Notes to prep for MVBC Mission Conference

Ripples of Grace Motivated Momentum

I read a letter this week that I thought was very interesting.

This letter was written by a high ranking executive of a growing world wide organization. The letter was written to one of the organizations associates, in the field.

A new branch had been recently established in a small, but world renowned water front community, and as usual when starting an endeavor in a new location, there were issues.

The problem was not with the service that was being provided. The specific service being offered was desperately needed in this community, especially this community! One of the issues that came along with “servicing” this target community was that the culture of corruption and deception had reached new heights.

The very name of this small (160 mile long, 35 mile wide) island had come to represent corruption, deception, dishonesty, and every form of vice imaginable. (Talk about a mission field, right?!?! — reminds me of Liberia where “cold water” reigns and little ever gets done without someone's palm being greased…)

One of the executives of the organization had sent his young associate to this community to finish setting up their new branch as well as organize and appoint leaders that could take over the operation of the branch. The associate was instructed to make sure that the leaders he selected were qualified and truly wanted to be part of the organization.

You see, the executive had come to the island and had done the initial ground work in establishing the new branch there. He knew all too well about the insubordinate nature of the people. He warns the young associate of all of the empty talkers and deceivers that claim to know all about the business as well as the boss. The executive warns the associate by saying, “They are going to tell you that they are buddies with the boss, but they are doing all they can to work against him. These people are disobedient and not able, in themselves, to do any kind of good work, be careful…”

As I continued to read through the letter, the executive gives words of warning but also gives advice and encouragement. He describes how each group of people in their organization can most effectively operate to reach the target demographic in every age group and every walk of life. The qualities that are required from each member would be humility, reliability, honesty, loyalty, the right attitude, and the right end goal perspective.

Throughout the letter, the executive alludes to and directly instructs the associate to do everything possible to make the product they are promoting as attractive as possible.

How is this done?

He says that through the conduct, integrity, operating ethos, community development and just plain old, good works, as their product is promoted, these “Cretans” will receive their message more eagerly and as this happens more people will see how desperately they need the promises their organization is promoting.

What this executive knew and was trying to relay to his associate was that the only way that the people in this area were going to receive and embrace their product, is if they see those that are promoting it… wearing it, using it, living it, loving it, and making it more attractive every day. Never underestimate the power of seeing a product in action. (How many of you own a snuggie? Or at least are brave enough to admit it? Or, How many of us have ever used oxy-clean or owned a gins knife? There you go, attractive advertising in action.)

People want to see how beautifully a product is modeled, and worn before they will be fully attracted to it.

As I read this letter I thought, wow, this situation mirrors many of today’s life situations around the world. (How many mission fields does that letter sound like? Africa, Asia, The Caribbean, or Canada, even America?) An organization trying to establish itself and make a difference in the world, but having to fight against the corruption and the pure fallenness of this world.

While the letter I am telling you about fits many of the situations business people find theirselves in today, the letter that I read this week and just paraphrased for you, was a letter written about 1950 years ago. The “executive’s” name was Paul, and the associate was his young protégé named Titus, who was left behind on the island of Crete to help finish planting the church there and see it grow to maturity.

Crete was located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. It was the midway port to the continents beyond and a melting pot for anyone and anything. During the days of Titus, the island of Crete held up to a million residents occupying a hundred famous cities along the coast. The citizens of Crete had a reputation for deception and vice. In fact, if you said that someone was “Crete-izing" that meant he was lying. The expression, “playing a Cretan with a Cretan” meant that you tricked a trickster – you got the better of a deceiver by out-deceiving him.

(this hits close to home for me. In Liberia, many people pride themselves in being able to out-deceive each other. Rarely is there anything said that is meant to be taken at face value. There is always “the thing behind the thing”. In their tradition they have what they call “spider stories”. These are fables where a lesson is taught through story. The spider is usually the animal that is being tricked and out smarted….)

Titus had his work cut out for him in this church plant. Paul writes to encourage Titus in the ministry as well as give him some needed advice, from the perspective of a veteran whom had been through it all.

