St Petersburg Presbyterian Church

Our verses provide a fitting ending to Paul’s brief letter to Titus. We see a team of people united for the purposes of the gospel and Paul’s continued stress on the importance of good works among God’s people. Our text shows us that, by God’s grace, we must work together for the cause of the gospel and the care of the gospel.

In his short letter to Titus, Paul again turns to the gospel. The gospel tells us of God’s goodness and loving kindness extended to the unworthy: to those who were foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasure, passing their days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. To repentant sinners such as these, God extends his grace. We learn this in the gospel and, as such, the gospel is a truth to cherish, to emulate, and to preserve.

Because Jesus Christ has appeared in grace to redeem us for Himself, we are to live lives that adorn the gospel as we wait for Him to appear again in glory. Paul shows us what the pattern of that life looks like and points us to the power and hope to live that way.

Our Scripture shows us that God calls the church to be a place for truth. As such we must always cultivate the truth, defend the truth, and live by the truth.

As King and Shepherd over his church, Jesus Christ raises up elders to lead and govern his people. Here in Titus, Paul outlines the characteristics that churches should look for in these elders. Rather than fall for the temptation of what the world values, churches must value faithful, gospel-centered men. In our text, Paul shows us these men will be identified by faithful home, faithful character, and faithful teaching.

Paul’s letter to Titus provides us with instructions to his mentee who is planting churches on the island of Crete. The letter provides us with the mission of the church, and in our opening verses of this letter we see both (1) the grounds for the church’s mission and (II) the means for the her mission.

We are delivered safely into the heavenly kingdom by Jesus who is present now with us in the church family and individually as King of his kingdom.

Amid the trials and uncertainties of life, Christians have an anchor that holds them firm, which is the hope of resurrection through Christ Jesus. Since Christ’s victory transcends all our difficulties, we must keep the faith. We do so by (1) fulfilling our earthly calling, and (II) cherishing our heavenly hope.

The preaching of God’s Word is central to the life of the church because God works through His Word to accomplish His purposes in His people. Yet faithful preaching will often be met with resistance, distraction, and rejection. Therefore, ministers must faithfully proclaim God’s Word with sober-minded endurance, trusting that the Lord will use His appointed means in His appointed time for His glory and the good of His people.

We live amid a sea of voices telling us how we should live our lives. In our text this morning, Paul shares his main aim in life (i.e., his purpose), and from it we see our purpose as well. God calls us to endure in following Christ, but to do this we must know the goal, be aware of the obstacles, and cling to the guide.