Good evening, everyone. It's good to be here. It's been really a while since last time I spoke here, but it's great to be back.
Quite a lot of my sermons last were in Spanish, so I hope my broken English is going to be a challenge tonight.
I will see how it goes. Hopefully by the end of the night you'll be able to figure out what I'm saying.
That's the challenge. Thanks, Fiona, for reading that passage so wonderfully.
I always struggle with reading the Bible straight in English, so that's a great help.
But that's the song we just sung.
What a amazing words that you have, doesn't it?
It's like, how great theologists to say that all I have is Christ, and we can all say hallelujah.
That wasn't my script, but I think it's a good thing to think as Christians, that all we have,
apart from all the things we can have at home, but all we have is Christ.
It's probably one of those good things. Actually, I could finish the sermon just now and say, that's it.
That's what you take home, but we're not going to do that.
So we're going to start doing the chapter two. We're not going to read the chapter because it's being already read wonderfully.
When I was driving from home today, yes, I was driving, but I don't know if many of you know,
but I just passed my driving test last month. And tonight has been the first night I decided to drive to town on my own.
We don't have an Arlene nagging me all the time.
I can breathe better now, but I just discovered that driving under 20 miles an hour is a lot harder than driving a motorway,
I can tell. But now we are here. But while I was driving here, I just realized that I didn't really have anything
in regards to illustration or story what to tell in order to present this.
And I was thinking, what can I tell you? What can actually be said?
And one of the things I was thinking is basically about my wife.
Generally, illustrations about my wife are good, aren't they?
Because she's not here as well, so it's even better.
One of the things I really love about my wife, I really like about my wife, is that she really embraces her Britishness.
I don't know whether that's a word or not, but she loves being British.
That's one of the things that everywhere we go, she is proud to say, I'm British.
And she behaves like a British person. She acts like a British person.
If we go out to eat, the first thing she has is a cup of tea.
And every time we go to the Amazon, you see a lot of things being packed, but also a lot of teabags being packed in her.
In her suitcase.
Doesn't matter that the Amazon is like 40 degrees.
She's always eager to take teabags and have a cup of tea in a very hot, tropical weather.
That's she. And that's the way what she likes to do.
She likes to embrace her Britishness.
And I think, in that regard, what am I telling you this?
Just because she's not here? No, no.
I'm telling you this because of, I think what Paul is trying to tell to Titus,
Titus, it is that Titus, you need to teach these people in your community to behave and act in a way that accords to the gospel.
That accords to you are, or to who you are.
If Paul was writing to British people, he perhaps had to say, like, you Brits have to behave and act like Brits.
But Paul was writing to these priests who were in a Christian culture to basically tell them,
you must act, you must behave in a way that accords to who you are.
And what accords to who you are, perhaps we're going to see it today.
So, before we go into chapter 2, I would like to do a bit of a recap.
We've been in chapter 1 already.
And chapter 1, in so many ways, was all about teaching.
Teaching how to deal with bad teaching.
And now we see in chapter 2, we wonder, what is it about?
In so many ways, what a surprise.
Chapter 2, as well, is all about teaching.
So we keep going on and teaching, more teaching.
Titus is to teach what accords with sound doctrine.
This sort of teaching that produces sanctification.
This sort of teaching that would make people living godly lives.
And that is what Titus has been challenged by Paul to say.
And we see it in the very beginning.
And it says, you must, whoever, look what it says in verse 1.
You, whoever, must teach what's appropriate to sound doctrine.
At the end of chapter 1, you can see in chapter 1, verse 16 and on.
You can see that Paul was talking about people who claim to know God.
This is what he says, verse 16.
These people claim to know God, but their actions, da, da, da, deny Him.
They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good.
And see how he moves from chapter 1 to chapter 2.
And he starts by saying, you, whoever, basically describing what Titus must do,
in contrast to these people, sell will and sell righteous as they are.
His job in chapter 1, 11, is to silence the false doctrine.
And here in chapter 2, at the beginning, his job is to teach a course to sound doctrine.
The word sound means health.
And in so many ways, he tight does this to lead to his people to a very healthy life,
which is characterized in so many ways, but good works.
