Devoted to Good Works

Introduction

Well, good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I want to invite you, if you will, to open up to Paul’s letter to Titus, Titus chapter 1, at least as a beginning place. Uh we’ll end up in chapter 3 before we’re done. Uh if you have been going through the the one-year Bible reading schedule, then you read through this very long book this last week. You know, all three chapters of it. uh did it over the course of three days.

I mean didn’t want to strain anybody. So chapter one one day, chapter two the next and then chapter three. But one thing you see when you look at the scriptures, one principle of good Bible study is that there are certain things that we ought to look for as we study. And among those things that we ought to look for are words or phrases that are repeated multiple times. And so repetition is one of the ways that the biblical writers emphasize uh the importance of something. You know, if you see something that shows up more than one time as you’re reading through a book of the Bible, for example, there’s probably a good reason for that.

And so in Paul’s letter to Titus, one of the words that keeps coming up again and again is the word good. And as we begin this evening, I kind of want us to just take a tour of what is said in this short letter. Uh we’ll get again to the end of it in just a moment. But here in chapter 1 in verse 8, someone who serves as an elder, Paul says, must be one who loves what is good. Or as another translation puts it, one who is devoted to what is good. In verse 16 of chapter 1, when Paul talked about the fact that there were false teachers on the island of Cree, he pointed out that one of their characteristics is that they were unfit for any good work.

As Paul addressed the responsibilities of people at various stages in life in chapter 2 and verse three, Paul would say, “Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good.” In verse 7 of [clears throat] chapter 2, Titus himself uh in the work he was given to do on the island of Cree as an evangelist was told, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works.” Jesus in verse 14 gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. At the beginning of chapter 3, Paul addressed some things about which Christians on the island of Cree needed to be reminded and among them was the fact that they must be in verse one ready for every good work. A few verses later in verse 8, 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. And then finally, [clears throat and cough] as you come to the very end of the letter, verse 14, Paul says, ‘ Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful. It’s almost like he’s trying to tell us something in all that, isn’t it? If we pay attention as we read what Paul wrote to Titus, it’s hard not to see that he is emphasizing something here that is extremely important. And so in our study this evening, I want us to to focus primarily on that last verse that we just read and talk about the fact that our people must learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful. That’s really kind of just a restatement of the theme that runs throughout the letter.

1. Devotion to Good Works Is Necessary

And so the first thing that I I want to point out about this that that Paul tells us is that devotion to good works is something that’s necessary. It’s something that is essential. And so many translations say something like this. Our people must learn to to devote them to devote themselves to good works. And so when you look at that, I mean, who is our people? Who are you talking about, Paul?

Well, it’s those who belong to Christ, right? As Paul would say in chapter 2:14 again, Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. He’s just talking about the people of God there. He’s talking about the disciples of Christ. And so, one of the the reasons for our existence as a people in the first place is so that we can engage in these good works. That’s what Paul was saying, isn’t it?

And that’s important for us to recognize. And one of the reasons why it’s important is because there are times, I think, when we’re tempted to to define ourselves simply by by what we believe or maybe sometimes by the things that we don’t do. And and I think we see that, you know, on occasion. How often do we measure our faithfulness in those terms? And so we say things or, you know, we may think them. We may not say them out loud, but we think things like, you know, well, I don’t I don’t drink and I don’t I don’t say bad words and I I don’t do this and I don’t do that and and therefore I must be faithful.

And yet, we need to recognize that there is more involved in being a Christian than just abstaining from things that are wrong. As important as that is, I mean, that’s part of it. There’s no doubt about it. But there’s more to it. This is not the only place where that kind of principle is dealt with. For example, in Ephesians chapter 2, uh, beginning in verse 8, Paul would talk about the fact that by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not of your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast. Then he would say in verse 10, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. It’s just part of who we are as the people of God. And so we need to be aware of that that it’s not just a matter of, you know, this is what I don’t do. He created us in Christ to do something.

And we also need to be aware of that idea that says, you know, we’re faithful just because we believe the right things and we can quote the right passages. We know what the Bible says. And again, I am not criticizing belief in the right things or the ability to quote scripture. That’s not my point. I’m saying again that there is more to being a Christian than just that. You know, James in James chapter 2 would point out that that even the the demons believe the very same things that you and I believe.

