(Titus 019) Big Picture Missional Living
Church 101 | A Study Through the Book of Titus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 47:12
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12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.
13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing.
14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.
15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
We learned that Paul will end his letters with a personal note.
That is what we have in these verses.
Let’s be reminded of the context.
5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
Ultimately this is a church planting book.
We have learned far more than church planting, but it is church planting.
So we learn from this context.
We have said many times that spiritual reproduction should be normal.
It should be normal in our personal lives.
It should be normal in a local church.
Local church reproduction is church planting.
1. Paul’s intentional partnerships for the mission. (vs 12)
1. Paul’s intentional partnerships for the mission. (vs 12)
12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.
(1)A. The men Paul could send.
(1)A. The men Paul could send.
Paul is sending a replacement - Artemas or Tychicus.
Artemas is not mentioned.
Tychicus we already know.
Tychicus...
Introduced on Paul’s third missionary journey.
4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.
Traveled with Paul from Corinth to Jerusalem.
21 So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything.
Beloved brother and faithful minister.
7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.
(1)A. The men Paul could send.
(1)A. The men Paul could send.
Fellow servant.
Also delivered Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus and Colossae.
This is another one of Paul’s investments.
Tychicus was poured into by Paul and prepared to serve.
Tychicus was another Timothy or Titus.
Who can we send?
(1)B. The man Paul wanted to see.
(1)B. The man Paul wanted to see.
Titus.
An interesting turn of events that gives us a glimpse into how Paul accomplished so much!
Paul was wintering in Nicopolis
A port city on the western coast of Greece.
He wanted Titus to meet him there.
Ultimately to...
10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
(1)B. The man Paul wanted to see.
(1)B. The man Paul wanted to see.
Paul wanted to send him to Dalmatia.
So he tells Titus that when one of the two men get to Crete “do your best” or “make every effort” to come to me.
Tie up loose ends and hand over the work in Crete as quickly as you can.
2. The church’s intentional partnerships for the mission. (vs 13-14)
2. The church’s intentional partnerships for the mission. (vs 13-14)
13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing.
14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.
(2)A. The practice of partnership - to do good.
(2)A. The practice of partnership - to do good.
Two more people are named and instruction was given for them.
Two more moving pieces on Paul’s chess board.
Paul is not randomly moving people around, but strategically positioning them around the world by putting them where they are most needed and can serve best with their talents.
These men were passing through Crete headed to help with church planting someplace.
“Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos”
Who were these guys?
We don’t know Zenas.
We know Apollos.
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
(2)A. The practice of partnership - to do good.
(2)A. The practice of partnership - to do good.
We also met Apollos in Acts.
Use what we are learning Sunday nights...
They most likely delivered the letter to Titus.
Diligently hasten them.
Do whatever you can to help them.
House them.
Feed them.
Give them money.
14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.
(2)A. The practice of partnership - to do good.
(2)A. The practice of partnership - to do good.
“Let our people”
The christian community in Crete.
Every Christian.
Just as Paul refers to “the saints” in Ephesians 4.
“Learn”
Doing good works is not natural.
It needs to be taught and learned.
The process of hearing, increasing your knowledge, and putting into practice what you learn.
Part of our discipleship process.
As we grow in Christ we grow in our good works.
17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
(2)A. The practice of partnership - to do good.
(2)A. The practice of partnership - to do good.
Good works are a fruit of and proof of our growing faith.
“Devote themselves to good works”
To be intentional to do good works.
7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,
8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
(2)A. The practice of partnership - to do good.
(2)A. The practice of partnership - to do good.
Paul is insistent on doing good works.
Be a model of good works.
Others should be able to see it!
Model it, show it, talk about it.
Zealous for good works.
A burning desire.
A fire that drives you to live for the world around you.
Ready for every good work.
Positioning your heart to be ready.
Positioning your schedule to be ready.
Having the ability to do the good work when it is presented to you.
Carefully devoted to good works.
These good works Paul talks about in Titus involved the advancement of the gospel.
Either personally or tangibly helping others.
We are not expected to do one or the other, but both!
Advancing the gospel should become so natural to us that we joyfully and zealously involve ourselves in it and quickly come to assistance of others who are doing the same thing.
We live on this earth for the sake of the gospel.
“so as to help cases of urgent need.”
In this case these church planters had an urgent need and the church was asked to meet that need.
(2)B. The purpose of partnership - not to be useless.
(2)B. The purpose of partnership - not to be useless.
“help…and not be unfruitful.”
Paul gives two choices to the christian community in Crete.
Stand hand in hand with frontline church planters.
Ignore the need, do nothing, and be useless.
The idea of unfruitfulness or uselessness goes beyond good works.
Not just unfruitful in good works.
Unfruitful in cultivating christian graces.
What are some tangible ways we can partner with other church planters and meet their urgent needs?
3. The church’s distant fellowship in the mission. (vs 15)
3. The church’s distant fellowship in the mission. (vs 15)
15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.
(3)A. Ministry is about people.
(3)A. Ministry is about people.
Paul writes a letter full of important instruction but doesn’t forget the people who are doing the work.
(3)B. The mission is being accomplished by people all over the world.
(3)B. The mission is being accomplished by people all over the world.
Titus had an unnamed network of people tied together through Paul.
Titus knew who they were.
They were with Paul sending their love and greeting to Titus.
Titus was with people who knew and loved Paul.
Pastor Mike and I put time into building relationships with other pastors and churches.
This is a good thing.
A biblical part of our ministry.
Paul didn’t reach the world on his own.
He trained people.
He build a network of people.
He directed a group of people to the places of greatest need.
In the book of Titus alone...
Titus
Tychicus and Artemas
Apollos and Zenas
All the people in the church.
This was the team Paul built.
Where do you fit in this model?
This is the model I would like to see at First Baptist HC.
Build a network of people and churches so we can tangibly help the advancement of the gospel across the world.
Have people ready that we can send to plant or revitalize churches.
Questions for the week:
What are you doing to regularly advance the gospel? (Is your life fruitful or useless? Is our church fruitful or useless?)
What are some tangible ways we can help with church planting?
Are you willing to be one who can be sent? (Either temporarily or permanently?)