(Titus 004) The Greeting (Part 3)
Church 101 | A Study Through the Book of Titus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 38:32
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1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,
2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began
3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
1. The introduction to the author.
A. A slave first. An apostle second.
B. A life lived on mission.
i. For the sake of the elect’s salvation.
ii. For the sake of the elect’s spiritual growth.
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,
That requires a lot of us.
How could Paul live so focused?
2. The motivation to answer the call.
2. The motivation to answer the call.
2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began
What is the first thing that motivates Paul?
(2) A. Hope motivates Paul.
(2) A. Hope motivates Paul.
Watch the flow of the passage.
1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,
2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began
3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
(2) A. Hope motivates Paul.
(2) A. Hope motivates Paul.
This is an ongoing thought about is life being lived for the sake of the elect.
In this context, not his own hope, but hope for the elect. Hope for others to receive eternal life!
Paul isn’t talking about the sustaining hope that he has.
He is talking about he hope that others will have faith through his ministry.
In our culture we use words outside of their biblical context so we often lose the power of them in the biblical context.
In our culture to hope is to wish.
I hope we have nice weather this week.
I hope the Lions have a good year.
Biblical hope is more that a wish.
Hope is tied directly to faith.
Someone said: “Hope is future faith. Faith is present hope.”
Paul had faith that his life as a slave would bear the intended fruit.
You should be pursuing the lost because of hope for their eternity.
As you pursue, don’t lose hope.
Have faith!
(2) B. The greatness of the mission motivates Paul.
(2) B. The greatness of the mission motivates Paul.
God who never lies - the promise keeper.
This is in stark contrast to the Greek god Zeus.
He was anything but truth.
The Greeks say he once took on the form of a husband just to get what he wanted from a woman.
He would say or do anything just to get what he wanted with no intention of followthrough.
This word goes beyond just lying.
It isn’t that God can only say true things.
BUT that God follows through on those true things because He does not change.
19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
(2) B. The greatness of the mission motivates Paul.
(2) B. The greatness of the mission motivates Paul.
If He has determined to save us, He will save us!
This is a promise God made.
Promised before the world began!
Way before Paul!
Paul was thrust into the middle of this mission!
For some crazy reason, God wanted to use Paul.
And for some crazy reason, God wants to use us!
Look at it this way.
We know and understand the Great commission.
This is a huge mission.
The responsibility and the demand is incredible.
This is difficult ask.
This is for the sake of the elect.
For the sake of the elect is hard.
BUT....
2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began
“Before the ages began.” - before time began
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
Before the universe was created.
This is a big call, but the mission transcends time.
17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
God gave the mission and gave us a training manual.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
God has already given us everything we need.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
(2) B. The greatness of the mission motivates Paul.
(2) B. The greatness of the mission motivates Paul.
Then He puts the good works in our path.
Those too were prepared beforehand.
When we understand the greatness of the mission, we understand that it is not about us.
God has it all laid out. We simply live as obedient slaves doing our masters will - living for the sake of the elect.
3. The stewardship of the call.
3. The stewardship of the call.
3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
3. The stewardship of the call.
3. The stewardship of the call.
God promised eternal life before the world began. Then… at the proper time…
He manifested/revealed/made clear His word through preaching.
God planned it before creation, then made it known to the world through preaching.
Let that settle in for a minute...
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
3. The stewardship of the call.
3. The stewardship of the call.
A series of questions asking who do this....
Where is the wise?
Nowhere...
19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
3. The stewardship of the call.
3. The stewardship of the call.
Where is the scribe?
One who knows the law well.
Where is the debater of this age?
Those who were skilled at debating philosophy.
The cultural currency of Paul’s day was intellect.
God did not choose to spread the good news of the gospel this way.
Where is the worldly might?
God has made those things foolishness.
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
3. The stewardship of the call.
3. The stewardship of the call.
In the wise arrangement of God, it pleased God to do it this way.
We can’t argue with His plan.
Who is expected to preach?
Paul is not speaking exclusively of his own entrustment.
We too have been entrusted with preaching the gospel to others.
Preaching is the vehicle God chose in His infinite wisdom to take the gospel to the lost.
Put all this together...
We are slaves who do the will of our master
We live for the sake of the elect.
We are motivated by the hope of eternal life.
We understand we are simply small part that fits in this mission that last through all of time. (planned before time)
And that God has entrusted us with the gospel.
What else can we do but live our why?
4. The introduction to the recipient.
4. The introduction to the recipient.
4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
4. The introduction to the recipient.
4. The introduction to the recipient.
I see a high level of affection for Titus.
A true son
A brother ( 1 Cor 2:13)
A partner and fellow worker ( 1 Cor 8:23)
In the same spirit as Paul (2 Cor 12:18)
He proved himself to Paul.
I wonder what would be said of us?
I see a community.
A common faith.
A brotherhood.
We are not in this life alone!
We are to live for the sake of the elect.
If everyone is living for the sake of the elect, there are other who are living for YOUR sake as well.
That’s why we have the one another’s...
Love one another
Cary one another’s burdens
Confess your sins to one anther
Serve one another
The list goes on.
I see you young pastor who is not in this alone.
Paul has already invested and is once again investing in Titus.
Titus is not in this alone.