The RESOURCE of OBLIGATION-II—Titus 1:1-4
His request approved, the CNN News photographer quickly used a cell phone to call the local airport to charter a flight.
He was told a twin-engine plane would be waiting for him at the airport.
Arriving at the airfield, he spotted a plane warming up outside a hanger.
He jumps in with his bag, slams the door shut, & shouts, 'Let's go'.
The pilot taxied out, swung the plane into the wind & took off.
Once in the air, the photographer instructed the pilot, 'Fly over the valley & make low passes so I can take pictures of the fires on the hillsides.'
'Why?' asked the pilot.
'Because I'm a photographer for CNN' , he responded, '& I need to get some close up shots.'
The pilot was strangely silent for a moment, finally he stammered, 'So, what you're telling me, is . . . You're NOT my flight instructor?'
The pilot’s obligation was NOT a resource for the reporter.
Paul’s saw his spiritual obligation as a resource for Titus’ ministry.
Spiritual obligation is a resource for the ministry of others.
How is one’s obligation a resource for the ministry of others?
A Resource is something others can rely on, turn to & learn from.
My Obligation becomes a resource for others when it
aligns/correlates with Christian....
1. OWNERSHIP(:1) “Bondservant”
2. REPRESENTATION(:1) “Apostle”
3. ELECTION by FAITH(:1) “the Faith of God’s elect”
Parallel:
2Pet. 1:2-4—“Grace & peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God & of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life & godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory & virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great & precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
4—My Obligation is a resource for others when it correlates with Christian....
KNOWLEDGE(:1)
Explanation:(:1) “the acknowlegment of the truth”
:1—“Paul, a bondservant of God & an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect & the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,”
“Acknowledgment/Knowledge”—epignwsiv—Precise & correct knowledge. An intensive meaning as compared with gnwsiv, it is a fuller, clearer, more thorough knowledge.
You may know about God, but do you know God precisely, correctly, savingly?
Heb. 10:38-39--11:1—“Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”....“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
“Truth”—alhyeia—What is true in any matter under consideration.
Argumentation:
TRUTH:
Jn. 18:33-38—“Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, & said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation & the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, & for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, & said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.”
—The same attitude we have today. Its comfortable & non-committal to think truth is relative to your belief...BUT that makes you God.
1Pet. 2:21-24—“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.”
Deut. 32:4—“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth & without injustice; Righteous & upright is He.”
Ps. 25:4-5—“Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth & teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.”
—God’s truth leads us in His Way.
Ps. 43:3—“Oh, send out Your light & Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle.”
—God’s truth leads us to Worship.
Ps. 86:11—“Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.”
—God’s truth leads us to Reverence.
Ps. 100:5—“For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.”
—God’s truth is Universal & Eternal.
Ps. 119:160—“The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”
—God’s truth is spelled out in His Word.
Jn. 16:13—““However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; & He will tell you things to come.”
—The Holy Spirit leads us in & to Truth.
Jn. 4:24—““God is Spirit, & those who worship Him must worship in spirit & truth.””
—Our worship must be exercised in Truth.
*Jn. 8:31-32—“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. “And you shall know the truth, & the truth shall make you free.””
—God’s truth, in Christ, sets us Free.
*Jn. 14:6—“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
—Jesus is the Embodiment of absolute truth
KNOWLEDGE: Christian knowlege is knowledge of God’s objective truth.
1Tim. 2:1-5—“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, & giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings & all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet & peaceable life in all godliness & reverence. For this is good & acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved & to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God & one Mediator between God & men, the Man Christ Jesus,”
1Tim. 6:20-21—“O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane & idle babblings & contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge-- by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.”
2Pet. 3:17-18—“You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace & knowledge of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now & forever. Amen.”
1Jn. 5:20—“And we know that the Son of God has come & has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; & we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God & eternal life.”
Illustration:
Many believe in God/Few acknowledge truth/Christian KNOWLEDGE
Irvine?, CA/Built over Fault line/Slow-moving rather than catasrophic movment/Every year curbing, streets & foundations shift & crack—slowly but surely/Life disagrees with KNOWLEDGE
Attempts to harmonize Bible with Secular Evolution/Won’t work/Evolution generally is an attempt to disregard the spiritual or assign it to emotional attachment/Correlate with Christian KNOWLEDGE
Heading for disaster/
Application:
?Your Obligation to Christ correlate with Christian KNOWLEDGE?
?Your Obligation to Christ a Resource for or a Handicap to others?
5—My Obligation is a resource for others when it correlates with Christian....
INTEGRITY/Outworking(:1)
Explanation:(:1)“Which accords with Godliness”
:1—“Paul, a bondservant of God & an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect & the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,”
“Accords/After/Leads to”— kata—1) Down from, through out; 2) According to, toward, along.
“Godliness”—eusebeia—1) Reverence, respect; 2) Piety towards God, godliness.
Titus 2:11-14—“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness & worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, & godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope & glorious appearing of our great God & Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed & purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
*Godliness—Integrity of faith & truth applied to life
Argumentation:
Php 2:12-13—“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear & trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will & to do for His good pleasure.”
1Pet. 2:11-17—“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners & pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers & for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men-- as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
Php. 1:27-30—“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come & see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, & not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, & that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me & now hear is in me.”
Illustration:
Getting in shape/Truth—Need exercise & food habits change/Right kind & amount/Correlate with Christian INTEGRITY
Application:
?Your Obligation to Christ correlate with Christian INTEGRITY?
?Your Obligation to Christ a Resource for or a Handicap to others?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
My Obligation is a resource for others,
when it correlates with Christian....
4. KNOWLEDGE(:1)
5. INTEGRITY/Outworking(:1)
1. OWNERSHIP(:1) “Bondservant”
2. REPRESENTATION(:1) “Apostle”
3. ELECTION by FAITH(:1) “the Faith of God’s elect”
Presented 01/24/2010am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf NC 27054
