In this closing greeting from Paul to Titus, we get a glimpse into the efforts of first-century saints to carry out the gospel mission in their churches and around the globe. Some were traveling to preach the gospel and teach sound doctrine. To support these efforts, the churches generously offered what they had. Paul, his fellow laborers, and the churches were doing all they could to advance the kingdom of God.

United in faith, every member of the church must use every resource God has provided to advance the kingdom of God. Every saint must ask, How can I be a useful servant of God in advancing His kingdom? These closing words teach three ways the church is effective for kingdom advancement.

From the archives. Originally preached in September 2020.

In this passage, James identifies the cause of conflict in the church and the resulting broken relationship with God and gives a clear solution – draw near to God through repentance.

What is required for a church to be healthy?

As the collapse of cultural Christianity has taken its toll on weekly attendance, churches have had to reevaluate what it means to be a healthy church. The blessing of this reevaluation is renewed attention to biblical models and metrics of church health. The disappointment of this reevaluation is an awareness that many have abandoned the biblical fundamentals of what it means to be a church in our zeal for greater numbers.

Titus 3:8-11 gives three instructions that are required for a church to be healthy.

The whole testimony of scripture is how God provided salvation for sinful man. From the first sin and the first pronouncement of the curse of sin in Genesis 3, God has been working to bring salvation for man’s sin (Genesis 3:15). God revealed His holiness and man’s need for the atonement of sin through the shedding of blood through the Law. Speaking through the prophets and writings, God declared the promise of a coming Messiah who would bring salvation. Through the Old Testament histories, God revealed how He was providentially working to prepare the way for the Messiah. Then, with the advent of Jesus, the fullness of God’s redemptive plan was made known.

The testimony of scripture is a testimony to the work of God to bring salvation to man. Titus 3:4-7 teaches three fundamentals of the true and gospel.

The transformation of the gospel transforms more than your relationship with other Christians; it also transforms your relationship with the secular world. The instructions in Titus 3:1-3 focus on the outward signs of a grace-filled life and how God's grace affects your relationship with the world.

In verses 13-18, James contrasts two kinds of wisdom. One is from the Lord and produces the qualities of God’s character. The other is demonic and produces brokenness. It would seem that the choice between the two would be simple and obvious. But James makes this contrast to implore the church to recognize and choose godly wisdom, knowing that worldly wisdom often seems more appealing and is a dangerous temptress.

Your speech is a reflection of and a testimony to the reality of your hearts. If your heart has been transformed, then so will your speech. Conversely, if your speech remains unrestrained by the gospel it indicates that your heart has not been transformed.

The gospel transforms believers into people who live righteously in the present world with anticipatory hope of Christ's return, proclaiming the gospel's good news with authority and boldness until then.

In this passage, Paul connects the instructions for how Christians are to live (2:2-10) with the why and how. The hope of the gospel transforms Christians before God. It also transforms how Christians live in this present age. The hope of the gospel is the fundamental truth that defines what the church is and how the church is to live in this world.

Belief that does not transform behavior is worthless. Theology that does not bear out in your ethics is pointless. Doctrine that does not inform and motivate your duty is meaningless. Sound doctrine is more than academic or theoretical; it is transformational. Every Christian must bear evidence in their behavior and character of believing and becoming sound in truth.

The teaching and preaching of sound doctrine is more than a transfer of information. The teaching and preaching of sound doctrine transforms the Christians who receive it. Sound doctrine transforms your heart, your mind, and your actions. And through this transformation, your life becomes a living testimony to the truth.

The church's weapon against false teaching is the faithful teaching of scripture. When threatened by false teachings, the church must respond by preparing more men who can teach and preach sound doctrine.

When faced with such threats, there is a temptation to feel defeated and powerless. There is tremendous pressure to bend to the secular culture's demand to keep silent and respect everyone's right to go their own way and do their own thing. And for churches that seem irredeemably captured by error and false teaching, it is tempting to write them off as lost and unrecoverable. However, this is not the strategy that the Bible teaches.

