Faithful in Good Deeds Pt 2

Good morning. It's good to see you guys. I'm glad you all are here. I want to welcome you and invite you to stand with us. We'll pray and we'll get started.

Father, we thank you for another day. And just thank you for another opportunity, Lord, to be in your house this morning. Just ask your blessing upon this time. Lord, help us to lift a joyful noise to you, God. We love you and we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen.

In sin and death, Lord, we lived apart from you. But, Lord, God, you made a way. You made a way through the waters. You made a way into freedom, God. We just thank you and we can't thank you enough. We praise you this morning, God. We praise your holy name.

They lift Messiah's hand off to my heart, to my eyes, to my feet.

Would you guys go ahead and stand with me for the last one?

Peace like a river, our worship covers.

Yes, Lord God, that is our prayer this morning, God. That heaven would break out. Lord, you've done it before. Now, would you do it again? Bring revival. Bring revival in our lives, Lord God. In our homes, in our schools, in our communities, Lord God. In our country. Lord God, send revival. God, move mightily, Lord, by the work of your Holy Spirit. And by that same Holy Spirit, Lord God, I just ask that you would be with us this morning, God.

Be with Pastor Ryan. Give him the words to speak. And give us ears to hear and hearts to receive it. And, Father, we love you and we praise you. In Jesus' name, amen. Take some time and... And greet one another this morning.

Good morning. If you could begin to find your seat. Grab your bulletin. We'll get ready to go over some announcements.

Welcome to Calvary Chapel. I'm glad that you have joined us this morning. A handful of things to take note of. Over in the middle section of your bulletin, just a reminder that we've got this new church directory coming. There's still some opportunities if you haven't signed up yet. Because she showed me the list the other day and it's like, hey, there's still some folks that go here.

They've not put their name down to get their picture taken yet. We want to know that you go here so that everybody else can say, oh, you know, so-and-so, oh, shoot, let me look. Oh, there it is. That's who they are. Now I get it. So make sure that you're signed up out there. And then this coming Wednesday, October the 1st, we are going to do a worship night.

We try to do those about once a quarter. So come join us for that. Just take a night together to worship the Lord together. Focus our hearts back on Him. And then... The Family Life... One thing that's not in your bulletin is the Family Life Services Banquet is coming up October the 11th. And Calvary has purchased two tables for that. So if you would like seats at one of those tables, please come see me afterwards.

And I think it's eight seats per table. So we've got 16 seats all together. So if you're interested in that, please come talk to me afterwards and I'll put your name on a list so that you can be a part of that. That's October the 11th. It will start at 5 o'clock. I think doors open at 5, dinner served at 5.30. So it's always a great time. It's a great time to be able to support a great ministry here in town.

So those are the things that are going on. If you would make sure that your mobile device is silenced. And for our responsive reading this morning, we are going to be in Psalm 148. Psalm 148. Looking at the New American Standard for the responsive reading. If you need a copy, it should be one in a row around you. And as you are turning to Psalm 148, if you are able,

please stand in the honor of the reading. I will read the odd verses if you will follow along with Pastor Allen and the even verses. Psalm 148. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens. Praise Him in the heights. Praise Him all His angels. Praise Him all His hosts. Praise Him sun and moon. Praise Him all stars of light. Praise Him highest heavens and the waters that are above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the Lord. For He commanded and they were created. He has also established them forever and ever. He has made a decree which will not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, sea monsters and all deeps. Fire and hail, snow and clouds, stormy wind, fulfilling His word. Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars. Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and winged fowl.

Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all judges of the earth. Both young men and virgins. Old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord. For His name alone is exalted. His glory is above earth and heaven. And He has lifted up a horn for His people. Praise for all His godly ones. Even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him. Praise the Lord.

And Father, that's exactly what we want to do here this morning. We just want to praise Your name. For who You are. For what You've done. For Your power in creation. And for the fact that You love us. And saw fit to give us not only Your word, but to bless us with salvation. And so Lord, be with us now as we get into what Your word has to say to us. Lord, may we be drawn near to You.

And may we learn exactly what it is that Your Holy Spirit would have us to learn this morning. And we just pray these things, Father, in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated.

And if you would open up in your Bibles to the book of Titus, chapter 3. The book of Titus, chapter 3. Amen. Today we not only come to the end of our series on faithful and good deeds, but we come to the end of the book of Titus. It was a short little book. But a very powerful little book and a lot to be learned in it. As we came into this last chapter, we looked at faithful and good deeds.

And we said that there was five things He was going to teach us. We looked at the first three last week. That if we are to live as believers in Jesus Christ that are faithful in our good deeds, the first thing that we must do is we must respect the governing authority. Because a heart in rebellion... A heart in rebellion is not able to live a life of good deeds.

So He talked to us about the importance of respecting the governing authorities. The second thing He taught is that we need to have respect for others. Respect for the way others have been created. And simply speaking nicely. Not maligning others. Instead being peaceable towards those that are around us. And then as a reminder to us, He said, Remember what God has done.

