Engaging in Good Deeds

Titus 3:12-15

April 9, 2005

 

Would church members in the first century recognize the church today? They gathered in simplicity; people from different races and cultures joined together by their common bonds in Christ. Their worship took place in homes, outside cities, and wherever they could meet in peace. They sang psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; they prayed with thanksgiving, confessing their sins, and supplicating their heavenly Father. They heard the reading of Scripture or a letter from an apostle or a Gospel portion that had been circulated. They listened to the exposition of God's Word, giving attention to every detail, soaking up truth, and applying it to their lives. They fellowshipped with each other, encouraged one another, and admonished those who needed scriptural warnings. They humbled themselves together at the Lord's Table and also gave generously to help the brethren and whatever gospel work needed support.

 

Would they recognize "a worship theater complete with professional stage lighting, sound and display, and trimmed with candles for a more intimate d�cor," one description applied to many modern churches? Would they recognize Christ-centered content in the songs they heard? Would they recognize a people willing to die for their faith in the drama teams and "hula praise dance teams"? Would the sermons even be thought of as biblical exhortations? Would they feel an atmosphere of people passionate in their love for Christ and for His Church? Would they see the kind of generosity and concern for others that characterized so many of their churches?

 

One pastor offered sobering confession of his own failed church experience.

In [this city], churches are wealthy enough to market themselves a crowd (I am also guilty). And how do we market? By asking and supplying what people say they prefer for their church experience. Given that my community finds 'relevance' the most important value to hold, I have been feeding them human enrichment rather than eternal and powerful truth (I have been like Joel Osteen in style with a little SBC culture thrown in). I have grown a church of baptized pagans [posted by Mark Dever quoting an unnamed pastor, March 9, 2006, Together for the Gospel blogsite].


That's not the type of church depicted in Scripture!

 

Do we think of the church as those elected by the Father's kindness and grace, purchased by the Son through His redeeming blood, and birthed, indwelled, and secured by the Holy Spirit? So often our idea of the church focuses on a building or a program or certain activities. A church may or may not have those things; they may be useful or even distracting but those things do not make a church. Though buildings crumble and programs fade, the church continues through every era by the grace of God. Rooted in grace, sustained by grace, empowered by grace, grown by grace, and nurtured in grace, the church as the body of Christ stands as a witness to the favor of God in Christ. The grace of God is evident even in the practical issues of corporate church life. That's what we see as this epistle closes. Everywhere we look we see grace at work in the church. How does the church bear witness to the rich supply of grace in Christ?

 

I. Recognizing the necessity of pastoral ministry in the church

 

The last few verses of Titus deal with personalities: some known elsewhere in Scripture; some unknown except here. Here are plans for wintering in a certain city and the call for Titus to make his plans to join the apostle during the winter. Paul likely was in Macedonia, probably in Philippi, according to many scholars. Since winter times could limit travel, Paul wanted to be in a location where many had access to him and he could direct the work of churches that he had earlier planted. Nicopolis is on the Adriatic Sea side of Greece in ancient Achaia, just across the "boot" from Italy. Founded in honor of Octavian's victory over Anthony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C., Nicopolis means "city of victory." Being a coastal city, it had easy access via ship; and being a Roman city it had advantages for traveling by land. From Nicopolis, Paul could easily catch a ship to Italy or another to Spain or send his missionary partners into Europe or Asia Minor or into Dalmatia (modern Albania). Paul had special plans for Titus but none of those plans included leaving the churches on Crete in the lurch.

 

Tucked into a personal note are some important considerations for local church ministry. We're helped in understanding how we are to view the church in our day by considering the apostle's comments.

 

1. Strategy for local church ministry

 

Paul had left Titus in Crete after passing through and seeing the need for pastoral oversight of the struggling churches. He had the task of setting in order the loose ends among the island churches, particularly by establishing elder plurality among them. Yet even with elder plurality, Titus had a special ministry among them. He led these churches through preaching, teaching, training, and setting the example for Christian living. His actions, doctrine, demeanor, and speech helped the Cretan believers to get a grip on real Christianity. One can imagine that Titus labored many hours in teaching sound doctrine to a people fraught with confusion and distractions. He worked at correcting the slothful and sloppy behavior of the people. He set apart elders and trained them in how to shepherd the flocks under their care. Though others were involved in ministering to the Cretan churches, Titus obviously served them as the lead pastor. Even with the establishment of elders to serve among them as godly examples, teachers of sound doctrine, and defenders of the faith, the lead pastor had his place in setting the pace for the whole work of ministry. Titus devoted complete energies to this work, having the necessary gifts for shepherding the flock. Paul considered his time in Crete to be critical.