How can the church remain faithful in a day when the threats from false teachings are so high? What must the church do to ensure false teaching does not take root? Having instructed Titus to appoint elders in every city (5-9), Paul now gives instructions for the work and mission of the elders.

The church's health and effectiveness depend on its faithfulness to the word. Faithfulness to the word depends on biblical church order and qualified leadership.

The church's health, well-being, and ability to guard the gospel that has been entrusted to it depend on being biblically ordered and led by qualified elders. This is not an issue only for church leaders. Every church member must be invested in and concerned with the proper ordering of the church and choosing biblically qualified elders.

This passage teaches two requirements for a church to guard the truth of the gospel faithfully.

To be a faithful servant of God, you must know who you are, who God is, what he has done, and the people you are called to minister among.

Paul and Titus knew each other well, but though Paul addressed his letter to Titus, he intended his words to be instructive for the churches. Thus, in these opening words of greeting, Paul is doing more than greeting his friend Titus; he also provides introductory words to the Christians of Crete about his authority and ministry.

How would you define the gospel work of the church? How would you define what God has called you to? Paul defines his work by declaring who he is, what God has done, and who he is addressing.

When death is near and your days are coming to an end, trivial concerns will prove to be of no importance. However, for faithful Christians, the gospel hope and the glory of God will be the singular hope and concern. Reflecting on his present trials and the fullness of his ministry, Paul points those who will now carry on the ministry to God's power, provision, and glory. His life has been lived as a drink offering for God's glory. Likewise, all believers must live lives for God's glory.

As Paul concludes his letter, he reflects on his ministry and the cost he has endured. His recounting of these things is not to brag but to pass the baton on to Timothy and those who will continue to preach the word.  

The gospel requires total sacrifice and faithful endurance, knowing that whatever the cost, the hope of heaven is worth it all. Those who have given their lives for Christ desire to see the work continue in succeeding generations.

TPreach the word. Three simple words. One powerful command.

The message of the passage is straightforward. You must faithfully proclaim God's word and sound teaching regardless of the world's acceptance or hostility. So, how can you faithfully obey this command to preach the word?

This passage teaches three things that are required of you to be faithful to preach the word.

To endure the hostilities of this world, you must remain faithful to the word of God, even if it requires you to stand apart from the world and unfaithful Christians.

Paul had known persecution and great suffering for the gospel. He knew that Timothy and the faithful church would likewise experience the world's hostility and the abuse of false teachers. He knew that under these pressures, there would be a great temptation to abandon the foundation of the faith.

Faced with the ever-growing threat of worldly hostility and spiritual imposters, how can you remain faithful to the Lord and mature in the faith? The Bible's answer is plain and simple: Hold firm to your faith and God's word.

This passage contains two commands that, when obeyed, provide for believers to remain faithful in a hostile world.

Salvation comes through faith. That is the most basic and important truth of scripture. But how do you know if you have saving faith?

Faith without works is dead and useless. Faith must produce works, and by those works, your faith is perfected.

Knowledge and understanding give perspective and hope in the midst of difficult times. 2 Timothy chapter 3 begins with the description of difficult days that the church will endure. Paul writes these words to inform Timothy that he might have knowledge and understanding to help him endure. These words are for the church today, so you also will have knowledge and understanding to help you endure.

This passage teaches three things that enable you to endure these difficult days.

To be useful to God, you must be set apart from sin and the world. And if you are to be used by God to rescue those who have swerved from the truth, you must reject the temptation to be quarrelsome and instead teach the truth with the gentleness and patience of Christ.

This passage has two commands required of those who desire to be ready for every good work and a good servant of the Lord.

Competence and skill are not declared but demonstrated. The evidence of a workman’s competence and skill is proved over time when their work proves to be able to endure the test of time.

The primary task of every ministry of the gospel is to rightly and faithfully make God’s word known. There are temptations that work against this, but Paul warns Timothy not to swerve from the truth.

In this passage, the Bible gives two commands to keep you from swerving from the truth so that you might be an approved and unashamed workman. It also gives a test that testifies to the genuineness of your faith and approval before God.