Because if we are to be respectful of others, it starts with us understanding, that we are all sinners who have been saved by grace. And we don't come at anyone with an attitude of superiority. Instead we come with an attitude of humility. Knowing what God has done for each one of us. And so with that as a backdrop, we move into the last two. So we pick up in verse 8 of chapter 3.

And this is what it says. This is a trustworthy statement. And concerning these things, I want you to speak confidently. So that those who have believed, that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the law.

For they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man after a first and second warning. Knowing that such a man is perverted and sinning, being self-condemned. When I send Artemis or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me. Make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis. For I have decided to spend the winter there. Diligently help Zenos the lawyer and Apollos on their way.

So that nothing is lacking for them. Our people must learn to engage in good deeds. To meet pressing needs. So that they will not be unfruitful. All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. And so we come to the last two of these things that he tells us. About living a life faithful in Christ. In good deeds. And the fourth thing that he tells us here.

Is he tells us to engage in good deeds. To engage in good deeds. I want you to notice what he says in verse 8. He starts off by saying. This is a trustworthy statement. And concerning these things. I want you to speak confidently. At this point in time. You should ask yourself a question. If you're studying this. What is a trustworthy saying? And what am I supposed to speak confidently?

He goes with the direct context. Of what he had just spoken of before. Remember as he told us to be respectful to others. He said remember who you were. Who you were. Was someone who was enslaved. To the lusts and the pleasures of this world. Someone who was foolish in your understanding. And someone who ultimately had become bitter. Because of sin. And the effects of sin in your life.

And so as one who is deceived and foolish. As one who is enslaved by sin. And as one who is bitter. Over the things of the world. We found ourselves in a hopeless position. Until the mercy of God appeared to us. And as that mercy appeared to us. It saved us. Not by deeds which we have done. But according to God's great mercy. He regenerated us. By the renewing of the Holy Spirit.

And now that we have been regenerated. By the renewing of the Holy Spirit. We have this inheritance. What does he say. As a trustworthy saying. The gospel of Jesus Christ. He says this is a trustworthy saying. And when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because it is a trustworthy statement. Concerning these things. We are to speak confidently. Speak confidently.

Now I think that there is a two fold message here. When it comes to speaking confidently. I think the first thing. In the direct context. Is that Paul is speaking to Titus. Who is a pastor. And as a pastor he is telling him. Speak confidently about these things. Speak confidently about the reality of sin. Speak confidently about the truth. Speak confidently about the reality of grace.

Speak confidently about the reality of salvation. Because it is only the grace of God. Through the mercy of God. That brings the salvation of God. To a generation of people that are lost in their sin. And he tells Titus. He has to speak confidently about these things. You know this isn't the first time. In this book that he has told Titus. That he needs to speak confidently about something.

As a matter of fact a couple of weeks ago. He told him tell them these things. A very similar statement. That would indicate something to me. It would indicate to me that first of all. Titus was in a generation. That probably wasn't going to take the message of the gospel very well. And you probably think to yourself. But the message of the gospel is so happy.

Not in the beginning it is not. Because you know you need a savior. First because you know that you are a sinner. And when you tell somebody that they are a sinner. They don't like to hear that. And so it is a little bit hard to speak boldly. And to speak confidently the gospel. In Titus' generation that was a hard thing to do. But I think that there is a second thing.

That is true about this. The second thing that is true. It doesn't matter what generation you are in. If you are a pastor. It is hard to speak confidently about the gospel of Jesus Christ. You would be amazed at the people that call me. And say were you speaking confidently. About what took place with Charlie Kirk. When all of that went down. About the events that happened that entire week.

And I said yeah. I mean what else am I going to do. That is what is going on in the culture. Jesus is the only answer for the culture. I have to address the culture with the truth of Jesus. My pastor didn't. And I was kind of amazed by that. Because it is a hard thing to speak confidently. About the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a hard thing to speak confidently.

About the things going on in culture. And it is a hard thing to speak confidently. About the sin that is destroying us. But if we don't do it. Then ultimately. That blood is on my hands. Then ultimately. At some point in time. People are led astray. And they are led away from the truth. And they don't think Jesus is that great of a savior. And so all I can do.

Heart beating fast. Is to absolutely speak the truth. As confidently as I possibly can. So first of all. It is a message to pastors. And it is a message to anybody who would teach a bible study. Who would teach a Sunday school class. Who would work with children. Who would be a youth pastor. You name it. If you are going to be up there. And you are going to declare the truth of the word of God.

Then the bible says to do it. Because that is what it means to be faithful in good deeds. But the second aspect of speaking confidently. Gets me off the hook. And now I get to look at you guys. And realize that all of you. As disciples of Jesus Christ. Are called and commissioned. To make other disciples. And so I would tell you the same thing. Speak confidently.

I developed this saying. When I worked construction. With knowledge comes confidence. I have told this story before. I remember early on when I was working construction. I did not know very much about it. And we were finishing off this closet. And it is this piece of melamine board. Which means it is white on both sides. And it is a finished white on both sides.

