Amen. Well, good morning. I want to invite you to turn in your Bibles to Titus chapter 3. Titus chapter 3 is where we will be this morning. And this morning I'm wearing a bolo tie, a silver dollar bolo tie that I got from my grandfather. I inherited it when he passed away a few years ago. Makes me think of him. And it also makes me think of Proverbs chapter 1 where it says that if you listen to your father and mother, fathers in the faith and mothers in the faith, their instruction, their wisdom, their advice is like something you wear around your neck. And I just want to say thank you because so much of the way I live my life in any of its good respects is things I've picked up from men in this church over my 40 years of life. I was privileged to grow up here as a kid in the church. And so much of the way I think about marriage and parenting and Jesus and walking with the Lord, I've picked up and I'm wearing now from the brothers and fathers in this church. So I just wanna say thank you and encourage you toward the work that Robert was talking about. That you may, like Robert shared, invest in a young man for a season, but by God's grace, invest something in him that he will wear around his neck and have with him for the rest of his life. So please continue that good work, brothers. So Titus chapter 3 is where we are, and very similarly, Paul is writing as a father in the faith to Titus, someone he calls his true child in the faith, and these are his parting words now to Titus as he gives him the the final assignment of his instruction, which serves to give us our marching orders as well.
So Titus 3:8, this is God's Word. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and dissensions and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful, he is self-condemned. When I send Artemis or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they lack nothing. And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful. All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. This is God's word.
And Lord, we pray for your blessing over the preaching and the hearing of it in your house today. Amen.
Well, recently I was talking to a brother in the church, uh, who's just undergoing a major life transition. He was closing kind of one chapter of his life and moving to another chapter. And I could tell that it had him— I don't want to say worried, but concerned. And so I was asking, OK, what is it about this transition that's concerning to you? And what he described was nothing of what I thought would normally concern somebody moving from one life stage to another. It wasn't a worry about his job or his career. It wasn't a worry about a relationship. It wasn't worry that he wasn't going to be able to achieve this hobby achievement or take this trip. It wasn't any of the normal stuff. Instead, he articulated something much deeper and something that stayed with me since that conversation. And he said simply, "I just don't want to waste my life." Now, first, when he said that, I thought, "Oh, man, most people don't worry about that. Most people are worried about their next job, their next vacation, their next thing, their next weekend." But actually, the more I thought about it, it stayed with me. The more I thought about it, the more I think— I think actually that worry is in the heart of every person. It's just a little deeper down the stuff on the surface, right? What's on the surface is stuff like achievements and experiences and possessions, meaning we wonder, man, am I going to achieve this thing? Am I going to get that degree or that job or that title? Or maybe they're worried about possessions. Am I going to finally own that car? Right. As we've walked in through these, you know, these beautiful automobiles in the front, maybe it has reawakened something in you thinking, man, I remember wanting that car when I was, you know, in my 20s. And you're thinking maybe it's that. Maybe it's that house that you've been saving up for. Maybe it's that possession, that television, whatever it is, that possession. Or maybe it's an experience. Maybe it's, man, I just want to take that kind of trip, that vacation. Or I want to be in that kind of a fiery romantic relationship. Or I want to have that meal that I've been watching, that one episode over and over on the Food Network of just imagining what it would taste like. Now, those are what's on the surface, but underneath, I think we wonder, but am I going to waste my life in the end? Like, I may achieve that, I may possess that, I may experience that, but in the end, will I have wasted it? And so the big question I want to ask today is, how do I keep from wasting my life? How do you keep from wasting your life? That's what Paul is concerned about as he closes this letter to Titus.
And the first section we're going to talk about today is a warning. A warning that you might well waste your life. We— it's a warning that we might drift from the mission of Christ, and that drift is all around us. Look again at verse 9, if you would. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. Now, there are two major dangers that Paul is warning about in Titus, and the first one was in Chapter 1. It's the more obvious danger, I think. Paul refers to a bunch of false teachers that have infiltrated the church, and he refers to them as the Circumcision Party. So likely they were teaching that you— hey, hey, hey, Christians, It's great that you've come to Christ, but also you now need to get circumcised. You now need to do these Jewish law things, and you better do that, otherwise I'm not sure you're going to heaven. And Paul says, no, it's grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone that saves you. It's not any of this other external ritual. And that's a gospel issue. And so Paul says that's a danger. And Titus, I want you to rebuke them sharply so they be sound in the faith. All right, so Paul sees that as a danger, and we need to be attuned to that. The denial of our faith is a danger, but there is a more subtle and more deadly danger present here in chapter 3. He refers to the danger not of denying the faith, but to distraction from it.
