Good evening everyone, thank you very much for being with us this evening.
We're coming to the end of our studies in the book of Titus.
This is the last passage we're looking at this evening.
Four verses, and you may think, as I thought when I first read them,
there isn't much to say about these verses.
But every problem is an opportunity, and we're going to take some of the themes, I think,
which come out directly from these verses and develop them a bit as we go through.
So Titus chapter 3, and we're going to read from verse 12,
and it will appear on the screen as well in a second.
Titus chapter 3, reading from verse 12.
And Paul writes,
As soon as I send Artemis or Tychicus to you,
do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there.
Do everything you can to help Zenos the lawyer and Apollos on their way,
and see that they have everything they need.
Our people must devote themselves to doing what is good,
in order to provide for urgent needs, and not live unproductive lives.
Everyone with me sends you greetings.
Greet those who love us in the faith.
Grace be with you all.
And God, I'm sure, will bless his word as we think about it together.
Church is a people business.
That's the broad, overriding theme of what I want to talk about this evening.
I work, ultimately, for a big bank.
And you might think banks are all about money.
Well, they are all about money.
But when we talk within the bank, we tend to talk about people.
We talk about customers.
We talk about colleagues.
And when we're talking about making profits, we talk about our shareholders.
Because, ultimately, it's people who've got their money invested in pension funds,
or the savings or whoever that we exist to make profits for.
It's a people business.
I'm sure you could say the same about any other business that you care to think about.
It'd be difficult to think of a business that didn't have significant contact with people,
even if it's only those who work there.
Church certainly is a people business.
It's all about people.
Yes, it's about the gospel, absolutely.
But it's about the gospel, as it affects us, through the Son of God,
who became a man so that people like us could come into a living relationship with God
and could have the assurance of eternal life
and could enjoy fellowship with God the Father, with his Son, and with one another.
It's a people business.
As always, we come to the end of Titus, as with all of Paul's books.
There is a bit about people.
People who are with Paul, people who are where Paul is writing to,
and people who Paul is particularly interested in or concerned about.
Some of them we know reasonably well from the Bible.
Some of them we know absolutely nothing about,
except that the name happens to be mentioned at the end of Paul's book.
But they're all people who were Christians in the first century church
and have their own stories and their own interests and their own needs,
and we can learn from them.
So we've got a broad structure to what we're going to look at,
and we'll talk very briefly about verse 15,
but it's verse 12 to 14 we're going to concentrate on.
And verse 12, I would suggest, is about Paul's team.
He mentions Artemis and Tychicus, and we also have Titus.
These were the people who were Paul's co-workers, who were part of Team Paul, if you like.
Verse 13, I would suggest, is more about Paul's associates.
I don't think that Zenos and Apollos were directly part of Paul's team,
but they were gospel workers who Paul wanted to support
and encourage in their work for the Lord Jesus.
And then in verse 14, we've got to call it Paul's people.
Of course, it's the Lord's people, but Paul deliberately refers to them as our people.
And this is the broad church.
In this context, particularly the church, our churches in Crete,
but all of God's people and what it is that God wants from us
as the people who belong to the Lord Jesus.
So we're going to think about Paul's team, think about our team,
think about Paul's associates and other Christian work that we have associations with,
and then we're going to think about lessons that are relevant to all of us
as God's people and how we work together.
So first look at verse 12.
And what I'm suggesting from verse 12 is it tells us that Christian service is collaborative.
Collaborative just means that we work to support and help one another.
So the situation is, Titus is in Crete, clearly.
That's where the letter is written to, very clear from chapter 1.
Paul quite likely is in Corinth.
We don't know definitely, but good chance he is in Corinth at that time.
And Paul is looking ahead.
And two things Paul was thinking about in his plans.
One is, I want to spend the winter in Nicopolis.
Now, Nicopolis was another town in Greece, on the west coast of Greece,
probably quite a warm place, a nice place to spend the winter.
Of course, Paul wouldn't just be thinking about it as a nice place to winter.
Someone might say, well, in the winter I go to Miami or I go to the south of France
because it's a bit warmer there.
Paul would be thinking, well, how can we best promote the gospel and reach out to other parts?
And I think he'd probably say that Nicopolis was the next part of Greece that he needed to go to
and to preach the word.
One way or another, he's going to Nicopolis and he wants to meet Titus.
