Intro To Titus Series

INTRODUCTION

What do you love about M&M’s?

They don’t melt under heat.

What do the Following people have in common?

John Edwards

David Duchouvy

Fast Eddie Johnson

Winona Ryder

Jeremiah Gunner Scott

Karen Raborn

Heather Johnston

Amy Wilkins

The all experienced some type of Integrity Meltdown.

John Edwards -- Had and affair and fathered a child with Rielle Hunter, a campaign worker reportedly paid $114,000 to make web commercials touting his virtues.

David Duchouvy -- "I have voluntarily entered a facility for the treatment of sex addiction," ... "I ask for respect and privacy for my wife and children as we deal with this situation as a family"

Fast Eddie Johnson -- The two-time NBA All-Star is charged with child molestation,

Winona Ryder -- Winona Ryder, the actress whose six-day shoplifting trial drew national attention and stirred tabloid frenzy, was found guilty today of grand theft and vandalism for walking off with more than $5,500 worth of designer goods from a Beverly Hills department store.

Jeremiah Gunner Scott -- youth pastor for Warrenton First Baptist Church former teacher at the North Coast Christian School in Hammond has been accused of having sex with a 15-year-old student.

Karen Raborn -- Charged with organized fraud and grand theft, she stole close to $1 million from her church during the 10-year period she worked for them as a bookkeeper.

Heather Johnston, -- 19, is one of the so-called Barbie Bandits, two giggling, blonde women who stole approximately $11K from a Georgia bank earlier this year and went on a shopping spree -- though it should be noted they also gave some money to the homeless. (Authorities also say the bank clerk was in on it, too.)

Amy Wilkins -- A 26-year-old mother of two small children is charged with abandoning and endangering her infant and toddler after she allegedly left them with a mentally challenged teen so she could do drugs and have sex,

There are other appalling stories of Meltdowns.

An eight-year-old British girl has been taken into care by Portuguese authorities after her mother reportedly left her to go out drinking while on vacation in Portugal..

In Spain. A father booted his two 11-year-old twin sons out of the car in which they were travelling in the very early hours of the morning and left them on the roadside, in the Algarve, nearly 300 kilometres away from their home.

The question exists, how do we, who seem to live in a world where integrity meltdowns occur all the time, safeguard our lives against similar meltdowns. In the simple letter Paul to a close friend and colleague in ministry we can discover answers.

The Pastoral Epistles

The Apostle Paul writes three short epistles, letters, referred to as the Pastoral Epistles. Letters written to Timothy and Titus. They are generally discussed as a group and are given the title pastoral not because they are uniquely caring or addressing personal needs, but because they are distinctive in being addressed to an individual person rather than a whole church or group of churches.

The Book of Acts Chronicles three Missionary Journeys, intention trips, Paul took to preach the Gospel in various metropolitan centers throughout Asia Minor. The scope of ministry and travels Paul refers to in the Pastoral Epistles is the strongest indication that he is released form Prison in Rome at the end of the Book of Acts and embarks on at least one other Missionary Journey.

Titus the Setting

Paul has visited Crete and left Titus there to complete the task of establishing strong followers.

Titus 1:5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

Crete

An island in the Mediterranean Sea is about 258 kilometers (160 miles) long and varies between 11 and 49 kilometers (7 and 30 miles) wide.

In the Old Testament It is probably to be identified with CAPHTOR (Deut 2:23; Amos 9:7), the place from which the Philistines (Caphtorim) originated.

A number of ancient myths and legends are associated with Crete, particularly those involving King Minos and the Minotaur (the half-bull, halfman monster).

The island was captured by the Romans in 68-66 B.C. and made a Roman province.

A ship on which the apostle Paul was sailing was struck by a storm. During his voyage to Rome. Paul’s ship touched at Fair Havens, a harbor on the south coast of Crete (Acts 27:8). Not heeding Paul’s advice about the weather, the Roman soldier who held Paul in custody agreed with the captain and set sail for Crete’s large harbor at Phoenix. The result was a shipwreck at Malta (Acts 27:9-28:1).

Cre’tans

The Book of Acts records that Cretans were among those present in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:11) .