Author: missionspaul

Paul is telling Titus that he should remind the church that they were no better than the Cretans they live with. The only difference is that they have received mercy and mercy changed everything for them. 

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he 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, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3 v 4-7)

Years ago, there was a master violinist in Europe. He would play in concerts, and he had a magnificent

Stradivarius violin, extremely expensive. He would play the Stradivarius violin in concert and everyone would whisper in the crowd, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” He would play in churches, and people would say, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” He even played before kings and queens, and they, too, would turn to one another and say, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” All the glory went to the instrument.

Then one day this master violinist was walking by a pawn shop. He noticed an old, beat-up, worn-out violin. He walked into the pawn shop and asked how much it would cost. The owner of the pawn shop told him the American equivalent of five dollars. He bought the violin, and he took it home. He polished it, and he refined it, and he tuned it, and he re-tuned it, and he built some character into that violin. Then, when he was to play the greatest performance of his life in a concert hall, he took out the little, five-dollar, worn-out, beat- up violin that he had polished and refined. He put it up to his chin, and he began to play, and everybody in the concert hall whispered, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” (“Rejoicing in Our Suffering,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 74)

I have met and will continue to purposely meet many five-dollar, worn-out, beat-up, violin-type people around the world. At first glance there isn’t much to look at until you realise the master has got hold of their life and something beautiful emerges. I have heard the beautiful sound of the Stradivarius from the amputees of Sierra Leone; the persecuted of northern Nigeria and Burkina Faso; the raped and the child-soldiers of DRC; the prisons of Niger; the HIV stories of Eswatini; the famine of many nations; the slums of Kenya; the lepers of India; the graves of Zimbabwe; the orphans of Malawi; the list just goes on. And the sound coming from the pain … there is none like it in the whole world! 

They are rejoicing because of mercy.

They are not carrying the evil acts that were committed against them. Mercy has cleansed the evil that has been done to them. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. stated that: “The old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind.”

Those who carry a sense of right and wrong are prone to revenge and retaliation. 

What is in your hands can be a blessing or a curse.

We have all seen how position and power can inflict a retaliation that is way beyond what is equal to any mistake or pain inflicted on you. We have seen that innthe regime leaders around the world, government leaders and sadly we have seen it with Church leaders.

The abuse of power. Justified in the eyes of those who hold the sword in their hands but not in the sight of God.

Let’s be different today. Where there is hurt let us bless. Where offence comes let us take every barrier down. Where there is war let us bring peace. Who do you struggle with today? Bless them. Show kindness. Demonstrate the cross. Die for them. Do not pick up the sword no matter what they have done. This life may have battered you into a worn out violin but mercy will make you sound like a a Stradivarius. 

As we show mercy then mercy is proven in us.

Mercy was given to you so where is mercy? 

Not that we are better. But Paul now reminds Titus of how they used to be before their salvation.

 “At 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.” (Titus 3 v 3)

It’s quite a picture and Paul doesn’t hold back.

Read the list gin slowly. 

So this is why we should show compassion to everyone. It is because we are no better and we know better. For we too were as guilty as what annoys us in other people. 

We feel that sinful nature in us even now.

I’ve witnessed in my life many times people being unkind to others because they feel justified in being so. They are upset because they see a lack of spiritual understanding; they seem rebellion against the church and God; they see people with no self-awareness; they see all kinds of addictions and behaviours; malice, envy and hate. They are upset and they let their world know. In all of that context I wait for gratitude. I wait for some humility. I wait for kindness. I wait. 

We need reminding.

We forget. 

Something happened to us that changed us. 

We know better. 

For when we point our fingers at someone we are pointing at the person we used to be. 

Why do people who follow Jesus behave so badly? Is it because they lose sight of their senses? As I have gotten older and more aware of my own sinfulness it is a question I ask myself: why do I react that way? why do I think like that? When I already know. Have I forgotten? What have I forgotten? What do I need reminding of? 