Come back in a minute to why he wants to meet Titus, but he wants Titus to go to be with them.
And he said, I'm not going to leave the Cretans alone.
We know there are a lot of problems in Crete as we've read through this book.
Some not very flattering things said about the people of Crete.
Paul doesn't want to leave them without someone to look after them and care for them.
So he's going to send either Artemis or Tychicus to be with them.
Artemis we know absolutely nothing about apart from what's in this verse.
Tychicus we do know a little more about and we'll talk about him in more detail in a few minutes.
But the key point, I think, from this is that Christian service is collaborative.
It's about working in teams.
Now there have been Christians who've gone to work on their own.
There have been Christians who perhaps have been turned down by missionary societies,
some fairly well-known ones, and have gone and done pioneer works on their own and been blessed by God.
But I would suggest that is very much the exception.
For most of us, what God calls us to do is to work together in teams
and to use our gifts together for his glory.
No one has all the gifts.
No one can do it by ourself.
We need others to work with us.
We need to be collaborative in our work for the Lord Jesus.
And a great example of that is Paul.
I jotted down.
I don't think this is comprehensive.
I jotted down the names of some people as they read through the letters
that we can say were part of Team Paul.
The ones in the left-hand column you'll probably be fairly familiar with.
The ones in the right-hand column may be a bit less so.
So Barnabas, who Paul went with on his first missionary journey.
Silas on his second missionary journey.
Timothy was very much Paul's apprentice.
And the one who Paul was particularly building up for Christian leadership.
Titus, Luke, Aquila, Priscilla, Mark, and lots of others.
Paul never worked on his own.
When he was left on his own, as he was at times,
he really missed his companions, his colleagues,
and he recognized the need to have others working alongside him.
He was a team player, and the call is for us, too, to be team players.
Within our church, we should work together.
We should work collaboratively.
We should work in a way that glorifies God
by getting on well with our Christian brothers and sisters,
by working alongside them,
by complementing us, complementing with an E,
complementing one another in the work that we do.
We are part of a team.
Two things in particular that I think we can notice from verse 12
about the team, as Paul brings it before us.
How is it collaborative?
It is collaborative first because there is mutual support.
The members of the team are there to strengthen and support one another.
I quite like the picture.
It's not an original picture.
The picture of a church team or a Christian team
as being like a Swiss army knife.
You know these knives you get that have all these
mounted-shooter tools on them,
a tool for everything that you might need.
And some of the tools you might think,
well, what's the point of them?
And then one day you're out walking,
you see a horse that's limping,
you say, I know this tool,
that's for taking the stone out of his hoof,
that kind of thing.
But all of us within the church,
we have gifts that have been given to us by God.
They're all different.
They're all complementary.
And whatever need arises in the church and the team,
then there should be one of us whom God has given the gift
and the calling to be able to meet that need.
It is a need for mutual support.
So two elements of support, I think, in this passage.
One we'll come back to in a second is the support
that Paul and Titus can give to one another.
And the other is the support that Artemis or Tychicus
was going to give.
So Titus, as I've said, was in Crete.
Crete was a church which in many ways was in crisis,
certainly needed a lot more support from outside
so that the Christians could develop real character
and get away from some of the worst aspects of life on the island.
And Paul said, we're not going to leave them alone.
We are going to support these Christians in Crete.
And we're also not going to leave Titus alone.
Perhaps Titus had come to the point
where he'd been there for a while.
He was finding it difficult.
He was finding it tough in the environment that he was in.
And perhaps Paul decided,
it's now time for Titus to have a short break,
to be taking someone else, perhaps in Christian service,
and I will send someone else to take his place.
There will be mutual support.
Titus doesn't feel as he's in Crete,
that he's there on his own,
that no one cares about him.
Paul is there to help and to provide support for him.
Very good lesson for us there.
In our church and other Christian works we might be involved in,
it's very easy for people to get into a stage
where they're finding they're going hard,
where perhaps they're becoming even a bit stale in the work
and they're really struggling with it.
We should be able to identify these situations
and we should be able to support them.
And we should also be willing,
as God leads,
to go into a different environment,
a different sphere of service,
and to provide support there
to serve the Lord in the way that he calls us to.
Collaboration, working collaboratively,
is about providing mutual support for one another.
And then it's about providing mutual encouragement.
