Study in Titus

1. Study in Titus Presentation 03

2. The Teaching Ministry Chap 2v1-10 Presentation 03

3. Introduction Are you sometimes confused by the variety of claims made by manufacturers for their product? There is a tremendous amount of competition in the market place for our custom; ‘Join our bank it offers the best interest rates and the most efficient service’, ‘shop at our store we have the keenest prices’, ‘buy our car it is more reliable than any other on the market’. Which voice do you listen to how do you decide? Those with something to sell know the importance of customer confidence. Presentation 03

4. Introduction Furthermore, those in the business of communication have, in recent years, been paying more attention to ways in which they might win over their audience. When a decision was made some years ago to televise parliament in the UK a whole new department was created to advise parliamentarians not only on their dress and appearance but also on their method and style of delivery for their every word would now be under the scrutiny of the nation. Paul saw the gospel as much more than a mere product fighting for a larger market share. Clearly he did not think it legitimate to employ deceptive or, underhand methods to win audience allegiance . Presentation 03

5. Introduction However, Paul knew that gospel preachers were in a competitive market-place. Different teaching and ideas bombarded the hearer on every side. False teachers made false claims and issued false promises. Paul recognised the need of a faithful teaching ministry hence v1 which should read, ‘But you must teach…’ -the ‘but’ is there to accentuate a contrast. Over against all of the false claims made by others, Titus was to preach ‘sound doctrine’. The word ‘sound’ means wholesome and health giving. And to show how this was to be accomplished Paul concentrates attention on the manner in which the message is proclaimed and on its personal application in this situation. Presentation 03

6. How The Gospel Is Conveyed Paul indicates three qualities in v7 that should mark gospel proclamation. First, Titus is encouraged to ‘show integrity’. What does integrity mean here? It means a refusal to manipulate the truth to serve ones own purposes or to ingratiate oneself with others. Ministers can be tempted to twist the meaning of a text to make it say something they want to say to their congregation. They can abuse their pulpit to get at people who have hurt or harmed them. They can use preaching as an opportunity to jump onto a particular hobbyhorse of theirs and ride it for all it is worth. Presentation 03

7. How The Gospel Is Conveyed On the other hand they can be tempted to remain silent about certain matters that need to be said which are both biblical requirements and necessary truths, lest they lose the friendship of some, or reduce their popularity within a community. Indeed, they can experience the temptation of Balaam, who for the sake of financial gain attempted to promise certain things which he knew God would not permit, Num.22v21-35. Paul’s instruction to young Titus is quite clear he was to show integrity in his ministry. Presentation 03

8. How The Gospel Is Conveyed Secondly, Titus was to teach with ‘seriousness’. This approach is not a popular in many circles today where there is a passion for the trivial, the light-hearted and exciting. The preacher is expected to be a kind of spiritual entertainer, a joke-a-minute-man with all sorts of surprises up his sleeve. A famous saying reminds us that ‘still waters run deep’. In contrast the gurgling and splashing of the woodland stream often demonstrates how shallow and insubstantial it really is. Presentation 03

9. How The Gospel Is Conveyed Now seriousness must not be equated with sadness. Paul is not saying that the preacher should drone on in some dull, monotonous tone or, that the preacher should cultivate the facial expression of an undertaker! Seriousness does not exclude joy and laughter. Indeed, the truest kind of merriment - in contrast with its hollow counterfeit- is only possible to those who have truly taken life, God, others and themselves seriously. If, a preacher does not take truth seriously then, neither will his hearers? Presentation 03

10. How The Gospel Is Conveyed Are you familiar with the children’s cartoon series on TV called ‘Penelope Pitstop’? After watching one of these cartoons our youngest child came through to my study and complained, ‘Daddy whenever Penelope is in danger one of the men who is supposed to be her friend just laughs and giggles’. It was her way of saying that even in the land of cartoons, when someone is in danger the right response is never one of frivolity but of seriousness. Presentation 03

11. How The Gospel Is Conveyed The preacher should know that as he handles God’s word faithfully it will become a savour of life to some but a savour of death to others. Cf. 2Cor. 2v16. The reception given to his message can shape the eternal destinies of his hearers. Clearly his task is not to make people laugh, or to wallpaper over the dangerous spiritual cracks in their lives but to point out the dangers and to help them grow spiritually. If he can use humour in a way that contributes to than end well and good. But he must never lose sight of his principal objective. The safest way of ensuring that is to treat God’s truth seriously. Presentation 03

12. How The Gospel Is Conveyed Thirdly, Titus is to employ ‘soundness of speech that cannot be condemned’. Two ideas are in view here. First, there should be such a clear presentation of the truth so that the questions and objections of men are answered. Secondly, the truth that the preacher proclaims must first shape his own life. Nothing undermines the truth of God more than the failure of the preacher to practice what he preaches. That awesome fact is one that should constantly search the hearts of ministers of the gospel. Once a preacher loses his credibility and moral authority he will make little impact upon his hearers. Presentation 03

13. A Target Ministry Alexander Whyte was a famous Edinburgh minister in the C19thof the last century. The divinity students from New College flocked to his Sunday services. Again and again there was one phrase in connection with preaching that he stressed upon them; ‘Generalities do not strike deep’. Following Paul, he recognised that God’s word needed to be applied to particular people in particular situations. The best preaching does not to employ a scatter gun but a target pistol. Paul encouraged Titus to engage in target pistol preaching. Presentation 03

