Resting in the Sanctuary While walking through Ezekiel we visited Titus 3 and the wonders of God's salvaging grace. So join me as we look at this personal and intimate sanctuary of rest that we find through righteousness of Jesus. The central message and teaching is that God promises to be a personal, intimate sanctuary for His people, even in exile and suffering, as revealed in Ezekiel 11:16. This divine refuge is not a physical temple but a living presence that offers solace, protection, and spiritual renewal, transforming believers into wells of living water through a new heart and spirit. The sermon emphasizes that this transformation—marked by spiritual circumcision, inner renewal, and a contrite spirit—is made possible by God's grace and fulfilled in Christ's atoning work, enabling believers to live in obedience, praise, and mission. Drawing from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Deuteronomy, it underscores that God's mercy is extended to those who turn to Him with all their heart, while judgment falls on those who reject His truth. Ultimately, the believer's life becomes a testimony of grace—a sanctuary in the world—where God's presence is felt, and His salvation is both personally experienced and shared with others. Titus 3 and the Ministry of Bringing People In All right… y'all, listen—little by little. That's how the Lord works in His people. Little by little, He pulls us out of self, out of fear, out of the world's noise… and He teaches us how to rest in Him. And I want to tell you—if you caught that word in the reading, you caught a lifeline. You caught something you can tuck away. You caught a promise that'll hold you up when your knees won't. Ezekiel 11:16—mark it

Persuade Them… If God ever saves... God forever saves! God's eternal salvation absolutely rests happily and securely on both sides of time... it's just manifested in time, where we are in our sin and rebellion, through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the preaching of the good news of His redeeming grace. Eternity past and eternity future meet us, in time, through the life sacrifice and cross of His Son... and His eternal oath and objective will endure throughout our days upon this earth, or what is known to us, as time. Notice how Paul described this thought to Titus, as he sent him a word while he was the under-shepherd over the elders and churches in Crete. Paul said his calling and aim were intentional in every way, for he had a heavenly agenda and mandate to fulfill — to persuade them — and with unquestioned loyalty, he expected nothing less than what God promised before time ever began. "...in expectation of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested His eternal promise through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior" (Titus 1:1-3). God's eternal salvation, in Christ Jesus: Its origin is eternal. Its oath is eternal. Its order is eternal. Its object is eternal. Its offering is eternal. Its objective is eternal. Its outcome is eternal. Its obligation is eternal. Its offense is eternal. If ever saved, forever saved... for God's salvation is revealed in time, but it is in no wise limited by time nor is it limited by men, who are limited to time. His saving grace is granted, guarded, and guaranteed eternally. It rests on both sides of time... the

Grace, Godliness, and Goodness… Marks of sinners that rest their lives upon the saving and sufficient grace of the Lord Jesus. Imperfect people entrusting their lives upon His promises and perfect life. #nestingwithjesus #titus #titus1 #titus2 #titus3 #goodworks #ready #point

Make Sure They Know My convictions are gonna show up in my conduct. What I believe affects my behavior. All those things are gonna manifest. My praying is gonna affect my living. And my living will affect my praying. My learning is gonna affect my living. And my living will also affect my learning. All of it plays hand in hand. Now we're not always going to get it right. That's the thing. We're not always going to do the right thing. But even when we don't do the right thing, the right behavior in the wrong thing will still point people to Jesus. With us admitting, "Hey, I did that out of my own flesh. I was acting as a natural man before and I apologize." Would you forgive me for saying that or thinking that away or doing that? That was uncharacteristic of my King in what he's giving me to walk in. Man, we mess up all the time. We miss that mark often. But to see, in the right spirit, even the wrong thing can be pointed back to Him and what He's done, because everybody around you's messed up, amen? Everybody you're dealing with has transgressed and sinned and missed the mark and is not getting it right, but not everybody you deal with rests their entire life upon Jesus. What we believe will be manifested in our behavior. Belief and behavior go hand in hand. #nestingwithjesus #titus #titus1 #titus2 #titus3 #goodworks #ready #point

Understanding Grace This word is intended to help the brethren with our understanding of God's redeeming grace, in Christ Jesus, and our responsibility to fill the earth with the splendor of His glory and the saving work through Jesus. Welcome to the Preaching and Teaching Hour with Pastor Nick Holden. This message was delivered while we served the faith family at Gray Baptist in Gray, Texas on 10.17.23. #nestingwithjesus #titus2and11thru14 #1corinthians16and22 #john17 #matthew11 #burningbush #yokedwithJesus #exodus3 #jeremiah27and5thru8 #isaiah40 #waiting #understandinggrace #mark8and34thru38 #theagendaofgrace #theschoolofgrace #graybaptistchurch

