Titus 3:12-15
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Structure- GRACE (Titus 3:1-8), TEAMWORK (Titus 3:9-12), Hospitality (Titus 3:13), FRUITFUL (Titus 3:14), GRACE (Titus 3:15)
Main Point: In response to God’s GRACE, we are called to work together, to show hospitality to one another and to be fruitful.
Main Point: In response to God’s GRACE, we are called to work together, to show hospitality to one another and to be fruitful.
Body
Body
Titus 3:12
Titus 3:12
12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me in Nicopolis, because I have decided to spend the winter there.
Paul tells Titus as he wraps up this letter that he will send either Artemas or Tychicus to Crete.
Notice something- Paul doesn’t say, “I’m sending these guys to you, then you can all come to me.” Instead, there’s a clear job that Paul is sending Artemas or Tychicus with! They are coming to carry on the work that TITUS has begun!
Restoration and renewal do not happen in a single day and as we read in Psalm 127:1, it won’t happen without GOD! Titus’s job is to get this started and then some other men will come in and carry it on to the next phase!
Understand, Titus is never called a pastor- instead, we could think of him as an apostolic emissary who is sent! Artemas or Tychicus is sent to continue on the work and to be the next emissary.
But let me pull out a deeper application for us. See, this isn’t just about Paul sending some people to go to Crete so that Titus can go to Nicopolis. This is about TEAMWORK!
A fundamental reality of Christian ministry is TEAMWORK!
Whether it is evangelism, or if it is discipleship, or caring for widows and the sick, MINISTRY IS A TEAM EFFORT!
Paul has a team with him and in this case, he uses part of this team to support Titus.
Artemas or Tychicus are sent to be SUPPORTERS FOR THE CRETAN CHURCH!
Titus has planted a seed, Artemas or Tychicus will water it, and they may see the fruit, or someone else may!
But it’s all part of being a TEAM! AND THE REALITY IS THAT IT PAYS OFF! CRETE BECOMES A HEAVILY GOSPEL-SATURATED ISLAND!
Teamwork a fundamental reality that we’ve really seen throughout Titus!
Even in Titus 1:5, we saw how Titus wasn’t supposed to appoint a SINGLE elder, or a SINGLE PASTOR in each town, but rather, he was to train up MULTIPLE MEN TO SERVE TOGETHER AS ELDERS- that’s why we are transitioning to an elder-led polity instead of a “solo-pastor” polity, or way of leading the church.
TEAMWORK IS FUNDAMENTALLY CRUCIAL TO FOLLOWING GOD!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 sheds some great light on this!
9 Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. 10 For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? 12 And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.
See, the return for multiple people working together is better, when one struggles, there is support there for him, when someone is in a hard season, he has a team around him!
TEAMWORK IS FUNDAMENTAL TO LIVING OUT THE GREAT COMMISSION!
That’s what we are seeing here in Titus 3:12!
As a quick point of application- let me encourage each of us here, myself included- serving the Lord is bigger than just us. It isn’t about our ego’s, or our influence, it’s all about seeing THE KINGDOM OF GOD GROW AND SEEING PRAISE BROUGHT TO GOD!
I was talking to a man one time who said, “What I love about our church is that even though we don’t have any ministries at the church, we each have our own individual ministries that we do by ourselves because then we don’t have to work together.”
He thought it was a good thing- and it is important that we each minister as individuals to the people around us!
But at the same time, my heart broke!
Why? Because I realized that he didn’t see the Biblical design for TEAMWORK!
MINISTRY- or SERVING THE LORD- is not meant to be done alone and we are NEVER ALONE IN IT!
Even when you go next door to your neighbors by yourself, you aren’t alone! Because we can be joined together through prayer to be PRAYING WITH YOU FOR THOSE OPPORTUNITIES!
So let me challenge us- LET’S EMBRACE THE TEAMWORK ASPECT OF MINISTRY!
The second thing that we are going to see today is the importance of HOSPITALITY!
Titus 3:13
Titus 3:13
13 Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey, so that they will lack nothing.
Titus first is told that there will be more help on the way. Now, Paul gives an instruction regarding Zenas and Apollos who are traveling.
They seem to be traveling through Crete. This would have been common. Crete is an island in the middle of the Mediterranean. At the time, sailors tried to stay by land as much as possible in case of a shipwreck.
