God Makes LEADERS

The Book of Titus | Making Leaders | Titus 1:1-4 | Pastor Duane Smets

This an exegetical sermon of Titus 1:1-4 which addresses how Paul became a leader, that God is the one who makes leaders and God does so through the instrument of his Word and the help of other people. An overview of theme and purpose of the book of Titus is also given. This sermon was originally preached on June 5th, 2011 at The Resolved Church in San Diego, CA.

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The Resolved Church
Pastor Duane Smets
June 5th, 2011

God Makes LEADERS | The Book of Titus | 1:1-4
I. The Example of Paul (v.1)
II. The Nature of Election (v.1-2)
III. The Instrument of The Word (v.3)
IV. The Children of Faith (v.4)

Introduction

This morning is an exciting morning because today we start a new series studying the book of Titus. I let you in on a little secret and that is we don’t really do “series” here at The Resolved, well sometimes, but usually we basically just go through books of the Bible, one book, chapter and verse at a time. But we want to be relevant and contextual, so when we go through books of the Bible we just call it “a series” and everyone gets all excited! So you pumped?! We love new stuff right?

The book of Titus is a super fitting book for us right now as a church. If you were here at our last church member meeting then you heard how we have been growing in nearly every area of ministry here that we have set our hands to and our biggest need right now is leaders. So this whole summer we will be focusing on developing leaders in a number of ways. Since we look to the Word as our guide in everything we do, Titus is super fitting because though it’s one of the shortest books of the Bible, it succinctly and holistically addresses the topic of developing leaders.

If you sit down and just read through the entire book of Titus, you can do in like 15 minutes, you’ll see what I mean the whole book is about developing leaders…who makes good leaders, bad leaders, who natural leaders are, how all Christians are meant to be leaders, how we’re supposed to be gospel formed leaders, and always reproducing leaders. It’s a phenomenal book on church leadership.

It was written to a young church, probably only a few years old, which had been started by the apostle Paul on the Greek island of Crete. Paul, by this point is most likely in his late fifties, early sixties. He writes the letter, which was often a term for ancient books…he writes it specifically to a man named Titus. So the book is named after him, but as we see throughout the book several times, he really meant for his letter-book to be read by the whole church of Crete and as in all his books he meant them to be helpful and instructive for the capital “C”hurch of all time and history…for churches everywhere.

Now Paul was a smart dude and he realized something I think about almost every time I get up here to preach. And that’s this question…why should any of you listen to me? I mean, really? Some of you are older than me, I’m only 32, so why should you listen to this young punk preacher? If you’re here because you like a funny entertaining inspirational speaker…you’ll find I’m not that funny and I doubt I’m that inspirational. So why should you listen?

Likewise Paul realizes this, so what might just seem like a normal formal introduction to his letter/book, is actually quite weighty. He’s making an argument for why you should listen to anything he has to say in the letter. He tells us who he is and why he is writing and in the midst of doing it he just drops theological bombs! I had to laugh at myself because as I was studying and preparing for the message today I just wrote down on my notes the word “BOMBS” in all capital letters and just starting listing the number of huge theological concepts he weaves together in this short paragraph.

We’ll do our best to unravel that today. For now, I know you have to kind of take my word for it, but the whole purpose of the book is to develop leaders. Here’s one handhold real quick. Verse 5 of chapter 1, “This why I left you (Titus) in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order and appoint elders…” And then he goes on to describe what that looks like and how to do that in not only identifying and establishing elders but developing all kinds of leaders throughout the church. So don’t think, oh I’m not called to be a pastor so this whole book or series isn’t relevant for me. No it is.

Here’s another handhold. Chapter 2, verse 11, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for ALL people, training us…” and he basically goes on to describe how God means for all Christians to be leaders in their church and in the world. So this is for all of you!

The first major point of the book in these introductory verses and the basic reason Paul gives for why you should listen is…because God wants you to! God wants you to! God develops leaders and God wants you to listen to and follow him. So I titled my message this morning, “God makes LEADERS.” I believe that if you are here today that God wants you to listen for the next 30 minutes and that God wants to make you a leader for him.