For example, these are arguments about genealogies related to, "Okay, well, what about this person? Who are they related to?" And they were trying to find, were they related to this Old Testament person, or, or, Was this Bible hero related to this other one? They're trying to determine their heritage endlessly, or they begin to quibble about Old Testament laws. And should we still be doing this or should we be doing that? These, these unprofitable and worthless arguments that Paul is saying, meaning that they don't profit anyone. They're not worth anything. They're just arguments.
6 · The pastor makes the theological assertion that for most Christians, the greatest danger is not outright denial of the faith but slow, steady distraction from its essentials
And here's why I think this matters. I think for most Christians, for most Christians, the danger The greatest in your life is not your denial of the faith, but your distraction from it. Meaning that I don't think you're going to wake up one day and be like, you know what, I actually don't think Jesus is the Son of God. I mean, maybe you would have been, we will have a conversation about that. But for most people, they're not waking up and suddenly going, you know what, I actually love Buddha more than Jesus. Like, that's not the predominant danger for most Christians. Instead, It's a slow week over week, year over year distraction from the essentials of the Christian faith that will get you in the end. Right? That is what Paul is worried about. Now, it's helpful to remember the words of John Calvin who defended the faith very powerfully in his age and forcefully he defended the faith, but he also said this, "Such is the cunning of Satan," that by the impudent talkativeness of heretics, he entangles— he entangles good and faithful pastors, and we might insert Christians, so as to draw them away from diligence in teaching. We must beware, therefore, lest we become engaged in quarrelsome disputes. So Calvin is saying, listen, there are times, man, you got to go to war. You got to defend the faith. But there are times where these people— what does he call them? Impudent talkativeness of heretics, right? These people that just want to keep talking endlessly about these small things. Calvin says they will— I love this word— entangle you. You'll find yourself wandering from the main Christian path, getting tangled up in the brambles or the— or the cacti off the trail, right?
7 · The pastor provides a detailed series of diagnostic questions to help listeners discern when to engage in theological dispute (Titus 1) versus when to avoid distraction (Titus 3)
So how do we know? How do we know if we should Titus 1, argue for the faith, or Titus 3, avoid distraction? Well, I want to walk through a series of questions. Now, you don't have to write these down. We'll put them up online. But I want to say these are the kinds of questions you should ask before you jump into a dispute. Number 1, is this a gospel issue? Is this an essential issue? Is this the Trinity? Is this the divinity of Christ? Is this justification by faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone? If it's one of those, then you may, you may need to get ready to dispute. Or second, is this an issue with major implications for the Christian faith? Meaning, for example, the doctrine of Scripture would be one of these. What is the Scripture? Is it God's inspired word? Is it a mixture of error? You might say, well, that's not the gospel. No, but everything rests on it. So you gotta be careful there. Third, is this an issue with major practical implications for our daily lives? So let me give you two examples here. Number one, the flood of Genesis, right? The Noahic flood. Now listen, the flood is an important topic. I have a lot of thoughts on the flood. You can catch me after the service. I'd love to talk to you about the flood. However, most dinner table disputes about how to live life don't relate back to the flood, right? Meaning it doesn't have a huge implication on your life, right? You don't find yourself passionately going, "But son, the flood!" You know, it's just like, okay, it's probably not the main thing. And if actually, if you are having a lot of conflict in your family about the flood, I would love to talk to you, find out what's going on. But think of another topic, LGBT issues, right? Same-sex relationships. What does the Bible teach about those things? Now that has a major practical implication for daily life. That may be, well, something you need to discuss more frequently than you want to at your dinner table and think about carefully. So is it an issue with practical applications for daily life? Fourth, are you the right person to address this issue? Meaning there might be somebody, you know, in your home group and you're like, I just, I have a suspicion about their eschatology and what they think about the end times. You're like, okay, that's fine, but you probably don't need to be the person to corner them at home group and be like, now let's get to the bottom of this. Okay, let the home group leader— like, if they keep throwing that in, let the home group leader kind of work with them. Are you the right person to address it? Do you have a role in their life? Second— I mean, it's not second— next, is this the right place and the right person to engage in this issue. For example, it may be that, that you are the right person and they're close to you in life and you want to address it. But it may also be that they are a random stranger on Facebook or someone you haven't seen since high school that you feel very deeply that you need to get in and correct their view of the end times. And let me tell you about Facebook, guys. Facebook and social media are essentially people shouting at each other from their front porches. Okay? And social media therefore is great for saying things like, "I like your dog!" Or like, "You had a great vacation!" Or, "Happy birthday!" Right? Great place to do that. Not the best place