Unfinished Business-Do what is good! Titus Part 3
Thesis: The church needs to complete the unfinished business of doing what is good. Many of us have been given a task that is unfinished by the Lord and He wants us to complete it for Him. He wants us to do what is good. The result - if we accept these missions is that many will come to understand the truth, many will embrace the truth and many will live by the truth.
Video Illustration: From Mission Impossible 2 the beginning when Tom Cruise gets the mission on the mountain top.
Texts:
Galatians 6:9: 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Titus 2:9-15
9Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
15These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
Chapter 3:1-8
1Remind 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.
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.
1. We are to do the good at our places of work so God is attractive to our employers and our fellow workers.
a. The slaves - employees were to be taught to do what is good at their places of employment.
i. Many today would say we don’t have slaves today. But really a slave was one who worked for another. The slave and master relationship is like employee and employer relationships today.
b. So we can apply this healthy teaching to work place relationships. We are instructed in this passage on what to do and what not to do.
i. The slave or the employee needs to be subject to the master, the employer.
1. In other words we as Christians should be willing to serve our employers faithfully. And do what they require us to do in our job descriptions.
2. Subject points toward the attitude of servant-hood. It’s a willingness to have a servant attitude with our employers.
ii. The slave was to please the master – the employee should seek to please the boss or bosses.
1. Many in our society today think it is the other way around.
a. "The question ’Who ought to be boss?’ is like asking, ’Who ought to be the tenor in the quartet?’ Obviously, the man who can sing tenor."--Henry Ford
b. But today we see so many people who want to tell the bosses what to do.
c. Many people today think they should be able to go onto a job site and then do what ever they think is right.
2. But the truth is we are to please our employers by being their best workers. We are instructed in the Word to do our job and do it with our whole heart.
a. I Cor. 10:31:11:1: 31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 11:1Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
b. Truth is each of us are placed in our positions by the Lord to impact peoples lives and that could mean your bosses life or a co-workers life.
i. Example: Clayton School
c. Story of Marlo, Tom, and Bill
i. I did it right two times:
1. Urban Coalition
2. McGough Construction
ii. But I once did it wrong!
1. With Bill and the school.
iii. The slave was not to talk back to the master. The Christian employee must not talk back to the employer.
1. James warns us about the tongue James 3:9-16:9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
a. We must guard our tongues- this is doing good!
b. If we learn to control the tongue at work then we become living examples of the Gospel to our fellow workers and supervisors.
i. The key is that we represent Jesus Christ at work.
ii. Story of Thomas Jacox.
2. Proverbs12:18 “The tongue of the wise brings healing.”
3. Proverbs 39:1 “I keep my tongue from sin.”
iv. The slave or employee was not to steal from the master or the employer.
1. Clinical psychologist J. Kirk Felsman of the Dartmouth Medical School analyzed a study of 456 Boston boys. In the study, a boy named Bill was asked why, unlike many other boys in his neighborhood, he did not steal. Bill said, "I don’t have to steal. I can earn what I need." At age nine, he worked after school delivering newspapers and shining shoes. Some of the money he earns is his spending money; the rest goes to his mother. Bill’s jobs give him something money can’t buy: a sense of his own power to deal with his life-and a feeling of responsibility. In a dark and crowded walk-up, with the children sleeping four in a bed, Bill and his family shared "a sense of being a family unit, a strong "we" feeling." (Stories for Preachers)
v. The slave or employee is to model trust worthiness.
1. The Christian should be the most trusted employee at the company.
a. He should be the most reliable and the most dependable worker the company has.
b. For well over 2,000 years the world’s great religions have taught the virtues of a trusting heart. Now there is another reason to heed the wisdom of the ages: scientific evidence indicates that those with trusting hearts will live longer, healthier lives. Nearly every American is aware that Type A people are impatient, driven and easily moved to hostility and anger. The driving force behind hostility is a cynical mistrust of others. If we expect others to mistreat us, we are seldom disappointed. This generates anger and leads us to respond with aggression.
i. A Christian needs to make sure that they maintain self-control. Why? Because others are watching to see if what you have is genuine or not. Your actions at work will determine if someone wants to embrace your faith in Jesus.