Paul in his letter to Titus returns to complete his instructions for living. He starts with an interesting word in verse 1:

‘Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” (Titus 3 v 1-2)

Tell the people what they already know. 

Remind them.

They already know how to be a godly citizen. Under this Roman government and rule they know what is right. 

And so do we. 

This is not a blind obedience. The Assisted Dying bill which the British government are voting on this week has rightly meant Christians have petitioned their members of parliament. This is being a good citizen. But inflaming riots on our streets by calling people to do so and even taking part, isn’t. We have to respect those who rule even if we disagree with them. 

But Paul goes further in his call for a reminder apart from our civil responsibility. 

Remind them to be law-abiding. Continuing on from being a godly citizen it may seem strange in the UK and other western nations to instruct a Christian to keep the law. But when the law is enforced by law-breakers who are corrupt; traffic police officers seeking bribes; when the very core of those who rule is rotten (you might think the UK is not far from those descriptions) then what does it matter if as a Christian we also break the law? It matters.

Remind them to do good. 

Remind them to be peaceable.

Remind them to be considerate.

Remind them to always be gentle to everyone.

I’ve stopped expanding these thoughts as you can see. 

I know and you know these things. We don’t need clarity on them.

We have been taught them. We know. 

But we need reminding. I think continually. Why?

1. If everyone is breaking the law and benefitting then why can’t I?
2. Doing good often means I am getting nothing back from it. “I’ll start doing good when good is done to me!” No!
3. Being peaceable means I cannot bear a grudge and it means I have to apologise when I am in the middle of a dispute. 
4. Thinking less of myself and considering others ahead of me is too sacrificial.
5. If I am gentle to everyone then I cannot be angry with anyone!

This is why we need reminding. 

You already know. But you do need a reminder. 

Last Sunday I had the joy of preaching in a church which is pastored by 2 young leaders. They are married and they are called to serve together. After the service the church people continued to gather for what was around 1 hour having refreshments and talking to one another. I hadn’t seen people stay that long for some time. It was obvious that this was very much part of what was important for the church.

I had lunch with these 2 Pastors afterwards and I enjoyed my time listening to their stories so far of ministry. I suddenly began to feel my age as I looked at them and remembered what life was like for me as a Pastor at their age.

I am thinking of this couple as I read this verse this morning. Whilst it is focused on Titus, the Church leader, responsible for the work in Crete and though Pastors (like my young couple) will draw from the lessons, this verse can be applied to every disciple.

“These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.” (Titus 2 v 15)

Teach – Paul has already told Titus to focus on older men and women, younger people and the slaves/workers. He gave Titus specific topics to teach on. But these were not some mere speaking subjects but divine wisdom for godly living. Recently this young Pastoral couple had just finished a series on spiritual gifts and it brought about further moments of empowerment and mentoring. To teach is to enlighten, to open a window so that light can penetrate into the deepest recesses of our heart and mind where responses can change impacting our action. To teach is also to remind, to draw from what may lie dormant from years ago and to bring it to the surface of the hearer’s life. 

Encourage and rebuke with all authority – As I looked around the church people after the service I noticed these 2 Pastors in separate places sitting with their members of the church. I didn’t know what they were saying or when praying for them. However the picture was of 2 Pastors who were coming alongside others to urge them to go forward in their discipleship. It was as if they were being their coach not only there to instruct but to personally motivate each member of the team. I am sure that at some point those conversations have contained rebuke. Pastors often call me to ask for advice on how to rebuke a member. They want to do it in love. They don’t want to lose them but they also don’t want their member to be lost due to straying from the truth. It is a difficult place but love compels us to do it. This encouragement and rebuke is done with all authority. This is not from ourselves. This is delegated authority. This is not abusive. This is with humility. This is for us all.

