Happy Valentine's Day! Our reading plan is a little off due to Titus being three chapters. So, here's our new plan:
2/15 - Titus 2
2/16 - Titus 3
2/17 - 2 Timothy 1:1-2:13
2/18 - 2 Timothy 2:14-26
2/19 - 2 Timothy 3:1-9
2/20 - 2 Timothy 3:10-4:8
2/21 - 2 Timothy 4:9-22
Paul gives Timothy some personal advice - remember your call to preaching, focus on God, & stay on course. This is a good motto for each of us.
If you are wealthy - as we in America are, don't rely on your wealth. Instead, rely on God & use your wealth to further His kingdom.
TITUS: This is another pastoral letter. Paul knew that the church was not built on Paul, he wasn't the end all be all of church leadership. The focus was on Jesus & Paul's leadership would eventually come to an end. So, Paul mentored & trained up young men with willing hearts & a passion for Jesus. Titus was one of these men. Paul writes to him to outline the discipleship process. This is a mentoring process that each mature christian should be a part of - training up the younger generation to become bold men & women of Christ. Let's begin:
Titus was left in Crete to oversee the organization of the church. His first task was to appoint elders. Remember - elders took care of the daily business of the church. They were to be upstanding men who loved the Lord, followed His commands, were self-controlled & had shown that they were capable leaders. An important role for an elder is conflict resolution & the ability to hold others accountable. A church body is like any other group of people - there are those who are committed to the vision, those who are experienced and mature, those that are new & still learning, & then those that are troublemakers. Elders need to be able to spot the troublemakers & remove them from the body. Does that seem harsh? Shouldn't everyone be welcome at church?
The easy answer is yes - everyone is welcome. However - if someone has proved himself (or herself) to be nothing but a leach with no interest in the vision or foundation of a group, do you allow them to spread their poison? No, you don't. If I played a team sport - let's say volleyball - and I refuse to come to the practices, I show up for the games late, I always hit the ball out-of-bounds, can't spike, and duck every time the ball comes my way - should I continue to play on the team? No. If I wanted to be a chef, but I can't cook - will I be hired? No. If I wanted to be a teacher because I would get the summer months off, but I hated children, should I teach? No. Are you seeing a pattern here? But God is love & He loves everyone. True, very true. It's this love for everyone that leads Him to command His elders to stop abuse in a church. He will always seek out & yearn for the disobedient, the detestable, and the unfit. He wants them to hear His message & find the peace, joy, and love that everyone needs. But He allows them to make their choice. He will not allow them to hurt those in His flock. A good shepherd protects his flock from the wolves. A good elder is called to do the same.
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