The Nature of Christian Good Deeds #1

This is meant to be a living body. God intends for the local church to be a living body by which we mean that there are interpersonal relationships that are going on that provide a context for love and good deeds. Scripture does not contradict itself when it tells us we are saved by grace, not by works, yet calls Christians to do good works in Christ's name. And today on the Truth Pulpit, Pastor Don Green will clarify how grace produces works as he presents a message titled, The Nature of Christian Good Deeds.

Hi, I'm Bill Wright and Don's here with some introductory remarks. Well, my friend, we all know people who claim to be Christians who actually show no love for Christ, no desire to obey or any interest in his church. That's not the biblical picture of true salvation.

We're not saved by doing good works, but Christ does save us so that we would serve him with our lives. We'll see an important aspect of true Christianity today on the Truth Pulpit. Have your Bible open to Titus chapter 3 as we join Pastor Don Green now in the Truth Pulpit. We said a few months ago as we introduced this book of Titus that Paul was giving a blueprint for a young church.

There was not leadership established at the place where Titus was on the island of Crete. Titus needed to go and establish and appoint elders. He needed to help the people understand what Christian living was to be like. And tucked away in chapters 2 and 3, Paul gave a great statement of theology that shows how the work of Christ on the cross, his saving redemptive work on Calvary, undergirds everything that we do in the church. Christ is our sure foundation, and when we understand the implications that he laid down his life to buy us out of the slavery of sin, it has a transforming effect on the paradigm from which we live life.

We've gone through all of that in the past few months. And one of the things that we emphasized that is woven throughout this letter of Titus is that the Apostle Paul emphasizes the role of good deeds, not in earning or obtaining salvation, but good deeds as the fruit of true conversion. That there is to be a usefulness to the Christian life. That there is to be a transformation of character that comes from having been delivered out of the realm of death and sin and into the realm of light and salvation.

And I want to remind you of this because it sets the tone for the closing passage in the book. Look at Titus chapter 2 verse 7, where Paul says, having said in verse 6, urge the young men to be sensible, he says, in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech, which is beyond reproach. He tells Titus, be an example of good deeds. Let your life testify to the reality of true salvation by the quality of life that you live. There is a practical usefulness in what you do, and that in itself would be more than enough to rebuke the spirit of our age, the spirit of sloth and entertainment-driven approach to life, men who waste their days playing video games day after day after day and call it their hobby. What does that have to do with living a productive life, we might ask? Well, in the Christian life we see that there is to be an orientation of our mind to saying, here I am in this life that God has appointed to me, how do I manifest good deeds in the situation that I find myself in, in the circle of relationships that I have? Where are good deeds to be shown in my life? That is immensely practical, but that isn't the only place where Paul mentions it.

It's woven throughout the letter. Look at chapter 2 verse 13, where he's speaking about the future coming of Christ. He says, we are looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus, who gave himself for us, and here's the purpose, he gave himself to redeem us from every lawless deed, to buy us out of our debt of sin. He came to pay that price to deliver us from sin, and watch this, this is inherent in the work of Christ. If you say that you know Christ, this applies to you and defines your life purpose. It says that Christ gave himself to purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds. That an aspect, a central defining aspect of salvation, is not simply that we would not go to hell when we die.

It is so much more than that. That while we walk on this earth, we would be conscious of the fact that Jesus Christ owns us as believers in Christ, that he owns us, and that his purpose for us is that we would be uniquely devoted to his service, that our hard affections would uniquely belong to him alone, and that our lives would be manifesting the good deeds that he purchased us to perform. Look at chapter 3 verse 1. Paul tells Titus, remind them, because they're subject to forget.

They're liable to forget this, so Titus remind them of what they've already heard. Be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed. Be ready, he says. And then in verse 8, he says this is a trustworthy statement, referring back to the great passage in verses 4 through 7 that talk about the salvation that Christ has purchased for us. He says this is a trustworthy statement, and concerning these things, I want you to speak confidently so that, here's the purpose once more, those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds.

These things are good and profitable for men. Now, as we come to chapter 3 verse 12, here's what's going on. Paul is now closing out his letter.

He said everything that he needed to say to Titus in this letter, and so he's closing it with some final instructions of a personal nature and extending greetings from those who are with him. Now, keep in mind as we look at this that this section of Scripture reminds us that Christianity arose in genuine time and space historical circumstances, that when we talk about biblical Christianity, we are not talking about an abstract philosophy that was concocted by some academic back 2,000 years ago. These truths that we hold dear were given birth through the life of God's people in time and space, circumstances and relationships, and we see that laid out for us in this closing passage. And that tells us something.