But let’s let the text, the Scriptures of the Bible convince us of it and ignite a passion in us for it. So let’s read the passage, pray over it and then get into the thick of it. (Read text and pray)

So it seems like in these four verses we’re given four reasons for why and how God makes leaders. The first one we’re given is Paul himself…”The Example of Paul.”

I. The Example of Paul (v.1)

Now, there are number of key word descriptors Paul gives of himself and we’ll hit those up. But before we do I thought it would be good for us to hear Paul’s story. Some of you know it well, some of you may have never heard it.

So here’s the story. Paul used to go by the name of Saul…I’ll tell you why in a minute. So Saul was probably in his early thirties, likely my age. And in his time and culture he was one of the up and coming brightest and best. In the religious and political world he was a rising star. He had received a world class education, had a become a brilliant lawyer of Jewish law, and he was passionate about making a difference in the world by weeding out what he saw as religious and societal cancers. Which for him at the time included Christianity and the church.

Here’s how he described himself in Philippians 3:5-6 “(I was) circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”

This was Saul. Then something happened. Acts 9 tells us the story. Saul was on a mission, sent by the high priest with official letters, to go shut down church in Damascus using whatever means necessary…even if it meant lethal force, which he oversaw once in the killing of the first Christian, Stephen. While he was on his way there something happened. Suddenly standing in his path was a bright and blinding light which caused him to fall to the ground, likely falling off his horse. Then a voice out of the light spoke to him saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Saul’s freaked out that bright light is talking to him, but he’s not so dense that he doesn’t put together that it’s God, so he says, “Who are you Lord?” And the bright light responds, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Rise and enter the city and you will be told what to do.” After this he’s blind, goes to the city and there a Christian named Ananias takes him in, prays for him, Salu gets his sight back, then Ananias unpacks the gospel for Saul, Saul becomes a believer, Ananias baptizes him, and Acts 9 says immediately he started going around preaching saying, “Jesus is the Son of God.”

After this Galatians tells us Saul went down to Arabia for three years where he prepared for the ministry and was taught and trained in the gospel. After that time he changed his name to Paul, went and met up with the church leaders who eventually commissioned him as a church planter and you read the stories throughout the rest of the book of Acts of the numerous churches God enabled Paul to start.

It’s a crazy story. And yet, like many of us, it’s the same story we’ve experienced. Our life was headed one direction and then we encountered Jesus and everything changed…so much so that we really have become different people. We may not change our name like Paul did, but everything is vastly different for us after coming to believe and have Jesus as Lord.

Now back to Titus. Knowing Paul’s story helps us. So when he hands out these titles and roles about himself, now you know, they are heavily loaded terms.

Let’s look at ‘em. First word, “Paul.” That’s a big deal, in and of itself. He’s not Saul, he’s a man changed by the gospel, it’s Paul now and by this time he had been Paul for probably almost thirty years.

The second thing? He’s a servant of God. The word “servant” is soft here. Some of your Bibles may have a little footnote there, a little “1.” If you do and you look down at the bottom of the page it will say “or slave.” Slave is a better translation here because it captures how Paul saw himself.

His heart and life had been turned to God, so that now, rather than doing his own thing and aspiring for position and status among his peers, he was wholly devoted to serving God. He worked for God and was bound to him, doing whatever God asked of him. A willing slave of God.

Then a third term, “apostle.” This one is a technical title. In the New Testament it both denotes the position of authority the church leaders had welcomed him into as one who had seen the resurrected Lord and been taught and trained by Jesus and it describes what his role was, namely planting numerous churches. So this one carries with it some official weight, the Church stamp of apostle.

Then there are two more. Look at mid-verse 3. He says he by the command of God he has been entrusted with “preaching.” So the fourth way Paul identifies himself here is that he has been called and gifted by God to be a preacher of the Word.

