TITUS 2:11-14 “WHY NO HOLY GHOST POWER”
A) To live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world requires Holy Ghost power!
* Luke 24:49 “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of
Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
* Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:”
B) In the Book of Titus, Paul had to leave Crete and the church there and go on to another
work, and he left Titus in charge of the church – 1:5!
* Titus was a Greek believer (Gal. 2:3) … He was won to the Lord through Paul’s ministry (1:4).
* Paul was writing to reveal, to instruct him as to what to do.
C) This church suffered from two directions …….
* One: From the outside … False teachers, visiting Judaizers who mixed law and grace.
* Two: From the inside … Ignorant Christians who abused the grace of God and turned it into a
license to sin … Grace doesn’t give us a license to sin, so Paul said in v.5 …….
D) The emphasis in this book is living right and doing right!
* God’s grace leads a person to live a godly life. * The key verse in this book is 3:8 …….
* Paul tells us about three things that is hindering the church and hurting their testimony …….
* And these three things also tells us why there is no Holy Ghost power among believers …….
(1) NO AWARENESS OF SIN – 1:10-16! * Notice the phrase, “unruly and vain talkers.”
A) These are people who talked religion, but didn’t live it!
* Such people make a great show of conduct, but inwardly they’re filthy vessels.
* They’re like the Pharisee’s … They make clean the outside of the cup and …….
B) Paul says, “specially they of the circumcision:”
* This points out that the Jews urged the Gentile Christians to be circumcised.
* v.11 “Whose mouths must …” * The Greek word is not found anywhere else in the Bible!
* It means, “To put something over the mouth; to silence.”
* And the way to stop them was with the truth … The Word of God.
C) “Who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.”
* They were turning whole families away from the truth … And doing it for money!
D) Today we have about lost our awareness of sin! * Nothing is wrong anymore!
* But I’m here to tell you … Cursing is sin … Gambling is sin … Drinking alcohol is sin …
* Abortion … Homosexuality … Adultery … Fornication (living together outside of marriage) …
* Just laying out of church for no real reason … Not praying … Not tithing …
* Not studying the Scriptures … These are all sin!
E) What God said was wrong 2000 years ago is still wrong today!
* Not many preachers will name sin today … If you do, you’ll be branded as butting into
somebody else’s business. * THAT’S WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO!
* I’m supposed to preach the whole council of God – Acts 20:27 Paul said, “For I have not
shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”
F) Paul tells us what to do in v.13 … Look at it!
* The word “sharply” means “cuttingly severely,” and comes from the word meaning “to cut off.”
* He was to use words that the reproof would strike home, making them understand..
* He was not to soft-pedal his message … He was to call sin by name!
G) He was to spare neither their thoughts or their feelings!
* He was to “rebuke them” whenever they needed it. * 1 Tim. 5:20 “Them that sin rebuke …”
* Why? Paul says “that they may be sound in the faith.” * IT’S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!
* Be solid in the faith … Don’t be wishy-washy!
* No awareness of sin will hinder the church and hurt its testimony.
(2) NO TEACHING OF SOUND DOCTRINE – 2:1! * What is sound doctrine?
A) The word “sound” is the Greek word “hugiaino” (hoog-ee-ah’-ee-no) and means “to be
uncorrupt, true in doctrine!”
* Here is sound doctrine: Virgin birth; the Bible is God’s Word; Jesus is God’s Son; Baptism;
Separation; Tithing; Witnessing for Christ and winning souls to Him; The 2nd coming of Christ;
* Heaven; Hell; The Judgment Seat of Christ; The Great White Throne Judgment …….
B) What Paul is saying is, “Titus, don’t incorporate your own ideas or opinions into your
message when you preach!”
* Teach things that are doctrinally sound … Don’t add anything or take away anything from the
Gospel that you have heard!
* In this day and hour, many times the “Right Reverend, most noble, esteemed Doctor,” steps
behind the sacred desk on Sunday morning and reads his little essay …….
C) He opens by saying, “In my humble opinion … The way I see it … It could have been thus …
By chance … We’re not at all sure …”
* He goes on like this for fifteen minutes while the congregation listens with empty hearts and
when he’s finished, they leave with empty hearts because they haven’t heard nothing sound.
D) God is not concerned about your opinion or mine, or the way we see things!
* He has spoken and His Word is forever settled in heaven – Psalm 119:89!
* God help this pastor to always rightly divide the Word of Truth!
E) Many Christians don’t know anything about real Bible doctrine!
* Each and every church needs a pastor who can teach them sound doctrine!
* What kind of teaching? * Look at v.2-6 …….
F) Sober = serious … Grave=honest, honorable, reverent … Temperate=self-controlled …
* Sound in the faith=to be strong in the Christian faith and in the Word of God and its promises.
* Sound in charity (love) and sound in patience.
G) v.3-5 … False accusers=slanderers … Not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
* Sober=temperate, have desires under control and be godly and holy.
* To love their husbands and children … Discreet is the same as temperate.
* Chaste=clean and pure in heart … Keepers at home=homemaker … Good … Obedient to their
own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed.
H) That means that the outside world (unbelievers) may have no occasion to speak hurtfully
or injuriously of the Gospel of the grace of God!
* Women (and men) should live consistently pure, holy lives!
* God forbid that inconsistent living on the part of professing Christians (whether men or women),
bring reproach upon the Gospel, the church …….
* And upon the family that’s supposed to be a Christian family! * Such ought not to be!
I) v.6 … The reason being is we’re all representatives of Jesus Christ!
* And all of this is sound doctrine … Which leads me to my last point …….
(3) NO TEACHING THE CHRISTIANS ON HOW TO LIVE – 3:8!
A) What are we to teach – v.1-9! * The key is, “maintain good works.”
* The Greek word for “maintain” means “to set before, to give attention to, to practice.”
* It means to keep on doing good works, don’t quit.
* Good works don’t save you – 3:5 ……. * Doing good works comes after you’re saved.
B) There are some things that Christians automatically will just do …….
* They will attend church … Tithe … Witness … Read their Bible … Pray … etc.
* When people walk through those doors on Sunday morning and set down and see the choir, the
preacher, the ushers, the singers … They should see people that live right and do right!
* This flesh rejects teaching like this, but the spiritual man must have it.
C) In closing … May we learn from the mistakes of the church at Crete!
* This is why no Holy Ghost power … No awareness of sin … No teaching sound doctrine …
* And no teaching the Christians on how to live.
