LEADERS, BELIEVERS, DECEIVERS, & CRETANS
TITUS
(Introduction to the book of Titus)
I want to think with me a moment this morning. What is the most important letter that you have ever received? For some maybe it was a letter affirming something, like a new home, or something of that nature. Maybe it was personally letter. I know those of you who were in the military, (Coral, Jeff, and others) remember how those letters from home were so important. Getting a letter from Darleen while I was in the service was just as good as winning the lottery as far as I was concerned.
I remember getting a letter from Village Missions that we have been accepted and that we would soon be going into the ministry full time. That certainly was an important letter for my family and me.
Sometimes letters can bring bad news. I remember getting a letter from a collection agency do to a mix up with my insurance company, that was not a pleasant letter a all.
So letters can bring good news or bad news. They can encourage us or bring us anger or sorrow.
Today I want to begin looking a letter that is almost 2000 years old. While it is an old letter it is still very relevant to us today. Today we will begin to look at a letter written by a man named Paul, to his close friend named Titus.
Titus begin on page 1032 in your pew Bibles. It is not an very long letter, taking up less the 2 pages, but it is full of great gems. I pray that all of have had a chance to read through Titus, as I have encouraged you to do over the past couple weeks. If you have not you still have the change, as we will begin to get into the meat of the letter next week.
This week I want to give you a bit of introduction to the book of Titus. You will notice an outline in your Bulletins today, those are the main thoughts of the book of Titus which we will be covering. We will however be going down some bunny trials along the way.
Now the first thing I want to point out is that this not just an ordinary letter. This is the word of God. This letter contains not the opinion of a man named Paul, but the commands of the Almighty God.
2 Tim 3:16 tells us; "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,"
We are told in the Bible that ALL Scripture is inspired by God, it is ALL profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness. So within this letter we have instruction in doctrine, we will be reproved, perhaps we will be corrected of some wrong thoughts or understand, and I know we will receive instruction in righteousness.
So let us understand that though this may be short letter it is the Word of God, it is important, and it can give to us the nourishment that we need to grow spiritually.
The author as I mentioned earlier is the apostle Paul. Which is stated very plainly in his salutation. We also have the testimony of church history that Paul is the unquestionably the author of Titus.
The recipient is a young man by the name of Titus, which is where the book get its name. It is strange that a man who must have attained considerable prominence within the early church, even to the point of having his name placed on a canonical book of the Bible, yet we know so little about him. While Titus is seen as a frequent companion of Paul, as we see in Paul’s other writings, Titus is not once mentioned in the book of Acts.
From the epistles of Paul we do know some facts about Titus. He was a Greek who was brought up in heathenism. He most likely was saved in the preaching and missionary work of Paul.
Paul speaks of Titus very affectionately. In Titus 1:4 he is called "a true son in our common faith:" Paul also refers to Him in 2 Cor. as his brother. He is esteemed by Paul who as we shall see trust Titus to handle even the toughest assignments.
We learn from the Scripture the Titus was Paul’s messenger to Corinth. Paul had sent him there to see how they had received his first letter, what we know as 1 Cor. Paul receives word from Titus that the letter, along with Paul’s authority had been well received by the Corinthians. Paul them sends Titus back to Corinth bearing the letter that we know as 2 Cor.
Sometime after that, Paul and Titus once again are together, Paul leaves Titus on the island of Crete to as Paul states, "that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you;" There is some debate as to whether Titus ever left the island of Crete, some say that he left before the final days of Paul’s life. While there are other traditions that state Titus lived in Crete until he died at age 94, and was buried on Crete.
This letter was written sometime between 63-64 AD. Paul was most likely somewhere in Greece when he wrote to young Titus.
What we also need to take a look at today is the location of Titus when he received this letter. The letter tells us that he was in Crete.
The reason I say is so that we can see what Titus was up against. I want to show that Paul’s call for the Christians in Crete to live righteously was not an easy thing considering their society. In turn while we may think that it is hard to live righteously in our society, it is something God expect from us, just as He expected it from the Christians in Crete.