Paul writing from Rome…

Have you ever been on a pond or lake when it is completely still? When the water is so smooth it looks like glass? Whether you are in a boat or standing on the dock, the slightest move you make does what? Makes ripples.

Do you remember ever skipping rocks across the water when you were a kid?

… you’ll see ripples each time the rock impacts the water.

… every time the rock skips and reconnects the water, it makes an impact.... ripples are made.

Our interaction with our church family and local community is not so different.

Each time we touch… or impact (come into contact with) our church family and community, we make ripples.

As believers we need to be asking the question: what kind of ripples does my impact make?

Positive or negative? Long lasting or temporary? Helpful or harmful?

Have you ever thought of that? When you interact with people in this church.... what kind of impact are you having on them?

When you walk through the door.... what kind of ripples are you making?

Are they ripples of grace..... or something else?

Today I want to challenge you to consider what kind of impact you are making in the lives of those in our church.... and in our community. What kind of ripples are left behind by your presence?

As we open our Bible’s to Titus chapter 2 today, Paul will inform us of the importance of every believer’s involvement in the community life of the church.

God did not design the Christian life to be lived in isolation… or independently. It is so important for us to know how God intends for the lives of the people in the church to interweave, influence one another, and through our interactions testify to the truth, power and hope of the gospel. In our study today, Paul will outline the role of every member.

Let’s begin our study of chapter 2 with this thought:

“the entire chapter deals with the evangelistic impact of a spiritually healthy congregation… and gives direct, practical instruction about how believers are to live for the purpose of showing sinners the power and joy of salvation.” (Mac)

All that Paul will share with Titus in our text today is to help develop a spiritually healthy church.... so that that church can be a beacon of hope and instrument of Truth in the community.

II. Power in Community

Have you thought about what must have been going on in the church at Crete to cause Paul to command Titus to teach all that was fitting with sound, healthy doctrine?

The list of issues that Titus may have had to address in his teaching must have included anger, immorality, immaturity in life and doctrine, lack of reverence, slander, meanness, substance abuse, idleness, family brokenness, crudity, dishonesty, frivolity, disobedience, back talk, and theft. (Each of these issues are addresses in verses 2-9.) These are all sins that need to be addressed, and removed from our lives.... and local church community.

If issues like this had to be addressed in the apostolic church, then no doubt we have the very same issues in our churches today. — Many of these issues are beneath the surface of a nice “christian facade”… but trust me whenever there are fallen people present (that is all of us).... all of these issue are going to come up in one way or another.

These are real issues.... that have to be dealt with. In verses 2-10, Paul gives a series of binding requirements that are necessary for members of a healthy local church to meet in order to overcome the effects of sin in our lives and have an effective evangelistic impact in our community.

The qualities that Paul lists are strong, straightforward and specific. They are absolutely contrary to our proud, self-willed human nature and never have they been more controversial and unpopular than they are in our culture today.

Unfortunately, for years now, the standards of our culture have been elevated over God’s truth.... and even in the church the falsehood of self-fulfillment has become more important to some people than holy living.

What Paul is doing in this passage is giving us patters for holy living, that will make for effective gospel witness.

No one is left out in these instructions. Every member of the local church has a role to play.

As Titus begins teaching those in the church how they are to live in community.... he is to begin with those who were the natural community leaders. The older men and women.

A. Older Men & Women (2-3)

First, let’s define what “older” means. The word Paul uses here describes a person who is mature in years. The same word is used in Luke 1:18 when Zechariah said that he was an “old man” and then again in Paul’s letter to Philemon (9) where he calls himself an old man.

Paul addresses the older individuals in the church, he highlights three specific character traits that should be true of anyone who would be considered spiritually mature.

sober-minded (clear headed… sober in thought)

dignified (worthy of respect — living in such a way that honor and respect naturally comes.) The phrase “worthy of respect/ dignified hints at the importance of the communities regard. It implies that these “older men” are involved in the lives of others in their community.

self-controlled (he curbs his desires and impulses) — Self-control seems to be an overarching quality that will come up a few times today.

