“Come, follow me.” The words resound with authority that could emanate only from the heart of God. My heart is tenderly touched each time I view a video clip that depicts the early disciple walking away from their known life to live according to a calling God places upon their lives.
As the disciples fell in behind Jesus there was a new song in their hearts. It would have sounded like this:
I have decided to follow Jesus; (3) No Turning Back (2)
The world behind me, the cross before me, (3) No Turning Back (2)
The book of Titus challenges us to ask this question: Am I a disciple who serves with integrity and passion?
I. THE DISCIPLE’S CALL (1:5)
In this series, I am making a big assumption: In the N.T. church all who claim the name of Jesus are a part of the royal priesthood to which the Bible refers and are to strive for the same excellency of discipleship. Unlike Titus, a letter written to a personal friend, Peter’s Epistle was written to the church.
I Peter 2:4As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Though we may have different roles, functions, we share in the call to aspire for godliness. With that said let me draw your attention to another passage.
I Samuel 2:35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before my anointed one always.
It is my prayer that this verse will be used by Holy Spirit to challenge us to think about the heart of God. This is what Paul meant when he siad he was a "slave of God." Paul's single focus in life was to know and do what was in the heart of God and to passionatly serve him. That is a Christian primary motivation for life.
Titus' relationship with Jesus is assumed in this letter. Yet, we must remind ourselves that godliness begins with a personal relationship with God. This must occur before our heart can become attuned to the heart of God.
The call to discipleship is not accidental. We must understand the intentionality of God. Those who desire to ascend to godliness will be amazed by the process God uses. The phrase, "I was at the right place, at the right time, for the right reason," will take on new meaning.
All through the Bible we see the process God uses to accomplish His redemptive purpose.
In the I Samuel passage God is making reference to Eli's situation--Eli and his family were disobedient and God would no longer use them. However, he was preparing someone else. In I Samuel 3 we read an incrdible story of God calling out Samuel and using him to bring a word to all of Israel.
Samuel was a very young boy; however, he was in the right place, at the right time, for the right purpose. Though Samuel was accesible we should not assume it was all providence and no freedom of choice.
This pattern is repeated over and over again in Scripture. At just the right time God has made His will known.
Titus found himself at the right place, at the right time, for the right reason. He was ready to be used of God because he longed for the heart of God. He realized that his whole identity was wrapped up in hearing and responding to God.
A. The Right Person
Paul realized it would take the right person to serve the churches on Crete. First, he trusted Titus and considered him a valuable partner. Titus had gone to Jerusalem on-hehalf of Paul. Paul viewed him as
1) A true child (his mentee)
2) A brother in Christ
3) One who walked with the same Spirit
4.) A responsible person who could be entrusted with a great task
Titus had the gift of practical administration--in the business world he would have been called a troubleshooter.
Someone said there are two kinds of people:
1. Those who make a bad situation worse
2. Those who bring order out of chaos
Titus was the latter. Titus had the ability to apply his theology toreal-life human problems. He didn't live with his head stuck in pretentious piety.
B. At the Right Place
For some, Crete may have not sounded like the right place. Crete, the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean, was a difficult place to live, not to mention attempting to establish churches.
Crete was described, by a Cretans poet, as an island of liars, brutes and gluttons. The Greek coined the phrase, "to Cretize," as a special verb for lying. Five fiercely independent ethnic groups made up the population. Pirates and coarse sailors frequenting the island reinforced it notoriety. Add the straight-laced Jews to this mix as the church was being birthed and you understand why the church was born of conflict.
C. At the Right Time
Timing is critical! Paul had discerned God's timing and realized Titus needed to serve at Crete. God was going to do something--he had an expectant spirit.
God ordained this moment because He had a desire to speak to our hearts in a unique manner. All over the world the right person will miss God's divine appointment because they are out of sinc with God's timing. I could tell you numerous stories where people have missed God's timing and lived to regret it.
Respecting the sacred moment when God attempts to instill a thought, an idea, a particular purpose is no trivial matter. There is nothing trivial about God and His purposes!
D. For the Right Purpose
God had placed it upon Paul's heart that the church in Crete needed to grow up to maturity. Small churches had sprung as a result of the evangelistic efforts. Yet, there was no spiritual depth. To use a phrase I kept hearing in Africa: "The church is a mile wide and an inch deep."
