Life is about what you love.
In the last 300 years the way people see life and the definition of a “successful life” has changed. It has moved from morality to money; from God to goals, from Christ to culture.
This is not new; this same setting was the type of culture Paul was addressing in the Book of Titus.
The Book of Titus is one of the Pastoral Letters; in other words, it a letter from Paul to a Gentile Pastor who was leading in a world where there was a lot of religion, but religion was making little to no impact.
There were multiples of religions and worldviews. None of them were connected to Christ. Yet, this is where Paul and Pastor Titus come in.
In the middle of that culture, Paul and Titus were called to chart a different course. To provide a different world view. To lead people to Jesus and to do it with love.
Therefore, as Paul launches His letter in his salutation, he focuses in on why anyone would want to love and live for Jesus.
Why should you? Why should you make the radical choice today to follow Jesus?
Transitional Sentence: Why follow Jesus?
I. God Chose You
vs. 1- “Paul a bondservant of God and the apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God…”
Explanation:
When Paul accepted Jesus, He made a life changing decision. It changed the way he thought and most certainly the way he lived.
This is obvious as He starts this letter he writes to a fellow named Titus and introduces himself. He reveals that this new life he has embraced as a Christian changed who He is.
Therefore, he simply calls himself by two radical titles:
a) A bond servant of God (A person who decided to be a slave of God/owned by God)
b) An apostle of Jesus Christ (A person who is an errand boy for Jesus)
Notice, these two titles are not flattering titles in our culture. Slave and errand boy sound like someone calling you “the help.”
Yet, Paul was proud of these two titles. Jesus changed Him to top to bottom. He was not the same.
He basically says: “God’s love compelled me to this radical change.” Has it changed you? It will.
Paul explained further in 2 Corinthians 5:14: “For Christ’s love compels us.”
The word he uses in this verse for compel (anagkazo) appears in the New Testament 9 times means: “If drives me, it necessitates, it pushes and pulls me. It overwhelms me!”
Sounds like how we feel when we fall in love. Anyone here ever “had it bad?” Any still have it bad? You know what I’m talking about don’t you guys? You meet her and you cannot get her out of your mind or his heart. She’s the love of His life and life would be incomplete without her.
That’s what Paul is talking about.
Why did Paul have it so bad? It was because he knew he was undeserving. We are an unlikely candidate to be chosen by God. Yet, God has done for us what no one else would have! He called, chose, and changed us by His grace.
Illustration: You are the beast
Movies are full of unlikely couples. When my kids were growing up, for a longtime we did not have cable. We were missionaries and were poor and could not afford cable, so we watched movies on the DVD. (Over and over and over again)
Aaren, my oldest daughter was 3 in 1991and she loved the movie, “Beauty and the Beast.” I always wondered what kind of animal that beast was. I am told that he was chimera- a combination of several animals.”
He had: The head like a buffalo, he had ram’s horns, a lion’s mane, bear arms and claws, gorilla eyebrows, lion’s jaws, wild boar tusks, wolf legs, ugly teeth, and a wolf’s tail.
He was an unlikely love for beautiful Belle. Yet, she looked deep into his heart and saw a need and her love changed him.
I loved the story until one time I said: “Aaren, you’re my beauty” and she responded: “Daddy you’re my Beast.” I thought that was sweet for a minute.
Application:
In God’s story, we were all beasts. We were chosen not based on who we are; we were chosen based on who Christ is. He is full of grace.
Paul doesn’t want us to forget what God has done for you. He chose you!
What does that mean? The word chosen is the Greek word “eklektos” which is a marriage word. It is a picture similar to engagement that involves two things:
a) A sovereign proposal by God.
b) A willing acceptance by us.
Our earthly marriage arrangement provides a picture of heavenly marriage to Christ. He initiates the relationship by loving us so greatly that its unfathomable that anyone would turn Him down.
His love compels us. It initiates a new life because we are chosen! PTL!
Transitional Sentence: Why follow Jesus?
II. You Can Trust Jesus
vs. 1- “…and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness.”
Explanation:
Honesty is one of the most important things that builds relationships. If someone lies to you, or misleads you, trust is lost, and the relationship immediately is thrown out of balance.
In 1664, there was a captain of a merchant ship that was a compulsive liar. His name was Captain Fudge.
According to history, he was such a liar that no one believed anything he said. The result was a nautical term was created amount the ship fleets of the day. When someone lied, they would say: “You are fudging it.” Captain Fudge’s name became synonymous of lying.
Titus served the churches in the middle of the Mediterranean and there were many sailors like Captain Fudge, and they were known for lying.
The citizens in this area went down in history as materialistic, dishonest, and aggressive. They would do almost anything to get a gain each other. They were known for lying to each other. As a matter of fact, there was a saying in those days that went like this: “You are playing a Cretan with a Cretan!” This meant: “You are a trickster, or you out deceived the other deceiver.”
Literally, being able to “pull one over on someone through lying” was seen as something to brag about. The very name of the island had come to symbolize deception.
Yet, God’s name is synonymous with truth.
a) Jesus even said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6
b) The Holy Spirit is called, “The Spirit of truth.” John 14:17
An even more direct affirmation of God being truth is Hebrews 6:17 that says: “… for God it is impossible to lie.”
Likewise read verse 2: “in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago.”
The truthfulness of God is a primary motivator for following Him and living your life for Him.
In verse 1, Paul communicates the depth of God’s truthfulness. He says, “for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness.”
