SERMON: “The Legacy of the Godly Church in an Ungodly World” (Titus 3:12–15)
“The Legacy of the Godly Church in an Ungodly World” (Titus 3:12–15)
Series: “Titus:
Godly People, Godly Church,” #17 Text:
Titus
3:12–15
By: Shaun
Marksbury Date: September 8, 2024
Venue: Living
Water Baptist Church Occasion: PM Service
I.
Introduction
The church’s mission in an ungodly world is not a sprint but
a marathon. We are called to a long-term
commitment in a world that often opposes our values. Like the marathon runner, we must keep our
eyes on the finish line, pressing forward, knowing that the legacy we leave is
built over time through faithfulness and perseverance.
In a world growing increasingly hostile to biblical truth,
the legacy of a godly church shines all the brighter. As we examine Paul's closing instructions to
Titus, we see the marks of a church that lives, learns, and loves in an ungodly
world. This sermon will explore three
key principles drawn from this text: living with priority for ministry,
learning to perform good works, and loving the people of God.
II.
Live with priority for ministry in an ungodly
world (vv. 12–13).
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. Diligently
help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for
them.
Paul begins by urging Titus to prioritize his ministry, even
in the face of worldly challenges. Titus’s
time in Crete is limited, and Paul plans to send either relief for him. Titus must ensure the church is properly
ordered before leaving to join Paul in Nicopolis. This underscores the urgency of the gospel
ministry.
Artemas is option one for relief. The New Testament doesn’t tell us anything
more about this man. Tradition, however,
states that he became the bishop of Lystra, a town in Galatia, modern-day
Turkey. If that is the case, and
considering Tychicus as a counterpart, Titus would have a good candidate to
replace him. I suppose that if tradition
places Artemas at Lystra, though, Tychicus was Titus’s ultimate replacement.
Tychicus, on the other hand, is a familiar figure. We have some New Testament information on him,
and many in the early church knew him. For
instance, he followed Paul from Corinth to Asia Minor (Acts 20:4). He accompanied Paul on his journeys and was
entrusted with delivering Paul’s letters to the Colossians (Col. 4:7-8) and
Ephesians (Eph. 6:21-22).
As such, Tychicus would be a good replacement for Titus. As such, we can assume that Artemas would be,
as well. Sometimes, God has a pastor
stay at a church for a specific purpose, and then He calls him away. We know that from personal experience.
Titus, though, was to focus on what remained. Paul was telling him to hurry and install the
elders in the churches in every city (cf. Titus 1:5). Titus could easily get distracted by any
number of issues, but the goal is to get the church in order by the time
Artemas or Tychicus arrives. Paul
expects there to be little need for extended transitions: they shouldn’t have
to worry about tying up Titus’s loose ends.
Paul has confidence in Titus’s ability.
Paul wants Titus to come, being “diligent” (LSB) to come to the
victorious city, Nicopolis. There were a
few cities with this name, but this is likely in southwestern Greece. This would be northwest of the island of
Crete, and a great place for winter ministry.
We speak of ships wintering in harbor, safe during the unpredictable
cold seasons. This is where Paul expects
himself and Titus to spend the winter months together.
This also reflects something else. This is Paul’s ongoing commitment to
spreading the gospel. As Romans 15:20-21
states, Paul aspired to preach Christ where He was not yet known. Paul's
ministry was marked by a relentless pursuit of souls, and he encouraged Titus
to share that same focus.
Now, some of you may have guessed this, but Titus is not the
only big name on the island of Crete. It
seems that a couple of Christians brought Titus this letter — Zenas and Apollos
— and they are presumably there for a few days.
Who are these men?
Zenas’s name means “Zues-given.” It’s hard sometimes to escape your pagan
roots, isn’t it? Well, again, we don’t
have much to go on with this guy. A
tradition places him among the seventy disciples, and he eventually became
bishop of Diospolis. There were a few
cities by that name, but since Zenas was a lawyer, perhaps he settled in as the
bishop of the one in central Israel also known as Lud.