2. The management should be able to trust the Christian with responsibility and the Christian should be responsible enough to complete the task.
a. They should never have to be asked twice to complete their job.
b. They should be devoted to doing the best job in a godly manner that please both the employer and the Lord.
i. The story of Joe and Veggie Tales movie Jonah and the Hollywood producers.
c. For nearly ten years, the mother-daughter team of Naomi and Wynonna Judd was one of the most popular acts in country music. But the duo’s relationship was not always harmonious. Naomi explains: "Before a 1984 show in Denver, Wy and I were fighting because she had forgotten her outfit. We were mere minutes from show time, and I opened fire with both guns. ’You stupid kid!’ I screamed. ’Aren’t you ever going to grow up and get your act together?’ ’I’m not singing with you tonight,’ she shrieked back at me. Flailing our arms in the air, we were close to blows when our manager, Ken Stilts, stepped in. ’Ladies,’ he intoned, ’there are several thousand people out there who’ve paid money to hear you tonight. You must decide whether you’re going to rise to professionalism or be a disappointment to everyone, including me.’ Ken’s calm manner struck a nerve. Suddenly Wy and I recognized that if we were to survive, we would have to feel a responsibility to our fans."
d. So how about you? Do you show that you are a responsible employee?
c. Why do this at work? So as to make God our Savior attractive to the unsaved.
i. It’s all about glorifying the Lord in our life at work so people want what we have – Jesus!
T.S. - We all must choose in our work life to do that which is good so that those at work see Jesus living inside of us and decide they want Him in their lives. It also becomes imperative that we also say “NO” to ungodliness in our personal lives because it will affect our work life as well.
2. We need to do the good in our personal- private lives by saying “No” to ungodliness and all its worldly passions!
a. Titus 2: 11-15: 11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 15These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
i. We need to remember that we are all here by Grace and Jesus has given us new life and therefore we are expected to act like we have met the Savior.
1. The key is to keep your perspective on what life is all about:
a. In his 35 years with the United Nations system, Kofi Annan has come to be known as an evenhanded man with an ability to see parts and the whole at the same time. It is this quality that makes him one of the more popular executives in the United Nations. He recalls an unforgettable lesson learned in Ghana at age 17: One day our headmaster walked into the classroom and put up a broad sheet of paper with a small black dot in one corner. "Boys," he asked, "what do you see?" All of us shouted in unison, "A black dot!" Then he said, "So not a single one of you saw the large white sheet of paper? Don’t go through life with that attitude."—Newsweek
b. Truth is to many of us focus on the here and now and we do not focus on eternity- the big white space.
ii. Everyone needs to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions.
1. Johnny Cash is known internationally as the greatest country singer of all time. In fact, more than 40 years after his debut on Sun Records (with Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis) Johnny Cash is still used by a number of companies as a "spokesman" for their product. (You’ve seen the television commercials, haven’t you?) In the early days, however, Cash found that his rise to stardom brought more than fame and fortune. It brought problems. While he was rising in the charts, gold records being added to his collection, his personal life was falling apart. Show business pressures soon drove him to take pep pills, and soon he was addicted. His first arrest came in 1965, when he was caught holding more than one thousand pills. He went from a healthy 200 pounds to 140 pounds. Side effects of the drugs he took caused him to have a severe car accident-he sustained several broken bones and a concussion. Then on May 9, 1971, Johnny Cash sat in the pew of a small church in his hometown. The pastor finished his sermon and appealed to the congregation to come to the Lord and make things right with God. Johnny Cash stood up and walked to the wooden altar. That is when God put his loving hand on Johnny Cash.