That tells us something really important. That the good deeds of which Paul has been speaking, and as we see how he applies it here in the final four verses, the good deeds are done in the context of human relationships in the body of Christ. And that means that we have to think rightly about one another, that I am here to serve you, and you are here to serve each other if you're a part of the body of truth community.

We are not meant to be isolated pods of people that are disconnected. The life in the body of Christ is not meant to be done on the periphery, done as a spectator, done on Sunday morning and then having nothing to do with each other until another 168 hours pass by. There is to be an involvement of life, and this passage shows that to us. You see, beloved, our Lord Jesus Christ builds His church, and He builds it through the lives of His people.

Through the teaching of the Word, of course, but He does this and He builds His church through the lives of His people, and we see this laid out for us in the passage that is our passage for this morning. It's Titus 3, 12 through 15. Let me read it and set it in your minds as we begin.

Paul, writing to Titus, says, When I send Artemis or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them. Verse 14, Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds, to meet pressing needs so that they will not be unfruitful. All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with you all. We're going to see some special things from this stated in two different principles. What is it about good deeds? What is it when the Bible speaks about Christians living a life of good deeds? What can we learn from this closing passage? Notice that this recurrent theme of good deeds is right in the heart of what's in verse 14. Right in the middle of this closing passage, Paul says, We must learn to engage in good deeds.

Well, somehow that must be relevant to the surrounding verses in the context. And here's what we see. First of all, two aspects of the nature of Christian good deeds that I want to show you. Point number one is this, is that we serve with our presence. Our physical presence, P-R-E-S-E-N-C-E.

Thought it might be good to spell it out and distinguish it since we're just off of Christmas. I didn't want you to be thinking of a different kind of presence there. We serve with our presence. We serve with our lives.

And see, here's the thing. The biblical pattern for ministry, this is so vital and crucial as we look to the future life of our church. The biblical pattern for ministry is one that involves close interaction with real people, with real needs, who give their lives over to the people of Christ.

This is meant to be a living body. God intends for the local church to be a living body by which we mean that there are interpersonal relationships that are going on that provide a context for love and good deeds. And so in verse 12, we see four people that are mentioned here. We see the apostle Paul. We see Artemis. We see Tychicus. And we see Titus because Titus is the one who's receiving this instruction.

And so here we go in verse 12. Paul says, when I send Artemis or Tychicus to you, Titus, four people that are involved there in Paul's thinking. Paul says, I'm going to send someone to replace you, Titus. It's either going to be Artemis or Tychicus.

I'm not sure which just yet. But when they arrive, I want you to leave Crete and come be with me. I want you to come to Nicopolis because I'm going to spend the winter there.

But Paul is calling Titus to his side as he spends the winter in the city of Nicopolis. That means something. Leaders, even leaders, need supportive men around them. Spiritual leadership can be a lonely place. You bear responsibilities. You carry on duties.

And sometimes it's a lonely place to be. You wonder if you're doing the right thing. I'm not attributing this to the apostle Paul. I'm speaking now in the post-apostolic age.

You wonder if you're doing the right thing. You get discouraged by your own struggle with the flesh. And leaders need men beside them who can encourage them and support them in the work, as it were as they held up the arms of Moses.

Leaders need men like that around them if they're going to be effective in their task. And here's the point for today's text, is that Titus had been like that for Paul in the past. Look over at the book of 2 Corinthians 7. 2 Corinthians 7.

Paul doesn't really explain in the book of Titus why he wants the man Titus with him at that particular time, but Titus had a track record which gives us a sense that he had a special role of encouragement in the life of the apostle Paul. Look at chapter 7 of 2 Corinthians 5. Paul writes to the church at Corinth, and he says, Even when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side, conflicts without and fears within. And so Paul is opening up, he's pulling back the curtains and giving the church at Corinth a look inside his heart at what was happening in times past before he wrote this letter to them. He says, We had conflicts.

There were people opposing us on the outside, and we had our own personal fears inside. You have to admire the transparency of the apostle there, in contrast to the way that some leaders today in the church try to present themselves as spiritual supermen who have no need. Paul didn't describe himself that way. Look at verse 6. He says, But God, contrast, while we were in that conflicted state, God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus.

Oh, is that sweet? And not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more. He's saying, I was getting discouraged, but then Titus came and everything got better in a hurry. There was something about the spiritual demeanor of Titus. There was something about his undeniable personal affection and devotion to the apostle Paul. There was something about the way that he handled himself with a humble, gracious spirit that came to Paul and suddenly Paul's heart was refreshed in the Lord. Could it have been that as he wrote at the end of his life that Paul wanted that refreshment again when he was writing the book of Titus?