So, as I said before, this chapter 2, in a nutshell, it's all about teaching.
And I would like to see in more detail what his teaching is about.
So, there are three things I will go under today.
The first thing would be like, what is he going to teach?
Why is he going to teach?
And at the end, we'll see how is he going to teach.
So, this chapter 2 is about teaching.
Teaching what a course was to a good life.
Teaching what a course was to the gospel.
Then we need to know, what is he going to teach?
Why is he going to teach?
And how is he going to teach?
Let's see first, what is he going to teach?
Paul urges Titus to teach the sort of living that the gospel produces.
He says to live out in a way that produces self-control and submission.
These two virtues are very much throughout the whole section we are doing today.
To be self-controlled and to be submitting.
For Paul was something very important for a Christian to do.
Somebody who lives under the gospel.
Somebody who believes the gospel and acts and believes what the gospel says.
Paul says, must show self-control and must be submitted.
Older men, younger women, and younger men are to be self-controlled.
Look what it says, verse 2.
Teach the older men to be dot, dot, dot, self-control.
Look what it says, verses 4 and 5.
Urge the younger women dot, dot, dot, to be self-control.
Look what it says, verse 2.
Similarly, encourage the young men dot, dot, dot, to be what?
To be self-controlled.
For Paul, he urges Titus that that is one of the first things we need to display in a church background.
That people who believe the gospel are to be what?
Self-control.
And Paul thinks that's very, very important for him.
And perhaps one way, my one-way wonder.
So, how is that that self-control works?
How can we have self-control?
He gave us a clue in chapter 2, verse 11 and 12.
We're not doing this bit this week.
Hopefully, we'll get to it next week.
But he says that the power, how can someone be able to be self-controlled?
He says, it is the grace of God, verse 11, that teaches us to live in a self-controlled way.
Upright and godly lives in the present age.
Everyone who is a believer, according to verse 11 and 12.
Everyone who is a believer.
Everyone who professes Christ.
Everyone who sings the gospel is his life.
It is cool to be self-control.
That is something you cannot betray.
That is something you cannot be like, just, you cannot wing it about and say, well, I've been self-control all day and I won't be self-control all the days.
Paul says to Titus, everyone who believes the gospel by the grace of God ought to be self-control.
And that is something that I want us to keep thinking throughout this passage.
To be self-controlled is so important.
So in so many ways, what he's saying, in order to be self-controlled, it means that we shouldn't be ruled out in our lives by our emotions.
Our emotions are important, but they are not the bits we depend on.
What can I say about this?
So, someone can be disappointed in a Christian falls, but that doesn't make him to make him give up.
If somebody comes and does something wrong to you, you can be mad about it.
But you still are able to forgive and offer forgiveness to this person.
So in so many ways, you are in the way that God tells you to, even if you don't feel like it.
Paul is saying to Titus, teach these people to live self-control.
Do not let your emotions guide you.
Have emotions is great.
Having emotions is fantastic.
It's good to be sad.
It's good to be younger.
It's good to show all these things.
But even when those things appear, still Paul wants Titus to teach those disciples to be self-controlled.
So this is self-control.
No denying our emotions, but no being controlled by those emotions.
The second common thing, as I said, it was not only they have to be self-controlled.
They also need to display submission or be submitted.
Look what it says, Titus, chapter 2, verses 5.
This is what he says to young whites.
They are to be subject to the husbands.
Look at what it says in verse 9, what Titus is to teach.
Teach slaves to be subject to their husbands and everything they do and to try to please them and not talk back to them.
Self-control and submission are profoundly in so many ways counter-cultural.
It's something that's not very popular.
We live in a society where self-control and submission is totally something people don't practice.
Can you tell me about that?
I'm sure you can think of so many examples where you see people not wanting to display self-control or be submitted to it.
Actually, we don't like to be submitted to anything.
That's why when we see a 20-mile-hour sign, we just want to be 30 or 40.
Because we don't like to be submitted.
We don't like to submit to things.
And that's so counter-cultural in so many ways.
It was counter-cultural in Crete.
We have already seen in chapter 1, verse 12, what it says,
Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.
