What role do you play in your church? Are you a leader, a worker, a servant? Do you merely attend or are you part of the forward progress of the church? Are you a uniter or a factictious man in your church? The church needs Titans-strong and positive servant leaders. Let’s talk about it this week at FORGE!
TITANS FOR TODAY
Series in Titus
Talk 4
TITANS IN THE CHURCH
Titus 3:8-15
INTRODUCTION:
Hey guys welcome to FORGE! I’m so glad you’re here today!
Well today we conclude our series in the NT letter of Paul to TITUS…Titus was one of Paul’s earliest Lieutenants. I mean this was one of his reliable men. Paul would go and start churches and then leave and Titus was one of those guys who Paul could trust to build a strong foundation for a new church.
Titus was crucial to Paul!
Men are crucial to the church!
Men are crucial because one of our core roles is leadership and that leadership is necessary not only in our families but in our church as well! The essence of leadership is INFLUENCE! Men influence the church big time! We need Titans in the Church…more who stand tall and stand to make a difference.
ILL Men and Women in the Church– Brett Clemmer
ILL Sun PM- Tom Philipp’s Ordination into the Episcopal Church…great time.
Tom-Leader of Emmaus…Grad of Asbury Sem. Now since he’s ordained, God will listen to His prayers more.
No!
But his congregation is pumped that they have him! He’s going to build Incarnation Episcopal Church!
Why is his new congregation so pumped? B/C Men are influential and important in the life of a church! People want to be led by called and godly men. And it’s not just pastors they need. They need us!
But becoming TITANS…takes growth in godliness:
ILL Someone:
3 Hardest words: “I was wrong.”
4 Hardest words: “I was wrong Dear.”
ILL And we live in a strange world…we really do: What do you say about a country where people say God is dead and Elvis is alive?
We need men who want to keep growing!
Today we’re going to talk about the cruciality of a man’s leadership in the local church!
- Church Universal
- Church Triumphant
- Church Militant
- Church National
- Church Regional
- Church Local
Our text is…
TITUS 3:8-15
And I’m going to put my point and the scripture that proves the point up at the same time:
First of all, for us to be Titans in our Church, we need to make sure our churches:
- CONNECT GOD’S GRACE TO GOOD DEEDS-Titus 3:9
This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.
- Pertains to what goes before…but a major theme all through Titus.
- Grace energizes behavioral change…it pushes us and instructs us toward Godliness & good deeds.
ü Titus 2:11-12
11 For the grace of God has appeared, [a]bringing salvation to all men,12 [b]instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age….
- Don’t let your church teach legalism…works righteousness for acceptability. Don’t let guilt be the main thing. It will energize you for the short term, but demotivate you for the long term.
ILL “Lady wrote a letter to her church: I’m out, I can’t do it anymore. I can’t be good enough long enough. I’m out.”
So if you teach in your church…teach God’s incredible grace in Christ! But always connect grace to practical out flows of Christ like growth and service, or you’ll become empty and dull.
What are you learning today spiritually? What character trait is the Lord teaching you today? Grace is such a dynamic power I’ll be learning every day!
And I want to be growing! “If you’re bored you’re boring.”
- Now, an important point is: WHAT IS A GOOD DEED?
A good deed is at some level that which is good as God defines it as good in His word.
Good deeds flow from the merit we have in Christ, they are not done in order to gain merit for acceptance in Christ.
ILL Bringing canned goods to your school to give to kids who need food for the weekend?
Yes. The idea is completely Biblical.
ILL Preach the Gospel always-use words when necessary…
As much as you can…use words with your deeds or the deeds might well be misinterpreted.
- SHUN FOOLISH CONTROVERSIES: Titus 3:9
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.
- What is a foolish controversy and what isn’t?
- That’s a tough question…but one we should try to answer.
- Attitude and Gracious approach is important!
- There are historic doctrinal debates the church has been having for centuries and we need to grasp that good men with good consciences will differ! We have one Bible and not all passages and topics are equally PERSEPICACIOUS…or CLEAR! So we should just say that we are in a topic that the church has wrestled with for ages, and we can learn from each other and we should pursue conclusions. But how we discuss is as crucial as the conclusions we come to. And remember last week: Malign no one!
- If you’re talking in a group and you sense that it has moved to an unprofitable and worthless state…abandon it!
- REJECT FACTICTIOUS PEOPLE: Titus 3:10-11
10 Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, 11 knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.
- This doesn’t seem loving…but in fact is imperative, and something that we must do to preserve the peace and purity of the church.
Matthew 18:15-20
15 “If your brother sins[a], go and [b]show him his fault [c]in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every [d]fact may be confirmed. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as [e]a Gentile and [f]a tax collector. 18 Truly I say to you, whatever you [g]bind on earth [h]shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you [i]loose on earth [j]shall have been loosed in heaven.
19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them [k]by My Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”
- SUPPORT MISSION EXPANSION: Titus 3:12-13
12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.13 Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them.
- These are some of our forefathers in the faith who moved the Kingdom of Jesus forward in the earliest of days…We’re going to get to hang out with them one day when we get HOME.
- Nicopolis=200 miles north of Athens.
- God could have separated money and ministry but He did not. We couldn’t stay in the game at FORGE without you as partners. At the Ordination service they took an offering: For Tom to give $ away to those in need. Cool! I ponyed up! I want to see this church built!
- Any lawyer who is working for Jesus I want to support too!
- After a certain level…how much do I need.
- In the future: talk about giving and tithing…I’ve been asked to do that.
- CONNECT GOD’S GRACE TO GOOD DEEDS: Titus 3:14
14 Our people must also learn to engage in good [a]deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.
- Paul repeats himself—for the sake of the Createns and for us all…
- Repitition is the mother of all learning…repetition is the mother of all learning.
- Jesus: You did not choose me but I chose you to go and bear fruit…fruit that would remain…after us! That’s legacy stuff!
- This Sunday is Easter!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the beginning…this is why Christianity exists and why we do what we do…it’s all true!
- RELATIONALLY CONNECT: Titus 3:15
15 All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.
Grace be with you all.
- When a man talks to people on Sunday and in groups, it does make a difference!
- Challenge: Talk to one person you don’t know each week…be known as friendly!
WRAP UP
ESSENTIALS OF FORGE
We live in crazy times…where we need real men as God defines great and real men.
There are a lot of tough issues out there:
- When companies ship Styrofoam, what do they pack it in?
- If you’re cross-=eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?
- Why isn’t phonetic spelled the way it sounds?
- Why are their interstates in Hawaii?
- Why are their flotation devices under airplane seats instead of parachutes?
- Why are cigarettes sold at gas stations where smoking is prohibited?
- If you shoot a mime, do you need a silencer?
- Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?
- How does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work?
- If con is the opposite of pro is Congress the opposite of Progress?
Well…
People are dealing with trivialities:
But as Christian men…we don’t. We advance Christ’s Kingdom. That’s what Real men do.
Read ECCLESIASTES CHAPTER ONE FOR NEXT WEEK!
YOU TAKE IT TO HEART…AMEN!
Below you’ll find options for downloads including a handout for the lesson (.pdf), an audio-only version of the lesson (.mp3) To save them, right-click and select “Save link as…”
