The Foundation for Missions

PRAY WITH ME PLEASE

If you have a copy of the Scriptures with you this morning, please turn with me back to Paul’s epistle to Titus. We will be finishing up our short series in this letter together today, with chapter 3.

Introduction

Over these past few weeks we have seen that Paul’s mission to Titus on the Island of Crete, was what Titus 1:5, says “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,”

In chapter 1, we saw the character of what Biblically qualified elders were, as Titus was appointing them in the cities on Crete.

They were to “hold fast to the faithful word”

both in their conduct, exhibiting godly character in stark contrast to those who teach falsely.

they were to exhort to obedience and rebuke what is false.

In chapter 2, we saw how Titus was to set in order how the believers in the churches were to act among themselves.

We saw that they were to live according to the word of God.

Their biblical standard of living is not unlike that of the Elders who were leading them.

We also saw that the way the lived as the Church of Jesus Christ, had a direct impact on the reputation of the Gospel and the Word of God to the unbelievers around them.

Today, in chapter 3, we will see how Titus was to set in order how believers are into interact with, and live among, the unbelieving Pagan world. We’ll come to find that how we interact with the unbelieving world similarly impacts the reputation of the Gospel and the Word of God as the previous two chapters implied.

In 1:16, Paul explains that false teachers actions & conduct prove that they are unfit for any good work, which hurts the reputation of the Gospel and ruins its witness.

Similarly in chapter 2, we saw three different places where the conduct of the Church is directly related to the reputation of the Word of God.

2:5

2:8

2:10

We’ll see how the good works that we do in and among the community affect our witness in chapter 3 in four ways:

The Christian is to live in submission to governing authorities.

The Christian is to live peaceably with his community.

The Christian is to remember who he was before Christ.

The Christian is to demonstrate love to unbelievers the same way God, in Christ, demonstrated His love towards us.

Read Titus 3.

1. The Christian is to live in submission to governing authorities.

Paul tells Titus to “Remind them”. This is present active, imperative, which implies that Titus was to continue giving this time and time again.

I think we can understand the issue of why submission towards the government would be difficult. Especially, as the pressures from Caesar Nero were beginning to be levied against Christians.

The great fire of Rome, that Nero blamed on the Christians happened the exact year it is believed that Paul wrote this in 64 A.D.

Christians stand out by submitting.

Submission is our attitude toward the government.

1 Peter 2:13, 17 “Be subject for the sake of the Lord to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority...Honor all people, love the brethren, fear God, honor the king.”

recognize God’s purpose for government: Romans 13:1-7.

God instituted government—> 13:1, 2. Resisting it therefore is resisting God.

Punishment and reward—> it is its divine purpose (vv. 3, 4).

Conscience sake—> A clear conscience before God when obeying government (v.5).

If submission is our attitude toward the government, obedience constitutes our actions towards the government.

If the government asks us to do something that is not against God’s Word, we willingly obey, and not gripe at the inconvenience.

There is only one Scriptural reason not to submit:

The demand to disobey God’s Word.

Acts 5:29 “But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “We must obey God rather than men.”

Even in that, we submit to the consequences of breaking the government’s laws.

Every time the apostles were arrested they went willingly to prison, and yet continued preaching.

Gospel ministry, with this type of submission is how the early church turn the world upside down.

Acts 17:6 “And when they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also;”

If we want to transform society, lets follow their lead.

Ready for every good work.

We are no longer just passive participants in society, watching and waiting for it to collapse into oblivion.

No, we are actively participating in what is good.

This means that we cannot reach our community by being absent from it.

Even to the point of the Elder of the Church.

One of Paul’s qualifications given to Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:7 “And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

These good works pave the way for evangelism:

1 Peter 2:11-12. The passage immediately before Peter talks about submission to government, he explains that our conduct among the Gentiles (Pagans) should remain excellent.

We see Paul define these works a little more in Titus 3:8 & 14.

Paul calls these good works “profitable” for men in verse 8. They are good for society as a whole! Looks to the benefit for other men.

Paul says that believers will not be “unfruitful” in meeting pressing needs. Looks to the spiritual fruit, whether growth in the Christian, or a harvest of new believers.

There was a day that the Church led the way in caring for the unfortunate: homeless, orphan, widow, abused. We called the works or acts of mercy. We’ll see why that is so incredible later on.

How many orphanages have Christian roots?

How many hospitals have Christian names?

Homeless shelters and rescue mission have been set up by churches?

Meeting these societal needs are not opposing to the Gospel, but they pave the way for it!

This stood in stark contrast with the Cretan people.

Cretans were known for the rebelliousness. Therefore to see a Cretan submit to the government would have been noticed, because it would’ve been quite the transformation.

I don’t need to say much about the times that we live in today, for you to understand the political polarization that is going on in our country.

The Christian should not be a part of that polarization.

The term “evangelical” that used to mean a person who is reaching out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, has been co-opted by this polarized society and determined to be a group in identity politics.

The reputation of a Christian should not be “republican”.

but one of love and care for society, regardless.

Paul broadens the scope of the community, from the government, to all people in verse 2. This is point number 2.