And I put the screw in the wrong place. I put it out in the. Further out from what was going to be covered. And so there is just this big screw hole here. And I missed the stud. I missed everything. It was a real bummer. And I am brand new. I am a young kid at this point in time. And it is just forever. He is just this old retired trim carpenter. That only works a couple of days a week for us.

And I went up to him and I said. I do not know what to do. I put the screw in the wrong place. And he looked at me. And he looked at the board. And he looked at me. And he looked at the board. And he goes I put the screw in a different place. And he walked away. You know why? Because he knew he could fix that. And that knowledge gave him confidence. Do you know why sometimes you all are not confident.

To speak the truth of the word of God. Partly it is because of fear. And you are scared of what people are going to say. But second of all it is because you do not have enough knowledge yet. And I am not saying you cannot have enough knowledge. But sometimes you do not have enough knowledge of thinking that. It does not matter what man has to say. It only matters what God has to say.

And it is a whole lot more important to pay attention. To what God has to say. Than what man has to say. And when that knowledge takes its grip on you. Pretty soon you have all of it. You have all the confidence in the world. Because you realize like Paul. For me to live is Christ. And for me to die is gain. So whatever happens on the in between time. I just have to keep following God.

Because he is the only guy I am going to stand before in eternity. I am not going to stand before all of these other people. And that knowledge. Brings confidence. And so brothers and sisters. Understand the confidence that you have in Christ. So that you can speak confidently. This trustworthy saying. Of the gospel. He says. This is a trustworthy statement.

And concerning these things I want you to speak confidently. Why does he want him to speak confidently about these things? Notice what it says next. So that those who have believed. God. Will be careful to engage in good deeds. So that those who have believed. Will be careful to engage in good deeds. I want to look at a couple of words in here. The first word I want to look at is engage.

That word engage means to give careful attention to. That word engage means to give careful attention to. To give careful attention to. To give careful attention to. And the idea is that you will focus. You will give careful attention to the way that you live your life. So that you live your life with good deeds. But the second phrase I want to look at is. I want to look at good deeds.

That means good works. You see sometimes. As believers. We can only be known for what we don't do. We can only be known for what we disagree with. We can only be known for what we're negative about. about, and we're not always known for what we actually do. And that's sometimes a problem in the church. Instead, we should be known by the deeds that we take part in. We should be known

by the things that we do. Kenneth Weiss put it like this. He said, give careful thought and attention to busy yourself in good works. And the idea is this. When you know the gospel in your life, when the gospel has taken its hold on your life, it now affects the way that you live. We are not saved by our good works. We are saved for good works. Faith alone saves,

but faith that saves is never alone. I thought that was a great statement. Faith alone saves, but faith that saves is never alone. It automatically motivates us towards good works because we want to do what God has called for us to do. Well, you know me. I'm not content just to say, so go engage in good deeds. I always ask myself a question. Well, if I'm supposed to be careful, if I'm supposed to take thought to engage in good

deeds, to give careful attention to the living out of good deeds, my question is, what are those good deeds? What am I supposed to be doing? I like to put shoes on it and make it walk. I like to make sure I understand so that I don't just spout some platitude to you. I show you what it looks like. I show you what it looks like. I show you what it looks like. I show you what it looks

like to work out in everyday life. Well, I got to thinking about a handful of things. I thought about what Jesus had to say about good deeds. I thought what some of the epistles had to say about good deeds. And there's a good long list of things that are the good deeds, the good works that we're supposed to be doing. I wrote down five of them, five categories of good deeds that I

think we should be engaging in. We should be careful. We should give careful attention to in our daily life, in our response to the gospel. The first of those good deeds, is prayer. The first of those good deeds is prayer. Listen, sometimes we have to realize that prayer is not the precursor to the battle. Prayer is the battle. Prayer is the battle that we engage in in our lives on a daily basis. It's the good work that takes part in our own life.

But ultimately, prayer is to get us engaged in the good works in the lives around us. I'll remind you that we have this beautiful communication system here. And if you're not signed up for it, you should get signed up for it. And if you're not signed up for it, you should get signed up for it. It's called Flocknote. And there's some information, I think, in your bulletin. And even right as you go

out the door on the left-hand side, on the north side of the door there, as you head out to give you the information of how to sign up for Flocknote. I don't send those out so that it can be the gossip sesh for you. I send those out so that you can pray for them. Because that's engaging in good works. That's engaging in good deeds. Because when you see those things, you can now

go into your prayer closet, and you can actually go to war for those on behalf of God. And that's what we call intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer. That is going into prayer on behalf of another. And that is a good work. You know, sometimes we say, is there anything I can do for you? Is there anything I can do for you? Oh, just pray. And we say it every time. And we don't

mean it the way it sounds. But sometimes we kind of do mean it the way it sounds. You know, really all that's left now to do is pray. When quite frankly, the only thing that we could do is pray. Because that's what actually does the work. That's where spiritual warfare begins to take place. And we should engage in that on a consistent basis. Again, not to make things about someone that

I love, but I remember my dad telling people at points in time, when they couldn't do anything else, he would say, there's always prayer. You can always pray. There's always a good work that you can engage in. And I will never forget sitting next to him in his recliner in those last few days. And he said, I have finally had to take the advice that I have given to so many other people

over the years. I want to do more, but I can't. And so I will do the greatest work. I will pray. And that's how he spent the last of his days, is praying. I mean, I think one of the greatest moments for me in the process of my dad going home to be with the Lord is in the midst of his confusion. And God blessed him. Sometimes he would talk and we would be like, I'm sorry, come again?

