Title: A High Calling

Text: Titus 1:5-9

FCF: We often struggle taking seriously the qualities of an Elder.

Prop: Because an Elder has a high calling from God, we must display these qualities to be considered for appointment.

Scripture Intro: ESV

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Titus chapter 1. Last week we got a little bit of the background of both Titus and the people of Crete. We also looked at Paul’s introduction to this letter and his hope that Titus will be given grace and peace from God to accomplish all that is necessary there.

With that, we step into the letter in earnest. Today, we’ll get a sense of exactly why Paul is writing to Titus, we’ll see the second qualification list for Elders, and also deal with our first major interpretational challenge in the book.

Lots to learn here. I will be reading from the ESV starting in verse 5. You can follow along in the pew bible on page 1345 or whatever version you have.

Transition:

It is a full passage with applications that are both supremely relevant to our church and incredibly powerful to our culture. So buckle up!

I.) The call of an Elder requires examination, so we must display these qualities to be considered. (5-6)

a. [Slide 2] 5 – This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you –

i. As in I Timothy, Paul doesn’t waste any time in getting right to the point of this entire letter.

ii. The letter serves two very specific purposes

1. To help Titus put the church in order there.

2. To help Titus appoint qualified men into Eldership in each town in Crete.

iii. Bringing order is, by and large, the rest of the letter besides our text for this morning. So, although we could elaborate on this today – in reality – you just need to keep coming each Sunday after this one to find out what that means