What does it mean that he’s a lawyer? Lawyers sometimes tempted Jesus (Matt 22:35),
but they obviously were not always unbelievers.
We don’t know if this term refers to Mosaic or non-Mosaic, Roman law. Either way, he is an educated man. If church tradition is correct, he was one of
the seventy disciples of Christ in Luke 10.[1] So, it’s possible (thought not certain) that
this is a Hellenized Jewish lawyer who early on came to Christ. And notice that his company.
Apollos was a friend of Paul and a skilled teacher in
Scripture. Originally, he only knew
Christ through the teaching of John the Baptist, so he needed Aquilla and
Priscilla to pull him aside to help. We
read that he was “mighty in Scripture” and “fervent in spirit.” He travelled, like Paul, and he was a great
help and encouragement to the saints. By
the time 1 Corinthians was written, Apollos’ teaching was so well-known that he
became one of the original celebrity pastors, leading Paul to to correct those
Corinthian factions that became all about the teachers.
Between Apollos and Zenas, Titus had heavyweights to help
him silence the false teachers in Crete.
However, it would also be a temptation for Titus to lean on them to do
all his work. Paul left Titus to set
churches in Crete in order, not Zenas and Apollos. The temptation is to have a visiting preacher
and grab him before anyone else. Even so,
Paul instructs Titus to sped them along.
The task was Titus’s, and these men were needed elsewhere.
Note the adverbial construction here. The NASB has, “Diligently help Zenas the
lawyer and Apollos on their way.” This
word is related to the word in previous verse, which is why the ESV translates
both words, “Do your best” in vv. 12 and 13.
The sense here is to do everything you can. There is a need to keep moving, so Paul
instructs Titus to “send forth” the two ASAP.
We must keep the priority of ministry in mind so that we can
live without dilly and without dally. And we must do so whatever the cost, whether
it mean fines, the loss of our tax-exempt status, the loss of employment, or
even jail time — as is happening in Western countries. We must be diligent, for the days are getting
shorter.
This means being wise, ensuring they “lack nothing.” The sending forth must include the means for
them to go. They have other work to do,
so Titus must think about the kinds of provisions they need for their next
mission. This will not only be necessary
for Apollos and Zenas to move on, but also an example of good works to the
Cretan believers. Ministry in an ungodly
world requires us to be diligent and ready to sacrifice comfort for the sake of
the gospel. That brings us to our next
point.
III.
Learn how to perform good works in an ungodly
world (v. 14).
Our people must also learn to engage in good
deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.
Paul transitions from the urgency of ministry to the
necessity of good works. He writes, “But
let them also learn” or “keep on learning”
Specifically, he refers to “our people,” the Cretan Christians.
There has been some discussion of late as to hyper-grace, or
antinomianism. That means that someone
believes that your personal holiness is not important to God, or, at least,
something that you should not strive to grow in. This would be the crowd that says
homosexuality doesn’t matter — if you’re born wanting something, then it is
somehow wrong to suppress those desires.
Of course, that is silly on the surface — we teach children to suppress
wrong desires all the time, such as the desire to steal, fight, or be a brat in
general. Speaking of children, this
Greek word is the same used of Jesus in Hebrews 5:8, where it says that our
Lord learned obedience. If God says we
should or should not do something, our learning obedience and good works is
Christlike behavior.
The Bible consistently teaches that grace produces good
works. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we
are “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” These works are the fruit of our salvation,
not its cause, but as we grow in grace, we learn to engage in good works that
meet real needs.
Now, again, this means practicing wisdom. This would include doing works like sending
Zenas and Apollos on their way with sufficient supplies. We must prayerfully and biblically consider
what the best course of action is.
