A major part of learning how to do something is learning the "do nots." To illustrate: One of my first lessons related to learning how to be a locomotive engineer involved learning certain things that I must not do—such as going to sleep. While pulling a train, you do not reach down and apply the brakes on the engines. Why? Because you will quickly reduce the engine speed while the rear of the train is still traveling full speed. To do so will result in the rear end running into the front end. This will give you whip lash or tear up the train, sometimes causing cars to pop out.
One night an engineer was pulling a long train north and, on a descent toward the Sabine River bottom, the train suddenly went into emergency. The conductor walked up toward the front of the and found where the cars had uncoupled. He and the engineer reconnected the train and went on their way. That morning another train crew saw a tank car rolled over on its side—the slack ran in and caused the tank car to literally “pop” out and roll into the ditch. Lesson learned? You don’t apply the engine brakes when the rear end of a train is rushing down a hill.
We live in a society that wants to champion avoidance of the negative; however, just as a child has to learn that fire burns, we have to learn certain things do not automatically lead to excellency. Sadly, we may have to learn from our mistakes. Excelling in goodness and mercy is achieved by laying the ground work for who we are to become.
Paul is honest and points out potential problems Titus will face while serving as a discipler on the island of Crete. Part of the challenge will involve Titus getting the people to operate from a different worldview. They will have to give up certain behavioral characteristics.
In the pursuit for godliness they will discover there are some negative characteristics that will block their ascendancy to excellency. Yet, disciples also learn lessons about how to experience a life characterized by goodness, mercy, grace, and joy.
I. KINGDOM PEOPLE STRIVE FOR HARMONY IN ALL OF LIFE
31Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
Paul uses the present tense and imperative mood of the verb "remind" in his instructions to Titus. In the first two verses of chapter three Paul calls the Christians’ attention to several behavioral expectations that are to guide them in their relationship with civil authorities.
You have to recall the pagan characteristics of the Cretans when attempting to understanding this passage. One of their own described them as "Liars, evil brutes, and lazy gluttons." I can only imagine the flavor of a city council meeting.
For many, this raises the question of civil disobedience. Fortunately, we live in a democratic society. We can work within the framework of society and positively influence change. That is the emphasis of Paul's instructions. They are to be ready to do every good work.
I hear a lot of people talk about their love and adoration for God and their willingness to follow him; however, the litmus test for Christianity is in how well we can work within systems.
A. Disciples Live Within the Framework of Church and Society.
Sometimes I look at our government and wonder what in the world we are doing. Like you, I often regret my taxes are paying for some of the programs that seem antithetical to that which Christianity represents. Yet, I have to be a law-abiding citizen--otherwise life becomes very chaotic.
The starting place for good citizenship is right here, in the church. God has designed the church to work in a particular way. I must ask, Am I a good resident member of the church? How do you know if you are a good citizen, in the church and in society?
B. Disciples Are Proactive in Their Service
I like the word proactive; I was introduced to the term while in seminary. It is the opposite of reactive. Civil disobedience is often nothing more than a reactive position.
To be proactive means we are responsible for our lives. "Our behavior is a function of our decisions, not our conditions. Reactive people look at a situation and draw a line in the sand. Proactive people look at the same situation and are drawn to the opportunities it presents.
I believe this is what Paul has in mind when encouraging them to be prepared for "every good work."
C. Disciples Avoid Caustic Techniques
Grumblers and gripers are reactive people. Scripture says we are to avoid this disposition. There are at least two reasons people are negative and caustic when facing a challenge.
1. They are contentious and use negative forms of human behavior to gain power because their strength is measured in terms of muscle instead of wisdom.
2. They are insecure in themselves and feel intimidated by those who appear bold and confident.
Yet, Scripture discourages positioning ourselves to use contentious behavior to combat those whom we disagree.
Let me illustrate. I recall visiting with fellow students after an Old Testament class. We were using Bernard Anderson's book, Understanding the Old Testament, and some of the students were challenged by some of the statements Anderson had made in the book. They were lambasting him. They looked like bantum roosters bluffing an elephant. I drew their attention to the flap of the book, pointing to his academic experience in biblical studies and reminded them that until they had invested the time and energy in biblical studies equal to Anderson that perhaps they should not be too quick in discounting his work. The problem, they felt threatened and did not have an intelligent response. They used the charismatic mouth to bluff a person with a heart to know God and who understood his Word.
This leads us naturally into the next concept.
D. Disciples Respect the Rights of Others
One of the worst things that can happen to a Christian is for them to think they have an inside edge to God that few others have. The Bible uses the term haughty to describe those who have little or no respect for others. Haughty means having or showing great pride in oneself and disdain, contempt, or scorn for others; a haughty person is proud, arrogant, supercilious.
