Page 1198.
1198, Titus chapter 1, starting at verse 1.
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness.
A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.
And at his appointed season, he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Saviour.
To Titus, my true son, in our common faith.
Grace and peace from God the Father in Christ Jesus, our Saviour.
Well, let's pray.
A tiny little book, but it's got a great punch.
Titus has been given the responsibility for a group of small house churches on the island of Crete.
So look at chapter 1, verse 5.
Paul writes to Titus and he says,
The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.
So as the gospel, as the good news about Jesus spread from place to place, so people became followers of Jesus.
They started little churches and they joined churches.
However, instead of growing as a pure church, it seems that these churches on the island of Crete have become impure.
As verse 5 said, things need to be straightened out.
And there were two main connecting issues.
First, there was impure teaching.
Chapter 1, verse 11.
He writes to Titus and says,
These teachers, well, they must be silenced because they are ruining whole households.
Those households there are these small churches.
They are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach.
And that for the sake of dishonest gain.
And this impure teaching has led, as it always does, to secondly impure living.
Chapter 1, verse 16.
They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.
They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good.
The impure teaching has led to impure living.
And this is so far from what the church is called to be.
Look at chapter 2, verse 14.
It reminds us there that Jesus Christ 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.
God has called his church.
He has rescued his people.
Called a people to belong to himself.
That the church might be pure.
That they might be purified.
So as Paul writes this little letter to Titus,
he is, if you like, handing responsibility over to him
to encourage all these little churches dotted around the island
to help them on the road towards purity.
So what are you saying, Johnny?
Hmm?
Is our church impure?
Is there something about this church that you haven't told us?
Is your teaching impure?
All the stuff we've been doing in Deuteronomy of late.
Was that all lies?
Or are we all living impure lives?
Is there something behind closed doors that we don't know about?
Well, what I want us to do is to picture a very large washing machine.
Men, I know that's going to be difficult, but it's that white oblong shape in the house.
It's got a door on.
I want us to picture a very large washing machine.
Big enough to fit the whole church family.
And we're all to climb in to this washing machine.
Young people, older people, men, women, children.
Don't worry about staying outside to close the door.
We'll get the caretaker to do that.
And he'll flick the switch.
Because what we want us to do is to let God's word, this short letter of Titus that we're looking at together,
to wash us and to clean us and to remove any impurities that need to be removed.
Our desire, as I think the big themes of this letter suggest,
is that we would have pure leaders who will teach pure doctrine,
which leads to pure relationships,
and is worked out in pure living and service,
so that we might reflect the purity and the beauty of Christ to a world.
And for the reason that Christ has come, look at chapter 3, verse 5.
The middle of verse 5.
Chapter 3, middle of verse 5.
He has saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
That's a big idea.
This is what we're going to be about each week.
Every time we meet together, we're going to be climbing into this washing machine, as it were.
We're going to let God's word, this letter, wash us and clean us
and remove any impurities that need to be removed.
Because our desire for this church
is that we would have pure leaders
who teach pure doctrine,
which leads to pure relationships amongst one another.
And is worked out in pure living
wherever we are during the week,
whether that's at college or at home with the children or at work.
And it leads to pure service as we serve one another,
so that together we might reflect the purity and the beauty of Christ to the world.
Because Christ has come
to save us
through the washing of rebirth
and the renewal of the Holy Spirit.
So that's what we're about.
Well, how is that going to happen?
The path to purity.
In the introduction, Paul tells us what his ministry is,
what he's about.
And he tells this to Titus
so that Titus might do the same things
as he leads these churches towards purity.
And it's the same to us.
This is what's going to help us
towards the path of purity.
First of all, faith.
Trusting in Christ.
Look at verse 1.
Paul, a servant of God,
an apostle of Jesus Christ,
for the faith
of God's elect.
Now it's simple.
His ministry
is to see people come to a clear faith
in Jesus Christ.
That's the first step.
That's the primary thing.
That's the big thing.
That people would have faith in Jesus Christ.
Faith is primary.
And it is always in Christ.
What Christ has done for us,
never in what we can do for him.
So look at chapter 3, verse 5.
It tells us there,
chapter 3, verse 5,
that he saved us,
not because of righteous things
we have done,
but because of his mercy.
So our faith is never in ourselves
in the things that we can do,
but it's always in God's Son,
Jesus Christ,
and what he has done for us.