to go to, "I have some strong thoughts about Noah's flood that I need you to listen to because I think you're a heretic." And everyone, all your neighbors are going, "What is going on at the Clark's house?" Or whoever, you know. "What's happening over there?" Meaning you want to go, "Am I the right person? Is this the right place? And is this the right person to address?" Look, guys, here is the reality. There may be times where you go, "I'm just not the right person. This isn't the right place." And you move on. That's what the Lord may call you to do. Next, do you actually have time and attention to give to this? This is important. Maybe you're like, hey, well, our guys are— they're really talking about this part of the faith or eschatology or whatever, and I really want to get in there. I want to read books, and I want to get in there. I'm gonna get on this message board on Reddit and really just go to war for the kingdom, baby. And look, here is the reality. There are far too many people who are lions on the message boards out on the internet and cowards in their homes. Where their family is floundering and the best of their time and attention is going somewhere else to these strangers online. Friends, let it not be true of us. Do you have time and attention to give? And then last, here's the last final check. Do people I trust agree with my assessment here? Right? Maybe you are called to— like maybe there's a person in your home group that's really struggling with this issue. Theologically and you want to read some books with them, you want to help them, but you should still go, "Honey, are you okay if I do this?" Or brothers, do you think I've got the role in their life that I could get in and start talking to them about this, right? Ask others and make sure your assessment— because too often I think, you know what, I think I am called to defend the faith with everybody everywhere on the internet at all times. The Lord's put me for such a time as this. The Reddit message boards. The Lord knew I would be the lion of the faith. No, listen, guys. Do you see that? You see this? You may ask other questions. There's others that should be asked. But to know whether you're in a Titus 1 situation where you need to defend the faith or Titus 3 where you need to avoid distraction takes discernment.
8 · The pastor issues a pastoral warning grounded in verse 10: there is a kind of person who loves stirring up division and becomes warped and self-condemned
And here is the challenge. The danger is this. In verse 10, there is a kind of person that loves to stir stir up division and who ends up being warped and sinful and self-condemned. Brothers, let me just issue you a warning. I have never in my 15 years of pastoral ministry seen it end well when someone neglects their family and engages in constant theological disputes in person and online. I've ne— it has always ended poorly. Be warned and don't associate with those people. That's what the danger is. Meaning there are people that are more than happy. I have a guy, I don't know. I don't know how this happened. I've got a guy that every few months, actually I have two guys, every few months that just message me a bunch of disagreements with stuff I've posted on Facebook or Instagram. Just like, it's like clockwork. Every few months it's like, boom, here's everything I disagree with what you've done. And I'm like, man. And everything in me is like, oh, Oh boy, here we go. And I'm realizing, no, that's just a distraction. I'm just going to keep going. Right. We need to not be pulled into those things.
9 · The pastor identifies Paul's test for avoiding distraction: is it profitable and worthwhile? The exhortation is to refuse to give your best energy to what is profitless and worthless
And do you know what keeps us from being pulled? Paul uses this test. Is it profitable and is it worthwhile? Don't give yourself and your best energy to what is profitless and worthless.
10 · The pastor tells a story of a conversation with Chuck Mosley, one of the church's earliest pastors, about how the early leaders avoided theological distraction
And I think if you do that, you'll stay on the safe path. Now, recently, I was talking to Chuck Mosley, who's one of our very earliest pastors here at the church. And I was encouraging Chuck and saying, Chuck, as I'm studying this passage, I'm just realizing, man, you guys did an amazing job as early pastors of the church, not letting us get sidetracked with other disputable matters. Because he was talking about how in the early Jesus movement, a lot of people were really excited about Jesus and they started well, but then they got derailed into all these small disputes about all these small things. And churches split and people got mad at each other and they wandered off. And I was like, Chuck, thank you for keeping us focused and not choosing to engage in all that sort of stuff that would have distracted us. And he thought about it for a minute and he goes, I don't think we tried to do that. And I was like, well, but you didn't. I mean, you didn't lead us to wander off. And he thought about it for another minute and he goes, you know, Yeah, I don't think we ever had a meeting where we were like, well, we really got to focus on— we need to not engage in that. And I was like, well, then what kept you lined up? What kept you walking down the path of the Christian faith so well? And he says, you know what it was? It was just that we had our hands full, man. We had our hands full because God was saving people. We believe that God gave us a vision for restoring to to seeing the church restored to God's design in the book of Acts. We were excited about what the Spirit and Christ were doing. We believed we were there for a purpose. We believed time was short. And so we just didn't have a whole lot of time for anything else. And I thought, there is wisdom in that. There is wisdom in being so consumed with the right things that the other stuff just goes, we don't have time for that, man.
