KASUMIGAOKA
2017/09/17
SERMON: “Adorning the Teaching of God’s Word”
「神の教えを飾るようになる」
TEXT: Titus 2:1-15 I.
INTRODUCTION Man’s Most Important Need?
Technology has advanced with mind-boggling speed during the past 100 years. As a result, we now have longer life spans in most nations, more leisure time, and much more wealth. But the basic problems of human society remain stubbornly resistant to change. We still see rampant crime, violence, racism, and hatred between rival groups. We still see human misery on a massive scale, including starvation, poverty, social conflicts of all kinds, and wars. The past 100 years has been called the bloodiest period in all of human history. And it looks like all of this is likely to continue in the future. The reason for this sad state of affairs is that the basic causes of human misery and social turmoil continue to be ignored by the vast majority of the world’s leaders and their people. What are the basic causes of this misery? They are the fundamental human weaknesses: arrogance, selfishness, greed, and lust. The problem with human society is a problem deep within the human “soul.” No matter how far we advance in technology, medicine, psychiatry, education, politics, or wealth accumulation, the basic problem of a corrupt human nature remains. No one has proposed a serious plan for addressing this problem . . . except for one man. Long ago, one man had the solution, and he shared his solution with the world. Some people received his solution with joy. But most of the world refused to hear it!
The man who gave us the solution to man’s basic problem was Jesus, who was also called “the Christ.” How did Jesus solve the problem of the corruption of the human soul? This is what Paul tells Titus in 2:11. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Here is God’s comprehensive plan for fixing the basic problem of mankind! In this letter to Titus, Paul explains how the fundamental problem of man’s corrupt nature must be faced and solved. There are three distinct steps that must be taken in order to apply Christ’s solution to our human condition. Let’s think more closely about these steps as we examine what Paul wrote to his friend Titus.
II. Three Steps toward Solving the Problem of Man’s Corrupt Nature
A. Recognition: It’s My Problem, Too!
The first step toward solving a problem is defining it. Most people, it seems, recognize that the world is not a very happy place, in many ways. But most people describe the problems in society as problems caused by forces and personalities around them. Because “other people” are the causes of our social unhappiness, we must oppose them! The result of this way of thinking is visible in the fragmentation and polarization of society. All over the world, nations are divided over issues of politics, wealth, race, and religion. All our social problems are the fault of the political “right,” or the “left.” They are the fault of the “other” race, or the “other” religious group. Problems are caused by “the rich,” or by “the poor.” But the first step toward solving problems rooted in human nature is to recognize that the cause of the problem lies within all of us. We cannot simply blame other people for the problem.
But don’t Christians blame others, too? Even the apostle Paul seems to harshly criticize the people in Crete for their own social problems. In 1:12 he writes, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” And in v. 13, he adds, “This testimony is true.” Is this well-educated Roman citizen from Tarsus simply looking down on the “inferior” people of Crete and blaming them for their own social problems? I do not think Paul is doing that. I think Paul is showing Titus the first step toward gaining the benefit of Christ’s good news. It will not help for Titus to tell the Cretans how corrupt they are. They must realize that problem for themselves! The words Paul writes in v. 10 are not his own words, but the words of a Cretan poet named Epimenides. Epimenides understood that the problems of his people grew out of their own corrupt human nature. He spoke of the people of Crete as one of them. He is “a prophet of their own.” That’s why these words are worth quoting! He is not talking about the corrupt nature of “others,” but rather confessing his own corrupt nature, and that of his people. Until people come to admit that they themselves are the root of man’s social problems, they will not be interested in the solution that Christ has brought to the world. Jesus told His disciples in Mark 7:20-23, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts and fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” This is not a problem “outside”—a problem caused by our opponents; it is a very personal problem, originating in the corruption of our own hearts. Until we recognize this we will not be able to share in the solution that Christ has provided for us.
B. Teaching the Word of God to All the People.
In the early centuries of the Christian church, it was teaching and preaching that caused the remarkable spread of Christian faith in the pagan Roman world. Teaching the word of God brought great, positive changes to society in Europe and America during and after the Reformation. Christian teaching brought important social reforms wherever the word of God was taught, including in Japan.
But it is not just “education” itself that will change or reform the corrupt human heart. To change the sinful human heart requires a special kind of teaching. It must be teaching that, as Paul tells Titus in 2:1, “accords with sound doctrine.” Paul means the teaching of the Bible. It must be the teaching of “the word of God” (2:5) which is “the doctrine of God our Savior” (2:10). It must be the teaching of the Bible applied to our daily lives. That is what will change hearts! “Education” alone is no solution to man’s fundamental problems. Only education in the truth of God’s word has the power to change man’s heart. Why is education in the Scriptures necessary? First, because the Bible shows us the truth about man, the truth about God, and the truth about the world we live in. The Bible’s teaching is really unique! But there is another important fact we must not overlook concerning the Bible. When the sound doctrine of the Bible is taught, God Himself accompanies the teaching of His word with the power of His Holy Spirit. Listen to what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 2:4): “And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” The apostle Paul himself is an example and evidence of the power of God’s word to change people’s hearts. Paul had been a proud man who hated Christians and persecuted them. But the word of God changed his heart. The hatred he once held toward Christians was turned into a deep respect and love. His changed life was proof that God’s word can change lives. How much was Paul changed by hearing the word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit? Listen to his own words (Phil. 3:7-8): “Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.” Paul’s system of values was completely changed! Real spiritual power is “unleashed” when the word of God is faithfully taught.
