Day 29: 40 Days Through The New Testament

Ishmael LaBiosa: Welcome to 40 Days Through the New Testament. This podcast is led by Pastor Rusty Small at Liberty Baptist Church in Appomattox, Virginia. Listen as he guides you through all 27 books of the New Testament in preparation for Easter. Get your Bible ready, here's today's message. The Letter to Titus is a brief three-chapter book. This is one of those very short readings for today. Tomorrow's reading will be even briefer. and I know some of you are looking for a little relief in the reading schedule, so today's a brief letter, but we ought to note what is being said. Remember, 1st, 2nd Timothy and Titus are put together as a collection, typically called the Pastoral Epistles, and Titus is a new recipient of Paul's work. Titus is sent to Crete. It says in verse 5 of chapter 1, for this reason, I left you in Crete. The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone as I directed you. And then we ought to note that here is our second list of qualifications for elders. It says you must appoint elders in every town. An elder must be blameless husband of one wife with faithful children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion. For an overseer of God's household must be blameless and so continues. Now notice, we do get qualifications here for elders or pastors or overseers. These words are used interchangeably. Notice in 1 Timothy 3, it was called an overseer. And then it is also called an overseer here in verse seven, but also called an elder. Nevertheless, what we note is that their qualifications in Titus for elders or overseers or pastors, but no qualifications in Titus for deacons. So that only time that we have deacon qualifications happens to be in 1 Timothy chapter three. And once again, I think it's worthy to note that if you compare the list of 1 Timothy three and Titus one, there are some similarities of the list, but there's also some differences. So I don't actually think that Paul is creating a checklist per se, I like to think Paul is creating a profile. Like this is the type of man you want as a pastor. And just kind of look at these characteristic, is that the type of person that he is? We also ought to note that Crete was evidently a wild place because it says there needs to be strong elders, good elders in the church because He says, for there are many rebellious people full of empty talk and deception, especially those from the circumcision party. It is necessary to silence them. They are ruining entire households by teaching what they shouldn't in order to get money dishonestly. So boy, we have teachers who are out there for money and then listen to the commentary of Crete. It says for one of their very own prophets says, Cretians are always liars, evil beast. lazy gluttons. How would you like to be the, say, ⁓ great, I wanna be a pastor. You say, well, what's going on at the church? And they say, well, there's some false teachers there right now. Boy, they are swindling the congregation out of money. And the folks are pretty raucous. Even their own says they're kinda lazy, kinda evil. So you probably oughta get some good pastors to see if you can't. guide that flock. And well, that's what Titus, he gets that assignment. Sometimes I thank the Lord for my assignment. Titus had a tough one. Actually, I traveled to Crete years ago and I jumped in a cab, my wife and I, and I said, Titus. And the guy goes, ⁓ yeah. And he took me to a church in honor of Titus. So the Cretians still know about Titus because, well, Titus was sent to Crete. Chapter two, we ought to notice what doesn't go together because when I read Titus 2, it says, you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching. And when you think, okay, well, what is consistent with sound teaching? So I'm expecting in Titus 2, this like diatribe of theology consistent with sound teaching. And no, that's not what you get. You don't get some diatribe of theology. Actually, what Titus says is, hey, older men, Here's how you guys are supposed to be acting in the church. And then he says, ⁓ yeah, by the same token, hey, older women, here's how you should be acting in the church. ⁓ and older women, you should be teaching younger women. And ⁓ yes, younger women, this is how you ladies should be acting in the church. And ⁓ yeah, by the way, younger men, this is how you should be acting in the church. The New Testament, when we watch the missionary journeys of Paul, Paul plants churches. And we live in such an age of individualized spirituality. It's my relationship with God, it's what I want to do, it's what God has told me. And as far as it goes, I didn't have a problem with that. But when I read the New Testament, the church, the body of Christ, the gathered organized, serving, worshiping, spirit-filled community, listen carefully, is at the heart, is at the heart of the place from which we live out our faith. And so anybody tells you the church is not important, Paul is painstakingly saying, if you want to show how spiritual you are, show, Paul said, show that you are able to live and do your role in the context of the church community. What I've come to find as a pastor is a lot of people's, well, let be honest here, lack of spirituality shows up in their profound inability to get along with people. The whole idea that sometimes they need to, well, follow a leader. Sometimes they need to serve someone. And actually your... Spiritual maturity shows, says, the New Testament says, are you able to live well, serve well, worship well, in the context of a well, spirit-filled, organized church? Paul gives all this instruction here to Titus and says, look, these are the type of things that in each season, in each place, I think we have different. problems like younger men have certain issues and older men have certain issues, middle-aged men have certain issues, and we need to fight against the worst parts of that to serve well in the church. And Paul says to this, the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all people. I'd say all kinds of people instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age while we wait. for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Then Paul says, look, not only is the Christian life known about how well we live in the church, but the Christian life is also known about how well we live among outsiders and how we submit to rulers and to be ready to every good work in society. And... It says right here, remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to avoid fighting, to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and detesting one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us. not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of the regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit, He poured out His Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life." Let me just make this pretty straightforward. Paul is going to say in Titus, the letter to Titus, if you want your spirituality to show, Are you able to note what a good pastor looks like? Does he fit the profile of Titus 1? Are you playing your role in the context of the local church? And are you living well in the presence of outsiders? If you say, yes, I am under good pastoral counsel. Yes, I am playing my role in the context of a church. And yes, I'm living well. Among outsiders, Paul says, that's biblical wisdom. Thank you for listening to this podcast, A Ministry of Liberty Baptist Church. We pray that this is an encouragement to study God's Word and that you will join us for the next episode.