The text doesn't clearly state whether Titus' task was a single-fold or two-fold responsibility: He tells him he is there to "straighten out what was left unfinished" and "appoint elders in every town." Yet, it is not that important because they both come down to the same issue. God's purpose is for the people in the church to respond to their leaders and strive for Godliness. If the appointed leaders are to be used to straighten out the church, the end result will be the same.
"Elder" (presbyterous) simply means an aged man. In the New Testament it is used in reference to a church leader. Paul's use of the term is functional and not positional.
The text raises this question for the reader: Have I responded to God's call by surrendering my life to His service?
Ronald McDonald visits children in hospitals around the country. Ronald lives by two rules that would result in the loss of his job, if they are broken. 1) He must be accompanied by McDonald's and hospital's personnel and 2) He must not touch the children, because of the danger of spreading germs.
One day a weak voice called out his name: "Ronald...Ronald..." Upon entering the room, he found a 5 year old boy hooked up to numerous pieces of equipment. Tubes ran in all directions. Pumps hissed in a steady rhythm. He sensed the anxiousness of all in the room. He visited with the little boy, Billy, and then prepared to leave. Little Billy stopped him, "Ronald, will you hold me?"
Buying time, while thinking about the consequences, he told the boy he couldn't hold him right then but that he would color a picture. He planned to ease out of the room
The soft voice could be heard again, "Ronald, will you hold me?" His heart cried "yes!" but his head shouted "No!" Which voice would he obey? Should I grant this simple request from a little boy who will probably never leave the hospital?
He decided he couldn't pass up the opportunity to bring a little happiness and hope to a dying child. He sent Dad, Mom, Grandma, Grandpa and even his escorts out of the room. Only the nurse remained and he asked her to turn away.
He reached out and gingerly lifted the fragile frame into his arms. For two hours little Billy lay in Ronald's arms, laughing and crying. He talked about his fear that his little brother would get lost coming home from kindergarten. He talked about the dog not getting his bone. He talked about the things children worry about when they know they are not going home again.
Less than 48 hours later, he got a call from Billy's mom. He had died. She told him that Billy had told her, "Mama, I don't care anymore whether I see Santa this year...because I was held by Ronald McDonald. Bob Reccord, "Off The Record," On Mission, M-J 2000
When the right person, is at the right place, at the right time, for the right reason, it is incredible what God will do. Do not miss that sacred moment when God touches your life and calls out your name for his divine purposes.
II. THE DISCIPLE’S PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS (1:6-9)
Remember that Scripture is not setting up a fraternity of holier-than-thou folks who would rise above everyone. These shepherds of God's church (Acts 20:28) were to lead by example and encourage the believers to join them in the ascent to godliness. Yes, their spiritual responsiblity meant they were more visible and this carried a sense of increased accountability. They were highly visible.
Shortly after my dad surrender to the call of Jesus to preach, he was walking home after church. Being the fine promising minister he was, he waited until he got off of the church property to light up a cigarette. A little boy had rushed home from church and was playing the front yard as my Dad walked by, puffing on the cigratte. He said to my Dad, "I didn't think preachers smoked." What was my Dad to do? He threw down the cigrattee and threw away the pack of cigrattes and never smoked another.
The book of Titus is a call for all of us to ascend to another level in our commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.
A. A Disciple’s Home Life Should Reflect Readiness to Serve
How do we know if God is establishing us into a royal priesthood? Henry Blackaby says we should look at what He is doing in our house. I refuse to get caught up in the dead-end arguments related to the model family. I will simply remind you that marriage is a sacred institution and it is reflective of the occupant's spirituality.
I applaud the emancipation of women. However, the one who aspires for leadership in the church, man or woman, must understand leadership means higher visibility and higher accountablity. The Bible does not push a position where women are in a subservient position in the family or society. Nor does the Bible encourage the extreme feminist theology that has destroyed the concept of husband and wife being interdependently related. The Bible recognizes the need for the family to be unified in their commitment to serve Jesus.
While serving as a transitional pastor I talked about the manner in which support of family is a key question for the search committee regarding the calling of a minister to students. I also talked about how we expect a staff member to have a deep love and commitment to the church. Everyone agreed; however, I reminded them that if that is a standard we expect of a prospective staff member, we should require the same for ourselves and our families.