Then the last one, and we’ll spend more time on it later but it’s in verse 4 where he talks about Titus being his true child. So the fourth way Paul self-describes himself is as a spiritual father. Let’s put it together. Who’s Paul? A changed man, who works for God as a preacher of God’s Word, who fathers spiritual children.

Now here’s the point… Is Paul being egotistical here? No. It’s actually a quite a humble way to talk about yourself. This thread runs through each of the descriptions of himself he gives…God did it. God’s the one who changed him, God’s the one who has taken him as a servant, God is the one who made him an apostle, God’s the one who called him to be a preacher of the Word, and God’s the one who enabled him to produce a child of the faith. God made Paul the leader he had become.

In hearing how Paul sees himself I wonder how you see yourself?

Are you a different person than you used to be because of the work of the gospel in your heart and your life? Have you changed? Are you changing? I’d venture far enough to say, if you haven’t experiencing change then maybe you haven’t or are not really experiencing the gospel. The gospel is meant to give us a whole new identity, like it did for Saul.

Are you a slave of God? Who do you work for? Do you see your boss as your Lord or do you see Jesus as the one you work for? Do you do whatever Jesus asks or are you really just a slave to yourself and do whatever you want most the time?

Do you know your gifting and calling? Paul was called to be an apostle. What has God called you to and are you being faithful to your calling? If you don’t know…that’s something you ought to give some time and prayer to and get some counsel on. Life is not meant to just be your to do with whatever you want. God means for you to be and do something for him.

Do you live under the authority of God’s Word? According to the command of God Paul was to preach the Word. According to the command of God we are all supposed to listen to and live out the word. Are you doing that or are you following the words and advice of someone else?

And then the last one, do you have children of the faith. This may be literal children or figurative ones but are you working on passing on the faith to others, some specific people your giving your life away to?

All of these things are universal. What we see and hear from Paul ought to be true in some way for all of us…changed servants, called by God, under his word and making disciples. That’s simply the Christian life. It looks different for each one of us, but the principles are the same. God means for all of us to become this kind of Christian…leaders.

But how does it happen? How does God make leaders? We find the answer beginning in the second part of verse one, so let’s look at it and talk about “The Nature of Election.”

II. The Nature of Election (v.1-2)

There are four references here to God’s electing power. I’ll show ‘em to you and then explain how they are functioning and what they mean.

The first one is mid-verse one where Paul says God made him a leader “for the sake of the faith of God’s elect.” God’s elect. That’s one. Then there’s the second one at the beginning of verse two, “in hope of eternal life.” Then there’s the third one in mid verse two where he says that God never lies, which is another way of saying God doesn’t make mistakes. That’s three. Then the there’s a fourth one is at the end of verse two where Paul tells us that God’s plan and promise began “before the ages began.”

Each one of these phrases are time references…God’s elected ones, there is eternal life, God’s is truthful in history, and planned before the ages began. Each one of these in one way or another points to either the past, present or future action of God.

That’s important to recognize because if you can see that you can see how each of these references to God’s election power are functioning…basically what we have in verses 1-3 is a beautiful, complicated, intertwined web of theology carried along in one big run-on sentence. And the logic here is that Paul became who he did because God has an eternal purpose and a plan for people.

With this type of language Paul steps back and look past his own current time and life and he looks at all of time…the beginning, “before the ages began” …the future, of “eternal life” and says all of those things are held together carried along by a God who has plan for his elect. So what Paul is doing is rooting his own life and ministry in the history of God’s redemptive plan for his people. That’s huge!

Here’s why I say that. It’s not just because grammatically everything in this run on sentence of theology hangs on that first phrase “for the sake of the faith of God’s elect” though that’s true. But it’s also because of the meaning of this word “elect.”

The term “elect” all throughout Scripture is term of endearment of God for his selected or chosen people. For example, Isaiah 45:4 says “For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my elect, I call you by your name.” In Mark 13:37 Jesus says when he returns God “will send out the angels and gather his elect.” So it’s not so much like “elect” like we think of when we use the word “election” as if God held some kind of vote within himself. The elect are people, whom for whatever reason God has planned, since before the beginning of time, that they would have faith and receive eternal life. And this is true because God doesn’t lie.