They don't like to be submitted.
They don't like self-control.
These people who didn't control their speech, they are always liars.
These people didn't control their emotions.
They were brutes.
And these people didn't control their appetite.
They were gluttons.
So these people in Crete, as we know, in the culture, they wouldn't practice self-control.
That is what Paul is trying to tell Titus to work on it.
It is counter-cultural nowadays as well.
It's not only that the Cretans are like that, but as I said, nowadays we can see that,
especially here in Western culture.
Western culture values self-expression instead of self-control.
We, as a culture, value self-fulfillment instead of self-denial.
We do value independence instead of submission.
And I'm sure you know many examples of that.
So to be self-controlled and live in a right submission will mean swimming against the culture,
will mean doing something that is totally different from what people are.
But let me ask you, what is the gospel then?
Is the gospel something that people really like to do?
No.
It's counter-cultural.
It's swimming against the culture.
We need a talent of Luca as a great swimmer to swim against the culture.
I didn't hear it this morning, but Arlene told me about it.
And I laugh a lot.
But that is what Paul is actually saying.
When you display self-control, and when you display mission,
you are proving that you are somebody who believes the gospel.
And you are somebody who has been changed and shaped by the gospel.
And because of that, you are able to go and swim against this culture.
But let me tell you for experience, we don't like swimming against the culture.
You are in the Amazon, you want to follow the current.
I tell you for experience, you don't want to go against the current.
That's something we normally do.
We like to do it.
We like to do it in that way.
And that's something we need to do.
But Paul says, these people, these kittens, he says to Titus,
they must learn to live in this way.
But Paul not only knows the importance of living in reflecting self-control and submission,
he also knows that different ages and different roles face different challenges
and different temptations as well.
So Paul gives different instructions to different group of peoples,
and he puts it in different categories.
So he speaks to older men, to older women, to younger women, to younger men, and to slaves.
This was the bit that was a little bit harder for me.
Because some of the things that he's actually telling them to do are like,
okay, here we go.
I'm just going to make a few comments on some of the things,
and we'll see how it goes.
But look what he says in verse 2 to the older men.
Paul begins with the older men.
And this is what he says to the older men.
If you're considered to be old, just think of this.
This is what Paul is telling Titus to teach you.
And I'm going to tell you this.
Teach the older men to be temperate,
worthy or respect,
self-control, sound and faith,
in love and endurance.
But reading this, we can think that the temptations of these people
may have been they were too grumpy,
or perhaps they like picking arguments,
or they perhaps struggle with being wearying
or giving themselves into service.
They are not very sure about that.
And Paul says that the antidote to this behavior,
it is to be taught faith,
to be taught love,
it should be taught endurance.
And I wonder,
doesn't matter what the age you are,
imagine you would like to be taught
these three things.
You've been a Christian for many years,
you learn almost everything that the Bible has to offer,
and this young preacher is told by his boss
that he has to teach you,
or teach these curtains,
to be sound in faith,
love,
and endurance.
That was a hard message to get.
You probably know by experience,
but generally,
older people,
they don't like to be taught things.
They like the other way.
They like to teach things,
because they learn so many things,
so many skills.
But Paul is interested in that,
and the first thing he tells to the older generation,
he says,
these people need to know,
and need to learn these things.
Younger men in the church need to learn
to follow the example of older people
in so many ways.
But that is a two-way street.
Paul says that these people,
the older people,
need to be worthy of respect.
So in order for you,
to ask for respect,
Paul says,
if these people want respect,
they need to live in a way
that is worthy of respect.
Older men need to live in such a way
that younger guys look at them,
and think,
I want to be like him.
But I wonder,
my dear brother and sister,
dear brother,
do you consider yourself older?
Do you think people around you
look at you and say,
I want to be like you?
Or perhaps you let yourself go
into picking up arguments,
or thinking,
I'm maybe not as young as before,
so I cannot commit to things.
Paul says,
these older people
must be worthy of respect.
And being worthy of respect
means displaying all those good things,
so that younger guys
can see a thing
and say,
I want to be like me.
And he also said words
for older women.
Older women face similar temptations.