It doesn't say for sure, but I'm confident that whatever the motive was that Titus had that impact on him when he arrived. Look over at verse 13 of 2 Corinthians 7. Paul says, For this reason we have been comforted, and besides our comfort we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. For if in anything I have boasted to him about you I was not put to shame, but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth." Watch this in verse 15. This is telling us what the man Titus was like. His affection abounds all the more toward you as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you. So here's this man Titus.

Let's be honest. We pretty much just know him as a name at the top of the 56th book of the Bible. But he was a real man, real flesh and blood, with spiritual qualities that are highly commendable. Paul speaks of his joy, speaks of the comfort that he brought to him. In the midst of his discouragement, Titus was there and then suddenly the sun came up and things were bright and joyful once more.

Wow! Wow, we're talking about the apostle Paul was affected that way by the man Titus. That tells us something about the nature of good deeds that Paul has in mind as he writes.

Titus had a gracious spirit and an affection for God's people, and good deeds sometimes are carried out simply by our personal presence with others. You know what that means? It means a couple of things among others. A couple of things that come to my mind right now. First of all, that should make you and it should make me very careful to think about the way that we're living our spiritual lives. You and I have an effect on people by our presence. And that presence can be an instrument of great blessing if we are walking in the Spirit, if we are cultivating an affectionate, gracious, humble, joyful heart.

That's not just for our sake and for God's sake. It spills over in the lives of those around us. And if you have that in mind, then you start to realize that there is a whole level of responsibility in the way that you live your life because you realize that you can't let yourself become a grouchy person, a grumbling complainer, when you realize that your presence is part of your ministry, you start to realize, oh, people are affected by my demeanor. My life affects them and it can be an instrument for good like Titus' joyful, affectionate spirit was on the Apostle Paul. The whole way we live life, the whole way that we conduct our heart is affected by the recognition that the Christian life is one of good deeds.

And you realize that good deeds are carried out sometimes by your personal presence, your friendship, your relationship with the people of God. It was well over a year ago that my mom underwent very serious cancer surgery. It was life-threatening. We were not sure that she had even weeks to live at the time. And her surgery was in the city of Indianapolis, two hours one way from here. My sister and I and another family friend were facing a very long vigil for this extended surgery during the day. Dane and Karen Logan that day made a four-hour round trip to be with us, to sit with us, to serve us during that time.

Dane's an elder now. You know what? Back then, we hardly knew each other. We were barely friends because everything was new here at Truth Community. But I can tell you that their sympathetic presence with us, nothing that they gave us, nothing that they did, the mere act of kindness that said, We will be with you through this time, was a great, profound blessing to me, my sister, and to our family friend during a very difficult day. They lit up the place simply by being there with their kindness. The moment, here's the thing that I want you to see, and I didn't get their permission to say that before I told you about it, the need of the moment called for presence.

It didn't call for a check. It didn't call for somebody to fix something. Nothing could have served us like that except for someone's presence with us in that hour of darkness.

For those of you who don't know, my mom came through the surgery and she's doing well today. It's remarkable just to close the story off that way. But, beloved, we've got to be mindful that the spirit with which we live our lives is part of our ministry to people around us, and that there are times where nothing but our presence can do. And we embrace that.

We embrace that. We're happy for that because we see a fellow believer in need, and we say, Can't do anything, have no idea what to say, but at least I can be there. And sometimes your presence says more than a thousand words could say.

And if you don't know what to say in a particular moment of crisis, don't worry about it. Your presence says all that needs to be said. We recognize from the Scriptures, we recognize from the model of Titus and the Apostle Paul that there is a ministry of our personal presence in the lives of people that can't be replaced in any other way.

And we embrace that. We recognize, we look for those opportunities that we're able to meet and say, This is an example of the good deeds that I can do. This is a life of good deeds. I'm there.

We think about our lives that way, and we serve with our presence. We'll pause right there for today, but Pastor Don Green will conclude his message, The Nature of Christian Good Deeds, as well as our series, Titus, God's Glorious Plan of Grace, on our next broadcast. Join us then here on The Truth Pulpit. Right now though, Don's back here in studio with some closing words.

Hi, friend. Let me give you just a closing word of encouragement as we wrap up today's broadcast. I know that many of you have found us for the first time on Christian radio, and that's wonderful, but I also realize that sometimes your schedules don't let you work around the broadcast schedule.

We have made it possible for you to be able to still get The Truth Pulpit on a regular basis. We have a broadcast of each radio broadcast that you can find, and you can have it automatically delivered to your favorite listening device. If you go to our website, you can find a link to the podcast.

Sign up for it and be sure to catch every episode. Here's Bill to help you find him. Just visit thetruthpulpit.com, where you can also learn more about this ministry. Once again, that's thetruthpulpit.com. I'm Bill Wright, inviting you back next time when Don Green presents more from The Truth Pulpit.