B | Be Real - Titus | January 19
RECAP
Hey Family!
Great to be with you all today.
We are in the book of Titus once again. It is a short book with only three chapters, a total of 46 verses, but there’s a lot of substance for us to meditate on.
What we are doing, whether I explicitly communicated this or not, is revisiting [for a bit] our mission as a church: “To be a place where Heaven meets Earth, by proclaiming the universal reign of God, embodying Jesus to our communities, and inviting our neighbors to join us in becoming real people, who are part of a real family, and who worship the real God.”
Last week we talked about being a place where Heaven meets Earth. Being different. Living differently. Loving differently. As it says in Romans chapter 12, “2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
I love the NLT version of this verse, which says it so much more directly. I gravitate to the more direct and blunt approach. It says, “2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person…”
Don’t copy the world. Don’t be a human Spotify playlist, just restating the arguments and closely held beliefs of the people and culture around you. Don’t just spout off the greatest hits anthology of what those who have not been inwardly shaped by Jesus put their hope in. And this is true for many Christians as well. A devoutly held faith in Jesus and regular church attendance does not mean that you have been shaped by Jesus in your inmost being.
We are talking about spiritual transformation. Being transformed at the very heart and foundation of who we are. We were made to be image bearers, to reflect God’s glory and goodness into the world.
And the truth is, we are all being formed all the time, in the center of our being–at the depth of our heart. So if we aren’t growing in Christ-likeness then perhaps what we are claiming to worship is not like Christ at all.
You will look like your gods. You will become what you worship. It is not just a Christian reality. It is a truth of every human being on this planet. Your heart–your inner self is being formed by something.
And this, the good news of Jesus, the enduring presence of Jesus in your life now, and the promise of a hope and a future is such good news, that alters the entirety of who you are from the inside out. It is a spiritual transformation. Your life, becoming the image of Jesus to the waiting world, creating a place where Heaven touches earth, completely changing the cultural compromises that have been made along the way, remaking you into God’s image, and reshaping the world around you.
INTRO (WITH ME)
Today, we are shifting our focus to the remainder of our mission statement. Last week I encouraged you to “Be Heaven”. This week, I want to encourage you to “Be Real”. We could also say “Be Jesus” in a way. Say what Jesus said. Do what Jesus did. Be the most authentically real version of yourself, empowered by the great, great power of the Holy Spirit in you. A fully human image of God living and active for His glory.
A fully human image–real, able to be touched and whose impact is felt.
We are God’s plan to bring Heaven to Earth. We are His choice. Just like in the Garden of Eden God repeats I want you to rule with me. I want you to do this with me. You are chosen and beloved. You can’t do it without me. You’ll fall in the same way they did in the Garden. You’ll choose for yourself what is good and you’ll only hurt each other. You can’t do it without me. I want you to do it with me.
Jesus says in John 16, “5 “I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate [the Helper, the Comforter, the Counselor, the Strengthener, the Holy Spirit] won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you.”
You will have a greater, richer, more full experience in my presence than you’ve even experienced these last few years. It won’t just be God with you. You’ll experience my Spirit in you. Closer than your own skin. Filling up your lungs with breath and life. I want to work with you to restore this image which I have stamped onto each and every one of you. Jesus says, “I want to help you, by sending you a helper, a strengthener.”
He says ”12 …There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’”
There is a beautiful union, a perfect relationship, a fuller communion that is processing from the Father to the Son. From the Son to the Spirit. And from the Spirit to His beloved people.
It is a holy and sanctified version of the game telephone, where instead of your jerk friends purposefully trying to mess up the message with some juvenile and inane humor, instead everything is heard in perfect clarity.
The question that it begs is, who are you going to pass the message along to? Are you going to pass this precious revelation on in clear words and humble actions?
The chain isn’t supposed to end with you.
The Spirit speaks to His body, His Church, to you. You pass it along to others.
And then… And then, you get to bring them along and say, “guess what, you can have the Spirit share His heart with you as well. You get to hear. You get to experience. You get to commune with the Spirit of the living God who will shape your life into His image as well. You get all of this as well! All of the joy. All of the comfort. The fullness of the presence of God with you forever.”
Isn’t that just amazing?!
PENTECOST (THE BEGINNING)
This is what is happening in this letter to Titus.