If you’ll notice verse 2, there are three more aspects of acceptable behavior listed; sound in faith (describes the personal relationship with God), love (describes relationship with others) and steadfastness/ perseverance (describes steadfastness for the sake of these relationships, especially in the face of opposition (like Paul faced in the Cretan church — 1 Thess. 1:3).

These aren’t given so much as more qualities that Titus was to instruct the older men to add to their list. Instead we should interpret them as the cause… or the means by which these older men were to to live out the behavior listed in verses 1 and 2.

Basically, Paul is telling Titus, ‘Titus you are to teach the older men that the word of God says that they are expected to be: sober-minded, worthy of respect, and self-controlled. And they are only going to be able to have these godly behaviors if they are sound in faith, love, and steadfastness.’

How are we to model godly behaviors like being sober-minded, worthy of respect, and self-control? Not in our own strength that is for sure! The only way a person can model these godly behaviors is if they are enabled by faith, love, and endurance/ steadfastness. (1 Cor. 13:13; Col. 1:4, 5)

Mature Christianity is defined as a commitment to the maintenance of both the vertical (God) and horizontal (others) relationships that make up the local church and the Christian community.

We have to grow in both if we are to truly make ripples of grace as we impact the lives of others.

Just like Titus is to teach the older men… he is to “likewise” teach the older women. These mature women are also to be taught “in accord with sound doctrine” to be reverent in how they live.

Verse 3 says that older women are to be reverent in behavior.

The word generally refers to honoring God, but this word specifically describes the conduct of a priestess. The Greek Christians would have understood Paul to be saying that a mature Christian woman should demonstrate the holiness of a heart that is near to God.

Paul then describes what a woman who is reverent in behavior looks like. She is a woman who does:

not slanderer (malicious gossip: relates to the lack of control of the tongue.

not a slave to much wine (drunkeness - reales to the lack of control of one’s appetites and purposes)

Both of these out of control behaviors were commonly associated with the decadent women in the Greco-Roman society. Anyone who exhibited these kinds of behavior while calling themselves Christian… damage the credibility of the life changing power of the gospel.

Paul expected that the self-control of the older male leaders would positively influence the behavior of older female leaders with the results that their reputations would promote the gospel.

The godly conduct that is required of older women is not for their reputations alone.

Paul shares in verses 3-4 that these older, mature women were to be teachers of what is good and trainers of younger women.

The ripple effects of godliness were to be obvious in the church.

Good teaching and godly living were to lead to more good teaching and godly living.

It’s interesting that it seems like Paul is establishing a pattern that broke social barriers and would actually raise the status of these women.

Titus was to teach these older women to learn godly conduct. Then, he communicates a specific responsibility that they were to take on, which actually restricted his own sphere of ministry.

The goal is that older women are to teach the younger women. There is a lot of wisdom in this, as well as protection.

— Younger women are to perceive their husbands to be the primary spiritual instructor (1 Cor. 14:35)

— establishing a pattern of instruction in the church that does not lead to sexual temptation

— the “good things” the older women are to teach the younger women seem to relate primarily here to matters of marital and family life (they very well could relate to religious / spiritual matters as well).

The natural leaders in the church, the older (more mature) men and women were to live out healthy doctrine through their example of godliness and self-control. The Olde women are charged with the task of discipling and mentoring the younger women. Now, Paul tells Titus to address the younger women and men in the church.

B. Younger Women & Men (4-6)

When we look at verses 4-5, we see that as the older women model and teach godliness… then they will be able to teach the younger women to love their husbands and children, be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject/ submissive to their husbands.

What Paul is doing here is listing the general responsibilities of younger women. He starts by talking about those responsibilities that are outward oriented.

love their husbands and children

In Paul’s day, formal and arranged marriages were very prominent. So, a woman who truly and deeply loved her husband would stand out as a very positive representative for the gospel to the Greco-Roman culture.

Paul is setting the family as the highest priority for a young wife.

By instructing the young women to love their husbands, Paul is placing the commitment to one’s own husband as the priority in the list of duties that he gives.

Literally the phrase translates as “train the younger husband-loving (women) to be child loving, self controlled. etc...