When Paul later visited Thessalonica, he preached the gospel and taught God’s word. Later he wrote these words to them about that first visit (1 Thess. 1:5): “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” Whenever God’s word is taught in the power and confidence given by the Holy Spirit, people are changed. It is not the power of the speaker, but the power of the message conveyed to people’s hearts by the Holy Spirit, that changes hearts. When this happens, people’s hearts are renewed and their thinking is changed. Their behavior is changed, too. This is the teaching that our human society desperately needs today. This is the teaching that should be brought to everyone—young and old, men and women, rich and poor—to all races and classes of society. When people hear God’s word, their minds are renewed and society can be reformed. This is what Paul urges the Christians in the great city of Rome to undertake—the transformation of the Roman Empire through the teaching of the Bible! Listen to what he wrote to them in Romans 12:2: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” When people are “transformed by the renewing of their minds,” people around them will be changed, too. It was not by Christian armies, but by the teaching of God’s word, that the pagan Roman empire was won for Christ!
The Holy Spirit gives power to the word of God when it is faithfully taught. For that reason, Paul’s instructions to Titus are not empty words. “Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance,” Paul wrote. And he knew that those “older men” who heard this instruction with the power of the Holy Spirit would actually become such men. Their hearts and lives will change! Likewise, the hearts of “older women” who hear the sound teaching of God’s word will be changed. Even though they may have been irreverent, gossips, over-indulgent in wine, and negligent in their work in the past, they will not be so in the future! Do not think that older people cannot be changed! The word of God has the power to soften the hardest heart and to bend the strongest will. Not only can the word of God change hearts and lives, but it can also change the people around you. It can change your family life, your relationships with your neighbors; in fact, it can change the society you live in. But remember: It is not you or your arguments who will change people; it is God’s truth that has the power to change hearts. And the quiet, consistent testimony of your changed heart will prove to others what God’s word can do.
Older women will influence younger women. Younger women will learn from the words and example of their elders to “love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible and pure,” faithfully carrying out their household duties, and obeying their husbands. And their sincere and upright behavior may lead their neighbors to appreciate the practical wisdom of God’s word. “Likewise,” Paul tells Titus, “urge the young men to be sensible.” Titus must show the younger men by his own example how they should live. Titus must teach them not only by words, but by his “good deeds,” his “soundness in doctrine,” dignity, and sound speech, how they too can be changed. Our society has plenty of very bad examples that many young people choose to follow. What society needs is good examples—examples such as Paul urges Titus to show the young men of Crete.
Even people with little social influence can be excellent examples to those “above them” in social status. Even slaves can influence people around them by the testimony of their changed lives. Paul says that slaves should be taught to obey their masters, to serve them well, to not argue, not steal, but rather to show that they are completely honest and trustworthy in their work. By doing this, even a slave can “adorn the teaching of God our Savior.” This means that their faithful work will show the great value and the beauty of God’s word. Even if the master is not “religious” himself, he will appreciate the practical value of God’s truth. God’s word changes hearts, changes thinking, changes behaviors, and changes society for the better. We do not have slaves in our society today, but what Paul says about teaching the word of God to slaves also can be applied to our work today. We do not need to have a high position in order to bring a positive influence to our workplace. As our lives are transformed by hearing and following the word of God, the influence of the gospel will spread through us to the society around us. In this simple way, our lives will “adorn the message of God our Savior” and bring glory to His name.
Christ has provided us the solution to the problem of man’s corrupt nature and a way of dealing with all of our social problems. But we must first recognize that the cause of the problem lies within each of us, in our fallen, sinful natures. Second, we must teach people the powerful, transforming message of God’s word. And, finally, we must accept the “gift” of God’s salvation which is provided for us by Jesus Christ. In v. 11 Paul says that it is the “grace” of God that brings salvation to all men. It is not our own good deeds that will save any of us. Our changed lives will improve society for many, but nothing we do can “save” the world. Only God Himself can do that. And God has shown us how He will do it. He will save man by giving Himself. As Paul writes in v. 14, “Christ gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Our “good works” do have a place in God’s plan, but it is Christ Himself who is the only hope of the world.
III. CONCLUSION
The central message of the Bible is the amazing story of God’s free grace. God offers us a new heart, a new life, a new hope, and eternal salvation. And it is all an unearned gift of grace. It is God’s grace that teaches us to deny the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is God’s grace that teaches us to live in a new way in the present age, while we wait for the “blessed hope” of our Lord’s return. All of the troubles that man has brought upon himself—the sadness, the sin, and the chaos–will not continue forever. When He is ready, according to His perfect plan, Christ will bring an end to this fallen world and give us a new one, filled with righteousness, peace, and joy. Of course, He will do this—not we! We simply wait for that day and trust Him to do it, because only He can bring it to reality. All of our hope rests upon Him. This is what the Bible means when it says we are “saved by grace, through faith.” Our salvation is His gift. This is the word of God which we must understand, believe with all our heart, and share with everyone around us. As Paul says in v. 15, “These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.” It is the message of God’s gift of salvation to a “lost” human race. It is the message of God’s grace.