I don't know what you just said there. That didn't make any sense. And so because of everything that was going on with him, and sometimes it was rather comedic in nature, we probably should have written some of it down. We may have. We probably won't share it with anybody. Anyway, neither here nor there. But I'll never forget talking to him about some kids that were coming back to help me with FCA and some college kids that were coming back.

And in the middle of us talking about that, he just broke into the only thing that made sense that he said all day long. He broke into spontaneous prayer for these kids that were coming back that were going to help me. went into this great prayer for them, and I'm like, I think that's the first time he's made sense the entire day because he knew that the one good work that he could engage in, the one good deed he could engage in was prayer. And you may not know how to reach everybody else around you.

You may not know how to serve everyone else around you, but you can still pray because that's the greatest work for you to engage in. So number one is prayer. Number two is just serving. I know that sounds like a very generic term, but I left it generic for a purpose because if I told you serve in these ways, you would go, these are the only ways I can serve.

You just need to serve the people that are around you. You should serve the neighbors that live around you. You should serve the people that sit around you right now. Maybe every now and then just message one of them and say, hey, how can I serve you today? You should serve the people at the grocery store that you see struggling with their groceries. You should serve by putting the grocery cart back

and not leaving it in the ding-dong middle of the parking lot, right? That burns my biscuits every time I see it. You should serve in any way that you possibly can because serving is a good work. Why do we serve others? Because what did Jesus teach us? The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. And so if I want to engage in good deeds,

I put my work gloves on, I put my work boots on, and I go help people out. I go do the work of the ministry by doing work, and we serve other people. There's so many ways to do it. But that's why I left it very generic. The third way that we can engage in good deeds is by giving. This is not my tithing statement. I'm not even going to go into that. This has nothing to do with you giving

to the work of the ministry here at church. This has everything to do with you being generous with the people that are around you, with the people that are in need. God has blessed us, especially as a nation, with an abundance unlike anyone else has ever seen before. And if you have the means, one of the best things you can do is to give. One of the best things that you can do to engage in good deeds

is to use those means to serve the people that are around you, to meet the needs of those who are around you who have come up a little bit short or who are having a little bit of trouble, or perhaps supporting a missionary overseas or a missionary organization overseas, or a missionary organization right here, like Family Life Services, that is meeting the needs of the community by not only teaching mothers what it looks like to be a good mother, to their children, and doing ultrasounds so that they can see, hey, this is a real-life baby that I don't want to destroy through abortion, but also now branching into teaching young men how to be fathers. So maybe you give a little bit to that because that's the good work that you can engage in.

You can't actually be the one who maybe ministers to the mothers or the fathers in that way, but you can give to support the ones who are in that position. That's engaging in good deeds. And you know what the beautiful thing is? That now goes to your account in God's eyes. It's as if you did it yourself because that's called ministry partnership. Giving is a way that we can engage in good deeds.

Number four, and I just threw this in because I think it's important. I think studying God's word is a really important aspect of engaging in good deeds because it's really hard to be confidently knowledgeable about what God wants you to do unless you are engaged in the study of the word of God. As a matter of fact, in the next book that we get, we get to 2 Timothy, he'll tell Timothy to be diligent to present himself as approved unto God, a workman who doesn't need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. And I think that that's a very important thing for us to engage in as believers in Jesus Christ.

And this last one is why that's important to engage in. Number five, I think the way that we engage in good deeds is by disciple making, is by disciple making. I actually believe, and we're going to talk about this in a minute, but I actually believe, and we're going to talk about this in a minute, and we talked about this a lot when I was at my training camp a couple of weeks ago. It's really hard to say that you're a disciple of Jesus Christ if you're not also making disciples.

I actually think that it's impossible for you to be a disciple of Jesus Christ without also taking part in the making of other disciples of Jesus Christ because that's what God calls us to do. That's what he told his disciples to do when he left. He said, now you go and take this message and make disciples. Therefore, if I'm going to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, which is what a disciple is, then I should also be making disciples.

