Titus 3:12-15

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,

Titus 3 · chapter mention

and it will appear on the screen as well in a second.

Titus chapter 3, reading from verse 12.

Titus 3 · chapter mention

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.