We'll come back to this as we think about Tychicus,
but let's just think for a few minutes
about the kind of encouragement that we see in this verse.
Paul wants to be encouraged by Titus.
Titus was a great encourager.
Titus was the man who Paul sent to Corinth.
When the church in Corinth was going through a really bad patch,
Paul was really concerned about it.
He had to write some very stern words to it,
the sternest of them not even in the Bible.
The ones that are there are stern enough as they stand.
Paul sent Titus to Corinth.
Titus was encouraged and refreshed
as he saw that Corinthians had paid attention
to what Paul said.
Paul was feeling a bit lonely in Macedonia.
Titus comes back with the good news
and Paul is really encouraged.
And perhaps Paul is hoping
that this will happen again with Crete.
That as he's written to Crete,
as he knows there are problems,
as Titus comes back,
he will be able to really encourage Paul
with news about what God is doing
among the people,
among the elderly young Christians
that are there in Crete.
Equally, Titus will be encouraged by Paul.
An older brother,
older in the faith,
more mature,
been through it all,
seen all the problems
and difficulties before.
If Titus is finding things quite hard
as he comes back to Paul,
Paul will be able to encourage him
from the Scriptures
and to revitalize him
in his ministry for the Lord Jesus.
Whether that ministry is told to be in Crete
or elsewhere,
Paul will be able to give encouragement
to Titus
to keep going,
to be strong in his faith,
and to be faithful in his service
for the Lord Jesus.
Mutual encouragement.
Very important in churches
and the teams that we work in
within the church
that we are there
to encourage one another.
But there is that word of encouragement
when someone's finding the going difficult
or perhaps the word of encouragement
when someone's done something particularly well
and we see God at work in them
and we encourage them
by saying that to them.
Encouragement two,
just to keep going,
just to remain strong as Christians
as we go through times of trial
as things are not always straightforward
in our service for the Lord Jesus.
That's a characteristic,
both of them,
of mutual support,
mutual encouragement.
They're characteristics of teams
that we see in the world,
in the workplace.
How much more should there be characteristics
of us in a church?
In a church as a whole
and in whatever team we are within
in the church,
whether it's a leadership team,
whether it's a team working with young people
or with women or something like Basics Bank
or other ministries of the church.
We should be there to support one another
when we need to.
We should be there to encourage
and build one another up
in our service for the Lord Jesus.
Christian service is collaborative.
We're in it together.
We're there to support
and to strengthen
and to encourage one another
in the Lord's work.
Let's move on to verse 13.
Oh no, let's not move on to verse 13.
I said I talked about Tychicus,
so let's talk about Tychicus.
Apologies to God,
I was going to do that.
Tychicus is a man
whom we know a reasonable amount about
from Paul's letters
and from the book of Acts.
This is one of the verses
that's about Tychicus from Colossians
and Paul says,
Tychicus will tell you
all the news about me.
He is a dear brother,
a faithful minister
and fellow servant in the Lord.
Similar verse in Ephesians
which we'll refer to in a minute.
Tychicus was a real team player
within Team Paul.
Three characteristics.
He was someone who was reliable.
We first come across Tychicus
in the book of Acts.
In the book of Acts,
as Paul is going to Jerusalem,
he is taking with him
a number of men
who are bringing gifts
from the churches
largely in Asia
and in Macedonian Greece.
The Christians in Judea
are going through a difficult time.
There's been a famine there.
They're in physical need
and the churches
whom Paul has been out evangelizing
have recognized that need
and they put their hands
in their pockets
to give some support
to the Christians in Judea.
And Paul says,
when he's writing to the Corinthians,
that they are to choose men
who are approved by them
to take the gifts to the church.
Now Tychicus was from Ephesus,
probably.
He wasn't from Corinth,
but I'm sure the same message
went to all the churches.
We want men
who are approved by you.
We want men
who are reliable.
And the church in Asia,
possibly a church in Ephesus,
chose Tychicus
and he went with Paul
to Jerusalem.
He was someone
who was reliable.
You knew if you gave him
something to do
that he would do it
and that he would do it well
and that if you gave him money,
he wouldn't try and steal it
or waste it away.
He would keep it
for the purpose
for which it was intended.
He would make sure
it got there safely.
He was someone
who could be trusted,
someone who was reliable.
Alongside that,
I've just said the word,
he was trusted.
