Titus Lesson #23

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
TITUS 3:1-15
LESSON #23
THE CHURCH’S RESPONSIBILITY TO DO GOOD WORKS

MEMORY VERSE: TITUS 3:14

• TITUS CHAPTER 3 PRESENTS A GOOD ENDING TO OUR SERIES OF RUNNING THE CHURCH BY THE WORD OF GOD. IT GIVES US AN OVERVIEW OF EVERYTHING THAT GOD WANTS FOR THE CHURCH. IN OUR STUDY OF TITUS, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT: GOD WANTS THE CHURCH TO BE AN ORDERLY ORGANIZATION, AND GOD WANTS THE CHURCH TO HAVE SOUND DOCTRINE.
• TO FULFILL THE THIRD LEG OF OUR 3-LEGGED STOOL, GOD WANTS THE CHURCH TO PERFORM GOOD WORKS.
• WHAT DO YOU THINK THE BIBLE MEANS BY “GOOD WORKS”?
• READ 2COR 9:6-13
• SOME TRUTH’S ABOUT GOOD WORKS:
• A PERSON WHO DOES GOOD WORKS HAS A SPIRIT OF GIVING.
• GOOD WORKS COME FROM A SEED GOD HAS PLACED IN THE HEART. THEREFORE, GOOD WORKS ARE MOTIVATED OR INITIATED BY GOD.
• GOOD WORKS ARE SUSTAINED OR MAINTAINED BY GOD. IN OTHER WORDS, HE PROVIDES THE POWER AND THE ABILITY TO DO THEM.
• GOOD WORKS ARE GENERATED BY GOD TO MEET THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE. (ROM 2:10)
• GOOD WORKS GLORIFY GOD. (MAT 5:16 )
• GOOD WORKS ARE A REQUIREMENT FOR THE CHRISTIAN.
• GOD HAS SET ASIDE CERTAIN THINGS FOR YOU TO DO THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN DO. (EPH 2:10)
• GOOD WORKS PRODUCE ETERNAL FRUIT (COL 1:10)
• GOOD WORKS ARE A BAROMETER OF YOUR FAITH (JAM 2:20)
• WHY? BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO TRUST GOD TO ENABLE YOU TO DO WHAT HE WANTS YOU TO DO. YOU DON’T DO IT IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH.

• READ TITUS 3:1-11 THE CHRISTIAN, THE CIVIL LAW, AND GOOD WORKS
• PAUL BEGINS THIS CHAPTER BY TALKING ABOUT “PRINCIPALITIES, POWERS, AND MAGISTRATES.” (1) IN OTHER WORDS, HE IS TALKING ABOUT CIVIL LAW.
• THE CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE A LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN. HE SHOULD OBEY THE LAWS OF THE LAND IN WHICH HE LIVES.
• THERE IS ONLY ONE BIBLICAL EXCEPTION TO THIS COMMAND:
• IF THE LAW OF THE LAND CONFLICTS WITH OR CONTRADICTS THE CHRISTIAN’S DUTY OR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD, HE MUST OBEY GOD FIRST.
• IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, PAUL’S LIFE GIVES US MANY EXAMPLES. HE PREACHED THE GOSPEL EVEN WHEN THE GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES FORBID HIM TO DO IT.
• WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH GOOD WORKS?
• A PERSON’S REPUTATION IN THE COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT TO WIN PEOPLE TO CHRIST.
• SOME PEOPLE WOULD RATHER ARGUE INTELLECTUALLY ABOUT RELIGIOUS THINGS RATHER THAN TO DO SOME GOOD WORK FOR SOMEONE. PAUL IS SAYING THAT ARGUMENTS DO NOT WIN PEOPLE TO JESUS CHRIST BUT GOOD WORKS DO. (9-11)
• WHAT IS A HERETIC? (10)
• A PERSON WHO CAUSES DIVISIONS IN A GROUP. HE DOES THE WORKS OF THE FLESH (GAL 5:20) INSTEAD OF GOOD WORKS OF GOD.
• OF WHAT VALUE ARE GOOD WORKS?
• THEY MEET THE NEEDS OF OTHER CHRISTIANS.
• THEY WIN NON-BELIEVERS TO JESUS CHRIST.
• HOWEVER, YOU MUST TELL THE NON-BELIEVER IN SOME WAY THE REASON YOU ARE DOING THIS GOOD WORK. IT IS BECAUSE GOD LOVES THEM AND WANTS YOU TO DO THIS FOR THEM.