Psalm 101:5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,
him will I put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
him will I not endure.
Proverbs 16:18Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.
19Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed
than to share plunder with the proud.
Zephaniah 3:11On that day you will not be put to shame
for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from this city
those who rejoice in their pride.
Never again will you be haughty
on my holy hill.
Some Christians think it is their place to fix everybody. They are convinced they are correct and will make life miserable for everyone who gets in their way. God would have them understand he did not give them a monopoly on the Bible.
Yes, we are to be mature in the faith and able to help people gain a proper understanding of Scripture and God. Yet, as I mentioned earlier in this series, too many take Paul's advice the wrong way and use Scripture as a weapon. God did not call us to be attackers of the dark, he called us to be proclaimers of the light.
Remember the two words Paul uses in 1:9, "encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." Encourage comes from the word parakale,w parakaleo {par-ak-al-eh'-o} (parakalein in Titus). It gives us the image of being like Christ, as He comes alongside in love and comfort. Refute, elegchein, suggest an educative approach when addressing false teachers. To be a good Christian apologist you have to understand people and their worldview and to present the Gospel in an appealing fashion. Ravi Zacherias was perhaps the best Christian apologist we have known. In messages like, Why I believe in Jesus, Is There a God?, etc. he demonstrates how to address those who struggle to accept the Christian message. He knew how to come alongside those entrenched in and agnostic or atheistic worldview.
Perhaps Paul realizes how easy it is for the overly pious to unkowingly hide their sin. Can Christians actually violate God's will and continue to be enslaved to the passions and pleasures? Yes! Too many times unchristian like behavior simply gets baptized in a pool of pleasure and selfish gain.
Titus encourages Christians to acquire some positive characteristics in order to convince unbelievers of the verity of the Gospel. Disciples are to be lovers of peace and they are to show respect to others.
How do Christians maintain their humbleness? Pauls puts it on the table for us.
II. KINGDOM PEOPLE REMEMBER FROM WHENCE THEY CAME
3At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
Titus is a how-to manual; however, it contains at least three outstanding passages reflective of Paul's theology. They appear in 1:1-4, 2:11-14, and 3:4-7. This last passage should keep us humble; it takes the stress off of the human dimension of clean living. Verse 5 makes clear that "righteous things" do not earn us acceptance by God. Rather, they are a natural responses from people who have experienced God's forgiveness and love.
A. Disciples Remember the Human Magnitude of Their Sin
One of the greatest struggles we have to deal with is coming face-to-face with our fallen condition. In our society we have lost the theological understanding of the sinful condition of humanity.
Nehemiah, though far removed geographically, confessed the consequences of the sin of his people.
"O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be atttentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. (Neh. 1:4-6)
Nehemiah understood the manner in which sin had manifested itself throughout t the history of his people and carried great societal, as well as individual, consequences. In America today we are reaping the harvest of the sins of our forefathers. Without revival, our children will say the same thing.
B. Disciples remember the spiritual significance of their alienation from God, self, and others
The verb "were" connects the past and the present. We were:
1. Disobedient to God's will...
2. Deceived, mislead by thinking everything was okay
3. Enslaved to our passions and pleasures
With the phrase, "But then," Paul begins one of the most eloquent summaries of God's work in salvation. "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us..." These two words describe God’s modus operandum, His desire to see all receive his goodness and mercy. There are a lot of hurt for people on both sides of the political aisle. Few, to include many Christians, are slow to respect those with a different opinion. The appointment of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court was one of those issues. We should remember the lesson of a little girl:
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh revealed during his testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee that his 10-year-old daughter prayed for Christine Blasey Ford, his accuser, in the days leading up to the hearing.
Jesus said,
“I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. What’s more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it’s the same as receiving me. 18:2-5 MSG
Kindness describes God's generosity and goodness toward us. The word for love is philanthropia, meaning love for mankind. God is a philantropic God--he lavished His love upon us. We are recipients of God’s mercy and grace because he is a God who calls us friend. I don’t appreciate those who want to negatively point people toward hell, almost like they hope they go to hell. I prefer to draw attention to our God who loves all of us the same and desires to lavish us with mercy, grace, joy, and eternal life.
Why? Not because of things that we have done or can do. He saved us because of his mercy. This strikes at the heart of our pride. Salvation cannot be attained by doing more righteous acts. By being a Bible thumping Scripture quoting fanatic. By living a better moral life than anyone else in out churches.
Salvation materializes in the heart of God as he transforms us through what is called a rebirth experience. That is the only way we come into a full understanding of who we are.