Paul is hearing from the Spirit, He’s passing it along and entrusting it to Titus, to then carry it further to the believers in Crete, for those in Crete who have yet to believe.
It’s how these first believers in Crete came to faith in the first place.
Let’s back up 33 years.
The book of Titus is not just a religious text. It’s not just a letter. It is history grounded in reality. And so the best guess for these actual events to have taken place is somewhere between 64 and 68 AD. If we back up 33 or so years, give or take, that puts us right smack dab on the day of Pentecost.
The disciples are praying. Waiting. Then suddenly, the Earth shakes and the Spirit Jesus had promised descends upon them in a brilliant display–tongues of fire. A powerful manifestation of God with them, providing exactly what they so desperately need.
It says in Acts 2, “4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”
This is our present reality.!
“5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.”
This is the birth of the church in Crete. The Holy Spirit empowers the disciples to speak in boldness. Some people from Crete, Jewish or Jewish converts maybe, heard this message passed from the Holy Spirit to the disciples. And they brought the good news back home with them. Jesus is Lord! Glory be His name in all the Earth!
It was these believers Paul would have met in his visits to the island, these he organized into a fellowship of believers, a church, and then it was among these that Paul left Titus to finish the work by raising up leaders full of integrity who would live differently, passing along this message of God’s presence with His people, empowering them and transforming them completely.
GO WITH THE FLOW
This is the message…
“11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.” (Titus 2:11-14)
Do you see it?
Do you notice?
It’s the same ebb and flow as before.
Cause and effect.
The Spirit moves. Overflows. And cascades down through His people.
God’s grace is first revealed, ushering in salvation to all people. Cause and effect.
Resulting in complete life transformation, a people sold out for God. A people turning from the pursuit of pleasure. A people turning toward wisdom, righteousness, and devotion. Cause and effect.
This is a picture of repentance. Turning from darkness toward the light. This is Paul’s own testimony. When Jesus stopped him on the road to Damascus. When he was confronted with the reality of Jesus–the living God. Paul couldn’t go on living in the same way as before. He couldn’t live for the same purpose. He couldn’t continue in the same habits. When confronted with the reality of Jesus, he had to turn his back on his old way of life, and turn toward a new, real life. Walking out of the shadows into God’s marvelous light. Each day walking further away from what was and closer and closer to Jesus.
Again…
Paul says Jesus gave His life–cause.
The effect, to free, to cleanse, and to make us His own.
Freedom. Cleansing.
The pervasive thought is that freedom is the ability to choose for yourself the direction of your life. The end of restriction.
It has been said, “The freedom we are looking for is the freedom to be ourselves and express ourselves…” unhindered. Independence. “I am my own person, to be who I want to be, and no one has the right to tell me how to live.”
“The world tells us to be our own god, set our own agenda, be the master of our own destiny.”
The Bible tells us that keeps us slaves. In fact, Paul reminds Titus and the Cretans that all that “free” living keeps us in captivity to our desires, which destroys relationships and ultimately causes harm to ourselves and those around us whom we claim to love. Our agendas stand in opposition to one another.
Jesus came and gave His life that we would be free. In fact, He’s the only way to real freedom–real life.
INTERRUPTING THE FLOW (BE GOOD)
The more we know and experience God and His perfect love, the more we will understand and become real people.
You will walk into more reality as you meditate on these words of Paul, these chains of communication flowing from the Father down to His people. I love you. I am with you. I am good. I want good for your life. You are free. You are mine.
Be real!
The problem is that this natural flow pouring out from the Father can get interrupted.
This process can get short circuited, the message lost in our failure to hear…
There are Jewish Rabbis over the centuries who have been asked questions such as, does following the law make you a good person? To them, the answer is an obvious no. These Rabbis talk about how it is possible to keep every law to its letter and still be a despicable person. Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler gives us a glimpse into this reality.
“16 [He] came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” the man asked.
And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?””
Listen to the direction of the man’s questions, what things must I do, what do I still lack. Show me the ladder and I will climb my way all the way up to Heaven if I have to. I will keep every commandment. I will do every work.
“21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.” (Matthew 19:16-22)
Jesus essentially says treasure me. Come be with me. Turn your back on your old way of life and come walk with me, side-by-side.
You can do all the right things and still be just as far from God as if you didn’t believe in Him at all. We can have faith in Jesus and not allow that faith to transform the things we say and the good that we do.
