Happy Living in Crete Titus 1:1-15
Sermon by Don Emmitte, Grace Restoration Ministries
The little book of Titus covers just a few pages in most Bibles. There are lots of questions about this relatively obscure and forgotten book.
We are first drawn to the identity of the recipient. Who is this man named Titus? He is never mentioned in the Book of Acts. We know from Paul’s letters that he was a young man in the church at Antioch of Syria where the apostle had come after his time in Arabia. Paul called him his son in the faith.
We naturally want to know when it was written. The Epistle to Titus was written in approximately A.D. 66 Paul’s many journeys are well documented and show that he wrote to Titus from Nicopolis in Epirus. In some Bibles a subscription to the epistle may show that Paul wrote from Nicopolis in Macedonia. However, there is no such place known and subscriptions have no authority as they are not authentic.
Additionally we might like to know what the general purpose of the letter is. The Epistle to Titus is known as one of the Pastoral Epistles as are the two letters to Timothy. This epistle was written by the apostle Paul to encourage his brother in the faith, Titus, whom he had left in Crete to lead the church which Paul had established on one of his missionary journeys (cf. Titus 1:5). This letter advises Titus regarding what qualifications to look for in leaders for the church. He also warns Titus of the reputations of those living on the island of Crete (cf. Titus 1:12). In addition to instructing Titus in what to look for in a leader of the church, Paul also encouraged Titus to return to Nicopolis for a visit. In other words, Paul continued to disciple Titus and others as they grew in the grace of the Lord (cf. Titus 3:13).
It is interesting to look beneath the obvious and understand what must have prompted Paul to write these things. There were probably two other letters that Titus wrote to Paul. In both he must have been complaining how bad things were in Crete. He must have complained how bad the people were; the church was impossible; there was wickedness, ungodliness, and immorality everywhere he looked. He wanted out! I suppose the title might have been “How to Make the Best of a Bad Situation.” I have decided to title this message Happy Living in Crete. Let’s look closely…
TAKE YOUR BIBLES, PLEASE…
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; to Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work. (Titus 1:1-16 ESV).
You should note that Paul does not deny the reality of how bad Crete is for Titus. It is a bad situation. Everything he says about it is true. Paul acknowledges that and quotes one of the Cretians own philosophers and poets in verse 12: One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. But notice how Paul teaches we all have our Crete. We all live in a Crete of some kind or another. We are all in a mess. We all have a bad situation. The apostle does not advocate denial in the face of the truth. It is bad! In fact, it may even be worse than you think and say it is.
Many of the people I see come to me and tell me how bad their situation is either at home or work. And I cannot deny it certainly sounds like they are living in Crete. They have begged and pleaded with God to deliver them from their Crete, but God seems to be silent as they feel stuck in an impossible situation. Well, let me make this very clear. Crete is all around us. It is not just an island in the Mediterranean where Titus went 2000 years ago on a mission trip! So, what does Paul have to say to us from the heart of God as we live in our Crete?
First, Happiness Is Created.
Happiness is not guaranteed or given simply by living life. Life does not produce it. Happiness is created from the raw materials of our life with the creative power of the Holy Spirit. Happiness is not something you find. Happiness is created. And, the materials from which happiness is created are in the Crete’s of life. Life can only give us circumstances. Some take those circumstances and allow the work of Christ to make happiness; others refuse this work of grace and experience misery.
I have known people who simply could not allow themselves to be happy where they were. I had one family who came to me and made it known very quickly they were not from Tennessee. They were Virginians. They proceeded to tell me how they could not find anything right about Tennessee. The people were not as cultured and refined as they were in Virginia. I asked why they moved here. I was told the husband’s company had transferred him to the area. They didn’t like the home they lived in. They did not think the schools were as good here. The church in Virginia was better. I was told everything that was wrong about living in Tennessee. (I might have been able to understand them a bit better if they had come from Texas – just kidding!) I heard them for nearly an hour regale the wonder of Virginia and complain bitterly about Tennessee. I found myself at the end of the session asking them why they didn’t just move back to Virginia!
They continued to come off and on for a few months, but I made very little progress with them in that time. Ultimately they did move back to Virginia. Some months later I received a letter from the wife. She wrote three pages of how unhappy they were in Virginia and how much they missed Tennessee! Had it not been so sad I would have laughed. They had not learned that Crete is not a geographical location; it is a state of being. Everywhere we are in this unredeemed, fallen world is Crete. But, out of this world we have the wonderful opportunity of watching God build a life of happiness and peace, something successful and positive. Happiness is not something we get from our circumstance. Happiness comes from the creator of all things. It requires our participation to be sure; but make no mistake, God is the creator of happiness in every Crete of life.
Let me give you an essential proverb in life: Never let outward circumstances determine your inward happiness.
Second, God Has Allowed Us to Live in Crete for a Purpose.
Sometimes God puts us in a particularly difficult position because He knows that’s where we are most needed. God puts the Christian in Crete because He knows Crete needs Christians. Paul says to Titus, This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order.
I had a pastor ask me how I could listen to people recite their troubles all day long. Well, imagine is a medical doctor suddenly declared, “Yes, I’m a doctor, but I am sick and tired of listening to sick people. All they do is complain and tell me about their aches and pains. I wish I had some patients who were well.” It would be crazy to think that he was really called to being a doctor.
Let me make a very important application to our church. Any of us could make a list of things that we do not have. We can talk about how bigger and wealthier churches can do much more than we can at Santa Fe. We can talk about what we lack in this program or that program and we can become discouraged about our Crete. Our call is not to look at what we lack. Our call is to look at the God who is our supply. He has called us to this place at this time because we are needed here, now. I am not saying we should be satisfied with less. We must strive to go forward; to do more. However, that cannot happen if we quit or become negative. We are in Crete because God needs us here!
Third, Crete Is the Ultimate Refinement of Our Faith.
Chester Swor told a great story from his days as a travelling evangelist. He said he had met a lovely lady at a coffee. She was refined and stately. She went around talking to everyone present at the gathering. She asked everyone some personal question of concern. She seemed to know everyone’s need and spoke a word of comfort to them. She seemed to be the epitome of a godly Christian woman. Later Swor asked the pastor about this lady. Swor had guessed that she was young and healthy with no lines of care on her face. She seemed to have no burdens of her own. The pastor told him he couldn’t be farther from the truth. She was not wealthy; in fact she was struggling to live on a modest retirement as she was 70 years old. She had a hard life. Her mother died when she was a young girl; her father had not remarried and the responsibility of rearing her brothers and sisters fell to her. She stayed at home until the last one grew into adulthood and left on their own. Finally, she married and had a child born crippled with severe learning disabilities. She couldn’t have any other children. The doctor advised that the child be put into an institution. For 30 years she cared for her child even though he never spoke a word to her. He couldn’t even manage a smile in response to her love and care. At the end of her son’s life he finally smiled. She had told the pastor how she had worked for thirty years for that one moment. A few years later her husband had a stroke and was completely paralyzed and bedridden. She determined to keep him at home to care for him. He father was 90 by this time and she cared for him as well. The pastor said, “You will hear her explain simply, ‘Jesus was always adequate.’”
God IS adequate! He was adequate for Titus; he can be adequate for you. Focus on Him, not your circumstance!