Paul’s wording here is a gentle reminder that even more important than loving your children, is the love we are to have for our spouses. Children will not understand the greatness of God’s gifts (illustrated by the love shared by Christian spouses) unless a mother’s love for her husband is evident in the home.

According to Paul, the false teachers in Crete were “ruining whole households” by their teaching (1:11). So, while some of these instructions may seem obvious to some.... there was a need that they be given special attention in the church.

Once Paul establishes that a young wife’s primary responsibility was to love her husband, he gives a list of responsibilities that illustrate some of the “ripple effects” of godly leadership in the church.

Just like the older men and women, younger women are to exercise self-control. This self control is illustrated by the fact that she was to be pure.

pure (chaste - sexual constraint from ungodly passions and fidelity based one’s love for/ relationship with God)

The younger women were to exercise the same level of godly self control that they should see modeled by the older men and women in the church.

Next Paul says that the older women were to teach the younger women to be busy (working) at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands.

The phrase “working at home” literally translates from the Greek as “home workers”.

Now, we need to be careful here not to impose the modern discussion about women’s roles onto this first century text.

It is highly unlikely that Paul had in mind the concern about “career women” or mothers who hold jobs in the secular work place.

The focus of Paul’s instruction for younger women is not emphasizing the location of the wife’s work, but on being productive as a wife each day. (Being diligent in dealing with the normal every day responsibilities of being a wife and mother).

This passage is not a command for women to stay at home. Some people have taken it that way, and I think that they are overstepping the bounds of Scripture to make that demand.

What the Apostle Paul is doing… without question is placing a wife’s obligations to care for her husband and children over and above her personal benefit or fulfillment.

Paul’s point interpreted and applied to our modern day audience is that any woman who makes her career status or financial advantage a higher priority than the welfare of her marriage, children, or home life is in serious danger of violating the Scriptures and is showing signs of a heart that is not sensitive to God’s Spirit.

That may be why Paul not only says that younger women are to be taught to be productive at home, but also to be kind. A sensitive and kind heart won’t easily get caught up in the business of life that her compassion for her husband or children’s needs get lost.

The word “kind” literally means good or useful for a purpose. The character trait is attached to the priority of the family.

The last teaching that Paul instructs to be given to the younger women is to be trained to be “subject or submissive to their husbands”. 5 times in the New Testament similar wording is used to refer to the relationship that a Christian wife should have with her husband.

Paul is expecting that the older, godly women be the main way that the Scriptural expectations are communicated to the younger women. Paul expects that the older women are to be intentionally discipling and mentoring the younger women.

Paul deals pretty specifically with the instructions about the husband/wife responsibilities in Ephesians 5. His teaching in Ephesians make it very clear that for a wife to “be subject to” or submissive to her husband, it does not mean that the husband may have a “Me dictator… You doormat” attitude. That is wrong. Plain and simple. Paul says that the marriage relationship is to be one filled with love and respect.

All Christians are required to submit to the proper authorities in their lives (Eph. 5:21). That gives no one the right to be unfair, selfish, or abusive. A husband is to love his wife, just like Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Eph. 5:25).

A husband’s sacrificial love for his wife is to be complemented by a wife’s submissive attitude towards her husband.

Since it is such a controversial issue in our culture today, let me clarify what the word “submit” means. It does not meant that a wife is to suppress her intelligence, talents, and gifts in the home. The word “submit” means to “arrange under” and communicates that a wife should fully express the talents and gifts she has in a way that is supportive of her husband as the spiritual leader in the home.

Just like the church, we arrange the gifts given to us so that we can give the maximum support to Christ’s purposes. A Christian wife should fully use her gifts to honor the spiritual purposes of her husband.

Suppression is not the point....Proper expression is.

As a wife loves her husband and children and uses her gifts and talents to support the higher purpose of supporting the spiritual maturity of her household.... look at the end of verse 7, she cultivates an atmosphere where so that the Word of God man not be reviled in the community.

As the enemies of Christ, opponents of the Church, and genuine faith seekers in our culture examine the ripples that we make as we live out what sound doctrine looks like.... the Word of God gains credibility.