Paul tells Titus, delight yourselves in the Lord and out of you will flow deep wells of living water which bring life to those around you.
What flows out of the great work Jesus has done for you? A total commitment worshipping God with the entirety of your life and the good works that overflow from that.
Let this message, this flow transform you. Let it change all that you desire and care about. Let it change you. Don’t just do good–desire to be good, to be changed by the great, great love of the Father.
INTERRUPTING THE FLOW (BE BALANCED)
We can’t talk about flow without acknowledging what most readily comes to my mind for me when thinking about flow–board sports, something like surfing or snowboarding…
There is a balance which is of utmost importance. Too much weight in one way or the other and you're off, out of the flow.
There are two distinct aspects of how this reality outflows from you into those around you.
Paul bookends this passage in Titus 2 with these two distinct aspects. He writes in verse 7, “7 And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. 8 Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.”
And then at the end in verse 15, “15 You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them.”
You must do. And you must teach.
You must say what Jesus said. And you must act the way Jesus acted.
You must proclaim. You must embody.
It’s a both and. It’s not a one or the other.
This message can be appropriated to justify or overemphasize one aspect over the other. Actions speak louder than words–right?
Perhaps you’ve heard the quote at some time during your tenure in the church, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”
This is incorrectly attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. When in fact, he never said anything like this at all. He was actually known to be quite the fervent preacher.
The closest that could be said from ol’ Francis is his adamant belief that Christians should indeed practice what they preach. He said something to the effect of “All the Friars … should preach by their deeds.”
Essentially, the exact same thing Paul is instructing Titus in this letter; “make sure your deeds match your words.” Be sure you live out the grace and truth of the Gospel.
The notion that you could hope to do this outside of a balance of speaking truth and living truth is neither practical, nor faithful to the Gospel of Christ.
You must do both. And your words and your actions must be as one accords. Your actions should reflect the truth you are teaching.
The Shema is one of the most central prayers in Judaism. It would have been one of Jesus’ most essential prayers. It comes from a few different passages in the Hebrew Bible. One of them, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, says at the end of the passage, “6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Speak and live this message I have passed along to you. Pass it on. You remember that old hymn?
It only takes a spark to get a fire going
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing
That's how it is with God's love once you've experienced it
You spread His love to everyone; You want to pass it on
INTERRUPTING THE FLOW (PASS IT ON)
Which leads me to the last interruption that can happen.
The message can stop with us…
Don’t let that happen.
As I was praying and walking one day this past week. I believe God gave me an image of what that can look like if just allow God to pour into us without release.
We become bloated.
I remember a video with Francis Chan and Garreth from the band Rend Collective. Garreth is teaching Francis how to speak with a Northern Irish accent. And it is absolutely hilarious. Francis Chans ends up a bit more on the Scottish end I would say.
But at the end Francis teaches Garreth some Chinese. And one of the phrases is: 我 要 放 屁 (ngo, hoiu, fong, pei) which means something like I’ve got gas, or I really need to fart.
Like in English, it has within it that idea of passing, releasing that pressure.
We have to pass it on. We are in need of release.
RECONNECTING WITH THE FLOW
The way we say it is proclaiming the universal reign of God.
And embodying Jesus to our communities.
Proclaiming and embodying.
We say becoming real people, who are part of a real family, and who worship the real God.
There’s a nice flow to that sentiment, a building.
But the reality is that it happens in reverse.
God is the source, who pour into us with His great love and the changing power of His constant companionship, His ever presence.
God is ultimate reality, who saves us to be a family. And that ultimate reality filters down, it flows into us, from His Spirit and from His family, making us into real people.
What we’re talking about is deep work, over time, in community as we worship and devote ourselves to worshipping the real God, and in turn overflowing into words and good works to be shared with the world around us.
What does your heart beat for? What do your desires burn for?
Are you willing to let God lead you into this abundant life with Him?
Resources (*the views expressed within the following content are solely the author's and may not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Mountainside Church):
https://www.preceptaustin.org/john-16-commentary#16:15
https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-titus/#:~:text=Context,between%2064%20and%2068%20C.E.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/acts-2-commentary#2:3
https://20schemesequip.com/what-is-true-freedom-and-who-defines-it/
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/factchecker-misquoting-francis-of-assisi/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFsQuy450q4&ab_channel=RendCollective