11 · The pastor transitions from the first major section (the warning about distraction) to the second major section (the pattern of living sent and sending others for Christ)
So number 1, the warning. Second, a pattern. A pattern. How do you keep from wasting your life? You avoid distractions, but second, you follow this pattern of living sent and sending for Christ.
12 · The pastor exposits verses 12-13, highlighting the dynamic movement of people in the early church: Artemis and Tychicus being sent to Crete, Titus being summoned to Paul, Zenas and Apollos passing through
Look at verse 12. When I send Artemis or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. And do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way. See that they lack nothing. Nothing. Now, here's what I love. You get this brief window into the pattern of life in the early church, and it's not a stagnant pattern. It is an active pattern. You have people coming and going. You have two people coming over here to Crete, and then Titus is supposed to go to Paul, and then Zenos is coming through, and Apollos is coming through. People are being sent back and forth, and these are Christians who are being sent and sending others for the the cause of Christ.
13 · The pastor makes a theological and cultural diagnosis: American Christians face a particular temptation to value comfort over Christ and his kingdom
Now, here is why I think this is so important. Because I believe that one of the greatest dangers we face as American Christians in particular is that we are tempted to value comfort over Christ and his kingdom. And sending and being sent only happens when we value Christ and his kingdom over our own comfort.
14 · The pastor vividly illustrates the discomfort of every person mentioned in Titus 3:12-13: Artemis and Tychicus sent to 'Pirate Island' Crete rather than a desirable location, Titus told to leave his settled life and family to meet Paul, Apollos the gifted orator sent to an unglamorous location instead of Rome, and Zenas the lawyer choosing discomfort over the comfortable life his profession could provide
Look, Titus chapter 3, none of these people involved are comfortable. None of these people are settling down with their dream home, right? You got Artemis and Tychicus who are being sent. Look, their assignment is being sent to Crete to relieve Timothy so he can go meet with Paul. Now look, you remember Crete's reputation, as we'll talk about in a minute. The people on the island of Crete were like, yep, we're a bunch of liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. Right? Nobody wants to be like, man, I'd love that assignment. This isn't Hawaii, guys. This is like an Old West boomtown of pirates and outlaws they're getting sent to. And they're like, honey, I guess I got my assignment. We're going to Hawaii. No, Crete. And you're like, ooh, the pirate island. Yep. Yep. Right. And then Timothy, right? I mean, sorry, rather Titus rather, who's there, who's probably married. He has a family there. And Paul is saying, hey, Hey Titus, I really need you to come meet with me. You're going to have to leave, get on a boat, come over to me, either leave your family or bring them. There's some more instruction and training I need to do with you. There may be another assignment I need to give you. And Titus is going, man, I just got settled here. Now you're telling me to leave? And then you've got Zenas the lawyer and Apollos. Look, these were guys, Zenas and Apollos, the impression you get is they could pick their assignment. Apollos, probably the most gifted orator of the early church and powerful evangelists. All of a sudden it's like, are you going to Rome? Are you going to a big fancy city? No, you're going to Pirate Island. Like, oh man. And then Zenos, right? He's a lawyer. Now listen, one constant of the last 2,000 years is that lawyers can almost always in every society live comfortably, right? They don't have to do things. It's like, well, I'd rather not. Right? You have that. You have that ability, especially in ancient Rome. And Zenos is going to Pirate Island as well. Here's the point. None of these people are comfortable. They are all being sent or sending others.