In fact, this is how Paul ended up on Crete in the first place! As the result of a shipwreck!
Paul tells Titus that he needs to help Zenas who is the ONLY Christian lawyer mentioned in the New Testament and Apollos on their journey.
Apollos is talked about in Acts 18-19 as an eloquent man who is corrected and taught and discipled by Aquilla and Priscilla. He is an Egyptian man who loves God and is very good with his words.
Apollos and Zenas will be traveling through Crete and Titus is to show hospitality.
Another way to translate this DILIGENTLY help phrase is literally- to send them out!
Titus is to SUPPORT THEM, WELCOME THEM, and then SEND THEM OUT FOR FURTHER MINISTRY
And Cornerstone family, this is really applicable for us!
As we started casting vision for CornerstoneCollegiate, one thing that we talked about is how we will SEND STUDENTS OUT!
See, part of our role is to DILIGENTLY HELP students and people who come to champaign!
We love them, we pour into them, we disciple them, we welcome them, we show hospitality, we CARE FOR THEM, then we SEND THEM OUT TO WHEREVER GOD HAS!
And let me know apply this larger- this has to be our heart as ANYONE IN OUR CHURCH FAMILY interacts on Sundays! We need to DILIGENTLY HELP EACH OTHER EACH SUNDAY so that we can GO OUT TO OUR DAILY LIVES READY TO SERVE THE LORD!
This isn’t just an instruction to Titus, this is an instruction to us- we need to DILIGENTLY HELP ONE ANOTHER AND I’m going to specifically single out our students!
We can and need to DILIGENTLY HELP THEM!
And notice the scope that Paul paints- Titus is to do this so that they will LACK NOTHING!
That’s the scope we are to have in mind also! Not just “we show some kindness,” we need to show COMPLETE HOSPITALITY! And I promise, that is counter-cultural!
let me ask you this- when was the last time your neighbor asked you over for dinner? When was the last time YOU asked your neighbor over for dinner?
It’s just not a part of our culture as Americans, but as CHRISTIANS it should be!
APPLICATION- EMBRACE HOSPITALITY! (it’s really that simple)
Titus 3:14
Titus 3:14
14 Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works for pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.
Verse 15 provides Paul’s second to last instruction. Paul wants Titus to encourage THE CRETANS TO DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO GOOD WORKS!
This is Paul’s 6th direct reference to Good works! He’s talked about it in Titus 1:16, 2:7,14, 3:1,8,14. Titus as a BOOK is only 46(!) verses, so Paul talks about good works very 7.67 verses!
There are at least two more indirect references to how we should work and how our work should be a good work. Paul references the idea of our FAITH LEADING TO GOOD WORKS EVERY 5.75 VERSES if we include those!
Clearly our works matter! Let me be abundantly clear- WE ARE SAVED ONLY THROUGH FAITH! Titus 3:4-5 makes that extremely clear!
But, our works matter! Our works are OUR RESPONSE TO OUR GREAT GOD and to OUR SALVATION!
If we have a theology that completely removes our RESPONSE TO GOD AND OUR RESPONSE TO SALVATION THEN WE REALLY HAVE NO THEOLOGY AT ALL!
See, following Christ requires action. Our action and our response to God’s GREAT MERCY IS SO IMPORTANT AND OUR RESPONSE IS SIMPLE! We are to devote ourselves to GOOD WORKS!
And what is the modifying phrase?
GOOD WORKS FOR PRESSING NEEDS!
Let me put it another way- we do good works in order to meet the PRESSING NEEDS of people all around us!
And why? SO THAT WE WILL NOT BE UNFRUITFUL!
Let’s take a minute to talk about this.
Paul is talking about good works that fill PRESSING NEEDS SO THAT we will not be unfruitful.
The good work here that Paul is addressing is ANYTHING THAT POINTS PEOPLE TOWARDS SALVATION!
We could say it like this- WE NEED TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH JESUS SO THAT THEY CAN EXPERIENCE SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS!
The good work here, the GOODEST work as we’ve called it- and I know that that’s not good grammar- is GOING, SHARING THE GOSPEL, AND MAKING DISCIPLES!
Hear me- we can’t force a response to God- but we can do good works through our actions and our words and we can LET GOD WORK!
Let me be clear- we must be MOBILIZED as Christians, faithfully LIVING OUT OUR FAITH!