Tychicus was one of these people
who Paul knew
he could send anywhere
and he would do a good job.
He was someone
who Paul could trust
absolutely to go for him.
I've sometimes thought
slightly unflatteringly
of Tychicus
as Paul's postman
and he was that
to some extent.
He took a letter
to Colossae.
He probably took a letter
to Ephesians as well.
He was someone
who Paul was happy
to send with his letters
and to trust them to him.
But he didn't just trust him
with the letters.
And that's where
the verse in Colossians
comes in.
As Paul says,
this man I'm sending to you,
he'll tell you the news.
He's a dear brother,
a faithful minister,
and a fellow servant
in the Lord.
And it wasn't always
easy errands
that Paul sent Tychicus on.
When Paul sent Tychicus
to Colossae,
he had actually
quite a difficult job.
Because along with Tychicus,
Paul was sending
a man called Onesimus.
Onesimus,
I'm sure you know,
was the slave
who'd run away
from his master,
who had become
a Christian in Rome,
and Paul was sending him
back to Philemon,
his master,
who was in Colossae.
And you can imagine
that might create
two potential issues.
One for Tychicus
as he went back
to his master.
Tychicus knew
that in normal circumstances,
the best he could expect
was to be branded
as someone who'd run away
from his master.
The worst he could expect
was that he might be executed
because he is a slave
who had run away.
And you can imagine
what kind of nervous state
Onesimus might have been in
as he went back
to Colossae.
And Paul sent with him
Tychicus,
who was someone
who was trusted,
who was reliable,
who was encouraging,
who was able to reassure him
as he went on the journey
that he was in God's hand
and that everything
would work out well.
And then when they got
to Colossae,
there was Philemon
to be dealt with.
And Philemon,
his initial reaction
might have been
as he saw his runaway
slave coming back,
that this was a man
who deserved real punishment.
And of course,
Paul's letter to Philemon
is very much a plea
to Philemon
to forgive Onesimus,
to accept him back
as a brother
in the Lord Jesus,
rather than just
to think of him
as a slave
who'd returned.
But I'm sure,
along with the letter,
that the testimony
of Tychicus
would have been
very important
to Philemon.
What Paul could only
commit to the page
and he does it
very movingly,
but his only words
are on paper.
Tychicus in person
would be able
to pass on
to Philemon.
And Paul trusted him
to do that.
He was a man
who was trustworthy,
he was a faithful minister,
he was a fellow servant
in the Lord.
And he was
encouraging.
He was one of these
people who you
could rely on
when you talk to them
that you go away
feeling better
than when you met them
because they would
really encourage you
in your faith.
Paul,
in writing to
the Ephesians,
says very specifically
he'd send Tychicus
on this errand
to take the letter
to them
so that he could
give them the news
about Paul
and so that they
could be
encouraged.
And so Tychicus
was the kind of person
who could go to a church
and could stand up
in front of them
and tell them
about the wonderful
things that the Lord
was doing
and how he was
blessing Paul
and the work
that he was
engaged in.
He wasn't the kind
of person
who left you
feeling depressed
or wishing you'd
never spoken to them.
He was the kind
of person
who went away
feeling really encouraged
and rejoicing
in the kind of work
that God
was doing.
What a great
team player.
Someone who's
reliable,
you know if they
take something on
they'll do it
and they'll do it
well.
Someone who could
be absolutely
trusted,
trusted to do
the difficult
things as well
as the easy
things.
Someone who is
really encouraging.
Let's us try
to be like that
as well.
Now we will
move on to
verse 13.
And verse 13
I've said
Christian service
is cooperative.
This is nothing
about getting
your groceries.
Cooperative means
that we cooperate
with one another.
We're collaborative
and we're cooperative.
Now you might
look at that
and say
what's the difference?
And if you look
in a thesaurus
you'll probably
find the two
listed as synonyms
of one another.
But I think
they're not
quite the same.
Collaborative
is about us
working as a team.
Cooperative
is about us
working with people
who are outside
our team
but who nevertheless
share the same
goals as us.
I came across
this on the internet
I'm not sure
why you can read it.
I've cut it down
quite a little bit
but I thought
it illustrated
quite well
to me the difference.
The picture at the top
probably does it.
If you're cooperating
you've got kind of
one line going
into the various places.
If you're collaborating
you've got this
kind of network
this matrix
of different things.