Crete is an Island which forms a southern boundary to the Aegean Sea and lies southeast from Greece. It is about 156 miles long, and varies in with from 7 to 35 miles. In ancient time it was well know for it’s 100 cities, and plays a part in Greek mythology. It has been under Turk rule since the 1600’s
The Bible tells us that there were Jews from the Crete at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down upon those early believers. It seems that some of them received the Gospel at that time and formed a church when they returned home. So Christianity was present on the island prior to Paul’s visit. But is was most likely mixed with error which the Apostle addressed.
Now some of you I am sure have heard the expression, "That guy is a real Cretan." That is not used as a complement. Now there is a good reason why that expression as taken on a negative aspect.
Cretan were not exactly know as the most upright citizens, in fact they had a reputation as an immoral people. In Titus Paul states that, "One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.""
In researching the island of Crete this seems to be the general consensus of the ancient writers. Speaking concerning the Cretan military one wrote, "The Cretans both by land and sea are irresistible in forays and tricks played on the enemy, night attacks, and all petty operations which require fraud. But they are cowardly and down-hearted in the massed face-to-face charge of open battle"
Another author writes, "In all these respects the Cretan practice exactly opposite to the Spartans. Their laws go as far as possible in letting them acquire land to the extent of their power: and money is held in high honor among them this its acquisition is not only regarded as necessary, but as most honorable… So much in fact do sordid love of gain and lust for wealth prevail among them, that the Cretans are the only people in the world in whose eyes not gain is disgraceful. Owing to their ingrained lust of wealth are involved in constant broils public and private, and in murders and civil wars."
This was the kind of society that Titus was in. This was the kind of society that the Cretan Christian’s were called to impact. A society were the main goal was to acquire wealth, to fulfill whatever lust you might have. A society were ones word meant very little, what mattered was how much stuff you had. A society were moral were disregarded in search for wealth and material gain. As long as you have stuff, little else matters.
IT WAS A SOCIETY VERY MUCH LIKE OUR OWN!!!
So as we go through this book I want you to realize that Paul had in mind the same types of things that we face everyday. He knew what Crete was like, he knew the evil that was all around the church there. And as we read and study this letter almost 2000 years later, let us realize that it applies to us.
I want us to now take a look at the purpose of the epistle. Paul write this letter to a young pastor. A pastor who has been given a great responsibility. A young pastor who has a very difficult task ahead.
The church that were under his headship was in need of maturity and encouragement. This letter is designed to assist Titus in that work. The church to be instructed in the truth of the gospel, and Paul encourages Titus to do that in this letter, exhorting him to appoint qualified leaders, to teach sound doctrine, and to exhort the saint in Crete to be "zealous for good works".
As we read this letter today it is calling on us to do the very same things. If you would I would like you to take out that outline in your bulletin. You will see there that two titles can be given to the book of Titus,
"The Truth that Leads to Godliness" or "How to Make a Permanent Impact in a Secular Society" Those are things that Paul is calling on Titus to encourage the people to do.
That is what we are being called to do in this book of the Bible. We are called to impact our society, to change the way it thinks, to change its attitudes, its values. And according to Paul we do that with first of all godly living.
We will notice a progression within the Book of Titus that is noted on that outline. There must orderliness within the church, which will lead to Godliness in the home, which will allow us to be consistent in our good works in the world.
He points to a healthy church. In Christianity today we often equate a healthy church by how many members in has. We think of healthy churches in terms of how big the offering is. But as we see in our study of Titus Paul never tells Titus, you need a bigger church, you need more people. He never tells them Titus if your offering were a little larger you would be doing ok.
Paul equates a healthy church with one that is spiritual and doctrinally sound. He makes no mention of numbers and finances. Sure it is nice to see the church grow in numbers, sure it is nice to have the finances to fix things around the parsonage, or put up a new sign, to run commercials on TV, but that does not make a healthy church.
