Mark Hunnicutt

Titus 1 – Who I am is more important than what I do…

Background To Titus

Written in approximately A.D. 64, between his first and second letters to Timothy, Paul's letter to Titus was written to instruct and encourage this young man as he ministered on the island of Crete. Crete, an island in the Mediterranean 135 miles long and 30 miles wide, is a mountainous island and was quite heavily populated according to the demographics of Paul's day. As we shall see, the inhabitants of Crete were a difficult, problematic people. In fact, it's interesting to note that the Philistines—they who were always hassling the people of Israel—originally came from Crete. Crete was an island steeped in Greek mythology, Zeus having supposedly been born on Crete's own Mount Ida.

Commissioned to preach to a problematic people who were believers in Greek gods, Titus had his work cut out for him. – Jon Courson's Application Commentary

Scripture

5 I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you. 6 An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don't have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. 7 For an eldermust live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.

8 Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. 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.

Observations

• Titus is a subordinate leader leading from the middle of the pack
• He is a developing, deepening leader where Paul was a designing leader
• He set up structures and systems and was in charge of recruiting and equiping
• Qualifications of Christian workers:

  Must Be - Blameless, Faithful, Good Parent, Hospitable, Love Right, Wise, Just, Devout, Disciplined, Apologetic, Exhort, Equip & Encourage.

  Must Not Be - Arrogant, Quick Tempered, Violent, Bad With Money

• Ministry context is huge. Corrupt Crete
• The way an Elder lives in a corrupt society preaches the loudest message

Applications

• Who is my Paul? My pastor! Submit to authority
• Work on "Do's" and stop the "Don't"
• Hospitality and equipping need the most work in my life
• Shine in the dark! Get with corrupt people to reveal Christ's character.

Prayer

God, again who I am in You is far more important than what I do. Reveal to me Your growth plan for my life. I ask that you help me be more hospitable and equip people. God You intend for me to shine in dark places that need your light. I confess my flesh likes the comfort of Christians and not the corruption of Crete. Empower me to shine!

Amos 9:9-15 Empower me not to root flesh and bury faith but to bury flesh and root faith…

Scripture

11      "In that day I will restore the fallen house of David.

I will repair its damaged walls.

From the ruins I will rebuild it

and restore its former glory.

12      And Israel will possess what is left of Edom

and all the nations I have called to be mine."

The Lord has spoken,

and he will do these things.

13      "The time will come," says the Lord,

"when the grain and grapes will grow faster

than they can be harvested.

Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel

will drip with sweet wine!

14      I will bring my exiled people of Israel

back from distant lands,

and they will rebuild their ruined cities

and live in them again.

They will plant vineyards and gardens;

they will eat their crops and drink their wine.

15      I will firmly plant them there

in their own land.

They will never again be uprooted

from the land I have given them,"

says the Lord your God.

Observations

• God's Kingdom will be restored!
• God will be King of ever nation!
• There is a difference between planted and firmly planted.
• Never again…

Applications

• One big app this day! HOPE is not being firmly planted before God's time
• Faith does not allow for us to firmly plant our roots in this world. The deeper my worldly roots the less HOPE I have.

Prayer

Heaven is a place where I want have to consider or try to comprehend hope. But before I get there God I want to praise You for hope! No matter how shook up or shaken things are I can look through them because of Your restoration. You are the only thing I have that can be eternally praise. Empower me not to root flesh and bury faith but to bury flesh and root faith. Love you Jesus my hope.

Amos 9:1-8 – As passionately as God pursues in love He is going to punish in judgment…

Scripture

7      "Are you Israelites more important to me

than the Ethiopians?" asks the Lord.

"I brought Israel out of Egypt,

but I also brought the Philistines from Crete

and led the Arameans out of Kir.

8      "I, the Sovereign Lord,

am watching this sinful nation of Israel.

I will destroy it

from the face of the earth.

But I will never completely destroy the family of Israel,"

says the Lord.

 

Observations

• As passionately as God pursues in love He is going to pursue in judgment
• God commands the sword
• The LORD is his name!
• God favor should not lead to lack of faith
• It should produce more faith

Applications

• Meditate on God's attributes of love and wrath
• Take comfort in knowing that God will not use one to override the other
• The LORD is Lord of all or not at all. Don't take Lordship lightly.
• Turn God's favor into more faith

Prayer

Lord, I bask in your attributes of love and wrath. Only You can perfectly balance those to bring about Your plan. Thank You God for not destroying the family though you shake the nations. I'm blessed so I can bless. May Your favor to me today turn into more faith not comfort and complacency.