And I know what everybody says, I don't know enough to make disciples. Actually, you do. And if you feel like you don't know enough, see number four. It's time for you to study God's word because honestly, brothers and sisters, too many times we as Christians are content to be milk drinkers instead of meat eaters. And because we're content to be milk drinkers,

not meat eaters, we can't make disciples. We can't make disciples of Jesus Christ because we're still spiritual babies that need burped all the time instead of actually becoming mature ourselves and then going through the process of making other disciples. Ryan, where do I start making disciples? Well, start in your house. Start in your house with your kids

by making a disciple of your children. Then step out and start doing it in other ways. Some people need to get involved, and I'll say this till I die. Some people need to get involved down there at the other end of the hallway during second service. And you need to start making disciples of those kids because they need to see adults that love Jesus, adults that are authentic in their walk with Jesus Christ,

teaching them what God's word has to say. They need to see that. We have an entire youth group full of kids. Do you realize that between junior high and high school youth group, we have between 50 and 60 kids that show up here every Wednesday night that are from sixth grade through 12th grade. That's how many we got. There's a great place to make some disciples.

Now listen, I'm probably gonna background check you for both of those things. If you come to me and you wanna make disciples in those places because I love them more than I love you. But at the end of the day, they need to be made disciples. And they need to see people. They don't need you to be perfect. They just need you to be authentic. Authentic people who love Jesus

that teach them and tell them of their own personal errors and victories and what Jesus has done in their life. That's making disciples. And maybe for you, it's finding somebody else. Who's newer in the faith than you and saying, let's just talk about what we've been reading in God's word together. And let's sharpen each other just a little bit. Maybe it's showing up to one of the home fellowships

where you are pouring into the people that are around you as you are being poured into yourself. It's called the disciple making strategy. Disciples making disciples. And if we will engage in that, then we will transform a culture. We'll change the culture of the church. And we'll change the culture of the city because it'll be disciples constantly making disciples.

So if you want to engage in good deeds, disciple making is a great way to do that. And so Paul tells them, this is a trustworthy saying because this gospel is so precious. Therefore, speak it confidently so that people can become those who engage in good deeds. And why do we need to become people who engage in good deeds? Because these are good and profitable.

That's what it says right there at the end of verse eight. It's these things. These things are good and profitable for men. In other words, they are fruitful. They will produce fruit in your life and they will produce fruit in the lives of the people around you. It will be a great profitable thing to the culture and a profitable thing to the church. And that's what the church has always been.

The church, anywhere the church truly does what the church is called to do, people are set free, poverty is eliminated, and people live a better life. Because God ultimately calls them to freedom and to discipleship and disciple making. And they stop looking at just themselves and they look at the culture around them as their mission field. He says this is good and it is profitable.

So the fourth thing he tells them to do is he tells them to engage in good deeds. But now the fifth thing that he tells them to do, and this is important, is to avoid dissension. To avoid dissension. Notice what he says in verse nine. Avoid controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the law for they are unprofitable and worthless. He says avoid controversies.

Avoid controversies. What does it look like to avoid a controversy? Well, he describes it three ways. Number one, foolish controversies. I love this because it allows me to say words that everybody else says you shouldn't say. What are foolish controversies? I think this was in the Amplified Bible. These are foolish, ill-informed, and stupid, right? Don't you just sometimes, when you hear somebody talk,

want to be like, that's stupid. And what does everybody say? You can't use that word. Really? Because it's in the Bible. I can use it. Because sometimes when things are stupid, the best thing you can do for somebody is to tell them, listen, that's stupid and you need to know that. That's a foolish statement. That is an ill-informed statement that you just made.

These are foolish controversies. And now watch this happen. This is going to happen over and over again. People get lost in the weeds. They major in the minors. And they absolutely miss the point of the gospel. Are there going to be some things that we disagree on? 100%. We are all very different people. And we all think very different ways. I mean, I bet some of you are Alabama fans in here, right?

And you all think very, I'm just kidding. I love you Alabama fans too. You know, all of you think very different ways. Sorry. We had a big game against Georgia last night. I think there's a Georgia fan in here too. Maybe, I don't know. Anyway, we all think very different ways. And that's okay. We're not always going to agree on everything. So don't turn everything into a major issue.

Don't get caught up in the weeds of all of the controversies. Don't get caught up in the stupidity of all of the things. Listen, brothers and sisters, sometimes the best thing you can do is just get off the internet, right? And just get into the Bible. You know what I have found? Is that if you just read the Bible and you don't follow some teaching with a man's name attached to it,

you'll never come across that teaching with a man's name attached to it. Because you'll find that it, some of it may fit into scripture, but some of it gets away from scripture. And so if you just stick with the simplicity of what the word of God has to say, then you'll find you'll miss out on a whole lot of foolish controversies. One of the other foolish controversies is like, who's the antichrist?

Well, I don't know yet. I'm not looking for the antichrist. I'm looking for Jesus, right? There's all kinds of them out there. And he says, avoid them. The word avoid is really interesting. The word avoid literally means to turn around and walk the other way. That's literally what that word means. And so when you see a stupid argument coming up, sometimes the best thing you can do is go,

this is just an unhealthy place for me to be. I should just walk away now. After you tell them what they said is stupid. I don't know, that's up to you. That's you and Jesus. You gotta figure that one out. Follow the leading of the spirit on that. He says to avoid foolish controversies. And then to avoid genealogies, strife, and disputes over the law. Genealogies, strife, and disputes over the law.

