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Good morning “Walking with Jesus” friends, the weekend has arrived! Do you love weekends?
May I ask a question as we walk today together?
“How do you and I make Jesus attractive to our world”?
We’re continuing our journey through Paul’s letter to Titus written about 64ad.
Servanthood was commonplace all across the Roman empire as were a wide range of differing styles of employment relationships. Crete evidently had a particularly bad reputation, as we saw earlier when Paul quoted a Cretan prophet who had said “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” (1:12) So as Christianity came to the island of Crete, people of course wondered how things would change. How has Christianity affected the culture where you live my friends?
Let’s look today at verse 9-15 and put it up as mirror to the society where you live today. “Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.” What would be different in your city if all Christian employees and employers changed their attitudes and behavior to honor God in their work ethics, their work-place relationships, and their honesty in all business dealings? What if every Christian, in every business transaction, did everything to honor God? Would that make the teaching about Jesus attractive? Would there be a clear distinction in your town between Christian businesses and all others?
Do you see Paul says in vs 11 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” That living grace of God is Jesus! John wrote about it in John 1. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” Jesus came and lived here, growing up in Nazareth. In fact Mark 6 says that one of the first times Jesus was teaching in the Synagogue in Nazareth, the people said “Where did this man get these things? What’s this wisdom that has been given Him, that He even does miracles? Isn’t this the carpenter?” (Mark 6:2,3)
The people of Nazareth evidently knew Jesus as a normal young man who had evidently grown up learning the carpentry trade from Joseph and others. Tables and chairs all around town had Jesus’ marks on them, and evidently Jesus had a good enough business reputation, so that they were willing to give him a hearing in the Synagogue. Now ponder that a moment. Who do you know in the marketplace that does such an honorable job in their work, that you’re willing to listen to them speak about Spiritual truth, the things of God? Would you consider my friends, how does a God honoring reputation in the marketplace earn respect and a listening ear when the conversation turns to matters of life and death, spiritual truth?
What does this look like, you ask? Well look at verses 12 & 13 “It teaches us to say “NO” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…” So when I ‘walk with Jesus’ in every aspect of my daily life, and the Holy Spirit in me gives me the strength to say ‘NO’ to those things that would defile my reputation as a Christ follower… I will be seen as living a self-controlled, upright and God honoring life! YES!!
And because all of us tend to be always looking ahead to whatever is next on our calendar or our hopes and dreams for the future, Paul suggests to Titus that those who live life anticipating the promised return of Jesus will live distinctively different from those who live focused on their own personal advancement or pleasure! Do you see that in verse 13? “…while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people who are His very own, eager to do what is good.”
Do you see three really significant things in this statement?
First, Jesus Christ is coming back to earth again! He promised it! John 14:1-3 is one time Jesus spoke of it when He said “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you… and I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be were I am.”
And Paul wrote about it in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever…”
Here as he is writing to Titus, Paul refers to this event as our “…blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…”. May I ask you friends, how often do you think about this remarkable event, the return of Jesus Christ to gather up all His people? Are we living as though it might happen in 2020, or even this month, or possibly TODAY? What would change if you knew for certain Jesus was coming back this weekend?
The second great truth Paul reminds Titus of is the power of Jesus in breaking the hold of sin in our lives. Do you see that in verse 14? “…who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness...” Only a few words, but oh my such a powerful, life changing truth. Jesus’ sinless life, His sacrificial death on the cross and His glorious resurrection, when applied to my life and yours, breaks the hold of Satan, sin, evil and wickedness, and sets us free to live life as God originally designed it! Are you living free today my friends? If there is anything of the darkness that still has a hold on you, Jesus’ power can break it and set you fully free! Invite Him to do so, and yield to Him whatever it is. Then turn from it in His power and don’t let yourself be shackled when you can life free in Jesus! Consider how these two verses state this miracle: Hebrews 12:1,2 & Romans 12:1,2.
And the final powerful thing in that verse… “…to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.” That’s you and me, my friends, and every person in the world set free from sin by Jesus! Remember Peter said it like this “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God so that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9) Are you awed as you look around and see these people in your town? God’s people who are ‘eager to do good’ and are confident they are a ‘pure people who are His very own.”
Paul then closes this 2nd chapter to Titus with these words “These then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.” That last line might better be understood, “Do not let anyone intimidate you.”
Titus had a clear commission from Paul. Bring clarity of truth to the Christians on the island of Crete. Help them understand that if they are truly followers of Jesus Christ it will be undeniably evident in their work lives, their families, their personal behavior at all times. They will live lives free from the shackles of sin, and live in the certain, blessed hope of Jesus’ soon return and eternity with HIM. Living like that would change the island of Crete and its reputation.
Now. . .what about us? Isn’t the same true for you and me and our families, our workplaces, our neighborhoods? So this weekend… let’s make this our reality! Does anything need to change in our lives, our attitudes, our outlook on life?
Oh Lord Jesus, I lift up to you every one of these my “Walking with Jesus” friends. Help us to integrate Titus 2:9-15 deeply into our lives…
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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