Look what he says,
verse 3,
likewise,
teach the older women
to be reverent
in the way they live,
not to be slanderous
or addicted to much wine,
but to teach what is good.
Paul says to these women,
instead of complaining
about what is wrong,
instead of being
spending your life,
thinking what is wrong,
what is this,
what is what about,
he says,
worry yourself
about teaching what is good.
He says,
instead of being controlled
by the wine,
these people
utterly were controlled
by the wine,
or some of them were,
he says,
practice self-control
and start teaching
what is good.
What is good,
verse 1 says,
what is good
to live a course
in a way
that produces sound doctrine,
or to live a course
to sound doctrine.
That's what he says.
And once they're able
to teach what is good,
then we go to
verses 4 and 5.
Then,
this is what he says,
they can urge
the younger women
to love their husband
and children,
to be self-controlled
and pure,
to be busy at home,
to be kind,
and to be subject
to the husband,
so that no one
will malign the word of God.
This is the bit
where I was very
not sure about.
I was thinking a lot.
I only work in the sermon
for a week,
and most of the week
I was thinking
in these two passages,
because they're very tough.
I think the context
in here,
in the context
that Paul had in mind,
it is what was happening
in Ephesus,
where he spoke to
1 Timothy 5,
verses 11-13,
where many young women,
mainly widows,
they were behaving
in a very bad way,
being controlled
by their passions,
wanting to remarry
just out of lust,
neglecting the care,
neglecting providing care
for the children,
and also getting themselves
involved in to gossip,
and to the point
that many of these women
were abandoning
the fate of Christ.
And I think
when Paul writes
this specific passage
to them,
he is thinking
what was happening
in Ephesus,
and he thinks
Ephesus is not,
it could easily
influence the Christians,
so he's saying,
think about this.
So I think in so many ways,
what he has in mind
is this,
what was happening there.
So I think Paul wants
Titus to urge
older women
to invest their lives
to influence the lives
of younger women,
so that they can live
in a way
that occurs
with the gospel,
self-control,
pure,
loving their husbands
and children,
keeping themselves busy
with the different tasks
they find at home,
so that no one
can say anything
against the Christian life.
And by no means,
it's not like
younger women
cannot have a career.
We live in a church
where most of the women
have a career,
they have jobs
and they have responsibilities.
I don't think
what Paul is trying
to tell you,
younger women,
that you shouldn't
have a career.
But I think he has
that proven Ephesus
in mind
when he's saying this.
And he thinks
that if their wives
and mothers,
home is the primary place
where they are to serve,
in addition to
all the different things
they do.
And I think
what Paul has to
clean in that way,
but then,
we live in different times,
right?
You could say
this is so old-fashioned.
So Paul is saying
that all women,
all younger women
have to have a husband,
all younger women
have to have children.
What about
I don't want to have children?
What about
I don't want to be a wife?
I think Paul
is specifically speaking
to a different context.
I don't think he's saying
to all younger women
that you must have a husband,
you must have children.
But,
I think
he is still saying
even without you
having a husband,
even without you
having a wife,
having a children,
you must still show
self-control.
You must still be submitted.
You must still live in faith.
You must still live
according to what
the gospel says.
So,
in so many ways,
he's not telling
all the young women
to live,
to get married
and have children.
But he is saying
everyone,
younger women,
everyone
has to live
in the way
that occurs
with the gospel.
And that is a good
thing to say.
Then he also
have a word
for younger men.
And younger men
receive only one
word of exhortation.
What he says,
verse 6,
encourage the young men
to be self-controlled.
Self-control,
as I said,
is all throughout
this passage.
But that does
cover all tentations
men actually face,
younger men.
Could be lust,
could be ambitions,
impatience.
But in all of this,
Paul says,
they must practice
self-control.
And as I said before,
self-control is something
that we don't like
to show.
Self-control is something
we don't like to have.
And let me tell you,
self-control on our own,
it's nearly impossible
to have.
But the Bible says
that those who believe
Christ
have received
the Holy Spirit.
And what a surprise,
what is one of the fruits
of the Holy Spirit?
Self-control.
We can have
self-control
if we trust
Christ.
