Wednesday, June 18, 2025 PM

Good evening, everybody. If you'd open your Bibles with me to Titus 3, find verse 9. We're going to go through the end of the chapter again one more time. Follow along with me as I read. But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and useless.

Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped in sinning, being self-condemned. When I send Artemis to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.

Send Zenos the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing. And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. All who are with me greet you, greet those who love us in the faith, grace be with you all, amen.

If you bow your heads with me. Father, thank you so much that we can have our time together today, that we can fellowship and that we can pray together, and that we can come around your word, Lord. May you teach us, Father, and may what we learn glorify you and bring honor to you.

We love you so much, and it's in the name of your precious son, Jesus, that we come before you and ask these things.

Amen.

The Closing Charge of Titus 3

So, if you see my title tonight, if you can read my writing, Faithful Servant Sent, Faithful Saints Working, Farewells for All, Dispatched, Disposed, and Departing for the Sake of the Gospel. So, when I say disposed, I want to kind of flesh that out really quickly.

Think of like pouring yourself out, emptying yourself, okay? It's hard to find a D-word, but I did. Okay, so, you know, it's really been a joy to go through Titus with you and to learn alongside each of you as we finish with the book this evening.

And I want you to know that much of what we'll be talking tonight will be some application. It will be final lessons that we can learn from the Apostle Paul's last remarks and closing of Titus. And, you know, the end of each epistle isn't generally somewhere that we stop and think about things.

We usually hurry through it and break right into the next book. It's almost like sitting down to dinner and having a nice steak in front of you and having almost eaten the entire thing. You know, you're right down to the last few bites and you just gobble it up just so you can get to the next course of the meal.

But we can forget to savor things that way and we can get in too much of a hurry. So, I don't want you to miss the ending of epistles. Don't go past and meditate upon them. There's still things that can feed you and fill you.

There's still meat left here. So, I'm going to start in verse 12 and just break these next couple of verses apart because there are specific things happening that I believe we can draw from for our own edification.

Titus, Paul, and the Need for Rest from Ministry

So, firstly, Titus 3 .12, When I sent Artemis to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. A replacement. That's what Paul's telling Titus.

I'm sending you a replacement. This verse reads more like a wartime dispatch from staff headquarters to an officer in the field. And Titus has been on the battle front and Crete was obviously a battlefield for the gospel.

You know, there's Judaizers, there's false teachers, and not to mention just the local Cretans. And Titus has been there laboring for the church and for the truth. Titus receives this letter from Paul and the letter, it's marching orders.

It's the battle plan for kingdom advancement. And Paul is clear to Titus about appointing elders, setting things in order, rebuking false teachers, the conduct of Christians, the preaching of the gospel.

But it's not just the battle plan for the church in Crete, it's for us too today. The entire letter shows Paul's concern for the truth, for the people, and most importantly, for the gospel of the Lord Jesus.

And for His kingdom's advancement. And I think this is always Paul's concern, for the truth, for the people, for the gospel. I want you to recall in 2 Corinthians 11, when Paul is speaking about his sufferings as an apostle, his beatings, his shipwrecks, his imprisonments, his hunger and thirsting, stoning.

And at the end of verse 28, this is what he says, and besides the other things, besides the beatings, the stonings, the shipwrecks, what comes upon me daily? My deep concern for all the churches. So I really meditated upon the end of this epistle at great length, and I was thinking about Titus 3, 12 through 15, and I thought about this, and I tried to understand what was happening here in the closing part of Paul's letter.

And truthfully, you know, I think for an analogy, for anybody that's ever played a sport like football, for anybody that's ever been trained militarily, or maybe in public safety like the police service, the fire service, they've been trained, they've been equipped to go out in the field, and they finally make it to the actual theater, or the situation, or the game they've trained for.

It's really hard to pull that person off the line. It's hard to get them off the field. They don't wanna leave. They don't wanna take any rest. But I think it's necessary, and it's good, and it's important.

For example, our Lord Jesus would routinely withdraw after ministering, and perhaps that's where Paul gets this bit of wisdom in dealing with Titus. In Matthew 14, the Lord Jesus feeds 5 ,000 and then withdraws to a mountain alone to pray.

In Mark chapter six, verse 31 through 32, Jesus tells the disciples, "'Come away by yourselves to a desolate place "'and rest a while.'". And it seems that after many significant events throughout the ministry of Jesus on earth, that there would be an interaction, there'd be a time of preaching, miracles, confrontations with those who opposed him, and then a withdrawal to pray, meditate, and fellowship.