The word “knowledge” is a compound word and a favorite word of Paul that he repeats often in referring to God. The word means: “to be certain.”
In life, truth matters, and Paul wants us to know that at the core of God’s character is truth.
Why does this matter? When God is leading your life, it is not a guessing game; it is a life that is guided by a God who won’t lead you astray.
When God is leading your life, you have a solid foundation to build your life upon. Without that foundation, your life is subject to an endless guessing game.
Illustration: Fingers crossed
Russ Chiodo, Director of Emergency management Services for Beaver County Pittsburgh had a very difficult job.
One hundred and thirty-two people died when USAIR Flight 427 crashed on its way from Chicago to Pittsburgh claiming the lives of all on board.
During the recovery, Chiodo said he saw something that has haunted him ever since. He recovered the body of a man whose set of hands had both sets of fingers crossed as if to communicate that he was crossing them as a desire that luck might be on his side.
Application:
That’s a pretty dark story but it’s a true story of a choice we all make in life. Some of you will make it today. With you base your life on blind chance or Biblical certainties.
I love what Martin Luther said. He said: “Faith is a living and daring confidence in God, so sure and certain that a man could stake his whole life on it a thousand times over and over again.”
Faith is based on who God is. It is complete confidence in God for every situation in your life He’s on it and all you have to do is trust Him and take one step at a time.
Martin Luther King Jr said this: “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
Listen: Jesus won’t let you down; truth is not on His side; He is truth.
Transitional Sentence: Why follow Jesus?
III. Jesus Wants You
Vs. 3-4- “but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior, To Titus my true child in common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.”
Explanation:
Have you ever been made to feel that you were unwanted, that you didn’t make the cut, or that there was no place for you. If that’s you, I have good news for you, “Jesus wants you. He wants you in His family.”
Listen: Jesus came to earth to form a family. That’s why we know God as a Father, and Jesus even calls us brothers and the bride. The Bible is full of family language when it comes to His people.
Proof that God wants us in his family starts with Paul himself. He was a persecutor of the church, and enemy of Jesus until Jesus met Him on the Road to Damascus and turned Saul into Paul.
You might wonder why Paul did not remain being called Saul. The reason why was His calling to go to the Gentiles. He was called to invite people who thought they were “left out” --- and only the Jews could be saved.
To communicate God’s goodness; Saul became known as Paul.
Saul was a Hebrew name, but Paul was a Gentile name. Therefore, the very fact that Paul went by this name put the welcome mat out for Gentiles to join the family of God. Paul identified with us as Gentiles.
Titus was personally discipled as a Christian by Paul. Yet, Titus was a Gentile. But notice what Paul says about Titus in verse 4. He calls Titus “my true child.”
This is a remarkable statement because here, a former Pharisee, a devoted Jew, a faithful rabbi, a Hebrew among Hebrews, a man of impeccable Jewish heritage and in this verse, he calls Titus (who was an uncircumcised Gentile convert) “my son.”
Do you understand that Paul is saying: “Titus and I are related. We are part of the family of God.”
Illustration: Hebron
Once when we went to Israel, we went down to Hebron to the place where Abraham was buried. I always wanted to go there for one reason; I wanted to stand beside Abraham’s tomb and thank God for inviting us (Gentiles) to be part of God’s family.
We got to do it, and I count it as one of the greatest highlights of my life.
Application:
Titus was a Gentile, but part of the family just like you and me. Titus would be greatly used of the Lord and would go to all kinds of people saying: “Jesus wants you.”
One place he went was to the Illyrians; do you know who they were? They were pirates. Listen: If God wants pirates; I assure He wants you too. That compels us to love and follow Jesus!
Can you imagine that? Paul tells Titus to go start a church from a bunch pirates!
Do you know why? Because God is a God of grace. He wants us in His family. He wants imperfect people to live and love the perfect Savior He provided.
Therefore, this letter is written to instruct and encourage Titus to go gather the family and tell them why they should follow Jesus.
But notice, as he closes verse 4, in his salutation He tells us all in 3 words how to join the family of God. The two words are: “Grace and peace.”
Why not say “peace” then the word “grace?” The reason is simple. We will never have peace until we first have grace.
Concluding Illustration: John Newton/ Amazing Grace
Many of you may know the story of John Newton. He was the son He was raised by a godly woman who taught him to read by reading the Bible but at 6 years old she died.
Newton became a very angry man and many rejected God completely in his life. His Dad was a sailor and introduced him to the African slave trade. If his life at that time were made into a movie, it would be R rated and even the vilest of people would hate him. In his day many did saying that he was one of the cruelest, crude, foul mouth, angriest, abusive men they knew.
Yet, one night in 1748 while he was in the hull of his ship off the coast of Ireland, a storm rose, and Newton feared for his life along with the rest of the crew. In the belly of that ship, he was tossed to and fro, and in his fear, He remembered the words of the Bible his mother taught him, so he cried out to God for mercy and salvation.
In response his life completely changed.
He was motivated to love and live for Jesus and as part of his commitment he reflected on it through a sermon he preached in 1779 which later became a hymn whose lyrics go like this:
“Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost and now I am found was blind but now I see.”
This song is 253 years old but is sung an estimated 10 million times each year and has been deemed the most popular hymn in history.
Many have asked: “Why is this song so popular? Why does it resonate with us all?”
The answer is simple: It is every Christians story. We all have a story of God’s grace. If you don’t why not get one today? Why not start living and following Jesus with us?