 

How do we know this? Much of it is gleaned from reading and pondering the epistle but it is especially evident in verse 12. "When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there." Notice that Paul wanted Titus to join him for wintering at Nicopolis. Paul had made the firm decision (perfect tense showing that he had firmly set plans) to spend the winter there. He was not yet "there," made obvious by that demonstrative pronoun. And he did not want Titus to come to him until he had sent a replacement: either Artemas or Tychicus. Many believe the choice was Artemas since there's reference to Tychicus being sent to Ephesus (2 Tim. 4:12). Paul did not want a gap in pastoral ministry to exist among the Cretans. The elders would be functioning faithfully yet the particular pastoral gifts in preaching and leading needed to be at the forefront of that work. Titus had those gifts, and so did Artemas and Tychicus. Paul had trained and mentored them in doctrine and ministry. Titus is not mentioned in Acts but prominently mentioned in 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and 2 Timothy. Somewhere along the way he came to faith in Christ through Paul's ministry in the Greek world. We can assume that this was fairly early in Paul's ministry since he is mentioned in Galatians, one of Paul's earliest epistles (50 A.D.). Titus delivered a delicate letter to the Corinthians when they wore their feelings on their shoulders toward Paul. His handling of the matter gave Paul great encouragement, so he sent him again to the Corinthians to collect the promised financial gift for the saints in Jerusalem. Paul called him, "My partner and fellow worker among you" (2 Cor. 8:23). You can be assured that he had a task that bore greater responsibility than just handing over a scroll. He would have been prepared to add clarification to what the apostle had written, plus receiving questions to relay to the apostle. He engaged in completing what was lacking in the Corinthian church's response in giving (2 Cor. 8:6).

 

Though Artemas is spoken of only here, Tychicus was called "our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord" to the Colossian believers. Furthermore, Paul said that he would bring them information about Paul and his situation in prison, plus he would encourage their hearts through exhortation (Col. 4:7-8) as he delivered this epistle. He had the same ministry with the Ephesian church, delivering the epistle and being the apostolic emissary for news, exhortation, and explanation (Eph. 6:21-22). He is identified as one of Paul's companions in Acts 20 as the apostle made his way back to Jerusalem at the end of the third missionary journey. All of these men were well prepared to serve God's people alongside the elders whom Titus had appointed. Paul considered them to be partners in ministry.

 

What role does a senior pastor or lead pastor have in a church with plural elders? I'm asked that question from time to time. Paul's insistence on making sure that he had a timely replacement for Titus so that there would be no gap in ministry, serves as the primary illustration of how someone functions in a senior pastoral role (to use a common title in our day) alongside his fellow elders. It is not a matter of superiority or different offices but rather one of God-given role in the church. He is able to devote the necessary time to feeding the flock, shepherding, training leaders, and giving guidance to the elders as they partner in the work of ministry. Elders do not replace the role of senior pastor, but rather enable his role to function with greater effectiveness, as they partner together in ministry.

 

2. Teamwork in ministry

 

The ministry is not made for a Lone Ranger. Though there are times those in ministry feel like the Lone Ranger without Tonto, that is not his calling. He is called to partner with others. Thus we find Paul always with some other brethren, and despairing when in the final days only Luke remained with him while many others were off ministering in other places. Paul was likely in Philippi, Titus on Crete, Artemus and Tychicus somewhere in between, and Zenas and Apollos likely in Crete delivering the epistle to Titus. They were partners in the work of ministry. Paul could not accomplish all that needed to be done in the Gentile world. Titus was not building an empire on Crete but serving Christ and His church on Crete; so, though very needed in this work, he could be replaced by Artemus or Tychicus. They labored together. We do not get any sense that these men competed against one another, trying to get the spotlight on their abilities.

 

I remember a visit that I had from a minister in our community during the early years of planting our church. He told me about his particular sphere of ministry, and then said, "Our only competition is such and such Baptist Church." Competition? Is that what the church is about? Did he function with the mindset that he must compete with a fellow church as though they were the enemy?

