The What and the Why?

Opening Illustration

When I was a child, my older cousin married a man named Larry. This was so early on that i honestly don’t even remember the wedding, or life before it. Larry has, and continues to be a part of my life today.

When they got married, Larry wasn’t the only addition to my family. Larry’s family became like family to me as well. Especially his two nephews, Eric and Dakota. Eric and I are the same age. We ended up becoming the best of friends, and were often inseparable. Every second, whether on the ball field, or not, was spent together. There were four of us. Me, Eric, Alex, and Mika. It was rare that you would ever see one of us, without the other four close in tow.

Eric’s brother Dakota was about 4 years younger than us. and while he was much younger, most of the time where we went, Dakota went. To be honest, it was annoying at times. We wanted to do our thing, and he was so “immature”. But in reality, He just wanted to be like us.

Flash forward to this past Monday. I find out that Dakota, only in his late 20’s died due to some destructive decisions that he had made over time.

And to be honest, that has shook me a bit this week. Why?

Well, i think back to our childhood, and i can see now that the “immaturity” that we saw was really someone needing guidance, someone needing someone to love them, needing someone to show them that there is hope!

I had an opportunity to invest in someone’s life, and to be startlingly real with y'all tonight, I missed that opportunity.

So tonight, I want to show you What it looks like to be follow Jesus, and Why we do what we do.

Tonight, I’m going to show you what Paul said were important traits of the Christian, then i’ll show you his reasoning behind it.

Intro

Last week we started lookin into the book of Titus.

Titus is a short book with a big punch!

This letter is meant to help Titus lead the church at Crete.

In Chapter 1, we learn that Paul had been there with Titus at first, but had left Titus in charge when he felt it was time for his to go.

We saw that there were people in the church who were causing problems. Teaching people things that were wrong, talking about people and the church in a negative way.

It was so bad that one of the Cretan’s said in Verse 12 “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons”

Titus’s Job here is to break this cycle in Crete by teaching them the ways and Hope of Jesus!

We have the same job today.

We look around, and we see cycles of brokenness all everywhere.

Whether its friends following the crowd.

People we look up to messing up and ruining there lives

or even looking at bad decision in our own families.

When I say cycle, I mean something that just happens over and over and over again. Why? because that’s what we’ve seen others around us do.

We see it all the time don’t we?

A person becomes a bully, Why? because that’s what they’ve seen. Either they haven’t been treated well by family, or because they see the people the look up to bullying other people and want their acceptance.

A person begins to show to much of their body on social media, why? because they want attention, that they don’t feel like they’re getting from healthy places, so they choose to find it in unhealthy places.

The Cycle of my family is that of Alcoholism. Growing up, I sat around many bonfires where all of the adults were drinking to the point of drunkeness. To the point where I have had to drive adults home because they were unable to do so themselves.

Praise God that I have been able to break that Cycle in my life and in my home!

Whatever the cycle of brokenness may be in your life, It can be broken! and There’s a better life waiting on the other side!

Let’s see How

Exegesis

The What

Titus 2:1–10 ESV

1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

Here, Titus begins by speaking directly to us. “but as FOR YOU”.

This is Titus saying “LISTEN UP!” because he’s about to give us applicable steps to take to break these bad cycles we’ve been talking about.

Teach what accords with Sound Doctrine (Vs. 1)

The people of Crete were teaching things that went against the teachings of Jesus. Similar to today, people liked some Christian teachings, but only when it didn’t challenge them to change their lives.

We must be will to be taught, and to teach things that challenge people.

Be Committed to your families (Vs. 4)

We have to break the cycle that says that unfaithfulness and divorce is okay. God designed families to work together, and as someone who was raised by divorced parents, I have made the commitment for my boys to never have to live that life.

Have Self-Control (Vs. 5 & 6)

We cannot make decisions based on what other people are doing. God will not take, “my friend talked me into it” as a good reason for making destructive decisions in our lives.

Be Pure (Vs. 5)

LISTEN TO ME: You are God’s masterpiece! You have immense value. Don’t sell yourself to someone at Gas Station prices when you deserve someone willing to invest their lives into you! WAIT FOR YOUR HUSBAND OR WIFE!!!

Be Kind (Vs. 5)

There are few situations in this life that can’t be handled with Kindness. Our culture says otherwise, but the Bible says it’s possible!

Display Good Works (Vs. 7)

In the same way that your friends see all of the people around them doing bad things, be the person leading them to do Good works in Jesus name!! Love people, Serve People, cry with people who are hurting!

Only speak Good (Vs. 8)

Don’t give the enemy anything bad to say about Jesus because of your words.

Be a good employee, player, or teammate (Vs. 9)

Even in those moments of frustration, don’t be divisive. The Lord will reward the one who brings unity!

Take note of all of these things, and store them in your heart, but understand that it’s not these things that make us a Christian. There are people in the world who have done all of these things, yet will spend eternity in hell, because they don’t know the why behind their what.

It’s because we’re Christians that we do these things.

The Why?

Titus 2:11–15 ESV

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 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. 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Verses 11-15 give us the why behind the what.

Because we need Grace

Titus 2:11 ESV

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

It doesn’t take much looking for us to see that we as people make bad decisions.

In those bad decisions, no matter whether intentional or unintentional, there are consequences that come with them.

A great example is to take a rock and throw it into water. What happens? The water ripples, doesn’t it? and those ripples, though they start small and in a single spot, spread out, and begin affecting everything around them.

The same is true for our sin. Because of our sin, there are consequences both here on this earth, and after we die.

that’s why we need Grace. You see, Jesus came so and took on the consequences of our bad decisions, so that we don’t have too. Will we still deal with things here on earth, absolutely! But it’s only because of the Grace and Mercy of God that He sent Jesus to do that for us, so that we would have the chance to go to heaven!!

But notice, verse 11 says “bringing salvation “FOR” all people. Not to all people. This means that we still have a role to play in receiving this gift of Grace!! We don’t just get it, we’ve got to follow Jesus to get it.

Because we need Hope

Titus 2:13 ESV

13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

We need to know that there is someone bigger than us. We look at the stars at night knowing there is something out there that gives us purpose. Something/someone who is so powerful that He created those stars, and if they are that powerful then they must be able to help me make it through this life.

John 1:1–3 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus is that person. And the awesome part is that He didn’t just make everything and leave. He’s coming back.

Matthew 24:44 ESV

44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

1 Peter 4:13 ESV

13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

While many fear the day when Jesus returns, The Bible tells those of us who love him to “Rejoice” or to look forward to the day when He returns!! It’s on that day when those who have surrendered their lives to follow Him will face no more pain, no more trials, and no more tears.

That’s why we do all of the other stuff. It’s because we have hope for our lives, and we want other people to become Christians so that they can have that Hope too!!

Because we need to be Redeemed

Titus 2:14 ESV

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.

To redeem something is to Gain, or to regain, possession of something in exchange for payment.

We all once belonged fully to Jesus, but at some point the devil too partial ownership of us because of our sin. Because of our bad decisions, because of our desires, the enemy is trying to get fully ownership.

But Jesus is standing here, right now… Telling you that He bought you back on the Cross, and all you have to do to be redeemed, to be fully Jesus’s again, is to surrender your life to following Him! Turning from who you are in this world, and committing to become more like Him Daily!!

We know the What, We know the Why

of God

Now the Question turns back to you. What are you doing with your life, and Why?