Pure Church

Page 1198.

1198, Titus chapter 1, starting at verse 1.

Titus 1 · chapter mention

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.

Deuteronomy 7 · chapter mention

Deuteronomy chapter 7.

Deuteronomy 7 · chapter mention

It's all over the Bible,

and I just want to pull out

one illustration or example of this.

Deuteronomy chapter 7,

Deuteronomy 7 · chapter mention

starting at verse 6.

It's talking about election or choosing.

So, Deuteronomy 7, verse 6.

Deuteronomy 7:6

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