These are the things that they were getting caught up in at this point in time. Their foolish controversies fit into these three categories. Genealogies, strife, and disputes over the law. And at the end of the day, I'll just leave you with this. Be careful getting caught up in a doctrine with a man's name on it unless that man's name is Jesus. Be careful getting caught up in a doctrine

with a man's name on it unless that man's name is Jesus. Because one thing I have found in the middle of every controversial thing that takes place in the church, if you get back to Jesus, you'll always find the source of the truth. If you get back to the Word, you'll always get back to the point where everybody's on the same page. If everybody can get back to the simplicity of the Word.

But he says, avoid these things. We have to pay attention to it because if we get caught up in it, then pretty soon we've stopped promoting Jesus. And we've started promoting our crazy idea. And that brings them to the next thing that he says here. He says, to reject a factious man. Reject a factious man. That word factious means a divisive man that promotes heresy

and causes dissension. A divisive man that promotes heresy and causes dissension. Okay, I just want you to think, how many times has something like this come up in the pastoral epistles? Have you noticed that? Like this gets brought up a lot in the pastoral epistles. You know why? Because there's always going to be someone out there who, when they see a ministry become successful,

decide that they want to be a part of it too. Not because they want to add to the ministry, but because they want to add to their ministry. Because they want to add to their kingdom. And because Satan will always sow some sort of terrors in amongst the wheat. And people are always looking to try to divide. And so he says, reject a factious man. In other words, deal with a factious man.

Deal with those people who are spreading heresy and causing dissension. Now listen, sometimes they do that through the spreading of false teaching, but sometimes it's just done through simple, selfish motives. And you have to be able to identify the two things. And as a pastor, sometimes I have to look like a mean guy. Because someone who just looks like, oh, they're just so sincere,

they're so genuine in everything that they have to say. But God will give a little bit of a look into what's really going on and I'll just go, man, I feel bad that I feel the way I do about that person. But why do I feel the way I do about that person? Why does it feel like they should not be a part of this? And then all of a sudden, their true colors shine through

and you're like, oh, there it is. That's why we feel that way. And so that has to be paid attention to. It has to be paid attention to when someone is starting to spread heresy, when someone is starting to spread false teaching, but also when somebody is trying to create their own group within the church that's opposed to everything else that the church has to say.

He says, reject them. That we're just trying to create our own group within the church that's opposed to everything else that the church has to say. He says, reject them. That we're just trying to create our own group within the church that the church has to say. The word reject means have nothing to do with them. Have nothing to do with them. And it's a harsh statement that's made,

but it's a necessary statement that's made. And again, Titus is living in a place called Crete where there was all kinds of evil men around him and he had to have his eyes wide open and he had to be willing to make the hard stands when necessary. I want you to notice the fact that this rejection doesn't take place in just one fell swoop. Notice what it says in verse 10.

Reject a factious man after a first and a second warning, but when all that's done, it still needs to be dealt with. Why? Verse 11, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning and is self-condemned. He is sinning and he is self-condemned by forming a sect or a party within the church. And I will remind you that this is not Paul's first rodeo in dealing with this. After all, one of his earliest books

that was written is the book of 1 Corinthians. And if you remember very much about the book of 1 Corinthians, he spends the first one-third of the book dealing with division in the church. It's always been an issue. It will always be an issue because anytime that there's body, there's body odor. But you have to deal with the body odor in order to keep everybody coming,

right? And so he says, reject a factious man. And so he says, if you want to live a life of good deeds, you have to respect the authority. You have to respect others. You have to remember what God has done. You need to engage in good deeds. You need to engage in good deeds. And you need to avoid dissension. Well, now we come to the very end of the book, and I've simply entitled this, Final Words. Notice what it says in verse 12.

When I send Artemis or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Diligently help Zenos the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them. Our people must learn to engage in good deeds, to meet pressing needs so that they will not be unfruitful. All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you

all. He starts off these final words with a request, a request of Titus. He said, make every effort to come see me. Remember, he had left Titus behind in Crete, mainly for the purpose of establishing good church. He had left Titus behind in Crete, mainly for the purpose of establishing good church. He had left Titus behind in Crete, mainly for the purpose of establishing good church.

leadership there. But there would be two men that would come and would be of great assistance to him. And he told him who these two guys were going to be. And I love this because we are reminded in this that this is a real person writing a real letter to another real person, that this isn't just some hyperbole. It's not just some philosophical work. This was actual communication

between Paul and Titus. And he tells them, these two guys are coming, Artemis and Tychicus. And when they come, they'll take over the ministry for you there. They'll pick up where you've left off. But he says something really interesting to Titus. He says, but you make every effort to come see me. My goal is to spend the winter in Nicopolis, and I'd love to have you there with me.