And that's the big idea
behind this other little word,
elect,
in chapter 1, verse 1,
for the faith of God's elect.
Now we usually get scared
by words like that, don't we?
Or the bigger word,
it's cousin,
predestination,
run away from it.
Don't understand it,
so we ignore it.
But you know what?
They're good words.
They're there deliberately
because they help us
to understand everything
that God has done for us.
So let me just try and explain.
Keep your finger in Titus
and jump back to that great book
that we've just looked at,
Deuteronomy chapter 7.
It's all over the Bible,
and I just want to pull out
one illustration or example of this.
Deuteronomy chapter 7,
starting at verse 6.
It's talking about election or choosing.
So, Deuteronomy 7, verse 6.
For you are a people
holy to the Lord your God.
The Lord your God has chosen you
out of all the peoples
on the face of the earth
to be his people,
his treasured possession.
Well, why did he choose them?
Were they because they were better
or greater
or more pure than everybody else?
Well, look at verse 7.
The Lord did not set his affection on you
and choose you
because you were more numerous
than other peoples.
In other words,
because you were better
or greater
or more superior
than everybody else.
For you were the fewest of all peoples.
There was nothing
that made you better or greater.
Verse 8.
But it was because
the Lord loved you.
So, back to Titus.
Who chose who?
Well, it's clear that God
chose his people.
The people did not choose God.
And it's exactly the same for us.
That God elects us.
He chooses us
to belong to him.
It's his work
within our lives.
Not because we are better
or greater
or because we look lovely
or because we're somehow
more pure than other people.
No, it's because he loved us.
Because of his grace
and his mercy.
And what is our response
to that loving choice?
Well, as it says
in chapter 1, verse 1,
it is always
faith.
Trusting in all
that God
has done for us
in Christ.
His initiative,
his intervention,
his work
in our lives.
Trusting
that it's all
what Christ
has done
for us.
So a pure church
will never be one
that's acting
out of superiority
and saying,
you know what?
I'm a Christian
because of what
I have done.
Or,
I'm better
than everybody else
because of who I am.
No,
a pure church
are people
who humbly
trust
in Christ.
It's by faith.
So that's
our first step.
Second
is knowledge.
Our growing
in Christ.
Let's read
verse 1 again.
Paul,
a servant of God,
an apostle
of Jesus Christ
for the faith
of God's elect
and
the knowledge
of the truth.
That's why
Paul existed.
That was what
his whole work
was about,
was to bring
people to faith
and to see
them grow
in their knowledge
of the truth.
In other words,
we are to be
people who
grow up
in Christ,
which is
the second step.
We've got to
move on from
the initial step
of faith
to be people
who mature
and develop.
The beginning
is great.
It's wonderful.
It's like that
tiny little seed
that cracks open
and the first
shoot
appears.
But that seed
needs to be
watered
and fertilised.
It needs
attention.
Otherwise,
that seed
will become
stunted
and there
will be
no growth.
Likewise,
as believers,
we need to
grow in our
knowledge of
the truth.
And that
doesn't mean
that we just
have to have
all the answers
intellectually,
that if we
enter a quiz,
we'll get
a hundred out
and know
all the
answers of
the Bible
and know
where this
verse is
and that
verse.
No,
it's a
knowledge of
the truth
that informs
us and
shapes our
lives and
shapes our
hearts.
So,
look at
chapter 1,
verse 13.
We'll pick it up
just in the
middle of
verse 13.
He says,
therefore,
he says to
Titus,
rebuke them
sharply,
so that
they will
be sound
in the
faith and
will pay
no attention
to Jewish
myths,
that's empty
religious
tradition,
or to the
commands of
those who
reject the
truth.
So,
we need to
be people who
are growing
in the truth.
And we need
to be careful
because so
much of what
is presented
at times as
the truth is
not really the
truth at all.
It's a lie.
For example,
there's a common
lie that's being
taught,
that if we are
a Christian,
we are to live
a suffering-free,
comfortable life,
that the
Christian life
has been
designed and
set up to
bring as
much comfort
to you as
possible and
as little
disruption to
you as
possible.
Well,
that is so
opposite to
the truth
of the
gospel.
The truth
says we
are to
live lives
of service
and sacrifice.
It's about
commitment and
cost.
It's about
walking the
way of
the cross.
A life of
submission and
surrender following
the Lord Jesus.
