TITUS 2
Phil Campbell
A COUNTER CULTURE CURRICULUM
Of all the sickening stuff you get to hear on the nightly news and read in the newspaper, there's not much that's as sickening as this weeks report on ORPHANAGES. Institutions run by the church and the state back in the 1940s. And 50s. And 60s. And you wonder about the 70s and 80s and 90s.
I don't want to dwell on the details here this morning. On the abuse that damaged so many young lives. I just want to mention ONE EXCUSE. That's no excuse at all. That came from the lips of a well meaning spokesman of the Salvation Army.
And it's true, the Ford enquiry found problems almost EVERYWHERE IT LOOKED. State run. Or church run. Exactly the same sort of cruelty and abuse in ALL OF THEM.
But here's what he says. The Salvation Army media director. As if it's meant to make it all okay. The Salvation army admits, it's HORRIFIC to look back and see the damage done. But he said, you've got to realise… we're talking ABOUT A CULTURE THAT WAS ALMOST THE NORM in these institutions back in the 40s and 50s."
Happened everywhere. So what could we do? The cultural norm back in those days. So why should we have been any different. Everyone thought it was okay back then… so WHY EXPECT ANY DIFFERENT FROM THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST?
Which you've got to say, is very, very, sad.
CHRISTIAN COUNTER CULTURE
Because what we need to constantly remember as Christians is, we're meant to be a COUNTER CULTURE. If you've ever been to Nimbin, you've seen a counter-culture. They're different. And proud of it. Back in the sixties, a bunch of hippies set up a commune in this little town in the hills outside Lismore. And you still see them there today. Long strangly hair years after it's gone out of fashion. Flower power. It's a COUNTER CULTURE. Going against the flow.
Which is what WE'RE MEANT TO BE AS WELL. In a way that's very different to Nimbin. And very different to everyone else as well. CHRISTIANITY IS A COUNTER CULTURE. Which means when you say, well, we did that because it was a CULTURAL NORM… you've totally missed the point.
COME WITH ME TO CRETE…
Now I want you to come with to Crete for a few minutes, the little island in the Mediterranean sea, and have a look at some Christian COUNTER CULTURE there.
And to do that, we need to get an idea of what the PREVAILING CULTURE was like.
What sort of place is it? It's a scenic little Island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, just off Greece. Not big. Just 260 kilometres long, 56ks wide at its widest; the West end's full of mountains, some the size of Mount Kosciosko; and these days, just half a million people spread around 90 little towns.
Nice place. Except if you go back a couple of thousand years to the time Paul was writing his letter to Titus, his assistant who he's left in Crete, a place with the reputation of a MORAL SEWER. The KINGS CROSS of the ancient world. These days I guess they'd call it racism, but the reputation you had if you were a Cretan back then wasn't very positive. So much that right around the Greek speaking world there was a word for it… when you were bending the truth, people would say you were CRETANISING. That was their word for LYING. Come on Bill, you're CRETANISING AGAIN. Tell the truth instead. Oh, you can't trust what he says - he's a CRETANISER. This pretty little island, it's famous. For all the wrong reasons.
Even their most famous poet, their number one philosopher, he admitted it. In a famous poem. We've got I LOVE A SUNBURNT COUNTRY, a LAND OF SWEEPING PLAINS. Well, his name was Epimenides, and Epimenides said this. About his own people. He said - and it doesn't rhyme very well either - "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons." Now it's funny, when you think about it, it's really one of those little philosophical conundrums, isn't it. Can you believe a Cretan when he says Cretans always tell lies? So is he telling you the truth, or isn't he? Is it true? Or isn't it? Well, if you have a look back a few verses before where we started in chapter 2, the apostle Paul says, the trouble is, IT'S TRUE. By and large, that's what they're like.
Verse 12 in chapter 1, and you'll see it. He's quoting straight from Epimenides. And he says, the sad thing is, IT'S TRUE! He says, "Even one of their own prophets has said, "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons." THIS TESTIMONY IS TRUE! The only true thing a Cretan's ever said is that Cretans are liars. Animal behaviour. Living lazy, unproductive lives. It's everywhere you look. Now it's a pretty strong statement; and I guess he's not actually saying that they're all like that all the time. I guess it's just that you look at the way Crete was, and that's the prevailing sort of attitude.
So how do you live as a CHRISTIAN… in the middle of a world like that. What's a CHRISTIAN COUNTER CULTURE GOING TO LOOK LIKE… in a culture like the culture of Crete?
Trouble is, for a lot of the Christians in Crete, the answer was - no different. Well, I mean, everyone's doing it, aren't they? It must be okay. I mean, being different, it's HARD, isn't it? And COSTLY. Surrounded by people who are living for the moment, living for immediate gratification - bend the truth if it gets you ahead, tell lies; appetite driven; and they're saying, let's go with the flow. When the whole point is, they're meant to be DIFFERENT. That's what they were saved for.