Because in the moment
that we trusted
Christ,
we received
the Holy Spirit.
And the Holy Spirit
is able
to produce
self-control
in our lives.
So what I'm telling you
is not impossible
to do.
It's challenging
to do,
but it's not impossible.
And that's what Paul
is trying to say.
But then Paul also
has a word for Titus himself.
Verses 7 and 8,
this is what he says,
in everything,
set them an example
by doing what is right,
what is good.
In your teaching,
show integrity,
seriousness,
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.
The words in
verse 7,
by them,
is in reference
to the younger men
that he was speaking
in verse 6.
As the young man himself,
Titus is called
to set an example
to another young man.
He has to live
in that way.
And I think that's
the challenge
for all of us.
It doesn't matter
the age that we are.
As Paul is saying
to Titus,
set an example
for younger men,
I think he is
in so many ways
telling us
we must live
in a way
that we set example
for younger generations.
The example
has to be
integrity,
seriousness,
and soundness.
Young men
in so many ways
need to grow up
and take life seriously.
Take their faith seriously
and to be responsible.
There is no ruin
in our church
for living for yourself
for two more decades.
We tend to think,
oh, they are young still.
Oh, they are teenagers.
They can do whatever they want.
Oh, it's in his mid-20s.
One day he'll grow up.
One day he'll mature.
But Paul is saying,
no, no, no.
It doesn't matter
the age you are.
He said,
young people,
you must live
in a way
that you set example
for everybody.
You must show
integrity,
seriousness,
and soundness.
Anyway,
finally,
for this part,
there is also
war for slaves.
In contextualizing,
slaves nowadays
would be employees,
people who work.
And, by the way,
when the Bible describes,
or when Paul talks
about slavery,
or talks about
being a slave,
it's not like
the Bible,
and Paul himself
is agreeing with slavery,
saying that slavery
is good
in so many ways.
I think what Paul is doing,
he is dealing with
something that was
common practice
at that time.
By itself,
we all know
that actually God
is there against slavery.
He is actually
the one who came
and rescued us
from the slavery
or the evilness
from ourselves.
He came with all power
and destroyed
that chains of slavery
that have us captive,
is what the Bible says.
So,
God is there
against slavery.
Even when Paul
talks about slavery,
he is not saying
slavery is good,
it's God's plan.
No, no, no, no.
God came
and destroyed
all slavery.
And he set us free
to the power
of his gospel
and the sacrifice
of his son.
So,
it's almost good
to keep that on mind.
But he speaks here
about slavery,
being slaves.
And this is what he says,
verses 9 and 10.
Teach slaves
to be subject
to their masters
in every sin,
to try to please them,
not to talk back to them
and not to steal for 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.
Slaves can be subject
to their masters
in a minimal
and passive way,
doing what is just
required to them
and no more.
But what Paul says here
is he expands this
by saying that
these slaves,
in our context,
these employees,
must do things
in a way
to try to please
their masters.
I wonder,
this is a question
for all of us,
when was the last time
at your workplace
that you were working
to please your boss,
to please your company?
How many of you
ask God
to that temptation
of thinking,
oh, it's 5 p.m.,
it's going to be finished soon,
oh, it's 4.30 now,
oh, it's 4.45 now,
oh, it's going to be
fire soon.
But Paul says here
that these slaves
need to work
in a way
that they can
please
their masters.
Deep brothers and sisters,
that's not easy.
I don't know
what your job is,
and my job itself
is very difficult.
But Paul says,
if you're a believer,
you need to work
in that way.
You need to think
in a context
where you're working,
because the gospel
that you're displaying
in your life
has to replicate
everywhere.
This requires
so much more
than thinking
different checklist duties.
It requires
a change of heart,
a radical
and different attitude.
It requires us
to be
and to seek
to bless our masters
and to seek
to be responsible
in our jobs.
Can you imagine
Scotland
where all the Christians
who work
in different workplaces
would be working
in order to
please their bosses
and to be responsible
in doing the best
for their jobs?
Can you imagine
Scotland like that?
That is what Paul
is telling
to the Cretans.
