From One Slave to Another, Part 2 - Titus 1:1,4

Paul invested his life, not just in the churches he planted within the man who led those churches you got a guy Paul Farmer, Rabbi, a Pharisee and Pharisees, a Hebrew of Hebrews impeccable in his Jewish traditions. He's calling on uncircumcised Gentile convert. My son is my son were in the same family we we got in the same way Christ with the thousand and dedication.

Regardless of the circumstances, he found himself, but in that letter, Paul also made a profound statement.

He said that even though he considered himself a free man in society.

He also considered himself a slave. Why would Paul say that. Welcome to wisdom for the heart.

This is the Bible teaching ministry of pastor and author Stephen Davey in the message you're going to hear today is entitled from one slave to another peer Stephen today's lesson from God's word in this letter because you come to Titus and and everybody wants to know what it truly means to stand up and say hi a Christian manner. So long Paul tell us how to stand and I don't live I handle the pressure, not only outside of the church, but a growing way inside the church today and the first thing that Paul does, which is extremely challenging and convicting is how he will now refer to himself in this letter I want to notice further in verse one, Paul, a bondservant of God bondservant.

In addition to the name Christian.

The Bible calls believers by number of different name branches, infants and children joint heirs, citizens friends, brothers, saints, and the list goes on and on. All those titles help Nuance for us what Christianity mean what it means to be a Christian. However, the Bible uses one term more frequently than any other. If it appears more than 40 times in the New Testament, it refers to the believer from the original language. The Greek language.

It is the word dual loss and it ought to be translated slave like I recommended you take your pencil and write in the margin of your Bible, above, or somewhere near this translation mine says bondservant the word slave, the overriding description of the Christian's relationship to Jesus Christ is the relationship of a master and slave. The problem is will not read it that way as English readers, because going all the way back to the King James translation and before that, predating that the Geneva Bible.

The word dual loss was softened in its translation with the word servant or bondservant in an effort to avoid the negative imagery and the cruelty bound up in the slave trade, which were all aware of it that swept through Europe and into the Americas translators over the centuries chose to translate dual loss a little more sensitively by translating it servant. It's interesting to know that the Greek language has several words that can refer to servants dual loss is not one of them ever on the all the duties of a servant, and in a slave might overlap in the mind of the apostle coming out of the first century and and even in a way you could say. Even to this day certainly around the world where the slave trade still exists, but even even today, you could you could note this key distinction, servants in Paul's day were hired slaves were there's a world of difference servants had a measure of personal rights and freedoms I could choose whom they would work for what they would get involved in what they would do slaves had no freedom.

They had no rights.

They were considered in the days of Titus on into the days are English speaking world for centuries, without any personal rights they were possessions rather than person bullets lost on us is when we read today this phrase by Paula Titus chapter 1, you don't immediately sucking your breath and shudder at the gravity of this term. It doesn't offend our sensitivities. It doesn't confront our misconception of autonomy as Christians see, we prefer to think that we have an option to obey Christ to serve him to belong entirely to him. So we don't quite get it when the apostle Peter says that every Christian is a slave to God.

We would rather believe that we can negotiate with him over the terms of his will that we can protest a little bit with what he does to our bodies that we confronted him about the inconveniences of the service he's assigned is not whether we can halfheartedly fulfill his commands for our lives that we could maybe even complain about the lateness of his blessings or or even the ill time is burdens. You see, we we've been hired by God.

We have, we are but the ones we complain about the overtime. The long hours of inconvenient service is in charge of the benefit packages around is my Christianity paying off see that so you get to the I do with the church is really all about you and me and if it serves me well, I may show up two or three times a month is the attitude of a servant, not a slave. See have you forgotten Polaroid to the Corinthians that you been bought with a price. The metaphors you been bought out of the slave market by Christ. You have been bought out of that and now you no longer belong to yourself. You belong entirely to the one blocking prescriptive shepherds Charles Spurgeon interestingly read one quote by him. Let me give you one more. This British pastor of the 19th century in London commented on this problem in his commentary on Titus and he wrote this where our authorized version softly puts it, servant it really is slave.

The early Saints delighted to count themselves as Christ's absolute property bought by him owned by him wholly at his disposal. Paul even went so far as to rejoice in the end the marks of the Masters brand on his body. He cried out but no man troubled me. For I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus, that was the end of the debate. He was the Lord's and the marks of the whips the rocks and the stones were viewed as the branding of Paul's body is the property of Jesus the Lord the end by saying out the saints of old-time war read in this associate you and to Paul is redefining her freedom is turned all upside down. It is only the person who becomes the slave of the creator can begin to experience true freedom, the way to freedom runs through slavery to God. Another author of put it this way from the 1800s when he wrote slavery to God is really the only liberty in life, liberty note, this does not mean doing as you like. Liberty means a liking what you ought maybe that liberty does not mean doing as you like.