I think it's interesting that Paul says that. Remember, Paul's nearing the end of not only his ministry life, but he's nearing the end of his life. As a matter of fact, the book 2 Timothy that we'll get to momentarily, or in a few weeks, will be Paul's last book. The last known words from him. And so as he's getting to the end of his life, he's thinking about the people that he loves

the most, wanting to be around the people that he loves the most. And maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I don't think I am. I think as Paul has been through the things that he's been through in life, and knowing that his life is drawing to a close, he wanted his young disciples around him. And so he tells Titus, he says, make every effort to come see me. These guys, they'll

pick up where you leave off. But you make every effort to come see me. And I was kind of reminded of something as I read that. It just struck me. Again, maybe from the Lord, maybe from too much coffee, but it's what struck me. At this point in time in his ministry, Paul just wanted to be surrounded by the people he loved the most. Because he realized the importance of community. He realized the importance of having

those around him that he could lean on in some of the hardest times. I bring that up because sometimes I think in our individualized culture that we live in, we sometimes forget the importance of community. We forget the importance of the fact that we were never intended to do this life on our own. We were never intended to be lone wolves. And that comes from a guy who

tends to be a loner. Because the older that I get, the more I realize I was never intended to live this life alone. I was never intended to try to do it on my own, just like you were never intended to try to do it on your own. And one of the things about our culture today, especially since 2020, is that we have become so separated as a culture. We've become so individual and isolated as a culture that we forget about the

importance of community. We forget that God has given us each other to be a family. I got to be a part of a worship night on Thursday night with a bunch of college kids, and it was so much fun. And before we sang the last song, I said, I just want you guys to listen to this. I'm going to sing this last song. And I want you to think about the fact that you're family. This is your family. You're all from very

different backgrounds. You're all from very different families. You're from very different cities, very different states, some of you even different countries. But at the end of the day, there's one thing that bonds all of you together, and that is Jesus Christ. I said, now get a little awkward. Put your arm around the person next to you, and let's sing this last song. And you and I

noticed, I noticed three lines of people, all interconnected, sometimes swaying together, sometimes not swaying together, because that's the way it works, and belting out. It was the loudest song we sang all night. Because we all need to be reminded that we're a community. And Paul knew in this last stretch of his life, he needed his people around him. He needed his community around him.

And I say that to all of us to say, look around at each other for a minute. Go ahead. Let's just take a second. Look around at each other. This is your family. This is who we are. And as my good friend Jerry Horton used to say, you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your family. We're stuck with each other. But that's who we are. We're

family. Don't try to do this life alone. Do this life with each other. Allow each other to be who we rely on the most. You know what I love is that I can't get you people out of here before second service half the time, because you all stick around and talk to each other, and I love that. I love that after second service, I don't leave very early unless I have something I have to go do

or somebody I'm supposed to meet for lunch, because we all stick around and talk for a really long time. And I love that, because that's who you are, your family. And that's what family's supposed to do. Amen? And so he says, make every effort to come see me, because I just, I need my family around me. I need my friends around me. I need the encouragement of my friends that are around me.

The second thing he says in these final words is, he says, diligently help these travelers. This is what it says in verse 13. He says, diligently help Zenos the lawyer and Apollos on their way, so that nothing is lacking for them. Our people must learn to engage in good deeds, to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful. He gives two names. One of them we've heard before. The other one, really, nobody knows

who he was. This is the only mention of him in Scripture, and that's Zenos the lawyer. And we don't even know what kind of a lawyer he is. He's a lawyer. He's a lawyer. He's a lawyer. He's a lawyer. He was. At that point in time, a lawyer could have either been someone who was an expert in the Mosaic law, or they could have been an expert in civil law. We really don't know who

this guy was beyond that, from everything that I've read. It was just a lawyer. Somebody that was coming along, traveling with this guy named Apollos. We do, we do know who Apollos was. Apollos was that great orator, that, that great teacher of God's Word, who had become such a good friend, and such a good ministry partner of Paul. And as Paul said, hey, listen, you need to know,

Zenos and Apollos, they're going to be traveling through too, okay? I'm not totally sure when, but can you make sure that they've got everything that they need? He says, so that, so that nothing is lacking for them. Diligently make sure that nothing is lacking for them. And then he says, this is an opportunity for you to engage in good deeds. Notice what he says,

because our people must learn to engage in good deeds. You see, this would be the practical opportunity that they had to serve someone else that was around them. To serve someone that maybe they didn't even know, but this was their practical opportunity to serve, so that they could engage in good deeds, and to meet pressing needs. That word pressing needs means whatever the occasion may require. And can I say, what a beautiful way for

us to look at the way we live a life of good deeds. The way that we live a life of engaging is good, in good deeds, is to meet the need of whatever the occasion may require. Listen, from day to day, we don't know what's going to come up. From day to day, you don't know what's going to come up with someone else's life. And so you need to be able and willing to meet

the need for whatever the occasion may require. And as a body, that's our goal. And as an individual, that should be your goal, is to be those who would meet the pressing needs of the people that are around us, to meet the pressing needs of the people that are coming through, to meet the pressing needs of the people who have those needs, whatever the occasion may require. Do you know what it takes to meet the needs of whatever the occasion may require?