He wants to see
this as the greatest
place
for these Cretans
so the gospel
could be
made and shown
attractive.
One of the implications
that words
the post words
to these different groups
is obvious
but sometimes
it's very much mixed.
Basically what he's saying
is that you must
add the age you are.
If you are in your 20s
you live like you're a child
playing video games
all the time.
It is time to take
responsibilities in your home
work, church
and neighborhood.
But he also says
if you are in your 40s
or 50s
do not spend your time
wishing you were still young.
Or fit
or beautiful.
I know everyone here
is beautiful
so that doesn't
apply to us at all.
But Paul is saying
do not be your life
thinking of the things
you used to do
or you could still do.
But he says
be in a way
or live in a way
that you can set
good examples
for everyone.
Enjoy being the age
you are
and enjoy contributing
in ways that are
appropriate for your age.
That's what Paul
is going to teach.
What is Paul
going to teach?
We just said that.
But why is Paul
is Titus
going to teach this?
Because it produces
an impact
in our relationships
both internally
and externally.
What do I mean by this?
We'll see this.
Internally
the impact it produces
if people behave like this
if people learn that
is that
it produces good
discipleship making.
Titus 1 to 10
outlines the sort of living
that the gospel creates.
But where is to be lived?
It is to be lived in community.
Paul is saying
that these believers
need to act in a way
that they can display
all those things
in a community.
It's to be lived in a community
which people
are discipling
one another.
Discipleship is not simply
going on discipleship courses
or reading discipleship books
but it's everyday life skills
everyday life
living with Christian family.
We perhaps can have
organized times
when we read the Bible
and we learn more about that
but it also
involves a lot of
sharing time
involves a lot of
sharing our lives
with younger Christians
sharing our lives
with older Christians
investing time together
is what he meant.
And
Paul says
in
1 Thessalonians
chapter 2
verse 8
that
because we love you so much
we were delighted
to share with you
not only the gospel of God
but our lives as well.
Paul shared the gospel of God
in the context of
sharing his life with people.
As you share your life
with another believer
and you share others' life
people will see
Christian living
model
and you will also see
Christian living
model to you.
Imagine as a community
imagine as a church
the younger men
hanging out with the older men
the younger women
hanging out with
the older women.
Imagine a community
where we don't only
gather together
to read the Bible
or to listen to a sermon
but imagine
that sort of life
in a Christian community
where we gather
to do steps
like
I don't know
baking a cake
the different things
that we can actually do.
That's what Paul is interested in.
Paul is interested in
these people
not only hang around
to learn about the gospel
but they also hang around
to learn about life skills
to be living in a way
that they are
close to one another
and they can nurture
one another
in so many ways.
In discipleship
discipleship takes place
in a community
Christians are not meant
to live like
alumnus ships.
We are meant to live
in flocks
and it's an important
future of the community
based discipleship
that it happens
across generations.
At the end
this whole letter
of Titus
is about
older men
nurturing the faith
and ministry
of the younger ones
and vice versa.
Paul is seeking
to paint a picture
in a community
in which older men
and older women
are teaching younger men
and younger women.
That younger people
are seeking out
the advice
of older people.
Younger people
are submitting
to the direction
of older people.
So quick application
would be like
if you are young
you can find
somebody to disciple.
If you are old
you can find
someone to disciple.
If you consider
to be somewhere
in the middle
you can do both.
So you can
invest your life
to help somebody
younger
if you are old
and you can invest
the life
to be learned
from somebody older
if you are young
if you are in the middle
you can do both.
That is what
Christian community
is about.
That is the sort
of living
that Paul is interested
in the Crete community
and also
it's the sort of living
that Paul is interested
in the Bronsted
Evangelical Church.
The other thing
we can say as well
is not only
produces changes
internally
but it also
impacts externally.
Externally the gospel
becomes attractive
it says
and no one
has anything
against the gospel.
Living the sort
of living
that the gospel
produces
is not only good
for all disciples
you make
in the church
but it also
helps our relationships
in the community
outside the church.