As all those watching the church see the ripples being made by the godly character of the older men and women, and younger women a powerful proclamation of the gospel is made.

Ladies, we talked a lot about you today. But, you know what? There is a wonderful message here for you in this passage.

What happens in our homes as a result of a woman’s care is a powerful tool for the progress of the gospel.

Think about the kind of impact having a godly mother makes in your life. (maybe you had one… maybe not).

God knows the impact a wife and mother can have on the family and community. I think that is why Paul seems to focus on the young women so much in this passage. The younger women have a huge responsibility in modeling the truth that Right doctrine leads to righteous living.

By the Grace of God, as that happens, the power of the gospel is highlighted to all those in our community.

Alright ladies, Paul gives you a break and moves onto the younger men.

Paul seems to somewhat bookend some of his instructions here by giving them in this order. Titus, Older men, Older women, younger women.. and then he returns to younger men… which would include Titus.

In verse 6 Paul says,

Titus 2:6 ESV

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

Titus is to instruct the younger men by word and by example. Just like the older women were to instruct the younger. The influence of Titus’ life was to spread among the less mature men.

Paul tells Titus that the younger men are to be encouraged or urged to be self-controlled.

This need of being self-controlled has come up now in every group in the church (elders, 1:8; older men, 2:2; older women, 2:3; and younger women, 2:5).

This constant teaching that Believers are to be self-controlled is a constant contrast between believers who are controlled by the gospel… and those who are rebelling against it (1:10).

Why doesn’t Paul have a long list of things to say to the younger men? He simply urges the younger men to be self-controlled.

Don’t overlook that word “likewise” at the beginning of verse 6. As Titus moves onto teach the younger men, everything that has been said previously to the older men, older women, and younger women about godly living is also being taught and transferred to the younger men.

The word “urge” that Paul uses in verse 6 is a command. Titus is to command the younger men to take the steps necessary so that they will be disciplined enough to grow into the godly older men that they will need to be so that the gospel is effectively lived out in the church and community. These younger men would one day have to be the older men listed in verse 2. They are to grow in every area so that can live out what growth in godliness looks like.

Why has Paul included this list of people in chapter 2? He tells us in verses 7-8. Every member has a role in making sure that the testimony for Christ is protected… and so that the gospel will be effectively and clearly lived out and proclaimed in the community.

Conclusion/ Application

What kind of impact do you make in the church and community?

How are you doing at living out the behaviors listed in these verses? Older men.... olde women… younger women… and younger men. We are all listed here. We have all been given instructions on how we are to behave so that the gospel is highlighted to one another in the church.... as well as to all those who do not yet know Christ in our community.

We all make ripples. What kind of ripples are you making?

Every time you come into contact with members of this church..... every time you come into contact with members of the community..... you make ripples.

With each impact.... is a chain reaction of ripples. Are the impacts you make every day pointing people to Jesus?

Does a concern for healthy theology (sound doctrine) affect your actions and decisions? It should

What kind of ripples are you making? What kind of impact are you making for eternity by the way you are living your life?

Are you making ripples of: anger, immorality, immaturity in life and doctrine, lack of reverence, slander, meanness, substance abuse, idleness, family brokenness, crudity, dishonesty, frivolity, disobedience, back talk, and theft.

I hope not.

I hope that all of us are growing to the place where we can say that — right doctrine has produced righteousness in your life.

When people look at you… I hope that the visible fruit they see is a righteous life, enabled by the grace of God and driven by the sound doctrine that you have rightly applied.

Remember this.

In order for our church to have a truly effective evangelistic impact in Alliance… every member has to fulfill their role. Every member has a role to play in the great commission ministry of the local church.

C. Slaves/ Employees (9-10a)

In verses 9-10, Paul addresses a specific group of people that we were not able to get to last week.

This is a group that is near to Paul’s heart that all of us can identify with — the slaves. The normal, every day work force. (in our modern context these would be the employees).

Let’s keep in mind that all of these groups that Paul is instructing Titus to address are all believers.

These are all people who have joined with the local church on Crete and would profess the name of Christ.

