Express A Sweet Spirit Series

Turn in your Bibles to Titus 3:1-8. We are winding down our study through Paul’s letter to his protégé named Titus. Today, we’re going to look at a passage that teaches us to express a sweet spirit.

I’m glad to be here this morning. How about you? Did you get out of bed this morning and say, “Good morning, Lord!” Or did you say, “Good Lord, it’s morning?”

My attitude toward the day determines if I’m going to be a person that people want to be with or not. I do fail at it sometimes but I try to be someone who is an enjoyable person to be around.

Jesus was an enjoyable person to be around. His followers found that being with Jesus made their lives better. It was easy to be with Him.

All kinds of people were attracted to Jesus. Sinners, like the woman at the well in John 4. Intellectuals, like Nicodemus in John 3. Doubters, like Thomas. All kinds of people were comfortable in the presence of Jesus. His closest friends loved to be around Him.

Jesus had a sweet spirit about him that attracted people to Him. The more we grow in Christ, the more his attitude should be seen in us. Christians should not be mean-spirited, quick-tempered, critical people. We ought to be developing a sweet spirit inside us that makes us easy to be with.

I think this is one of the most desirable qualities in a spouse. Solomon, who had some experience with marriage after having 700 weddings, said that it is “Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife,” in Prov. 21:19)

It's a joy to live with someone who is pleasant. But it's miserable to live with anyone who doesn't have a sweet spirit, no matter how beautiful or attractive they are.

I believe this is true of the church as well. If the church is going to represent Jesus to the world, then there ought to be a sweet spirit in the church. People should be glad to be at church. There should be a feeling of joy in the place.

In Titus 3:3 - 8, we are instructed to replace malice, envy and hatred with a devotion to kindness and doing what is good. Most importantly, these verses give us the reason we ought to develop this sweet spirit. If we don't have a sweet spirit it is because we have forgotten what God has done for us or we haven't allowed Him to transform us. Once we realize who we are in Christ Jesus, we can't help but have a good attitude.

Titus 3:1-8 – Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

How

How are we to express a sweet spirit? Paul says let me give you some examples. The first way is that we are to be respectful of authority. He says in vs 1: Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities.

The New Testament emphasizes this teaching in other passages. Rom. 13:1-2 – Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

God is the One who has established authority in this world. In fact, God has established 3 basic authorities: the home, the church, and the government. God set up these authorities so that there would be order in the world. A church is going to have a greater impact in the community when its members are model citizens.

The first area I want to focus on in being respectful of authority is the home. God has established the home as an authority and I believe that respect for any authority begins in the home.