Christian Education Series

One of the most remarkable stories in the history of horse

training is that of the horse named Snow Man. There is an old verse

that jockeys supposedly whisper into the horses ear before a race:

Roses are red,

Violets are blue.

Horses that lose

Are made into glue.

Snow Man apparently heard this poem once to often, and he was

loaded into a van with some other nags heading for the dog food

factory. But a man named Harry De Leyer who knew horses saw

this big white horse and decided to buy it. He gave 70 dollars for it.

It was in really bad shape. One shoe was missing, and it was filthy.

Collar marks revealed that it had been in harness. De Leyer cleaned

him up and sold him to a doctor for a nice profit. But the horse

liked De Leyer so much that he jumped the fence and came trotting

back to him. The doctor built a higher fence and Snow Man jumped

that too. The doctor demanded his money back, and so De Leyer

was stuck with the horse.

He decided that if the horse could jump a fence maybe he could

be trained to be a jumper. He began to train Snow Man seriously,

and in his first show he beat the champion. He kept winning jumps

until he went on to Madison Square Garden where he knocked off

the reigning world champion by the name of First Chance. Within 6

months Snow Man went from dog meat to capture the triple crown

in jumping, and he became the world champion.

This true story illustrates the purpose of Paul in this letter to

Titus. He makes it clear that there are a number of crummy Cretan

Christians who are the equivalent of a nag heading to the dog food

factory. He closes the first chapter with a statement that they are

detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good. In horse

language they were glue material. But Paul says to Titus that he

should not give up. The goal is to teach and train and get these

worthless rebels sound in their doctrine and faith so they can be

champion Christians.

It is not easy and it is not automatic. It is a challenge, but losers

can become winners, and bad Christians can become good

Christians. The secret to success is Christian education. Just as

Snow Man could be trained, so can Christians. Chapter two is a

loud and clear call to make Christian education a priority in the

church. Here is a brief survey of chapter two.

v. 1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

v. 2 Likewise teach the older women. Old people are very

teachable, and God expects them to learn new tricks for Christ. It is

old dogs that you can't teach new tricks to, and not old people.

v. 3 Not only are the older women to learn, but they are to also teach.

v. 4 Older women are to train the younger women.

v. 7 In your teaching show integrity and seriousness.

v. 9 Teach slaves.

v.10 Make teaching about God attractive.

v.12 God's grace teaches us to say no to ungodliness.

v.15 These things you should teach.

In ten out of the 15 verses of this chapter Paul actually uses the

words for teaching. The other 5 are involved as well, even though

the word is not used. There is no other place where Paul is so

focused on teaching as the task of the pastor and all church leaders.

To Paul the local church is to be a school for the education of saints.

Christians do not think like Christ, or act like Christ automatically.

They need to be taught. Becoming a Christian in one's life style is

achieved by learning. You are saved by trust in Christ. You

respond in faith and accept Jesus as your Savior, and you become a

child of God. But being saved is like being born again. You are just

a baby and far from being like the Savior who saved you. The only

way to become Christian in your thinking, attitudes, and behavior is

to be taught.

Christian education is the most basic aspect of the life of the

Christian. Everyone in the body of Christ is to be learning all the

time. This means that everyone who can be a teacher is to be a

teacher. Teaching and learning is what the church is all about.

Preach is only found 52 times in the Bible, but teach is found 114

times. There is no higher calling than to be a teacher in the kingdom

of God. To teach biblical truth is to be partners with Christ and the

Holy Spirit in the greatest task on earth. Part of the Great