Now before you start tripping out on predestination and election and going down a rabbit trail of thoughts about how you can make real decision and choices in life if God already determined them…before you start doing that let me stop you, because I don’t think that’s the purpose and intent here. Just because the word “elect” pops up here doesn’t mean Paul’s intent here is for us to go on this extended theological discussion on it. When he wants to do that, he spend a few chapters on the subject like he does in Romans 9-11.

So then, you have to ask the question why does he throw it in here, what are we supposed to take and get from it? Two things I think. One, I think is to say, “look God not only plans that people get saved and become Christians, ‘his elect’, but he also plans the way they become Christians and continue being Christians and that’s through leaders.” In this case Paul, the servant and apostle.” That’s one thing I think is pretty clear.

The other one I think is for other future leaders. By rooting his life and ministry in God’s eternal redemptive plan I think Paul is saying, “God’s the one who makes you a leader, not you.” I mean that’s definitely what happened with Paul as we heard his story. But isn’t that really how all leaders, all good leaders ought to see themselves?

In our pastors meeting this week Ron and I we’re reading, studying and discussing Deuteronomy 8 together before we launched into our agenda in overseeing all that is going on in our church. There was one verse in that chapter which stood out to both of us a bunch and I couldn’t help but think about it in preparing for this sermon. It’s Deuteronomy 8:17. It says, “Beware, let you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this…’”

You see I think there is something different when a leader recognizes that it’s not because he’s better than anyone else per se or or is trying to become or achieve some sort of position or status but instead he simply recognizes it is who God has made him and gifted him to be. It’s humility really. It’s recognizing that it’s God who makes you and you don’t make yourself.

This is important for us. Here’s the take aways. We as an elect people of God need leaders and it’s God who gives and makes leaders. And there’s an undercurrent here. We’re not going to all be leaders in the same way. We’re not going to be Pauls, please don’t try to be. If you try to write new books of the Bible we’ll throw you out. At the same time I do think there’s an undercurrent here Paul and the Holy Spirit meant for the people of Crete and for us to pick up on by hearing how Paul sees himself.

First we need an eternal perspective. We we’re talking a bit about it at the community group I’m a part of this week. One person asked if we we’re supposed to think about heaven and hell that much because it just seemed so far off and irrelevant to our everyday life. It was a good question. And I get it, hell is not fun to think about and heaven is hard to conceive. But what isn’t hard to conceive of is time and eternity.

Paul here stops, looks at his own identity and his own job in light of his eternal purpose given by God. Have you done that? Have you stepped back and seen yourself in a light like that? Who is it that God has called you to be in the world and what has he designed you for? What’s your role? There’s a lot of you I think who need to get a handle on that. I don’t think it’s just the pastors who have “a calling to the ministry.” I think that’s every Christian. What’s your calling? How has God put you together for the sake of the faith of God’s elect? Who is working at making you to be?

The second thing for us to pick up on from how Paul sees himself is…don’t take credit for anything God does in and through you. You’re just a servant and he planned for you to be that way before the ages began…so you’re just doing your job. Don’t ever think, “it was by my power and the might of my hand that I got here.” If you ever get anywhere, if you’re ever able to lead or influence anyone else it’s because God enabled you to and he planned for you to before the foundation of the world.

Well, let’s move on and talk about the third way God makes leaders, through “The Instrument of The Word.”

III. The Instrument of The Word (v.3)

In this third way we learn about the tangible tool God has given for shaping and forming leaders, his Word. The first way we heard about was rooted in personal experience. Paul experienced radical change by the gospel in his life as all good leaders will. The second way we heard about was rooted in the character of God in his electing power. God plans leaders before the beginning of time. This third way we hear about is a practical means God always uses, his word.

