Titus 3

You are to live for God in a godless world. That is our thesis for tonight, and that is the thrust of this whole chapter. And this is difficult isn't it? It is hard to stand for Christ. it is hard to be the odd man out. To say no to your flesh, to guard your tongue, and to shield your eyes. We have been set apart for this purpose. IF you are not a Christian, then let me say that Christians, that is those who have completely submitted their lives to the Lordship of Christ, live to honor Him. They do not live for self, not for pleasure, and not for possessions. Not for relationships, not for sex. They live for Christ. We are given instruction on how to live for God in a godless world.

Here is the simple point, if you understand the salvation of God and you have believed Him for your salvation. You will live differently. This is the motivation for the Christian life. Not duty. It is delight. Not obligation or boring rules. No, it is a heart that longs to say thank you. To live in light of the fact that I have a past and I cannot save myself but HE did, and now I have a hope in heaven. I will say no to sin and yes to righteousness. I will leave this world behind and I will pursue Christ. I will be engaged.

The topic tonight deals with how to handle those who do not agree with the teaching and philosophy of the church. The bible calls these men false teachers; those who use the bible and the people of God to advance their own selfish agendas.

Here in this last section, Paul is taking care of some house keeping and tying up some loose ends but he leaves us with the concept of team, and of relational strength. The fact is that every Christian is important in the quest to build the kingdom of God. You are not a spectator, you are not a useless member of the body of Christ, you are crucial to the success of the mission. Have you ever thought about that? What is your role in the church? what is your ministry? What did God leave you here to do? What spiritual gift has the Spirit bestowed on you that you must exercise in order to advance the cause?  Are you a part of the mission? Are you part of the team? Do you understand your role and what you are supposed to be doing in serving the Lord in His church? Many of you are only involved in a minimal way and some of you are not involved at all. But this is not healthy and it is not right. Each of us is part of a greater team and need to be engaged.  Paul will help each of us tonight to get a right perspective of our involvement in the service of the King. Our thesis tonight is simple: Understanding your role in ministry.