And James chapter 2 and verse 19, you believe that God is one. You do well. Great. James says, even the demons believe and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless. You can’t separate those two things.

the faith that we have and the kind of people that we are to be, those things go together. And as for quoting scripture, the devil can probably quote more scripture than all of us put together. And so the real question is, what do we do with it? What do we do with what we know? When Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 3 and:es 16-1 17 passage that is probably f familiar to most of us who are here this evening Paul would say all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching for reproof for correction and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete equipped for what? Equipped for every good work.

That’s what the scriptures do for us. And so being a Christian is not just about coming together a few times during the week and partaking of the Lord’s supper on Sunday and you know singing without instrumental music and speaking where the Bible speaks. As important as each of those things are being a Christian is to be in the business of doing good. It’s actually to take the lead in that area. And and there’s a reason why I word things that way. The word that’s translated in our text to devote to devote themselves to good works is an interesting word.

Some of the other translations render it with phrases like to engage in good works or to maintain good works. And it’s been said that this word was used at times as kind of a technical term to to mean to practice a profession. In fact, one translation even puts it this way that our people ought to learn to make it their business to do good. We are in the business of doing good and it ought to be our profession so to speak. And yet more than that we ought to take the lead in doing so. And that also seems to be implied in this this very same word.

In fact, there are a number of passages in the New Testament where it’s used with regard to leadership. For example, in 1 Timothy 3 and verse4 when Tim when Paul talked to Timothy about the qualifications for elders, he said that a man who would serve as an elder must manage his own household well. In other words, he must lead well. Same root word in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 12, Paul would say there, “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. Those who are over you are leaders.” And again, same word.

And it seems to me that Paul may have been saying in our passage that that our people are not only in the business of doing good, but that we need to learn to take the lead in that. We need to be at the forefront of that. And the truth is, whether or not that’s Paul, what Paul meant to say, I think that’s still a true statement. Christians are to be at the forefront when it comes to good works. If nothing else, being a Christian is about being like Jesus. You know, Paul would say in Ephesians 4:13 that we are to grow up to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

And Jesus himself was described as someone who went about doing good. Acts 10 and verse 38 says, does that describe us? And so whether or not we engage in good works really determines whether or not we are fruitful. And that’s what Paul says here. If you look at at Titus 3:14 again, let our people learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful. He says, you if there’s one thing you can say about Paul, it’s that he was constantly concerned about Christians bearing fruit for God in their lives.

For example, he said that he didn’t cease to pray for the the saints in Colasse in Colossians chapter 1 and verse 10. And the reason is because he was concerned about them quote bearing fruit in every good work. That’s what he wanted for them. That’s what he was concerned about. That’s what he prayed to God about. Now, let me ask you this.

How often do we focus on things like that in our prayers, in our prayers for one another, in our prayers for our our own lives for that matter? You know, Jesus would say in John 15:es 1 and two, he’d say, “I am the vine or the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit.” And in essence, what Jesus pointed out is that there are two options. That you only have two choices here.

And the first of those is that as a branch, we can bear fruit and we can abide in Christ who is the vine. And that’s what God wants for us. Later in that same chapter, John 15:8, Jesus would say there, “By this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit and prove to be my disciples.” The fruit we bear is proof of the fact that we are disciples of Jesus. But the other option there, we can be unfruitful and no longer abide in Christ. He says in verse two again, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away.”

And I’ll just go and tell you that doesn’t sound very positive, does it? It’s because it’s not. There is no such thing as a disciple who doesn’t bear fruit. That’s not on the list. You get multiple choice, but there only two options there. And so, either we bear fruit or we are not really disciples of Jesus.

2. Devotion to Good Works Is Learned

Devotion to good works is necessary. But the second thing that I want you to see is that devotion to good works is learned. I think if there’s one thing that, you know, is at least implied in our passage, it’s that being devoted to good works isn’t necessarily something that comes naturally to us. And I recognize again, we read it in Ephesians 2 and:e 10, that we were created in Christ Jesus for good works. And as we noticed earlier, Jesus gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Titus 2:14.