The question is are we all praying as we should, are we all reading God’s word as we should, are we all spending time with God daily, are we growing spiritually. Those are the signs of a healthy church not numbers and money.
If we follow the way of Paul in Titus we will have a healthy church. One that will bring honor to God, one that will produce godliness at home, one that ill impact that world.
Paul first speaks of leaders and leadership in the church. How many here consider themselves to be a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ. Now do the rest of you consider yourself to be born-again Christians. If you have trusted in the blood of Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins, if you have made Him Lord and Saviour of your life, then you are a leader.
Webster defines leader as "One who guides the way" And that is what each one of us as been called to do. We have been called to guide the way to Jesus Christ. We have been called to lead people to Jesus Christ. And when I say we I mean every one of you. We are all leaders.
So when we begin to look at the leadership role in the church which Paul speaks of to Titus, let us realize that to some extent it applies to each and every one us who as called upon the name of the Lord for salvation.
Paul goes on to write Titus on the subject of our personal lives our homes lives. May I just say that if we do not have godliness in the homes we cannot have a healthy church. Strengthening the home spiritually will strengthen the church spiritually and visa-versa. We are going to be looking at our duties as Christians, how we ought to live. And how it is we are to live that way, what will help us to accomplish that.
We need to understand the effect that an ungodly home will have on the church. I think of the story of Eli and his sons. I want to read some passages from 1 Sam.
"Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the LORD. Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD."
"Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. "No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the Lord’s people transgress. "If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them."
A little while after that a "man of God" prophesied;
’Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. ’Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Ho-ph-ni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them.
’Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.
Not long after those words were spoke Israel when to war, 1 Sam 4 give this account;
"So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers… Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Then a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day, and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. Now when he came, there was Eli, sitting on a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What does the sound of this tumult mean?" And the man came quickly and told Eli. Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were so dim that he could not see. Then the man said to Eli, "I am he who came from the battle. And I fled today from the battle line." And he said, "What happened, my son?" So the messenger answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Ho-ph-ni and Phinehas, are dead; and the ark of God has been captured."
Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years."
Now the point of this story is how the ungodliness of the home life of Eli’s sons spread into the religious life of the all the people of Israel. The unhealthy home life let to an unhealthy religious life. It was all weaken by ungodliness.
Eli was at fault because he did nothing about the ungodliness of sons. And God finally brought judgment upon them all.
As we will see that same is true with us. If we allow ungodliness to run its course in the home, it will eventually make its way into the church.
This is especially true with the elders of the church. This is why they are held to a greater standard when it comes to the behavior of their children. I believe that is the point that God is making in the story of Eli.
So within Titus we see that there needs to be orderliness in the church which in turn should bring about godliness in the home, or in our private lives, and these things together will equip us to impact the world.
When the church is healthy, when the home is godly then will we be able to live consistent live in the world. Lives that are consistent with the claim that we are followers of Christ.
Then will our lifestyles not only be a witness but we will bring glory to God.
As we close this morning I just want to say that I realize that this sermon as been a little different then the way I normally preach. But I wanted to give you all some back ground into the book of Titus to help us better understand it.
I also wanted us to understand the importance of the Word of God, and how it transcends time, how it can be applied to a culture some 2000 years ago as well are own.
You see the Bible is written not to make us better sinners, but to make us more like Christ. These "little" books of the Bible are important to us, they came instruct us.
Let us realize that God as written them to us personally that we might live godly lives. That book could have been called "Harley, Alta, Gen, or Jane". The Bible has the answers to all that we need to know.
How to run a church, how to raise a family, how to impact the world, it’s all there, and we need to see that.
Titus had his work cut out for him, and so do we. The worse things get in a society the greater the impact that gospel will have. It was true in Crete and I believe it is true in modern day America.
So join me over the next few months as we look into the book of Titus see how we can make a permanent impact in a secular society.
LET US PRAY