Godliness.
So a
pure church
is always
going to be a
church that
is growing in
their knowledge
of the truth,
not just with
the head,
but that
truth in
forming and
shaping their
lives and
their families
so that we
will begin to
live the kind
of lives he
calls us to.
Godliness.
Well,
third is
godliness
or becoming
like Christ.
Again,
let's read
verse 1.
Paul,
a servant
of God
and an
apostle of
Jesus Christ
for the
faith of
God's
elect,
the
knowledge
of the
truth,
that leads
to
godliness.
You see,
these first
steps of
faith and
the next
step of
learning the
knowledge of
the truth,
all of that
leads to
godliness or
Christ-likeness.
Our faith in
Christ, our
growing in
Christ, means
we are being
transformed to
be like
Christ.
Of course,
because of
our faith,
we are
treated like
Christ, as
he looks
down on
us, we
are treated
like Christ.
Jesus was
treated as
we deserve
to be
treated on
the cross,
so that we
might be
treated as
he deserves
to be
treated.
However,
we all know
that we're
not yet
like Christ.
We're
treated like
him, but
we're not
like him.
We're in
this process
of becoming
like Christ.
So as
we exercise
our faith
in him,
as we
grow in
our knowledge
of the
truth,
so our
lives begin
to change.
Look at
chapter 2,
verse 11.
For the
grace of
God that
brings salvation
has appeared
to all
people.
And what
does this
work do in
our lives?
Well, look
at verse 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.
These are
changes that
should be
evident to
ourselves and
to other
people who
look in on
us.
when we
were younger,
as a family,
we'd often
go to
visit our
grandparents in
England.
And because it
was a distance,
and we usually
went by boat,
and, well, we
wouldn't often see
them for a
couple of years.
And after we'd
arrive, and
them not having
seen us for such
a long time,
for the first
day, all our
grandparents would
say to us as
grandkids was,
my, haven't
you grown?
Look how tall
you are.
Joe, look at
them.
I'd hardly
recognize them.
Well, what else
do you expect
people to do?
We grow up,
don't we?
Well, as we
get older, in
our lives
spiritually, and
as Christians,
as we begin
to mature,
is there
that same
character
change?
As people
look in at us,
is it so obvious
to look at one
another and go,
you have
changed.
You're not
like what you
used to be.
Are people
seeing a
life that is
saying no
to ungodliness
and saying
yes to a
godly life?
A life that
reflects the
beauty and
the purity
of Christ?
You see,
a pure
church
will always
be changing
and transforming
and moving
towards a
Christ-like
character,
bit by bit,
slowly but
surely,
and it will
become evidence
to all
around us.
hope.
Fourth,
hope,
forever
with Christ.
Look at
verse 2.
He's talking
about this
faith,
this
knowledge,
this
godliness.
Verse 2,
a faith and
knowledge
resting
or similarly
leading
to the
hope
of eternal
life.
Life with
Christ forever.
That's the
fourth step.
And we know
from our own
experience that
this earth,
this world that
we live in
involves all
kind of pain
and suffering.
We experience
death,
we experience
disorder,
the world is
breaking,
as we watch
the news,
we see all the
different events
going on,
but for those
who have
the hope
of the
gospel,
there is
eternal life
to come.
The new
heaven,
the new
creation,
the absence
of all
suffering
and evil.
And this
eternal life,
this hope
is guaranteed.
Look at the
rest of
verse 2,
a faith and
knowledge resting
on the hope
of eternal
life which
God,
who does
not lie,
promised before
the beginning
of time.
Now that's
wonderful for
us to know
that that's
what we've
got to look
forward to.
But as
wonderful as
our future
hope is,
let's
remember that
future hope
has to begin
to shape
how we live
today.
So look at
chapter 3,
verse 7.
Chapter 3,
verse 7,
having been
justified
by his
grace,
having been
put right
with God
by his
grace,
we might
become
heirs
having the
hope of
eternal
life,
that same
phrase.
This is
what we're
looking forward
to,
this is
what is
ours.
Now what
difference does
it make that
we have the
hope of
eternal life?
Well look at
verse 8,
this is a
trustworthy
saying and
I want you
to stress
these things
so that
those who
have trusted
in God
and who
have this
hope may
be careful
to devote
themselves to
doing what
is good.
we are
to devote
ourselves
to doing
good today
because
we have
become
heirs
having the
hope of
eternal
life.