14. A Target Ministry The first target group mentioned is that of the older men. In Paul’s day, almost by default, old age was said to guarantee respect. However, Titus is told to encourage the older men to earn respect by the manner of their life. Respect is something that has to be earned within the church and it comes as we exhibit, temperance, self-control, and a healthy and health giving faith, love and endurance. Clearly, respect is something that comes as the fruit of God’s Spirit is seen to be operational in a person’s life and not automatically because they have reached a certain age! Presentation 03

15. A Target Ministry The older women are encouraged to develop a godly demeanour or, reverence. Again this is not something that comes with your pension but something that is built into one’s life over the years. How refreshing in a community given to slander, gossip and inebriation to find a woman whose speech is not used constantly to put others down but to help and to encourage. And so when people ask, ‘Who are these women?’ The reply is given, ‘O they are Christians’. In this way the example set by these women demonstrates that Christianity is clearly God’s counter-culture in a sinful world. Presentation 03

16. A Target Ministry The older women in the church were expected to train their younger counterparts enabling them to love their children and husbands. Love is something we need to work at as we give ourselves to others. Self-denying love is a costly business. At the same time the older women were to develop their ministries guarding against being interfering busybodies or condescending critics. Presentation 03

17. A Target Ministry The counterbalance of this instruction was that younger women were to receive with humility and earnestness this instruction. The modern attitude is of course to be impatient of the advice of older people, not least when the advice that is given is deemed to be ‘old-fashioned’. Why does Paul say that the virtues mentioned should be taken on board by younger women? So that the word of God would not be brought into disrepute or maligned by those outside the church who refuse to submit to its teaching. Presentation 03

18. A Target Ministry The rise of the feminist movement has caused many to question the role of the women in the home that is affirmed here. As a result the woman’s duty to husband and family is being side- lined in favour of self-interest and self- fulfilment. When scriptural principles governing roles and relationships are disregarded we should not be surprised to find a breakdown in marriage, family life and society. The command for the wife to be subject to her husband does not contradict the fact that she is of equal value to God with her husband, nor does it give the husband the right to make unreasonable or demeaning demands of his wife or to treat her as a slave. Neither role is superior! But a rejection of these roles inevitably leads to social disintegration. Presentation 03

19. A Target Ministry Our attention is next drawn to the young men. Augustine recognized the importance of self-control when he said, `Conquer yourself and you have conquered the world'. We all have a tendency to blame others for our lack of restraint. This is perhaps most apparent, in our childhood. `He made me say that, he made me do that' or, sometimes people say, `I could not help myself something made me do it'. Now they are getting nearer the truth for the bias of sin in our human natures drags us into sinful behaviour. Presentation 03

20. A Target Ministry New Christians discover a new freedom. They are no longer the prisoner of their passions. The sinful bias has been dealt with and access to the power of God's Spirit is theirs. With this new liberty comes increased responsibility. The Christian’s choices are no longer constantly weighted in one direction. They have greater freedom to choose right or wrong. This is where self control takes on a new importance. Self-control is something that can be forcefully communicated through example. And so Titus is told to provide young men with a role model. ‘Show them what it means, Titus, to say ‘No’ to the pressures of the world and say `No' to all that is wrong!’ Presentation 03

21. A Target Ministry Young people’s lives are like pieces of wax waiting to receive impressions. They need other people that they can look up to as role models and say, `I want to be just like you'. If the church fails to provide winsome role models for its young people then we should not be surprised if they turn to the world of pop music or sport to find them. Now this is extremely challenging. Are we living such wholesome, attractive lives that our young people say, `I want to be just like you' or do they ask, `who would want to be like him, or like her'? Presentation 03

22. A Target Ministry Finally, Titus is told in v9 to address the slaves in the church. Paul is not concerned here with social distinctions but with something much more fundamental; a consistent Christian testimony no matter what our circumstances or environment might be. To persuade ourselves that we can only truly begin to live for God when our circumstances alter is a piece of specious escapism in which many Christians indulge. God is not unaware of or indifferent to our circumstances. He has called us to be faithful in the real world and not in a dream world created by our imagination, which may never materialise. Presentation 03

23. A Target Ministry The nearest relationship to that of slave and master in our own society is probably that of employer and employee. The principles laid down here can be applied to that relationship. There has to be a genuine attempt to give satisfaction to our employer, who is worthy of our respect and not our cheek. We are to be honest in our dealings with him. The reference to stealing, covers not only the employer's goods, but also the time we have contracted to work - we can steal time! And finally, there is to be a visible commitment to trustworthiness of conduct. Does your employer trust you or does he have to look over his shoulder? Presentation 03

24. Conclusion A positive response to this teaching, whatever category we belong to, will ‘make the teaching about God our saviour attractive’ v10. In today’s market place a great deal of thought is given to making a product attractive; stylish design, elegant packaging, glitzy advertising, but what makes a product truly attractive to the consumer? Whether or not it works, does it do the job it was designed and claims to do? Paul says to Titus, ‘you must impress upon your hearers that the single thing that will make the gospel attractive to an unbelieving world is that it is seen at work in your lives. You are walking advertisements, for the gospel’. What kind of advertisement are you and I? Presentation 03