And I think that's one thing that we should see here. You can weary yourself, you can work yourself to a frazzle, especially in the position of an elder. They're always on guard, and that's important for us to remember.

Our elders aren't just presiding over the flock. They are tending it, observing it, ministering to it. They're taking a walk with their wife one day and they get a text message that somebody's got a sick dad and they leave the walk, they leave their wife, they go to the hospital, they minister, they pray.

It's difficult. Or there's a conflict in the midst of the church and they gather as a group of elders. They pray, they seek the Lord, they set aside time to go to the brother or sister or group involved and they lovingly attempt to correct.

They give them the truth and they don't know what the future holds, but they're pleading with them. And all the while, they have no special insight, no crystal ball, and there's the possibility of division, of broken hearts, of grief, and all that can wear on them, that can exhaust them.

And not to mention, they are under the same attacks that all of us are. They must, Acts 20, 28, take heed to themselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers to shepherd the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood.

Elders can be exhausted, they can be worn down, they need refreshment too, and perhaps that's why Titus is called from the front lines, to regain strength. He's ministered in Crete and now Paul will minister to him.

He's labored as the teacher and father in the faith has taught him, and now as the pupil and child, as the fellow soldier and laborer, he'll come back to the rear for some fellowship, comfort, rest, and to draw more strength and wisdom for the inevitable future battles.

Titus has labored for the sake of the gospel and Paul is calling him to fellowship. And it's not different for any of us. What comfort we find with one another and what rest we can take together from the world.

And we must be careful to afford ourselves the rest and comfort that fellowship can and does bring. And we must, Hebrews chapter 10, consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.

This place where we're at right now, and amongst one another, is our withdrawal from the front. And we are commanded and lovingly bid here by the precious word of God that teaches us by saying, let us not grow weary while doing good for in due season, we shall reap if we do not lose heart, Galatians 6, 9.

This is a promise and we can urge one another forward and strengthen one another with this. And I think that's what Paul's calling Titus to himself for. Titus has been working. Titus has poured himself out.

Paul knows what it is to work. And this is what Paul means in 2 Timothy 2, verse 10, when he says of himself that he does all things for the sake of the elect, that they may also obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

Paul engaged. Paul knew that there was warfare and work and hardship as a servant of the Lord Jesus. And he disposed himself for the gospel and Titus did also. And we should dispose our own selves for the Lord Jesus.

And remember, we gather here amongst brethren because we find comfort here. We find encouragement here and strong, loving exhortations to take us out into the battlefield again. And in due time, we shall all reap together.

Faithful Brothers Sent for Gospel Work

So I think what else should we see here? What does Paul say to Titus? He says, when I send Artemis or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis. So these are the faithful brothers being sent. They're dispatched for the gospel.

Artemis or Tychicus, what do we know about them? Well, what we do know is that the Lord provides for his people where the flock is, the Lord will provide his shepherds, not hirelings that flee, no, but rather ones that must be commanded to withdraw from their post while their replacements take their stand and guard at the front.

Tychicus, we've seen him before. Paul, in the letter to the Colossians, which Tychicus delivered, describes him as a beloved brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. He's also found in Acts 20, journeying from Macedonia to Jerusalem with Paul.

He's sent to Ephesus in Ephesians chapter six and is once again called a beloved brother and faithful minister. In 2 Timothy, Paul says that Tychicus was with him and is going to Ephesus. Tychicus went where he was needed.

It doesn't seem like he ever had a home base to launch from, but a consistent coming to Paul and then being sent back out to champion the word of God to others, to minister in the name of the Lord Jesus for the church.

So I think Paul's teaching us something here. When we think about Tychicus, this is a hallmark of elders. They reproduce, they train their replacements, they equip men for work in the church and they send them out.

Tychicus was of this sort. He was sent where he was needed. He never seemed to have the corner office in the church with a nameplate on the desk. He was the utility player. He was the man that Paul could trust to go and pick up where another left off.

And the Lord provides those people for his work and for his church. May we be like Tychicus, faithful, no matter what the assignment is. Artemis, we don't know anything about him, but I think we do. And you know, I had to think about this a lot.

I think I can tell you some things about this man. He was Titus chapter one, verses six through nine, blameless. And as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, and held fast to the faithful word as he had been taught.

He was able to, by both sound doctrine, both exhort and convict those who contradicted. This was the requirement for an elder. And Paul was sending either Artemis or Tychicus to replace the elder Titus.

And both of them must be equipped for the task, and nothing has changed for the church since then. This is still the requirement, it's still the job. And God still sends faithful saints to his church.