Second bullet
also I find
quite interesting
perhaps with my
business background
if you're
cooperating
you have shared
goals.
If you're
collaborating
it's very important
that you have
shared vision
and values.
You're not just
aiming to achieve
the same end
you're happy
to do it
in the same
kind of way
sharing the same
vision and
values as you
go.
So what's the
relevance here?
Well in verse 13
I think we have
two men who
were not part
of team
Paul.
The best guess
about the situation
here is that
Paul had a letter
he wanted to send
to Titus
in Crete
and he grabbed
hold of a
passing evangelist
Apollos and
Zenos
and said
could you take
this letter
to Crete
as you go
on your journey
they were going
there anyway.
So probably
they were
the bearers
of the letter
from Paul
to Titus.
But as I said
they weren't
part of
directly part
of Paul's
team.
Now Zenos
we know
nothing about
from the Bible
apart from the
fact that he
was a lawyer
and not that
many lawyers
mentioned in the
Bible but
Zenos was one
of them.
There's a legend
or a Christian
myth that he
was passed
one of the
70 or the
72 or the
outer circle
of the Lord's
disciples.
No script for
evidence of that
may or may not
be right.
There's also
something in
church history
said he might
subsequently become
a bishop in
the kind of area
we're talking
about here.
But essentially
from a Bible
viewpoint we know
nothing about him
apart from that
he was a lawyer
and that he
was travelling
with Apollos.
Apollos of
course we know
a bit more
about.
Apollos was
the man who
was working
in Ephesus
and Aquila
and Priscilla
he wasn't
preaching the
true message
of the Lord
Jesus.
He had some
understanding
of the
powerful
preacher
some
understanding
of the
gospel
not a full
understanding
and Aquila
and Priscilla
took him
in and they
taught him
more carefully
and more
soundly
God's
words.
He also
went to
Corinth
and while
he was
in Corinth
there were
a number
of people
who particularly
aligned
themselves
with Apollos
so in the
beginning of
1 Corinthians
Paul can talk
about those
who say
we're of
Apollos
we're of
Paul
we're of
Cephas
we're of
Christ
and Apollos
clearly made
quite a big
impression in
Corinth
he was a
very fine
preacher.
But Paul
didn't see
him as
a rival
even though
the Corinthians
might have
he saw
them as
someone who
should be
encouraged
and someone
that the
Christians in
team Paul
should cooperate
with.
So he says
do everything
you can
to help
Zenos the
lawyer
and Apollos
on their
way
and see
that they
have
everything
they need.
So probably
a situation
as I said
Apollos and
Zenos are
going
possibly from
Greece to
Asia Minor
somewhere like
Ephesus or
Colossae
perhaps on the
way there
they're
stopping
up in
Crete
on the
way
and as
they're
there
they deliver
Paul's
letter
and Paul
says to
Titus
make sure
they're
well looked
after.
Offer them
the hospitality
that you
would like
to receive
if you
are in a
similar
situation
make sure
they've got
enough
for their
journey
both in
food and
perhaps also
in money.
These are
not our
team
but they're
people who
are doing
God's work
they're
people who
we want
to identify
with and
to encourage
in their
Christian
service.
Now I think
that's very
relevant to
us as
well.
We have
our team
whether you
think of
the team
as the
church here
or as a
particular
group within
the church
working together
or indeed
a team of
Christians
you're involved
with in
some service
outside
Brunsfield
and that
is the
team.
But there
are lots
of other
Christian
workers both
in the
city
and further
afield
who have
the common
goal with
us that
they want
to see
many people
coming to
trust the
Lord Jesus
they want
to live
in a way
that's
honouring
to him
and we
should work
in a way
that is
cooperative
with them.
We may
not agree
with all
that they
believe in
the secondary
things of
doctrine.
They may
not do
things the
way that we
think we
would do
them if
we were
in their
situation.
It
doesn't
matter.
As long
as they're
working to
serve the
Lord and
to glorify
him and
they're not
too way out
in the way
that they
do it,
they're our
fellow brothers
and sisters
in Christ.
We want
to support,
we want
to encourage
them,
we want
to cooperate
with them.
One great
example which
we have in
this church
is the
Basics Bank.
Now Basics Bank
is a
collaboration,
so we have
to have
collaboration,
a collaboration
between this
church and
Edinburgh City
Mission.
but there
are other
churches
round about,
most notably
Kings and
Barclay Viewforth,
who are
tremendous
supporters of
Basics Bank.