Verse 11, have a look at it. Because here's where it's spelled out in principle. We'll look at details in a moment. But Titus 2 verse 11 sums it up. For the GRACE OF GOD that brings salvation has appeared to all men. IT TEACHES US to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our God and saviour Jesus Christ, who GAVE HIMSELF FOR US… to REDEEM US FROM ALL WICKEDNESS, and to PURIFY FOR HIMSELF A PEOPLE THAT ARE HIS VERY OWN… eager to do good.
You want to know why you're a CHRISTIAN? You want to know why the Lord Jesus put his hand on you, and said, FOLLOW ME? Do you want to know why Jesus DIED FOR YOU… gave himself up for you? Why GOD'S GRACE THAT BRINGS SALVATION ever broke into our world in the first place, in the person of his Son? The reason Jesus put his hand on you… was to redeem you… out of wickedness. To PURIFY YOU from all that stuff. To make you into a person who is EAGER TO DO GOOD. Busting for something good to do. And to teach you to say NO… to ungodliness. And worldy passions. Selfishness. The immediate self gratification life style that drives the world around us. Say NO. And yet the Christians in Crete, seems like they're still saying YES. Like you might be.
A CURRICULUM FOR THE COUNTER CULTURE
And so here in Titus chapter 2, Paul's setting out a CURRICULUM. What Titus should be teaching… to all the different kinds of people who make up the Church in Crete. We saw last week, right teaching leads to right thinking that leads to right living. So here's what Titus needs to teach. It's a curriculum for the Christian Counter Culture. And it's going to run counter to a whole lot of our culture today. Just like it did back in Crete.
Verse 1 and 2; what to teach the older men. Verse 3; older women; and what they're to pass on to the younger women in verse 5. Young men in verse 6; and slaves in verse 9 and 10.
OLDER MEN
Now there's a huge list of things Paul's spelling out. And we're not going to look at all of them in detail. But does it strike you as odd that Paul's telling young Titus he's actually got to TEACH PEOPLE THIS STUFF? Verse 1, he says, you've got to teach what's in accord with sound doctrine. Stuff like this. Teach the older men to be TEMPERATE. Stop getting drunk. Because apparently that's what they're doing. Same with the Older women in verse 3; getting addicted to TOO MUCH WINE. Don't do it. Can I say at this point that the bible DOESN'T SAY CHRISTIANS SHOULD NEVER DRINK ALCOHOL. What it does say is Christians should never get drunk. Shouldn't be ADDICTED to much wine. Keep it under control.
Which is one of the threads that runs all the way through. Instead of being OUT OF CONTROL, instead of just following your unbridled appetite… which is what the Cretans were famous for, Paul says to Titus, you've got to get these people to understand the grace of God. You've got to teach these people about what JESUS HAS DONE FOR THEM. Which will lead them to live lives that are SELF CONTROLLED. We've seen he says that in verse 12. And it's a key. There in verse 2 for the older men. Temperate, worthy of respect and SELF CONTROLLED; younger women, verse 5; the older women are going to teach them to be SELF CONTROLLED AND PURE. Verse 6, younger men; encourage them, says Paul - and I guess Titus comes into this category himself - encourage them by your example to be SELF CONTROLLED.
Because self controlled is what we need to be - if we're going to serious about living COUNTER CULTURE LIVES.
Now you'll see when you read through the list, when you look through the sort of qualities Titus has got to be modelling and teaching, there are other things that recur as well. Not slandering. Mentioned twice. Love. Mentioned twice. Doing good. Three times. SUBMISSION. Mentioned three times in three different contexts.
And it's submission I want to spend a bit of time on this morning… because if there's one thing that's going to make us COUNTER CULTURE PEOPLE, this is it.
SUBMISSION - Like Jesus
Start in chapter 3 verse 1, and we're going to work backwards. It's a summary verse; wrapping up everything in chapter 2; and here's what it says. Funny place to put a chapter break, because it's a thought that follows straight on from verse 15 in chapter 2. They reckon when they were first producing printed bibles in English, the bloke who had the job of splitting it all into chapters and verses used to do it while he was riding around on a horse. And this one looks like it. Chapter 2 verse 15, he's wrapping it up. Summarising. These then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority, and don't let anyone despise you. REMIND THE PEOPLE … here's the summary…remind EVERYONE… to be SUBJECT TO RULERS AND AUTHORITIES; to be OBEDIENT. To be READY TO DO WHATEVER IS GOOD; to slander no-one; to be peaceable and considerate… and to show true humility to all men.
Submission. BEING SUBJECT. We Christians are meant to stand out by the way we SUBMIT. The way that, instead of standing on our rights, instead of being the ones who say, PUT ME FIRST… we're the ones who say, PUT ME LAST. Which is incredibly hard, isn't it. And incredibly COUNTER CULTURE.
I was reading in the Courier Mail the other day, results of an AUSTRALIAN Community Attitude survey. Which found that by far the prevailing attitude in the Australian community is, LOOK OUT FOR NUMBER 1. It said, Australian MATESHIP is OFFICIALLY DEAD. Forget the interests of anyone else. The Australian way is to look after yourself. And everyone else can go jump.