2. It is harder to say “No” than to say “Yes” to ungodliness. But it must be done because Jesus has poured out on you grace and mercy.
a. He has given you the free gift but it is now your responsibility to hang onto it.
b. You hang on to it by saying no to ungodliness!
iii. Everyone is to live self-controlled – Upright - Godly lives in this present age.
1. Ty Cobb, all-time baseball great, played 3,033 straight games, and for twelve years led the American League in batting averages. For four years, he batted over 400. He was, arguably, the meanest and most unlikable man ever to play the sport. On his deathbed, July 17, 1961, he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. He said, "You tell the boys I’m sorry it was the last part of the ninth that I came to know Christ. I wish it had taken place in the first half of the first."
2. There are no exceptions to this command in Scripture.
a. I am speaking to everyone of you this morning – this means you too.
b. We are to say “No’ to ungodliness! We are to be self controlled! We say no to sin daily.
i. If you need help get in a small group and become accountable!
c. WHY? So we can glorify Jesus our Lord.
3. The truth is when we gave our live to Jesus we were set free from the passions and desires of evil that brought us down in this life.
a. At least we should have been!
b. If you are still in the muck then you need to decide to renew your mind with the washing of the word.
iv. We are to wait for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ - The Big White picture!
1. This should be our focal point – eternity not the here and now, which is the little black dot in the scope of eternity.
2. We need to live each day in light of eternity and make sure our daily life aligns with that perspective.
v. Titus is instructed by Paul to do the following.
1. Do what is good
a. In light of what Jesus has done for you personally.
2. Encourage one another in the Word
a. Make sure you build one another up with the Word of God.
3. Rebuke those who oppose the Word.
a. Yes, it says rebuke- which means to correct and deal with directly.
b. We are all instructed that at times we need to rebuke those who oppose the word of God.
4. And do not to let any one despise your life and mission for Him.
a. Understand that you have a divine mission and a divine responsibility to fulfill it.
T.S. – We each need to commit to saying ‘No” to ungodliness and make the decision to live for the Lord. To be able to do good means we keep a proper focus eternity and that focus drives our daily lives even at work and with the leadership of others in our lives.
3. We are to do good which means we are to be subject to rulers and authorities.
a. We are to do good by being obedient to those in authority
i. We are to always be ready to do the good in this world- to help out the ruling authorities and the communities we live in.
1. Actually we are to devote ourselves to doing the good!
a. This is the mission impossible we need to accept!
i. Doing Good!
b. An example of a man who chose to do the good was William Booth. He chose to tackle the seemingly impossible mission knowing that the Lord would make it possible.
i. Christian History states, “William Booth was born in economic and spiritual poverty, yet he founded a worldwide organization dedicated to their eradication.”
ii. Today the Salvation Army is worldwide and still doing the good work.
1. Salvation Army blessing this week. The widow of the founder of McDonald’s donates 1.5 Billion dollars to them.
iii. William Booth and Mary Booth both chose the impossible mission to bring spiritual food and physical food to the poverty ridden people of this world.
iv. Why was he successful many have asked?
1. Listen to some of his sayings:
a. Age 15 “God shall have all there is of William Booth!”
b. “Work as if everything depended upon your work, and pray as if everything depended upon your prayer!”
c. Age 20- (1)I will rise every morning sufficiently early…and have a few minutes, not less than five, in private prayer; (2) avoid all the babbling and idle talking in which I have lately so sinfully indulged; (3) endeavour…to conduct myself as a humble, meek, and zealous follower of the bleeding the lamb, and by serious conversation and warning endeavour to lead others to think of their immortal souls; (4) read no less than 4 chapters in God’s word every day; (5) strive to live closer to God, and to seek after holiness of heart, and leave providential event with God; (6) read this over every day or at least twice a week. God help me, enable me to cultivate a spirit of self-denial and to yield myself a prisoner of love to the Redeemer of the world” (7).
v. There willingness to do good for so long has paid off with a great financial blessing to their organization.
ii. We are to do good by slandering no one even those in leadership over us.
