Titus 1:9-16

“9 He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong. 10 For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. 11 They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And they do it only for money. 12 Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.” 13 This is true. So reprimand them sternly to make them strong in the faith. 14 They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth.15 Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.”

It’s here that Paul reminds us of the goal which is to:

3.         Reconcile the Rebellious – Vs 15-16

The context here refers to those who are devoted to the rules but don’t have a relationship with Jesus. The word translated “pure” is the same word used to describe those who have been washed clean by Jesus Christ. Verse 16 reminds us that even though an individual may claim to know God, how they live can cancel out their confession. A changed character leads to changed conduct. Proper belief must express itself in proper behavior. Isaiah 29:13: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” What Paul is saying here is that people do what they do because of what is in their hearts. Just because they speak about spiritual things doesn’t mean that they are saved. Its here that Paul uses some strong words.

Detestable. This comes from a word that means, “to emit a foul odor” and was used to describe that which is an abomination to God.

Disobedient. This word literally refers to one who refuses to be persuaded. There are those who don’t believe not because of insufficient evidence but because of proud hearts.

Worthless. Meaning that their lives don’t stand the test, it was used of metals that were rejected by refiners because of impurities.

So let me ask you a challenging question, are you a Christian or a counterfeit. Are you a follower of Jesus Christ or a fake? There are those who have convinced themselves that they are a Christian, but in reality you’re not. Paul gave a very serious challenge to church people in 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.” Have you ever really examined yourself?

There are people who profess Christ but don’t possess Christ. Some of you claim to be a Christian with your words but you prove that you are carnal with your walk. What about you are you a professor of faith or a possessor of faith? For many years John Wesley professed to be a believer and yet when he took the time to examine himself, he came to the conclusion that he was not a Christian. This is what he said in his sermon called, “The Almost Christian.”

“I did go thus for many years, as many of this place can testify; using diligence to eschew all evil, and to have a conscience void of offence; redeeming the time; buying up every opportunity of doing all good to all men; constantly and carefully using all the public and all the private means of grace; endeavoring, after a steady seriousness of behavior, at all times, and in all places: and God is my record, before whom I stand, doing all this in sincerity; having a real design to serve God; a hearty desire to do his will in all things; to please him who had called me to ‘fight the good fight,’ and to ‘lay hold on eternal life.’ Yet my own conscience bears me witness, in the Holy Ghost, that all this time I was but almost a Christian”

What about you are you a child of the King or a counterfeit?

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.