He still dispatches them for the gospel, where he has determined that they should serve, and they still dispose themselves for the sake of the Lord Jesus, and for his church, and for his word to go forth, to edify his saints and save lost sinners.

Praise God for this, praise God for faithful elders, and praise God for faithful laborers in the Lord's field. Now on to verse 13. Send Zenos the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste that they may lack nothing.

Using Gifts and Skill for the Gospel

Once again, we know very little of Zenos, only that he was a lawyer, and that Paul had found use of him in gospel work. And I think we should consider this man a lawyer, generally an academic, most likely an intelligent man, but one who has found use of his talents and skills that God has given him, and taken them and put them to active use for the sake of the Lord Jesus.

And shouldn't we all do this? Your talents, your trades, your professions, and your skills can all find their usefulness for the name of Christ. They can be used for kingdom work, and you can be used for kingdom work.

Those things that God has gifted you with aren't insulated from the church, they can be used by the church, and for the church, and to the glory of the Lord Jesus. You may not desire the position of an elder, but you are gifted.

God has given you giftings by the Holy Spirit that are vital to our fellowship. You can also dispose yourselves for the sake of the gospel. And I encourage you now to good works for one another for the sake of the Lord Jesus, even if you're a lawyer.

Apollos we've met before. He's from Alexandria in Egypt. He was according to Acts 18, eloquent and mighty in the scriptures. What a description. Mighty in the scriptures. I think that's what we should labor to be, prick us, and like Bunyan was called or referred to, we bleed Bible.

So many problems in the Christian life could be boiled down to, we just don't know scripture enough, and therefore we don't know the God of scripture whom we worship enough. Apollos wasn't just an eloquent man though.

He was also a man on fire, but full of humility as well. See the rest of the description of him in Acts 18 .25. This is what's said about him. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord.

Though he knew only the baptism of John, when Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. I think this is a good lesson right here. We can be mighty in the scriptures and still have a few things wrong.

And praise the Lord, when other faithful saints explain the truth to us, that's what faithful brothers and sisters do. They don't let us languish in error. They speak up for the truth. And Apollos was humble enough to receive it.

And I wanna be the same way. I wanna know God's word, just not well, but accurately. And I pray you do as well. And when we do get a hold of truth, we need to be like Apollos, who when he arrived in Achaia, vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing them from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

That's our goal to preach Christ Jesus. Nothing else matters. And that's why Paul could send Apollos out. He preached the gospel and it was the same for Titus in Crete. What good would it do in Crete for Titus to just try to clean up the immorality of the Cretans?

So they stopped lying. They stopped being lazy. They'd stopped being gluttons, but they would still be hell bound. They would still be without hope. And that's not the goal of the church. That's not the goal for Paul.

Jesus did not come to clean us up a little. He came so that dead men could live. He came to seek and to save sinners, to glorify himself in the Father. And Apollos was sent to proclaim that near and far.

He was dispatched to preach Christ Jesus. And so are you and I. One last thing from this verse, and I think it really carries over into verse 14. Titus is told to send them on their journey with haste that they may lack nothing.

This is an opportunity for the Lord's people to provide. They were investing in the work that Apollos and Zenos had been directed to do. This is mission work. And we are all partakers of the outcome of missions.

What glory the Lord receives by the work of his people going abroad. Well, those that help send them, they can rejoice as well. It takes the entirety of us, the church, to ensure that those being dispatched have what they need in your means of employment, your job, the profession, or means of income you have.

It helps in that effort. You can help provide for our fellowship here and the work of Christians being sent out. Don't minimize or think down upon your work. And that's what Paul's calling the Cretans to do, the Cretan church, help provide for this.

Send them on their way with haste. So what's provided to you by the Lord is for the Lord. And the fruit of it can be used by the Lord. So therefore, Colossians 3, 23 and 24, whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord, you will receive the inheritance as your reward.

You are serving the Lord Christ. So not only is our work an opportunity to serve the Lord Jesus, but also the resources we glean from our work can be used to send faithful brothers to dispatch saints for the gospel.

Good Works, Urgent Needs, and Fruitfulness

So now on to verse 14. And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs that they may not be unfruitful. What do you say when you've said it all? I think if you're Paul, you say it again.

This is the fifth time that good works are mentioned by Paul so he's serious about this. This shows the importance of conduct, of a pattern, of a lifestyle, not an outward showing for the praise of men, but the inward desire to serve the Lord Jesus, to please him.

And how can we do that? We actively seek to serve those around us. We aren't asked to help. We look to help. I've seen many of you that way before. You look to help. Think Christians should be marked out as do-gooders and as the best workers, especially in front of the lost world.