2. The Christian is to live peaceably within his community (v. 2).

You can see this in the phrase “slander no one” and demonstrated gentleness to “all men”. It is no longer just the government in view, but the entire society.

We should:

Slander no one: literally the word “blaspheme” in the Greek. Only this is not talking about God, it means we are not maliciously tearing down unbelievers, those in verse 3, because that is who we once were.

be peaceable: we not to be contentious or quarrelsome with those in verse 3.

be considerate: We are to be forbearing, or considering them first with our actions.

demonstrating gentleness: this is actually a governing statement, capping off all of verse 1 and 2. Simply showing that we are to be mild or even-tempered with them.

What impact might that have had in the Cretan community?

Christians, living holy and righteous lives, men and women according the Word of God, led by godly men, as they love and care for their community that was so sinful?

How much different is that to the zeitgeist or the polarizing spirit of our age?

That’s why Paul goes on here, in verses 4-7, defining the love and care that Christians are to have for the communities that they live in.

3. The Christian is to remember who he was before Christ (v. 3).

If we are honest, when we look out in our world today, it can be quite hard to want to reach people with the gospel. They seem to be so steeped in wickedness, and have a completely different set of “values” than we do.

As the churches on Crete would begin to change from the ministry of Titus, inevitably their eyes would have begun to open to the evil going on around them.

Paul even quoted Epimenedes in Titus 1:12, “One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.””

He encouraged them, however, to remember that they were once like that too. When we look out at the filth going on in our country, our state, and our city, we need to remember that were it not for the grace of God, we would still be in it!

Look at how he describes our previous state before salvation (v. 3):

foolish: We were ignorant of spiritual truth.

disobedient: We disobeyed the Law of God written on our hearts (that innate sense of right and wrong).

deceived: We fell for the trap of the deceitful schemes seeking to make us believe anything other than the truth of God.

enslaved to lusts and pleasures: We talked about this last week, where we were living enslaved to sin, but God freed us from that slavery into slavery of righteousness:

Romans 6:16-18 “Do you not know that when you go on presenting yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were given over, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

That is the divide between us. We have different masters.

malice: general wickedness or ill-will directed toward others.

envy: This simply entitlement culture. Being unsatisfied with what you have, whether possessions or power, when compared to another.

despicable: Literally “being hated” or “worthy of hatred”.

hating one another:

Simply put, this is our culture today. Even more so, this is who we were without Christ.

Though, at one time lost and degenerate, God show us His kindness and affection, which resulted in our salvation. We see that in the coming verses.

The thrust of these connecting conjunctions (For and But), establishes the idea that Christians are to demonstrate this same kindness and love to lost individuals and society, making Christianity more attractive, which results in the salvation of others.

4. The Christian is to demonstrate love to unbelievers the same way God, in Christ, demonstrated His love towards us.

Paul now explains our mission to love unbelievers by outlining how God demonstrated His own love toward us.

Kindness: warmhearted and sympathetic.

Affection: “philanthropy” in the Greek. Entering into and alleviating suffering.

God knew our condition of suffering in sin and shame, and entered into it to do something about it, by sending His Son to die on the Cross.

Washing of regeneration

We are washed and cleansed from our sins.

Paul said it this way in Ephesians 5:26 “having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,”

We are made new creations at salvation.

The Old man is dead, behold the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 “Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Renewing

The ongoing work of the Spirit that transforms us into the image of Christ day by day.

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

Justified us.

declared us legally not guilty.

He accomplished this by imputing our sin on Christ, and then pouring out His wrath for sin there.

Simultaneously imputing Christ’s righteousness into our account.

2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Now, we, who were alienated from God, as His enemies, are made a part of His family, and made heir, simply because He poured out His mercy and grace.

Not because we deserved it in the least (not by works).

Subtle rebuke to the Judaizers who would teach that you have to keep various parts of the mosaic law to earn your salvation.

Would even separate themselves from Gentiles: Galatians 2:11-14.

Truly it is a rebuke to any man made religion.

The way we demonstrate this love for the community, is by doing these works in the community.

Look at verse 8 for again moment: Titus 3:8 “This is a trustworthy saying. And concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be intent to lead in good works. These things are good and profitable for men.”

Because we have been loved by God in such away, because we have been transformed into a new creation, we now reach out with that same love to our community.

Doing good work in the community paves the way for the gospel.

A word about Paul’s closing statements:

vv. 9-10: False teachers & teaching lead to unprofitable ministry. This is another reason why they are so dangerous.

Conclusion

This, brethren, is the foundation for Christian Missions. When we see the broken and hurting in our community, we should be ready and willing to reach out with love and the resources we have to alleviate their suffering.

Whether that is through Elijah’s Pantry, the Family Pantry, or any other way that the community needs help, we are to, “be ready to lead in every good work, to meet the pressing needs, so that we will not be unfruitful, because that is profitable for men.”

However, we should not forget that meeting these physical needs do not transform a life. Only God, through His gospel, faithfully preached, can save a person in His mercy and grace.

Both are necessary as the Church reaches its surrounding community.