Serving God is an ALL-HANDS ON DECK SITUATION!
We ALL NEED TO BE ENGAGED!
So we know that we need to be devoted to GOOD WORKS- but what about this idea of BEARING FRUIT?
Jesus addresses this a few times in the Gospels, but I want us to specifically focus on John 15:1-6.
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
Here we see this idea of pruning, or removing and grafting branches that are bearing fruit.
Jesus talks about this idea in other places, but I think that this is one of the most clear examples of it.
Jesus ays that HE IS THE VINE- WE REMAIN IN HIM! Then, we are the BRANCHES!
See, without the vine, the branches are worthless. But at the same time, we see that if we don’t remain in Jesus- if we don’t bear any fruit- then we will be GATHERED AND THROWN AWAY!
Jesus gives us a simple warning- WE SHOULD SEE FRUIT! WE NEED TO SEE FRUIT IN OUR LIVES!
If we don’t see fruit in our lives then we need to RUN TO GOD!
Let me sum it up like this- we need to ACCEPT GOD’S GRACE AND WE NEED TO BEAR FRUIT! WE NEED TO BE FRUITFUL! OUR LIVES NEED TO BE DEVOTED TO DOING GOOD WORKS-ESPECIALLY THE GREATEST WORK- GOING AND MAKING DISCIPLES!
Titus 3:15
Titus 3:15
15 All those who are with me send you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with all of you.
So as Paul wraps up the letter he is going to emphasize one last thing and then give one last instruction.
First, Paul passes on greetings from PEOPLE WHO ARE GATHERED WITH HIM!
Remember how I said that ministry is TEAM-DRIVEN? HERE’S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF IT! MINISTRY ISN’T ABOUT YOU OR ME OR MY FOLLOWERS, OR YOUR FOLLOWERS, INSTEAD, WE WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM TO SERVE GOD!
And then, Paul gives his final instruction to Titus!
Titus is to GREET THE BELIEVERS! This is his final instruction to Titus.
GREET THOSE “WHO LOVE US IN THE FAITH” or literally, “GREET THOSE ARE KIND, THOSE WHO CARE, THOSE WHO PHILEO (LOVE) US!”
And why do they care? BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THE FAITH! THEY KNOW JESUS ALSO!
Friends, our faith brings us a UNIQUELY CLOSE BOND! We don’t have to have anything in common, instead, we ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER BY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE COULD EVER SHARE; A SAVIOR!
We have a unique relationship as God’s FAMILY!
This leads into the last reminder that Paul gives to Titus- “GRACE BE WITH ALL OF YOU!”
It’s very similar- it’s parallel to Titus 1:4
4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith.
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Paul begins this letter AND ends this letter with the same encouragement! GRACE AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER AND CHRIST JESUS OUR SAVIOR!
Remember- this is a letter about restoration of churches and RENEWAL of people’s hearts!
GOD’S GRACE AND GOD’S MERCY IS WHAT IS NEEDED IN CRETE!
There is no program that is going to fix this; CRETE NEEDS GOD’S GRACE!
CRETE NEEDS GOD TO MOVE!
If God doesn’t give HIS GRACE, then all of this work is in vain! And so Paul’s Reminder to Titus, the Cretans and to us as we strive to FOLLOW GOD MORE?
MAY GOD’S GRACE BE WITH YOU THIS MORNING CORNERSTONE!
Application
Application
Devote yourself to Good Works!
Devote yourself to Good Works!
Our first application today comes directly from this passage. We need to DEVOTE OURSELVES TO GOOD WORKS!
We need to devote ourselves to SERVING GOD, to WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM AND BEARING FRUIT!
I want to directly appeal to us in 3 different ways.
There are INFINITE WAYS to talk about good works, so bear with me as we talk about these three.
Action based Good works (OUTREACH WITH THE DESIGNED GOAL OF SERVING OTHERS- TRUNK OR TREAT! WE NEED YOUR HELP!)
NEIGHBORING (Reach your neighbors by BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR- HOSPITALITY- SHOW IT TO THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU- it isn’t just a meal, it’s about the intentionality of WELCOMING AND CARING for someone!)
TOGETHERING! (work together- TEAMWORK- don’t just try to reach your friend by yourself, bring someone with you! it’s also a way to meet needs! I’m not a construction genius; but if I see someone who really needs that, maybe I can INTRODUCE SOMEONE!)