They provide
vast amounts
of food to
us every
month.
And they
clearly see
this as
being a
gospel work,
as being a
work among
the needy,
among those
who are in
desperate physical
need as well,
and they want
to support it,
they want to be
associated with
it, they want
to cooperate with
us in it.
But they
don't come to
us and say,
well how do
you do this?
What do you say
to people when
they come in?
What are you
trying to achieve
through the
work?
They know that
the work is to
provide for those
in need, and
as opportunity
arises to
witness to
them about
the Lord
Jesus, and
they are happy
to leave it
to us to
do that as
the Lord
leads.
It may be
different from
the way they
would do it,
but they see it
as God's work,
and they're
happy that it's
done in the
way that the
Lord leads us
in it.
And for us
too, there are
situations, I'm
sure, where we
could look at it
in a similar
way.
The mission
works that we
support, missionaries
overseas, working in
South America or in
Africa, training
people in
discipleship, local
works among
students or in the
Ferrywell project,
not directly works
of this church,
perhaps not always
done the way
that we would
do it if it
was our choice,
but works for
the Lord Jesus,
seeking to glorify
his name and to
bring others to
faith in him, and
we support them, we
cooperate with
them, and we
rejoice in the
fact that God is
working through
them.
And we don't
want as a church
to become too
insular, to think
we do our work
here, we are God's
people in Bransfield,
and we are, and
it's our job to
work, to
fellowship, to
worship, to
witness as a
church, it is
very much that,
but we mustn't
think it is all
about us and
what we do.
It is very
important that we
have fellowship
with our Christian
brothers and
sisters in other
gospel churches
around Edinburgh,
and that we also
are associated
with God's wider
work around the
world.
And in some
ways that might
be financial, it
will certainly be
in prayer, sometimes
perhaps also it
will be practical.
But let's be
aware of the
great work that's
being done that
is not directly
part of this
church here, and
let's cooperate
with it, let's
support our
Christian brothers
and sisters in
the work they're
doing for the
Lord Jesus.
And finally,
verse 14.
I've described
this as
collective.
So Paul writes,
our people must
learn to devote
themselves to
doing what is
good in order to
provide for urgent
needs and not
live unproductive
lives.
So the message
I take from
this is that
every Christian
has a part to
play in God's
work.
We're in it
together.
It's a collective
vision and task
that we have.
It's not just a
task for the
few.
One of the things
that slightly
concerns me as I
look forward to
the summer when I'm
taking up a role
in the church
here is that as
we take on more
staff members
within the church
there's a danger
that other people
feel squeezed out
and not able to
exercise the gifts
that God has
given them.
That's absolutely
not where we want
to be.
It's not where I
want to be.
It's not where
Graham wants to
be.
It's not where
the elders and
other leaders of
the church want
to be.
We want to be
those who are
able to encourage
all of you,
all of the
congregation in
your service for
the Lord to be
actively involved
in the church
here to be
using your
gifts in the
way that God
has given
them to you.
We are all
in it together.
John Stott in
one of his
books tells
about how
sometimes someone
would go up to
him and say
I've been called
to go into the
ministry.
And he would
say to them
well that's
really interesting
what ministry
do you mean?
And they say
well the pastoral
ministry.
He said well
why didn't you
say that to
begin with?
Because John
Stott was making
the point every
Christian is
involved in
ministry.
We're not all
pastors but
we're all
ministers.
We're all
those who are
called to
serve the
Lord Jesus
and to live
and to work
for him.
And if we're
not doing that
work then we're
not serving God
as we should.
And so in
verse 14 Paul
tells Titus that
he has to make
sure that the
Christians in
Crete that they
devote themselves
to doing what
is good to
provide for
urgent needs
actually the
technical or
literal translation
would be necessary
needs urgent
needs is probably
the right
translation and
not to live
unproductive
lives.
Now you may
remember back
in chapter 1
Paul described
the Cretans as
fat and lazy
I'm paraphrasing
slightly but not
very much.
So he's now
saying well to
Titus well as a
reminder make
sure that these
people are involved
in service for
the Lord Jesus
perhaps in the
immediate context
in providing for
Apollos and
Zenos but I
think more widely
as well.
