Untitled Sermon (27)

True faith (salvation) changes our lives

‭‭Titus‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭CSB‬‬

“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,

in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.

In his own time he has revealed his word in the preaching with which I was entrusted by the command of God our Savior:

To Titus, my true son in our common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”

Introduction

This is a mouthful of an introduction

There is so much truth to unpack here

First we have no account of Paul’s journey in Crete

But we know he went bc of v5

“The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town.”

‭‭this verse is what this entire pastoral epistle is about

Titus setting order in the churches of Crete

We’re going to spend some time for the next couple weeks in Titus and see what the Bible teaches us a church should have

And how this pertains perfectly to the lives we out today

The first thing we have to do is unpack this greeting which really we could spend weeks looking at the greeting

Who V1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,

Paul a servant of God

DOO-los

Bond servant a servant who was freed but chose to stay with the master

This is going to be important for a couple of reasons

One Paul identifies that yes I have been set free from sin but I choose to stay in the masters will

In chapter 2 Paul writes a section about servants being obedient to their masters

Paul is saying hey I remain obedient even though I have been freed

It’s not my life anymore

I just a branch of the vine and if I am to remain viable for the gospel if I am to produce fruit I must remain attached

So therefore thou I am free

I am a bond servant of God

An apostle of Jesus Chrsit

Paul is bringing all the big guns to this intro

Why this longer title than normal

Paul declared his apostle status

Paul is addressing the organized church structure and order here

So his status as an apostle was important.

This isn’t just any person coming and trying to give I think this is what the Lords church should look like

No this is the appointed person by Jesus to deliver this message

Also Titus is going to deal with sound doctrine who is more sound than the ones who learned directly from Jesus.

Now the why of the introduction

For the faith of God’s elect

For the faith of those who are saved

Paul is writing this letter to Titus for the faith of those saved

It’s important that the correct word the sound doctrine of God be preached that is why he is writing this to Titus

Paul uses the word elect for those who are saved he’s not talking about election (predestination)

But he’s writing to help Titus be able to help the elect defend their faith

There were people there and people today who want to pervert the gospel

For their knowledge of truth that leads to godliness

The people of Crete didn’t live Godly lives

Paul said the things they are saying about these people are true and we need to rebuke them

Whip them into shape so they can’t say that

The knowledge of the truth leads to a Godly life

You can’t know truly know Christ and go on living in sin

John 14:15

““If you love me, you will keep my commands.

‭‭john 14:21

The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.””

Romans 6:1-2

“What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”

‭‭truth the light exposes the sin and you cannot have truly seen the light and continue in filth

You may as we’ve talked about the last two weeks turn back for a brief time to the old fleshy ways of the land of idolatry Egypt

But if you stay in that and you feel no remorse no guilt no brokenness over your sins

I want to tell you right now bc I have to to

You need to check your heart you need to check whose you are and whose voice your hearing now

The old pastor who drank cussed and partied on

Yes many people came forward to hear a gospel where they didn’t have to lay down their lives to Christ and be holy bc he is holy

But the truth says otherwise

Paul is writing so that the truth and the real truth will be all is heard

V2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.

Paul is writing for them to remain in hope of eternal life

Paul later write in a three fold hope

2:11-13

Past present future hope

We have all three in Christ he has saved us (justified) he is with us now in the Holy Spirit and one day we will see him again

Jesus has promised us this

John 14:3

“If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.”

‭‭Heaven is real Jesus came and died so you can go and he is preparing a place now for you and will come back one day

He said he’s going to do it and God cannot lie

It goes against his nature

He will never go against his nature that is what makes him Holy

You and I go against our nature all the time

We get turned around

But our God doesn’t

Why now Gods order V3

In his own time he has revealed his word in the preaching with which I was entrusted by the command of God our Savior:

Jesus came when he did because it was time in Gods plan

Now Jesus is gone how is the gospel going to be spread

By preaching

And this particular message to this particular person at this particular time was entrusted to Paul

By the command of God our savior

Who are we to question his timing

I believe this with all my heart

Not because it sounds good

Acts 17:26-27

“From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.”

‭‭he has appointed our times and where we are

So we might seek God

He has placed you

Where you are so you might seek him

And might perhaps reach out and find him

Though he is not far from each one

God placed Paul and Titus together

And Paul is writing to encourage Titus to set order among these churches

Because it’s Gods plan

To whom is he writing v4

To Titus, my true son in our common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”

Titus is in charge of the Cretan churches

Making sure they get right

My true son

Paul was responsible for Titus’s salvation

We know God is responsible but Paul is discipline Titus

The common faith

It’s the only faith

The only message

And that is that Jesus is the only way

He came lived died resurrected and is coming again

Grace and peace from God the father and Christ Jesus our savior

Paul wants grace and peace for Titus

Every believer has experienced the grace of God

You have received a gift you didn’t deserve

And peace can come only from God

A fruit that is evident only by the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers

Conclusion

Paul put an awful lot into this introduction

For a church or group of churches that we read no where else about

But the message is clear

Set order among these churches

So that the true Gospel (sound doctrine) may go out

And that they may learn to live in Godliness (good works)