1. Illustration of what has happened in the political realm and the news media.
a. Examples today: Toostupidtobepresident.com
b. See cartoons about President Bush.
iii. We are to do the good by being peaceable with one another and toward our governing authorities.
1. I watch TV today and I do not see this happening in our society.
a. I see people protesting for peace with anger and malice all over their faces and actions.
2. What does the Bible mean when it says to be peaceable?
a. Holman states, “PEACE, SPIRITUAL Sense of well-being and fulfillment that comes from God and is dependent on His presence. Old Testament The concept of spiritual peace is most often represented by the Hebrew root slm and its derivatives, the most familiar being by the noun shalom. Its basic meaning is “wholeness” or “well-being.” New Testament The Greek word eirene corresponds to the Hebrew shalom expressing the idea of peace, well-being, restoration, reconciliation with God, and salvation in the fullest sense. God is “the God of peace” (Rom. 15:33; Phil. 4:9; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:20). The Gospel is “the good news of peace” (Eph. 6:15; Acts 10:36) because it announces the reconciliation of believers to God and to one another (Eph. 2:12-18). God has made this peace a reality in Jesus Christ, who is “our peace.”
3. The truth that is communicated through Titus is that we must all be peacemakers: Holman shares this insight about what it means to be a peacemaker: PEACEMAKERS Those who actively work to bring about peace and reconciliation where there is hatred and enmity. God blesses peacemakers and declares them to be His children (Matt. 5:9). Those who work for peace share in Christ’s ministry of bringing peace and reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19; Eph. 2:14-15; Col. 1:20).
iv. We are to do good by being considerate to one another and our leaders.
1. A preacher asked a certain man why he had just ceased to attend the services of the church. The man replied, "They haven’t treated me right over there." The preacher asked, "Then why don’t you go home and beat your wife?" The startled backslider gave the preacher a look which questioned his sanity. "My wife hasn’t done anything against me," he said. "Well," the preacher said, "has the Lord Jesus done anything against you?" Being peeved at the brethren and forsaking the Lord is about as logical as being angry with the dog and kicking the cat. If you don’t believe Christ is to judge your feeling for Him by the way you treat the church, then try Matthew 25:40.
a. Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.
b. Considerate – What a concept that seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle of this world. I see it everyday in school – lack of respect for others, no consideration for others feelings.
2. Dr. Joyce Brothers gives these pointers on "What kids really need from mom." 1. Train their hearts. Moms need to demonstrate that treating people well--with kindness and courtesy--is just as important as succeeding in school and sports. 2. Boo less, cheer more. We all know that praise can do wonders for people. Excessive criticism can result in an overly self-critical child who fears to take the risks that lead to achievement. 3. Talk "taboo." We live in a dangerous world where kids are exposed to drugs, alcohol and sex at ever-younger ages. Some mothers fear that talking about such taboo activities sanctions them. The opposite is true. A 1994 study of fifth- and seventh-graders in Southern California, for instance, found that children who have honest discussions with their parents are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. 4. Let limits grow as children do. Children need to be loved without qualification so the seed of self-esteem can grow. Such unconditional love does not mean you set no limits: setting boundaries demonstrates to a child how important he or she is to you. When a child oversteps, show disappointment with the behavior, not with the child. 5. Show the way. Kids need a moral compass. That means instilling a sense of right and wrong not only about big issues, but also day-to-day matters. 6. Enjoy them. With time short, moms often focus on "what’s important"--catching up on kids’ news, helping with homework. Yet in our tense society, children crave something more--a good time with Mom. Motherhood is a big job, but it’s not meant to be a burden. Sometimes you may need to be a little less responsible--to let go of your demands on yourself and have fun with your children.
v. We are to do good by showing true humility toward all especially our leaders.