 

Paul, Titus, Artemas, Tychicus, Zenas, and Apollos stood together in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's why they were not in competition with each other. They understood that the church did not belong to them and that it did not revolve around their personalities or abilities. If that were the case then the church would die with the passing on of these men. The church is built upon Christ alone. I fully admit that some things do not savor of Christ that we find in modern churches. Those things will pass away. Our God will shake what is shakable so that only the unshakable remains (Heb. 12:25-29). Our God is preparing a bride for His Son not a monument to men. So, all of us, those involved in pastoral ministry and those receiving it, must realize that we are partners in the gospel. The church is much bigger than all of us put together! We labor together as God has appointed us to a sphere of ministry, joining with others to build up the body of Christ.

 

II. Partnering in kingdom work through good deeds

 

I believe that this is further evident by the partnership that existed between the churches on Crete and the pastoral/missionary laborers among them.

 

1. Traveling missionaries

 

Apollos we've met before in Acts and 1 Corinthians, as that skilled orator in the early church proclaimed and defended the gospel, especially among the Jews. "Zenas the lawyer," like Artemas, is spoken of only here. He was either a Jewish lawyer, normally called a scribe, or a Roman lawyer who would have been an expert in the laws pertaining to a particular city or region. I think that the latter is probably the case. Together, Apollos and Zenas brought the letter to Titus and likely provided some encouragement and help for him in ministry. "Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them." The call for diligence can be viewed as either doing so earnestly or doing so speedily. Probably speed is the issue since these brethren likely had other duties in ministry and took the time to deliver the letter to Titus in the process. They partnered with Paul to make sure that Titus understood his role as a shepherd among the Cretan flocks. The word for "help" literally means "to send forth or to send on." It carried the idea of supplying the material or financial needs of those on a trip. Paul spoke of anticipating this kind of help from both the Roman and Corinthian churches (Rom. 15:24; 1 Cor. 16:6).

 

We don't know where they were going beyond Crete but I imagine that they had special business in ministry. They could have been heading for the African coastline of Alexandria, Egypt, home of the finest library in the 1st century world, along with a superb university. This was Apollo's home, so he and Zenas may have been going back there to preach the gospel. A strong Christian community existed in Alexandria in the early centuries, being the home of Athanasius and Augustine. Perhaps this partnership in the gospel furthered the foundation of Christianity in that city. If so, the help they received from Titus and the Cretan believers had a part in the spiritual foundation laid so that believers for centuries would profit from the good heritage of gospel work in that city.

 

2. Church Support

 

Titus was not alone in helping these men. "Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful." 'While you're at it Titus, this would be a good time to teach the brethren among you to partner in this kind of supportive work for those engaged in ministry.' That's what he's getting across. Here we come to understand the New Testament pattern in missionary work. Some are commissioned by the church to be sent forth in carrying the gospel message to other peoples. But the churches along their way have the responsibility "to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs." The word translated "engage" is a present tense verb, calling for regular participation. It means to be busy about doing this work or to make this an occupation of your life (same word in 3:8). Christians must not hoard what God has given them but seek to be generous in meeting "pressing needs." This doesn't mean to be careless in giving. Responsibility is called for by the phrase "pressing needs." It's actually better translated as "necessary needs." The word "needs" often implies financial and material matters. Paul exhorted the Roman church to contribute "to the needs of the saints" (Rom. 12:13). And he spoke of his own hands ministering to his needs along with those who were with him in ministry (Acts 20:34). The islanders of Malta "supplied us with all we needed," Paul explained upon setting sail after being shipwrecked (Acts 28:10). So the church is to be conscious of the brethren involved in ministry and seek to meet their needs. Paul calls this "good deeds." Titus was to set the example of good deeds (2:7); the church was to follow.

 

This is not a natural trait in all men! Paul called for the church to "learn to engage in good deeds." The word focuses not on learning by instruction, in this case, but learning by experience. That means that eyes must be open, ears attentive, and Christians observant to those involved in ministry to see if they can meet pressing needs. Obviously, engaging in dialogue, asking questions about their work, probing to see where your resources can be utilized makes up part of the learning process. Practically speaking, this means that each of us has the responsibility of getting to know missionaries and those in ministry. We can email them, correspond with them, and open our homes to them when they visit, invite them for meals, send notes or packages to them, pray for them regularly, and seek to support their work with our faithful gifts. If we distance ourselves, trying to maintain some degree of invisibility in church life, we will not learn to engage in good deeds.