Paul knew
that being self-controlled
and living
in the right
mission
will mean
swimming against
the culture
as we said
but yet
Paul says
to young women
to be subject
to the husband
so that no one
will malign
the word of God
and he also
said to slaves
you should be
subject to the husband
in everything
so that in every way
they will make
the teaching
about God
our Savior
attractive.
Notice that
this implication
saw that
they have to do
this
so that people
will see this
so this is about
cause and effect
and the cause
is submission
with effect
of mission.
People may not
like it
when we talk
about self-control
and submission
but they find it
so attractive
when they see
this play.
People perhaps
don't like
what Christians
talk about marriage
but let me tell you
they love seeing
a marriage that works.
They love to see
a marriage where
men and women
they do respect
each other
they do submit
each other
to God's will.
They don't like
to be taught
about it
but they love
seeing the results
of it.
And I think
that's what Paul
is saying.
Paul is saying
to teach this
because this is good
because the gospel
is this place
and people can see it.
Making the gospel
attractive
doesn't mean
that we need
to add something
to the gospel
to make it nicer.
Rather
making the gospel
attractive
means that
we are
distracting
ourselves
from living
in a selfish
way
to live
in a way
in which
the gospel
is magnified
in which
the gospel
is desired
in which
the gospel
is seeing
as something
that really
changes
people's lives.
And that is
what Paul
is saying
when he says
making the gospel
attractive.
I wonder
are we
making the gospel
attractive
in our lives?
perhaps that's
a good question
we need to ask
tonight.
That is a question
that Paul
was asking
to Titus
to make
to the church
in Crete.
And I think
it's a question
he's making
to us as well.
Are we
acting in a way
in our different
relationships
that produces
that the gospel
becomes attractive
to people?
Or people are
so terrified
of what the gospel
is they don't
want to know
anything about it.
We need to act
in a way
which made
the gospel
attractive
and the gospel
is magnified
as the power
of God
saved men
and restored
him from
his broken
condition.
So we've seen
what he's going
to teach
we've seen
why he's going
to teach
and finally
not alone
we'll see
how he's going
to teach.
Titus is to be told
in verse 7 and 8
Titus is to be told
how he's going
to do it.
He says
in everything
set an example
by doing what is good.
In your teaching
show integrity
seriousness
and soundness
of speech.
So two things
here.
First he's going
to set an example
as he said
before.
He says
open your life
let the people
see
have people
at your home
take them
invite somebody
to come and see you
let them expose
yourself out
so people see
how you are
people see
the way you live
people see
how you treat
your wife
people see
how you treat
your husband
people see
how you treat
your parents
people see
how you treat
your children
and they say
wow this is
what I want
set an example
I think this is
a time for
Christians
not to be going
and fighting
what is right
what is wrong
but actually
this is a time
for Christians
to show out
all the world
and display
what the gospel
is about.
Paul is interested
in the titles
to teach this
and press on
on this.
Let them see
your marriages
let them see
your parenting
this is not
only teaching
a Bible
but it's also
teaching someone
to as I said
make a cake
perhaps manage
a budget
I don't know
shake the car
oil
so many of us
don't know
how to do that
invest time
to be around
people
so that they
can see
what life
is about
not only
to read the Bible
all together
which is great
but actually
to see who you are
because who you are
is not only reflecting
what you know
about the Bible
but who you are
is reflected
is how you treat
people
how you are
around people
and who you are
in the presence
of God
but nobody see
and that is
what Paul is
interested in
Titus to do
and it's a difficult
it's a very difficult
thing to do
one of the lovely
things about church
is that
it is a place
where we can learn
life skills
both for eternity
and for today
we got so many
young people here
we got so many
older people here
how many things
can we learn
from one another
apart from the Bible
that is the challenge
that Paul is
telling Titus
to be aware of
and that is the challenge
I think that the Lord
is bringing to us tonight
and pass our time
impact somebody else's
you don't need to know
the whole Bible
to impact somebody else's life
but you have to be
desired to do it
and finally
the last thing
he has to teach
the gospel
sometimes it must be
more planned
as you Bible study
or you go to a book
of the Bible
and you spend time
together
but Paul describes
that characteristics
of a healthy gospel
teaching