One thing I have learned in ministry. The family member that is in a leadership position will quickly lose their influence when the family falls away from a mutual commitment. It is one thing for a church to have unrealistic expectations for a church leader's family; it is another matter for the family to not set high standards. Church leaders have the responsiblity to set an example and encourage the entire family to worship, pray and serve.
B. A Disciple’s Personality and Character Should Reflect Readiness to Serve
How do you know when you are ready? These verses suggest the kind of standard Titus was to use. They are probably excellent principles for the contemporary church. The first we have discussed: How is it in the home?
Yet, there are some very specific qualities that must characterize our personal development. I will not elaborate on each trait that Paul list; I will simply let Scripture draw our attention to them. (Titus 1:7-8) Paul uses the word a??e´????t?? (anegkletos), which means blameless, unreproveable.
The New Testament says a lot about character development. Character development is always a consideration when assessing readiness of potential leaders, inside the church and in the business world.
C. A Disciple’s Devotion to the Trustworthy Message Should Reflect Readiness to Serve
Titus had demonstrated that he was ready for the responsibility of organizing the churches in Crete. On the mission field he would be called a general director. His maturity was not going to let his enthusiasm exceed his wisdom. In Crete he would have to lead the people to avoid the lawlessness of the Cretan worldview and the legalism of the Jews.
Titus was to use his maturity to come alongside the Christians and guide them toward a sound practical theology. The word translated "encourage" is parakale,w parakaleo {par-ak-al-eh'-o} (parakalein in Titus).
In another sense Titus was to teach the church leaders to understand and correct false doctrine. The term used is elegchein, which suggest and educative dimension in confronting false teachers. This is the forerunner of what we would call Christian apologetics. (Refer to Ravi Zacharias, Deliver Us From This Evil.)
I am indebted to Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard, Management of Organizational Behavior, for a leadership model that has helped me understand my role in leadership. Instead of a single style of leadership, they suggest what is called a situational leadership model. The leader moves from a hands-on direct model of supervision to a model where the follower is willing and capable of serving as a self-actualized person. The leader’s style is determined by the readiness of the follower.
Titus had to find people in the churches that demonstrated a high readiness for serving as leaders. This is one of the greatest challenges facing the church today. Let me ask you some questions: Have you demonstrated that your heart is attuned to the heart of God? Are you passionate about your call to serve him? Do your personal qualifications reflect a high readiness level?
III. THE NEED FOR COMPETENT DISCIPLES
The authors of the American Commentary suggest that Christians evaluate themselves and refrain from leadership positions if they do not meet the qualifications.
A. God Enables Disciples to Discern Right From Wrong
Too many have taken this often misintepreted Scriptureand have assumed it is their role to confront people. This is not the focus. Paul is describing a process for Christians who are hungry for the truth and are responsive to the preaching and teaching of the Word. I don't argue with people. If they are inquistive, I will plunge the depths of the gospel in a desire to help them understand God’s activity in their life.
B. Disciples Desire Godliness Over Legalistic Systems
Let me leave this point for future emphasis. If a person's heart sincerely disires God, he/she will not get caught up in the foolishness of those who are in church for self-gain or believe they can manipulate God. The Bible insists upon a working relationship, a harmony between faith and works (read James). There must be a rich dialogue between ones profession and their practice.
The church is in need of Christians who are ready to serve. People who are sure of their call, mature in their faith and clearly understand why God needs them.
CONCLUSION
This passage asks each of us a very probing question: Am I willing and ready to take the baton and run my part of the race? Discipleship is a call that comes by the divine appointment of Jesus and requires us to surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mario Cuomo, in a 1984 commencement speech at Iona College, addressed his comments to the parents of the graduating class. He said his generation had taught their children to become go-getters. He asked them, "Can we now say to them that if they want to be happy they must be go-givers?" Then the challenge, can we suggest they become go-givers when we ourselves have failed so often to practice what we would preach?
Will you lead by example? Will you illustrate the manner in which Jesus empowers people to live out their call? Can you say with the spiritual leaders that have led by example that you, too, have decided to follow Jesus and that there will be no turning back. Will you be a go—giver?