15 · The pastor asserts that comfort is the path to a wasted life while discomfort for Christ and the kingdom is the path to an unwasted life
And friends, that is what it looks like to live an unwasted life. Comfort is the path to a wasted life more often than not. Discomfort for the sake of Christ and the Kingdom is more often than not the path to an unwasted life. Now, look, I saw a vivid example of this a few years ago when I was in New England. I love the churches of New England. Some of the architecture is amazing. And we had a really good tour guide, a pastor who took us to one of the oldest churches in New England. It was, it was dating back hundreds of years. And what was amazing and striking to me is that this church had in the foyer, essentially, the covenant that formed the church. And so he told us the story of like, okay, this is a church that would have been actually on the frontier of the colonies. And one of the reasons they sent these people out here to covenant together to form this church is to reach the people around, right? The rascals that came over into the colonies that were like— some people came over for Jesus. Some people came over to make money. Some people came over to escape the law, right? And so you've got all kinds of people. In the colonies, they wanted to reach them, wanted to reach Native Americans that didn't know Jesus. And so they came out with a good heart, they covenanted together, they built homes, they built this building. And you think, man, what a testimony to Christian mission, to go further out to the frontier. And then inside I found something surprising. One of the common practices of these churches is that they had boxes in the front. Imagine that in our auditorium, right, the first half of each section are these boxes. And each box has like a little sign on it, and that sign is the name of the family who helped invest and build, right? So you've got different families and in different sections. And these boxes were quite comfortable. The seating was a little nicer than like the gallery, just like a big bench. It's like, this is your family right here. And then I noticed something because New England winters get cold. The boxes had a little, little area in the middle of the box where you could put coals to stay nice and warm in the cold New England winter. Right? So all the people up here, they're like, ah, ready to settle in for the sermon. They got a blanket, little fire going. People in the back, they're like, oh man, he better be quick. Like, It's better be a short sermon. And the people up there on the balcony are going like, I can't even hear what's happening. Right. And here's the funny— so I asked about this and I was like, is that really what would happen? And he goes, yeah. I mean, obviously it changed over the years, but one of the things that was striking to me is that this building that was built originally for mission, like, man, we're going to reach this part of the country. Wasn't that many years before people were going, you know what, we really should add some comfort here. We should have some nice coals. We should have some blankets, maybe a little cocoa. I'm just kidding. I'm sure they didn't drink cocoa. But do you see how quickly you go from mission, we're all in, we're sold out, we're going out, to, but it could be more comfortable where we are, right? Now, I don't want to judge their hearts. I don't know what happened in those churches. But friends, that same trajectory could be the same trajectory for all of us. We may start well, fired up for the King, fired up for the kingdom, ready to go. But very quickly, comfort becomes the predominant thing. A driving force in our lives. And friends, let me just say this. We as American Christians need to check ourselves because I would venture to say that on the— in this moment, on the face of the planet, American Christians are the most comfortable perhaps on the face of the planet. And if you survey the last 2,000 years, We are among the most comfortable Christians in world history. And look, there are things that are good about that, but there are also real dangers. And the dangers is that we could be like Titus saying, "But it's too inconvenient to go to Paul. It's too inconvenient to go to Crete. It's too inconvenient to send or be sent." And we must fight it if we're to live unwasted lives.
16 · The pastor transitions from the second major section (the pattern of living sent and sending) to the third major section (the charge to devote oneself to good works)
Now, that's a pattern. Now, a charge. What does it look like to live an unwasted life?
17 · The pastor exposits verse 14, identifying Paul's inability to end the letter without restating its main theme one more time
It looks like verse 14, "And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help cases of urgent need." and not be unfruitful. Notice Paul cannot end the letter without restating its main theme yet again. The main theme is this: the gospel arrives, transforms our lives, and sends us out to do good and worthy work that advances the gospel and adorns the gospel. That's, that's what we're called to do.
18 · The pastor exposits the word 'devote' in verse 14, contrasting casual approaches ('when they get a chance,' 'more often than not') with Paul's language of vocational devotion
And Paul, notice, he says what our relationship to this mission should be here in the close. He does not say, "Okay, let our people learn to do good works when they get a chance." He does not say, "Let our people, you know, more often than not, do some good and worthy work." No, look at the word, "Let our people learn to devote." themselves to good works. This is the language of a vocation, of an occupation, right? Nobody signs up for the Roman Empire's army and goes, "Cool, do I get nights and weekends off?" Like, no, man, you're in. If you're in, you're in. Like, I don't know, like nobody approached their vocation that way in the ancient world. Like, well, I want to kind of dabble in, you know, woodworking or ironwork. Like, no, man, you're in or you're out. Are you in or out? That's it. Right? Similarly, Paul is saying, as devoted as you are to your occupation or to your country or to your family, you are to be devoted to this mission, not casual relationship. Right?