Because he says
if we're not
involved in doing
Christian service
if we're not
meeting the needs
that God puts in
front of us that
we're able to
help with we're
living unproductive
or perhaps by a
translation unfruitful
lives.
We are wasting
our lives if we're
not living them in
the service of the
Lord Jesus.
If God has given
us a gift something
we're able to do
and we're not
exercising it to
his glory then
we're being
unfruitful we're
being unproductive
we're not living
our Christian lives
to the full.
All of us are
called to Christian
ministry all of us
are called to serve
the Lord Jesus
and to do the
things that he
would want us to
do and which he
has gifted us to
do through his
Holy Spirit.
We are called
to do good.
And doing good
is probably a good
summary as we come
to the end of the
book of Titus.
Now you'll gather
I didn't make this
up myself but I
find it quite useful
when I find it
on the internet.
What does Paul
say in Titus?
Well he talks
about a number
of things.
He talks about
appointing leaders.
What is the
character of those
who are in charge
of the church
who are pastors
of the flock
and they're very
practical and down
to earth things
about Christian
character.
What is Paul to
teach the Cretans?
Well it is that
they should observe
sound doctrine and
sound doctrine will
lead to good
practice.
And what is he to
remind them of?
He's to remind
them of the grace
of the Lord Jesus
and the fact that
they have to live
good character not
just in the church
but in the world
as well.
So we are to
become godly
people and what
is the result of
becoming godly
people?
It is that we
do, we are full
of good works.
The order is
important.
We become godly,
we put our faith
in the Lord Jesus,
he through his
spirit sanctifies us
and makes us more
like him and then
we're able to do
good works.
We don't start by
trying to do good
works and work
backwards.
We start with
faith in the Lord
Jesus and the
inevitable consequence
of faith in the
Lord Jesus and
sound doctrine and
being committed to
the Lord is that
we do good works.
Good works in the
way that we live.
Mike a few weeks
ago pointed out how
often self-control
for example is
mentioned in chapter
two and in the way
we act and interact
with others.
Good works too in
reaching out and in
serving and in
living for the
Lord Jesus.
I think if we take
one thing away from
Titus let it be
this.
We need sound
doctrine otherwise
our faith is empty.
But sound doctrine
by itself is not
enough.
That sound doctrine
should lead us to do
good works.
To lead good lives
and to be active in
serving others
out of love for
them and out of
love for the
Lord Jesus.
And if we do that
we will be fully
guarded against being
unproductive or
unfruitful or
falling into some
of the trap which
appeared that some
in Crete had
fallen into.
Let's be those who
know and love the
Lord and as we do
that let that be
evident in our
lives with others.
Then verse 15
the customary
greeting that Paul
sends.
Greetings from those
who are with him
to those whom he
is writing to
and greetings
particularly to
those who love
him and are
associated with
him in the
faith.
And that great
word at the end
grace be with
you all.
God's grace which
is the greatest
thing that we have
the grace of God
to us that we
need continually to
be refreshed and
reminded of in our
lives for the
Lord Jesus.
Let's take the
lessons.
Let's as a team
work together very
well collaboratively.
Let's look at
others, look more
widely as we
cooperate with
others and we
support them in
their Christian
ministry.
And let's make
sure that we are
all productive in
our service for the
Lord Jesus in our
work for him.
Let's pray together.
Father we thank you
for your word.
We thank you for
these very practical
instructions that
Paul gives in the
book of Titus.
Instructions about
the best situations
for people to be in.
the way that they
should treat others.
The way that they
should live their
lives.
We thank you that
it's all rooted in a
knowledge of the
Lord Jesus and of
your grace to us.
We thank you too that
it is rooted in sound
doctrine.
In good teaching of
your word and in
understanding what it
is you have done for
us and what it is
that you require of
us.
And we pray that all
of us may be marked
by our real faith in
the Lord Jesus.
By our real love of
your word and of
sound doctrine and
by a real desire to
do good works.
To demonstrate our
love for the Lord
Jesus as we show our
love for one another
and for those who
don't yet know the
Saviour.
Thank you for your
presence with us as
we've studied this
evening your word.
We pray that you'll
bless us, help us as
we reflect back in the
book of Titus that we
may learn the lessons
from it and we may
be able better to be
the people of God
living in Edinburgh.
We give you our
thanks and commit
ourselves to you in
Jesus' name.
Amen.