Liberty means liking what you ought and doing that such slavery to Christ is the only nobility. Jesus confronts the way we think doesn't you find a Christian by the way he was arguing with God of the terms of his will find a Christian bound up in frustration hobbled with despair, to find a young man young woman of any age who stands in and says with Paul.

I am a Christian by the way, I understand that means I am a slave of God, and you can find somebody liberated to serve in with contagious joy. The young lady at a Bible conference held in her campus. She stood up for peers and held up a sheet of paper. Explain this page represents my life dedicated to Jesus Christ and the piece of paper everyone notice was blank. She says I've left it blank for him to fill in but I want to know. I've already gone ahead and signed it at the bottom. I am a Christian. What is that mean well for starters, it means I am a slave wholly owned by my master God is on the same verse one. Not only is he a slave of God is an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Slavery referred to as obligation apostleship referred to his occupation. The word apostle of pasta loss comes from two words combined mean to be sent forth in its generic translation be sent for the word was used widely to refer to someone who was authorized to be a messenger. The common word in that way, the apostle is saying that he's a messenger we could use that term for missionaries or ambassadors. We are ambassadors of Christ been sent on a mission. Although after redefining our minds what an ambassador was we think of the Western world's ambassador.

You get a salary to go to another country try to keep things in a nice in Paul's day writing the Titus and ambassador was one who left the country of the victorious king and went to another country and delivered to them. Terms of surrender. So when you are an ambassador of Christ are delivering to your world. The terms of surrender will different thought, and it the one who was sent to pass the laws was one who spoke on behalf of Christ, with the gospel.

Paul would use the word apostle to refer to Timothy and Titus both in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul is using the word apostle is here and it's official narrow sense that he's using it as the basis of authority for what is going right. Only a few select men could claim this narrow definition of apostle. There were those who were trained commissioned those who would seen the risen Lord. Paul would often go back and remind seen the risen Christ the basis of his apostleship and as well his commission from Christ and for the reason this is the reason why Poland would write this here Titus is gonna need some authority. He's a younger man he is to show and appoint elders is how a church how to conduct himself know when you track with me go to church and talent how to operate. I want you to immediately conjure up in your mind nothing but trouble with that thought, he is going to be challenged. He's going to be stood down he's going to be argued with.

Can you imagine going to church as it existed on that island and saying okay I'm here and I've been here now six weeks or so and and I'm going appoint you and you and you as elder of this assembly imaginatively coming into this church, spending six weeks with us in and saying with them choosing you and you and you your elders of the church and the guys up there right now is exactly what Titus is going to do and the people are going to ask him who invited you, you think you can walk onto our island and come into our churches and decide the officers and leaders of our church and suppose that you could somehow tell us out, operate, who are you my name's Titus at the Latin name you Gentile. Yes when you converted did you get circumcised. No, never did we train to Jerusalem. No. Did you see the resurrected Christ.

No, listen son the pillars of this church were saved years ago at Pentecost when they went and heard Peter preach. We been carrying along since you here anyway.

Well, he pull out a scroll letter will show you have a letter from the impossible, yet we know, but does he know you well. Just look here in verse four were numbered. Then you just know go down the done here right there. He pointed to Titus, my true child in the common faith all in other words, Titus was led to faith by Paul himself is a term of discipleship. He was discipled by Paul personally. Paul says you notice that the faith of Titus is the same fate as his own. They share a common bond, Lord, thank you, remarkable for these pillars of the church. You got a guide Paula former Rabbi, a Pharisee and Pharisees, a Hebrew of the Hebrews impeccable in his Jewish traditions. He's calling on circumcised Gentile convert. My son were in the same family Titus, and I related we we got in the same way. He's my son Titus probably pause their limits. Then he might've said oh well reading. If you'll just notice the next few phrases. Verse five.

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city, as I direct case club.

By the way for Titus. This was, he was perfect for the job. We don't know much about this man, one of us overlooked figures in church history, only 11 verses in the entire New Testament.

He referred but we do know that earlier Paul and sent Titus. Titus to Corinth to straighten out that church. Can you imagine that assignment.

Titus get some time and has I do go to court and then straight down to divided divisive more compromising assembly and by the way he did such an excellent job he succeeded in bringing about unity and he also strengthened the reputation of Paul in their eyes synchronous Jefferson Titus was in sent on another assignment atop assignment sent to a province known as the Lyrica or Dalmatia difficult culture. According to the Roman historian Polybius the Illyrian's were common enemies of everyone. They did not get along with anybody. Another contemporary Titus, a man by the name astray Baroque, the people of America more while and give into their primary occupation as pirates Titus I got a new church for you. Don't go straight out: is there a bunch of little okay we went all of it was wonderful preparation for the island of Crete Titus would confront disorderly churches with several years of history, anybody knows you don't is wealth, in which her to change anything change bulletin: the carpet music. Nothing you leave it alone. When I read the job Titus was supposed to perform. Choosing elders I could imagine the confrontation. I could imagine her feeling that I could imagine the bruised egos. You just don't do. I just remember how I felt the first time I ever decided to bring about a little change in a ministry as a college senior I accepted one semester and assistant role of the church.