19 · The pastor illustrates the concept of vocational devotion using escalating levels of basketball involvement: casual viewing, dedicated fan loyalty, recreational playing, rec league participation, and finally Division I player whose entire life revolves around the sport
Think about it this way. Somebody asks you, hey, do you like basketball? There's a whole bunch of responses to that, right? Yeah. I like basketball. I watched a couple of Finals games. You're like, okay, right? That's one level of relationship. Or do you like basketball? If you're like, I saw every game the San Antonio Spurs played, even at the end, I refused to turn it off. I just wouldn't look away. You're like, okay, that's another level of devotion, right? That's another level of devotion. Or do you like basketball? Yeah, I play every Thursday with a bunch of guys down. Or do you like basketball? Yeah, I'm on a rec league down there. Now that's still totally different than asking somebody, do you love or do you like basketball? And they say, yeah, I'm a Division I basketball player and I wake up thinking about it and I go to sleep thinking about it and my whole life is devoted to it. That kind of devotion is what Paul is talking about here.
20 · The pastor asserts that Christians are called to vocational devotion to good works—work that matters because it either advances or adorns the gospel
No casual relationship with the mission of God, rather a devoted all in start to finish. Relationship. To what? To good works. To worthy work is literally what it means. Work that matters. Work that matters either because it advances the cause of Christ or because it adorns the gospel of Jesus Christ. But either way, it matters. And here's the thing. I think too many of us are going, "Man, well, when I see a really big worthy thing to do, for sure I'm in." Like if God ever speaks to me in a dream and says, "You need to become a missionary to Africa," I mean, I would absolutely do it, you know. For sure, for sure. Like, and yet the worthy work right in front of us can too often be neglected. One commentator I read on this, Paul Gionne, says this, the lesson here is straightforward. Believers often do not have to look very far for opportunities to do good. When they see a need that is immediate and urgent, they are to meet it. Listen to this. While we cannot save the world, we can do good right where we are. Meaning this devotion is not great. If I ever play in the NBA Finals, I'm sure going to give it my all. No, it's like I'm going to use every opportunity that the Lord puts in front of me to do good and worthy work that honors Jesus.
21 · The pastor exposits the phrase 'not be unfruitful' from verse 14, clarifying that fruitfulness does not require perfection—Christians will fail, sin, and struggle
Look, the picture here, notice this is, it says not be unfruitful. Christians should have lives that are not perfect. We will not live perfect lives this side of eternity. Even the best of us will fail and fall and sin and struggle and have weaknesses. But there should over time be a fruitfulness to our lives that is notable. And if there isn't, we need to give attention to why.
22 · The pastor illustrates fruitfulness with a personal story of planting cacti in his front yard
I have this plant in my front yard right now, I planted a row of cacti on one part of my house. And it's like most of them are like pop, pop, pop. They're popping up. And then I've got this one guy on the end that's like, I'm looking into the ground and it's got a leaf like this. Ehh. You know, like, and I find myself just walking over and looking at it like, are you dying or living or where are you? Are you coming at, you know? And then it's like, just when I was going to give up on it, it's like, hey, like, it's just like, I'm wondering like, what is going on? Right. And the other ones meanwhile are like looking great. They're coming out of the ground. I think you're going to be beautiful. And Paul is saying, I don't want you to be unfruitful. Nobody should be looking at your life and going, I think I see something maybe. Now, again, I'm not saying you got to live a perfect life. I'm not saying that you're never going to fall. You will need to repent. Sometimes fruitfulness starts with repentance. Sometimes fruitfulness is repentance, right? But over time, our goal is more and more worthy work shines out of our lives and grows out of our lives. That's the goal here. A devoted fruitfulness for Christ.
23 · The pastor summarizes the three major movements of the sermon (warning, pattern, goal) and transitions to application for the local church context, framing it as 'a case for why you should reach your Crete for the cause of Christ
Now, here's what we've done. We've talked about a wasted life and an unwasted life. We've seen a warning that we not waste our lives with distraction. We've seen a pattern of living sent and and sending others, and we've seen a goal to do good and worthy work. Now, as we close the letter to Titus, I wanna make a couple comments about this and the perspective of our own local mission here. I wanna give you a case for why you should reach your Crete for the cause of Christ.
