those in need.
Philippians 1:11 KJV – Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
NIV – filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 4:16 KJV – For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
NIV – for even when I was in Thessalonica,
you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.
Colossians 1:10 KJV – That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
NIV – so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
You can see all the notes toward avoiding the seven troubles. You can also see the idea of “bearing fruit” in our faith, a good work of faith is supposed to help grow our knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, God’s Truth. In doing so we fulfill the very same teachings of Jesus Christ. It takes work. It’s not easy. We all know, or should know, that anything very good for us can also take a long time to maintain within us. If we do not entertain the curiosity of learning at all ages, then we’re not growing. There is no age limit to growth in our minds, in our hearts, spirits, souls, any of that and more. The human psyche can continue to learn and grow from day one to day 36,525, which equals out to a nice round one hundred years if we are blessed to have that sort of longevity. Here we are going back to the Old Testament writing of Isaiah sharing what the angels and citizens of Zion can feel. All of the beings in God’s world have the ability to learn and grow. This is proven in many views of Scripture through the Old and New Testaments.
Isaiah 61:3 KJV – To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
NIV – and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
We are finishing our lesson of Titus with this great final salute.
Titus 3:15 KJV – All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.
NIV – Everyone with me sends you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
It is so important for us to be friendly one to another, as Christians, because Jesus reflected exactly that during the final verses of the Vine and Branches parable. We see these factored in through the writings of John the Beloved, Paul, James, Peter, Timothy, and yes, other minor disciples, as we share in these last few verses for the citizens of Galatia and Ephesus.
Galatians 5:6 KJV – For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
NIV – For in Christ Jesus neither
circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is
faith expressing itself through love.
Ephesians 6:23 KJV – Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
NIV – Peace to the brothers and sisters, and
love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 1:5 KJV – Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
NIV – The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
The goal of this command is LOVE! The goal of SHARING AND KNOWING FAITH is LOVE! CHARITY OF A PURE HEART! Now, that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer that Jesus taught us saying:
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
(Matthew 6:9-13)
Closing Song: Kari Jobe ~ Let the Heavens Open https://youtu.be/oip3vHbbsek
~ Shalom ~
Rev. Laura A. Neff
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Evangelist Calvin Jennings
Covenant of Hope Ministries Main Site: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Scripture Excerpts: The New Open Bible Study Edition: Copyright © 1990: Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright © 1982: E. E. Gaddy and Associates, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright ©circa 1890-1910: International Bible Press, The John C. Winston Co.; Philadelphia, PA, USA
Sermon or Study Copyright © 2022 http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Our mission at Covenant of Hope Ministries is not to
exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is
created through fear together as the bringers of the
light of Jesus Christ found in the midst of darkness.
Praise God! I am still learning and growing at 66. My life has changed significantly over the years. I just hope that I am being a good example of Christ.
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