Why do we do all of these?
It’s simple really- we do them out of OBEDIENCE TO GOD AND OUT OF A DESIRE TO BEAR FRUIT!
Our GOOD WORKS ALL COME FROM OBEDIENCE AND BECAUSE WE WANT TO SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD GROW!
So let me challenge us- out of OBEDIENCE TO GOD, LET’S DEVOTE OURSELVES TO GOOD WORKS!
Be a disciple and a disciplemaker
Be a disciple and a disciplemaker
This is an application that covers OUR WHOLE SERIES in Titus! This is the CENTRAL THEME of Titus! Titus is really a book that hinges on DISCIPLESHIP!
So today, I want to give us a few simple applications.
BE A DISCIPLE:
3 applications practical:
KNOW JESUS! (Be saved- GOSPEL! JESUS OUR GREAT GOD AND SAVIOR DIED FOR US!)
PURSUE SANCTIFICATION! (BE IN GOD’S WORD!)
BE ON MISSION! (GO AND SHARE! GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES!)
Be a DISCIPLEMAKER:
3 practical applications
WALK WITH SOMEONE!
BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP and ENCOURAGE THEM AS YOU DISCIPLE THEM!
BE IN SCRIPTURE WITH THEM! TEACH THEM DIRECTLY FROM SCRIPTURE!
Engage in Spiritual Renewal and Restoration
Engage in Spiritual Renewal and Restoration
This is a church wide application that I want to challenge us with that comes from the TWO MAIN THINGS THAT WE SEE IN TITUS!
We see different forms of RENEWAL AND RESTORATION!
5 parts of revitalization in Titus… (Appoint biblical leaders, preach truth, make disciples, remember who we praise and don’t forget the gospel, and BEAR FRUIT!)
These really all come from THE BASIS OF HAVING RENEWAL AND RESTORATION!
And at its heart renewal and restoration is really about revival. If I came in here this morning I said do you want to see this country made great to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Do you wanna see people saved left and right?
Do you wanna see people coming to church of never coming to the church before and being baptized by the 10 in the hundreds in the thousands?
Of course it’s absolutely we want to see that.
Of course we want to say we long to see the word of God made great. We long to see people coming to know the Lord by the hundreds. But none of that happens until we first have renewal and restoration; until we first fix our eyes on our need God in our need for reliance and our God and our need to obey God and secondly on our need to structure ourselves in the way God has designed, we will never see it.
It’s simple and it’s the truth: until our lives proclaim Jesus louder than our words, not to say we shouldn’t use our words, but until our lives loudly proclaim Jesus; until our actions, our structure, our function loudly declares the glory of God, we will not see revival, we will just see a slow decline. Ultimately what the church in Crete needed was revival. That’s ultimately with the church of America needs today.
I’m gonna challenge us that it starts with what we’ve been talking about in Titus. It starts with being a disciple, it starts with being disciple makers. It starts with restoring God‘s design for the church, a design that we see in scripture in places like Titus. We’ll see revival when our beginning and our end in everything IS JESUS!
And that’s the heart of renewal and restoration! It’s a heart to see JESUS MADE GREAT EVERY DAY! So let me challenge you today:
RUN TO GOD! REFOCUS YOUR LIFE ON GOD! Is your fire for God not burning as strong as it once did?
CRY OUT TO GOD RIGHT NOW!
Practical- one of the best ways to keep your fire for God is to TALK TO PEOPLE- INCLUDING NON-BELIEVERS- about God! So, WHO CAN YOU TALK TO? WHO CAN YOU MAKE A DISCIPLE OF?
As a practical encouragement after spending 8 weeks in a letter that is primarily about revitalization and spiritual renewal- let me end with a story about the GREATEST season of revival since Jesus went to heaven.
It started with about 100 people gathered together praying day after day after day. They weren’t anything special. They were normal people like you and me. They prayed and prayed and prayed.
And then it happened. GOD MOVED! And God didn’t just move a little bit, all of a sudden, people from all over were being saved- 3000 in one day!
I’m telling the story of the early church! Cornerstone family, the question with revival isn’t “will God move” it’s, “Will we LET GOD MOVE IN AND THROUGH US and WILL WE OBEY?”
That’s why I want to challenge you- who can YOU talk with this week? Who can YOU be praying for this week?
Let me pray for us (God MOVE!)