It takes flexibility. Oh, we could become really rigid, can't we? Well, this is the way it's supposed to be. This is what my plan was for today, and I have to follow my plan for today. You know what God's really good at doing? Jacking up your plan for today, right? Welcome to my every day, right? In the morning, I'm like, okay, this is what I have planned for today.

Jesus, you know better, right? That's what I'm learning to say. And I have to be like, well, that's not what I'm doing today, because that's not the pressing need. That's not what's really going on right now. That's not what really needs to happen right now. What really needs to happen is this. And I've had to learn, and I'm still having to learn, to not be rigid, to set my

schedule aside, to set the things aside, to set what I need to do aside, to be able to meet the need of the people around me. I remember hearing a story from a couple one time. Their names are Stuart and Stuart. They were musicians that used to come through here like a million years ago, and now they do ministry down in Oklahoma City. And they told a story about somebody that they helped

out one time, and they said that there was someone who had, I think through a substance — this has been a long time since I heard this story — I think it was through a substance abuse issue. They were passed out in the middle of the street, and it was sort of a Good Samaritan sort of a thing. It was the middle of rush hour. And every single car is driving around this individual that's passed out in the middle of the street.

And so they decided that they would just stop. They were on their way somewhere too. They had places to be. They decided to stop and to help this individual. So they put them in the car, took them to the hospital, got them treatment, made sure that they were taken care of, and that person ended up getting saved. Ended up coming to faith in Jesus through that process, all because they decided to

meet the need that was in front of them. Whatever the occasion required. And so he says, teach them these things. Why? So that they will not be unfruitful. This is the third time this idea of fruitfulness or profitability has come up, right? Engage in good deeds because it's profitable. Don't engage in foolish dissensions because that's unprofitable, and make sure that they

follow these good deeds so that they don't become an unfruitful individual. God's desire for us is to be fruitful. After all, what were we told in John 15? Abide in the vine and you will bear much fruit because that's God's desire for us. And so he says, engage in these things, teach them to engage in these things so that they will not be unfruitful. And then he closes with this, all who are with me greet you.

Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. What a beautiful moment for Titus, who probably read this letter. First, before he read it to the different creation churches, to be reminded that he was not alone in his battle. To be reminded that there were other people who were living for the Lord too, that there were other people in other places that he was not alone.

Because what's the way that we feel oftentimes when we're living for God in the middle of an unholy culture? I'm the only one. It's just me. Elijah did it. Paul did it. Everybody does it. I'm the only one. But Paul writes this letter and he says, I'm the only one. I'm the only one. I'm the only one. I'm the only one. I'm the only one. I'm the only one. I'm the only one.

I'm the only one. I'm the only one. I'm the only one. Everybody who here, that's here, that loves the Lord greet you. Everybody says hi. Now, I want you to imagine what it would have been like. Imagine I'm Titus standing up here, right, and I'm reading this letter to you that I've just gotten. Like, I got some correspondence from Paul. It's mainly some instructions from me.

But I feel like it's instructions for everyone, so I'm going to read it to you as well. And when he gets to the very end, he says, and all who are with me greet you. And as Cretan believers who are living in an unholy culture, I want you to read this letter to me. holy culture, you're reminded there's other churches out there. There's other churches out there that are going through the same things we're going through. There's other churches out there

that are facing the same struggles that we're facing. There's other churches out there that are trying to live for God too and trying to spread the gospel too. We're not the only one. All who are with me greet you. Greet everyone from us. In other words, make sure everybody there knows how much we love them. And then he ends the way he started. Grace be with you all.

I love the theme that always flows through Paul's letters, and I feel like the older Paul got, the more this theme flowed through his letters. And it's always my favorite line in Amazing Grace because he says, His grace has brought us safe thus far, and it's His grace that will lead us home. Brothers and sisters, our one and only God, our one hope in this life is the grace of God. Our one hope in this life is that God's grace will be the continual sustaining factor that we have in our lives. Amen? Let's all stand.

And if you'd bow with me. Father, we come before you, Lord, and I just thank you for the time that we've been able to have in your word this morning. Lord, I thank you for challenging words that challenge us to get outside of our comfort zones, that challenge us to get outside of our little worlds. And Lord, to love on the people that are around us, to love on the family that's around us, to engage in good deeds, to love on the people that are around us. And Lord, I pray that you

would continue to work that truth into our hearts and souls so that we become a church that is not just known for what we're against, Lord, but that we become a church that's known for what we do. And so, Father, continue that good work in us, we pray. In Jesus' name, amen. Be blessed. Thank you for your word. Lord, it is sharp and powerful. And God, I just pray that as

we leave here today, each and every day, in Jesus' name. Guys, have a wonderful week. God bless you.