We're
looking forward
to the
new creation
and because
we are going
to inherit
all this
that means
we can give
ourselves
over to
serving others
no matter
the cost
or the
sacrifice.
what does
it matter
if we
lose our
life on
this earth?
What does
it matter
if my
schedule
is disrupted?
If we
have heaven
to gain
what does
it matter?
A pure
church
lives with
the reality
of an
eternal
hope to
come
which
changes
our lives
today
to one
of
sacrifice
and
service.
So this
is the
path to
purity.
This was
the ministry
of Paul
as he went
about the
different
churches.
This is
the ministry
he now
passes on
to Titus
and he
says you
are to
teach
these
same
things
to see
people
come to
faith
in
Christ
to see
people
growing
up in
Christ
to see
people
becoming
more like
Christ
and to
see people
change
with the
hope
of being
with
Christ
forever.
This is
the path
this is
the direction
that we
need to
go on.
But how
do we
get this
purity?
How do
we kind
of
internalise
it?
How is
it going
to shape
us?
How is
it going
to change
us?
How is
it going
to permeate
the family
of this
church?
Well he
tells us
how.
it
happens
through
the
teaching
of
God's
word
or as
we've
called
it here
preaching
towards
purity.
Look at
verse 3.
All of
this
happened
at his
appointed
season he
bought
his
word
to
light
through
the
preaching
entrusted
to me
by the
command
of God
our
saviour.
You see
as Paul
began to
preach
as Christ
commanded
him
as he
began to
teach
God's
word
it led
to people
trusting in
Christ.
As he
began to
preach and
teach God's
word it
led to
people
growing in
Christ.
As he
preached it
led people
to becoming
like
Christ.
As he
preached it
led people
being
forever
shaped
by the
hope
of
Christ.
You see
as he
taught
God's
word
sometimes
publicly
sometimes
one to
one
as he
explained
God's
word
so the
Holy
Spirit
took
that
word
and it
began
to
change
and
transform
people
and
began
to
lead
them
towards
purity.
That's
why he
says to
Titus
in
chapter
2
verse
1
you
must
teach
what
is
in
accord
with
sound
doctrine.
Or
chapter
2
verse
15
these
then
are
the
things
that
you
should
teach
because
it's
only
as
God's
word
is
taught
it's
only
as
the
Holy
Spirit
takes
that
word
and
teaches
us
in
our
hearts
that
he
can
take
what
is
impure
and
remove
the
impurities
and
make
it
pure.
And
that's
why
we're
here.
That's
one of
the
primary
reasons
why we
gather
together
on a
Sunday
like
this.
That's
why we're
listening to
God's
word being
taught.
That's
why we've
opened up
the Bible
to
this
little
letter
of
Titus
because
it's
God's
word being
taught
into
our
lives.
Which
brings us
back to
our big
summary.
So let
me remind
us all
about what
we're doing
here.
We've
climbed
into the
washing
machine
and we're
letting
God's
word,
this
short
letter,
wash
us
and
clean
us
to
remove
any
impurities
that
need
to
be
removed
because
our
desire
for
this
church
and
for
one
another
is
that
our
leaders
would
be
pure,
that
I
would
be
pure,
that
Ralph
would
be
pure,
that
any
leaders
to
come
would
be
pure
and
that
we
would
teach
pure
doctrine
truth
about
Jesus
Christ
that
leads
to
pure
relationships
within
the
family
of
the
church
and
all
of
that
being
worked
out
in
pure
living
wherever
we
are
in
the
coming
week
that
people
see
a
Christ
likeness
and
a
pure
service
as
we
sacrificially
give
and
all
of
this
so
that
we
might
reflect
the
purity
and
the
beauty
of
Christ
to
a
world
because
Christ
has
come
look at
chapter
three
the
end
of
verse
five
remember
why
Christ
has
come
to
save
us
through
the
washing
of
rebirth
and
renewal
by the
Holy
Spirit
we
need
to
bring
the
purity
and
the
beauty
of
Christ
to
a
world
who
not
only
washes
and
cleans
us
but
can
wash
and
clean
others
and
one
who
will
not
only
just
renew
us
by
his
Holy
Spirit
but
will
renew
our
community
renew
our
families
and
renew
the
world
let's
pray
and
ask
God
to
do
his
purifying
work
amongst
us
God