But this zeal that Paul was talking about here doesn’t necessarily come naturally. In fact, I think you could say that we find it rather easy to be to be selfish and we find it easy to be self-serving and it’s something that we have that’s something we have to unlearn. And this other aspect is something we must learn. There’s something we need. We’ll do our best to make sure that that need is met, right? Isn’t that how that typically works?

I mean, we’ll take the necessary time. We’ll expend the necessary energy. We’ll also spare no expense to ensure that our needs are met. That’s how really most people are. But let me ask you this. What happens when we’re confronted with the needs with needs that don’t affect us personally?

Are we sometimes hesitant to get involved? You know, that’s not my problem. That’s not what I’m, you know, not something I need to be in involved in. Are we ever guilty of rationalizing our unwillingness to do what we recognize we know we ought to do? Do we ever say things like, you know, I can’t do that. I don’t have the time or the money or the energy or the I don’t know what else but find something else to put in that blank.

I’m sure we could find something else to put there. And I think sometimes we even tell ourselves that we would get involved if things were different. And by that what we mean is if things were more convenient, we would get involved. And maybe we’ll be able to help at some point in the future when they do. But I would suggest to you that it’s if it’s convenience that we are waiting for, then we are waiting in vain. And that’s because urgent needs, the kinds of needs that Paul was talking about here in Titus chapter 3, those kinds of needs are rarely going to be met with convenience.

That’s just a fact. And so we will either do what needs to be done because it is the right thing to do. Just have to make the choice. Is this right or is it wrong? And if it’s right, we’re going to do it. We’ll either do what needs to be done because it’s the right thing to do, or we will keep waiting for a better time or a better situation to to get involved.

And what all of this says is that we need to take part in the learning process that Paul talks about in this chapter. As the people of God, we need to learn to devote ourselves to uh to to good works so that we can help in cases of urgent need rather than being unfruitful. As Paul says, that’s not easy. But again, it’s necessary. And and because these things don’t come naturally for us, one thing we one thing we need is periodic reminders. That’s kind of where we are tonight.

That’s what we’re doing. I mean, who among us doesn’t need to be reminded about these things from time to time. But not only do we need periodic reminders, there are times when we also need specific instructions. I think there’s a a time and a place for preaching and teaching that discusses broad principles. Let’s just get a feel for what the Bible says about this or about that. But I think there are also times when we need more than than just the the the broad principles.

We need teaching and we need preaching that is spec as specific as it possibly can be. And really that’s true in all areas of life. If we’re talking about good works, we ought to be able to give a list of what some of those are. And it doesn’t have to be from behind a a piece of wood. It can be in conversations or something like that. But we ought to be able to give a list of what some of those are.

If we’re talking about good works, if we’re talking about immorality, we ought to be able to to say something about what is moral and what is immoral, we ought to be able to give examples of that. Uh what good is it if someone tells you to avoid immorality if you never really know what that is? You know, what what is uh what things are are are classified in that way. And so, I’m not sure that the best policy is just to go, hey, we need to do good. We need to do good. We need to do good.

Somewhere along the way, there needs to be some instruction or some kind of communication about the good things that we can that we can do that we should do. And that can be done in sermons like this. It can be done in Bible classes that we have on a on a regular basis. It can be done when we just get together, when we visit with one another, when we interact with one another. You know, uh uh um Tim talked about Hebrews chapter 10 this morning and in verse 23. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.

For he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and what? To good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. And all the more as you see the day drawing near. You see, that’s one of the things we do when we come together. We stir up one another to love and to good works.

And as we noticed earlier, that is that is the purpose of God’s word. Again, all scripture is breathed out by God. And it’s profitable for teaching and for reproof and for correction and for training in righteousness. And the end of all that is that the man of God may be complete equipped for every good work. And so what we’re ultimately talking about here this evening is applying the words of the Bible to our lives and our situation so that we can be the people that God wants us to be. But let me also point out that I don’t think Paul was telling Titus here in in Titus chapter 3.

Titus, here’s what you need to do. Titus, you need to work up some lessons that deal with the subject of good works because our people need to learn to devote themselves to these kinds of things. I don’t think that’s what Paul was telling him. That’s not what he meant when he said, “Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works.” I think he was saying, Titus, get them involved. The truth is that you can only do so much verbal instruction.