One of the mountains in Tennessee about an hour away from the Bible college was attending at 45 miles west for five minutes with the pastor was a seminary student.

He was a few years older than me and married been serving for about 456 month he preached on Sunday morning to about 30 people little bitty clapboard church, mountain, and I would come on Wednesday night. I drive a borrowed car got there preached about 10 people on Wednesday night the old and the name of the mountain was jump off mountain of the history behind that but I didn't want to know is afraid the name of the church creatively was jump off Baptist Church that you been my first sign things were going to go well church looked and smelled old seated about 75 people little one step platform, the pulpit behind the pulpit. You bump your knee with one step in two rows require that I never heard saying they didn't have one now that back wall. I was struck the first time I arrived with this banner stretched about 6 feet across the banner with some inspirational phrase on it was faded and a text of Scripture completely worn out the pages and curled and crinkled. They were yellowed brown with a it was really pitiful. You couldn't avoid it whenever you came into the chapel. So I talked with a seminary student as a pastor, but an idea. I decided to take what we need to do is create a new logo and and and and and a brand-new inspirational phrase in it was time to give this church some fresh entombment vision that I was so excited for your video to be to.

I contacted an artist at school would begin working on the next Sunday morning, I was filled with excitement.

I had that that new banner rolled up underneath my arm came church got there a little early. I would leave the music and the other pastor would preach and so I was there getting things prepared was one man in the church that can run everything you been there for 25 years.

His wife played the piano.

He taught the only adult Sunday school class in the church, but any rate, I beat everybody there that morning when in and III as carefully as I could took down that old it'd been cracked different places and eyes.

Carol is a good to get down and rolled it up crackled and broke his leg didn't set it aside, and I begin to put up that brand new banner, fresh vision momentum church, new life, new ministry of eye contact in about three of those tax with a hammer heard the door open. Heard footsteps stopped and never heard of this man's leader fellow. What are you doing and I can't stop halfway on my third tax and I said well I'm putting I'm putting up new banner. I could tell this was going to go over well and he said to me he was livid face ready when he said I want you to know that banner has been up there for 22 years and I was thinking is that a good thing that he turned on his heel and he stomped out of the church and slammed the door. The center pastor came a few minutes later the glad by the settling down sweetie class, and I'll never forget one knee on one of those pews taking that new banner unrolling that old putting it back when I read Paul asking Titus to go into an established church and decide which men will be elders. I imagine going to jump off Baptist Church and saying that man. I've been here three weeks to matter to be elders and you're not one of them and then running Paul you got any encouragement for a brave young man like type or for us today. A congregation of people committed to Christ who need a redefinition of what it means when you stand up and out there and say I am a Christian means I'm a slave of God sends with the message that the many people as it does sound like the terms of surrender and they're not all like that. So can you encourage us.

Paul writes of the universe for grace and peace from God the father in Christ Jesus our Savior.

Those are just words thrown in there to make a nice ending his introduction Titus, listen you. You have grace to strengthen grace to pray grace to forgive grace to serve grace to endure grace to persevere. You have peace you feel much peace but you've got it.

Peace for reassurance. Peace in the midst of struggles peace where everything is chaotic. What this is all sourced out of God the father. Titus I'm your father and that I led you to faith in Christ you have a perfect father God in you this piece as well. I think that the letter of Paul was a letter from one slave to another. I think an old battle scarred slave writing new younger slave to all of tells him with the wisdom of both truth and experience in his own life Titus. When you take your stand and you say I'm a Christian when you effectively say I am a slave of God, of one of one of God's messenger. Don't forget to roll from the divine reservoir of grace, peace for you today just just and it's backed up by this limitless supply got the phone Christ our Savior every new day as you awaken both your day. God's mercy is new. There's a limitless supply from Jesus Christ isn't that great news you're listening to wisdom for the heart with Stephen Davey Stevens in a series from the book of Titus called slave traits and he's entitled today's lesson from one slave to another.

If you'd like to dive deeper into your study of the book of Titus Stevens written a book named Titus. That's part of our wisdom commentary series we have it available as a special offer and you can learn more if you give us a call today at 86 648 Bible. That's 866-482-4253. We recently received an encouraging note that I want to share with you, Sondra, who listens to us online, wrote to say this dear Stephen we have a friend he is been in a wheelchair for many years before his accident. We led him to Christ.

He lives in a cabin in the mountains of Tennessee in almost total solitude.

We introduced him to your program and he's listened diligently for the past three years. Thank you is he's been grounded in his faith through your teaching and greatly edified in the spirit which seems somewhat important, because of his circumstances will thanks Sondra for writing and sharing that with us. One of the blessings of a broadcast ministry is that it allows us to take the truth of God's word into the most remote places. Thanks for helping make it possible and thanks for joining us today. Be with us tomorrow for more wisdom for the heart