Step One in Setting the Church in Order

REFLECTION QUOTES

“Humility leads to gratitude which sees with wonder, prompting the contemplation that leads to the dilation of the mind.”

~Joseph Pearce, English-born writer in “Distracting Ourselves to Death”

“Our ‘ecosystem of interruption technologies’ affects our spiritual and moral lives in every aspect. By our immersion in that ecosystem we are radically impeded from achieving a ‘right understanding of ourselves’ and of God’s disposition toward us. We will not understand ourselves as sinners, or as people made in God’s image, or as people spiritually endangered by wandering far from God, or as people made to live in communion with God, or as people whom God has come to a far country in order to seek and to save, if we cannot cease for a few moments from an endless procession of stimuli that shock us out of thought.”

~Alan Jacobs, scholar of English literature

“Both seen and unseen powers join
To drive my soul astray,
But with God’s Word a sword of mine,
I’ll overcome some day.
I’ll overcome some day,
I’ll overcome some day;
But with God’s Word a sword of mine,
I’ll overcome some day.”

~Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1933), American Methodist minister and gospel music composer.

“God is absolutely sovereign, but his sovereignty never functions in such a way that human responsibility is minimized or mitigated.”

~D. A. Carson, Canadian-born theologian and Biblical scholar

“Pride in the religious sense is a refusal to let God be God.”

~Lewis Smedes (1921-2002), author, ethicist and theologian

“To be always relevant, you have to say things which are eternal.”

~Simone Weil (1909-1943), French philosopher and political activist

SERMON PASSAGE

Titus 1:1-16 (NASB)

1 Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, 2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, 3 but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,

4 To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is

good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. 12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.