And sometimes you just have to let people learn. You know, I think parents do that when they teach their children. Sometimes they they teach them by letting them participate in something. And on occasion, if they have siblings, maybe an older brother or sister comes to try comes in and tries to, you know, help along those lines. Let me show you how to do that. and mom or dad has to say you leave him alone and let him learn how to do it.

You ever had that conversation? And I think that’s exactly what Titus was supposed to do with the Christians on the island of Cree because just prior to the verse that we’ve been looking at this evening, Paul would say there in verse 13, “Do your best to speed Zenus the lawyer and Apollos on their way. See that they lack nothing.” And when Paul said that to Titus, I don’t think he was saying,”Titus, I want you to get involved and I want you personally to make sure that all of this is done.” I don’t know that that’s what Paul was saying to Titus. Now, I’m not saying he couldn’t be involved, but what this occasion provided uh was an opportunity for the disciples on the island of Cree to learn to engage in good works.

I think that’s what was going on here. That’s why Paul is saying these things. Not by listening, not by watching, but by doing. Here is an opportunity to do this very thing, to learn this very principle. And I think churches make a big mistake when they don’t expect people to be involved in some way. If they just, you know, if you’ll just show up, if you’ll walk through those doors, we’ll count it to victory and we’ll move on.

I think that’s a mistake. It is easy for a select few, whether it is elders or deacons or whomever, to feel that they ought to be doing everything. And that’s just not how it is. I don’t know that we necessarily have a big problem with that here. I think we have a lot of people who are willing to be involved, but it’s something that that we need to be mindful about. It’s something we need to we need to to make sure that we are engaged in.

And so Paul addressed this principle when he would say in Ephesians chapter 4 and 11 and 12, he would talk about the fact that Christ gave the apostles and the prophets and the evangelists and the shepherds and teachers to do the work of ministry. Well, in a sense, that’s not what he says. To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ. And so, when you look at apostles and prophets and evangelists and shepherds and teachers, those are all different roles, yes, but what do they all have in common? They all have that aspect of using God’s word to teach God’s people in some way, shape, or form, right? communicating God’s word so people’s lives will be changed and and that’s what they do here.

Conclusion

That’s how they equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ. Everyone is to be involved in the work of ministry as Paul talks about it. The work of service as some translations say that’s that’s you know that’s something we must all learn to do because it is just part of being a disciple of Jesus. And so the question I want to ask this evening is this. How are we doing? How are we doing as a church when it comes to this?

But how are you doing as an individual? Because that’s what churches are comprised of. You know, every now and then people get the idea, you know, well, I I think I’ve told you this this story before, probably more times than you care to hear, but I love it. It’s one of my favorites. There were a couple of ladies and they’re at lunch one day and one of them was talking about, you know, this organization she was a part of. It was a dieting kind of organization and she said, ‘You know, our our group has lost 175 pounds.

And her friend said, “That is fantastic.” She said, “How much have you lost?” I haven’t lost any personally, but the group is doing great. You know, that’s not what we’re aiming at here. We want everybody to benefit. We all want to be involved.

It’s not just the group, it’s each one of us. And the truth is, there is literally no end to the urgent needs that must be met. So, are you willing to meet them? What if it requires moving outside of your comfort zone? Do you have compassion for the needs you see around you? Are you looking for ways to help, not only in this building, but out there as well?

Have you been devoted? That’s a strong word. Have you been devoted to good works? If not, there’s no better day than today to commit yourself to living that kind of life. It’s what the Lord expects. It’s what he deserves from us.

It’s how we make an impact in this world. It’s how we prove to be disciples. If you’re here tonight and you’ve never chosen to be a disciple of Jesus, why not make that decision this evening, if you never obeyed the gospel of Christ, if you believe he’s the son of God, you believe he’s the Christ, why not be willing to put aside your sin and to confess his name before other people to just say Jesus is Lord with full conviction that that’s who he is. And on the basis of that to come and to be buried with Christ in baptism and you can be raised to walk in a brand new life, a new kind of life. One where your sins are washed away. Yes.

But one where you have a new purpose created in Christ Jesus for good works. If you’ve done that, maybe you’ve kind of forgotten. You know, here’s what we’re supposed to be about. This is who we are as disciples of Jesus. then why not commit yourself to that again? And if we can help you tonight in some way, we ask you to come as we stand and as we sing.