Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20130113.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Titus: God's Directives For Church Leaders In Deteriorating Cultures
Part VII: The Leader's Call For Godly Conduct Toward All Men
(Titus 3:1-8)
  1. Introduction
    1. As local church leaders are responsible to call God's people unto godly personal conduct in a deteriorating culture, that conduct of necessity is to be reflected in how they relate to all people in that needy culture.
    2. Titus 3:1-8 gives direction for conduct toward all men in general, especially to those in the secular realm:
  2. The Leader's Call For Godly Conduct Toward All Men, Titus 3:1-8.
    1. Church leaders must call God's flock to a special attitude toward government authorities, Titus 3:1:
      1. Paul told Titus to remind believers to subject themselves for their own benefit (hupotassesthai = present infinitive, in the middle voice to emphasize an action one does for his own interests, U. B. S. Greek N. T., 1966, p. 742; Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. Of the N. T., 1967, p. 855-856; The Analytical Grk. Lex. (Zond.), 1972, p. 313; Dana & Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Grk. N. T., 1955, p. 156-161) to civil principalities and powers, Titus 3:1a.
      2. He added that believers be urged to "obey" (peitharcheo, Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 644) rulers, 3:1b.
      3. In today's climate, this carries tremendous applications:
        1. God permits even the godless secular rulers who are in power to rule (Romans 13:1) so that any believer who resists them actually resists the ordinance of God (Romans 13:2).
        2. Accordingly, for their own welfare, it is in their best interests for believers to be directed by their local church leaders to subject themselves for their own benefit before God and their rulers to their secular rulers (hupotassesthai), even if they are evil!
        3. In so doing, they are to obey (peitharcheo) these rulers, which obedience is limited only when those rulers direct a believer against God's direct command for them, cf. Acts 5:29.
        4. This runs contrary to the common theme in democracies today where people are taught to "push your own rights" before rulers, so the Church has to depart from such a focus so as to please God!
      4. In addition, believers are to be prepared, ready (etoimos, Ibid., p. 316) to perform every good work relative to the government, including paying all their taxes, obeying traffic, gun, military and civil laws regardless of the prevailing ideologies or popular movements in the body politic today!
    2. Church leaders must call God's flock to a special attitude toward secular relationships at large, Tit. 3:2-8:
      1. Leaders must tell the flock not to "injure the reputation" of anyone (blasphemeo, Ibid., p. 142), 3:2a.
      2. Leaders must tell the flock to be "peaceable" (amachos, Ibid., p. 44), Titus 3:2b.
      3. Leaders must tell the flock to be "gentle" (epieikes, Ibid., p. 292), Titus 3:2c.
      4. Leaders must tell the flock to show all "humility, courtesy" (prautes, Ibid., p. 705-706) to all, Tit. 3:2d.
    3. The basis for such an attitude toward government officials and all men in general is the spiritual transformation God has wrought in the believer to save him from the effects of the deteriorating cultural mindset around him unto an attitude of gracious godliness, Titus 3:3-8 NIV:
      1. Paul explained that we believers were once, like those in the world, living foolish, disobedient, deceived lives, enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures, Titus 3:3.
      2. However, when God's kindness and love appeared, He saved us not because of righteous things that we had done, but because of His mercy, His unmerited favor, Titus 3:4-5a.
      3. That salvation involved the washing of the rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit from the sins of the world around us that was generously given us in Christ our Savior, Titus 3:5b-6.
      4. Thus, having been pronounced righteous by God in His grace, we have become heirs, having the hope of eternal life, Titus 3:7.
      5. This salvation requires that leaders stress the need for God's flock to live as graciously toward the world as God has expressed toward them, and that through performing good, gracious works. Titus 3:8.
Lesson: God wants local church leaders to tell His flock that God's great grace expressed unto them in salvation is to be reflected in their acting graciously before the government and secular folk in general.

Application: May we leaders proclaim this, and may we all live as reflectors of God's grace toward us.