July 15, 2014
WHY CAN'T I SAY "NO"?
Titus 3
Brittany Bundren
Central Truth
But God loved us so much He sent His only Son to die on a cross for all the wrong we've done. There's NOTHING WE CAN DO to earn it; He did it in love. Once we believe that, we are made new. Our sins are gone!
Key Verse | Titus 3:8
The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (Titus 3:8)
Titus 3
Be Ready for Every Good Work
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.
Final Instructions and Greetings
12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.
15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.
Grace be with you all.
Dive Deeper | Titus 3
Titus 3 is a well-known chapter in the Church today and full of applications. Here are a few:
1. Be obedient to authorities (verse 1, see also Romans 13:1-7)
2. Do good to others (verses 1-2, see also Proverbs 15:1-2; 21:23; Romans 12:18; Galatians 5:22-23)
3. Remember your past (verse 3, see also 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 4:17-24; Colossians 3:6-7)
4. Become heirs of eternal life (verses 4-7, see also 1 Timothy 1:1; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 3:21-22, 8:15-17; Galatians 4:6-7)
5. Trust these sayings (verse 8, see also 1 Timothy 1:15, 3:1, 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11)
6. Address divisive behavior (verses 9-11, see also Matthew 18:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15)
7. Devote yourselves to good works (verses 12-15)
The most important thing that we need to get out of this chapter is the realization that God rescues us from our sins. Today, however, I'd love to share my main takeaway from verse 8, where Paul is reminding God's people to devote themselves to what is good because it is excellent and profitable.
As I said in my bio, I struggle with busyness and not being able to say "no." Too often, I find myself running from one event to the next without stopping. In those moments, I depend on my own strength or believe the lie that I am serving God because I say "yes" to church things.
The hard truth is that I eventually find myself exhausted, frustrated with people, and not focusing on Christ. I spent so much time on the go that I forget to stop and spend time with the One who is good.
In this verse, Paul is exhorting believers to devote themselves to what is good (e.g., spending intentional time with God, resting, praying) because it is excellent and profitable for everything (e.g., for service, evangelism, etc.). The truth of this statement is that, to be profitable as a follower of Christ, we must be connected to the Lord (John 15).
Something that was shared with me about connecting with God that has stuck with me is to:
• Divert Daily (spend intentional time with God every day)
• Withdraw Weekly (spend more extended time with God in solitude every week)
• Abandon Annually (get away for an extended time to connect with God every year)
Christ is our source of life, and it's only through time spent with Him that we will be effective.
Discussion Questions
1. What was your take-away from Titus 3? (Outlining a chapter is a fun way to pull many different applications.)
2. How has your personal time with the Lord been recently? When was the last time you diverted daily? Withdrew weekly? Abandoned annually?
3. I've been told: "Sometimes we need to say 'no' to good things in order to make room for great things." What is something you need to say "no" to? (If you can't think of anything, ask community and friends.)
4. Here is a great message from Todd on solitude: http://www.watermark.org/media/the-secret-place-as-the-secret-to-christlikeness/3012/
5. Check out this blog from JP: http://www.theporchdallas.com/6-ways-to-avoid-burnout/
6. A challenge for YOU this week: Take extended time away and reconnect with your Savior. Share your experience in the comment section below.