Moments in the life of a Pastor

Walking with God

Monthly Archives: April 2025


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1. Trusting in Truth – Part 1

Titus 1:1-4

“This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began. And now at just the right time he has revealed this message, which we announce to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him. I am writing to Titus, my true son in the faith that we share. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.”

We are going to start a brand new series in the book of Titus entitled “Firm Foundations.” This short book is often forgotten in the shadows of Scripture because of its small size. But this section of Scripture is especially relevant to our lives today because we are in desperate need of a firm foundation on which to stand. If we don’t start standing on scripture we will get swallowed up in the sinking sands of secular thinking. Our goal is to mine the treasures of Titus so that as verse 17 says, we will be “Thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Now the name of the book introduces us to the original recipient of this letter, a man named Titus who was:

A convert of Paul. We see this in Titus 1:4: “…my true son.” Paul also discipled and mentored this man in the faith. We’ll be talking more about mentoring when we get to chapter two.

A companion of Paul. Titus went with Paul to the Jerusalem council to argue that Gentile converts did not have to keep the Law (Acts 15). In 2 Corinthians 8:23, Paul refers to him as “…my partner and fellow worker among you.”

A man of conviction. Galatians 2:3-5 gives us some detail: “Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek…We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.”

A comfort to Paul in 2 Corinthians 7:6: “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus.”

A confidant of Paul. He was entrusted with collecting an offering from the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 8:6: “So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.”

He has a caring heart. We see this in 2 Corinthians 8:16: “I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you.”

As Paul looked at Titus he saw in him not just the ability to be a good troubleshooter but to be a teacher of Truth. As they traveled together, they stopped to minister on the island of Crete, and when it was time for Paul to go, he left Titus behind to “complete the work, and straighten out what was left unfinished” (Titus 1:5). Titus had a tough task, Crete is an island located southeast of Greece in the Mediterranean Sea. This Roman province had a hundred cities, many of which were heavily populated and very independent. To be known as a Cretan was not a good thing. The poet Epimenades, whom Paul quotes in Titus 1:12, referred to these people as “always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” It is believed that the Philistines, the arch enemies of Israel throughout the Old Testament, came from the island of Crete. Cretans were steeped in pagan superstition and false religion. Do you ever feel like our culture is controlled by “Cretans”? Or that your co-workers are from Crete. Or maybe you have a couple of Cretans cousins hanging from one of the branches in your family tree. Or here is a scary thought you might be a Cretan! The challenge for us, as it was for young Titus, is to stand for the truth so that we won’t fall for and fill ourselves up with trash.

As we look at the first four verses which lay the groundwork for the rest of the letterva principle arises: Ministry is messy. Proverbs 14:4: “Where no oxen are, the manger is clean.” If we’re going to reach out to those in Crete we are going to have to deal with the dung. The challenge for the church today is that we want to preach we just don’t want to deal with the problems. But theology isn’t theory it has to be put into practice. We have to get serious and stop kidding ourselves into believing that service is sterile, the truth is service stinks. And if we are going to care for Cretans we are going to have to get uncomfortable and come to grips with the fact that the ox is going to messes up the manger. Today as we start this new series we need to recognize that in order to impact our world and saturate them with truth we need to stand on scripture.  It’s not enough just to take time for truth you have to trust in that truth.


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61 Watchful Warriors – Part 4

1 Peter 5:6-14

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. 10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power to him forever! Amen. 12 I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. 13 Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”

D. Engage with God’s people – Vs 13-14

Peter closes by reminding us of our need for relationships, and the need to gather as God’s people. It’s also important as we go through adversity to remember that we are not alone. Satan wants to separate us from the herd because when he does we are helpless. This closing section is personal and I love how Peter gives props to Silas who is more than just a mailman he was the one who ministered with Paul on his second missionary journey. The one who sang hymns with Paul as they suffered in prison. We all need faithful servants like Silas that we can count on when we are going through suffering. He also wants those who have been scattered by suffering to know that there is another church cheering them on along with Mark my son. Yes this is the same Mark who had failed and bailed on Paul and Barnabas but is now restored and ready to serve. I want you to note how close these two men from different generations had grown.  Mark become like a son to Peter. Not only does Satan want to separate and single us out individually but he also wants to separate us generationally. But I need the diversity and differing strengths of the saints. I need the stamina of youthful saints, the security of middle aged ones but also the steadfastness of senior saints. I need that old buffalo that’s not going to back down, the one that reminds the herd not to run. There is protection in numbers God didn’t call us to be solo saints, we need to stick together, so let me ask you are you doing life’s with other Believers? Peter closes with a call us to connect, “Greet each other with a kiss of love.” This stands in sharp contrast to the kiss of betrayal Judas gave to Jesus. When I lived in the middle it was common in that culture to greeting others by giving a kiss on the cheeks. This seems strange to us in our estranged culture but Peter is reminding us that we are not only called to be faithful we are called to be friendly.

Conclusion

As we close I want to remind you that the devil deals in deception, he is the lying lion not the living lion. The real roaring lion is Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. In Revelation 5:5 the Apostle John is given a message: “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” But in Revelation 5:6 the image changes from a lion to a lamb: “And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain…” These two images could not be more opposite, Lambs are weak while Lions are strong. But Jesus is both the supreme Lion and the sacrificial Lamb. And as the Lamb he is standing next to the throne because He is alive and the war has been won. He is a lamb-like lion and a lion-like lamb. When He cried out on the cross of Calvary, “It is finished,” it was a victorious lion-like roar that shook the very foundations of world. Peter close his book the same way he opened it, by penning the words “Peace to all who are in Christ Jesus.” Are you in Christ Jesus? Don’t settle for a counterfeit, come to Christ. The devil was defeated and de-fanged at the cross. You serve a conquering Savior and you can stand boldly because the battle has already been won by the blood of the Lamb.