24 · The pastor provides historical-cultural background on Crete in the ancient world: a trade waypoint but not a major route, not prosperous, not prestigious, known for pirates and outlaws, difficult to access, lacking the glory of Rome, the economic might of Ephesus, or the history of Jerusalem or Alexandria
Now, in the ancient world, Crete was unique. It was a waypoint for trade, but it wasn't a major trade route that enriched the whole city, kind of like Ephesus. Many passed through it, but, but it wasn't a booming area and it wasn't the most prosperous area in the whole Roman Empire. In fact, it had a colorful reputation, as I've said, for pirates and outlaws. And people often did not prize— because you might, you and I might think, man, I'd love to live on Crete, an island in the Mediterranean. Amazing. That's not the way the Roman Empire thought about it. They're like, it's far from everything. You have to take a trip where you might die to just go or leave. Right. I'm not interested in that. Just give me a nice setup on the Aegean Sea somewhere. Ephesus, Corinth, someplace, a nice city, a prosperous city. Crete was different. It didn't have the glory of Rome. It didn't have the economic might of Ephesus. It didn't have the history of Jerusalem or Alexandria. There was no sort of, oh, you live in Alexandria. It was kind of like, oh, Crete. And you guard your money a little closer, right? Hey, nice to meet you. You know, you're holding on your wallet.
25 · The pastor makes the theological claim that Crete, though insignificant to Rome, mattered to God because image-bearers lived there who did not know Christ
But notice something about the island of Crete that's present in the fact that we have a letter about it, that the island of Crete in the first century may not have mattered much to the Roman Empire, but it mattered to God. This place too mattered to God, because there were people on this island made in the image of God who did not know the Lord Jesus Christ. And the goal of Titus' mission on this island was to plant churches that they might see the adorning of the gospel in the lives of the Christians and hear the gospel message. And those coming through for a winter or for a season might pass by but gain not just supplies for their ships, but gain the life-giving message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
26 · The pastor applies the Crete parallel directly to El Paso, establishing it as 'our Crete'—an unglamorous desert island no one reaches accidentally, lacking national prestige, with a poor reputation
And let me encourage you, we have a Crete. We have a Crete and an island that is not in the middle of the Mediterranean, but it's in the middle of the desert. Nobody gets to El Paso accidentally, right? Look at a map of the United States. You're not— it's not on the way to anywhere for the most part, but this desert island of El Paso matters to God. It matters to God and God has saved people here and he has sent people here. And if it matters to God, it should matter to us. And just like Crete had some unique needs to it, oh man, El Paso has some unique needs as well. We could probably match them with liars and evil beasts. If you look at FitFam for El Paso, right? You're like, oh man, that guy's crazy. If you look at drivers, some of you, on the roads today, evil beasts, lazy gluttons, right? We don't have always the best reputation in the country. I remember a few years ago some website somewhere voted El Paso men the least attractive men in America, right? Which is just unnecessarily hurtful to all of us, right? Meaning that we have this similar reputation. It's not like, oh man, El Paso, one of the great jewels of America. It's like, okay, yeah. Pfft, sure. Pfft. But friends, there is gospel need here. There is so much lifeless quasi-Christianity in our area that does not save anyone and does not change anyone and will not help anyone. Right, do you know the fastest growing religion in the city of El Paso, Texas? It's not Christianity. It's not Islam. It's not Buddhism. It is no religion at all. This city is being overtaken as we speak with a wave of no religion at all. Oh, sure, spiritualism is fine. Oh, sure, this is fine. No religion at all. There are real family needs here and economic needs here. Robert reminding us that half of kids in El Paso are at risk of growing up without a father present in their home. There are needs here, but friends, there are also unique opportunities here, right? We are a place where people pass through, where they have the opportunity to influence— I'm not exaggerating when I say thousands and tens of thousands of people by staying in one spot and being good neighbors to the people who pass through, right? The reach of this is unbelievable. Look, I was shocked when I realized recently that there are over 1,000 people at the med schools right below I-10 from us. I'm used to, for some reason, I'm still stuck at they're just starting the med school and there's like 12 people there. There's like 1,000 people now, future doctors and nurses and others. The University of Texas at El Paso, the Harvard of the borderland, picks up, now has over 26,000 students for the first time in its history, meaning thousands of thousands of people ready to live their lives and go all across America and across the world. Right. There are— we continue to be the home of the 1st Armored Division of the US Army. And apparently we're always going to be fighting in the desert somewhere. And so it's always going to be a place where people are sent to train and work. And we have these unique opportunities and we have this unique dynamic that El Paso is a big small city. Town, meaning that, that if you stay here and plant here, you're going to start to know people. I will say this. It's not always the easiest place to get planted, but when you are planted, you begin to be like, oh man, I see the web now. Like your, your roofer is like, oh, I know a good guy for your lawn because my cousin's brother, he used to be married to Cindy, who I went to high school with. And she and her family have a business that does that. And you're like, "I don't even understand how that happened, but sure. Give me Cindy's number, man." Like, meaning this, that gospel witness in this city goes a long way. And those relationships over time have the potential to have profound effects on the people around us. So here's the point. Your point might be, "El Paso, that's not a city that's worth reaching." No, El Paso is a city worth reaching because it matters to God and it should matter to us. And if the island of Crete mattered in the first century, this city matters in this century.
