Expectations For Godly Living-1

EXPECTATIONS For GODLY LIVING-I—Titus 2:1-15

Attention:

Use Your Elbows:

A Grandmother was giving directions to her grown grandson who was coming with his wife, to visit her for the first time in her new place:

She told him, “You come to the front door of the apartment complex. I live in apartment 14T.”

On the outside of the building, to the right of the main entrance, you’ll see a big panel with buttons that correspond to each apartment number.

With your elbow, push button 14T & I will buzz you in.

Once inside the door, take the 2nd elevator on your right.

With your elbow, press the up button.

When the elevator arrives, get in, & with your elbow, press 14.

When you get out, turn left & make your way down the hall to 14T.

That’s my apartment, so with your elbow, press my doorbell.”

The grandson asked, “Grandma, that sounds easy, but why am I pressing all these buttons with my elbow?”

Grandma sweetly replies, “Oh honey, surely y’all aren’t coming empty handed ... ?”

Obvious ‘Expectations’ went with visiting grandma!

Likewise, there are obvious ‘Expectations’ that go with committing yourself to God thru Jesus Christ!

Need:

There is an ultimate fulfillment & satisfaction that CAN come to your life...That CAN belong to you...That you CAN possess!

BUT that fulfillment & satisfaction can ONLY come to you thru YOUR participation in GOD’s Expectations for Godly Living!

Titus was exhorted by the apostle Paul, to expose God’s people to the expectations for godly living.

All God’s people are answerable to His expectations for godly living.

What are some expectations for godly living by God’s people?

What are some expectations for godly living?

1—An expectation for godly living is...

APPROPRIATE DIRECTION(:1, 15)

Explanation:(:1, 15)

2:1—“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:”

2:15—“Speak these things, exhort, & rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.”

These verses(:1 & 15) frame the whole of chapter two.

They are directed toward Titus in particular(1:4). Titus is a Gentile minister of the Good News of Jesus Christ, trusted under the tutelage of the apostle Paul.

Thus Titus has great authority as well as a great responsibility. Titus is a representative of the 1st generation of Christian teachers & pastors, who had direct interaction with the apostles’ in the dissemination of the Gospel & the early formation of the Church.

Paul intentionally dispatches Titus to the Cretan church in order to “set in order the things that are lacking” & to “appoint elders in every city”(1:5).

*So a portion of Titus’ responsibility is toward setting up the existing multiple churches for success, thru ensuring that local churches are organized in a way that is Christ-honoring. That is, so the local churches can be considered collectively as ‘the Church.’

1:16 is the lead-in to chapter 2, & tells us that there are people who openly “profess to know God” but whose works deny Him. That denial makes them “abominable”, “disobedient”, & “disqualified” or unfit for Christian service. They are self-deceived & as such are ‘false teachers’ & deceivers. Of particular note are “those of the circumcision”(unconverted Jews)(1:10).

2Tim. 3:1-5—“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”

*There is one ‘major’ way to approach these ‘false teachers.’....

2:1—“But as for you...”

Titus, other Christian leaders, & those who truly know God, are called to & equipped & directed toward specific service.

2:1—“Speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:”

Titus & those charged with a faithful Christian witness, are to “speak” such “things” as are “proper” regarding “sound doctrine.”

Therefore anything that goes beyond, or that does not approach that apostolic “doctrine”, is NOT considered “sound”, or acceptable in Christian circles!

The ‘elders’ Titus is to appoint(1:5), are entrusted to maintain that same God-ordained “soundness”!(2Tim. 2:2)

2Tim. 2:2—“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

2:15—“Speak these things, exhort, & rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.”

2:15—“Speak...”

For the Christian, “speaking” is not always a specific reference to ‘preaching’ as it were, but it certainly includes it!

•(Consider: euaggelizw, khrussw, prokhrussw, kataggellw).

•Js. 3:1-2—“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.”