A Careful Church
Pm October 11th 2009
Titus 3:1-8
Introduction
We are continuing our series in the book of Titus, “will the true church arise”, tonight is part five, a Careful church. So far we learned five calls of the church, we learned that we are to be an obedient church, we learned that we should be a sound church, and last week we learned that we are a church that is saved by grace. Tonight we will learn that we are to be a careful church.
Be careful! These two words we hear a lot in our lives. Has someone said those words to you before? Of course they have. And, to be honest about it, there were definitely times that you needed to hear it. The bad thing about hearing someone say to be careful is when you hear it, but then ignore it.
Why do you suppose that anyone would ever find it important to say those words to you? Why is it that someone would ever take the time to utter those two words to you?
Sometimes it could be that you were doing something where there was a level of danger involved, and so someone told you to be careful so that you could avoid injury. Maybe it was because there could be a reward for being careful, kind of like the teacher telling the student to be careful and check their work before turning it in so they could get a better grade. That is one case where I never heeded the warning. The truth is, people tell you to be careful because they care about you.
Listen, that very act of being careful is geared toward a purpose.
Tonight from this passage of scripture the apostle Paul reminds Titus that the Church of Jesus Christ needs to be careful, so tonight I want us to learn why and what we are to be careful of.
Read Scriptures: Titus 3:1-8
I. A Careful Church remembers it’s Duties
Vs. 1-2 “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”
This passage list seven duties that every Christian should be willing to fulfill.
1. Subject to rulers and authorities. We are told in several places in scripture to live under the rule and authority of government. Jesus himself didn’t exempt himself from paying taxes, when he said in Matthew 22:21 “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.”
2. To be Obedient. In context it speaking of being obedient citizens, however as believers we are not to go against God in our obedience to human authorities.
3. To be ready to do whatever is good. What Paul is speaking of, is look around you in society and be prepared at all times and be willing to do good and help those around you.
4. To slander no one. Even when we speak out against the worst of our societal sin, we should not stoop to the level of slandering those who commit these sins.
5. To be peaceable. The apostle Paul also says in another passage, “as far as it depends on you, live at peace with all men.”
6. Considerate. When you are considerate of others, you are thinking not of self gain or self indulgence, but of the good for others.
7. Show true humility. Our attitude toward unbelievers should always be in humbleness, not in arrogance.
These are duties that we as members of the body of Christ should be willing to fulfill.
II. A Careful church, remembers its former Condition
Vs. 3 “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.”
When we are dealing with lost people, it would serve us well to be careful and remember that at one time we were just like they were, we had no spiritual eyes, and ears to hear and see biblical truth until the Holy Spirit revealed it to us.
Paul says to Titus, remind the people, “at one time you were foolish”, you did foolish things, so you should expect lost people to do foolish things. “At one time you were disobedient”, so we should expect lost people to act like lost people.
“At one time we were deceived, enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasure. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.”
That is what lost be do, so when we are out among them, we should expect them to act like that, that is why we should be careful how we live, because that is what characterizes a lost person, notice Paul says, “At one time we too were”, that is what we were, it is not what we should be now, as followers of Jesus.
III. A Careful Church, remembers its Salvation
Vs. 4-7 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
In verse 3 he says “remember at one time we were”, in verse 4 he begins with “But when”. What he is saying “when you are out in the world, and lost people are acting like lost people, you need to remember your salvation.
Not because we were worth saving, not because we did anything deserving salvation, but it was because of God’s great love and mercy. He saved us by the cleansing power of the rebirth through Jesus Christ.
We must remember as the church of Jesus Christ, that we are commanded to be different and live different, and we should remember that because of God’s love and mercy.
IV. A Careful Church, remembers its Mission
Vs. 8 “This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”
Why should we be careful to devote ourselves to doing good, why should we devote ourselves to being and living careful, in order that we will fulfill our God given mission to spread the gospel.
As followers of Jesus Christ, our mission is to spread the gospel and one the main avenues for spreading the gospel is by doing good deeds, and by living the right way.
Conclusion
Are you careful of how you live, careful to fulfill your duties as Christian citizen of this world, careful to remember where you came from, careful to remember that you are saved, and not who you were, careful to remember why you do what you do, our mission to spread the gospel.