he says in verse 7
that we teach people
with integrity
in other words
he says
we live what we teach
in verse 7
as well he says
we teach people
with seriousness
in other words
we love what we teach
and show that it matters
to us
and we teach people
with soundness
or health
in other words
we teach what lead
to spiritual
and emotional health
the gospel in one sense
summarizing
has to be
totalitarian
in our lives
what do I mean
by totalitarian
in our lives
that its effects
must be seen
everywhere
we are good
displaying the effects
of the gospel
around the church
we are good
displaying the gospel
around believers
but sometimes
we struggle
to display
the effects
of the gospel
around non-believers
and that is what
Paul is interested
in Titus to do
show to the world
who you are
that you are
somebody who believes
and lives
by the gospel
and you prove
that the gospel
matters to them
and the gospel
has to be
totalitarian
in a way
has to be
affected in everything
and anything you do
we see it here
younger people
older people
people at work
people at home
wives
children
husbands
everybody
has to display
all those things
so
this chapter
and I'm finishing
with this
it starts with
you whoever
must teach
what is appropriate
to some doctrine
and I think
in best
what we hear
tonight
I would say
and I would add
you whoever
must live
in the way
that is appropriate
to some doctrine
so it doesn't matter
the age you are
I think Paul
had a word for you
through Titus
and the word for you
was
leave who you are
and spend time
with somebody else
to show who you are
live in the way
that accords
to the gospel
so what is the challenge
for us today
perhaps this is the challenge
for us to spend
some more time
together
when was the last time
you had somebody
young to talk
about things
when was the last time
you invited somebody
out for coffee
when was the last time
young people
you went to
speak at the
somebody off
in our church
we have a great
generation of elderly
in our church
and hopefully
in God's
promise
we have a great
generation of
youngers coming up
wouldn't it be
amazing
if we both
match up
and we spend
some time together
that we learn
from the elderly
and we are
challenging
from them
and we also
we take these
ingross of the youngsters
Paul is speaking
to Titus
and he's saying
this church
must live in a way
that accords
to sound doctrine
how do you do it
be who you are
in Christ
be
self-controlled
be submitted
respect
and be worthy
of respect
spend your time
with people
you don't need
to be the best
preacher of the world
to spend time
with people
one of the things
I used to love
in my old church
I used to hang out
with the old bodies
all the time
time difference
language barrier
doesn't happen here
much often
but I wish you could
but
I always say
I can try now
I can almost come
to your home
you can almost
have somebody
around you
but
let me tell you
Titus
is a good challenge
for us
because he teaches
us different generations
and he challenges
us
to a different generation
and different relationships
I hope we take
this challenge seriously
and
we'll see what happens
in the next
part of chapter 2
let's pray
Father we live in a way
and in a culture
that actually
doesn't like
self-control
it actually
opposes it
we live in a culture
that
they don't like
submission
actually opposes
and it's a big part
of the church
has actually been
affected by it
and because of that
Lord
the gospel
that is already
by itself
attracted
has perhaps
become
diminished
and people
don't really want
to know more
about the gospel
but
as we sing
tonight Lord
help us to see
this challenge
and help us
to live in a way
that
occurs to some
doctrine
help us to live
in a way
that is worth
of the gospel
help us to live
in a way
that we set
examples
it doesn't matter
what our ages are
doesn't matter
what our
situations are
doesn't matter
who do we know
what do we know
but we live in a way
we trust you
and we live in a way
we believe what you
have to tell us
and we live in a way
we display the qualities
of the gospel
so that the gospel
by itself
it's magnifying
our lives
father
help us to see
this challenge
from Titus
and help us
to see this challenge
from Paul
and help us
to see this challenge
from you Lord
to work
in our relationships
not only
the times
when we read
the Bible
and we'll
talk about your war
but actually
the times
when we spend
time together
let
Bronzeville Evangelical
Church
come out
to the world
and be seen
and displaying
what the gospel
is about
father I thank you
for my brothers
and sisters
I pray for their week
I pray for the things
that are going to come
their way
may they all be
an example
and live
self-control
and submit it
so the gospel
becomes
attractive
in their lives
for the people
to see
when it's displayed
in the name of your son
Amen