WHAT SORT OF PATTERN ARE YOU?

WHAT SORT OF PATTERN ARE YOU?

Titus 2:7-8 (KJV)

In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

I do not want to lose sight of the fact that the book of Titus is written primarily as instruction to a preacher.

Titus was commissioned to do the work of the ministry on the Island of Crete

·   To set in order the things that are wanting and

·   To ordain elders, in every city

Titus wasn’t brand new at this work. I am certain he was not a novice, but he could still use some instruction.

Preachers ought to be constantly about the business of instruction.

We don’t need to learn necessarily new things but 

·   We do need to sharpen our understanding of the Word of God

·   We need to be challenged to keep on keeping on and

·   We need to be reminded what keeping on means and doesn’t mean

There is no Biblical room, so far as I can see, for a preacher to think of himself as having arrived and now it’s his business to straighten up everybody else.

Having said that, however, wouldn’t you agree that it would be unwise for Christians to dismiss the lessons of a book like Titus just because it was written to preachers and not specifically to them?

And, doesn’t it make sense that 

·   Anything good for the preacher to learn would be good for every Christian to learn too?

·   Anything good for the preacher to do would also be good for the Christians to do too?

Titus had just been instructed about those things he ought to teach the people in his church.

·   Things that become sound doctrine

·   Behavior that places Gospel in the best light possible

·   He was to teach the aged men

·   He was to teach the aged women

·   He was to teach the aged women what to teach the young women 

and, in verse 6,

·   He was to teach the young men

But notice that a change takes place in verse 7.

Verse seven isn’t what he is supposed to teach the young men. The Word of God turns back to Titus and the demeanor with which he is to teach it.

Titus 2:7 (KJV)

In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

I know it applies to Titus, which means it applies to me as your pastor.

But I want to suggest that it should apply to each of you as well.

Titus, I want you to show yourself a pattern.

I. A PATTERN IN BEHAVIOUR

Titus 2:7 (KJV)

In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works

Modern forms of Christianity is getting all mixed up these days.

The pendulum of a works based Christianity has swung so far to the other side that the largest churches and most popular pastors acts as if there is no expectations made of the Christian.

·   We do not work our way to heaven

·   We do not have to work our way into God’s favor

But that in no way means there is no work for us to do.

Neither does it mean that God does not expect us to do it.

A. We are saved to work

Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV)

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Not of works, lest any man should boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

B. Paul was an example of work

1 Corinthians 15:8-10 (KJV)

And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

C. Faith without work is impractical and useless

James 2:14-26 (KJV)

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

The work that each of us does for Christ is unique.

No one is expected to do the same work or get the same results from his work but everyone of us ought to establish in our lives a pattern of good works.

I think it is like giving

“Every man according to his ability.”[1]

No equal gifts, but equal sacrifice.

II. A PATTERN IN FAITH

Titus 2:7 (KJV)

In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

I am intrigued by this description of doctrine – the things we teach.

A. Uncorruptness

This has to do with purity.

The things we teach ought to be done with integrity, purity and soundness.

It implies, I think, thoughtfulness and study.

When we teach the Word of God it ought to be after enough time in the study that we are confident our message is correct.

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We are just humans and we will make mistakes.

Those mistakes ought never be the result of improperly dividing the Word of God.

B. Gravity

Strong’s Concordance defines this as “venerable.” I doubt that helps most of us understand it much better.

John Gill writes of this,

“…with all gravity of speech and countenance, without levity in expression, and airiness of gesture.”

Charles Spurgeon, who in his day was considered not only the prince of preachers but an excellent orator, admonished his preacher students to avoid jesting, joking and even gestures that would distract from the message.

When I was in college, one of my teachers urged us to stay behind the pulpit, one foot slightly in front of the other and the hands resting easily on either side of the pulpit.

I think we got away from that sort of preaching under the likes of Billy Sunday.

Sunday, the ex-pro baseball player, ex-drunk, who became a preaching sensation in his day, was said to walk several miles during the course of a sermon.

·   He would grab chairs and pretend he was taming a lion

·   He would climb on the piano

The point of the activity was not just passion, but it translated later into a way to keep an audience’s attention.

·   I have no qualms with passion

·   I want a preacher to be excited about his message

·   I don’t object to active preaching by any means

But I do object to silliness in the pulpit.

C. Sincerity

This could be defined as genuineness.

No preacher is perfect. 

Since the Bible is perfect, a preacher is called upon to preach a message that he personally needs to get hold of in his life.

I wrestled with this a lot when I was younger in the ministry.

As I studied the Word of God I would find things that brought me under great conviction.

Should I not preach it, because I have not yet obeyed it? 

I came to the place I understood that God wanted the truth proclaimed, even if I wasn’t the perfect example of that truth.

On the other hand – a preacher who has no intention of obeying the Bible has no business preaching the Bible.

A pattern in behavior

A pattern in faith

Finally

III. A PATTERN IN SPEECH

Titus 2:8 (KJV)

Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

I would suggest to you that this involves not only what is said in the pulpit but what is said out of the pulpit.

Christian, whatever you say, whenever you say it, let it be wholesome, godly and honoring to the Lord.

There is too much profane language among Christians today – especially among younger ones.

I am not asking you to be prune faced Puritans who never crack a joke or find something to laugh at.

I just don’t think we need to use vulgar language, or some cleaned up version of it.

Why is it we think it’s ok for a five year old to announce what he just did in the bathroom?

Matthew 12:36 (KJV)

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Idle means vain and useless.

Ephesians 4:29 (KJV)

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Corrupt means spoiled or rotten.

Colossians 3:8 (KJV)

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Filthy means – well, filthy.

Colossians 4:6 (KJV)

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

It’s pleasant.

1 Timothy 1:9 (KJV)

Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

In this case profane applies to more than language, but we generally associate profanity to language, don’t we?

The word profane means “public or commonplace.”

Remember what they said about the Cretians?

Unruly, vain talkers and deceitful.

We can do better than that.

Conclusion

No doubt your pastor ought to be a pattern, an example.

But shouldn’t we all?

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[1]2 Corinthians 8:12 (KJV)

For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.