Entrusted Series: "Remember"

Remember Titus 3:1-15

It is only fitting to end our study in the Pastoral Epistles with this message, because in every sense we have to remember what we learned. (illustration about guy who said 20 years of sermons made no difference) I trust that our 7 months together has spiritually nourished you, helped you to grow and gave you a grasp on what these books of the Bible teach. Even though you may not remember everything said or taught the passage we are going to look at tonight can serve as a summation for what we studied together because it is an encouragement to remember

Remember who you are supposed to be Verses 1-2
-Submissive to authorities
-Obedient (to the Lord)
-Ready to do good. A Christian should be looking for opportunities to do good, not waiting. “See a need, meet a need”
-Speak evil of no one…why do we speak evil about others?
Thomas Aquinas says “A person speaks of his neighbor things that are evil simply, for such things lead to loss or depreciation of his good name”
In a strange way we think it makes us look better, but in reality it also makes us look worse.
-Avoid a fight- It is easy to retaliate, but we should avoid
-Be gentle
-Show courtesy to ALL- even those who are belligerent

Remember who you were. Verse 3 When we remember who we were before we trusted in Christ, it helps us to understand the state of the hearts of people who are not Christians. If you want to believe that the state of the human heart is good…turn on the news and let the world show you that it is not. Just by the simple fact that if a station only broadcast good news it would be less likely to be watched. And Christians fall into the trap of doing this with personal testimonies “look how bad I was”

In the back of your mind remember how and what you were and that will help you time be more gracious and compassionate on others…not excusing sin but coming to someone with understanding.
-Foolish- the Bible tells us that the “fool says in his heart there is no God”
-Disobedient
-Led astray
-Slaves to sin
-Using our time on sin. Think about what you spend your time on. What do you read, watch, talk about, do? Are they the same things that they were before you trusted in Christ?
-Hated and hating

Remember who changed you. Verses 4-7 In order not to think we are better then anyone else Paul tells Titus to remember it was Jesus who saved you and changed you. We cannot take the credit. GOSPEL
-Good, loving and kind God
-Saved us not based on ourselves
-Based on his mercy
-By the washing and regeneration of the Holy Spirit
-Through Jesus Christ
-Heirs

Remember how you show thanks to Him Verse 8
-Do good, Jesus’ love language is “acts of service”

Remember what/who to avoid Verses 9-11
-Foolishness
-Divisive people Vr10 sometimes people who interrupt focus need to be dealt with, Remember Paul named names…unfortunately there are some people that you have to stay away from for your own spiritual health. And sometime you have to warn others about them.


Remember we are in this together Verses 12-15
-Spend time with one another
-Meet one another’s needs (Aesop’s Fables the Bear and the Traveler)
-Do good together, especially in urgent needs

Remember what you are “Entrusted” with…sharing the Gospel and living the Gospel

Entrusted Series "Godly Influneces Inspire Good Works"

Titus 2:1-15
Many people in this world think that the only people lead people are the ones with a title to lead. But what we are finding in today’s culture is that the younger generations are not following or respecting people because of their titles.

You will often hear older people say when I was a kid, if a teacher said do something… you did it. If an adult told you what to do you did it. But something seemed to happen…the younger generation just does not seem to get that. But what does the Bible tell us about that? I believe that what Paul is teaching Titus and to pass on to the churches in Crete. Every Christian will lead and it will not necessarily be by title but by having a Godly influence and that will inspire others to good works.

It is not necessarily about a title you hold but about the way you act that will influence and inspire the people around you to do “good works”

So this passage talks about three spheres of influencing people to do good works… 2 that can belong to us and one that belongs to God.

(us)Intergenerational Influence Vrs 2-8
(us)Positional Influence Vrs 9-10
Divine Influence Vrs 11-14

Bookends are Vrs 1 & 15 the role of the Godly Pastor

Vrs 1 A Godly Pastor teaches sound doctrine…the Bible does not only give us something to believe in it gives us a model for behavior. Sound Doctrine=orthodoxy and practice of that =orthopraxy

So Titus is to teach the churches about these ways we influence others to do good works.
• Intergenerational Influence Vrs 2-8
-Work on personal testimony Vrs 2-3 & 7-8
-Take an interest in the next generation vrs 4-6
Focus for the women is older women helping younger women be Godly
-Learn from the previous generation (the idea carried in verses 4-6 if the older are to take an interest in the younger…the younger should respond)

App: Seek one another out

• Positional Influence Vrs 9-10
The Bible is not teaching or promoting slavery…God’s desire for us is to do what is right even when people may be doing wrong to us…for instance we say “two wrongs don’t make a right”

“Don’t argue”…do what you are told as long as it is not sin. “Pilfer”=stealing in small quantities, just because you may be treated unfairly you do not do the wrong thing by stealing from your master.

Why? To be a positional testimony which may cause your master to be influenced to trust Christ and do good works.

How does this apply today? Students, employees, children anyone that is in a role that there is an authority over them, that authority can make decisions apart from the people is affects.

Example: School or work making and enforcing new rules w/o discussing with employees or students. What happens in that situation? Many times there is some sort of uprising, The person of God should evaluate their motives and actions and make sure they fit with what the Lord is pleased with.

Here is how you can influence those above you to good works…

- Work for the Lord. “don’t argue & do a good job” whatever you are called to do you should do it unto the Lord.
Col 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

-Don’t let unfair treatment cause you to sin” “Pilfer” You are called to do good not bad. Hebrews…we have a high priest that can sympathize.

• Divine Influence Vrs 11-14
You may not have any good examples of the first two points in your life…but there is no excuse because ultimately the best example of “good works” comes from Jesus Christ…this should influence the way you live.

-Vrs11 Grace-getting what we do not deserve. Christ did good for us even though we offend Him with our sin GOSPEL
-Vrs12 Nature of the Gospel inspires us to turn from sin and do good.
So even when we feel we have no one to look at for inspiration to do good works we have the Lord Vrs 12b “to live Godly in this present age”
I am more sinful then I ever imagined and God is more gracious then I ever imagined

-Vrs 13 His plan has hope. Guy at skatepark after 9/11/01
He is coming back for us so we do not have to spend eternity without Him
Side note not May 21st
-Vrs 14a He proves it “The Great Exchange” He gave us His Righteousness and took our Sinfulness. He did that by laying His life down for us.
- He made us holy Vrs14b He did that in order that we would do good works for Him Eph 2:8-10

Vrs 15 back to my job…This is what Pastors are called to do…as much as possible make sure people are reminded of this.