For instance, we know we should take care of widows. However, what if the widow has able-bodied
children or grandchildren of working age living nearby or in the home? Well, some would say the principle of grace
means that we give to people in need, making it as easy as possible for
them. However, 1 Timothy 5:4 says that “if
any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice
piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents;
for this is acceptable in the sight of God.” So, one church I heard of applied it this way:
they will help with a portion of the widow’s bills only if the teenagers living
in the home get jobs. That may sound
harsh and ungracious, but it’s biblical and it helps people learn
godliness.
So, true grace produces good works, and that require some
thought. We need to learn, to keep on
learning, how to devote themselves to good works. First, because personal sin makes us
forgetful, and we need constant reminders and refreshers. Second, we can always do better, so we need
to educate ourselves so that we will always be ready to give both a helping
hand and a ready defense. Third, because
God brings each of us into new situations as we get older, whether a new job,
kids, and so forth, all requiring a rethinking and reexamination of what our
good works look like. Fourth, as we have
seen, sin brings change to the culture around us (cf. Isa. 5:20), meaning that
we need to relearn good works in new cultural venues
Paul wants Christians to put good works in the forefront of
what they do. As such, all throughout this
letter, he exalts good works. The
preacher must rebuke bad teaching and teachers.
Wives are to preform good works in the home. Men are to have the kind of conduct and
conversation that will keep God’s people from slander. Servants are to perform honorably in the
workplace. Our behavior is to have a
good report in this pagan world. And we
can do all of this because God’s grace leads us to good works.
Good works are urgent, necessary, and needful for so many
around us. Christians are to live with
priority for ministry, and learn to preform good works. In fact, Paul gives a bit of a warning: “so that
they would not be unfruitful.”
What a sad reality if would be to be a Christian and be
unfruitful for the Lord. The most
extreme examples of fruitlessness are found in John 15, where the Lord cuts
fruitless branches from the tree and casts them into the fire. The unfruitful servant hording his talent
finds Hell his reward.
We must not be fruitless.
We must continue to strive and contend for the truth in this present,
wicked age, , as Ephesians 5:11–16 says. We must remain vigilant against the cultural
weeds that can choke out the fruit of godliness. This requires constant
reminders, education, and a commitment to excellence in our service to others. That’s an act of love, bringing us to our
final point:
IV.
Finally, love the people of God in an ungodly
world (v. 15).
All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.
Grace be with you all.
As Paul signs off, let’s not forget that the mail moved slow
in those days. Yet, when these words arrived,
they would have been received as encouragement, especially among believers
enduring waves of scorn, ridicule, and outright persecution. It’s important that the people of God to know
that they are together in this mission, whether they be brothers and sisters on
the other side of town or the other side of the world. We pray for the persecuted church and they
pray for us as things get more heated here.
Paul say “greet those who love in the faith.” This is Christian fellowship. It makes no sense to say that you love God
and hate the church. John said in 1 John
4:20, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for
the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he
has not seen.” Christians are affectionate
to one another with a brotherly love.
There’s a special comradery that comes in the faith. This line grants a special acknowledgment to
the brothers and sisters in Christ.
We have this comradery because we’re the undeserving
recipients of God’s glorious grace. Paul
closes with the words, “Grace be with you all.”
Paul began the letter with grace and peace in 1:4, and now Paul closes
with a benediction for grace. God’s
grace brings salvation and produces godliness according to 2:11–12. It moves us forward in this morally confusing
world. It comes through the Holy Spirit
into our lives, helping us to live with priority for ministry, to learn how to
perform good works, and to love the people of God.
V.
Conclusion
These guys become pastors over various cities throughout the
Mediterranean world, ensuring that the gospel continues to be spread. All the while, Jewish and Roman persecutions
came and went. The church withstood it
all, and it prevailed against the gates of Hell itself. Two thousand years have gone by, and the
church is stronger than ever.
Let us, therefore, live with priority for ministry, learn to
perform good works, and love one another deeply. The time is short, and the world is watching. By God’s grace, may we leave a legacy of
godliness in an ungodly world.
[1] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study
Bible, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Tt 3:13.