Address Who and What they Profess Address Who and What they Confess and Profess Address Who and What they Address by Addressing Who and What they Profess. Take captive the active witness they give you. Addressing Who and What We also Confess and Profess Titus 1:16 highlights the contrast between professed knowledge of God and attitudes, affections, and actions that denounce and deny Jesus. A few bullet points from the transcription of this message. • The book of Titus and its themes. 0:00 ◦ Titus 1:16 highlights the contrast between professed knowledge of God and attitudes, affections, and actions that deny Him. • False teachings in Crete. 2:30 ◦ Paul left Titus on the island of Crete to address the lack of submission to Jesus' Lordship and appoint elders. ◦ Paul emphasizes the importance of sound doctrine in rebuking those who contradict it. • Misinterpreting God's message and mistreating Jesus. 7:59 ◦ Pastor Nick Holden argues that false teachers in Crete mistreat Jesus and deny His Lordship. ◦ God chooses leaders, warns against rebelling against them. ◦ God controls the distribution of power and authority, even among nations like Babylon and Medes Jeremiah 27:5-9. • God's authority and salvation through Jesus Christ. 14:41 ◦ Pastor Nick emphasizes the importance of submitting to God's chosen means of salvation, as seen in John 17 and Titus… #nestingwithjesus #titus1 #titus1and16 #titus2 #jeremiah27 #jeremiah27and5thru9 #john17 #acts17 #acts3 #titus2and11thru14 #grace #guilt #jesus #GainingaHeartofWisdom #gain #wisdom #gleaning #learning #messups #dontletyourmessupsmessyouup #messupsdonthavetomessyouup #redeeminggrace #sin #forgiveness #Hesbetteratsavin

Regenerating and Refreshing Paul's letter to Titus describes the encounter like this... "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man was manifested (made clear to us), not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7) Those who have been bought, sought, caught and taught by Jesus can see and know that Jesus is God in the flesh and this revelation and regeneration changes their perspective and perception on God, life, grace and eternity. Jesus alters everything when He interrupts and invades a life. "But we are BOUND to give thanks to the Father always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because the Father, FROM (eternity past) the beginning, CHOSE you FOR salvation (now, in time) through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, TO which He called you by our gospel, FOR the obtaining of the (eternal, forever and ever) glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). #nestingwithjesus #titus #titusoverview #titus1 #titus2 #titus3 #regeneration #jeremiah16and19thru21 #2thessalonians2and13 #1peter1 #sanctification #john3and16 #acts3and22thru26 #interruption #invasion #covering #veil #remove #isaiah25and7 #grace #faith #justification #redemption #agentofregeneration #gentiles #holycalling #eternalsalvation #salvationinChrist #bothsidesoftime #fromeverlastingtoeverlasting #Hissalvationisfarreaching #farreachingonbothsidesoftime

Things Still Lacking #nestingwithjesus #titus #titus1# titus2 #setinorderwhatslacking #healingwhatsmissing #mendingwhatslacking #2Timothy3 #ephesians4 #hebrews13and20thru21 #missionary #ministry #colossians1and28thru29 #doctrine #didask #clarification #conviction #correction #confirmation #complete #pluckablefruit #fruit #scriptures #gifts

Grace, Grace, Grace The clearest and most compelling explanations of grace and its concise agenda is found in Titus 2. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."" Titus 3:11-14 Yes, glory… such a clear revelation on the agenda of grace which is personified in Jesus, who gave Himself, when He (the personification of grace) came, to redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for Himself, His own unique people, who are now zealous for His good work and agenda. If grace is teaching it is teaching us to say no to us and yes to Him. It reaches us in our sins, impeaches us from the throne of governing our own lives, and teaches us how to live, love, and look for the blessed hope of His appearing. Glory be… the syllabus of grace, for the masters level work in eternal living, in God's Kingdom University, all open Book assignments, tests, and grading — to be lived and applied abroad for the classroom of life. Therefore, when a servant of grace is teaching God's children, it's ALWAYS with the same agenda of grace... instructing us on how to live life for Jesus, denounce and defer our rights to Jesus and eagerly wait for the hope of our righteousness that is found in Him. All biblical teaching in the school of grace is going to teach and remind us that God's redeeming grace REACHES us in our sin, IM

You Are or Were… Where and Who are You? Yes, a dark and grossly deceived world that as Paul described as being... unwise, unpersuaded, unable to see right properly, being led away by the darkness of their self-centered minds, being hated and hating others (Titus 3:3). And while he gives us this description he also says we were no different than them until we were interrupted by Jesus and invaded with His redeeming grace and glory. Before the interruption of Jesus: Humanity without Jesus "For we ourselves also were sometimes (in the past) foolish (unwise), disobedient (unpersuaded), deceived (unable to see light), serving divers lusts (living for self)and pleasures (going our way), living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another (looking out for number one and dared anyone to cross us or try to get in our way" Titus 3:3 After the interruption of Jesus: Disciples who now know and follow Jesus "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man was manifested (made clear to us), not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:4-7) The only thing that separates verses three and four is Jesus and His far-reaching redeeming grace. America and the entire world need this interrupting work before they are disrupted with destruction as in the days of Noah. See, Noah, like you and I, was interrupted when he was invaded with grace and instructed by God on what to do