Amos 7:17 – 8:7 Are my fruits superficial? I need to planted my roots in You!

Scripture

1 Then the Sovereign Lord showed me another vision. In it I saw a basket filled with ripe fruit. 2 "What do you see, Amos?" he asked.

I replied, "A basket full of ripe fruit."

Then the Lord said, "Like this fruit, Israel is ripe for punishment! I will not delay their punishment again. 3 In that day the singing in the Temple will turn to wailing. Dead bodies will be scattered everywhere. They will be carried out of the city in silence. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!"

4      Listen to this, you who rob the poor

and trample down the needy!

5      You can't wait for the Sabbath day to be over

and the religious festivals to end

so you can get back to cheating the helpless.

You measure out grain with dishonest measures

and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales.

6      And you mix the grain you sell

with chaff swept from the floor.

Then you enslave poor people

for one piece of silver or a pair of sandals.

7      Now the Lord has sworn this oath

by his own name, the Pride of Israel:

"I will never forget

the wicked things you have done!

Observations

• We can't say what people want to hear but what God has revealed to us by His Word
• Sovereign Lord
• Ripe fruit shows the planting and patience of the Lord
• They were planted in treating the poor with injustice
• They were planted in the world not God presence
• A Sovereign God cannot sweep injustice under the rug

Applications

• Preach God's Word not what people want to hear
• God is patient so I need to inspect the root of my fruit
• I'm I prospering at the expenses of someone else's peace
• What do I focus on in my Sabbath?
• Be constantly and consistently prepared for God's justice

Prayer

God please help me look deeper than the superficial fruit of my life. I need to do a soil analysis. Please empower me to plant my motives and ambitions in You and only You.

Arrival

Penny,

We are still in the city but headed back to the compound. Saw many dead, some squwished between floors with body parts exposed and hanging out from open walls. Very sad and gruesome. We walked around the hillsides of the city past dark trying to find hope of live victims, but no success. We hope that more info or leads can be gained through Mark Hunnicutt's contacts through FB and twitter and maybe you or others through the news. The conditions in the city are as bad as you can imagine. It's easy to know where the dead are because of the distinct odor of rotting flesh. The UN and other gov't agencies have not taken the approach Steve has or more could have been saved. He knows the area and culture and makes his way around getting information, assessing priorities and doing what needs to be done. I'll tell you more later. Thanks to all who are praying. We hope to do more good tomorrow. I love you and kids!



Mark

Amos 5:13-27 God desires sacrificial, daily service more than a sensational, Sunday show…

Scripture

18      What sorrow awaits you who say,

"If only the day of the Lord were here!"

You have no idea what you are wishing for.

That day will bring darkness, not light.

19      In that day you will be like a man who runs from a lion—

only to meet a bear.

Escaping from the bear, he leans his hand against a wall in his house—

and he's bitten by a snake.

20      Yes, the day of the Lord will be dark and hopeless,

without a ray of joy or hope.

21      "I hate all your show and pretense—

the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.

22      I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings.

I won't even notice all your choice peace offerings.

23      Away with your noisy hymns of praise!

I will not listen to the music of your harps.

24      Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice,

an endless river of righteous living.

25 "Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during the forty years in the wilderness, Israel? 26 No, you served your pagan gods—Sakkuth your king god and Kaiwan your star god—the images you made for yourselves. 27 So I will send you into exile, to a land east of Damascus," says the Lord, whose name is the God of Heaven's Armies.

Observations

• The "Day of the Lord" is not going to be a good day
• No escape
• Dark and hopeless, no ray of hope. To late…
• God hates show and pretense
• God doesn't want show He wants service
• God notices when our focus is not on Him

Applications

• The "Day of the Lord" is coming! I cannot procrastinate
• There are no second chances after the hammer drops
• Don't come to worship to get full, come to empty myself
• God wants worship daily not just in corporate gathering
• I can't give God my focus one hour a week

Prayer

There is coming a day that there will no more hope. That reality should drive me to pick up my intensity and have a huge since of urgency. God You do not accept partial praise. You want Your people to flood this world with justice and righteous living. We need to come into Your house exhausted from our sacrificial service. God empower me not to worship You on Sunday when I haven't served You on Monday – Saturday. You desire justice and righteousness in my daily walk and activities.