1. Bulstrode Whitlock, Cromwell’s envoy to Sweden, was one night so disturbed in his mind over the state of his nation, that he could not sleep. His servant, observing it said, "Pray Sir, will you allow me to ask a question?" "Certainly," replied Whitlock. "Do you think that God governed the world very well before you came into it?" he suggested. "Undoubtedly"--"And do you not think that He will govern the world quite as well when you are gone from it?"--"Certainly"--"Then, I ask you, do you not think that you may trust Him to govern it as long as you are living?" Many times as believers, we too wrestle with the problems we face, not realizing that God has been with us all the time. For this to be our hope, we must realize God is in control (Heb. 13:5).
a. I must admit I can relate to Whitlock because I at times get disgusted with the Christian community. Mainly because they don’t do what is good – they instead choose to do that which is bad. It really rips at my heart and makes me ask the question “Lord do it now before more people are hurt!’ But God gently reminds me that he is still in control and still involved in the affairs of mankind even when they deny his presence and reject his counsel.
2. Murray states: “Humility before God is nothing if not proved in humility before men” (44).
a. I think about this phrase and once again pray “Lord, No pride!” I am reminded that I show others humility because I love God with my whole heart and soul.
3. There use to be a show on TV called “Father Knows Best” today many want a show called “I Know Best!”
a. I find this mind set in the church and outside the church.
b. I have in my ministry received many calls from other Christians who want to tell me “How to really get things done for God!” I have heard many interesting takes on what God wants me to do.
i. I have been told to be more Spirit filled.
ii. I have been told to be less spirit filled.
iii. I have been told that the Lord wants me to put this person in charge the one who is talking to me.
iv. I have been told to preach less
v. I have been told to preach more.
vi. I have been told to be more aggressive.
vii. I have been told to be less aggressive.
viii. I have been told to confront sin head on
ix. I have been told to deal with sin gently and in a round about way.
x. I have been told to be more evangelistic
xi. I have been told to be less evangelistic
xii. I have been told to be more relational
xiii. I have been told to be less relational
c. Yet The Word states:
i. Luke 4:11 “He that humbles himself shall be exalted.”
ii. James 4:10 “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.”
iii. 1 Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time…”
d. We all need to determine to do the good and that means we all need to choose to humble. Just like Jesus choose to be humble we need to be humble as well.
b. We are to do good by keeping our former way of life in mind. We should remind ourselves the condition we were in before Christ. This should keep us humble!
i. This reality check should drive us to want to do the good in our lives! WHY? Because we were once deceived and lost like so many today until Jesus Christ came and set us free.
Conclusion:
We each need to make the decision to complete the unfinished seemingly mission impossible of doing the good in this present age. We need to decide today to be devoted to doing the good that God has called us to do and they are:
A. In the area of employment:
1. We must choose to serve our leaders at work and seek to please them.
2. We must be devoted to keeping a tight rein on our tongues at work.
3. We must be devoted to working at our place of employment with our whole heart as if we are working for the Lord Himself.
4. We must choose to be servants who will not steal from our places of employment.
a. This means time as well as material things.
5. We must de devoted to being highly reliable and trustworthy workers.
6. The reason we need to do the above is so that we make the Lord attractive to our superiors and our fellow workers.
B. In the area of our personal life:
1. We need to say “No” to ungodliness and all it’s evil passions and desires.
2. We therefore need to say “Yes” to God and “No” to sin
3. We need to keep an eternal perspective in our life so we do not lose focus for our lives.
4. We are to do good by encouraging those who are in the Word.
5. We are to do good by rebuking those who oppose the Word- stand up for the truth in a loving humble way.
6. We need to understand that we are on a divine mission for God.
7. Result of doing this good is many will come to see that Jesus is their hope.
C. In the area of authority and submission in our society:
1. We are to be obedient to our leaders in our society. This is doing good!
a. Romans 13:1, 2: 1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
2. We are to do good by not slandering our leaders.
3. We are to do good by being peaceable to our leaders and one another.
4. We are to do good by being considerate toward our leaders in society
5. We are to do good by being men and women of humility toward our leadership in this society.
6. We are to be devoted to doing the good in our society because this is the most excellent way and the most profitable way to life your life.
Titus 3:8
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.