So a few things are all mixed together here in this one. First, there’s the whole plan of God to bring elect ones to eternal life through faith that we we’re just talking about. Verse three immediately launches into it saying “at the proper time” or “just the right time” God “manifested his word” which tells us about this plan God has had since before the foundation of the world. Then Paul tells us that God’s word is what has been entrusted to him and that is what he is preaching.

Now there a bunch of things wrapped up in this…like how God manifested his word…how this entrusting of God’s word to Paul includes not only his preaching but what he is currently writing…how this word is true…coming from the God who does not lie and is giving a knowledge of the truth…and how God’s word is meant to teach and train in godliness. All those things are either clear or alluded to in this passage we have today. But we don’t have time to hit all that. So I’m just going to focus on how the word functions in forming people and leaders.

Look at that word in the middle of verse three, “entrusted.” You guys see that? “At the proper time (God) manifested his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted.” Entrusted. The word and the declaring or heralding of the word had been entrusted to Paul.

It seems like this word “entrusted” is a key word. You see for the people of Crete, they were not known to be a trustable people and likewise they didn’t trust many people but looked down on them. Later in chapter one, Paul cites a Cretan prophet who admits this saying, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.” That was the Cretan reputation.

So in our passage when it points out that God does not lie and his word is what gives a knowledge of the truth, it very likely is addressing the need for something trustable from the start. I’ll tell you a little bit of Cretan cultural background.

Cretes believed their island to be the birthplace of the famous Greek gods, especially the head of the pantheon Zeus. If you haven’t heard of Zeus, he was known as the god of the sky and thunder and had superior power over all the other gods. If you’ve sen the recent movie, “The Clash of the Titans” then you have a good idea.

Cretes claimed Zeus used to be a Cretan man but then achieved godhood and they claimed that when he died he returned and was buried in one of their tombs. Few believed the Cretan tale. Zeus himself was known for lying and deceiving. He was known to wrap himself in a fog, appear as a man in order to have sex with young women and then when he would return home to his wife, he’d lie about it to her.

If you’re from Crete you don’t really know what’s really true and who to trust. Cretans were also known to be very wealthy and they often assumed people we’re just after their money. So along comes Paul who says God has always been God since before the beginning of time, he’s a God who does not lie and he has given a true word which can be trusted.

In many ways it seems like we struggle with the same thing these days. There’s so many competing ideas and beliefs. With the internet and the easy access to information and with travel and the encountering of so many different kinds of people…we often start to feel lost and overwhelmed thinking…how do we really know what’s true, what can really be trusted when it comes to life and God?

What we see and hear from Paul is a dedication to Gods’ word. God gave his word and Paul put his confidence in it as a sure guide. I think this is what we’re supposed to get. We know we’re not all called to be preachers like Paul, but God’s word has been given to us all…God has entrusted it to us as well. And it’s a sure guide for us, especially in the forming and shaping of us into leaders.

Paul says it this way in one of his other letters to another leader, to Timothy. In 2 Timothy 3:-16-17 he says, “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 competent, equipped for every good work.”

The word is the practical tool God has given to make leaders. All leaders are meant to sit underneath the instruction of the word and be trained by it. Too often we look to other tricks to try and excel and succeed in life rather than have God’s word be the chief thing which shapes us and makes us. If what you’re doing is not word based and word driven that’s not good.

Really the point of verse three is simple, listen to the word. You’re here now, that’s good. Hopefully you’re hearing the word and not just hearing but trusting it and following it. I mean why else does Paul give away his life in preaching the word? So it will be heard and applied in people’s lives. God’s word is meant to be the central instrument to teach us and help us.

So I’ll just ask this simple question…are you living according to God’s word? Or are you living according to your own, according to what you think is best or what you want to do? What is shaping and instructing you? Only trusting and abiding in God’s word will make you into the leader God wants you to be. Everything else, all other paths will ruin you. May God help us to trust and obey his Word.

IV. The Children of Faith (v.4)

Okay, let’s look at the last thing we see here that God uses to make leaders, “The Children of Faith.” Verse 4, “To Titus, my true child in a common faith.” This one’s a simple one, it’s really what we we’re talking about last week when we worked through discipleship together.