Do not be despised – I started out as a Pastor being the youngest member of my church! My couple that I keep referring to are also ministering largely to those who are not only older but have been Christians longer than they have. They do it by not allowing the age to be a barrier. This also applies to Pastors who may be old (like me!) Age is not a thing. I know of people older than me still praying passionately for a move of God more than those 2 generations below them. I also know of young people who carry a humility which is more pure than those who were leading the church when they were not even born! Whatever age – don’t let people put you down, stand firm and protect the message God has given you. If there is pushback that doesn’t mean you have to be pushed back. You can push further forward because you have the truth of God’s Word.

These are helpful instructions for us all not only my young Pastor couple.

The first incentive for our discipleship pathway is the saving grace of God, our salvation, which is offered not to some but to everyone. It is not something we work towards but it comes to us, it appears to us. The second incentive is the return of Jesus Christ. We are waiting His coming and when He appears He will find us living as His followers.

That’s one summary of these next verses:-

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who 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.” (Titus 2 v 11-14)

This grace teaches us to say NO. This is self-denial. Not from our own strength but from grace that empowers us to do so.

Gain has become an important part of the Church’s ministry ethos and strategy. If only this was in the Western Church alone. But I see this on every continent.
A church struggling to attract numbers does everything it can to bring people through its doors. Getting people into the building becomes a great achievement. The danger is that the church gives up the gospel for games in order to gain people. Some of the best Christian entertainment businesses are the churches, catering from babies to the elderly.

“If you come to this church you’ll get …”

We pamper to the needs of the masses – we supply what they need. We christen, wed, bury them and along the way sell them church.

After they attend for a while, they are dumbfounded to hear the church talk about sacrificial giving and serious commitment.

We hope they may say, “I came here for the music and what the church could offer my children, but because I’ve met God, I will now give up my rights and wants, I will deny myself”

Sadly, so many say “That’s not what I came here for – I’m going somewhere else, the church across the road better suits my needs.” Or “I’ve done church now, bye”

Churches are not car showrooms enticing people to buy their products. People still need to come the way of the old rugged cross.

In 1738, evangelist George Whitefield preached a sermon titled ‘The Almost Christian’. He contrasted ‘almost Christians’ with ‘altogether Christians’. “Tell them of the necessity of mortification, fasting and self-denial and it is as difficult for them to hear as if you were to bid them cut off a right hand or pluck out a right eye.”

In every century the church has faced this struggle with the element that want to gain from Christ and not lose all things for Him.

Christ is everything and to have Him is to lose everything.

It happens through grace that teaches us how as a parent teaches/shows a child how to live. Self-denial taught by grace is crucial discipleship training as we wait for His glorious return.

In an interview with a long-time friend, U2’s Bono, responded to the sometimes-stained reputation of the church throughout history:  “Religion can be the enemy of God. It’s often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship”.  (Michka Assayas, Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas)

Our enemy is performance. Performance will never lead to true discipleship.  The church has rules. Christians have rules. Things we have learnt over the years that if we do them prove we are good. This is not discipleship. We step into performance the moment we behave as if Christianity brings man to God. This is not discipleship either. Even that sentence may cause some of us to have to read it again as it appears correct! But central to Christianity is the truth that it is the story of God coming to man, every other religion has it the other way round. Sadly the church sometimes follows suit. For we all like a good performance.

Yet if we don’t speak and behave differently then who will find ‘God our Saviour attractive’, v10? So we must ‘teach’, we must disciple, but it is not in order to be acceptable to God but for mission.

“You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. ³ Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. ⁶ Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. ⁷ In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ⁸ and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. ⁹ Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, ¹⁰ and 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 Saviour attractive.” (Titus 2 v 1-10)

Can you see what is happening here?

Paul

He is commanding Titus to teach, v1. This is the first stage of discipleship.

Titus

He was to ‘teach, v2; ‘teach’ v3; ‘encourage’ v6; ‘set them an example’ v7; ‘show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech’ v 7-8; ‘teach’ v9. Who? The older generation, the younger generation and the slaves. This is the second stage of discipleship.