27 · The pastor makes a biblical-theological claim connecting the first-century sending pattern to the present congregation: the church in El Paso exists because people from the first century refused distraction and went all in on the mission, living sent and sending others
And you know what, friends? Let me just point this out at the end here as I close. The people sitting in this in this very room are testimony to the work that was done in the first century to send and be sent for the cause of Jesus Christ. The reason that the gospel of Jesus is not located singularly in Jerusalem and its vicinity, but has reached the western edge of Texas and the intersection of 3 states and 2 countries, the way that it got there is that people refused to be distracted and went all in on the mission, living sent and sending others for the cause of Christ. That's how you heard the gospel. That's why this church exists. And so similarly, friends, we're called to go forward with this mission for others.
28 · The pastor exposits the closing word of the letter—'Grace be with you all'—noting that Paul begins (1:4) and ends (3:15) with grace, establishing grace as the bookends of Christian life and the letter itself
And last, the last word in the letter is simply this: Grace Peace be with you all. Paul starts with grace in chapter 1, verse 4, and he ends with grace in chapter 3, verse 15, reminding us that the message of grace is the bookends of our very lives.
29 · The pastor applies the grace bookends to the three major themes of the sermon, structuring the application around 'you want to know how' rhetorical questions
You want to know how not to get distracted by things that don't matter? Stay in awe of the gospel of grace that's come to you. Right? People that are in awe that God has saved them, I have rarely seen them get distracted by the wrong things. People who cry sharing their testimony year over year stay focused on the gospel of Jesus Christ. You want to know what, what makes us willing to leave comfort and pursue Christ and his kingdom? That we are so in awe of grace and we are so aware of what we've received from God's generous gift that everything in our lives is a gift that we're willing to give back, right? None of it is like, okay, this is mine now. We realize everything in my life is from the Lord. What can I not give to him? And you want to stay focused on doing good and worthy work. How do you do that? You are so aware that you are— that you've been saved by the grace of God, that your life cannot help look different. Year over year, in area over area, until Jesus returns. You're just amazed. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. And the end is grace be with you all.
30 · The pastor delivers the sermon's final charge, restating the central question and answer: an unwasted life is one given to the right things for Christ and his kingdom until he returns, shaped by grace and sent by grace
So friends, do you want to live an unwasted life? It's a life given to the right things for the cause of Christ and his kingdom. Until he returns, shaped by grace, sent by grace, in the name of Jesus Christ.
31 · The closing prayer thanks God for 45 years of church history—people who did not waste their lives in ministry—and asks for protection from distraction, for valuing Christ and kingdom over comfort, and for becoming a church that passes the gospel down through generations and out to neighborhoods and nations, shaped and sent by grace
Would you stand and let's pray. Heavenly Father, Lord, as we— as we close, Lord, I just— I want to thank you for our church and pray over our church. Lord, I want to thank you for The 45-plus years of history of people who have not wasted their lives, who have taught kids in kids' ministry and mentored young men and older women that have mentored young women, who have played on bands and greeted people and preached sermons. And God, the fact that we sit in this room and can worship you and grow together is a testimony to the believers that have come before us. Who have been shaped and sent by the grace of God. So we thank you, God. We thank you for preserving your church. And, Lord, I pray over now all of us standing here together today. Lord, I pray that you would not let us be distracted by things that don't fundamentally matter. Lord, there's so much noise and argument in our world today, and so little of it matters in eternity. Keep us fixed on the grace of Jesus Christ. And Lord, I just wanna pray in this next season of our church that you would make us a church that values Christ and his kingdom over our own comfort. Lord, we all face the temptation to wanna settle, to wanna be comfortable. And yet, Lord, our true home is not this place or the building we're gonna drive back to in a few minutes. It is our home with you in heaven. Let's put everything else on the table. Lord, help us. And, Lord, may we be a church that passes on the gospel down through the generations and out into the neighborhoods and nations in which you've placed us. We pray that we would be shaped by grace and sent by grace. In the name of Jesus. Amen.