If we're going to be people who SUBMIT TO RULERS AND AUTHORITIES - as a starting point - if we're going to show TRUE HUMILITY TO ALL MEN… then we're going to be very different.
Slaves. Working backwards through chapter 2. Verse 9. Funny, see, Paul doesn't say TEACH THEM TO RISE UP and overthrow the unjust slavery system. Just the opposite. Teach them to BE SUBJECT. To SERVE. To try to please, not to steal, to show they can be trusted. To be transformed from the NORMAL SORT OF SERVANT who gets away with whatever they can… into a REAL SERVANT. Who's living like Jesus. RADICAL counter culture, isn't it? We want to say CHANGE THE SYSTEM. Paul says, use the system… to SHOW PEOPLE WHAT JESUS IS LIKE.
And the big one… younger women. You know, I was thinking, why not just avoid this bit. Why not just leave it out. Not mention it. Pretend it isn't there. Because we'd like to, wouldn't we? The ultimate in politically incorrect.
Because if you go back to verse 4, here's one sort of submission you can't even MENTION any more. And except for the fact that Sophie Rhys-Jones is going to promise it when she marries Prince Edward next week, it's so much a thing of the past that it's almost a RELIC. And you'll want to say, this is IRRELEVANT. Our CULTURE MOVED PAST THIS STUFF long ago.
Now again, let me remind you… it's counter-culture in Crete as well. Otherwise they wouldn't need TEACHING this stuff. But they do. And so the older women, says Paul, are to teach what is good. Then, verse 4… they can train the younger women to LOVE THEIR HUSBANDS AND CHILDREN… who would have thought you needed to be trained to do that? But YOU DO! … to be self controlled and PURE, to be BUSY AT HOME… to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands… so that no one will malign the word of God.
Strange picture, isn't it. Young women who are prepared to put other things aside so they can properly LOVE THEIR HUSBANDS AND KIDS… busy at HOME as their first priority. As if somehow, making a HOME is more important than making a successful career. Counter culture. Counter culture back then, extremely counter culture NOW.
Because if you're a wife these days, you'll know - you're not meant to be subject to ANYONE… least of all your husband. And you're not meant to worry about the home and the kids; I mean, if you've got to fill in a form and write HOMEMAKER, it's about as low as you can go, isn't it? And Paul says to Titus, teach the older women to teach the younger women… THAT. Goes against the grain. Which submission always does. And yet it's a form of GODLINESS. That produces homes and families that are very, very different from the ones the world makes these days.
Can I ask you, think it through. And you older women, don't APOLOGISE… for modelling and teaching that to younger women. Because it's more valuable that you know. And my usual reminder… husbands, I want you to notice who this stuff's addressed to… because it's NOT TO YOU. And it's certainly NEVER up to you to be LOOKING for subjection - worst of all trying somehow to ENFORCE IT. Which is the least Christian option of all. The sort of submission Paul's talking about in verse 5 is a submission WILLINGLY GIVEN. As a mark of love.
CONCLUSION - Different for a Reason
You know, the reason we're called to be different, the reason we're part of a counter culture, we've seen it already. And that is, that's what Jesus CALLED US FOR IN THE FIRST PLACE. To be a whole new sort of people. Eager to do GOOD. Instead of habitually bad.
I wonder if that describes YOU? Read it again in verse 14. He's talking about God our Saviour, Jesus Christ… who GAVE HIMSELF FOR US… nailed to a cross… to REDEEM US FROM WICKEDNESS; PURIFY A PEOPLE, who are actually EAGER to DO GOOD. Motivated right from the heart.
And that's what people should be SEEING… when they look at us.
And often they don't, do they? Just get excuses. That's what SOCIETY IS LIKE. We couldn't help it. NO WONDER the world doesn't take us seriously. Why should they, if we're no different?
I just want to finish by noticing one last little thread that runs through the chapter. Because the way we live out our COUNTER CULTURE COMMITMENT is going to make a big mark on the way the world sees us. And the way the world sees JESUS through us.
Funny, the end of each little section, that's what Paul says. Young women, be different - in the way you priorities your family. End of verse 5. SO THAT NO ONE WILL MALIGN THE WORD OF GOD. Young men… and TITUS HIMSELF. Verse 7 and 8. Set them an example by DOING WHAT IS GOOD; in your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech THAT CANNOT BE CONDEMNED, so that those who oppose you may be ASHAMED… because they have nothing bad to say about us.
And slaves. Verse 9. Same logic. Serve your masters in such a surprising way, such a counter culture way… so that in every way, end of verse 10… they'll make the teaching about GOD OUR SAVIOUR attractive.
Can I ask you again… is that YOU? Living in a way that's different? In a way that makes our teaching about Jesus ATTRACTIVE? Or just the opposite? Let's get serious about living COUNTER CULTURE lives. Of love. Of integrity. Of service. Of self control. In a way that instead of giving the world ammunition, instead of bringing Jesus into disrepute, brings him GLORY. And shows we mean business.