Frank Peretti, "Steeling the Mind of America" talks about the search for life in space, the quest to probe deep into space. We are told we continue to send messages into space, hoping we will get a response. He asks, "why?" The answer, "So we can learn who we are." Comically, he responds, "What if we get an answer that says, ‘We want to know who you are so we can know who we are.’”
Why do we continue to search for the meaning of life outside God? Don't we understand there is no life outside of God? Just as it is hard for many to believe in a creating God, it is hard for many to believe in a recreating God.
In Romans 5:12-19 Paul tells us about the condition of our fallenness. In another place he says, "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us." One of the things that drives a certain denomination crazy is when the Bible says that God imputed righteousness to Abraham while he was still living in sin (James 2:23). After Abraham believed, he still acted like a sinner; however, God's mercy was showered upon him.
Listen to what Paul says in 3:8, "pistos ho logos," "This is a trustworthy saying." Paul like this statement. He uses it several times in his writings. To illustrate:
Here is a trustworty saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinner, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (1 Tim. 1:15, e.g. 1 Tim. 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11)
Now Titus is to stress these things with people on the island of Crete.
III. KINGDOM PEOPLE AVOID THE TRAP OF INFLATED PIETY
9But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. 10Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. 11You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
A. Disciples Do Not Insist On Their Way at the Expense of Relationships
B. Disciples have a relational orientation vs a task orientation
C. Disciples Do Not Boast About Their Piety
D. Disciples Avoid Those With a Divisive Spirit
Discouragement is the evil one's way of causing us to lose our perspective. Without perspective we lose hope. Without hope we lose sight of the vision. Without vision we walk away from the mission. Without the mission their is no passion for living.
I believe God gave Paul a special insight that pertains to how we can turn discouragement into passionate living.
Romans 5:5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When I read the book of Titus and contemplate the challenge of "doing church" in a place like Crete, I wonder what was the source of motivation for Titus and the Christians serving with him. If having the right perspective is critical, then what is the right perspective of life for being Christian and doing church?
This week I found myself deeply troubled while reflecting upon what I have witnessed during twenty forty plus years of vocational service in the church. I have witnessed Christians who start out on fire for the Lord become apathetic or bored with the church. I have witnessed those with the kind of zeal that could move mountains succumb to helplessness and hopelessness. I have seen those who once had a great vision for their church move away from the church and eventually drop out. I have observed others who, when confronted with the challenge of being the church in a hostile and antagonistic world, walk away discouraged.
I admire those like Vernon Armitage, who was my pastor at Pleasant Valley, Kansas City, who has served churches that have broken through the barriers of mediocracy that so easily leads to our demise. God has seen fit to use me in churches who are struggling to redream the dream and catch the joy of serving Him as he grows His church. This ministry is never easy, sometimes it is very difficult. Many ministers have walked away from this challenge and have either gotten involved in starting new churches, become discouraged and caustic, or have walked away from the ministry.
I believe Titus contains the key to finding the right perspective for a healthy church, a church that attracts healthy Christians. When I read the book I find myself asking, "Why does Scripture strongly advocate living according to a particular standard?"
If you were to take a peek at my list of values, you would discover the desire to be useful in the Kingdom is second only to developing a dynamic relationship with God. My heart resonates with the words of Bob Pierce, who allowed one little child to stir his heart. The stirring of his heart led to the organization of World Vision, a ministry with the goal of transforming children. He said, "Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God."
Conclusion.
I often have the perception that many Christians are miles apart when attempting to figure out the place of Christianity in their lives. This creates a degree of tension in churches. You will get an array of responses when asking the question, "How do you measure the effectiveness of a church?"
Perhaps in Titus we have the answer to that question in two part approach. First, Paul teaches them how to excel as learners. We all want to excel in sports; however, learning the basic prior to the big game is critical. I had never played basketball in junior high, other than in a regular physical education class. Not anticipating getting to play, I asked the high school coach if I could at least practice so I could develop the skills needed. He took special interest in me and taught me the skills I needed. Yet, I had to commit myself to pay close attention and practice. This allowed me to play in a few varsity games that year, in addition to playing on the junior varsity team.
Up to this point Paul has been instructing Titus who, in turn, teaches Christians. This process requires unlearning certain things as a way to make room for new lessons. The worldview on the Island of Crete was a difficult place to plant a church and make disciples. New Christians had to depart from the worldview that had been a part of their life for a long time.
How has our worldview made it difficult to make disciples? The Bible teaches us how we should think and behave. We live in a society where people, especially young people, are impacted by a society that is similar to to the one on the Island of Crete. Will we commit ourselves to excelling in goodness and mercy? Learning as a disciple how God would have us live?