Our bosses and coworkers, they should take notice. They should see our eagerness to serve at work. They should hear our joyfulness to proclaim the work that God has done in us through the gospel. And I had to ask myself, how many opportunities have I missed to work for the Lord Jesus?

And how many opportunities would that have been for me to share in the hope found in the Lord Jesus? And I think as Paul says in verse 15, we must learn this. We have to learn. This word in Greek means to increase one's knowledge, to be informed, to learn by use and practice.

So this is not a one-time deal. We have to practice good works. We must maintain good works. We must give attention to this. Our Savior, whom we look to, whom we fix our gaze on, the author, the captain, the finisher of our faith, he was a servant.

He didn't come to be served. He came rather to serve, and he served all the way to the point of death, even death on the cross. And therefore, Paul says, let our people, Titus, he takes ownership of them right along with Titus, just like we take ownership of one another.

We call each other brother and sister. You are my family in Christ Jesus, and I am yours. And Paul is exhorting here as we should exhort one another. He says, let our people learn to maintain good works and be fruitful.

We should exhort one another. This is a privilege when you think about it. It's truly a blessing for us to get to see the fruit of God's working for his glory through our work for him. We see some come to faith.

We see brothers and sisters encouraged. We see their joy, and it's our joy. And our joy is knowing that Christ is magnified. And Paul says in the same verse, we should meet urgent needs. Some needs may be urgent.

They may be time sensitive, then they may put you in a tight spot, but we should take heart. The Lord Jesus prepared that opportunity. He prepared that good work beforehand for you and I. That we should walk in them, Ephesians 2 .10.

So take advantage of it. Look for it. Be diligent to seek out good works for his glory and be joyful that the Lord of heaven and earth has determined to use us. And by his grace has given us work to do.

Dispose yourself to good works. Labor for the sake of the gospel for the Lord Jesus. Give him your all. He is worthy of it. Lastly, verse 15. I'm good on time. All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with you all.

Amen.

Christian Fellowship, Greetings, and Grace at the End of Titus

Imagine this. Titus, laboring on Crete, exhorting the people, teaching them, appointing and instructing elders, ordering the church correctly, refuting and refusing false doctrines and teachers and to receive this letter.

And especially reading the end of it. And to know that the Lord's people, brothers and sisters in another place, are greeting you, praying for you, encouraging you. What a blessing that would be. What a blessing that still is for us today.

They weren't just sending greetings to Titus, though. They were sending them to all the Christians on the island of Crete. And it's no different from when we pray for complete strangers, just like we did tonight.

One of us, many of us, will raise our hand up and we'll mention a Christian brother or sister in some other place and ask for prayers on their behalf. And once we leave, the phone will be picked up. We'll send the message out, hey, we prayed for you at church tonight.

My church sends its blessings and its greetings to you. These are people that Titus maybe didn't know all of them, but they were praying for him. They were lifting him up. They were greeting him. What a blessing it is to have this fellowship in the Lord.

What a gift it is that he has purchased for us by his own blood. So now we turn to the very last thing. Grace be with you all. Paul starts and ends almost every single epistle with this same thing, grace to you, grace and peace to you.

And I think we should take note of both his opening of epistles and his farewells. These aren't just pithy catchphrases that he came up with. I believe in just this short statement, there's more here than we could ever unpack.

When we talk about the grace of our Lord Jesus, there's so many things. I think if you'll remember, Dean Tucker talked about the grace, went on for two sermons about it, and he said, there's so much more.

But I wanna tell you, I have this single observation for you before we end. Your life in Christ Jesus and mine, just like this epistle, both began with grace. And your life in Christ Jesus and mine, just like this epistle, will both end in the grace of our Lord Jesus and all of the life lived in between.

All of our conduct, our laboring, our good works, our refuting and refusing of false doctrines and teachers, our gospel sharing, our serving one another, whether we're dispatched to different fronts or serve in this same body for decades, we will live by the grace of the Lord Jesus.

And that's my encouragement and application for us tonight that we would rest in God's grace, find our hope in his grace, labor together in the gospel with one another in his grace, and preach only his grace.

Grace be with you all.

Amen.

Let's pray. Father, thank you so much that we could close out Titus, Lord. You have been so gracious to us, and we cannot thank you enough. We cannot love you enough, but we are just, our hearts are full and overflowing by what you've done.

We thank you for the gospel that saves us. We ask that you be with us as we go through the remainder of this week and bring us all back together this Sunday morning to worship you, Lord. Thank you for all that you've done.

In Jesus' holy and precious and magnificent name I pray.

Amen.