• READ TITUS 3:12-15 CLOSING
• VERSE 14 IS PAUL’S COMMAND THAT CHRISTIANS DO GOOD WORKS CONSISTENTLY AND THAT THOSE GOOD WORKS BE FRUITFUL.
• NOTICE PAUL SAYS THAT WE ARE TO “LEARN” TO DO GOOD WORKS. (14) HOW DOES THE CHRISTIAN LEARN THIS?
• WE LEARN IT BY USING OUR FAITH, BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH GOD THROUGH PRAYER, AND BY PRACTICE.
• PAUL USES THE WORD “FRUITFUL” TO MEAN THAT THE GOOD WORKS WIN PEOPLE INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
• WHO ARE THE PEOPLE PAUL MENTIONS IN THIS PASSAGE?
• ARTEMAS = THERE IS NO INFORMATION ABOUT THIS MAN.
• TYCHICUS = HE WAS WITH PAUL THE FIRST TIME PAUL WAS IN PRISON IN ACTS 20:4. HE CARRIED LETTERS FROM PAUL TO CHURCHES IN EPHESUS, COLOSSE, AND TO THE MAN, PHILEMON.
• ZENAS AND APOLLOS = THEY POSSIBLY CARRIED THIS LETTER TO TITUS ON CRETE.

• APPLICATION:
• WHAT DO GOOD WORKS HAVE TO DO WITH RUNNING A CHURCH?
• REMEMBER THAT THE “MISSION” OF THE CHURCH IS TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL INTO ALL THE WORLD. (MAR 16:15-16)
• IT IS BY LOVE AND GOOD WORKS THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE WON TO JESUS CHRIST. THEREFORE, THIS THOUGHT GIVES US OUR FINAL PRINCIPLE IN OUR STUDY.

• PRINCIPLE #57
  A CHURCH SHOULD HABITUALLY PERFORM GOOD WORKS AS AN ADVERTISEMENT OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

• THE GOOD WORKS THAT A CHURCH DOES SHOULD MEET THE NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY OF NON-BELIEVERS.

• REVIEW:
• THROUGH THE BOOKS OF 1& 2 TIMOTHY AND TITUS, WE HAVE ACCUMULATED MANY PRINCIPLES FOR ORGANIZING AND OPERATING A CHURCH. ALL OF THESE PRINCIPLES COME DIRECTLY FROM OUR STUDY IN THE WORD OF GOD BASED ON PAUL’S WRITINGS.
• PAUL FOUNDED MANY CHURCHES. HE ORGANIZED THEM AND TRAINED MANY LEADERS TO WORK IN THESE CHURCHES. HE WROTE MANY LETTERS TO THESE LEADERS AND CHURCHES IN ORDER TO INSTRUCT THEM IN TRUTH, AND TO CORRECT THEM IN ERROR. IT IS FOR THAT REASON WE HAVE USED PAUL’S EXPERT KNOWLEDGE TO GIVE US GUIDELINES FOR OPERATING A CHURCH.
• THERE ARE MANY CHURCHES THAT DO NOT USE ALL OF THESE GUIDELINES TO A GREATER OR LESSER EXTENT. HOWEVER, THE MORE FAITHFUL WE ARE TO THE WORD OF GOD, THE MORE FAITHFUL GOD WILL BE TO THE CHURCH THAT LIVES ACCORDINGLY.
• TO DO ALL OF THESE PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZATIONAL TOOLS TAKES A LOT OF WORK, LEADERSHIP COORDINATION, AND CONGREGATIONAL COOPERATION. THEREFORE, EACH CHURCH DECIDES FOR ITSELF, HOW DEDICATED THEY WILL BE TO ACCOMPLISH GOD’S DESIGN.
• THE FIFTY SEVEN PRINCIPLES IN THIS STUDY HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTED TO ENABLE CHURCH LEADERS TO EASILY REVIEW THEM FROM TIME TO TIME IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THEIR CHURCH’S IMPLEMENTATION. MAY GOD BLESS YOU IN YOUR WORK.