Here's What Matters
Titus is one of the three pastoral letters written by the Apostle Paul (1 & 2 Timothy are the other two). Though it is a short letter, it contains a big message. The theme of the letter “is the inseparable link between faith and practice, belief and behavior. This truth is the basis for its critique of false teaching as well as its instruction in Christian living and qualifications for church leaders.”
As one minister put it: “Christianity is the least concerned about religion of any of the world’s faiths. It is primarily concerned about life.”
Paul had left Titus, a young man that he had personally won to the Lord (Titus 1:4), on the island of Crete to set things in order.
One could say that Titus was Paul’s troubleshooter. Titus was a Greek believer (Galatians 2:3), and he had served Paul on many spiritual assignments in Corinth (2 Corinthians 7:13, 14; 8:6, 16, 23; 12:18). In fact, Paul wrote:
If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. 2 Corinthians 8:23
Paul had many that he called “fellow workers,” but few are really “partners” or “fiduciaries.”
Crete was not an easy place to work. There was a great deal of mythology and tradition on the Greek island. Paul actually found something to agree with one of the false teachers about when it came to the people of Crete:
12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Titus 1:12, 13a
It was to these lying, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons that Paul would assign young Titus the assignment of putting the churches on the island in order.
Paul’s letter to Titus is an important one. It was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and as such it is instructive for us today. The Word of God is always relevant, insightful, and powerful. Over the next few weeks, I will be preaching through this short epistle. I would also like to invite you to Wednesday Bible study as well, for we will further dissect this little letter and go even deeper into the truths contained within it.
The first four verses serve as a very long introduction (at least as far as Paul’s writings is concerned), to Titus.
From these four verses we see the tone set for what is ahead. The title of my message is this: HERE’S WHAT MATTERS! It is amazing the amount of truth that one can find in just four short verses.
When one realizes what really matters to God, it suddenly will begin to matter to you as well. Once we believe it, it will transform our behavior. Our faith will become our practice when we figure out what really matters. We can find the answer in these four verses.