 

I was on the receiving end of various churches' generosity nineteen years ago when we planted this church. Several churches and individuals contributed to our needs so that we could get the work established and self-supporting. Their generosity kept us afloat! They were partners in ministry without whom we could not have begun the church. I've watched over the past several years how more churches and individual believers have joined in supporting our own Kevin and Neia Millard in their mission work in Brazil. The Millard's cannot do this work without the support of this body of believers and others. We partner together with a church in Bridgeport, AL, another in Auburn, AL, our friends at FBC Rossville, a Christian couple in Pensacola, others in our city and beyond. We're learning together that what we have does not belong to us but to Him who redeemed us. We are managers of what He has entrusted to us and we must use those resources in doing "good deeds" that support gospel ministry. That is a work of grace! To neglect doing so, Paul said, would be "unfruitful" or a waste of what God has given us. Are you learning to engage in good deeds without which you will be unfruitful as a Christian?

 

III. Bonds of fellowship through grace

 

The closing of the epistles offer snapshots of people, attitudes, sanctified wishes, prayers, and heart-felt desires for the brethren. In the simple closing of this letter we grasp something of the great love that Paul had for Titus and the Cretan churches.

 

1. More than "howdy"

 

"All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all."

 

Perhaps Artemas and Tychicus were with Paul; certainly Luke the physician was his companion along with others in the church at Philippi. He had told them of the Cretan churches, explained some of their needs, and these brethren had been praying for Titus as he labored and the Cretan Christians as they sought to be faithful to walk in the grace of God. The greeting meant more than simply saying "hi" or "howdy." It conveyed the sentiments of one to another. It expressed love for these brethren, appreciation for their faith in Christ, partnership with them in ministry, and fellowship with them in the gospel. It declared, "You're valuable to us, special and appreciated by us, loved and prayed for." It expressed recognition of the common bond that we share as Christians-that we are in union with Jesus Christ, indwelled by the Holy Spirit, sealed together in Christ, sharing a joint inheritance in Christ, and future dwellers together in the eternal home prepared by Christ for us to share together.

 

This idea of greeting the brethren did not strike me until I had been out of the country on a few occasions. Repeatedly, in whatever country I traveled with the gospel, fellow believers would take me by the hand or put their arm around me while looking me in the eyes, and say, "Greet your church for us." I have returned so often and told you, "I bring you greetings from..." and fill in the name of the church or their pastor or the national believers. As I've preached in other countries, I normally begin by declaring, "I bring you greetings from the brethren of South Woods Baptist Church in Memphis." Always, big smiles stretch across their faces with nods of approval and appreciation.

 

Why is this important? In the case of Paul and his brethren greeting Titus and the Cretan churches, they were on the hearts of these brethren in Philippi (if that was their location). They were regularly in their prayers. They anticipated one day meeting together, if not in this life then in our heavenly dwelling. They sensed the common bond that unites believers, crossing language, racial, geographical, age, and cultural barriers. The greeting conveyed, "We are one in the bond of love," as we sing.

 

Paul asked to especially greet "those who love us in the faith." He distinguishes the false professors (1:16) with those who are genuine in the faith. He did not want to give his greeting to the false professors so that he might not participate with them or give them the idea that he approved of their hypocrisy. The same idea is given in 2 John 9-10, where John warns not to even give a greeting to the false teachers and false professors among them, "for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds." The greeting conveys fellowship at a distance. That fellowship takes place only with those who are in union with Christ by His grace.

 

2. Roots of grace

 

"Grace be with you all." He began in grace, "Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior." And so he ends in grace. For that is the message expressed throughout this epistle. Our salvation, from start to finish, is all of grace. If our lives are not rooted in the grace of God revealed in Christ, then we cannot produce the fruit of good deeds. The roots dictate the fruit. The bonds of fellowship exist because the roots of our lives dig deeply into the rich soil of God's grace, bearing fruit for the glory of God.

 

Conclusion

 

The grace of God concerns even the practical issues of life. We value pastoral ministry because we see how God uses it to help establish us and grow us in grace. We participate in Christian ministry through supplying the needs of those serving in partnership with us in the gospel; we do so by grace. We recognize that grace binds us together so that our hearts are joined to one another in Christ. It starts in grace, continues by grace, and celebrates the grace of God in Christ.

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