The older generation

The older men were to demonstrate temperance, respect, self-control, faith, love and endurance, v2; and the older women were to be reverent in the way they live, v3.  This is the 3^rd stage of discipleship.

The younger generation

They were to respect the older generation, v2; the younger men were particular called to be self-controlled and the younger married women especially were to correctly love their husbands and children, v4-5. This is the 4^th stage of discipleship.

The slaves

They were to be loyal, v9; and to be fully trusted in everything, v10. This is the final stage of discipleship that Paul creates.

Paul clearly shows us five stages of discipleship but it never ends and that is the whole point.

Think of who the younger generation impact? What changes did this bring to the husbands of the young wives and their own children and more importantly who did they pass this on to, who did they impact? The answer is that many nameless people are blessed by this chain of discipleship and it never ends. What about the masters of the slaves who were disciples? How did this impact on how they treated their other slaves?

So basically:-

1. Discipleship is for every generation
2. Discipleship is always passed on.
3. Discipleship produces good results, which are:-

We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behaviour, v5 (Message)

Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around, v8. (Message)

Then their good character will shine through their actions, adding lustre to the teaching of our Saviour God, v10.

In just a few verses we are going to see that the assignment for Titus needed for him to be courageous and to move forward to deal with very difficult islanders. Crete doesn’t sound to have been a very nice place. Yet it was here that churches had been planted and Titus had to now train and appoint leaders to oversee them.

It is not easy being a leader. There are often seasons of conflict and solving problems can be very taxing. A leader must be a shepherd caring for people with love, grace and mercy. But they are also called to take a stand against those who negatively disturb the community around them whether that be in the workplace, community and here … the church.

“For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. ¹¹ They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. ¹² One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” ¹³ This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith ¹⁴ and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. ¹⁵ To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. ¹⁶ They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” (Titus 1 v 10-16)

If Paul told Titus there were many who would not submit to authority then we should expect this in our times and not be surprised when we see it.

So what does Paul tell Titus and therefore ourselves? It is a list that is a help to every leader but also helps us to appreciate those who lead us.

1. Have a realistic perspective. Don’t look only at those who are following but keep your eyes on who are not with you. There are ‘many’. They have a different gospel, vision and belief system than what you are proclaiming.
2. Have a plan. Know how you will ‘silence’ their voice. This doesn’t mean you will be unkind or use violence (could be a temptation!) but that you will have a plan to know how to refute their rebelliousness. For Titus it was to train leaders to use the gospel to silence those in the circumcision camp.
3. Don’t delay. ‘Rebuke them sharply’ is not to destroy the person but the deception. The end goal is solid Christians who hold firmly to the faith. Titus had to ‘get on with it right away’ (Message). Some things are not for discussion or empathy. You don’t always have to get in the other person’s shoes. Stay in your own shoes because they are the correct ones to wear. A dithering church always gives more ground to the destroyer of the church.
4. Don’t be fooled. Anyone can claim anything even to know God. Claims and actions can be very different. A good leader who is deceived will not see the bad. A good leader who is not fooled easily isn’t necessarily a cynical leader though it may feel like that.
5. Change the culture. Paul quotes Epimenides, a Cretan prophetic poet from the sixth century BC. Prophetic not in the sense of being divine but nevertheless a well-known not only to Paul, Titus but the whole island. He accused his own people of being ‘liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons’ as they claimed that they had the tomb of Zeus, the master of the gods who he believed lived for ever. Paul was saying to Titus: “this is why we came here in the first place; to turn a lying, evil, lazy culture into the culture of the kingdom by the power of Christ. That is the goal. That is why Titus you are there. That is why you must raise leaders for the churches.” And this is the goal of every leader here 2,000 years later.

Pray for your leader as they take their stand for the gospel and for truth in the context that God has appointed them to. It is not easy and they need your support.