We discussed the concept of “bondservants and slaves” in our Charting the course message.

As Paul addresses the slaves (work force) in the community he says that they are to “be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative (not contradicting or speaking against), not pilfering (stealing), but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:9-10 ESV)

It is interesting that as Paul is concluding his thoughts in this section, the group of people he identifies with, by name, are the working class people, the slaves.

Remember, Paul uses the same word to describe himself in 1:1.“Paul a servant (slave) of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ,…” (1:1a)

A slave in the Greek world included those in miserable conditions, but it also included those in apprentice or indentured relationships, domestic workers, and some who even held high government office. Additionally, as the context of this passage indicates, there were slaves that were as members of the religious community along with other free men.

Paul tells Titus to teach these believing church members who happen to be slaves that they are to be submissive. This is the same word and meaning as in the discussion of the younger women. The slaves are to arrange their gifts and abilities under their master’s purposes to help them succeed.

This submissive attitude would be illustrated by their being:

Well-pleasing

Not argumentative

Not stealing

Showing all good faith (so that they would be fully trusted by their masters)

What is the point in instructing slaves to live out this behavior?

Because right doctrine produces righteous living!

Everything these Christian slaves do (these Christian employees) is to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

What Paul is saying is that he is entrusting to these believing slaves the ministry of making the gospel appealing to their masters… representing their Savior.... offering hope to their masters and their community.

So while these slave/ employees are to submit to those in authority over them, the tables are turned and they are put into a position where an unbelieving master’s (boss) eternal welfare somewhat dependent on his slave.

The slave/ employee has an opportunity to model how the gospel can beautifully transform the human heart.

This text is teaching us that living out all that accords with sound doctrine gives us the ability to proclaim the truth in our community, be instruments of God’s power in our community, and it gives us the ability to be messengers of Hope in our community.

III. Hope in Community (10-11)

We demonstrate hope in community by highlighting the treasure we have been given.

A. Highlighting the Treasure (10b)

Look at verse 10 again. “so that in everything… adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.”

(So that---- takes everything that has been said… and points it to this truth)

ReThis is such a cool picture.

The word that is translated as “adorn” in the text (cosmeo) gives us our word, cosmetics.

The word means: to adorn or decorate.

Now, What do cosmetics do? ---- Guys, if you say that cosmetics make our wives beautiful.... that is the wrong answer.

The women in our lives are already beautiful. They don’t need make up to make them beautiful. But, when they do use make up, all it does is it adorns them… highlighting the beauty that they already possess.

That is the idea here. The gospel is already beautiful. Nothing can be added it to it to make it any more beautiful.

Every member of the local church from the older men to the slaves were to live in such a way that the beauty of the gospel was highlighted to the community in which they lived.

How many of you have ever bought a diamond engagement ring? When you did, did the jeweler lay out the diamond on some cardboard.... or just on the glass counter? No, what did they do? They got out this pitch black velvet cloth and then laid the diamond on it.

They were “cosmeo” ing the diamond. They were trying to highlight its beauty so that you would pay whatever sticker price they were getting ready to hit you with. They wanted you to be so overwhelmed by the beauty of that diamond that you would pay any cost to be able to give it to you bride.

Our lives as Believers are to serve in the same way… a grace filled cosmetic, like the setting of a ring that holds up highlights the perfect clarity of the beautiful truth about God our Savior.

Why are we to highlight the beauty of the gospel? Because God is worthy of it.... and because your boss needs a Savior. Your neighbor needs a Savior. The kid you sit next to in class… and that man or woman that you work with every day..... needs a Savior.

Everyone that you come into contact with each day are going to live somewhere forever.

And there are only two options – heaven or hell. Being in the glorious presence of God and Christ forever or being doomed to an eternity without Christ. And you can’t get into heaven or be in the presence of God without the gospel… the doctrine of God our Savior.

In everything we do..... we are to highlight the treasure of the gospel as we live out the truths of the Word of God.

Highlighting the treasure of the gospel provides truth.... demonstrates power… and brings an opportunity for hope in community. In verse 11, Paul reminds us of the reason for that hope.