Paul here is clearly talking about Titus being a spiritual son. Paul was single, unmarried, and didn’t have any children. Titus is most likely younger than Paul, maybe in his mid-thirties and Paul has been his spiritual mentor and discipler. He may have even been the person which led Titus to faith in Jesus.

This phrase is a special recognition. It’s Paul’s way of saying “Titus, you got it. Everything I am about you have taken on as well. The things I meant to pass on to you, you’ve got…you’re a true son of the faith.” That’s a tender and kind thing to say. Very humbling to have the great apostle Paul say that about you. In addition the address also sort of puts Titus on par with Paul in his theology and authority for the Cretans.

Beyond the historical situation of Paul and Titus’s relationship and what was going on in Crete, what we have here is a prime model for how God makes leaders. First he elects a person, then he changes them by the gospel, then he trains them in his word and that training by the word is often administered by someone by a leader who has gone before them. C.J. Mahaney says God uses others to press God’s Word into us.

Here’s how Hebrews 13:7 says it, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” Many have often said things are caught not taught. I don’t fully agree with that statement, you do need teaching, but with it you need someone whose going to walk you through things.

I’m super grateful for the men I have in my life who are further along then me. I look to them a lot these days. I ask a ton of questions trying to learn. I’ve got men in my life who have said to me, it’s their goal to pass on the baton of the faith and the leadership of the Jesus ‘Church to the next generation. I love those men who have adopted me as a son in the faith.

Then likewise, I’ve got guys who are not as far along as me I’m investing in and attempting to teach and train in the faith. I think that’s how this whole thing is supposed to function. As a church we’re a family and we’re helping and teaching and training one another with the aid of God’s word which has been entrusted to us.

So real simple…do you have someone in your life you’re looking to who is helping you learn the faith? And do you have people in your life your working with to pass on the faith to?

I can’t tell you enough how important that is. We’ve got a number of new Christians. If you’re a new Christian you need to meeting with someone every week to talk about your life, God’s Word and what Jesus is doing in you. If you’re a Christian whose been around awhile, you haven’t arrived yet because you’re not dead. You need to be regularly meeting with others who are helping you grow in your faith. And everyone ought to be looking to help lead others in the faith. It’s how this whole thing works.

God makes leaders and one of the chief ways he intends to do it is through you.

Conclusion

Alright, let’s pull things in and conclude our time together. This whole book really is about developing leaders and I think that means everyone of you. There’s a lot of different types of leaders and ways to lead but all of us are called by God in his word to be people who spread his fame through the message of the gospel he has given us.

Now here’s the thing. If you try to do all this stuff you will fail. I mean if you’re like, okay I’m going work on being a person who continually changed by the gospel, I’m going to find my identity and confidence in God’s calling in election, I’m going to dedicate myself to being formed by the word and I’m going to make children of the faith.

I’ve been trying to convince you of all those things all sermon long. But the truth is if you try all of that you will fail. The reason is because we are all sinners and we always fall short. But the good news is that is not the condition God places over us for his acceptance. The good news of the gospel is Jesus has succeeded in all of them for us perfectly.

Jesus is the true and better example, far better than Paul because Jesus didn’t have to be changed by the gospel, he gave himself away as the servant and apostle of all so there might be a gospel.

Jesus is the true and better one who was elected before the foundation of the world, not to be saved but to come and be the savior for many through his death and resurrection.

Jesus is the true and better instrument since he didn’t come to just preach the entrusted word but was himself the word of God who we can look to and trust in all things.

And lastly Jesus, is the true and better legitimate child, the one and only son of the Father who adopts us into his family through the faith he has given us.

Jesus is the one who makes all of this possible. Without him we will fail in it all but through him God will use each one of the things outlined here in Titus 1:1-4 to make us into the people he has designed and destined us to be. What we need more than anything is the grace and peace of the Father and as verse 4 concludes, it tells us that comes through Christ Jesus our savior who died and rose again for us.

Let’s pray.